by H. P. Munro
“I’m so glad you made it.”
Erin barely acknowledged Ruth’s welcome as her chest constricted. She was sure this time the pain had nothing to do with her ribs or the hours she’d spent in her truck. There was only one cause of the tightness, and it was sitting watching her carefully while folding napkins.
“Hi,” she murmured, never taking her eyes from Charlotte.
“Hey Erin, how are the ribs?” Maddie asked, sweeping into the room.
Erin dragged her eyes from Charlotte finally and looked towards Maddie. Her brown eyes were full of encouragement. Finding her voice finally Erin nodded. “They’re getting there, thanks.”
Sully entered from the kitchen carrying a serving plate with a carved roast on it. “Hope you’re all hungry cause the Doc has managed to carve up a treat today.” He grinned towards Erin. “Glad you made it.”
Lou placed a dish with vegetables down on the table. “Everyone best get a seat before this goes cold.”
Erin watched as the group of friends moved around each other with ease as if performing a well-rehearsed dance. Each disappearing into the kitchen and returning with items for the table. She hesitated, unsure where to sit, until Charlotte patted the seat next to her.
“I think they’ve put you here.”
Nodding, Erin weaved her way past Peter and pointedly ignored Teddy’s shit-eating grin as she slipped into her seat. She smiled a hello to Douglas, who was sitting next to Teddy and looking as awkward as she felt, thrust into this weekly ritual.
Finally, the table was crowded with the ten adults and Jessica. Ben sat between his parents, beating a spoon against the side of his high chair.
With a prompt from his wife, Peter raised his glass in a toast. “We’re a little cozy today, but it’s wonderful to be surrounded by those we love. I’m sure we all want to welcome Charlotte home again.”
Erin watched from the corner of her eye as Charlotte laughed and raised her glass in response. As the table all toasted her and whooped their reply, Erin turned slowly and delicately clinked her glass against Charlotte’s before quietly adding her own. “Welcome home.”
***
“So I fully expected to you see you in the NFL Sully, or at least the draft pick?” Charlotte raised her eyebrows expectantly at Matt, as he wiped his mouth to reply.
She focused on Sully, trying desperately to ignore that she was sitting so close to Erin that their elbows brushed several times during dinner. She was so focused, she missed the glances and sad smiles from the friends around the table.
Sully placed his napkin down. “You an’ me both. I thought I’d all the time in the world and passed on the draft to complete my senior year. But whaddya know, I blew out my shoulder in a tackle an’ that was that. I got to complete college though, so that was something.”
Charlotte gave him an apologetic smile and nodded. “Yeah, that was something.”
“What about you?” Peter asked. “We kept thinking we’d see you at the US Open.”
Shaking her head, Charlotte fiddled with the knife and fork she’d placed onto her plate after finishing eating.
“Similar story to Sully. I tore my ACL, so that ended my tennis hopes. Only I did it in my freshman year and that ended my scholarship.” She chewed on her lower lip then sighed. “I dropped out as I couldn’t afford the medical bills on top of college. On the plus side, I ended up working at a gym, and the owner let me live in the apartment above rent free. Then when he wanted to retire, we worked out a deal, and I bought the business.”
“So that’s what you do now?” Alex asked, starting to remove plates.
Charlotte was unable to stop the look of regret that flashed across her features before she responded. “No, I sold up.”
“It is so hard for small business owners these days.” Ruth stood and started to collect everyone’s plates. “The past six years have been tough.” She squeezed Charlotte’s shoulder as she passed.
Realizing Ruth had not only got hold of the wrong end of the stick, she’d run off with it waving it above her head, Charlotte opened her mouth to correct her. However, any words she planned to say stuck in her throat as she felt Erin’s hand on her forearm.
“I’m confused. You never said anything about a scholarship. What happened to Cornell?”
Charlotte swallowed hard. “Cornell was on my parents’ dime, and I didn’t want anything to do with them. They’d already taken what I loved, and I didn’t want to give them another chance to have a say in my life.” She held Erin’s gaze. “I let them think that was where I was going. I confided in my coach at school and fortunately she knew someone, and I managed to get a full ride at a private college in Queens.”
