The sight of her made me sigh.
And I mean sigh.
I openly and loudly sighed.
Like that sense of relief of needing to take a pee and having to hold it for an hour.
She had a towel around her that stood no match against the winds throwing themselves around the beach. The towel pulled behind her. Her hair went in all directions. And as she ran toward me with a smile on her face, my eyes took their time watching every part of her body. Every curve - big and little. Not to mention my favorite parts that bounced with such glory that I had to touch my chest and make sure my heart was still beating. Because I knew my ticket to heaven had been traded for hell a long time ago.
And yet here was heaven…
Running toward me.
Pulling the towel around her body as she closed in on me.
I smelled like the garage and she didn’t care.
She smelled like something sweet and suntan lotion.
I hugged her tight and shut my eyes, needing the moment.
Julia then boldly stole my cigarette and leaned against the tow truck with me, smoking it as I stared at her.
“What?” she asked.
“How the hell do you get prettier each time I see you?”
Julia rolled her eyes and pushed away from the truck and me. “Oh, jeez. Is that why you’re here? I am not fooling around with you in the back of a disgusting tow truck.”
“I’m not here for that, sweetheart,” I said. “Come for a ride with me to pick up a car. I need the company.”
“You already said that on the phone, Jett.”
“Then get in.”
I opened the door and put my hand out.
Julia swatted my hand away and got in the truck herself.
She hated when I opened doors for her. Or put my hand out to help her. She didn’t like the idea that it was implied that a man was stronger than a woman. If she needed help, she’d ask for it.
She sat in the truck next to me and I drove away from the beach.
“What’s the breaking news now on the beach?” I asked with a grin.
“Yeah, funny. For someone who hates drama, you always ask about it. And you always seem to live in it too. Loser.”
“I’m just making conversation with you,” I said.
“Heather’s parents are in counseling,” Julia said.
I whistled. “Whoa. That’s big news.”
“Very big news,” Julia said. “But they have to play it off that nothing is happening. So get this… they’re flying to their therapy sessions.”
“Flying?” I asked.
“Private jet. Her father has one.”
“Of course he does.”
“So they make it look like they’re getting away every week. They’re calling it their time together. To be alone. Or whatever.”
“How’s Heather taking it?”
Julia snorted. “You know her. Everything is dramatic. She feels she’s living a lie. A life of lies. And if her parents get divorced she’ll die.”
I laughed. “Rich people.”
“Yeah. So then Becca tells her if her parents get divorced she gets double everything. Because her parents will fight for her love.”
“She’s turning twenty,” I said. “She’s not a kid.”
“Yeah right,” Julia said. “She’ll never grow up.”
“And these are your friends?” I asked.
“They are people I hang out with,” Julia said. “Becca isn’t bad. Heather is annoying. But she brings Donna. And you know Donna is cool as hell.”
“I’ll give you that.”
“She just doesn’t care. I love how she owns up to everything. She turned eighteen, got her money, and just does what she wants. She was going to be a veterinarian until she realized she’d have to watch animals die. Now she wants to be a natural healer.”
“What the hell is that?” I asked.
“Someone who helps people… but you don’t use traditional medicine.”
“Ah, okay.”
“I like the sun and I like having a day off,” Julia said.
“I understand. Do you ever feel stuck?”
“Stuck? What do you mean stuck?”
“Just… I don’t know. Like, what the hell are we doing here?”
Julia lifted an eyebrow. “You? Stuck? You want to leave here?”
“No. I don’t know. This is definitely my home. I just… eh, never mind.”
“No. What’s up, Jett?”
“Nothing,” I said. “Sorry. I just sometimes picture you with those girls. They’re all rich. They have no idea what a bad day really is. You know? And you…”
“Me, what?” Julia asked. “I’m poor?”
“You’re not poor.”
“Then what? I didn’t get a fancy bank account when I turned eighteen?”
“Julia…”
“I mean, if you’re looking for money, then I’ll give you some advice. Go home. Take a long, hot shower. Put on some douchey looking polo shirt. Go flirt with Heather. You know she’s easy. She’ll hug you with her legs in a heartbeat. And there you go. You’ve got money.”
I gritted my teeth.
She had no idea what was going on with me. And the shop. Because I hadn’t told her.
“I didn’t mean it that way, sweetheart,” I said. “I want you to be happy.”
“I am happy, Jett.”
“We’re just so crazy together, Julia.”
“That’s the whole point. We’ve been together for a while. We can do anything we want together.”
“Yeah we can,” I said. I reached for her hand. “Can you just call me an asshole real quick and then we move on?”
“Sure. Asshole.”
“I love you, sweetheart.”
“Yeah, I love you too, Jett.”
I drove for a few minutes in silence before Julia spoke again.
“Hey,” she said. “I’m not okay with fooling around in the back of a dirty truck. But I’m totally okay with pulling over and kissing…”
I looked at her and smiled. “You’re going to get my ass fired one of these days.”
