by Mari Beck
“I’m glad you didn’t change your mind.” Brenda heard herself say and saw a look of surprise cross Riley’s face.
“I’m glad you didn’t change yours.” He said grinning. It was a pleasant smile and Brenda found herself at ease with him. The man with him cleared his throat and stuck out his free hand out.
“I’m Louis Montgomery. Nice to see you again.” They shook hands.
“Nice to see you too. Can I help you carry anything in?” She asked nervously and watched both men smile at each other taking in how little Riley owned.
“I think we’ve got it.” Riley answered and followed as she waved them up the porch and into the house. It looked almost exactly the same as the day Mr. Samson had shown it to her except for the few pieces of furniture she’d managed to find, the flimsy plastic paint sheets she’d bought at the hardware store in Bess to cover up the broken windows on the first floor and maybe one less layer of dust she’d attempted to eliminate. Brenda was somewhat embarrassed to have them see the house in the current state it was in but on the other hand she hoped that Riley’s companion might see that she really did need help fixing things up.
“Wow. You weren’t kidding. Things are pretty bad.” Riley said and Brenda tried not to cringe.
“No, I wasn’t and I’m afraid I’m not very DIY. I wasn’t expecting to find the house like this when I first came to town.”
“I suppose you were thinking it’d be more like something you’d find on the cover of Home & Garden Magazine?” Riley asked putting down his duffel bag and taking a look around. Brenda hadn’t made an effort to peel any more of the ancient wallpaper off the cracked walls or nail down any of the floorboards that were coming up in spots around the living room. Riley walked over to the old piano in the corner and ran his fingers across the keys. The sound was awful.
“Reminds me of the piano my grandma Elsie used to have, except for it sounding like some cat died inside of it.” Brenda couldn’t help but laugh and Riley laughed with her.
“When I got the keys from Mr. Samson he said the original owners had taken care of it and that it was a very beautiful home.”
“Well, 20 some years of dust, dirt and probably some water damage can take a toll on any home. I don’t know though, I’m not an expert on home renovation or anything but this is going to be a lot of work.” Riley ran a finger over a piece of missing wall near the piano where the wood frame was peeking out.
“You said you needed a job and I obviously need the help. We could figure it out, couldn’t we?” Brenda asked hoping he wasn’t changing his mind about staying. She needed him to stay.
“I did say that and I think if we worked at it we might be able to figure out.”
“Oh good, I’m glad to hear you say that.” They looked at each other for a long time and Brenda began to feel her face flush. His eyes were studying her, watching her closely as if looking for something but what? Could the fact she had lied about who she was be plastered all over her face? Could he tell? She started to panic and looked away only to see that Riley’s friend was staring at them.
“I’d better be getting back, Riley, but first tell me where you want these?” he asked lifting up the two large paper bags he was carrying.
“Upstairs.” Brenda answered. “It’s the first room at the top of the stairs.”
“Good enough.” The man replied and started the short, squeaky climb up the staircase.
“You sure this is okay, me staying here?” Riley asked and Brenda had to take a moment to breathe.
“Of course it is. I want to help.” She nodded. And I want you to help me! I have to know what happened on that road!
“I appreciate it. Okay, I’m going to say goodbye to Louis and then I think I’ll turn in if that’s all right?”
“Sure. If you need to use the bathroom it’s the next door on left.”
“That’ll work. Where are you going to be? Is there another room down here?”
“No.” She felt the flush coming on again. “I’ll be upstairs in the other bedroom.”
“Oh.” He seemed surprised.
“There’s also some food in the fridge. Not much. I need to go into town and do some shopping but if you want a sandwich everything’s there.”
“ I may take you up on that later. Thanks again.”
“You’re welcome.”
“See you in the morning?” He called as he climbed the stairs with the duffel bag slung over his shoulder.
“See you in the morning.” She called back and then walked outside to get some air. Louis Montgomery walked out with her after saying goodbye to Riley.
“This is a nice thing you’re doing for him.”
“I don’t mind. I’ve definitely got the room and like I keep saying I’m desperate for the help.”
“I know.” Louis said flashing her a quick smile. “But I also thing you have a right to know what you’re getting yourself into with this arrangement.” Brenda sighed. She expected him to bring it up sooner or later.
“Like?”
“For starters he can’t drive.”
“Why?”
“Several reasons. Some of them psychological. Some of them physical. Riley sustained injuries while he was overseas. The doctors are still trying to figure them out but they affect his hearing, his sight and his depth perception. I also think it has to do with the accident. Did they tell you about that?”
“I overheard you all talking at the café. I think I have an idea.”
“It’s one thing to know about, it’s another thing to have to drive him around wherever he has to go.”