“So everyone okay with mud pie for dessert?” Ruth asked cheerfully as she reentered the room holding up the pie Erin brought.
There were murmurs of agreement as the pie was placed on the table and plates distributed, before they all leaned in to grab a slice.
The chatter stopped and was momentarily replaced with moans of appreciation while the pie was quickly consumed.
“You know I saw you play freshman year,” Charlotte said, resuming her conversation with Sully. “I caught a game on ESPN.”
“You did?” Sully grinned. “Did I play well?”
“You threw a twenty-yard pass that was like a missile.”
“I was something special.” Sully grinned, rubbing his knuckles against his shoulder and letting out a laugh as Lou popped him on the arm.
“Anterior cruciate ligament. They have to replace it with another tendon.”
The adults all turned to look at Jessica, who had been unusually quiet during the meal.
“That’s right isn’t it?” She turned to look at Maddie for confirmation.
Maddie exchanged a quick glance and an apologetic look with Alex, then smiled broadly at Jessica. “It is, sweetie, but remember what we said about talking about medical things at the table? Not everyone finds them as interesting.”
“I thought that rule was just about private parts?”
Teddy snorted into her glass of wine. Then coughed contritely as Alex glared at her.
“No, honey, it’s anything medical really,” Alex clarified. “It’s not really what should be talked about at the dinner table.”
Jessica sighed and shrugged. “It’s not like I was talking ’bout Gregor White’s piles this time.”
Charlotte cleared her throat. “So, Sam was telling me about his training for the biathlon.”
Everyone looked at her gratefully for the change in topic. Ruth rose from the table and started to collect plates. “Sully, you should tell her about the time with the luge.”
Erin stood and took the plates from Ruth. “If you’re going to discuss how my stupid brother almost got himself killed, I’ll go take these to the kitchen.”
Alex stood and gathered her family’s plates. “I’ll help you.”
Watching, Charlotte couldn’t help but smile as Erin gently cuffed the back of Sully’s head as she passed. She followed Erin’s every move with her eyes and hadn’t realized she’d completely zoned out of the conversation again until Ruth placed a warm hand on her forearm.
“You know me and Peter are grateful for you paying the lumberyard’s dues, but if you need it back then you’ll let me know?” Ruth patted her arm, then sat back to listen as Sully regaled the table with the story of Sam and the homemade luge.
***
Alex watched as Erin cleaned off the plates and stacked them neatly to be washed. “Must be strange, Charlotte being back an’ all.”
Erin paused as she considered Alex’s comment. She sighed softly then returned to her task. “It’s like I’ve fallen into some sort of parallel universe. I never thought I’d see her again never mind sitting at Ruth’s table.”
“Sometimes life just likes to throw you curve balls or Teddy’s somewhere in the mix,” Alex said as she loaded the plates into the dishwasher.
Snorting, Erin shook her head. “Yeah,
that sounds about right.”
“She said you kissed her?”
“Teddy?”
“Charlotte!”
Erin stopped what she was doing and looked stunned at Alex. “She spoke to you?”
Alex thrust out her chin defiantly. “Now don’t be getting your panties in a twist. She needed to talk to someone. I’m only mentioning it to you to make sure you’re okay. If you want to know what’s going on in Charlotte’s head, you’re gonna have to talk to her and find out.”
Sighing Erin slumped against the wall. “I’m not sure I can deal with what’s going on in my head never mind hers.”
“So what is going on in your head?”
“I see her, and my heart reacts like we’re seventeen. But my head, my head is screaming that we’re not seventeen, and I should act my age.”
Alex closed the dishwasher and smiled. “You know I stood in this very kitchen and had a very similar discussion with Teddy about Maddie.”
Erin pushed her shoulders against the wall to stand up straight. “And?”
“My heart and other more southern areas of my body were sure Maddie was the one. While my head kept telling me we barely knew each other, and she wasn’t staying in town.”
