“So, Cory, where are you two heading off to after breakfast?” Mom asked before shoving a forkful of eggs into her mouth. Mom knew Cory liked to take me out after breakfast. Sometimes it was a surprise like a two hour drive to some flea market or a Sunday matinee. Once, he borrowed a boat from a friend and took me fishing on the dam. That was an experience. We spent more time trying to unsnag our lines then actually fishing. Just when we were about to call it day, I finally got a bite. But as I was reeling in the fish, Annie spotted it and jumped in the water after it. On an impulse Cory jumped in after her and ended up getting tangled in our fishing lines. I laughed so hard, I peed my pants.
“Today is supposed to be a beautiful day, so I have the whole afternoon planned,” he replied, then turned and winked at me as my heart fluttered inside my chest. Cory knew from day one I hated surprises, but over time his fun-loving surprises were starting to grow on me. I actually looked forward to them now, but I didn’t dare tell him. He would probably stop if I did. I smiled back, then quickly stabbed a piece of pancake and shoved it into my mouth.
“Mom, Blake is taking me miniature golfing this afternoon,” Molly quickly added, then turned to Blake who just shoved a whole piece of sausage into his mouth. “Right, Blake?” Molly pressed.
Blake’s green eyes grew wide. “Yeah, sure, whatever you want to do.” He smiled with his mouth full.
Our family ate at a fast pace, shoving food into our mouths so quickly you would have thought we were having an eating contest. Of course, my brother Wayne would win hands down. He could clean his plate three times over before anyone finished off their first. The kid made me sick. He could eat like a damned pig and not gain a pound. However, if I would so much as glanced at a brownie, I could feel my hips growing wider by the second. While Molly and I cleared the table, Blake, Wayne and Dad headed to the living room to catch whatever game was playing.
“I’m gonna take Annie outside to pee,” Cory said as he leaned down to hook the leash to her collar.
“Okay.” I smiled, carrying the dirty dishes toward the kitchen. Just as I turned around to walk back into the dining room, Mom whispered into Cory’s ear, then followed him outside. They were both laughing as if they had some kind of hidden joke between them.
Molly and I barely spoke a word as we loaded the dishwasher together. It made me sad, really. We used to be the best of friends until Cory came into the picture. I truly wished she believed that I didn’t set out to steal him from her. Falling in love with Cory … well … it wasn’t something that I had planned. It just happened.
After we cleared the table and the dishwasher was running, I quickly ran upstairs to change my clothes and brush my teeth. I never could guess what plans Cory had made, but I always made sure I was prepared. I learned early on to always wear sneakers because whatever he had planned usually involved walking, which was okay with me. I loved holding Cory’s hand and walked alongside him. It was the one exercise I could tolerate.
“Kathy, would you mind watching Annie for a while?” Cory asked, turning to my mom just as we were walking out the door.
“Sure. I love watching my grand doggy,” she cooed as she leaned down to pick her up.
“What? We always take Annie on our Sunday expeditions,” I whined.
Cory laughed and turned around to face me. “Annie, dear, where we’re going today, dogs aren’t allowed.” My cheeks grew warm instantly when he cupped my face in his hands, Mom chuckled behind him. That was odd. Why would she laugh about that?
“Oh ... okay, then,” was all I could say as we walked out the door.
It was June 5 and the day was absolutely gorgeous. There were only a few clouds in the sky and the temperature was a cool seventy-six degrees, according to the temperature inside Cory’s Mustang. Perfect. My kind of weather.
“Where are we going?” I turned around in the seat so I was facing him. I could feel the blood in my body racing as I stared at his beautiful face. He wore his hair looser these days and not combed to the side. It was my suggestion. I had to, especially when I saw he was wearing the same hair style as my dad. I, on the other hand, still kept my hair short and pixie, but I did add a few blonde highlights. Mom said my hair was perfect for me; it complimented my cheekbones, whatever the hell that meant.
