by M. Sembera
With a harsh expression, she shook her head, took the jewelry box from me and turned to go back inside.
Catching her by the arm I turned her around to face me, insisting, “Just here me out, okay?”
Tansy wrapped her arms around her jewelry box, hugging it to her chest as she looked up at me.
“I know it’s probably too late to say this but it still needs to be said and you need to hear what I have to say.”
“I don’t want to hear about how sorry you are.”
This went easier in my head.
“That’s why I didn’t ask you what you wanted.”
Appearing put-off, she snapped, “Whatever, First, say what you have to say then.”
I needed to focus but gah, I missed her and those pouty lips of hers.
“I’m sorry for what I said to you before you left. I meant it. I don’t understand why you’re here or what you’re doing but I shouldn’t have said those things to you.”
In her eyes I could see curiosity mixed with hesitation as she questioned, “What don’t you understand?”
Taking a deep breath, I shared, “How you could want to be anywhere other than where I am.”
“That’s not fair,” she spouted at me, immediately changing her disposition.
“I know, but it’s the truth and I’ll never feel another way about it.”
I could tell she was mad by the way she looked away from me, and shook her head while tightening her hold on her jewelry box.
Although I wasn’t entirely sure why, the fact that what I said made her angry caused me to smile.
“You know what else?” Tansy refused to look at me so I continued, “I think you feel the same way.”
“Oh, is that what you think?” she smarted back at me.
“Yea, in fact, I know you do.”
Her eyes widened, like she’d been caught in a lie before she fixed her expression back to irritation.
“You’ve been left by people who were never supposed to leave you.”
As her breathing picked up, her eyebrows pinched together.
“You love me and that’s why you left. You left me so I wouldn’t leave you.”
The revelation I came to while standing there with her sent a surge through me.
An overwhelming hunger for her rattled in my bones as I lunged forward and pressed my lips against hers. Her kiss was warm and wet as her lips followed mine until I abruptly pulled away.
As I watched her eyes flutter open, I shared, “I would have come back for you.”
Tansy began to shake her head at me, saying, “You can’t say that because neither of us knows what you would have done, not really.
“Yes, I can because I did. When I found out you came home, I came back. And I will each and every time,” I swore to her and then turned and walked away.
I thought about looking back at her once or twice as I made my way back down the walkway but decided against it.
Sliding into the driver’s side of my car, I noticed Tansy still standing in the doorway holding her jewelry box.
“Is she coming back with us?” Roe questioned as he stared at her through the window.
“I don’t think so.”
Palmer shook his head. “Man, you just drove six and a half hours to give the girl a kiss.”
“And a jewelry box,” I reminded with a smile.
We both started to laugh as Roe chimed in, “She’s still standing there.”
I put the car in drive and pulled away from the curb sure that we weren’t over. I could live with that for now.
Instead of driving straight back, we settled on staying the night at a place named The Kingsman. It wasn’t exactly a high quality inn but it was in walking distance of a bar Palmer wanted to check out.
Roe was stretched out on one of the double beds while I sat on the other waiting for Palmer to get out of the shower.
“You still in shock over there?”
A slight smirk formed as he replied, “It’s not going to be as much fun pissing him off now that I know how he feels.”
Shaking my head at him with a laugh, I shared, “If you’re not careful, y’all might end up being friends.”
Stepping out of the bathroom, Palmer asked, “Who’s gonna be friends?”
“According to First, we’re besties now,” Roe stated as he sat up.
“Damn, way to girl up guys’ night.”
Shooting them both the finger, I stood up and walked to the door.
The Headless Horseman was loud before we walked in. The music they were playing inside vibrated the door as I opened it and stepped in. A metal band Palmer had heard of was playing there live.
The second we stopped at the bar, Palmer shouted, “Guinness,” and held up two fingers.
“Damn, you getting a jump start?”
Raising his voice over the music, Palmer replied, “You’re not stayin’ so Roe here’s gonna have to drink with me.”
Both Roe and I shot him the same strange expression as I questioned, “Where am I going?”
Glancing over his shoulder, Palmer informed, “With her,” nudging me with his elbow.
When I turned I saw Tansy walking up to us.
“I texted her,” Palmer shared as he handed Roe one of the beers.
Keeping my focus on Tansy, I heard Roe complain, “I don’t drink, and I’m underage,” before Palmer insisted, “You do tonight, and it’s not like their gonna card your big ass, don’t be a wuss.”
I watched Tansy smile past me and assumed she was greeting Palmer and Roe as I felt one of them pat me on the back.
My ears were still ringing slightly from how loud it was inside the bar as Tansy and I walked down the side of the road.
“I just don’t even know what to say to you right now, First.”
Reaching to hold her hand, I suggested, “You could say that you missed me.”
Smiling up at me she replied, “I did. I always miss you.”
“I always miss you too,” I assured, taking hold of her hand.
Her expression saddened slightly as she replied, “Isn’t that the problem though?”
Shaking my head at her, the only problem I saw with that was missing her meant that we were apart.
“I don’t want to miss you anymore.”
Hell, if that didn’t bruise my heart.
