by Nikki Vale
I reach out my hand and the front door opens before I even get the chance to knock. Grandma Rose is standing there hunched over in her snowman Christmas sweater, her steel gray hair in tight curls and her already pale skin looking ashen. She looks so tiny and frail; I’m scared to hug her.
“What are you waiting for Skye? Come give your grandma a hug. It’s been years since I’ve laid eyes on you,” she says in a cheery voice, holding out her arms to me, her soft gray eyes assessing me. I step gingerly into her embrace and she shocks me with a strong bear like hug. I gasp in surprise. “Oh don’t be putting me in my grave just yet. I still got some fight left in these old bones,” she laughs at me pushing out of the hug and flexes her puny arm.
“Are you hungry? Your mother’s in the kitchen making some BLT’s. She figured you two would be showing up soon. Come on Summer quit your lollygagging and get in here,” She motions to Summer, who’s on her cell phone standing outside by the truck.
“Where’s Dawn?” I ask my grandmother as I step into a small living room filled to bursting with a hodgepodge of mismatched furniture. Good Lord, it looks like the Goodwill exploded in here. Summer steps into the house behind me.
“Looks like they looted the Salvation Army and put it all in here, doesn’t it?” she whispers behind me. I suppress a laugh. Great minds think alike.
“What’s that you girls are whispering about?” Grandma asks, without even turning around on her way to the kitchen.
“Nothing Granny,” we answer sweetly in unison.
“Your sister Dawn is working a shift at the gas station and she’ll be home later this evening. You’ll probably want to go get settled in with Summer by then, so you’ll likely have to catch her tomorrow.” She stops at the doorway that opens into a floral catastrophe. The kitchen is dripping in floral wallpaper. Curtains, dish towels, plates, absolutely everything in this room is floral. My mother is standing there making the sandwiches seemingly oblivious to her atrocious surroundings.
My mother wipes her hands on her floral apron and walks over giving me a hug. “I’ve missed you. Have a seat. I know you must be starving. They only give you peanuts on airplanes nowadays, sometimes not even that,” my mother pulls out a chair and places a plate holding a BLT, potato chips, and a pickle on the table in front of me. The same thing my father used to eat for lunch every Saturday. My stomach rumbles loudly. I couldn’t deny my hunger even if I wanted to.
Summer grabs a plate and a chair next to me at the small round 50’s style kitchen table complete with red vinyl chairs and digs in with gusto. My grandmother sits on the other side of me and my mother places a bowl of soup in front of her. I eye the bowl of mostly broth.
“I’ve got to keep my girlish figure. I can’t afford to eat bacon sandwiches like you young girls can. You know what they say, a moment on the lips a lifetime on the hips,” Grandma Rose says, trying to be funny. But it’s not funny because I know her chemotherapy makes it hard for her to keep food down and that’s why mom gave her a broth-like soup to eat. I admire her resilience and positive attitude, though. I hope I’m like her when I grow up.
I’m polishing off the last of my food when my Mom says “So, did you meet any nice young ladies in the military Skye?” Summer sprays me with the remains of her chips as she tries to hold back her laughter. I could see how this situation could be funny if it were anyone else but me.
“Yeah, but they were afraid of commitment so I dumped them like last week’s trash,” I respond dryly. Grandma Rose chuckles next to me. I think she knows I’m not into girls but Mom is stuck on the notion so I’m playing along for the hell of it.
“That’s too bad honey. Maybe you’ll meet someone here. I don’t know of any lesbians in Acorn Grove though. Do you Summer? Oh wait! Doesn’t Dawn’s friend Trixie swing both ways?” she asks Summer excitedly. You have got to be freaking kidding me. This is going way too far.
“No, Mom. She just kisses other girls in front of the guys to get them all hot and bothered. The girl is a slut and an idiot but I don’t think she’s a lesbian. Sorry, Skye. Better luck elsewhere,” Summer comments laughing hysterically. At this point, my grandmother is having a hard time controlling her own laughter and is shaking with humor in her chair. Only my mother remains clueless. Peachy, I’m glad I could provide some comic relief for these two.
