Return to Corbin's Bend

by Corinne Alexander

  They’ve never openly talked about what they’d both learned that fateful night, but he wants to change that. He’s sensed a growing sadness each time he’s talked to Traci over the last few months. He’s been worried about her and is relieved he’s close enough now to drop in to visit more often. She’d been so happy when she first moved to Corbin’s Bend, but he can’t shake the feeling she might be regretting her decision now, almost two years later.

  Troy is relieved to see the large sign welcoming him to Corbin’s Bend. The country roads have been getting worse by the minute, making him happy to see the plowed streets of the town nestled into the mountains outside Boulder. He chuckles as he turns onto his sister’s street, Spanking Loop. The last time he’d been here it had been a hot summer day and the park across the street from her house had been full of happy children. Tonight, the park is empty as he passes by before slowly pulling into the first driveway he gets to. His sister was lucky to get this prime location in town, so close to the park and only a few blocks walk to the community center, pool and theater, all locations they’d enjoyed together the last time he was in town.

  Only once he puts the SUV in park does he take the time to realize his sister’s house is completely dark, confirming his fear that he should have given her a heads up he would be coming tonight. He’d wanted to surprise her, but the surprise is on him. Troy gets out of the vehicle, his leather boots sinking into the several inches of wet snow on his way to her large front porch. He rings the doorbell, with only a small hope of her opening the door. After several attempts to rouse her, he takes out his cell phone to text her.

  Text from Troy to Traci:

  Hey, sis. Happy birthday! What are you up to for your big day?

  No response. Okay, she must be out having fun.

  Troy chooses ‘Sis’ from his contacts, pressing SEND on a call. He’s not happy when the call goes straight to voice mail.

  ‘The least she could do is answer her damn phone.’

  He goes back to sit in his idling car for what seems like an eternity but is most likely only ten minutes. After trying her phone several more times, he’s in a quandary of what to do. It’s way too far to drive home, not to mention he’d hate to drive the roads back down to the turnpike with the snow continuing to come down at this clip. He knows there’s no hotel in town and he’s never bothered to get a key to Traci’s considering he visits so rarely. Hopefully, they can correct that now that he’s moved back to Colorado, but little good that’ll do him tonight.

  Impatient, he checks the locks on both the front and back door, actually happy when he finds both secure. He’d not be happy if his sister had been careless enough to keep her doors unlocked, especially living alone, safe community or not.

  As he stands near the front door, his eyes travel down to the ceramic guard goose dressed in a Christmas Santa suit. His heart lurches as the childhood memories of his mother lovingly changing the clothes on their family guard goose as each new holiday season would approach. He’d completely forgotten about the silly tradition, yet he’s happy to see his sister carrying it forward. He knows his mom would be pleased. A pang of homesickness he hasn’t allowed himself to feel in a very long time invades.

  If only that were the only memory he had of that stupid goose.

  It was their family’s guard goose that had made him aware that their father not only disciplined Troy and his sister, but their mother, too, when she’d broken a family rule. Even in the frigid cold, a warmth passes through Troy at his vivid memory as a thirteen-year-old boy coming home from school to hear the unmistakable sounds of his mother being paddled by his father through their clearly-not-thick-enough bedroom door.

  Troy had felt the hard, wooden paddle on his own bottom enough to know conclusively what was happening on the other side of that door. His father’s stern lecture pointing out the foolishness of putting their family’s safety at risk by hiding the key to their house in such an obvious place, only two feet from the front door, could barely be heard over his mother’s sobbing promises to never let it happen again.

  The spanking had gone on for what seemed like an eternity as he stood there, completely panicking over how this turn of events would change their family dynamic. He remembers selfishly standing there listening to the sounds of the harsh punishment, wondering how it was going to feel having parents who were divorced, because surely his mom was never going to put up with being thrashed by her husband like a naughty child.

  After the paddling ended, he had run to his room to hide, ear to his door listening for sounds of an argument or worse, his mom leaving. When his mom had called him down for his after-school snacks like she did every other day, he’d been shocked. He had crept down to the kitchen, cautiously, hoping not to see his father. Afraid he might deck his dad for driving Mom away.

  Troy had almost fainted when he arrived at the kitchen to find his mom sitting on Dad’s lap at the table, snuggled up close as he hugged her to him as if she was precious. The peaceful smile on her face as she looked up as he entered overshadowed the slightly red rims of her eyes, the only indication he had really heard what he had heard. He remembers the rush of relief followed by his own confusion over what had transpired between his parents. He took every opportunity to watch them closely in the following years, witnessing firsthand how much happier they seemed than any of his friend’s parents. Only years later would he start to truly understand the power of such an intimate relationship.

  One of his biggest regrets of losing his parents so unexpectedly is that Troy never got a chance to talk about domestic discipline with his father. Only as an adult, years later, did Troy figure out the official name for their family dynamic. While he’s researched DD extensively online enough to know he longs to find a woman searching for the same intimacy in a marriage, he regrets that he can’t talk to his father about this important topic.

  Uncharacteristically emotional tonight, Troy reaches down to stroke the silly piece of rock that had brought back so many memories. When the goose wobbles at his touch, Troy bends down to investigate, finding a single key smashed under the concrete statue.

