Her Scream in the Silence

by Denise Grover Swank

  I blinked in surprise. While Ruth and I didn’t wear anything obscenely tight, our shirts were much more formfitting. Especially on a football night. Hadn’t everyone told me Lula was a flirt?

  She hurried over to the bar and her eyes widened. “Where’s Max?”

  Ruth put a hand on her hip and gave Lula the evil eye. “Catchin’ up on paperwork.”

  “I didn’t know you knew how to tend bar, Ruthie,” she said, using Tiny’s nickname for her.

  “There’s lots of things you don’t know about me, Lula. Maybe if you stuck around long enough, you’d find out a thing or two.” Ruth turned her back on her and headed over to the beer taps.

  Lula turned to me with hurt eyes. “I think Ruthie’s mad at me.”

  I stared at her in disbelief. Was she for real or was this an act to go along with her innocent-schoolgirl persona? I decided to be generous. “I think Ruth’s upset that you keep taking off and leaving her with all the work.”

  “But you’re here now.”

  “And so are you,” I said. “We’ll all be making less money. Although Ruth had a discussion with Max earlier, and he agreed to give us all a raise.”

  Her eyes lit up. “Oh! That’s good.”

  “Yeah,” I said. She didn’t seem to get it, but I decided to let it go, especially since a group of people had just walked in the door. “How do you want to divide up sections? I’ve been working your old section, but maybe I should work Ruth’s tonight. The Thursday night football crowd will be happy to see you.” So happy I wondered if they’d flood her section, leaving me with only the leftover guys who wouldn’t fit.

  “Okay,” she said, her nose scrunched in confusion. “So Ruth’s not working tonight?”

  Was she really this slow? I didn’t see any hint of duplicity—if anything, she seemed distracted and worried—so I softened my tone. “She’s working behind the bar, remember? Max’ll come out later.”

  “Oh,” she said with a frown, then nodded. “Right.”

  We got to work, and I watched her with the customers, forgetting things, getting orders wrong, until I finally approached Ruth for some drink refills and asked, “Have you been watching Lula?”

  “Like a hawk,” she said with scorn on her face.

  “Does she usually make this many mistakes?”

  “No, this is excessive, even for her.”

  “Do you think she’s nervous because Max kept me on?” Before she could answer, I added, “She didn’t seem to grasp that she and I are going to make less money now that there’s two of us for one job.”

  Ruth leveled her gaze on mine. “You are not going to make less money, do you hear me? I’m sure as hell not going to risk losing you over that nitwit.” Her expression softened. “I don’t dislike Lula. She’s a sweet girl and that clueless act is genuine. But you’re right about the mistakes. Something’s up with her. Let’s just keep an eye on her.”

  “Okay.”

  She handed me the soft drinks and I took them to the table. At around seven, Wyatt walked through the door, and my stomach fluttered at the sight of him.

  He’d come early.

  Wyatt Drummond was the epitome of tall, dark, handsome, and mysterious. Even though he still wore his coat, I knew what his strong arms looked and felt like. And his hard chest. And his lips. I’d been thinking about him a sight more than I’d expected considering everything else that was going on in my life.

  We’d only been together for a few weeks, but the intensity of my feelings had scared me, and Wyatt had sensed it. While my head knew that Wyatt was different than all the previous men in my life, there was something so closed-off about him, even now, and I wasn’t sure I could ever break through his walls. I didn’t like feeling so vulnerable. But I hoped things would change tonight.

  I flashed him a smile, and the look he gave me made the fluttering turn into an all-out somersault. He started toward an empty table in my usual section, then did a double take when he saw Lula standing next to a table with her notepad in hand.

  I motioned for him to come over to a table in Ruth’s section, and he spanned the distance between us, stopping just in front of me. Close, but not close enough.

  “You’re early.” My cheeks flushed. I knew I should play this cool, but I couldn’t seem to pull it off.

  The look on Wyatt’s face suggested he felt the same way. “I know we agreed we’d meet at Hank’s tonight, but I got back earlier than expected, and I couldn’t stay away.”