Tansy offered me a ride to the motel and I accepted. The whole way, which was all of about two minutes, I sat there in silence.
“Here you are,” she stated, pulling into a parking spot.
Without letting my brain have much input, I blurted, “You’re here too.”
Shifting her car into park, she frowned at me.
“Don’t do that.”
“What, call you on your shit? You didn’t have to answer Palmer’s text or show up at the bar,” I griped at her.
Looking away from me out the driver’s side window, she replied, “I know.”
I reached my hand out and slid it against her cheek, gently turning her face in my direction.
“But you did.”
“You came all the way here and I couldn’t help it.”
Leaning my head close to hers, I kept my hand against her face as I offered, “Come inside with me.”
“First…”
“We don’t have to miss each other tonight.”
Chapter Twenty-One
Thoughts of Tansy’s legs wrapped around my waist as her body kept time with the slow rhythm of mine flickered through my mind as I drove. I’d savored every moment, memorized every movement and sound. It seemed simple we would wake up in each other’s arms and I would convince her to come back with me. She’d still have to miss me while I was away at school but I could come back for winter break and the summer. She might feel differently about it then. Instead, I woke to the sound of Palmer and Roe stumbling into the motel room with Tansy already gone.
Not much was said on the way home. We were all hungover in our own ways. Roe drank for the first time and afte
r waking with his first hangover, swore he was never going near the stuff again. Palmer, of course proud to have been the one to get Roe drunk, was nursing a slight hangover of his own. As for me, Tansy was my poison. After years of being sober, from her, one taste was all it took. Without realizing it, I’d gone on a binder and waking up to her gone finally brought me out of my stupor. After spending the better part of the summer binging on Tansy, this was by far the worst hangover I had ever had.
The next week it seemed as though not only were the three of us in trouble, we’d brought our dads down with us. Aunt Penny read Palmer the riot act for getting Roe drunk, and got mad at Uncle Seth for saying it wasn’t that big of a deal. Aunt Liv was furious with Palmer for getting Aunt Penny upset and me for letting it happen. Uncle Braden got himself in trouble with both my mom and aunt Liv for admitting that he was the one that gave us Tansy’s address. Mom was mad at all three of us for lying about where we were actually going and dad backed her up. Unfortunately for my dad, that didn’t let him off the hook for what my mom was already mad at him about. On top of being on all our parent’s bad sides, Joie and Wren were completely ignoring our existence.
The farmhouse porch seemed to be the only safe zone for the men in our family as the women opted to stay inside.
It was fairly quiet on the porch when Palmer griped, “Y’all gonna do somethin’ about your women or what?”
“Us? You boys are the ones that started this,” Uncle Braden reminded.
Knowing I was guilty of being the source of it all, I apologized, “Sorry about getting everyone involved.”
Shrugging me off, Palmer stated, “All I’m sayin’ is, mom hasn’t cooked a meal since I got back and I’m waistin’ away over here.”
“Yea, I’m missing more than meals,” Uncle Braden stressed.
My dad grumbled, “There’s no reasonin’ with ‘em. Women are crazy.”
His comment earned him a unanimous nod.
“I don’t understand why Penny’s even mad at me. All I said was, ‘don’t you think your overreacting’ because she was overreacting and she hasn’t talked to me since,” Uncle Seth shared.
Shaking his head, uncle Braden replied, “The whole problem is, they know we need them more than they need us.”
“Charlotte needs me,” my dad assured with a scowl. “The problem is they work together keepin’ each other mad.”
“Damn solidarity,” Palmer griped.
“Why don’t guys do it?” Roe questioned, causing all of us to look at him. “It’s a strategy.”
Uncle Seth smiled at Roe as he imparted, “We could but there’s nothing to strategize because they don’t actually want anything.”
“Maybe they do and we just don’t know what it is?” Uncle Braden questioned.
Putting in my two-cents, I offered, “What if they just want to be right?”
“Nah, I tried that once, your mom ended up madder than when she started, sayin’ I was patronizing her,” dad replied.
Roe broke in, explaining, “What I meant was, they have a strategy to get their way and they’re supporting each other. If we supported each other their strategy wouldn’t work anymore.”
“How do you mean?” Uncle Braden asked.
Even I was curious about his suggestion. It wouldn’t help me with Tansy but it would be nice for every other woman in my life to stop being pissed at me.
Roe appeared hesitant sharing his idea at first but the longer he talked the more confident he seemed.
“It wouldn’t work for everything. Really there’s only one thing it wouldn’t work for…” We listened intently as he continued, “Solidarity is the key. For example, Palmer wants a home cooked meal. Uncle Auggie is the one that cooks, not Aunt Charlotte, y’all could go eat over there. In theory, if we can rely on each other instead of them, they lose their leverage.”
“That’s genius, man. You’re a damn genius,” Palmer uttered. “That’ll drive mom crazy, you know she’s in a silent cookin’ competition with him.”
In complete agreement with Palmer, I offered, “Dad, you know how mom is about your clothes and Roe’s kind of a snappy dresser. Y’all could go pick up that new suit mom was saying you needed for grandma and grandpa’s benefit.”