  A strange mix of relief and anger courses through Troy. Sure, he finally has a way into his sister’s house to await her return, but he’s not happy at all that anybody wandering by could have found the same key and be waiting in her dark house to accost his sister upon her return. He tries to shrug it off, knowing how safe the close-knit community of Corbin’s Bend is, but he plans on cautioning his sister to find a better hiding place for her backup key.

  With a chuckle, he wonders what his adult sister would do if he upended her for a spanking like he’s sure their father would deliver under the circumstances were he still alive.

  Suspecting Traci will need to park in her garage upon her return, Troy takes a minute to move his car across the street before grabbing his overnight bag and letting himself into her house. He feels a bit guilty for barging into her private space, unannounced, yet it is his sister, after all. He really doesn’t think she’ll mind considering he’s stayed here in her guest room on three separate occasions while on leave.

  After taking his wet boots and coat off in the entry, he throws his duffle bag on the guest bed before heading to the kitchen to see what Traci has in the fridge in the way of adult beverages. He appreciates that she stocks his favorite beer when she knows he’s coming, but since she was in the dark on his plan, he only finds several large bottles of wine chilling along with a rather sad array of food. Yogurt… and more yogurt, a few half-used condiments, two cases of diet soda and Traci’s strange favorite snack food, jars of dill pickles. Right on schedule, his stomach growls.

  ‘Serves you right, asshole. You should have called her earlier today to wish her a happy birthday and find out her plans.’

  Troy had talked to her earlier in the week and she hadn’t mentioned any special plans for her birthday, giving him the idea of surprising her. His luck, some of her friends must have whisked her away on a wee
kend ski trip. That would explain the lack of food in the fridge and also why she’s not answering her phone. She must be on the slopes.

  Knowing it’s too late to drive back to the city, Troy throws the one and only frozen pizza from the freezer into the oven and settles in on the couch with a glass of too-fruity chardonnay to await his gourmet dinner. He sees her normal stack of books on the coffee table. She’s never more than an arm’s length away from reading material. Rifling through, looking for something non-psychology related to read, he’s surprised to find several risqué romance novels mixed in with the heap. He starts reading a novel touting itself as ‘The hottest read of the year.’ Not exactly how he’d planned the night.

  The sound of Traci’s car in the driveway jars Troy awake. He’s momentarily disoriented by his surroundings. He had fallen asleep on the couch after forcing down a few slices of frozen pizza while watching TV in the dark. The last thing he remembered was the start of the late show after the evening news. The additional loud rumble of a large truck out front confuses him. His sister drives a small hybrid, a car Troy had cautioned her against driving in Colorado winters.

  He flicks the TV off with the remote, grabbing his cell phone to check the time. He glances to see it’s just after midnight. He pushes his six-foot frame to his feet to make his way to peer out the long, decorative side window flanking Traci’s front door. It’s pretty dark out, but what little light there is from the nearest street lamp reflects off the bright white snow to cast enough light for Troy to spot his sister struggling to get out of her car, stepping into the deep snow of the driveway. What looks like a hulking football lineman is already climbing out of the cab of his jacked-up truck, parked directly behind his sister.

  ‘Shit. Isn’t she going to be surprised to see me?’

  Troy suddenly feels like a complete idiot for assuming his sister would be happy to have him surprise her. Clearly, she’d made other plans for her thirtieth birthday… plans he suspects she would prefer her brother not know about. She’s never mentioned seeing anyone seriously, but clearly she must have a boyfriend if she’s inviting the guy in this late.

  Unsure how he should spring his surprise on his sister, he moves across the room to the bank of light switches in the kitchen not far from the front door. The houses in Corbin’s Bend all have an open floor plan and he’ll be able to turn on the lights from the kitchen and call out his ‘surprise’. Troy waits anxiously while he hears shuffling of feet on the outside front porch.

  He can hear his sister’s voice through the door. “Thanks for making sure I made it home, Ronnie. G’night.” If Troy didn’t know better, he could swear his sister sounds tipsy. Her words are slurred through the door.

  “Oh come on, little lady. The night is young. It’s way too early for me to go home and anyway, you haven’t let me give you your birthday spanking yet. I know all you chicks from Corbin’s Bend love to have your butt lit up by a big strong guy like me. Let me in and I’ll be sure to show you and that hot ass of yours a good time.”

  Troy stands frozen to his spot, in shock at his sister’s choice of a date for her thirtieth birthday, his blood pressure rising with anger directed at her escort. He prays this was a blind date or better yet, just a misunderstanding. He’s waiting for her response when he hears a thud against the front door from the outside followed by a sharp slap.

  “Knock it off, Ronnie. It’s late and I ‘ave appoinments in the morning. You need t’ go home.” Listening to his sister slur her words infuriates Troy.

  ‘She fucking drove home impaired. I guess her only other option had been to ride with the troll.’

  “Like hell I’m leaving. I spent a Goddamn fortune buying you drinks tonight. The least you can do is invite me in for one nightcap. I promise, baby, I’ll go home right after one drink.”