Nodding Erin sighed. “That’s just how I feel. We don’t know each other. I’m not the same person I was as a teenager. At least I hope I’m not”—She scrubbed her face in frustration—“and her life isn’t here. She’s got this whole other life in New York. I guess while I understand why she did what she did, I’m still a little pissed at her.”
“Maybe you should speak to her about what she wants and figure out what you want from there?” Alex suggested as she opened the door back to the dining room. “You never know, maybe you both want the same thing.”
Stepping back into the room they paused at the scene that greeted them. Harvey Mack stood rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly alongside Clinton Thorpe, the public health inspector, who looked like he’d rather be a thousand other places than in Ruth’s dining room.
“Hey, Clint.” Alex looked confused at the tableau before her. “You here to see me?”
Clint glanced up nervously at the sound of Alex’s voice. “Um, no. Hey, Alex. I’m, um, I’m here for Sully.”
Sully removed his arm from the back of Lou’s chair where it had been resting and sat forward. “I don’t recall having an inspection planned this month.”
Clearing his throat, Clint clutched his clipboard to his chest and spoke with his eyes firmly fixed on the table and not at Sully. “You don’t. We had a complaint we need to investigate.”
Rising to his feet, Sully pointed towards Harvey. “You had to bring the Deputy Sheriff to tell me this?”
Harvey held his hands up in defense. “Now, Sully, it ain’t like that. I was passing the bar when Clint came out and asked if I knew where you’d be. I’m only here ’cause I was hoping there was some of Erin’s mud pie left. Peter was talking ’bout it this morning at church.”
Peter grinned. “There’s some in the kitchen, but it’s not the homemade kind.” He shot Erin a look before leading Harvey from the room.
Erin smiled apologetically to Harvey as he passed and whispered another apology to Peter.
“So what’s the complaint?” Alex asked.
Clint checked the papers on the clipboard to buy himself some time before he spoke. “There’s been a sighting of rats.”
***
“So that was interesting.”
Erin turned as Charlotte joined her on Ruth’s porch. They both watched as Sully and Clint climbed into Sully’s truck.
“You think he really has a rat problem?” Charlotte asked.
“I’m sorry,” Erin replied, taking a deep breath to prepare herself. Her conversation with Alex had struck a nerve, and finally she knew what she had to do and say.
“I said, do you think—”
“No, I heard you.” Erin sighed, flustered now her rhythm had been interrupted. “I meant, I’m sorry as in I’m apologizing, not that I didn’t hear what you said.”
Charlotte grimaced. “Sorry, I…God we used to be so good at this. Talking, I mean,” she clarified, as Erin shot her a confused look. “We used to be able to talk for hours and never get bored and be so in tune with each other. Do you remember that? I’ve never had that since. That feeling of completely being in sync with another person—”
“Stop!” Erin yelled. She ran a hand through her hair as she watched Charlotte’s bewildered expression. “Please, just stop. I need to say some things, and I need you to just listen.”
Nodding her head, Charlotte leaned against the railing.
“I’m sorry I kissed you.” Erin raised her hand as Charlotte opened her mouth to interrupt. “You promised!” When Charlotte closed her mouth and held her hands up in an apology, Erin continued, “I shouldn’t have kissed you. It added confusion to something that is already hugely complicated.”
She closed her eyes to compose herself. “Before you came back I’d realized I was too stuck in my past to let me really focus on a future. I’ve been living in limbo for years thinking work and family and friends were enough for me. But they’re not. I want to love. I want to be loved by someone and hanging onto the love I had for you was stopping that.
“I had so many landmines no woman could get close to me without setting one off, and I would barely even acknowledge that the landmines existed, never mind do anything about them. Then…then you came back” —Erin opened her eyes to look at Charlotte—“and I was so pissed at you. Because after I decided to move forward I see you and even after all this time my stomach flips, and I get this feeling of happiness that goes all the way to my bones.”