“You called me first.”
I pulled the tow truck to the side of the road.
I reached for Julia’s face and stroked her cheek.
We met halfway and kissed.
Yeah… I called you first… but you saw me first…
* * *
I pulled up to the lot where Pop had sent me and saw the black gates not only shut, but locked. A thick chain around the bars with a big lock in place.
“They’re closed,” I said.
“Is this the right spot?” Julia asked.
“This is it,” I said.
I showed her the piece of paper with Pop’s scratched letters and numbers on it.
“Maybe he’s losing his mind,” she said.
“No. This… ah, shit…”
“What?” Julia asked.
“I have to get back to the shop,” I said. “He set me up.”
“Set you up?”
“He wanted me gone.”
“Why?”
“Don’t worry about it, sweetheart.”
“No. I don’t play that game. What’s going on? You’ve been acting weird since you picked me up.”
I growled under my breath and started to drive.
“Jett,” Julia said. “Don’t piss me off.”
“Give me a second, Julia,” I said.
“One,” she said.
I looked at her.
She was even more beautiful when she was pissed off .
Which seemed impossible.
“There was some shit going down at the garage,” I said. “Buddy has been stealing from Pop. And I’m pretty sure Pop sent me away so he could handle it.”
“What?”
“You heard me. I need to drop you off and get to the shop and see what’s happening there.”
“I never liked that guy, Jett,” Julia said. “He was always creepy.”
/>
“I agree. And I don’t like that Pop did this to me.”
“Probably so they could talk alone,” she said.
“That’s what I’m worried about. Pop isn’t the best at talking.”
I drove fast to get Julia back to the beach.
I parked the truck and she threw her arms around me.
We kissed more than a few times.
This is why we should split town together, sweetheart. Get away from this bad shit. The bakery isn’t doing so hot. The shop is a mess with Pop. What the fuck are we doing here?
“Call me,” Julia said.
“Of course,” I said.
She touched my face. “Sorry things are like this again.”
“Go enjoy the rest of your day,” I said.
Julia got out of the truck and I felt like a piece of my heart went with her.
But I didn’t have time to be all lovey-dovey.
I had to get back to the shop.
I drove even faster.
When I turned to pull into the front lot, I thought the tow truck was going to flip over. I kept the truck steady and pulled right up to the front of the building.
I left the keys in the ignition and the door open as I ran through the open garage bay.
“Pop!” I called out.
I darted to the office door.
I exploded into the office and lost my breath when I saw what it looked like.
There were papers everywhere.
Chairs tipped over.
Pop’s little TV on the floor, the screen shattered.
“Pop!” I yelled.
I heard a growling cough.
Pop sat on the floor behind the desk. His bottom lip was bloody and when he smiled at me, his teeth were stained with blood.
“What the hell happened?” I asked.
“I fired Buddy,” he said.
“And he did this?” I asked.
Pop put his hand out for me to take. “You should see what he looks like.”
I helped Pop up and he put his hands to his desk. He took a deep breath and stretched his neck.
“Damn,” he said. “Haven’t had a good one like that in a while.”
Pop looked at me and smiled again.
I didn’t like when Pop smiled.
It wasn’t a good smile.
It was a crazy guy smile.
“Pop…”
“I got him to talk,” Pop said. “He confessed everything. He’s been taking cash for the last two years. He’s been moving parts behind my back much longer than that. All because of the land.”
“The land?”
“Buddy thought after working here long enough I’d hand shit out to him.”
“That’s ridiculous.”
“Yeah. Oh well. He’s gone. You ready for this now?”
“I’m worried about you, Pop. Let me get you something to get cleaned up.”
“Jett. Wait. Open my bottom drawer here.”
I crouched and wrestled with the old, squeaky drawer.
“Get that bottle of whiskey out,” Pop said. “We need to talk.”
“Are you going to fire me next?” I asked.
Pop laughed.
That was even worse than his smile.
He sat down in the chair and reached into his pocket.
“I’m going to go against everything I’ve ever said and done here,” he said.
“Meaning?”
“You’re the only person that’s ever been loyal to me, Jett. So here… you’re getting a piece of the land for yourself. Figure out how to handle it. Make yourself some money. Get yourself a big house. More cars. More motorcycles. Marry that girl you’ve been seeing. Have kids. Spoil them. I don’t know. I don’t really give a shit. But here… prove my old, stubborn ass wrong.”
I took the paper from Pop and he took the whiskey bottle from me.
“Just how hard did Buddy hit you in the head?” I asked.
Pop laughed again. “Hard enough to make me realize I love you more than I love my own sons.”
Chapter 10
THEN
Julia
I stood behind the counter and wiped it down.
It had been another quiet day.
There was plenty of foot traffic out front but coming into the bakery…
That was the problem too.
We were too much of a bakery. Catering to the regulars more than we needed to.
The front of the bakery had two big windows with the door in between.