He tanned well over these last few weeks from working outside his house, cleaning the gutters, picking up the broken branches that fell from the trees over the winter and, of course, washing his car. He was anal about his car. If there was a smudge or a teeny tiny speck of mud somewhere on it, he was running it through the carwash. And the inside of the car … he was obsessed with how it smelled. I swear he would change the air freshener at least once a week, sometimes twice, if he didn’t like the scent or felt it wasn’t strong enough.
I asked Mom once about this ... about Cory’s obsession with his car. She laughed and said it was a ‘guy thing’. She told me Dad was so obsessed with his first car—a convertible—that he even named it Betty. Honestly, I was surprised that Cory didn’t have a name for his car or maybe he just didn’t want to tell me.
Cory didn’t answer me. He just kept looking straight ahead, smiling.
“Cory, where are we going?” I pressed, starting to get a little agitated. He grabbed my hand and pressed it against his cheek, which felt warm and smooth.
“Did I ever tell you how beautiful you are?” he asked, keeping his eyes on the road as he spoke.
“Yes, a few times, but I don’t always believe you,” I said honestly. I pulled my hand away and turned in my seat so I could look out the passenger window. Cory slammed on the brakes, causing me to jolt forward, nearly hitting my head on the dashboard. Thank God for seatbelts.
“Annie!” he exclaimed with a sigh. “You don’t see yourself as I do and I wish you did. Not only are you beautiful on the outside, but you’re beautiful on the inside, too I have to admit, you were a tough nut to crack, but once I got you to open up, I found nothing but joy.” He turned in his seat so that he was facing me.
“It sounds like a line in a candy bar commercial,” I said, still looking out the window. I could see his reflection in the window and how his facial expressions changed when he spoke.
He laughed. “Yeah, it kind of did, didn’t it? I’m sorry. You’re far better than a candy bar.” Great! Now I’m hungry for an Almond Joy.
I felt his hand on my shoulder and slowly turned around. “Please tell me what you’re thinking,” he said. The smile on his face disappeared as he stared at me with his dark brown eyes. I shook my head no.
“Annie plea …” Cory stopped when someone began beeping their horn behind us. He quickly looked in the rearview mirror, then shifted the car into drive. We drove in silence for a while longer. I was tempted to turn on the radio, but I didn’t want him to see the tears trickling down my cheeks. I didn’t know why I was crying. It was stupid really, but I couldn’t help it.
We drove to the other side of town where all the farmers and a few of the Amish people lived. I only drove through this part of town a few times, but never in the back roads where the farms were located. Cory kept driving until we crossed a small stone bridge then the road turned into dirt. I rolled down the window and stuck my head out. The cool breeze felt good against my warm, wet cheeks. The air was invigorating; it smelled crisp and fresh and made me smile.
“Where are we going?” I asked again, hoping this time he would answer me.
“We’re almost there,” he replied with a smile, obviously relieved that I was speaking to him again. On Cory’s side of the road was an embankment covered with wild flowers and greenery. On my side was a huge field guarded by a barbed wire fence. Finally, he pulled over to the side of the road next to an old barn that looked to be a hundred years old and ready to collapse at any moment.
“We aren’t going inside that barn to make out, are we?” My eyes grew wide at the thought.
Cory leaned back and laughed so loud that his whole body shook. “No, dear,” he said as he p
ulled the key out of the ignition, then opened the door. I got out at the same time and pulled my jacket from the back seat before closing the door.
“Are you ready to go for a little stroll?” he asked, holding out his hand. I eagerly took it and we walked down a narrow, dirt road. I had no idea where the road would lead us to, but I didn’t care. As long as Cory was by my side, I felt safe. We both walked in silence, admiring the beautiful scenery and smelling the fresh outdoors.
“Do you like it back here?” Cory asked.
“Yes, there’s something about nature walks that makes you feel all warm and fuzzy inside,” I said, smiling. Cory returned the smile and nodded his head.
“Is that an electrical fence?” I asked, pointing at the barb wired fence that blocked us from the wide, open field. I thought it was odd that we hadn’t seen a horse or a cow around. Isn’t that what a fence is for? To keep the animals in?
