“She did? Seems like you have spent a lot of time at the hospital with Jake and his momma. Are you taking a liking to this boy?” Mick asked.
Heather was surprised by the question. “Yes, as a friend. Uncle Mick, you are not suppose to ask me about my love life. That’s personal,” Heather replied.
“I know. I just worry about ya, that’s all. You are a young woman now, and I know young women usually want a boyfriend and all. I was just wondering if anyone caught your fancy?” Mick asked.
“Mick you are definitely a character. You always seem to amaze me. I’m going to have to help you with your accent though,” Heather replied with a chuckle.
“What’s wrong with my accent? I don’t have an accent. You do. You sound a little snooty for this town,” Mick replied jokingly.
“Uncle Mick you certainly do have an accent. You sound like a redneck. Your speech and your accent are pretty strong,” Heather replied.
“Okay ease up. Besides you are living in my town now. Your gonna have to learn to go with the flow. People might get offended at your sarcasm, calling people rednecks and all,” Mick replied.
“Oh Mick. I didn’t mean to offend you. I love you and I wouldn’t hurt you for anything in the world. You have become like a father to me. I enjoy living with you, but just remember I like my business to be my business. If I want to share information about my love life with you, I will. If I don’t then the topic is off limits. Understand?” Heather asked.
“Yea, I got cha. I’ll try not to be so nosy. Will you promise me something? Promise me that if you need me, you’ll let me know. Deal?” he questioned.
“Deal” Heather replied. Heather went over to her uncle and gave him a big hug.
Heather and Mick drove over to Sally’s Diner. They had hamburgers and fries. Heather was starting to get use to Sally’s food. She didn’t mind the grease as much as she once did. As they were eating, Heather saw Shawn come through the front door.
“Hey Shawn. What are you doing here?” Heather asked.
“I was just looking for ya. I’ve been at Mick’s farm, and the workers said yall went to get a bite to eat,” Shawn replied.
“Yeah, I was starving. Do you want to sit down with us?” Mick asked.
“No thank you. Heather I was wondering if I could talk with you a minute outside,” Shawn said.
“Of course, is there anything wrong?” she inquired as she stood up from the table. “No, everything is fine,” he replied.
As Heather and Shawn walked out the front door, Heather caught a glimpse of some of Shawn’s friends standing by his truck. “Shawn, what is going on?” she asked.
“We wanted to show you something. Do you think Mick would mind if you took a ride with us?” Shawn asked.
“No, let me give him the car keys so he can have a way back to the farm,” Heather replied. She walked inside for a few minutes and then returned.
“Are you ready?” Shawn asked. “Yes. Where are we going?” Heather inquired.
“It’s a surprise. Just hold your horses and come on,” Shawn replied.
Chapter Sixteen
Shawn, Heather and their friends arrived in front of the school. Heather looked baffled, but didn’t say a word. She followed them around to the back of the school. Several classmates waited as she came closer. Shawn led her through the crowd of her peers. After a short while, she realized that they were heading for the football field. As she came closer to the stadium, she saw a huge statue of a black panther.
Heather was taken aback by the beautiful bronze sculpture that stood at the entrance to the arena. When she came closer to the statue, she read the inscription: Dedicated to all the caring and supportive volunteers and contributors that helped with the rebuilding of our school and town. We want to thank you for the donations and gifts of charity given by caring and compassionate friends. We call you friends because of the benevolence you have shown to us and our school; therefore we dedicate this statue in remembrance of you.
For the first time in her life, Heather shed tears of joy and achievement. She knew in her heart that she was one of the contributors to the school, and the statue would always remind her of that. She had helped the school triumph in times of sorrow. One by one, her team mates came and gave her a hug and thanked her for her help.
She didn’t contribute money because she had none to give, but she contributed her time and effort to the cause. She realized that nothing was impossible for her to do. She could accomplish anything that she set her mind to. Suddenly she felt her parents presence with her. She knew her mother and father would have been proud of all she had accomplished with this town and school. She knew now that she was here for a reason. Things didn’t just happen by chance, but for a greater purpose. She knew that her purpose was to help this small country town and she did.
