A Family for Jason

by Virginia McCullough

  “Oh, Em, I’m sorry.”

  “Don’t you dare apologize. Just hear me out. I watch you skip down my deck stairs and take off across the field with Peach. Effortlessly. I used to be loose and agile, too.”

  “That part, I get,” Ruby said, pushing up her sleeves and squeezing a dab of lotion on her arm. A little envy was a part of their friendship. Not good, not bad. But not something they could deny, either. It was no secret she’d long envied Emma’s freedom to do exactly as she pleased without the need to glance at the price tag. She’d never had to work nine-to-five and was free to use her money to support all kinds of projects. Few people in town knew she covered Millie Kress’s salary at the bird sanctuary. “You’ve had a setback, Em. A big one. But you’re getting strong again.”

  Emma smoothed the lotion over each finger. “Just once in my life, Rubes, I’d like to have a man look at me the way Mike looks at you.”

  Boom. The reality of Emma’s words was a blow to the center of her heart. The teenage Emma and Neil were no Ruby and Mike. It would be silly to argue otherwise.

  “Your silence speaks for itself,” Emma said with a heavy sigh. “You know exactly what I mean. Neil and I were a mismatch. We should have realized our colossal mistake the first year.” She paused. “The truth is we did, but pride took over and we couldn’t admit it. Stupidly stubborn, that’s what we were.”

  “Look, I’ve never argued with you about Neil.”

  “You couldn’t argue. Not when you lived it all with me. Year by painful year.”

  Emma and Neil had spent years in counseling, looking for a way to make it work. Since they’d gone to separate colleges, their high-school infatuation was never tested. They didn’t get to know each other any better, so their summer wedding after they graduated took place as if a long-awaited fairy tale was about to start.

  “The same thing could have happened to Mike and me,” Ruby said with a shrug. “Odds are we’d have ended up the same way as you and Neil.”

  Emma shook her head, showing a surge of energy. “Right. Like I’ll let that statement stand. You and Mike were the real deal. We all knew it. Even our...” Emma clamped her mouth shut.

  “You were about to say our parents knew it, weren’t you? Don’t you think that’s one of the worst parts?” She clasped her hands, the intensity in her voice increasing. “Mike’s mom and dad loved me. My parents thought he was the best. Right up until the night Mike and his dad became my mom’s bitter enemies.”

  “You should let it go.” The words sliced the air. “That was shock talking. Trauma. Of course your mom hated Mike. She hated his dad, too.” With narrowed eyes she stared at the fire. When she spoke again, her tone had softened. “As for Charlie Abbot, he was ruined...he was never the same person again. Mike was forced to scrap almost every plan he had so he could keep his dad functioning.”

  “Yeah, well, I had to change a few things, too, didn’t I?” Ruby was instantly ashamed of the self-pitying tone seeping into her voice. It had been so long since she and Emma battled out their different stories of the past. Emma’s impatience up against Ruby’s defensiveness.

  “Oh, I know all that,” Emma said. “I was there with you. But I’m not backing down. You and Mike had something good. I can’t believe you’re letting this chance—a real chance—to reconnect slip away and be gone forever.”

  For once, Ruby couldn’t think of anything to say. She felt like nudging her peacefully sleeping dog and escaping the house. Running away, Emma would call it. Mike, too. She stared at the fireplace, unwilling to face Emma.

  “You know I’m right. Mike is giving you every sign he wants to be close to you.”

  “But, what if...?” She shrugged.

  “It doesn’t work out?” Emma said. “Then at least you’ll know. Right now, you’re not even giving it a chance.”

  Once again, Ruby had no quick comeback at the ready.

  She stood and moved behind Em, and squeezed her shoulders. “Okay. I admit you could be right...at least about some things. But I can’t talk about it anymore now, okay?” She gave Emma a final pat. “I’ll get us coffee and donuts.”