I push myself away from the table grabbing my plate and everyone else’s empty dishes carrying them to the sink where I rinse them off and place them in an ancient dishwasher. The dishwasher looks like it might be the first one ever made. I hope it works and doesn’t short circuit the electricity in the house. Why are my mother and grandmother living like this? I’m curious but I don’t want to upset anyone by asking so I’ll wait and ask Summer later.
“I hate to eat and leave, but I want to get Skye settled in. Besides, it’s not like you won’t be able to see her whenever you want. She lives here now,” Summer says flippantly.
I lean down and give my Mom and grandma hugs and kisses. “Don’t bother to get up, we’ll see ourselves out. I’ll stop by around this time tomorrow if I can,” I say the last part to my grandmother. I’ll be happy to see my mother and my sister Dawn too, but my grandmother is the reason why I’m here.
Summer and I walk out the front door closing it behind us and hop into the truck. It’s a good thing we left because it looks like it just started snowing and my luggage is exposed to the elements in the open bed of her truck.
Less than three minutes later we’re pulling up to Acorn Grove Bar & Grill. “What are we doing here? I thought we were going to your apartment,” I ask confused.
“We are. I live up there,” Summer says pointing to the top of the Bar. “The owner rents me the place dirt cheap and I can roll over and be at work,” she comments happily. “Let’s go put your bags up and then we’ll go downstairs for a drink and I’ll introduce you to some people.
I sigh. I’m jet lagged and probably smell like a muskrat after traveling all day. I shrug my shoulders. “Sure, why not?” I’m nothing if not accommodating.
Chapter Two
Cooper
I showed up at AG’s Bar & Grill hoping that Summer would be working. Mitch the bartender informed me that she took the day off to pick someone up from the airport. The airport is a couple of hours away so this person must be special to her.
I don’t even know why I sought her out today. She’s friendly and one of the few women in town who haven’t tried to bat her eyelashes and flirt with me, which is refreshing. She’s also a pretty girl but I’m not romantically interested in her.
I wish that I was attracted to Summer. She’d be a nice girl that my parents would approve of. Yeah, she works as a cocktail waitress, but she has her Associates Degree in general studies and goes to school at night to get her BA. In what, I don’t know, but the fact that she’s educating herself is a step in the right direction.
Funny thing is she’s not my type. She’s forward and outspoken. I don’t think I’m her type either. I’m quiet and pensive and she’s a talker. Boy, is she a talker. If I did speak more I don’t think I’d get a word in edgewise, but I think she still wants someone more talkative than I am. I think we’d make better friends than we would lovers.
I’m leaning against the bar sipping on a cold Bud when I hear a loud truck engine outside of the bar. Sounds like that jalopy Summer recently bought. Maybe she’ll come in here although I know I wouldn’t want to hang out where I work on my days off. It’s kind of unavoidable in her situation, though, living above the establishment and all.
I glance at the pool tables off to the side of the bar and spot Hailey and a group of her girlfriends flirting with some of the local guys shooting pool. She keeps looking over here at me as she repeatedly touches Matthew Rhodes’ biceps. I know what she’s doing; she’s trying to make me jealous. Fat chance. Hailey and I went on a couple of dates a few months ago and that was enough for me to know that I wanted nothing to do with the vain and vapid creature. Harsh, I k
now, but true nonetheless.
I turn back to the bar to order another beer from Mitch.
“There she is,” Mitch says to me nodding toward the entrance. I turn around and smile as I see Summer bouncing in the front door. She literally has a bounce to her step. My heart beats right out of my chest as a tall raven haired woman with gorgeous toffee colored skin walks in behind her. The stranger’s head is up; shoulder’s back surveying every inch of the place as soon as she walks in the door.
