by Allison Rios
“I thought fireworks were just from kissing.”
“Not all the time, dear. Sometimes it’s a look or a touch. Something inside you just screams that maybe this is someone important. And I like the way this sounds, you having this feeling.”
“Didn’t say I did. Was a girlfriend of mine.”
“Which one?”
“One you don’t know.”
“I know everyone in town, dear.”
“Well then, you can find out from one of your gossip minions.”
Addie laughed, hopping down off the wall.
As her granddaughter walked towards the house to get Rose, a breeze swept through Jane’s hair and she looked around. The town seemed different somehow, and she had a feeling that something positive was there among them. She’d had the feeling before, yet she couldn’t be sure it was the same. It was a different smell of the breeze, a different feeling in the air, and she was excited for the changes it might bring to the sleepy old town.
3 THE CARETAKER
Out in the yard, AJ was helping Matthew clean up some of the landscaping. Hotter than he had remembered spring being, the sun was filling a cloudless sky and reigning down heat on them. AJ had long ago taken off his shirt and changed out of his jeans, throwing on his trademark cargo shorts. They always stuck out like a sore thumb in the city where people were dressed to the nines. They were his style though, loose and laid back, and if he found a pair he liked he would buy them in every color.
He wiped his forehead with the back of his hand, leaving a smudge of dirt below his hairline. His hair was getting a little shaggier than normal. He almost liked the new look.
The old truck pulled up the neighboring driveway and out jumped the girl that AJ had become fascinated with. He leaned one arm on his shovel and stood there for a moment, watching without even realizing he was. Maybe it was the fact that he knew he couldn’t have her that made her so enticing to look at. She was a puzzle and since he couldn’t figure out his own life, maybe figuring out hers would be fun.
As Addie got out she shot him a look over the bed of the truck and grabbed her bag, noticing out of the corner of her eye that his groceries were in there. She partly suspected that was on purpose until she saw remnants of the sandwich he had set on top. Setting her own bags down and picking his up, she walked over towards the two men.
“You forgot something,” she said, nearly dropping the bag into his outstretched arm. She feigned annoyance. It was just that though – feigning.
“Thanks,” he replied with a smile that she had grown accustomed to seeing after only two days. He had a great one. One side of his mouth always turned up a bit more than the other and created a dimple. Dimples were cute on anyone; she thought they were especially cute on him.
“Don’t let it happen again,” she continued, walking back towards her home, taking a moment to glance back over her shoulder and smile at him. It felt good to smile a real smile she thought, realizing that around him her smiles weren’t the normal false ones she plastered on with a sense of bravado.
He was only two days in, and he felt like a completely different person than he had been a mere week ago. In the past he hadn’t wanted to be near people. He preferred his solitude, as lonely as it was for him. He watched people and didn’t get close to them. Something about being in this tiny town was making him want to open up, help out, be around people. Everyone was so friendly and part of him felt like perhaps he could be part of a family – even if it included an entire town – again. He wondered though if they would ever truly be family since he would always have to lie to them about who he was, in some aspect.
As she walked through her door he stopped watching long enough to pick up his shovel and move towards the house to put the bag of groceries away, first locking eyes with a grinning Matthew. The old man’s wrinkled face looked as though he remembered what it was like to be entranced by a girl. AJ imagined what he and Helen must have been like when they were younger.
“You’re playing with fire boy,” he said, shaking his head with a laugh. “Something tells me you’re not the type afraid to get burned though.”
Matthew was glad in a way that AJ had developed a fascination with the girl next door. He took enjoyment in the fact that it was probably eating Joseph from the inside out. AJ smiled a bashful smile and went inside. He felt guilty at that point bringing a bag of food up to his room, so instead he began taking everything out on the counter after removing his dirty gloves. Helen was in the kitchen, getting dinner ready.
“What’s that?” she asked, leaning back from the stove to peek at what he was doing.