  She left Emma to enjoy the fire and Peach to doze. The rain started as Ruby put the jelly donuts on a plate and made them each a mug of coffee. When she was done, she watched the rain fall and allowed herself to answer Emma’s what-if? Instead of picturing the worst, Ruby let her mind spin the images of what could be if her feelings and Mike’s weren’t just wisps of long-ago young love.

  What if slow dancing with Mike at their prom turned into a fast dance in the kitchen with Jason giggling at their antics? What if they grilled burgers in the yard and watched the moon rise over the lake? What if they showed Jason their names carved into the bridge? What if they got caught in a rain shower? That had happened more times than she could count when they were kids. They’d huddle under a shared umbrella, giddy as they flipped it into a moment of playful romance and shared a few kisses. They could do that again.

  What if...the magic was still there? Grown-up magic this time.

  CHAPTER NINE

  MIKE CLOSED HIS laptop and slipped on his gray blazer. Reaching for his red-and-white-striped tie, he had second thoughts and draped it over the chair. He wasn’t heading to court. He wasn’t taking a deposition. He was hoping to meet the hairdresser next door.

  After locking up his office, he took a minute to glance up and down the street. Not many people in sight on this string of late fall days, when the temperature hit seventy-plus. Soon enough, a couple of storms with high winds would strip the last of the leaves off the trees and cold air would settle in and stay a while.

  He took the few steps to the shop next to his office. When he opened the door a bell jingled and the dark-haired woman he’d seen a few times appeared at the back of the shop. “Hey, it’s the lawyer next door.”

  He held out his hand. “Yes, Mike Abbot.”

  “Georgia Greer,” she said, grinning and shaking his hand. “I saw your sign. It says Michael Abbot, but you go by Mike?”

  No one had ever asked him that, but he didn’t have to think about the answer. “I’ve been Mike all my life. I might not even respond to Michael.”

  “So, Mike, you looking for a haircut? A trim for those curls?”

  Some people had an infectious laugh, but Georgia had an infectious smile.

  Suddenly self-conscious, Mike ran his hand through his hair. “Uh, maybe some other time. Today I have another purpose for dropping in on you. I wanted to introduce myself and offer my legal services should you ever need them. I’m visiting all the folks who are new to town. Well, new to me.”

  “I figured as much.” Georgia drew back her head and looked at him like she was studying his face. “I hear you come from Cincinnati. You live out by the bird lake. And you have a little boy.”

  He might have known. Maybe Maggie mentioned him. Or Kristine. “Yes on all counts, except I was born and raised here in town. I moved away for a few years, now I’m back for good.”

  “As a matter of fact, Mr. Mike Abbot, I might have a job or two for you.”

  Still grinning right along with her, he said, “Okay. What do you need? I’m listening.”

  “A will—two of them. One for my husband and for me?”

  “I can definitely handle wills and estates. Trusts, too.” He welcomed the happy stirring in his gut. Just the hope of another client gave him a life. “Do you have wills now?”

  She buried her face in her hands and shook her head. “I’m turning red. I’m so embarrassed.”

  Another neighbor, another character. He liked her teasing demeanor. “You aren’t the only two people in the world to let that slide.” He hoped his tone was reassuring enough. He pointed to the row of stylists’ chairs. “You especially need one if you’re in business.”

  In an instant, the mood changed. Georgia’s jaw tightene
d and her mouth turned down. “At the moment, I am. But who knows for how long?”

  In the next few minutes, Mike listened to Georgia’s five years on River Street waiting for the grand revival that never materialized. Her mouth twisted to the side in what Mike interpreted as a show of disgust. According to Georgia, the owners offered her a three-year lease to give her some security to get the business off the ground. “I renewed it once, but I’m going to think real hard before I renew again next year. We have trouble getting folks who live half a mile away to do business on River Street—and it’s not about the parking.”

  “What do you think would bring more people to Bluestone River?” Mike wanted to gather opinions instead of grousing by himself.

  Georgia gestured to the chair. “Since you’ve asked the question and gotten me started, you might as well have a seat.”

