Crashing Into Tess (The McGreers)

by Christine, Lilly

  “Why would you take that position, Tess?” Noelle admonished.

  “Because the accident was unavoidable, Mom. I slid on an icy road and ran a stop sign.”

  “Tess, this man sounds like a yahoo cowboy. He’s dangerous. He was drunk and speeding,” her father interjected.

  “Dad, I was almost completely in this ‘yahoo cowboy’s’ lane when he hit me, and if he’d not been paying attention, it could have been much, much worse. Jake helped me. He insisted I go to the hospital for a CAT scan, and he took care of my dog. He’s a very decent guy.”

  “Tess, you didn’t tell us about a dog,” her mother’s voice quavered.

  “No, I didn’t, Mom. If I had, you would have harassed me with the details of every disease and parasite the dog could possibly expose me to my entire trip cross country in an attempt to convince me that picking up a dog on the highway is a bad idea. I picked up a dog, I moved to a place you don’t like, and I survived a car crash. I’m a vet, an actual professional, with an advanced degree. I’m not just your little girl anymore, and it’s high time I get to decide. And Mom, I have to tell you that the snotty, hurtful comments you been making non-stop since June are most unwelcome, too.”

  “Now, just a minute, Tess. I will not have you speaking to your mother this way.”

  “Dad, I will try to forgive you both for sticking your noses into my affairs, if you consider that had someone other than Jake had hit me, I would not have gotten to the hospital. In the off chance I was hemorrhaging, I’d be dead right now.”

  “You don’t know that, Tess,” her mother said scornfully, “And it’s no reason to give this man a free pass on drinking and speeding.”

  “I do know it, Mom. Jake wasn’t drinking. He’s got witnesses, including me. The cop gave him a breathalyzer test, and then lied about his blood alcohol level on the report. The police report is false, and it’s being used to hurt Jake.”

  “That sounds like nonsense. Honey, we are trying to protect you.”

  “You’re not protected me, Mom, not at all. You’re not even listening. Please at least have the courtesy to hear what I am saying. You’re causing me serious problems, and I’m tired of your second-guessing. It might just have been a bad habit while I was home, but now your meddling has undermined everything I’ve worked for here. This is a small town, and word travels fast. If this thing ever turned into a lawsuit, no rancher in town would let me step foot on their property for fear of being sued. The last thing I need is a reputation as a litigious, arrogant east coast brat. People around here know Jake McGreer, and they know Officer Ron. That police report will not hold up in court, believe me.”

  “Your mother and I have been worried about you, Tess,” her dad said, a warning note in his tone.

  “Well, I’m worried too, Dad. About you,” she said.“You assume that I can’t take care of myself, but how well are you taking care of yourself? Have you taken the advice your cardiologist gave you? Cutting out red meat? Starting an exercise program to lower your cholesterol and blood pressure? Are you still smoking cigars? This works both ways, Dad. Please get serious about some lifestyle changes of your own, okay?”

  “Tess, I’m shocked,” her dad said, his voice muted.

  “So was I when Jake showed me the letter from his insurer, Dad!” She burst into tears. “Please, I’m very upset now. Try to understand how terrible this is for me. I have my own auto and health insurance now, I’ve taken a loan for my own vehicle, and I really, really need to be in charge of my own life. Thank you for all you have done for me in the past, but please, please, let me take care of the yahoo cowboys in Green Junction.”

  “I’ve got it under control, I promise you,” Tess said, trying not to hiccup into the phone. “I’ll call when I’m ready to talk, but, please, don’t count on it being very soon. I’m ready to say goodnight.”

  “All right Tess. Good night, then,” her father answered gravely.

  Tess clicked off her cell, tears running down her cheeks. She had a lot to try to explain to Jake.

  ***** “Well, you’re here early,” Lotts said when Jake walked into Green Forks that night. “Pool Tournament doesn’t start till after eight. What’ll it be?”

  “Bourbon, scotch, beer,” Jake answered tonelessly. “That bad, huh?”

  “I just dropped Cassie off. Vicki came out, waving a

  copy of a police report, right in front of Cass, screaming about a modification of custody. She’s still trying to find a way to get to California with Cassie, after all this time.”

  “What’s this about a police report?”

  “Officer Ron falsified the police report to make it look like I’d been drinking the night of my accident with Tess. Alice warned me about it, but I wrote it off. Someone complained to Tess’s insurance.”

