Walt seemed confused by the question. “I took Highway 20—”
“You have no business being behind the wheel with your sad eyesight. If you don’t care about yourself, you should at least consider the other people on the road. I’m not above asking Ben to impound your truck until you have that cataract surgery.”
“They wanna cut a hole in my eyeball and squirt fluid in it.” Walt shuddered. “Would you be in a hurry to let someone do that to you?”
“If I couldn’t see, yeah. You always ground it into my head and especially Kyle’s to face our fears. You’re gonna have to buck up and face yours. Take your own advice.”
“I did walk into the post office and ask for a haircut this morning. I had problems making the sign, too. I guess I am gonna have to get the surgery to be able to keep an eye on Dave,” Walt said with a chuckle.
“The only reason you’d consider having the surgery is so you can fight with Dave? Do you ever get bored with fighting the Sealys?”
“You get tired of blood pumping through your veins? We never let our guard down, Kell,” Walt said seriously. “If my great-granddaddy didn’t stay on his toes, the Sealys would’ve built their town right up to our borders. They’re whores, they buy land, and they sell it off to the highest bidder with no respect for how the people who live nearby will be affected. All them townsfolk who supported them and started businesses in Sealy are in ruin because Dave and his father let all them big retail chains move in. If your great-great-grandfather hadn’t bought that plot of land on the other side of your house, you’d be living behind a strip mall. The woods you love so much would be gone.”
Kellen rubbed her temples again. “I hear what you’re saying, but putting up signs and taunting Dave, don’t you think that’s run its course?”
“No, and they still put up a lot of their own. I must’ve picked up a dozen of theirs at the McLin welcome sign. I have to let Dave Sealy know that I’m still holding the line here, and I expect you and Kyle to do the same. The Sealys are a pushy people, you give ’em an inch, and they take not a mile but ten. They’re bullies, they never keep their word, and every last one of them thinks they’re better than anyone else.”
Kellen nodded as she recalled her first encounter with Dave Sealy when she was around ten years old. She’d gone to Belle Chasse with Trulee because Trulee wanted to buy a bolt of fabric. Kellen hated the fabric store because she found it boring, so she’d waited in the car. It was a spring day, the windows were down, and Dave pulled up next to Trulee’s car. He rolled his window down and said to Linden, who was with him, “Son, that right there is trash, and I’m not talking about the car.” Kellen’s feelings had been hurt, but as she grew older and thought about that day, she became enraged. It wasn’t beneath Dave Sealy to insult a child.
“Has he called you lately?” Walt asked, pulling Kellen out of her memory.
“No, I think he’s realized I’m not gonna answer.”
Walt pointed a finger at Kellen. “He’s gonna think you’re scared of him.”
“I don’t give a shit what he thinks,” Kellen retorted. “I’ve totally neglected my own business while dealing with all this mayor crap. I’m not gonna waste what little time I have listening to him pretend he wants to work with me on the parade and festival schedule while he throws one thinly veiled barb at me after another.”
“You could put him right back in his place with that sharp tongue of yours.” Walt stabbed a finger at Kellen again. “That’s what he needs.”
“That’s what he wants, but he isn’t gonna get it from me. You and Dave entertain yourselves with that bullshit, I have a life.”
Chapter 6
“What’re you doing?” Trent asked when Stevie answered her phone.
“I was just sitting here working,” Stevie said with a smile. “What’re you doing?”
“I was calling to see if you have plans for Saturday.”
Kyle had not been honest with Kellen; he hadn’t already invited Stevie to the party. He wanted to see what Kellen’s reaction would be when she found out who Stevie really was first. When he got home after his conversation with Kellen the night before, he thrilled Trent by giving him the thumbs-up and told him everything he and Kellen had discussed.
“Not a one, are you about to change that?” Stevie asked.
“Yes, you’ve been invited to a party we’re having at Kellen’s house Saturday starting at four o’clock and will go on until the wee hours, I’m sure. You have to come. I’ll text you the address as soon as we hang up.”
“Did you talk to her about me?” Stevie asked as her heart began to pound.
