by Jamie Pope
Her eyes were wide, startled as she searched his face for truth, but he could barely pay attention to that because he was too focused on how sweet her lips looked up close. Soft. Pink mixed with brown. He was the first man to kiss her lips, to touch her body. And that filled him with pride and devastated him at the same time.
He spent too much of his life wondering how things might have been if he hadn’t walked away.
He had no right wishing failure on them. He had failed. The only one he could blame was himself.
He had spent too many years thinking that. So he cleared his mind, closed the gap between their mouths and kissed her very softly. His instinct was to open his mouth over hers and suck her in, taking out every ounce of the years of pent-up anger and frustration he had on her lips. But that wouldn’t be fair to her, so he just pressed his lips to hers, hard enough she could feel him, long enough that the shape of her mouth imprinted on his brain again, slow enough that the memories of all the past kisses they shared returned.
He broke the kiss, looking down at her. Her mouth was slightly open, slightly damp from his kiss, but this time it was her eyes that captured his attention. For the first time since they had met again, he saw something in them other than hollowness and despair. He couldn’t name the emotion, but he knew it was a start. It gave him hope. And that was all he needed.
* * *
A few minutes later, Wylie pulled up to his work site. He was proud to be a Marine, proud to have served his country, but this project was by far what he was most proud of.
“After I got out, I wasn’t sure what to do with myself. I had a friend who told me I could make good money being a government contractor. I wasn’t sure what the hell that meant, but I knew if I could work with my hands that I would be all right.”
“You’re a carpenter.” She looked around the site. “You’re building houses.”
“Yes. Nova is half Native American, and her tribe—our tribe, because they took me in—lives here, or they are going to live here as soon as we finish. Me and a couple of guys are training some of the members in construction and carpentry, and they are helping to build low-income housing here for their people. As of now we have completed four houses. We’ll have fifteen by the time the project is completed.”
“And then what?” Cass looked away from the window and at him.
“Excuse me?”
“What will you do when you finish building all the houses?”
It was a good question. It was one he thought about from time to time, but hearing it from her caught him off guard. “I don’t know. I’m just going to take things one day at a time.”
That’s all he could do. He was never a man who was sure what his future would look like, but he couldn’t see himself living any other place but here.
He stepped out of the truck, looking around the site to see what progress had been made. He had been gone for a week, but he trusted his small crew to do good work in his absence. The foundation had been laid on the next house; electrical work was being done on the current one. People were working. Altogether there were thirteen members on their crew. A carpenter, a plumber, an electrician and ten members of the tribe who wanted to learn the construction trade. A few of them were young men like him, not cut out for academia but hard workers and good with their hands. They just needed a chance.
Wylie had been given more than his share of chances. First with the Millers, who took him in, sight unseen. Then with his eighth-grade shop teacher, who first noticed his talent. And there was Cass. He walked over to the passenger side of the truck to open the door. She was the first person to make him feel like he had something to offer the world. She was the person who made him want to be a better man. That’s why this place was important to him. He wanted to give a chance to those boys who were just like him.
“Yo, Wylie! Welcome back,” one of his crew called to him.
He nodded his greeting and then turned his attention back to Cass, who was still sitting quietly in the truck, taking it all in.
“Come on, Cass.” He held his hand out to her. “Let me show you around.”
He didn’t have to glance at his staff to see that everything around him had stopped; every eye went to Cass as she stepped out of the truck.
“Hey, Wylie. Glad you’re back.” Tanner Brennan, former Army Ranger and his head electrician, greeted them as he walked out of the house they were just finishing up. He didn’t stare at Cass like her presence there was anything out of the ordinary. He just extended his hand and smiled easily. “I’m Tanner, the electrician here.”
“Hello.” Cass was slow to respond as she looked up at the lanky six-foot-six former ranger, but she took his hand and shook it. “It’s nice to meet you. I’m Cassandra. I’m . . .” She looked at Wylie for a moment. “I’m Wylie’s friend.”
“She’s going to be staying with me for a while.”
“Are you?” Tanner grinned. If he noticed any awkwardness, he didn’t let on, and Wylie respected him for it. “I thought for sure that place was going to be condemned. Heard there was no running water and that Wylie had to chase a whole herd of raccoons out of there a couple of weeks ago.”
“If they haven’t condemned your truck, they sure as hell ain’t going to condemn my house. You got so many empty water bottles in there I was sure you were going to start a recycling plant.”
“A man’s pickup is supposed to be messy. It’s supposed to smell like sweat and dirt and hard work.” He playfully flexed his bicep for them. “Oh, by the way, your loudmouth sister was here this morning.” The look of distaste that crossed his face was hard to miss.
“Nova? Shit. I told her I was going to get Teo today. She just does this to get under my skin.”
“Teo is still here. She dropped off some more clothes for him. She said that she was going to be working late at the salon tonight and that she would be home after his bedtime and to tell you not to bother bringing him back to her house.” He shook his head. “She might be working late tonight, but one of the guys told me that he heard she had a date with his cousin. If you ask me, you need to wrangle that girl and teach her how to act.”