When her eyes land on me her step falters just a bit; to the point where only a trained eye like mine would notice. She smoothly recovers and averts her eyes away from me. I smile a little. Good, she felt it too. She experienced that instantaneous, inexplicable, undeniable attraction. I haven’t felt this way upon first sight of a woman since I was a hormone driven teenager.
Summer heads directly for me with gorgeous trailing behind her. “Hey, Cooper. What are you doing here on a Wednesday night? I usually don’t see you till the weekend?” She asks, snatching the beer from my hand and taking a sip.
“I came by to see you,” I tell her. She notices my eyes drifting to her friend and smiles at me.
“Well then Cooper, you’re in for a treat. I’d like for you to meet my big sister Skye. Skye this is Cooper Talbott,” she says, making the introductions. Skye sticks out her arm for a handshake and looks me directly in the eyes. I stand there momentarily stunned as I take in the striking gray color of her eyes. They’re the color of a cloudy sky before a thunderstorm. Her sister she says? I look between the two. Yeah okay, I can see they have the same almond-shaped eyes that slant toward the end and both have pink Cupid’s bow shaped mouths, but that’s it.
Skye cocks her head to the side and I realize I’m still grasping her hand and I haven’t spoken. “Nice to meet you darlin,” I greet her.
Summer sees her sister’s surprise at the way I talk and comments, “You’ll get used to the Southern type drawl that some people have around here. It’s funny before I moved here I would never have imagined people in Southern Illinois had a drawl.”
“I like it. Is this the guy you were talking about earlier?” Skye remarks to Summer.
It’s funny how when you’re quiet people will sometimes talk in front of you like you’re not even there. I take a toothpick out of my pocket and pop it in my mouth, twirling it around with my tongue as I lean back to take in the conversation.
“The one and only,” Summer replies. Skye nods her head as if contemplating something. “Hey Mitch can you get me an apple martini and a sweet tea for my sister here,” Summer requests thumbing her finger at Skye. Summer reaches for her purse to pay for the drink.
“I got it,” I say, putting a twenty on the bar. I know they won’t charge Summer for the sweet tea but even employees don’t get free alcohol.
Out of nowhere I hear Hailey Weaver’s whiny voice behind me. “If you’re over here buying drinks handsome, I’ll take one,” she remarks, hands on hips, popping her gum. She’s wearing painted-on jeans, high heeled boots, a purple off-the-shoulder sweater, and ten pounds of makeup over her peaches and cream complexion. Her light brown hair is curled at the ends and swept to the side in front of her shoulder.
“Who’s your little Indian friend Summer? Did she get lost and wander off the reservation?” she taunts, referring to Skye. Hailey must have felt I was paying Summer and Skye too much attention and came over to start some mess. Her friends are snickering behind her like a bunch of high school girls.
Skye quickly reaches out and grabs a hold of Summer’s wrist to keep her from physically retaliating. Summer is a little more hot-headed than Skye, apparently. “Just ignore her Summer,” Skye instructs her sister through clenched teeth.
“Yeah, listen to Pocahontas. I wouldn’t want you to get hurt,” Hailey sneers. “You ever seen a squaw with curls,” she asks maliciously, addressing her friends. I watch as she reaches out and pulls hard on a handful of Skye’s long black waves.
The next thing I know Hailey is face planted into the bar next to my elbow with Skye holding her in an arm lock from behind. It happened so fast I didn’t see it coming. No one did. By the look of bewilderment on her face, not even Skye new she was going to react that way. Realizing what she’s done, Skye immediately releases Hailey from her hold.
“I’m sorry about that. I didn’t mean to do it. It was a reflex. But don’t you ever put your hands on me again,” she warns Hailey, voice still absolutely calm.
Everyone is stunned. I’m pissed at myself for missing the signs. Skye is obviously Law enforcement, military, or both. I saw the way she walked in the bar with confidence and immediately scanned the room. She looked me in the eye when she shook my hand and never truly relaxed her stance. Classic law enforcement moves. I think I’m becoming lax at my observation skills from working in this small sleepy town for so long.