“I’m not much of a cook. That being said, I wanted to be able to bring a little something into the house. Just some snacks and treats, nothing big. This way, I won’t feel like I’m eating you out of house and home.”
“Please don’t tell me there’s anything wrapped in plastic in there.”
AJ nodded with a sideways grin. Helen didn’t believe in anything not home-made.
“Don’t be silly, I love cooking. But thank you. Matthew and I enjoy a cupcake now and then.” She was genuinely sweet, and reminded AJ of his own mother. Perhaps that was why he felt so at home.
**************************************************
Pulling up to the dilapidated old shop the next morning AJ waved at Bob as the disgruntled mechanic responded with an eye roll and nod. He laughed, thinking to himself that he’d be able to break Bob someday and get the old guy to loosen up. “Break ‘em with kindness,” he whispered to himself.
Getting out of the car he shut the door and walked towards his new boss. Bob tossed a pair of tattered navy blue coveralls at him. The name on the front said “Tim” and AJ just hoped Tim hadn’t been short or extremely thin.
“Here you go, to keep your clothes clean. It’s our uniform,” Bob said, as he signaled to AJ to follow him.
AJ slipped his legs into them and over his clothes, buttoning them up as he followed Bob into the shop.
“You can start by getting this tractor to run for Matthew. I owe him that much for finding me someone to work. If you work, that is,” Bob grunted. “I took a look at it, but I’m better at fixing bikes. That’s why I need someone who can work on the cars and such.”
AJ nodded, and before he could ask, Bob began talking again. “The tools are all here in the garage. Got everything ever made, I’m pretty sure. You can use it all, just don’t break it. If you break it, it comes outta your pay, understand?”
“Understood,” AJ said, looking around. Bob grunted again and started walking away.
“You get a lunch break that lasts an hour. Take a break here and there if you want. Workday ends at 5, but if ya need to leave early or somethin’, we can talk about that.”
“Got it, boss,” AJ said, grinning. He knew there was more to Bob, and he was determined to find the diamond in his rough exterior.
With Bob off working on who knows what, AJ was left to his own devices. He leaned over the old green tractor trying to figure out how he would get to the parts he needed to look at. As a city boy his expertise had been trucks and cars; he tried to convince himself a tractor couldn’t be too far off.
Around lunchtime, he unbuttoned the top of his coveralls and pulled his muscular arms out of the sleeves. It was beyond hot in this little town and he needed to cool off. He tied the arms around his waist hoping that Bob wouldn’t mind a little deviation in the uniforms. If he put up a fuss, AJ would wear them the right way. It wasn’t worth getting the man signing his paycheck all steamed up.
Just as he sat down on the bench out front to eat the sandwich Helen had dropped off a bit earlier, he heard a familiar truck sputtering up the street. It pulled into the parking lot sitting in front of him and he looked up from his seat towards the driver’s window.
The door swung open and the sun was directly behind her and blinding him from seeing the details of her face, as she stepped down and out of the direct sunlight forcing him to smile.
<
br /> Damn if he couldn’t help it. She was something beautiful.
“I believe we have a deal,” Addie said, swinging the door closed. “You fix my car, I show you around town. Fair’s fair.”
“Sure Joseph is going to go along with this?”
“Doesn’t have a choice since I sent him packing this morning.”
She didn’t make eye contact with him because she didn’t want to smile and certainly didn’t want to see his face light up. AJ raised an eyebrow, a grin spreading across his face even bigger than the one he’d had before.
“Don’t go thinkin’ you had anything to do with this, stranger,” she said, turning to glance at him over her shoulder with a sly look on her face.
“I wouldn’t dare,” he replied mockingly. It was in that moment his smile faded. He enjoyed teasing her about Joseph because as long as she had someone – no matter how badly AJ wished she had someone better – the flirting was innocent. He knew he would never be free to be with Addie and knowing she was single now added a wrench into whatever their relationship was. He felt a weight off of his chest knowing the guy was out of the picture but came right back on knowing he couldn’t lead her on anymore.
