by Naomi Niles
“Raoul?” Whitney asked.
“My cat,” Berta replied. “He’s always had a terrible sense of direction.” Whitney and I had to work hard not to laugh at that. “Anyway, Peter knew how much I loved him, so he always brought him back whenever he saw Raoul prowling around outside my neighborhood.”
“He sounds like a great guy,” I said.
“Oh, he’s wonderful,” Berta nodded. “He’s not even the eldest boy in the family, and yet he takes care of them like he is. After his father died, Peter became the man of the house. He even got his younger brother out of trouble.”
“Hmm… I heard that he arrested his younger brother,” Whitney recalled.
“What?” I asked in shock. “He arrested his own brother?”
“The youngest Burbank boy has issues,” Berta said with raised eyebrows. “He got in with a bad crowd, and I think Peter thought arresting him was the only way to stop him going down a dangerous path.”
“Did it work?” I asked.
“Who can tell?” Berta shrugged. “He’s not seen around town much. Just as well. He’s a scary-looking boy – tattoos all over his body. He’s nothing like his older brothers.”
Whitney glanced at me and winked. “Seems like my type,” she whispered in my ear so that Berta wouldn’t hear, and I was forced to suppress my laughter.
“He was the one responsible for getting Peter shot a few months ago,” Berta said.
“Peter got shot?” I repeated in shock.
“At the carnival,” Berta told me, obviously enjoying my reactions.
“I heard about the shooting,” Whitney nodded. “But I didn’t know it had anything to do with the youngest brother.”
“Oh, I have no doubt that it was,” Berta said confidently. “I wouldn’t be surprised if he was the one that shot Peter.”
Whitney and I exchanged a glance before I quickly changed the subject. “So,” I said. “Your grandchildren are coming into town tomorrow?”
When I drove back home that evening, Peter was outside his house working on the addition John had told me about yesterday. He was dressed similarly to the day before in dark work pants and a white t-shirt that clung to his toned body. I felt my heartbeat accelerate just looking at him.
I got out of my SUV, wondering if I should say hello or just walk into the house without initiating conversation. I decided to glance in his direction to see if he was even looking at me. As I looked at him, he gave me a wave. I felt the nerves bubble excitedly in the pit of my stomach. I waved back and walked into the house because Polo was barking like crazy.
“Hey, buddy,” I greeted as Polo tried to scale me like a wall. “How about a little walk?”
My eagerness to walk Polo early to do had less to do with giving him some exercise and more to do with seeing my neighbor again. I was aware that I was being unnecessarily juvenile, but it also made me feel young and carefree. It gave me something to be excited about, even if nothing came out of it.
I never used a leash on Polo. I just opened the door, knowing he would follow me anywhere without complaint. I walked around my house first, before slowly circling around to the path that passed right in front of Peter’s house. The moment he saw me approaching, he came forward.
“Hi, neighbor,” he greeted.
“Hi,” I replied. “How’s the work going on the house?”
“It’s going slowly,” he replied. “But I’m making progress.”
His eyes were a beautiful, tranquil hazel. “That’s good.”
“Are you working in town?” he asked.
“I got a job yesterday,” I replied. “Whitney’s Beauty Salon.”
“Congratulations.”
“Thanks,” I smiled.
Peter held my gaze for a moment and then he looked down at Polo, who was skulking around behind my legs. “Still a little skittish, huh?” he asked.
“Don’t take it personally,” I replied. “He’s just that way.”
Peter sunk down onto his knees, but he made no attempt to pet Polo. Instead, he made eye contact and waited patiently. “It looks like someone’s kicked some fear into him,” he observed. “Did you get him from a shelter?”
“I did,” I replied, without divulging the reason for Polo’s weariness around other people, especially men.
“He must have had a rough owner.”
Slowly, Peter stretched out his hand a little, with his palm facing upwards. “Hey, boy,” he said in a low, soothing voice. “You don’t need to be scared of me.”
To my amazement, Polo took a tentative step forward, and after a moment, he nudged the tip of his nose against the tip of Peter’s fingers, almost as though he were testing the waters. Peter smiled, and then he slowly straightened out into a standing position.
“Wow,” I said. “That was amazing. I can’t believe he approached you like that at all”
“I always wanted a dog.” I found my heart doing a little flip as he smiled at me.
“Would you like to come over for dinner tonight?” Peter asked, taking me by surprise.
“Tonight?”
“It’ll be just John and I. We can be poor company sometimes, but it beats eating alone,” he continued. “Polo’s invited, too.”
I smiled. “I’d love to join you guys for dinner,” I nodded. “Thank you.”
Chapter Nine
Peter
“Hey bro,” John said, as he walked into the kitchen. “Something smells good.”
“I’m making pasta for dinner.”
“Linguine?”
“Spinach fettuccine,” I replied distractedly. “With shrimp.”
“Are we celebrating something?” John asked in confusion.
I kept my face straight as I replied. “We’re having company over for dinner.”
“Sam’s coming over?”
“Madison.”
“Wait, hold up. Madison?”
“Yes.”