  “Tess complained that you were drinking?” Jake saw shock and surprise on Lotts’ face, and he felt the same twinge in his gut he’d felt on Monday. That’s just about how I felt, buddy, times ten. I almost made love to her, the other night.

  “Hard to believe, but what other explanation could there be?” he asked, still tormented.

  Lotts slid a beer in front of Jake. “Here, guy. Start with the easy stuff.”

  Jake held up a hand. “No way. Ron will be scouting my truck tonight, if he’s on. Vicki’s sure to be looking for more ammunition.”

  “Jake, you sound like a hunted man. Vicki’s riding you hard, and Tess let you down. Possum’s the only way to call their bluff. You gotta just roll over and play dead, and things will settle down. Drink that beer, you’ll feel better,” Lotts coached.

  “How the hell did I get in stuff this deep, Lotts?” he asked, sipping the foam from the top, then pushing it away.

  “I don’t think it was any one particular thing, Jake. Murphy’s law, more like. Couple little snowballs, and you wind up under an avalanche.” Lotts set a ginger ale in front of him, looking Jake in the eye. “This one is on the house, my friend. Pretend it’s forty year old, barrel-cured scotch. And keep thinking...Possum. You just play it cool. The lawyers won’t get blood from a stone. I’m not at all surprised at Vicki, but this just doesn’t sound like Tess. What a shame.”

  “Alchemy tangled with barbed wire today. While Tess was at the ranch to suture him, I about blew up at her,” Jake said morosely. “She insists she didn’t contact her insurer. I’d like to believe her, but who else would?” he asked bitterly, trying to keep the hurt out of his voice.

  “You think Tess is lying? I don’t see why she’d lie, man. She’s got to establish a professional reputation around here. Seems like she’s damn sweet. Maybe a little high octane for Green Junction.”

  “She’s high octane all right, and my truck runs on diesel. I fell hook, line and sinker into a whole lot of east coast, ivy-educated trouble. And I have no idea how it’s going to affect my time with Cassie. . . ” His voice trailed off. He drained the ginger ale, and Lotts poured him another. When Jake’s cell buzzed, Lotts moved to the end of the bar.

  After a few minutes, Jake ended the call. He turned to Lotts, resigned. “Tess didn’t say anything to anyone about the accident. Her parents got insurance receipts, and started asking questions. Ron faxed a copy of the police report to her mother. She’s going to file an objection to the police report with Sergeant Fuller first thing tomorrow, and have it sent to both insurers. I guess it might help.”

  “Her parents?” Lotts asked quizzically.

  “Lawyers, Lotts, more lawyers. The ivy-educated tenderfoot’s parents are overprotective, east coast lawyers. Doesn’t it just figure?” Jake said, shaking his head.

  “Aw, man, they think they’re looking out for her. They’re just lawyers, that’s what they do. From what Alice says, Tess moved all the way out here to get some space, and she feels like she needs to prove herself. She must be pretty shaken up right now.”

  “She is.” Jake winced at the pain he’d heard in Tess’s voice, remembering the cruel way he’d lashed into her at the ranch.
He took a deep breath. “Tess did a damn good job with Alchemy, I’ll give her that. I’ll bet he’ll only have a light scar or two, she got the sutures that neat and pretty.”

  Lotts gave him the once over, shuffling a stack of coasters. “Aw, give her more than that. She’s got a crush on you, and she’s got to be embarrassed as hell. And it’s not going to make her new job any easier if the ranchers around town hear about any of this,” he said, his words a question as much as a statement.

  “You think I would rat her out because her parents are sharks? Never. I won’t mention this to anyone. Vicki might, though.” Lotts is a good friend, for seeing both sides of this thing.

  “Ah, everybody knows Vicki’s trouble. They’ll take what she has to say with a grain of salt.”

  7

  Don’t Go Breakin’ My Heart Saturday morning, Tess got up early and took Rhiannon for a run. The sunshine was bright, but the chilly breeze gusted, taking her breath. In the park, she found an upland trail loop around town. Sheltered by aspen and pine, the wind was bearable, and Tess logged five miles catching scenic glimpses of the valley.