  “Happy to. I’ve got some time before I pick up my son from school. Since I grew up here, I’m probably extra curious about what it’s going to take to bring Bluestone River to life again.”

  Georgia scoffed. “A little PR might help. We could stop acting like that bird sanctuary out there on the lake is a secret site.” As if she’d just thought of it, she said, “But you must know all about that. Your family owned a resort.”

  “For a couple of generations we ran the place. I was already gone when my dad deeded the land and rights to the lake to the conservancy,” he explained. “But I hear it’s not lived up to what people expected.”

  “It’s barely mentioned in the brochures about the town,” Georgia said. “One, maybe two photos on the website. And a shot of the covered bridge.”

  “The bridge used to bring people to town. It’s old and just weathered enough to be called quaint. We hung out there a lot—as kids, I mean.”

  “We did, too. Such a pretty town,” Georgia said with a quick shrug. “It’s got the river and the bridge, trails, state parks nearby.” She waved toward the window. “Tree-lined streets. Seems odd not to market the natural beauty of the place.”

  “I have the same thought every day,” Mike said. Even Ruby wondered why no one had put more effort into promoting Bluestone River as a good place to bike after a trip to the Oak Forest park, or talk up the bridge as a photo-op destination.

  “I used to go to town-council meetings, but they don’t do much. Seems it’s mostly status quo. I suppose I shouldn’t criticize too much,” Georgia said. “The town council does sponsor things for people who live here. They still have the family Halloween party at the town hall.”

  “Ah, yes, Halloween.” It loomed for him. He’d seen the flyer about the town-hall party. He’d been putting off the costume issue. What would work for a kid who couldn’t respond to a friendly compliment or a question about his costume?

  “You be sure to take your son to that party. I used to go when my kids were little. It’s a good time.”

  “I will,” Mike said. “Who knows? Maybe I’ll run into more pals from my high-school days.”

  Bringing the conversation to a close, Mike encouraged Georgia to meet again briefly to talk over the wills the next morning, before her shop opened. He left feeling a little lighter. Two business neighbors. Two clients. Not bad.

  * * *

  RUBY PICKED UP her pace on the trail adjacent to the river. With Peach home with Emma, Ruby could run easier. Clear her head on this golden day and get a new perspective. Each step brought her closer to the road ahead—not a major highway, but it divided the town more or less in half. It curved up ahead, and if her memory was accurate, the road dead-ended at a now defunct gas station. The trail extending this far along the riverbank was new, so she wasn’t sure where her route was taking her.

  The trail took her under two causeways, crossing side streets, and followed the natural twist of the river until it led away from the water and ended at the edge of some woods with a couple of benches and a parking area big enough for three or four cars. Not breaking her pace, she looked in the other direction and saw the stripped-down gas station and its boarded-up building on the gravelly strip of bare ground. Beyond the gas station, another narrow farm road began. She crossed the gravel and jogged past acres of recently harvested fields of corn.

  Off in the distance, the road ended at a T intersection. She kept going to see where another road crossed, but nothing appeared except for a sparsely wooded area that gradually thickened into a forest as she ran. The familiar sound of geese brought her to a fast stop. She shielded her eyes from the late-afternoon sun to see the geese on the move and telling the world about it. She counted five V formations looking like long trails being pulled across the sky.

  Could it be that the back corner of the sanctuary was on the road to the right? She ran ahead and made the turn, but stopped. She could wander in the woods and see if she ended up at Mike’s house, but she didn’t want to show up unannounced—and uninvited. She pulled out her phone and made the call. He picked up on the third ring.

  “Hey, Rubes.”

  “I don’t want to bother you, but I’m out jogging, and followed the river trail and now I’m not sure where I am. Is there a road behind the sanctuary?”

  “A couple of short farm roads can get you to the back of the property, but there’s no road through the woods to the buildings.”