“As in Madison, our new neighbor?” John asked in surprise.
“Do you know another Madison?”
John stared at me for a moment before his face broke out into a proud smile. “Well, who would’ve thought?”
“It’s just dinner, John,” I reminded him, tossing the potatoes in a bowl.
“That sure was fast,” he said, ignoring me. “I’m impressed.”
“Like I said, just an innocent dinner,” I reiterated.
“If you felt the need to preface a dinner with the word ‘innocent,’ then it certainly isn’t innocent,” John said, giving me a wink.
“You’ve been really annoying lately, you know,” I said, and John burst into laughter.
“Hey, I don’t blame you,” he went on. “She’s pretty.”
“She’s beautiful,” I corrected instinctively.
He raised his eyebrows. “Well, I’m not going to stand in your way.”
“I didn’t-”
“I mean, if I were to throw my hat into the ring, you clearly wouldn’t have a shot,” John said, with a teasing smile. “So, I’m going to be the bigger man here and just step aside.”
I sighed. “This is not a big deal.”
John shook his head at me. “I don’t know why you feel the need to deny your attraction to Madison,” he said. “I mean, it doesn’t make you any less of an individual.”
I was about to say something in reply when the bell rang and I froze in place. “Fuck,” I breathed. “She’s here already.”
John smiled. “Take a deep breath. I’ll go get the door.”
He disappeared from the kitchen and I told myself to be calm. A few moments later, John walked back into the kitchen with Madison in tow. She looked positively radiant. She had her hair in a braid again, but it was a completely different style. She wore a white, sleeveless dress that ended just above the knee.
“Hi,” I said, giving her my most winning smile. “You look lovely.”
“Thank you,” Madison smiled, and I thought I detected a faint blush on her cheeks.
&nbs
p; “Where’s Polo?”
“Come on, Polo,” she called and the dog slinked into the kitchen, looking around wearily. “He’s just a little nervous of new places.”
“You’ve got yourself one eccentric dog there,” John said.
“That’s the way I like ‘em,” she smiled.
“Take a seat, Madison,” John said, pulling out a chair at the table for her. “Make yourself at home. I wish Pete had given me more notice, but I have an appointment in a half hour, and I just can’t miss it. I would have rescheduled if I’d known you were joining us for dinner.”
“Oh,” Madison said, as I shot John a look behind her back. “That’s a shame.”
“It is,” John nodded apologetically. “But enjoy your dinner. Pete’s a great cook.”
“Certainly smells like it,” Madison nodded, giving me a passing smile.
“Anyway, I’ve got to go,” John said, giving us both a little wave. “You two enjoy yourselves.”
Just before he left the kitchen, he gave me a sly wink and disappeared from sight. I knew he was just trying to give us some alone time; I was grateful, albeit a little nervous.
“I hope you like pasta,” I said.
“I love pasta,” Madison replied, as she stooped down a little to pet Polo. “Did you make it from scratch?”
“I did, actually,” I nodded. “In hindsight, it was probably the wrong choice tonight…dinner might not be ready for a while.”
Madison laughed and rose from her seat. “Well then, I better help you.”
“You sure?”
“Of course,” she nodded. “I’ve always loved the idea of cooking, but I was never very good at it. And between working and studying, I didn’t really have the time to devote to improving either.”
“Are you still studying?” I asked with interest.
“In a manner of speaking,” Madison nodded. “I’m…taking a little break at the moment. But I’m very close to graduating.”
“Excited?”
“Like you wouldn’t believe,” she nodded. “I’m going to be the first one in the family to get an undergraduate degree.”
“Wow, that is quite the accomplishment,” I nodded. “Congratulations.”
She laughed. “I haven’t graduated yet.”
“But I have no doubt you will,” I said. “You have that determined look about you.”
“You think so?” Madison asked thoughtfully.
“You’d have to be determined to work and put yourself through school at the same time,” I reasoned.
“What about you?” she asked. “I heard through the grapevine that you’re a police officer.”
“Ah…people have been talking, huh?”
Madison colored slightly, but she didn’t bother lying. “People in town like you,” she replied. “You have quite the reputation.”
“Do I?” I asked. “Well that’s good to know.”
It was one of the most pleasant conversations I’d ever had. It wasn’t like we spoke about anything too deep or personal. We talked about life in Fort Collins, the best bars in town, recent box office hits, and the like. But it didn’t matter what we spoke about: everything about the conversation was easy. After the first half hour, I lost the self-consciousness that had clung to me in our previous two meetings and I started to relax.
I decided to set dinner out in the living room table, and Madison and I walked over the plates and dishes, with Polo following along.
“I have some meat for Polo,” I said. “I think he’ll like it.”
“I fed him before we came over, but a few bites won’t hurt,” she nodded.
I got out the meat, went out into the living room where Madison was already seated and offered Polo the meat. He looked at me suspiciously for a moment and then started approaching cautiously. He stared at my face for a long moment before he accepted the meat in my hand.
He was so distracted with chewing that I took the opportunity to pat him on the head. He cringed slightly at my touch, but then he relaxed, as though he had finally realized that I wasn’t going to hurt him.