“I don’t mind.”
“I believe you.” Louis said kicking up some gravel with his shoes. Brenda could tell he was trying to find a way to talk her out of her decision to take the soldier in.
“If you’re worried about me not being prepared to deal with whatever issues Riley has, Doreen has already mentioned some of them. I think I can handle it though.”
“And if you can’t?”
“I’ll ask for help. Doreen said I can call her anytime day or night.”
“That’s good because nights are sometimes the worst.”
“Why?” she asked and tried to remember if Doreen had mentioned anything specific.
“The nightmares.”
“Oh.” She said realizing that Doreen hadn’t mentioned nightmares but then why would she? She’d hadn’t seen him in a while.
“He’s supposed to be taking some medication to help him sleep. He might not tell you about it and I’m not saying you have to check that he’s taking it. That would be asking too much of you. But, if you notice anything out of the ordinary or you feel you can’t deal with what’s happening I’d like you to give me a call. Day or night just like Doreen, okay?” He handed her a business card with his contact information.
“How bad is it?” She mustered the courage to ask him.
“I don’t really know. I’ve never had him spend the night. But if it’s like some of the other veterans I’ve worked with or even like me, sometimes it can get pretty bad. You don’t know where you are or even who’s who. If that happens things can get dangerous, do you understand?”
“You’re a veteran?”
“Vietnam.”
“I thought you were his caseworker.”
“I am. I also run a support group to help veterans returning home. It’s not easy. Not for them, not for their families.” He explained and Brenda tried to keep her mind from going back home to her own family and her own loss. “Riley’s been struggling. Now that he’s gotten all this bad news about his home and his grandfather’s financial problems he might have a harder time of it. Nightmares could get worse.”
“Okay. If that happens what do I do?”
“If it were me I’d get out of the house and give one of us a call. That’s the best thing you can do. Don’t try to engage him or talk him out of the dream. It usually doesn’t work. If you have any doubts about your safety you call the Sheriff. Don’t
wait around and see if Riley comes back from the experience. Let someone who is trained to deal with something like that do their job.” Brenda could tell Louis was watching her face intently probably wanting to see if the information would change her mind. It gave her lots to think about but she was still determined to see it through.
“Still want to do this? It’s not too late and I’d be happy to talk to Riley. I’m sure he would understand.”
“Yes. I still want to do it.” She answered immediately and he smiled.
“Okay. You be sure too call me if you need anything. I’ll be checking up on Riley and he knows that so don’t hesitate. I’m available day or night.” He said and she took another look at the card in her hands before putting it in her back jeans pocket.
“I promise.” She said and waved as she watched him walk down the gravel drive and get into his car. She waved again as he drove away. Standing a few feet away from the porch she looked up. A million stars twinkled above her in the dark black velvet sky. Out in the country where they were far from the blinding lights of the towns and cities that usually dimmed the skies Brenda felt at peace. She hoped someday she could bring the boys out so they could experience the beauty and tranquility that sheltered their dad during his growing years. In the meantime, she used the calm to compose herself and to allow herself the mental space to think about how she was going to face the time ahead of her with Riley Favreau. He was here in her house, in the room upstairs just feet from the room where she slept. In Shane’s old room with the gingham curtains and the name secretly carved into the walls. How ironic and how painful to think about it. But how miraculous too that she would end up here and that Riley would be here too. It wasn’t something she could explain away as much as her logical mind wanted to do it. It wasn’t a coincidence. Of that she was also deeply convinced. It was her chance to make things right between herself and Shane by finding out what really happened the night he died and what he had wanted to ask her before the line went dead. Riley Favreau held the answers to all of these questions and God, the Universe, whoever, had given her the chance to get those answers and she intended to do just that.
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
Working Farm
He woke up early to the sound of someone moving around in the kitchen and the smell of coffee and bacon wafting up the staircase and into his room. For a moment Riley thought he was back out on his grandfather’s farm before the war when his grandmother was still alive. Rising time was about 4:45 am when there was work to be done around the farm and cattle to be fed but before the day’s work began Riley’s grandmother Elsie cooked he and his grandfather a substantial breakfast. He laid in the bed for a moment and tried to remember where he was. The wall paper in the room was different than he remembered and the layout of the bedroom was much smaller than he had back home. It came to him. He was in the old farmhouse outside of town bunking with the waitress from Doreen’s café. Riley took a deep breath and rubbed his eyes. He felt the stubble on his face but decided not to shave. He missed the beard despite what Louis Montgomery thought and there was too much work to be done from what he had seen last night to care about how he looked. Sitting up he swung his legs around and put both feet on the cold floor. He looked around in the dark and noticed the dark outlines of a small child’s toy chest sitting in the far corner along with a small battered book case that sat empty. Riley struggled to remember who had lived here before but he couldn’t bring up the name. All he could think was that the house had been empty even when he had been a child in Bess. If it hadn’t, the family who had lived here wasn’t one that had ever been acquainted with his own. Standing up, he stretched and yawned as he made his way to the door. He opened it and stepped out into the darkened hallway and tried to remember where Renae had told him he could find the bathroom. That’s when he ran into her and knocked her down.