  I smiled up at him. “I’m glad you came.”

  He cast a glance to the other side of the room and a worried frown covered his face. “Lula’s back?”

  “Yep,” I said, forcing a cheerfulness I didn’t feel about the situation. “Just got back today.”

  “Max’s keepin’ you both on?”

  “That’s what he says, although Ruth’s fit to be tied. She got Max to agree to pay us minimum wage in addition to our tips.”

  His frown deepened, and I wondered if he worried that I’d be leaving Drum after all.

  “I’ll be okay, Wyatt. I haven’t changed my mind. I’m not going anywhere.”

  Relief filled his eyes. “I’m glad to hear it.”

  I gave him a little push toward the chair. “Do you know what you want? Tiny’s special is chili cheese dogs.”

  He grinned. “Don’t be telling Hank that. I stopped by his place first and made sure he ate the cauliflower mac and cheese you left for him in the fridge.”

  My brows shot up. “Did he like it?”

  Hank would live off junk food if left to his own devices, but he was diabetic and his right leg had recently been amputated due to his condition. I’d been slipping some diabetic-friendly recipes into my meal planning. I’d even served quinoa stuffing with our Thanksgiving turkey. Since I worked most nights, Wyatt went over to check on him after he got off work to make sure he ate.

  “He didn’t dislike it. He had two helpings. I ate the rest, so don’t be planning on havin’ any leftovers when you get home.”

  I laughed. “I’ll consider that a win.”

  “Expect to hear some complaining anyway.”

  I shook my head, still grinning. “I can live with it. But if you already ate…”

  He moved closer, resting his hand on my hip. Tingles shot through my body at his touch, and I drew in a breath. I’d missed him in more ways than one. I craved him like no other man before him, although I wondered if part of his allure was his promise to help me. He’d painted a future in which I could stop running…and every single part of me wanted that. Still, there was no doubt I was physically attracted to him. Any woman would be.

  His eyes darkened and he lowered his voice. “I already told you. I didn’t want to wait four more hours to see you.”

  This man was capable of turning me upside down and inside out, but this wasn’t the time or place. “Fine,” I said with a hint of a grin. “But sit down and behave. Don’t touch me again until I get off.”

  He grinned back. “I’m not sure I can agree to that.”

  “I just might kick you out if you become too big of a distraction.”

  He sat down and leaned back in his seat, wearing a lazy smile. “I’ll take my chances.”

  “You’ll have to order something, but I have to warn you. Tiny’s new cook, Sugar, gets more orders wrong than right, so you’re taking your chances.”

  “Get me a chili cheese dog and a draft beer.” He shot a glance toward the bar. “And make sure Ruth doesn’t spit in it. That seems like the bigger risk.”

  I laughed as I wrote his order on the ticket. Ruth detested him, although no one would tell me why, the two involved parties included. My best assumption was that it had something to do with the fact that they’d dated briefly years ago, although neither of them had confirmed or denied that.

  The front door opened before I could head back to the service counter, and a quick glance told me Jerry had arrived. Wyatt saw him too and motioned for the elderly man to come sit with
him. Both of us owed a debt of gratitude to Jerry given the way he’d helped us face down Carson.

  “Would you like something for dinner?” I asked as he sat down.

  “A burger, fries, and a Coke,” Jerry said, slipping off his threadbare coat. I made a mental note to stop by Goodwill when I took Hank to Greeneville the next day for his doctor’s appointment.

  It occurred to me that Jerry wasn’t eating any healthier than Hank used to, and I made another note to bring him some of Hank’s extras.

  I started to write down his order on a separate sheet, but Wyatt pointed to his chest, letting me know to put it on his tab. Jerry would likely protest, but Wyatt could charm him into agreeing.