“Not sure,” he replied, shrugging his shoulders, then he let go of my hand and walked over to the barbed wire fence three layers high.
“Cory! Don’t touch that! You might get shocked!” I yelled when I saw him reach out to touch the top wire.
“Oh, it’s not like it’s going to have a high voltage. It’s probably just enough juice to jolt me,” he said with a chuckle.
“Yeah, that’s the key word … probably,” I said sarcastically. He laughed and slowly reached his hand out as my heart raced. Instinctively, I patted my pants pocket, making sure I had my cell phone on me. “Cory, please ... don’t touch it.” I grabbed his arm, pulling him away from the fence.
“What? You won’t give me mouth to mouth if I get the shit knocked out of me?” He could see the worry in my eyes and yet he was making jokes?
“No, not if you going to be stupid about it.” I started to turn around and walk away, but he grabbed my wrist and pulled me into his arms.
“Wow! You really would leave me here fighting for my life if I got shocked?” The smell of his minty breath took my breath away as I stared up into his warm, brown eyes.
“Yes,” I breathed, then closed my eyes and leaned in to kiss him. We kissed for a while, until the sound of a crow cawing startled us.
“So are you going to tell me why you chose this particular place to walk?” I asked as we continued walking down the road. Up ahead I noticed an old apple tree in the middle of the field. The tree was beautiful; perfect for lying under and taking a nap or making out. I smiled to myself at the thought.
“Look at that tree. Isn’t it beautiful? Too bad we couldn’t sit under it.” I walked toward the fence to get a better view, but didn’t get too close.
“Who says we can’t?” There was a mischievous look in his eyes as he asked and I didn’t like it.
“Well, the fence is one clue and the “Do not trespass” signs posted every few hundred yards is another clue.” He rolled his eyes and stepped closer toward the fence. Before I had a chance to scream, Cory reached out and touched the top wire, but nothing happened.
“See, I told you it wasn’t hot.” He smiled wide, laughing, as I shook my head and sighed heavily. I needed a minute for my heart to calm down.
“Do you want to go sit under the tree and make out?” He leaned down and breathed in my ear, sending tingles across my face and down my neck.
“Uh huh.”
He grabbed my hand and pulled me toward the fence. The top wire was barbed and leveled just below my waist. There was no way I was going to be able to climb over it without scratching myself all to hell. Cory, on the other hand, carefully jumped over the fence barely touching it, then held out his hand for me.
“I think I’ll climb under it,” I suggested.
The bottom and third wire was about six inches off the ground. It wasn’t barbed so that made it easier for me to climb under it, so I got down on my knees and started crawling. Cory stood by and watched with intense eyes as I blushed from embarrassment. I was sure I looked like a rolley polley crawling on the ground. Just as I got my head half way across the wire, I looked down and saw the weirdest looking bug I ever saw crawling across the grass. I yelled and lifted my head touching the wire. The next thing I knew, everything went black.
“Annie! Annie! Wake up!” Cory’s voice was muffled as I slowly opened my eyes to see him kneeling over me. His dark hair was a tousled mess and his face was covered with sweat. My body felt numb and heavy—like something was weighing me down.
“Wha … what happened?” I looked down to see that he was practically lying on top of me. This explained why I felt pinned to the ground.
“Oh Annie, you’re okay. You scared the hell out of me.” Cory breathed a sigh of relief, then stood up. My eyes immediately spotted the dark red spots on his jeans.
“Cory, what happened?” I reached out and grabbed his hand as he pulled me from the ground. That’s when I noticed a funny tingling feeling on the back of my head.
“Is that … blood?” I asked, looking up at him. His dark eyes were wide with fear.
“Yeah,” he answered, but didn’t seem to be concerned over it. He was too busy looking at the back of my head, pulling my hair from side to side as if he was looking for something.
“What happened?” I asked again, turning around. His usual tanned face was now pale and clammy. Then, panic started setting in. Something was wrong. He sat down on a large rock that was lying on the edge of the road. The dark spots on his jeans were slowly getting bigger.