  “Well, I think I’m only a short walk away,” she said, more eager to see Mike than she should be. “Is it okay if I stop in for a glass of water? I went farther than I planned. And I know my way back home if I leave through the front entrance and go to River Street.”

  “No problem. Jason and I can scare up a glass of water—maybe even some juice.”

  “Okay, I’ll head your way, or what seems like your way. Funny, I don’t recall ever being back here.”

  “Be careful—no one maintains the trails that far back in the woods,” Mike said. “You’ll have to pick your way through the fallen branches and undergrowth.” He let out a quick laugh. “Or, Jason and I can drive back there and pick you up.”

  “And ruin my spirit of adventure? No way.” They ended the call on that note. Amused, she jogged along the road until she found an opening into the forest. In the distance, she thought she heard the sound of the water in the creek that ran across the back corner of the resort. She and Mike hadn’t explored back there so much, mainly because all the action at the resort had been closer to the front entrance and on the lake.

  She navigated around water-filled holes in some places and stepped over downed trees. The ground was dry in spots, but mostly soft and damp under her feet. The soles of her shoes were soon covered in mud. The honking geese overhead reassured her she was at least trudging along in the right place.

  A few minutes later a building came into view—the back of a cabin, one of the guest cabins that had been closed up for years. It was a dusty blue with white trim, pretty at one time, but dirty and faded now. She’d end up coming into the lake around the middle of the shore.

  Using the cabin as her guide, she looked for more exactly like it. They were built in clusters. Another one appeared between the branches the equivalent of about half a block away. Two more boarded-up buildings came into view. Finally, she saw the sparkles of the lake tinted almost pink under the sun. Emerging from the woods, she saw Mike and Jason by the tire swing in the yard. She waved both arms at them and shouted, “I found you!”

  They waved back and Jason broke into a run down the beach toward her. He was looking past her, though. Uh-oh, he was looking for Peach.

  When she reached him she put her hand on his shoulder. “I ran too far today to bring Peach with me. She’s a good runner, but even for her strong legs, six or seven miles would make her too tuckered out.” She panted to imitate a tired dog.

  “And too ambitious a distance for me these days,” Mike said, approaching. “No wonder you’re in such great shape.”

  She scoffed and made a silly face for Jason as she r
aised her arms to the side. “And yuck, I’m really sweaty at the moment. I ran and ran and ran.”

  Jason stared at her and managed a little smile. It must seem odd, though, to see her without Peach. And disappointing.

  “Come on up to the house. I’ll get you a drink. Jason and I will drive you over to Emma’s.”

  Ruby looked back at the woods. She’d started at the park and now, six or so miles and a couple of twists and turns later, she was at the sanctuary. Odd, without the newly added sections of river trail, she’d never known about a back way to get to the sanctuary.

  Jason ran to the tire swing. “Ruby and I are going inside. We’ll watch you from the windows.”

  “That swing is his favorite new hobby,” Mike said, moving to the refrigerator. “I took down the one that had been there since I was a kid. The rope was weak, but the branch itself is as strong as it was over thirty years ago.”

  Ruby looked out of the kitchen window at the old maples and oaks, only traces of orange and red left now, and they batted in the breeze as if clamoring for attention. Brown oak leaves hung in clumps. “Seems to me what that yard needs is a dog to go with that boy.”

  “Don’t you dare say that within earshot of Jason,” Mike warned.

  “Not ready to add a four-legged creature to the family?”

  He shook his head. “Things are still too unsettled. I don’t want one more item on my to-do list.”

  “Hmm...know what you mean. Rescuing Peach gave Em lots of ammunition to tease me about her, especially since I refused to have so much as a house plant for years. I rented apartments or cottages. Never had to replace an appliance or fix a roof.”

  “Rootless Ruby, huh?” Mike’s quip didn’t match his serious expression. He held out a carton of apple juice and a jug of orange.

  “Exactly. For a long time my work was the only responsibility I cared to take on.” She pointed to orange juice and Mike retrieved two glasses. “I’ll be daring this time.”