  A couple of days earlier, Tiny had asked why he hadn’t seen Wyatt hanging around. I’d reassured him that Wyatt would likely be in soon enough. Tiny had said good with surprising vehemence and then shocked me into silence by calling me an enchantress who’d woken Wyatt up from a long sleep. According to him, Wyatt used to be happy and carefree before his arrest, something he seemed to have lost after his nearly two-year incarceration. He’d come home a loner—quiet, reserved, and serious. A lot like the Wyatt I’d met on the overlook above Drum. I’d laughed and told Tiny that I hadn’t known him to be so fanciful, but he’d grinned back. “There’s a whole lot you don’t know about me, but that doesn’t discount the fact that you seem to be bringing Wyatt Drummond back to life.”

  It was a beautiful compliment, but something about the way Tiny had phrased it had stayed with me. There’s a whole lot you don’t know about me. I got the sense there was a whole lot more to just about everyone I’d met in this small Smoky Mountain town, Wyatt included, but then, I had plenty of my own secrets, so who was I to judge?

  I turned in their orders and got Wyatt’s beer and Jerry’s Coke at the bar.

  Ruth shot Wyatt a dark look. “What’s he doin’ here? I haven’t seen him in nearly a week.”

  “He came for dinner, same as everyone else.”

  “Not the same as everyone else. He’s here for you.”

  I flashed her a grin. “I’d like to think my sunny disposition brings some of the customers in now.”

  She laughed and shook her head. “There’s more truth to that than you realize, a fact I made sure to point out to Max. He was losin’ lunch-crowd business until you showed up. Lula’s a hit with the football crowd because of her flirting and sweetness, but the lunch crowd is more inclined to appreciate competent staff with a”—she grinned—“sunny disposition.” When she noticed my look of surprise, she said, “Surely you’ve noticed that business has picked up.”

  “To be fair,” I said. “You warned me in the beginning that it would be slow, but I never saw it because everyone wanted to drop in and see the waitress who’d found Seth’s body. They all thought I was a murderer until we caught Carson.”

  “True enough,” she said, handing me Wyatt’s mug. “But you’re a big draw.” She gave me a forced smile. “And notice I didn’t spit in Wyatt’s beer.”

  “Why won’t you tell me why you two hate each other?”

  She frowned. “Hate’s a strong word.”

  “Fine, then you have strong feelings of dislike. Why won’t you tell me?”

  “Have Wyatt tell you.”

  “He says to have you tell me.”

  She released a chuckle. “It’s water under the bridge, Carly. Let it go.”

  “But it’s hard to do that when my loyalty feels divided.”

  Her expression softened. “That’s sweet of you to say, but what happened between us was long ago. We’re both nearly a decade older. I’ll only say it involved Heather. Let bygones be bygones, and all that. You two look happy. I won’t begrudge you that.”

  Ruth and Wyatt had dated years ago, during a break in his off-and-on relationship with a woman named Heather. Heather was the woman who’d been with him the night of his arrest. She’d left town after the Drummonds paid her not to testify against him.

  I delivered the drinks and settled up with a couple of customers, most of whom seemed intent on leaving before the football crowd showed up.

  My section was caught up, but Lula seemed to be behind on bussing her tables.

  “Let me give you a hand,” I said cheerfully as I started to clear the table next to the one she was working on.

  “I don’t see how you can keep up with it all,” she said in frustration, and I realized she was close to tears.

  Her section actually had fewer customers, but she was struggling to make sure everyone was taken care of in a speedy manner.

  “It’s all about multitasking.”

  She looked up at me with tears in her eyes. “I really need this job, Carly.”

  My breath stuck in my chest. Did she want me to quit and give her my hours? Or was she worried her incompetency was going to get her fired? I was going to presume the latter. “I’ll help you, Lula. Don’t you worry.”

  “Ruthie’s mad at me, and Max’ll barely talk to me.”

  “You know what?” I said in a bright voice. “That’s in the past. We’re gonna move forward, okay? If you need help multitasking, I can help. I became a master at it when I was a—” I cut myself off as I realized I’d been on the verge of telling her about my past as a third-grade teacher. That was the old me. Caroline Blakely. I’d been Charlene Moore for a month now, and in hiding for even longer, but I still made slips. “I learned it back in retail. I’ll help you, so don’t you worry.”

  “Why are you bein’ so nice to me?” she asked, swiping her cheek with her hand. “You don’t even know me.”