  ‘Say no… tell him to bugger off… get lost…’

  What comes out of her mouth is “Well, okay, but only one dink. And no funny business.”

  The jingle of keys in the lock is followed by the rush of cold air from the ongoing snowstorm outside. The front door isn’t closed one second before the hulk named Ronnie has grabbed Traci, swinging her around to press her back against her own front door, trapping her between the hard wood and the hard muscles of her unwelcome guest. The jerk is so large, Troy can no longer see any of his sister, but he does hear her struggling to free herself from the aggressor’s grip.

  Troy is enraged. Flipping every light switch on at once, the entire space is immediately flooded in bright lights. Troy has to squint in the sudden blaze of white, but he has an advantage. At least he knew the flash was coming, unlike the brute manhandling his sister. Troy is sprinting by the time he gets to the front door. Not bothering to stop, he hurls his full-body weight into the side of the massive intruder, knocking the troll to the floor. He’s about Troy’s height, but based on how hard he goes down, easily seventy-five pounds heavier. The advantage of surprise coupled with the sheer velocity of his tackle have Troy successfully wrestling the asshole to the floor where Troy presses is forearm to Ronnie’s neck, cutting off his oxygen flow long enough to subdue him.

  Only once Troy is relatively sure Ronnie is going to stay down without striking back does he let the high-pitch scream of his sister register.

  “Traci, knock it off. It’s just me.”

  The screaming stops, replaced with a shaky voice. “Troy?”

  “Yes. Were you expecting someone else? Maybe a home intruder or even a mass murderer?”

  “What are you talkin’ ‘bout?”

  “You. Letting this asshole into your house. What the hell were you thinking, Traci?” Troy doesn’t try to hide his anger. He’s pumped up on a dangerous cocktail of fury and adrenaline.

  Troy can’t see his sister, but he hears her shuffling across the room to plop down onto the couch. He sees the hulk is preparing to fight back. Troy tries to defuse the situation. “Listen, I don’t want any trouble. I’m gonna let you up and you’re gonna leave. I don’t want you to come near my sister again, you understand?”

  Hulker-dude seems offended. “I don’t know why you’re so pissed at me? She’s the one who was coming on hot and heavy to every guy at the bar. I did her a favor by following her home. There were a lot worse guys than me eyeing her up, believe me.”

  It’s a sad state of affairs when the intruder who just manhandled his sister is actually speaking more coherently than said victim. Still, Troy can’t help but think about what the hell would be happening to Traci right now if he hadn’t been here to surprise her. She could have been beaten or worse, raped.

  Troy’s anger is slowly spreading from the man trapped on the floor to include his wayward sister. “I’m gonna let you up now.”

  “About time. I was beginning to think you bat for the other team, you know? You seem to like it on top.” He flashes a lopsided smile, revealing a mouth full of uneven teeth. Seems Ronnie has a sense of humor.

  Troy is in no mood to take shit from the jerk. “Nope. Just protecting my baby sister.”

  The men push off to stand and with one last look over his shoulder at Traci now nursing what appears to be her throbbing head on her sofa, Ronnie stalks out the door to his truck. The loud engine can be heard as he tears out of the driveway, only to gun it, fishtailing in the snowy streets of Corbin’s Bend.

  Troy watches until he sees the truck’s tail lights disappear in the darkness before turning around to get his first good look at his sister. He’s never seen her like this. Her outfit is too skimpy. Her too-much makeup is smeared. Her beautiful long brunette hair is messed as if she’d just gotten out of bed. In a word, she looks a mess.

  It is so uncharacteristic of his sister, that it alarms him. Traci had personified professional even as a teenager. While most teenage girls were into boys and makeup, Traci had already been pushing herself academically, knowing at an early age she planned on going into the medical field like their dad. She’d been voted ‘Most Likely to Succeed’ by her classmate
s her senior year and even after losing their parents in the accident the summer before starting college, she was able to maintain a straight A average all through college and grad school. Troy has never understood why some guy hasn’t come along and swept her off her feet yet. Traci is the epitome of brainy, bold and beautiful. Well at least under normal circumstances. Troy knows something big must be going on in his sister’s life for her to act so foolishly tonight.

  She finally lifts her head from her hands. The siblings spend a long minute eyeing each other up. With each passing moment, Traci appears to transform from carefree drunk to guilty young woman. Troy speaks first. He has no chance at keeping the anger he feels out of his tone. “So why don’t you tell me what the hell has gotten into you today?”

  She’s going on offense. “Why don’t you tell me what the hell you’re doing here first? I thought you were still in DC?” Maybe she isn’t feeling very guilty after all, which only angers her brother more.

  “I wanted to surprise you for your birthday. You know. Take you out on the town to celebrate. Help you ring in the big 3-0.”

  Traci scoffs. “I don’t need any help celebrating. I’d forget the whole damn thing if I could.”

  Troy sees the pain flashing through her eyes, and it helps tamp down his anger. “What’s gotten into you, Trace? This is so not like you.” He uses his nickname for her, trying to get her to open up.

  “How would you know, Troy? You’re barely here. I’ve had to learn to take care of myself, you know?”