She hesitated seeing a smile begin to appear on Charlotte’s face. “And I feel like a teenager again. Only I’m not. I’m almost forty. Neither of us are who we were back then. You’ve been back twice in over twenty years an’ both times have been this month. You have a home and a life back in New York, and I’m trying to build a better life here. I needed to work out what I wanted from you, and now I know.”
She chewed on her top lip to stop herself crying. “I will always be grateful for what we had, and I’ll probably always wonder what might have been. I’m thankful for you coming back and setting the record straight. But I need to leave the past where it belongs now. The people we are today, well, we’re virtual strangers. So if you’re staying in Grace Falls for me, then you should probably go home.”
Without giving Charlotte a chance to respond she stepped off the porch and strode to her truck without looking back.
***
“Teddy, you may want to go rescue Douglas from Jessica before she grills him about police procedure.” Maddie stopped in the doorway and rolled her eyes. “Will you three come away from the window.” She gave Alex a disapproving look.
“I think you might have bruised my kidney with your elbow.” Alex slapped Teddy’s shoulder.
Teddy shrugged. “Sorry, I was just trying to acknowledge the landmines.”
“By giving me internal bleeding?”
Ruth spun around slowly, her face crumpled in confusion. “So wait. They were together?” she whispered, looking at each of her friends’ faces for confirmation. “When we were at school. They were together?”
When Alex and Teddy nodded, Ruth flung her hands into the air. “How am I only finding out about this now?” She dropped down onto her sofa. “I just thought they were best friends.”
“They were,” Teddy replied, sinking into the sofa beside Ruth. “Only more so.”
“You knew?” Ruth turned accusingly to Teddy.
Teddy held her hands up in defense. “Only recently. Alex has known for ages.”
Ruth turned to Alex, who shrunk back under her glare. “I’ve only known for a couple of years. Sully knew all along.”
Maddie shook her head. “Remind me never to commit a crime with you two snitches.”
Ignoring her, Ruth continued to glare at Alex. �
��Yeah well he’s not here right now, you are. I can’t believe I didn’t know this. Oh my God, that was why you wanted me to tell Erin that Charlotte was back. I just thought you were being overly dramatic.” She punched Teddy’s arm. “You shoulda told me.”
She returned her attention to Alex. “So you didn’t know about them that time you and Charlotte got friendly on my mama’s bed?”
Alex shook her head. “That was before they got together. I didn’t even know Charlotte played on my team until I was laying on your mama’s bed with her on top of me.”
“Huh?” Teddy raised her eyebrows quizzically.
“What?” Alex asked.
Teddy shrugged. “Nothing, I just always had you pegged as an on top kinda gal.”
Alex threw a flushed looking Maddie a triumphant look, which quickly turned into a frown. “You’ve thought about that?”
Teddy grinned at Alex. “Sure. Haven’t you thought about what we all get up to? I mean I’m pretty sure Ruth—”
Ruth spun to look at Teddy. “If you finish that sentence, Claudia Roosevelt, I will boob punch you.”
Teddy chewed on her lips meekly until Ruth was no longer looking at her. Immediately she mouthed ‘doggy style’ to Alex whose eye roll was enough to alert Ruth that her threat had been ignored.
In one fluid motion Ruth turned and punched Teddy squarely on her right boob.
Maddie watched as Teddy clutched her chest and the friends continued their whispered fight. She glanced out of the window and spotted Charlotte still standing on the porch. Wordlessly she opened the door and snuck out of the house.
“You okay?”
Charlotte spun around, wiping at her red-rimmed eyes. “Yes. No. I honestly have no idea,” she replied, giving Maddie a weary smile.
Maddie stood beside her, both looking out across Ruth’s front yard. “You want to talk about it?”
Sighing, Charlotte patted Maddie’s arm. “Not really. I’m gonna go home.”
Maddie watched as Charlotte plodded down the steps. When she reached the bottom she turned. “Can you thank Ruth for her hospitality for me?” Seeing Maddie’s nod, she continued down the path.