“I can’t.” Wylie shook his head, feeling weary. “But you’re welcome to try. I’m likely to string her up by her red toenails.”
Tanner laughed. “Anybody ever tell you that your accent gets thicker when you talk about your sister?”
“Whenever Wylie gets passionate about something, his accent grows thicker,” Cass said, surprising him. “My husband used to tease him about it.”
“‘Used to’?” Tanner said innocently. As soon as Wylie heard the words, he froze and looked at Cass. Terrance was too painful a subject.
“He passed away,” she said quietly. There was a tiny bit of a waver in her voice. “Wylie was his best friend. He loved him like a brother.”
“Yeah.” Tanner set his hand lightly on Cass’s shoulder and squeezed. “I guess he’s all right for a Giants fan.” He gave Cass one last grin before taking a step back. “I’ve got to get back to work. But it was nice meeting you, Cassandra. I’m sure I’ll be seeing you around.”
Tanner walked away and Wylie looked down at Cass, not knowing what to expect.
“He’s a nice guy,” she said softly. “Cute too. Is he single?”
He stood there, staring at her, his mind unable to process what he heard. “What?” Her voice was soft, her expression neutral. If anyone else had asked that question, he would have taken it seriously. “Was that a joke?”
“My husband is dead. I’m crazy depressed and you just kissed me. You think I’m looking for dates?”
* * *
Wylie smiled at her, one of those full happy smiles that she had seen only once in a while in all the years that she had known him. He pulled her into a rough hug and laughed. It was warm that day, but her body unconsciously snuggled closer to his to feel the laughter that vibrated in his chest. People said smiles were contagious. Maybe that was true, because seeing Wylie smile ma
de her want to smile. Feeling his laughter made her want to laugh too, but she couldn’t yet. But she wanted to. She couldn’t remember the last time there was anything to smile about.
“I like it when you’re sassy. My grandmamma would say you were acting salty.”
“How is your grandmother?” She remembered Wylie talking about her, going away for a few days every Christmas break to see her.
“She passed away.”
“Oh. I’m sorry. I know you loved her.”
“I did.” He released her. “But she had a good life and stayed salty to the end. It was her time. Come on. Let me show you around.”
Wylie slid his fingers between hers as they walked around the little village. Wylie explained more about the project and the people he had come to like so much during his time there. She heard every word he said, but the front of her mind was focused on their interlocking fingers. His hands weren’t smooth; they weren’t manicured. They were thick and hard and rough, but the texture of his skin didn’t bother her. She enjoyed the feeling of his palm flat against hers. Their hands were as close as they could be. The feeling was familiar, but her mind had been bogged down with so many memories lately that she couldn’t conjure up a picture of them doing this—just walking with their hands pressed together.
The last time she was with him, they couldn’t hold hands, except for when they were alone, in private, or away from Harmony Falls, where everyone knew them. But not here. Here he walked around holding her hand, like it was nothing, like he didn’t care who saw. And everyone did see them here. Every eye went to her, wondering who she was and why she was with Wylie. He must not have told his friends about her, that he was going to get his pathetic, too-depressed-to-function old friend. If they had known, she would have seen pity in their eyes and she couldn’t have taken that. It would have been just like being in Harmony Falls all over again.
They came to a little house on the outskirts of the development. It was the sweetest of all the houses. It had a tiny porch that held two white rocking chairs and a half-dozen hanging plants. “This house is a little different from the others,” he explained to her as they walked up. “Have you ever been to Martha’s Vineyard before?”
She shook her head. “I’ve wanted to come. Terrance said his aunt loved to spend her summers here, but we never made it.”
He nodded. “She stayed in Oak Bluffs. There’s a lot of history on this island. There’s a place called the Campgrounds, where there are a whole bunch of gingerbread cottages like this one. A lot of them are painted pink or lavender, and they’ve got latticework that makes it look like they were painted with icing. The woman who lives here always wanted a house just like that, so we built her one. The actual construction of the house wasn’t all that difficult. It’s all the details that make this house special.”
“Are the owners allowed to pick the designs of their houses for this project?”
“No, but I know the owner.” He led her up to the front door. “She’s someone that I want you to meet.”
He knocked on the door. “I would like to take you to see the Campgrounds one day. There’s so much to this island. It’s not like anyplace I’ve lived before.” As soon as the last word left his mouth, the door flung open and a little brown body flew into Wylie’s arms.
Wylie’s smile came immediately as his arms caught the little boy. “Hey, buddy! I missed you.”
“I missed you too. I wanted to show you the new car Mommy bought me. She said you was busy and that I can’t bug you every day. She said you have a life, but I don’t think so. I never seen you with a life.” The boy’s words came out so fast that Cass almost had a hard time understanding him, but she did. She had spent a lot of time with fast-talking little boys.