Hailey finally snaps out of her shock, picks her face up off the bar and gingerly wipes the blood from her nose. I’m guessing she got slammed pretty hard.
“You all saw that! She assaulted me. I want to press charges,” she rants at the crowd that has gathered around.
“Looked like self-defense from where I’m standing sweetheart, and my police report wouldn’t say otherwise,” I inform her in no uncertain terms. I’m still leaning against the bar chewing on a toothpick with my arms crossed over my chest.
She mistook Skye for a pacifist because Skye didn’t want to cause a scene, but she learned quickly that if you keep poking the bear you’re gonna get bit.
I actually feel sorry for Skye. She looks upset and possibly guilt-ridden that she caused a scene on her first day in a new town. She meant it when she said it was a reflex. Obviously, self-defense is second nature to her. I bet Hailey won’t be pressing her buttons again.
I do admire her resolve. Skye remained level-headed and didn’t let Hailey’s spiteful words get to her, but when Hailey put hands on her, all bets were off. The crowd is still gathered around as if they’re waiting for more action. Possibly to see what Hailey’s going to do in retaliation.
“Go on back to what you were doing ladies and gentlemen, there’s nothing to see here,” I advise the people that gathered around to see what all the commotion was about. Hailey has grabbed her purse and is heading out the door with her friends in tow. Good riddance. You wouldn’t guess that a pretty woman in her late twenties would act so ugly and immature.
“I’m so sorry about that Sherriff Talbott. I didn’t mean to hurt her,” Skye apologizes to me.
“She had it coming,” is all I say in response. I take my wallet out of my back pocket and pull out a card. I grab a pen from the bar and write on the back of the card and hand it to Skye. I touch the tip of my baseball cap, nod my head in farewell and head out the front entrance. I’ve had enough excitement for one night. Especially since I’m off the clock and all.
Chapter Three
Skye
Summer helps me drag my luggage up the back stairs of Acorn Groves Bar & Grill, or as she calls it AG’s, to her apartment. I’m pleasantly surprised when she opens the door revealing an apartment with real wood floors, exposed wooden beams, and an open layout. It almost looks like a barn loft and her country chic décor only adds to the atmosphere.
“Very nice,” I tell her, eyeing the farmhouse sink and running my hand across the butcher block countertops and the small island in the kitchen area. The cabinets are a soft aqua blue color and she’s tied the color into her cream-colored couch with throw pillows adding splashes of coral here and there too.
“As you can see it’s actually quite big and open since it’s the attic above the restaurant, but the owner didn’t spend a lot of money finishing it so there’s only one bathroom and one bedroom located at the back of the space,” she points to the two doors on the left side of the large room. “The good news is that there’s an alcove on the other side of the kitchen,” she walks to the right side of the kitchen to what looks like it could have been a dining area.
“It’s gorgeous, I absolutely love it! It’s better than I hoped for. I thought I was going to be crashing on your couch until I could get a place of my own,” I admit.
“I’m happy to have you here and I don’t want you to feel like you have to rush to move out. Besides, like I want you sleeping on my beautiful cream colored sofa,” she teases me, socking me playfully in the arm. “Just put your bags on the bed. You can unpack later. Let’s go downstairs for a little while,” she demands, pulling me by the arm.
“Can I, at least, freshen up first?” I ask her sardonically.
“Fine, but hurry up!” she commands, flopping down on the couch to wait for me. I pull a few toiletries out of my luggage and head to the bathroom.
I step into a large bathroom with a vanity made from barn wood and two-drawer open shelf with an artisan top. The bathtub is a large claw foot tub with shower and a wraparound shower curtain. I’m loving the country look and feel of her place so much I may never leave. I set my travel bag on the counter and take out my toothbrush and brush my teeth. That feels so much better. I grab my paddle brush and pull it through my dark hair. My hair falls to the middle of my back and curls at the ends, which tends to tangle. I give it a few more strokes; that will have to do for now.
“Okay, I’m ready,” I tell Summer as I walk out the bathroom.