“Ow!”
“Whoa!” he called out as he heard her hit the floor. “ I’m so sorry! I didn’t see you there.” As his eyes adjusted to the dark, he reached out an arm for her to hold onto and pulled her up. Suddenly, the light in the hallway came on blinding him momentarily. Renae had managed to flip on the light switch so they could both see.
“I’m sorry.” She apologized. “ I should have left one of the small lamps on so you could see. I’ve gotten used to it so I didn’t even think about the fact that you wouldn’t know where everything was.”
“I was looking for the bathroom.”
“It’s right behind you.” She pointed and he noticed that she was staring at something. She was staring at him. In his haste to make it to the bathroom he’d forgotten to put on a shirt and he realized he was standing shirtless in the hallway. She was staring at his scars. He remembered that look, it was the same look Misty had the first time she had seen them too. The raised ridges of scar tissue had healed well over time and they weren’t as red and jagged-looking but he assumed by the look on her face that they were still something to see. He never bothered looking himself. It wasn’t something he’d ever needed to do. He knew what had happened, how he had gotten each one of those scars, he didn’t need to dwell on it. At least that’s what he told himself but it had to be different for those who did dwell on the how and the what behind the scars. It made him uncomfortable and standing in that hallway in such close proximity to a woman he barely knew made him self conscious in a way he hadn’t been before and that did bother him.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to stare.” She said finally turning away. He didn’t know what to say so he just nodded and turned to go into the bathroom. When he came back out she was gone and he made sure to go into his room and get fully dressed before going downstairs and into the kitchen. There, he found her by the stove scrambling some eggs and tending to the coffee pot. The bacon was already laid out in neat little rows on a plate on the counter. There was a card table and a couple of folding chairs in the middle of the kitchen. She also had a small pile of paper plates and plastic utensils and styrofoam cups for them to use.
“I’m still roughing it.” She said with a quick smile and he noticed that she was wearing an old pair of sweats and a faded college t-shirt. Her short, brown hair was a bit disheveled and she didn’t look like she had any make up on.
“It smells great.” He said taking a piece of bacon and biting into it after she pointed him to the plate it was on.
“I hope so. You’re my very first dinner guest-for breakfast that is.” She laughed and he was surprised at how much he enjoyed hearing it.
“You know we could have gone down to the café for breakfast.” He said and she stopped mid scramble and looked at him. She had a look of mock annoyance on her face.
“Are you saying there’s something wrong with my cooking?”
“No. I’m saying we’re about to set a ton of tongues a wagging.” He teased and she raised an eye brow.
“Why?”
“Well, we’re out here alone and your’e cooking me breakfast.”
“That’s silly. I’m not cooking you breakfast. I’m cooking me breakfast. I’m willing to share it. If you’re so worried nothing says you have to eat it.” She said turning back to the skillet.
“So you’re not worried about what folks will think?”
“No. Are you?”
“No, mam. Just checking to make sure we’re still on the same page.”
“Absolutely. I need help fixing things up around here. I’m going to be paying you and I want to get started on it right away. If we eat breakfast here we’re saving time.”
“Fine by me.” He said reaching for the steaming styrofoam cup of coffee she handed him.
“Good.”
“What do you want me to do first?” Riley asked taking a sip. The question seemed to confuse her. She looked around the room.
“Windows?” she said shrugging. He nodded and took a look around, walking into the living room. He saw the worn plastic sheets that had been used to cover the window glass and examined it.
“Have yo
u ordered the glass?” He called back into the kitchen.
“No.” She answered and he frowned. A moment later she came into the living room carrying a paper plate with bacon and eggs speared by a plastic fork. She held it out to him.
“Can we get it at the hardware store in town?”
“It’d be better if we went into Broken Bow to do that. But in the meantime we could get some plywood sheets from the lumberyard in town to board up the windows. It’s drafty in here. You’ve probably noticed that. It’s a good thing it’s not winter.” He said taking a small pile of eggs onto his fork.
“Okay. Do you want to drive into town and do that while I get ready?” She said padding back to the kitchen. He didn’t answer. How could he? He followed her back into the kitchen where he found her making a plate for herself.