“You … got shocked climbing under the fence and when you … you passed out, I panicked and jumped over the fence, cutting my leg on the barbed wire.”
I gasped, then quickly grabbed his hand and pulled him to his feet. “We need to get you to the hospital. You might need stitches … and a tetanus shot,” I ordered as my heart raced. I wanted to run back to the car, but I could see that Cory was having a hard time walking. Every few steps, he cringed, but he never made a sound.
“So much for wanting to be romantic under the apple tree.” I said, trying to lighten the mood as we walked as fast as we possibly could toward the car.
“Where does it hurt?” I finally asked, worried that he might have caught his “two little buddies” on the barbed wire fence.
“Mostly my inner thighs. Thank God I didn’t hurt my boys. That wouldn’t have been good. We both would have been lying on the ground passed out,” he replied with a chuckle.
I blew out a sigh of relief and he laughed. I looked up and saw the Mustang a few hundred yards away.
“I’m driving,” I said firmly, then opened the passenger side door and motioned for him to get in. Quietly, he did as he was told, which surprised the hell out of me. He really must have been in a lot of pain. I quickly sprinted around to the front of the car and hopped into the driver’s side. It felt weird. In the year we had been dating, I’d not once driven his car. I was too scared to ask, knowing how protective he was of it.
We drove most of the way to the hospital in silence, until we got into town, then the lectures started flying. “Annie, please slow down. This is a thirty-five mile an hour speed limit. Annie, watch that pot hole up ahead. Annie, you didn’t use your turning signal back there.” My blood pressure started rising as each second passed. My knuckles grew white as I held onto the steering wheel in a death grip.
“Do you want to drive?” I asked through clenched teeth.
Cory turned and looked at me, noticing the veins pulsating in my neck. “No.”
We drove in silence, which was rather peaceful. It gave my heart enough time to calm down before we got to the hospital. By the time we arrived, the front of his pants were soaked with blood and his face was as pale as a ghost. I quickly pulled up to the emergency doors and got out of the car, leaving the car door open. Then, I ran inside looking for someone to bring out a wheelchair. An older gentleman with grey, curly hair and glasses as thick as an old Coca-Cola bottle followed me out the doors with a wheelchair in tow. He helped Cory out of the car and into the short metal chair.
“I�
�ll be right back. I’m gonna park the car,” I told him.
“Make sure you …” he said, stopping when he saw me roll my eyes. “Okay.” He chuckled weakly. As I pulled the car away from the hospital toward the huge parking lot, the old man wheeled Cory into the hospital. For the first time since I laid eyes on him, he looked fragile, not the strong burly man that I was used to seeing. I pulled the car between two SUV’s and put it in park. I reached around the back seat of the car and grabbed my jacket, searching my pocket for my cell phone. I speed dialed home and Mom answered on the first ring.
“Mom, we’re at the hospital. Can you come?” I tried not to panic, but tears were welling up inside me.
“What? What happened?” she said, sounding panicked.
I chuckled through my tears when I realized she said the exact words I said when I woke up on the ground. “It’s a long story. I’ll tell you about it when you get here.”
“Nobody’s dead, are they?” she asked as her voice raised an octave.
I laughed. “No.”
“Okay, I’ll be there in ten minutes,” she said, then the line disconnected. I looked in the rearview mirror and wiped the wet mascara from under my eyes, but it was useless. The tears kept coming. I shoved my cell phone in my pocket and stepped out of the car. Then, I hit the lock button on Cory’s remote and shoved the keys in my other pocket. The air felt heavy, warmer, making it hard for me to breathe as I walked through the parking lot toward the hospital. A few young nurses walked passed me, laughing at something on one of their cell phones. This automatically brought back memories of the day I was in the hospital with me knee and the young, hot nurse who was flirting with Cory—what was her name? Beth!
I suddenly picked up the pace. The thought of Beth undressing Cory to look at his wounds made my stomach queasy as I walked through the emergency doors and looked around. Cory was nowhere in sight. There were a few older heavyweight nurses sitting behind the desk.
Novel Hearts Page 20