“Kyle did, and she invited you to the party.”
“Does she still think my name is Stephanie?”
“Not anymore. She was a little shocked when she found out you’re a Sealy.” Trent left out the part that Kellen had actually choked when she heard the news. “You have to understand that as the mayor she’s caught between Walt and your family and all the bickering they do. She stills wants to, you know, meet you again and chat because she thinks you’re very pretty.”
“Trent, did y’all tell her what I said about her being hot?” Stevie asked as her face flushed.
“Nooess?”
“Was that a no or a yes?” Stevie asked with a frown.
“Well, Kyle kinda did, but Kellen was happy about that. Look, there’s no pressure. This isn’t a date, just a chance for you two to meet and see if you like each other. If y’all don’t hit it off, there’s still gonna be a lot of people there, and you might meet a woman you do like.”
“Okay,” Stevie said nervously. “Tell me about Kellen. What’s she like?”
“She’s kind of a loner. I say that, but she was a lot more sociable before she became mayor. Now that she’s got people in her face all the time, she takes a lot of walks in the woods mostly alone. Kyle went with her once, and he said she yelled at an anthill for like five minutes to vent her frustration, which is probably why she goes alone. She’s an arborist and can tell you more about trees than you ever wanted to know. She’s been single for about a year now. She and Lola were together a few years, and they got along okay, but I don’t think Lola really liked living in McLin. She was more of a city girl who didn’t care for the woods much. After a while, that became a problem for them.”
“I like the woods and trees,” Stevie said thoughtfully.
“I know, and that’s why I think you and Kellen will hit it off. You’re both very laid-back and down-to-earth people. Tell me you’re coming to the party.”
Stevie looked out the window near her desk when she heard a thud and noticed her mother speaking to a man who’d just gotten out of his truck. “Aw, shit, Mom’s here with some kind of workman. I have to go, but I’ll be at the party.”
“Good, I’ll see you there if we don’t talk sooner. See ya,” Trent said and ended the call.
*******
“I told you I couldn’t work with remodeling going on,” Stevie said as calmly as she could after her mother closed the door behind a contractor who had just measured the whole cottage.
“I’m only getting estimates,” Joan assured and looked around. “Honey, if you’d let us, your daddy and I could make this into a beautiful home for you with a private pool.”
Stevie waved her arms around wildly. “I need my own space, lots and lots of it, and privacy.”
“Well, I have left you alone. Somebody is grumpy today. Is it hormones?” Joan asked.
“I was just a half hour away from finishing a job when you came in here with that builder guy. I couldn’t concentrate with you two talking and measuring everything. Two more projects landed in my queue today, and at this rate, I won’t be able to get to them until next week with all I have stacked up.”
Joan folded her arms. “If you’re so far behind, then how come you have time to go wandering? Yes, I saw you yesterday. You ran out of here, dove in your car, then drove off sitting low in your seat. Where did you go?”
“I…had to take a drive to clear my head.”
“A three-hour drive?” Joan sighed. “Honey, just admit it, you’re depressed. Breakups are hard on a person. It’s change and no doubt causes one to feel like they’re a failure, then there’s memories of the good times.”
“Mom, you’ve only ever been with Dad, how would you know about breakups?” Stevie asked wearily.
“I’ve gone to a divorce help group, and I found it very enlightening.”
Stevie’ frowned. “Why? Are you and Dad in trouble?”
“Oh, no, we’re fine,” Joan said with a wave. “I wanted to find out why Rachel Martineau left her husband, and he was a member of that group.”
“And you’re not even ashamed to admit that,” Stevie said aghast as she took a seat on the couch.
Joan bowed her head and sat too. “It was a mistake. When word got out that I was attending the meetings, everyone thought your dad and I were getting divorced, so I had to be extra affectionate whenever we were in public. The high side was I got a new wedding ring.”
“I don’t know what to think about what you just said.” Stevie sighed and shrugged. “Why aren’t you and Dad normally affectionate?”