  She hadn’t spoken to Jake since Thursday, but she’d managed a long talk with Sergeant Fuller at the police station the day before, telling him everything that happened the night of her accident. He’d been open-minded, helping her fill out a rebuttal to the report, faxing it to the insurance companies, and somehow, she trusted him. He doesn’t seem like the kind of guy to let Jake take the fall for this.

  After her run, Tess showered and dressed. Bea and Doc were at the clinic for the morning, Alice was doing lab work, and Tess was on call. Unless a ranch call came in, Tess had the entire day to herself. The entire day to think about the bomb my parents have dropped on my life.

  She’d heard nothing from Jake, and had not seen Cassie. When will I ever see Cassie, after all of this? She wished she could tell someone about Vicki and the medicine chest, too. But I’m really not sure what I saw, and why would I want to make more trouble for anyone right now, especially when my reputation is on the line, too?

  Still, it worried her, thinking of Cassie. And now both of her parents hate me. I sure wish I could do more for that kid.

  To: NBamberger@SNLLaw.com, RBamberger@RSTBLaw.com From: Tess.Bam@vmail.com

  Date: Saturday, October 20, 8:38 AM Subject:

  Dear Mom and Dad, I’m just writing to tell you that other than being very upset about your interference in my life, I am doing well. Alice and I are going to the Hallowe’en Dance tonight, at the Elks Club. It will be a good chance to meet the ranchers and people from town.

  I love you both, and I know you care ( too much!), but it’s going to take me awhile to forgive you. I really need to be on my own, with a chance to make my own decisions, and if necessary, my own mistakes. I hope you can appreciate that.

  Love, Tess. To: Sam.Bam@vmail.com From. Tess.Bam@vmail.com Subject: You are awesome. 8:41 am, Saturday, October 20

  Sister,

  Thanks for the calls this week. You’ve made me feel a million times better. I seriously appreciate your understanding and support. Hope this all blows over. Alice thinks it will. Trick or Treat tonight will be tough. After so many treats, it feels like I’ve been tricked.

  Luvvya,

  Tess. Tess tidied her apartment, unable to stop thinking about the fun she’d had with Cassie, playing with Rhiannon, making root beer floats. Recalling the million questions Cassie always had for her, her eyes started to tear. Okay, I’m officially a complete wreck now.

  Unwilling to be alone, Tess headed for the clinic. “So what’s the story with this blood alcohol report?” she whispered to Alice in the lab. “Ron gave Jake a breathalyzer test, after the accident.” Alice said, eye-dropping a slide and peering into the microscope. “You didn’t know?”

  “Uh, no, I’d passed out and the ambulance people were working on me, so I didn’t see that part. Jake didn’t smell like alcohol when he was helping me, though.”

  “Jake was at Green Forks for the pool tournament. He stayed late, then spent twenty minutes helping me clean up. Jake didn’t touch a drop of anything alcoholic all night, Tess, I swear it. He drank two ginger ales, then water. I’ve already told Sergeant Fuller.”

  “I spoke with Sergeant Fuller yesterday. Do you think Ron lied about the test results?” “He must have. Ron’s despised Jake for a long time. When they were in high school, it was over sports and girls, Lotts said, and now Ron’s jealous of Jake’s ranches, of how everyone around town looks up to him. It seems like Ron’s always wanted to stick it to Jake. He finally found a way to do it.”

  “I’m so angry with my parents for interfering, Alice.

  My mother still refuses to understand why I didn’t stay in Philadelphia to join a suburban practice on the Main Line and marry Starchy Archie.”

  “Starchy Archie?”

  “My intended, as far as my parents are concerned.” Tess sighed. It felt so good to unload on Alice. “He’s a junior partner at my father’s firm. Six foot four, one hundred and eighty pounds, red hair, freckles, not a bad guy, but basically a total dork. My father is his mentor. Archie will make full partner next year.”

  Alice smiled sympathetically, but said nothing. “You know what my dad always says about Archie?” Alice shook her head. “He spends eight or ten hours with the guy at work every day and thinks I should marry him, but all he can say,” Tess pretended to take a club in her hands, took a backswing, then swiping her arms in a wide arc, “is ‘That Archie! He’s got a heckuva golf swing’!”

  “Tess, that’s not so bad,” Alice admonished. “That’s how fathers are. Your dad probably really likes him.”