  “Because, despite their current frustration, Max actually does like you and so does Ruth. I trust their judgment. They’re just mad that you left them high and dry. If you don’t do that again, you’ll be fine.”

  She studied me with deep, soulful eyes, then said, “I won’t be goin’ anywhere. I need this job, Carly.”

  “You just do your best,” I said. “Come to work on time. Don’t run off again. Do your job, and you’ll be fine. If you get behind or overwhelmed, I’ll help out, okay?”

  She threw her arms around me and buried her face into my shoulder. “Thank you, Carly. I knew you were a sweet person the moment I laid eyes on you.”

  I cast a glance to the bar and caught Ruth’s scowl. While I knew that Ruth liked the girl, I also knew her patience was thin.

  Pulling free, I said, “Let’s get this section cleaned up. The football crowd’s due any minute, and they’re gonna be so excited to see you.”

  “Really?” she asked in surprise.

  “You bet. They nearly kicked me out my first night, wondering why I was workin’ instead of you.” I gave her a beaming smile. “So let’s clean off the tables, and you can head to the bathroom to fix your mascara so you’ll be ready to meet your adoring fans.”

  “I’m sorry if they were mean to you.” Her frown was back. It was like she showed every emotion that fluttered through her head, and I suddenly felt a strong urge to protect her.

  “I’m fine. Don’t you worry about me. I assured them you’d be back, and all was well with the world.” I picked up a stack of plates and held them out to her. “You take these to the back. The Applebaums are ready for their check.”

  She took the dishes and I took the bill to my customers in the booth, who had shown signs of being ready to leave. Once we were settled, I took Wyatt and Jerry their food.

  “What’s goin’ on with Lula?” Wyatt asked, casting a glance toward her as she bussed another table.

  “She’s having a rough transition back,” I said.

  “That girl’s touched,” Jerry said, turning his gaze on his plate. “Never been right since she almost drowned as a girl. About eight or nine.”

  “What?” I said in horror. “How awful.”

  “Her daddy done tried to drown her in the creek that ran at the back of their property, and her mother shot him with a shotgun. Heard she had to do CPR on Lula until the ambulance arrived. She
ain’t been the same since.”

  Now I felt even more protective of her. “What happened to her mother?”

  “Incarcerated on second-degree murder.”

  Gasping, I turned to Wyatt. “How in the hell did that happen?”

  Wyatt’s eyes darkened. “Hensen County.”

  I’d learned that the county was such a cesspool of corruption it was a wonder the whole place didn’t stink like a swamp.

  “One fight at a time, Carly,” Wyatt said in a soothing tone, but his words had the opposite effect. They made me impatient. Although he was the one who’d suggested we take our corrupt fathers down, the idea had made me feel strong for the first time in a long, long while. His promise was one of the main reasons I’d chosen to stay in Drum, but nearly three weeks had passed since Bart Drummond’s right-hand man had tried to kill me, Wyatt, Jerry, and Deputy Marco Roland, and we’d done nothing.

  Had Wyatt manipulated me? I’d dated a long string of narcissists, culminating with Jake, my former best friend and fiancé. Somehow I’d always missed the signs until it was too late.

  “So we start tonight?” I pressed.

  His expression wavered. “It’s been a long day for the both of us.”

  Another stall, which sounded perfectly reasonable—they all had—but when I added them all together, it made for a pretty clear picture.

  It would be a long, long time before this man told me anything.

  “Well, it sure would be nice to at least enter the ring on one of those fights.” I turned around, avoiding the urge to look back, and walked over to help Lula bus the last table.

  “Lula, can I ask a favor?”

  She looked at me with her large, trusting eyes, and I thought about the horrors she’d faced. Who had taken care of her after her mother had gone to prison? But I shook off my thoughts. Surely that was the last thing she’d want to talk about. “Can you cover Wyatt’s table for me?”

  “Wyatt Drummond?” she asked, her brow shooting up.

  “Yeah,” I said, making no secret of pointing to his table. “Over there. It’s at the edge of our sections. I can take one of yours in exchange.”