“We are…sometimes. I would like to kiss and hug him more often, but when I do, he immediately thinks I want sex. It didn’t used to be inconvenient because it only lasted a few minutes, and I didn’t even have to take all my clothes off. Now he’s got those pills. If I had the nerve, I’d paint my hormones blue and put them in his bottle.”
“So you don’t enjoy sex at all.”
“I used to when your dad was romantic. He doesn’t have time for that anymore since he’s running multiple businesses. For a while, it happened so fast I didn’t know what hit me. One minute, he was asking me to pass the ketchup, and the next, I was looking for my underwear. Now, things take a little longer, but there’s still no romance. Foreplay is him stretching out his back.” Joan smiled. “I don’t mind talking about this, but you look a little uncomfortable.”
Stevie swallowed hard. “The first sentence of your response would’ve sufficed.”
“Why the questions about my sex life then?”
“I kinda wondered if lack of libido ran in the family because you and Christine both have complained to me about having to have sex.”
“Most women I know complain about having to have sex. When you’re younger and have been at work all day, then you come home and cook and do laundry, the last thing you want when you get into bed is the one who’s been lying in front of the TV for hours crawling all over you. Then once you’re menopausal, you’d rather just eat. I do love your father, though. He’s a good husband, and he’s been a wonderful dad to you children.”
“Should Dad be taking those pills if he’s taking blood pressure medicine, too?”
Joan frowned. “Where did you get the idea he was taking blood pressure medication?”
“Christine told me.”
“Oh, she must mean the homeopathic stuff he takes to calm his nerves when Walt riles him up. I wouldn’t wish harm on anyone, but I wish the whole McLin clan would move to another country. I’ve never seen a more obnoxious group of people in my life. That mayor, Kellen, she’s a real piece of work just like Walt.”
“What has she done?” Stevie asked.
“Don’t you remember?” Joan asked incredulously. “She and her brother stole Mr. Sealy. They tore a wall off our mobile ice cream stand, egged our house, spray-painted graffiti all over the buildings in town. Of course, we could never prove they did any of it, but we know Kellen and Kyle were behind it all.”
“That was a long time ago. What has she done lately?”
“She won’t return your dad’s calls or work with him on the parade and festival schedules,” Joan said as though Kellen had shot Dave in the foot.
Stevie shrugged. “That’s it?”
“Well, I’m sure she’s done other things to make your father’s life miserable. She is a McLin after all,” Joan said with exasperation.
“That was a long time ago, and Linden and Christine did some damage too, like the time they busted the windows in the diner.”
Joan shook her head. “That was never proven. Anything that ever happened in McLin was always blamed on us, and that town was full of miscreants who could’ve done that. You’ve been away too long, and you’ve forgotten what life is like with trash living nearby,” she said as she stood. “You’ll see, though. Things have been quiet, but they won’t be for long. I’m gonna let you get back to work, and I’m going to my face yoga class.”
“Your what?” Stevie asked.
I’m doing face yoga, it keeps the muscles strong and the wrinkles at bay. You should start now, so the skin above your eyelids won’t flop over on them. Brenda Thomas had an eye lift done recently, and now she has to constantly put drops in her eyes because they never close completely. We have to do whatever we can to stall going under the knife.”
Stevie laughed. “I’m not having any cosmetic surgery. I can’t even give blood without feeling like I’m gonna pass out.”
“No Sealy woman lets herself go,” Joan said seriously. “We don’t age gracefully, we fight it tooth and nail with every dye, injection, and lift it takes. While we’re on the topic, I’m seeing some grays in your crown. I’m going to make you an appointment with my stylist for a color.”
“See you later, Mom,” Stevie said as Joan let herself out of the cottage and remained on the couch with Kellen on her mind. She’d resisted the urge to go to the diner at lunchtime when she figured Kellen would be picking up her lunch, but it had been difficult. Normally, her crushes took a long time to develop, but with Kellen, it was instantaneous and grew more intense whenever she thought about her or even heard her name.