“I figured I’ve made enough mistakes in life, maybe it’s time that I grow up a bit and start making the right ones. For Rose, ya know.”
“Good for you,” he continued, trying to change his demeanor. “There’s someone better out there for you anyway.”
“I doubt that. I think I’ve had my share of the wrong guys. And Mr. Right hasn’t found his way to this town either,” she said, turning back to lift her bag out of the back of the pickup bed.
Swinging it over her shoulder, she turned around to face him again. “How long you think it’ll take?”
She couldn’t help but notice the way the sun reflected off his body, thanks to the sweat dotting his chest and arms. Normally, she hated sweat and thought it completely disgusting. On him it was something entirely different; attractive even.
He thought about what he’d seen when he’d checked under the hood last.
“Depends on what parts Bob has around here. I can probably do most of the work today. Maybe about five tonight?”
“Sounds good!” echoed a voice from behind Addie, through the window of a bronze Cadillac that had pulled up to the shop. “And after the car is done, why don’t you come on back with Addie to my place for some dinner? It’s the least we can do.”
“Gram!” Addie said, snapping her head towards her grandmother and giving her the evil eye. Gram raised her sunglasses up.
“What? I’m just a polite, old southern lady asking a strapping young man to come to dinner as a thank you for his help. That’s how we do it down here!”
Lowering her sunglasses, the smile on Gram’s face continued to beam. AJ laughed. He knew he should have said no, and before his mind could force the words he called out, “Sounds great, ma’am! I’d love to. Thank you for the invite, although you might have to battle Helen. She hasn’t gotten to feed me much today and she loves to cook.”
“Don’t you worry about Helen, I can handle her. You just come on over when that truck is done.”
Addie looked back at AJ with a sneer. Yes, he was beyond handsome and fascinating as a stranger. She simply didn’t want him to think she would just fall right into his arms; his strong, muscular arms.
“Gram, let’s go!” she said, somewhat hurrying towards the car, slamming the door and whispering something to her grandmother softly enough that AJ couldn’t hear.
The rest of the day flew by as he worked his tail off to make Addie’s truck run. There was a sense of motivation in seeing her lips turn upwards at the corners. Luckily Bob had a majority of the parts and AJ asked if he could dock it out of his first paycheck, to which Bob agreed. By the time Addie pulled up with her grandma, AJ was turning the wrench a final couple times and closing the hood, wiping down his forehead with his tank. As he lifted it up, Addie could see the actual abs she’d only seen outlined before through his shirt. It made her heart race and that scared her a bit. Joseph hadn’t had a body even remotely close to this one and she couldn’t help herself. She liked AJ’s something fierce.
Addie got out of Gram’s car, and Gram sped out of there, hollering from the window, “See you in a bit!” and leaving no choice but for Addie to drive with AJ.
“Guess it’s just us,” AJ said, with a smile.
“Guess so.”
“I can follow you there in my car if you want. Or you can give me directions. I’m a little gross and dirty, so I could meet you over there after I shower.”
“No can do, bud,” she replied, walking towards his car. “Pop the trunk, I know you still have clothes in there. You haven’t pulled anything else out of your car since you got here except for that one dirty suitcase, and there’s no way someone picks up and moves to a new place with that little. Gram will have a fit if you don’t come right over. She has the meal all timed out. You can shower there.”
“How do you know so much about what I have in my trunk? You spying on me?” He couldn’t help the teasing tone in his voice and realized it might be harder than he thought to switch into a friendlier mode.
“I guess I just assume you have to have more than cargo pants and tank tops in your wardrobe.”
“Don’t judge me.”
“Ditto.”
AJ lifted the trunk and Addie grabbed a bag, hurrying back to the truck and tossing it in the back. “Let’s go,” she said, trying to act nonchalant. She was fighting the fact that his presence made her feel 18 again. Her heart fluttered when the cute guy walked in the room. She had just booted Joseph so she told herself that she didn’t need another man around telling her what to do. Besides, she thought, what if he didn’t even feel the same?