  “It’s repulsive, Alice, and it gets worse. After I joined some fancy vet practice in the suburbs, Archie and I were supposed to book a wedding at the Four Seasons, buy a McMansion in Paoli, choose china, crystal and silverware patterns, fill a classroom at the Friend’s Select school with freckle-faced, red-haired kids, and divide summers between a country house in the Poconos and a beach house at the Jersey Shore. Can you see me in that life, Alice?”

  Alice only smiled.

  “My parents have built it up so much, Archie is paralyzed by me. They kept inviting him to dinner at our house, until he started freezing when I came in the room, like a jackrabbit with halting speech. How can they have bred me, born me and raised me, but have so little idea of who I really am?” Tess wailed.

  “Well, from what you’ve told me of your conversation Thursday night, you’ve set some clear boundaries,” Alice soothed, sticking another slide under the microscope. “They’ll get it, I promise you. They may not like it, but they’ll get it. Have you spoken to Jake?”

  “I called him yesterday, to see how Alchemy is doing. It was tense, but it wasn’t as bad as Thursday. Thursday was brutal. I was so humiliated, Alice. It hurt that Jake didn’t trust me. And he thinks Vicki will use the police report to start some custody thing, again.”

  Alice put a finger to her lips, and said quietly, “I think she already has, from what Jake told Lotts.”

  “Seriously? Ugh,” Tess put her head in her hands, groaning with dismay. “Can’t Vicki see how much Jake cares about Cassie? He must have been at least decent to her, when they were married. I can’t imagine otherwise, he’s a reasonable guy.”

  “Vicki moved to Green Junction to live with her father after her parent’s divorce, and Jake started dating her right away. When she got pregnant with Cassie, he asked her to marry him. They had this big wedding, but soon after Cassie was born, Vicki decided that she hated her life in Green Junction. She left Cassie with Jake, and went to California to stay with her mother. He had to jump the moon to get her back here, but as soon as he did, she filed for divorce, and tried to get full custody of Cassie, so she could leave again.”

  “Sounds brutal,” Tess said, her eyes wide. “But I guess I had some idea that it must have been.”

  Alice continued, keeping her voice low. “There was a prenuptial, but Vicki a
nd her lawyers ignored it. She took him to the cleaners, fighting over everything, and the divorce took forever. It was only final last May, and the custody agreement requires them to both live close by. Honestly, Tess, Jake was devastated until you showed up, and Vicki’s still furious that she can’t leave town.”

  “And now my parents blew it for us,” Tess said morosely. “Jake will never give it another shot, Alice, will he?”

  “It’s done, sweetie. Don’t blame your parents. Let things calm down a bit, I bet he’ll come around,” Alice reassured her. “Jake’s no fool.”

  “I hope so. Thanks, Al.” Tess gave her a hug. “I left pizza for you. I’ll see you later, right?”

  “Yup, Hallowe’en party tonight!” Alice chimed. “I’ll bring lasagna over, and your headband with bunny ears. Any last minute cold feet?”

  “Are you kidding me?” Tess assured her, faking enthusiasm as best she could. “My feet are white like a rabbit and ready to hop, Wonderland Alice,”

  To: Tess.Bam@vmail.com

  From: Sam.Bam@vmail.com

  Date: Saturday, October 27, 4:43 PM Subject: Parental Bomb Drop

  Tessie, It’s Hallowe’en, so shake it out, babycakes, and try to have fun tonight ~I’ll be roaming the streets of the Big Apple as Pebbles, with no eligible lion, tiger or bear in sight. If you see Bam-Bam, send him my way! ( Can saber tooth loincloths be dry cleaned..??)

  Love, Sam Bam-Bam...Bam-Bam!

  To: Sam.Bam@vmail.com

  From: Tess.Bam@vmail.com

  Date: Saturday, October 27 3:55 PM Subject: Bam-Bam goes my heart

  Pebbles,

  Will play White Rabbit to Alice’s Wonderland...Hope

  your drunken mayhem is Yabba Dabba Do, and you find all

  the Bam-Bam you can manage....loincloth optional!!

  Love You, Tess Bam-Bam...Bam...Bam...

  At six-thirty, Alice bustled into Tess apartment with takeout from Mamma Boccini’s, wearing the full skirted blue dress that Tess had found for her at the thrift store, white tights, and black buckle shoes. On a hanger in Tess’ s closet was a white ruffly pinafore Alice had borrowed from Bea.