When I sat down at the table, I realized that Madison was engrossed in one of the family pictures that sat on the console opposite the table.
“Is that your father?”
“It is,” I nodded. “With my brothers and I.”
“Five boys,” she breathed. “You must have grown up in a chaotic household.”
I laughed. “It wasn’t always, but I always did enjoy a little chaos every now and again.”
“I recognize you and John,” she said. “What are you other brothers’ names?”
“The one sitting next to me is Sam,” I replied. “Next to him is Alan, and the littlest one in my dad’s arms is Talen.”
“It’s a beautiful picture.”
“Thank you,” I said appreciatively. “It was taken a few years before Dad got sick.”
“I had heard he died,” Madison said, making no attempt to pretend as though she didn’t know that already. I appreciated how forthright she was. She wasn’t hiding behind a mask. She wasn’t pretending to be someone else. “That must have been hard for you guys. How old were you?”
“I was eighteen,” I replied. “So, I had it easier.”
“Easier?” Madison asked in surprise. “How did you have it easier?”
“Well, Alan, Sam, and Talen were all so young…Talen especially,” I tried to explain. “They had less time with Dad. They were less equipped to handle the loss.”
“Eighteen is pretty young,” she pointed out.
“I suppose,” I nodded. “It was different for me, though.”
“Different how?”
“I had to grow up pretty fast,” I replied. “I suppose in some ways it forced me to mature quickly. I’ve always felt much older than my age.”
She smiled at me with a sentimentality that made me want to reach out and touch her. We talked all the way through dinner, and I was amazed at how easy it was. I was usually quiet and awkward around company, but with Madison, it was different. She made me feel at ease.
We had just finished dinner when her phone rang.
“I’m so sorry,” she said, grabbing her phone and staring at the screen. The moment she saw the person who was calling, her skin paled visibly and the smile died on her face.
“Is something wrong?” I asked immediately.
“I…yes,” she nodded. “It’s just… I’m sorry, but I have to go now.”
“You have to go?” I asked in surprise.
“It’s my brother,” Madison replied. “And I just want to…call him back… Make sure he’s okay.”
“You can call him from here,” I suggested, alarmed by her reaction to the call.
“That’s okay,” Madison replied. “It’s getting late, anyway.”
She rose from her chair, and I was forced to do the same. She rushed towards the door with Polo on her heels.
“Are you sure you’re all right?” I asked again at the door.
“I’m fine,” Madison nodded. She made an attempt to smile, but it looked scared and forced. “Thank you so much for dinner. I’m so sorry for leaving like this.”
“That’s okay,” I replied, even though I wished she wasn’t leaving. “If you have to go, you have to go.”
Madison walked out into the dark night, but then she stopped abruptly and turned to me. “You’re a really great guy, Peter,” she said. Then she turned and walked towards her house as Polo ran on ahead of her. “Thank you for tonight.”
I wanted to call out to her. I wanted to tell her not to leave. I wanted to tell her that if she were in some kind of trouble, I would help her. I didn’t even care what she’d done, if in fact she had done something. All I wanted to do was help her. All I wanted to do was see her smile again.
Chapter Ten
Madison
I walked home quickly, feeling my pulse race the closer I got to my ratty front door. I hurried inside with Polo at my heels and slammed the door shut. I leane
d back against the front door, trying to calm down my frantic breathing. Polo stared up at me as though he didn’t know what had just happened and needed an explanation.
“What should I do, Polo?” I breathed out loud. “This is Victor; he wouldn’t rat me out, would he?”
I felt the uncertainty in my own voice and that, more than anything else, had me feeling insecure and scared. Polo bumped his nose against my shins and whined loudly. I walked slowly to my sleeping bag and sat down. Instantly, Polo jumped onto my lap as though he thought I needed some extra attention. I rubbed his head distractedly as I stared at my brother’s number.
“What if I call Victor back and Kameron’s the one who answers?” I asked. “Then what? I don’t want to have to speak to him…and I don’t want to hang up on him, either; that’s just poking the bear.”
Polo cocked his head at me as though he were listening.
“Maybe it’s nothing,” I sighed. “I did just up and disappear, without even telling Victor. This is probably just…concern.”
After deliberating for ten more minutes, I punched call on my brother’s number and held my breath. Two rings and Victor picked up.
“Mads,” he said, and he sounded relieved. “Where the hell are you?”
“I… Are you alone?” I had to ask, for my own peace of mind.
“Of course I’m alone,” Victor replied.
I breathed a sigh of relief. “I’m sorry for leaving like that. I probably should have given you some indication that I was-”
“Running away?”
“I’m not running away,” I said defensively. “I’m just leaving; that’s all.”
“If you were just leaving, then you would have told me,” Victor reasoned. “I’m your brother, Mads.”
“I know that,” I sighed. “I’m sorry, Victor; I should have told you.”
There was a heartbeat of silence from the other line. “Are you okay?” he asked. “Are you safe?”
“I’m safe,” I replied. “How are you?”
“I’m fine, Mads,” he replied. “You’re the one I’m concerned about.”