He climbed in the passenger side, and they were on their way to Gram’s house. It wasn’t long before they pulled up a long driveway directly through an apple orchard to an old, beautiful farmhouse painted a pristine white. Black shutters adorned the windows and Gram was waiting in the doorway.
They got out and headed inside, Addie showing AJ where the shower was. He felt awkward showering at a stranger’s house. Gram seemed nice enough yet it still felt odd. Then again, a lot about this place had proven odd so far.
Addie headed down to help Gram with the food when she realized she had forgotten to leave AJ a towel. She excused herself from mashing the potatoes and headed upstairs to try and sneak one of Gram’s pink fluffy towels into the room without him noticing. As she rounded the corner of the banister to head in and drop off the towel, she bumped right into a shirtless, half wet man – and as her hands indicated from the feel, he was at least wearing his shorts.
“I’m, oh my God, I’m sorry–”
“It’s okay,” he laughed, finding it an icebreaker of sorts. Something had to lighten up the atmosphere given that he had been feeling completely tense since arriving. He loved getting a rise out of her. “No big deal. I’m dressed.”
“Somewhat,” she said, trying to break her gaze from his body. Inches apart, she looked up at him and thrust the towel up between them. “I brought this, thought I forgot.”
“You did,” he said, his voice softer than before. His brain was shouting at him that he shouldn’t be in this moment, that he should break himself from it and walk away, yet something stronger was keeping him there. As he reached for the towel, his fingers brushed hers and the same feeling of electricity shot through them again, her eyes closing this time instead of looking at him with fear of the unknown. Visions filled his head of her and Rose in five years, twenty years – he found that every bit of his soul wanted to be part of that future. She was laughing and smiling, running through the fields that surrounded this house. It was a frightening feeling that came out of nowhere, almost biological as opposed to emotional.
He took it from her, running it over his hair and shoulders. To smile so much was making his face hurt. He hadn’t used those muscles in years. He m
oved his hand, placing it under her chin, pulling his face closer to hers. She didn’t push away. His scent was transfixing; his body warm close to hers.
“Dinner!” a voice from downstairs interrupted, snapping Addie back to life.
“Time for dinner!” Addie said, stepping back and stumbling a bit before turning and bolting down the stairs. AJ stood there for a moment, collecting his thoughts. What had just happened?
He felt guilty, almost as though he were taking advantage of her. She’d only just left Joseph and it wasn’t right to try and step into that world right now. He’d have to make sure that in the future he was more careful and kept his distance. He couldn’t risk hurting her after all she’d been through.
**************************************************
“Dinner was delicious, thank you Gram,” he said awkwardly, after Gram had insisted he call her that. She convinced him everyone did. He wasn’t so sure.
“You are very welcome! Thanks for being our guest. It’s not too often we get new blood in this town!” she smiled, lifting some dishes from the table. She was a happy soul. AJ figured she and Helen must have come from the same breed.
“Let me help,” he insisted, picking up a plate. Gram immediately placed her hand on his saying, “Nonsense. You’re our guest.”
As soon as she touched him her eyes darted to his. She didn’t have a look of fear or shock like all the others did. She had a look of knowing and it scared him. Her eyes almost seemed translucent. He pulled his hand away, dropping a plate on the floor.
“I’m so sorry,” he managed to get out, kneeling down to begin picking up the broken pieces dotting the linoleum. “I’ll get this cleaned up, right away.”
“AJ, honey, it’s okay,” she said, kneeling down to his level. She looked at him until he met her eyes with his. “It’s okay. Let me get this. Why don’t you go sit down a bit?”
He was shaken. He sat down in his chair, trying to pull it together so Addie might not notice. Luckily, she’d been in the kitchen when it happened so she hadn’t seen everything. He was days into a new town, and the last thing he wanted was to start standing out already.