“This could be monumental,” Uncle Seth stated. “Can you imagine having the upper hand for once?”
My dad and Uncle Braden nodded in agreement.
Unfortunately, none of us realized the depth of our actions or the repercussions that would follow. Aunt Liv, flipped out the second Uncle Braden and Palmer said they were going to my house for breakfast because she wouldn’t cook. As soon as my mom caught wind of anyone picking out a suit for my dad but her, she locked him out of their bedroom. Poor Uncle Seth, Aunt Penny was so upset with him when she found out he asked me to help him set up the company fun run instead of her, she tied all the legs of his slacks together in knots, along with all of his shoe laces and his shirt sleeves.
The farmhouse porch was no longer a safe zone for us. In fact, it didn’t take long for them to figure out what was going on. That’s when all hell broke loose and there was no safe place for us. We all ended up staying the night at my Uncle Ailin’s old house because and I quote, ‘If that’s what y’all want, then that’s what y’all get’. Which made no sense what-so-ever. My dad was right, women are crazy.
Chapter Twenty-Two
My Uncle Ailin’s old house was actually the house my dad, his brothers and sister grew up in. About a year before Wren and I were born, Uncle Ailin and Aunt Sophia bought it from grandma Sarah because she and her boyfriend, Romeo, who also happened to be Aunt Liv’s dad, wanted to downsize.
That’s right, Aunt Liv’s dad and my grandma Sarah were a thing. Being a widow and a widower and in their sixties when they met at a party, they never got married. They lived together until Romeo died two years before grandma Sarah.
The country house had sat empty since Uncle Ailin took a promotion and they moved to London when I was sixteen. No one wanted the house to leave the family though so everyone kind of pitched in on keeping it up with repairs here and there. I hadn’t stepped foot inside since my senior year in high school, when dad brought me along to help him change all the weather stripping.
After placing a few battery operated lanterns around the front room, we pulled the plastic off of the furniture so we could have a place to sit. Everyone that was drinking, which was all of us but Roe, grabbed a few beers from the cooler ready to settle in for the night. It was dusty and smelled like an old vacant house, but at the same time, it felt homey as if you could feel all the memories trapped inside.
“Damn shame this place just sits here empty,” my dad commented as he glanced around the room.
Palmer agreed, saying, “Nice little piece of land too.”
“Why don’t you buy it and move out?” Uncle Braded suggested.
Flashing his dad a smile, he replied, “Nah, I’m good.”
Uncle Braden shook his head and gave a heavy sigh.
It didn’t take long for my dad and Uncle Braden to get caught up talking about old times and for Uncle Seth to join in referring to things aunt Penny had told him. Since me, Palmer and Roe had already heard their stories a million and one times, we decided to sit out on the front porch.
“Guess this isn’t the send-off you were expecting,” Roe shared with a hint of guilt.
“Eh, I’ve still got a few more days here.”
Palmer quickly added, “Man, this ain’t your fault. You were tryin’ to help.”
I think both Roe and I were surprised at Palmer’s sentiment.
“It didn’t work though.”
Nodding at Roe, Palmer suggested, “We should call Tansy.”
Unable to get any real words out, I was literally choking on his suggestion.
Holding up his hand, Palmer laughed, “Easy there, First, I’ll be the one to call her.”
“Why in the hell would you do that?”
“I got an idea. Besides,
she owes us.”
Roe nodded in confirmation with Palmer as I questioned, “How is that?”
“Just because you’re the reason she keeps leavin’ doesn’t mean you’re the only one she leaves behind, ya know.”
No more men verse women. For that to happen, we needed Wren and Joie on board and that’s where Tansy came in. If she agreed to help us, then the idea was for us to be the grownups and remind them we were all on the same side, family.
It was an agonizingly long wait, for Palmer to walk back over to Roe and I when he got off the phone with Tansy. He’d made sure to be just out of earshot and I wanted to know what was said.
“Alright, she’ll be here tomorrow.”
I could feel my chest starting to constrict as I clarified, “She’s coming back.”
With a nod, Palmer informed, “It didn’t take a whole lot of convincing. She said her mom’s a real nightmare and she was planning on coming back next week anyway.”
“So she was waiting for me to leave?”
“Yea, about that,” Palmer replied with an apologetic look on his face. “I kinda promised her, she wouldn’t have to see or talk to you until dinner at aunt Penny’s.”
Sucking up every bit of pride I had in me, I shrugged him off, saying, “Whatever, I’m leaving anyway.”
Palmer narrowed his eyes at me in disbelief before turning to Roe.
“You’re in charge of making sure the dinner’s still on.”
Roe gave Palmer a quick nod and then the three of us shook on it before heading back into the house.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Knowing Tansy was coming back was driving me crazy. I swear I could feel her getting closer to town even though it was probably all in my head. She was going to stay at Joie’s until after I left. I guess that was the best place for her to go if she didn’t want to run into me.
Wren knocked on my door before letting herself in. After closing the door behind herself, she sat on the foot of my bed with her arms crossed.
“This idea of Palmer’s better work,” she snapped at me.