There were small tables scattered throughout the floor.
Most had more dust on the seats than people over the last year.
The glass case next to me shined bright.
Full of the most delicious baked goods I had ever eaten in my life.
And I wasn’t just saying that because of Aunt Bea.
I wiped the same spot fifteen times over and watched as Aunt Bea sat with Art.
He was one of the regulars.
And by regulars, he would come into the bakery two times or more per day.
He was a painter and had retired to live near the beach.
This town wasn’t exactly the perfect place to retire but with the name of Hidden and Art wanting to be hidden, it fit.
It also didn’t hurt him that he was madly in love with Aunt Bea.
And I was sure she liked him back.
Art’s first trip to the bakery each day was quick. He’d get himself a coffee and something to go. He and Aunt Bea would wish each other a good morning and good day. It was cute to watch. Almost like they needed to see one another to know the other was still alive.
But the last trip of the day was the one where Art would sit.
And Aunt Bea would join him if I forced her to.
I heard Aunt Bea laugh and it made me laugh too.
They both looked at me and I quickly turned.
My face turned red and I hurried to go into the back of the bakery.
I pretended to look around, already knowing everything was done for the day.
I gave it a minute and then crept back out to the front.
I stayed as hidden as I could and watched Art and Aunt Bea.
“Oh, that was another time in life,” Art said. “Living in the city like that. It was busy. Bright. Colorful. Never quiet. That was for sure. But it pushed me.”
“Well, I’m an old fart who has never gone places,” Aunt Bea said.
Art touched her hand. “But that’s the thing, dear. You have.”
He calls her dear…
My heart swooned.
“I haven’t been anywhere,” Aunt Bea said.
“Yes you have. You don’t need to travel to… well… travel.”
“Now you sound like Clive,” Aunt Bea said.
“He was a smart man then,” Art said.
“You know, he used to tell me for all the driving he did, his favorite place was home.”
“That’s the point,” Art said. “Don’t discount what’s right here.”
They stared at each other and I slowly inched away. I secretly wished they would kiss. It was so weird to think. Two old people. Me standing there hoping they’d kiss.
But they didn’t kiss.
They never did.
At least not in front of me.
Art stood up and said he was leaving.
Aunt Bea told him she couldn’t wait to see him again.
He left and she stood in the middle of the floor.
It was probably the rawest emotion Aunt Bea felt.
I casually walked toward her and cleared my throat.
“Everything done?” she asked, not missing a beat.
“Why don’t we change things up here?” I asked.
“How so?”
“We should have more people here. Instead of just taking orders. We should be baking more. We should have more coffee available. Teas too. We should make this the place you have to stop at. Think about everyone who goes to Hidden Creek High. They should be stopping here before, during,
and after class.”
“That’s a big vision there,” Aunt Bea said.
“I can do it,” I said.
“You can?”
“Of course I can.”
“That means staying.”
“Where am I going to go?”
Aunt Bea gave me the look.
The look when it came to Jett.
“You know, I hope you don’t mind me saying this, but you’re unfair when it comes to Jett.”
“Am I?” Aunt Bea asked.
“If I leave this town, then what? Where am I going to go? What am I going to do? This bakery is all I’ve known. And it’s going to close. I know you’re in trouble, Aunt Bea. You can hide it from me. You can be scared alone. But I know the truth.”
“You think you know the truth, Julia,” she said. “But, my oh my, are you quite the cocky woman right now. Do you not remember the night you showed up here?”
“Of course I do. And for all you’ve done for me, let me repay you.”
“And how exactly do you plan on doing everything you just said?”
“You have to trust me.”
“You’re young.”
“I’m an adult.”
“You’re. Young.”
“You married Clive at nineteen.”
“That was a different time,” Aunt Bea said, waving a hand at me.
“Oh, was it?” I asked.
“Yeah, it was,” Aunt Bea said.
“Maybe it was… but for me…”
“Julia, stop,” Aunt Bea in a stern voice.
That was her warning voice.
That was my cue to shut my mouth.
Aunt Bea walked to the door and turned the lock.
She looked back at me. “Life isn’t some show on television. There’s no commercial breaks. There’s no sappy music playing in the background. There’s no easy way to solve a problem.”
“So you’re just going to let your bakery close?” I asked. “After what Clive did for you…”
“Don’t bring him into your ideas,” Aunt Bea said. “This isn’t a sales pitch. You’re not trying to sell me a vacuum.”
“What?”
“Nothing. Salespeople used to go door to door to sell vacuums.”
“Oh,” I said. “Okay.”
Aunt Bea swallowed hard. She looked ready to cry.
Guilt punched me in the stomach.
I moved toward her. “Aunt Bea… I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have spoken like that to you. If I sounded loud or upset, it’s excitement. I promise. I just know how many people are in this town. What could be.” I shook my head. “I’m doing it again. Crap. Sorry.”
HIDDEN CREEK THEN: a hidden creek high novel Page 7