Teo looked to be around kindergarten age. He had overly long, shaggy, curly hair, a sweet, round face, which looked like it had been smeared with chocolate pudding, and a body that was covered in scrapes and bug bites. Almost every year she had at least one boy in her class like this one. A boy who liked to dig in the dirt, jump out of trees and run wild. Teo looked like one of those boys, and looking at him hurt her. This was the first year since she was twenty-two years old that she hadn’t set up her classroom, the first year she didn’t stand at her door and welcome seventeen little beings. The first year she hadn’t sung the good-morning song, or saw a child start to read. Those kids were her life and she missed them so much in that moment that it stole her breath and made her dizzy.
She gripped the railing of the porch as memories of that day came back to her. She could still clearly see every one of their little worried faces. She could still see them climbing out the window. She never learned what happened to them after that day. She never knew if they all made it out of the classroom that day. She never got the chance to check on them.
She never thought she would have the chance to check on them, because a little part of her thought when she stepped out of her classroom that day, she was never going to be able to step foot back in it again.
“Sometimes I have a life. Not always, but sometimes. You can still bug me.”
“Mansi says I can’t play with the car in her house. It’s got a remote. She said I’ll drive it into the walls.” He suddenly looked over at Cassandra. “Who are you?” he asked her. “And what’s wrong with your face? You look sick.”
“Teo!” Wylie and another voice scolded.
There was an older woman standing in the doorway. She was tall, probably close to six feet, and had silvery white hair, which was loose down her back. Nothing about her was petite, and she had one of those soft-looking bodies that any little child would like to snuggle into.
“What?” Teo shrugged. “She looks sick.”
Wylie set the boy on his feet and went to Cass, sliding his hands up her cheeks, stroking them with his thumbs as he studied her. “You okay?”
She nodded. She knew she wasn’t. She knew that she was nuts. Seeing a little boy shouldn’t send her into hysterics. “I’m fine.” She forced herself to look at Teo. “I’m Cass, and I’m not sick. I just don’t like little boys. They’ve got germs and are always sticky.” She could see the shock that crossed Wylie’s face.
But Teo didn’t seem to mind her dry humor. He grinned at her, showing off his missing teeth. Kids knew bullshit when they heard it, and right now she couldn’t pretend that she was the sweet, content kindergarten teacher she used to be. She was sad and bitter and it was too much to hide.
“I don’t like girls either,” Teo told her matter-of-factly. “They are drama.”
“‘Drama’? You’re five,” Wylie said. “How the hell do you know about drama?”
“I know!” He nodded emphatically. “My mother tells me all about it.”
Wylie sighed heavily. “Of course she does.” He looked to the woman standing in the door. “Hello, Miss Mansi.” Wylie kissed the woman’s cheek. “How are you?”
“I’m just fine, Alabama.” She patted his cheek. “I’m glad to see you back.”
“Thank you, ma’am.” He motioned to Cass. “This is Cassandra. She’s going to be staying with me.”
“Welcome, Cassandra.” She turned away and headed back inside her home. “Now come in and let me feed you. You are far too skinny. We don’t like skinny around here.”
Chapter 7
“I can’t believe you’ve never seen Star Wars! Any of them! How is that possible?” Terrance plopped himself next to her on the couch in the Millers’ plush finished basement. “How are we even friends?”
“We’re friends because I can’t get rid of you. You’re like a virus or a roach. There’ll be a nuclear holocaust and you’ll still be bugging me.”
“You’re right.” He wrapped his arms around her and gave her a loud, smacking kiss on her cheek, but he didn’t let her go afterward. For a few moments they stayed close like that. For the past couple of years she had noticed his attempts to get closer to her. She hadn’t missed the hints that he thought of her as more than a friend;
she ignored them. She loved Terrance, but he was like a brother to her. Yet they both had just turned eighteen, and in less than a month they were about to go their separate ways. Not forever. She couldn’t imagine him gone from her life forever. He was going away to college in California. Stanford. The same school his father had attended. He was going to be three thousand miles away and she was staying here, going to a local university to start her teaching degree.
She was going to miss him.
“You really are lame though. You were calling Darth Vader ‘Dark Vader.’ I don’t think I can stomach that.”
“I’m not lame.” She playfully elbowed him, causing him to let her go. “You’re a nerd. And when you go away to school, you’ll probably meet a bunch of other nerdy people who enjoy Star Trek too.”
“Star Wars, not Star Trek!”
“Whatever. I hope you meet your dream girl there and she knows all about Darth Vader and Luke Solo”
“Luke Skywalker,” he corrected with a groan. “My dream girl doesn’t have to know about Star Wars”—he locked eyes with her—“but a willingness to learn would be nice.”
“We should watch Pretty Woman. I love that movie.” She left the couch, feeling a little uncomfortable, and went to the massive tower of movies kept in the entertainment center.
“The Princess Bride is in there.” She heard Wylie’s voice and turned around to see him entering the room. Her heart lifted. She hadn’t expected to see him tonight. “It’s girly enough for Cass and manly enough for Terrance.”
“She’s never seen Star Wars!” Terrance complained. “There’s a love story in there. Perhaps the greatest love story of all time.”