Stevie clutched a pillow to her chest, closed her eyes, and mentally replayed the memory of the moment she first laid eyes on Kellen. Like a video in slow motion, she watched Kellen walk toward the counter of the diner, head held high, loose dark curls framing her face. Her intense stare made the muscles in Stevie’s stomach flutter when it settled on her. Stevie even remembered the light scent of Kellen’s perfume that wasn’t flowery but couldn’t be described as musky, either. A warm flush washed over Stevie as she opened her eyes, and the desire to see Kellen again grew stronger.
*******
That evening, Kellen opened her hall closet and frowned. “What’re you looking at, you smug bastard?” she asked Mr. Sealy, sporting a pair of Walt’s old underwear he used as a shop rag. The bronze seal was also wearing one of Kellen’s old sports bras and cap that had McLin Tree Service embroidered on it. She’d dressed him that way in retaliation for the karmic moment she seemed to be having.
Not even Kyle knew she still had Mr. Sealy. The night they stole it, she’d driven deep into the woods, opened her passenger door, and kicked the Sealy monument out. Years later, when the Sealys had done something to stoke her ire, she’d gotten the idea to return it, headless, and went into the woods to retrieve it. She realized then how heavy it was and gave up on the idea. She had taken the seal to her grandfather’s old house and hidden it in the hall closet where it remained when she’d done renovations and moved into the place.
She doubted that Stevie would ever have an occasion to go in the closet during the party, but Kellen felt she needed a better hiding place. She pointed at the seal and said, “Get out.” She actually waited a moment as though she thought Mr. Sealy would obey, then covered him with old coats.
“Problem solved,” Kellen said and closed the closet door. Aggravation rose within her for even going to the trouble of hiding Mr. Sealy. She was also irritated with herself for agreeing to allow Stevie at her party. It wasn’t that she held any animosity toward Stevie. Kellen had never known much about her, and Stevie was never present when Kellen and Kyle would park their cars at the town limits and hurl insults at Linden and Christine Sealy along with their group of friends. Kellen was even angry at Kyle for his suggestion
that Stevie might very well be the woman she’d been searching for. The idea burrowed into her psyche like a pebble in her shoe, and it grated her all the same. She could not have the moment with a Sealy.
“This is what I get for all my stupid romantic notions.” Kellen walked into her kitchen and went on a rant as she looked inside her empty refrigerator. “That stupid seal is probably filling my house with all kinds of Sealy vibes. If that’s true, Mr. Sealy, I will come in there with a grinder and fuck you up!” she shouted and jumped when she heard a knock.
“Do you have company?” Walt asked when Kellen opened the back door.
“Uh…no, I was just venting…to myself. What’s in the bag?”
“Trulee cleaned out the freezer, and I’ve got soups and stews,” Walt replied as he stepped inside.
“I can’t believe she let you drive at night,” Kellen snapped.
“I didn’t.” Trulee pushed the door open as Kellen started to close it. She was also carrying a bag. “Chicken and chops were on sale, so I got you some too. You need to start cooking, honey, or you’re gonna forget everything I taught you.”
Walt tugged on the leg of his pants. “Check out my new duds, got five pair for ten bucks. I got a haircut, too.”
“You are looking spiffy, but I think you got ripped off on the pants,” Kellen said as she noticed the splattered paint on them.
“That’s what I said. He bought them from Scott, the house-painting guy.” Trulee opened Kellen’s refrigerator and shook her head. “Baby, there’s nothing in here but cheese.”
Kellen nodded. “I know. Y’all want something to drink?”
“You ain’t got nothing to offer but water, and we got plenty of that at the house.” Walt set his hands on his hips and looked around. “I have to admit you did a fine job of restoring this old place. Daddy would be proud.”
“How would you know?” Kellen teased. “You can’t see anything.”
“I could before my eyesight went down the crapper.” Walt squinted at the adjoining living room. “It was never this nice when I was growing up in it. We didn’t have all the niceties you’ve added. Cold in the winter and hot in the summer, that’s what it was. I remember me and Conner sitting on the hearth and getting as close to the fire as we could. You remember me bringing you here for the first time, Trulee?”
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