She spoke to her friends and classmates, then Shawn invited her and several of their friends to a bonfire. He told her there was a place in the woods that they usually went to celebrate and party. The place was away from town and they could enjoy themselves without the worry of getting in trouble with their parents.
Shawn drove down a long narrow dirt road, in the middle of no where, in the back sticks to a clearing. Beyond the clearing was a large pond. It looked like it had been deserted years ago. Heather looked around as she got out of the truck. She felt a bug fly on her arm and bite her. She swatted at the bug and began to scratch the small red area on her arm that began to form.
“The mosquitoes are bad out here. Don’t worry though, I brought some repellant,” Shawn said.
Shawn reached into the back of the truck and pulled out a can of bug repellant. “Spray this on your arms, and they’ll leave you alone,” he instructed.
Heather sprayed her arms with the spray and handed it back to Shawn. He did the same and put the can back in the truck. Then, he reached in and grabbed an ice chest full of drinks and motioned for her to follow him. They walked closer to the pond where their friends were all gathered.
Several lawn and camping type chairs were set up in a circle facing the pond. Shawn placed the cooler in front and offered his friends something to drink. Mason McKelson arranged some wood planks in a pile to form a large mound. Henry Donner helped him and brought in some paper to help light the fire.
As Heather sat watching her friends, she couldn’t stop thinking about Jake. She wished he was there with her. Heather heard another car drive up, and she turned to see who it was. Her friend Stephanie got out of the car and came toward her. She didn’t know why, but she was annoyed at the sight of Stephanie. Stephanie walked toward Heather to give her a hug. When Heather realized what she was going to do, she turned to act as if she was talking to Shawn.
“How did you like the statue? I’m sorry I wasn’t able to see you at the school. I had a doctor’s appointment,” Stephanie interrupted.
“It was nice. I really liked it and liked the dedication. I don’t think anyone will ever be able to forget what Huckleburg went through, and the statue will make sure of that,” Heather replied.
“It is nice to have a memorial like that, especially to remember our classmates that lost their lives,” Stephanie said.
“Stephanie sit down next to me,” Heather said. Heather asked Stephanie to sit beside her because she wanted to keep her eyes on her at all times. She didn’t trust her for a minute. Stephanie monopolized Heather’s attention for most of the night which irritated Shawn. So he decided to ask Heather to go for a walk with him. He wanted to spend some time with her alone.
“Heather, I was wanting to spend some time with you alone so we could talk. How has everything been going for you. Are you still enjoying staying with my family and me?” he asked.
“Yes. You and your family has been fantastic. Uncle Mick said we should be able to move back to his farm soon. I will never forget how gracious you and your family have been to me and my uncle,” she relied.
“Heather, you don’t have to be so polite with me. We are frien
ds aren’t we?” Shawn asked.
“Of course we are. You have been a very good friend to me,” Heather replied as she wondered why he was asking her that question.
“I was just wondering why you thought that you couldn’t be honest with me,” Shawn replied. Heather realized that Shawn had become more serious at this point.
“Shawn, what have I not been honest about?” she inquired.
“I know you have been going to see Jake at the hospital. What I don’t know is how you feel about him? Are your feelings toward him greater than your feelings toward me?” he asked.
“I don’t want to hurt you Shawn. You have been so nice to me and your family has been great. I don’t know exactly how I am feeling toward him. I know that there are feelings there, but I don’t know if I want to pursue them or not. I just want everybody to be happy,” Heather replied.
“Is that what you are worried about, upsetting me?” he asked.
“Of course, I’m worried about that. I care about you a great deal, and I don’t want to hurt you,” Heather replied.
“I think I understand. You have feelings for Jake, but you don’t want to pursue them because you are afraid I will get hurt,” Shawn said.
Heather didn’t respond but stood silent. Shawn looked at her with his piercing eyes and she started to cry.
“Heather, please don’t cry. I love you and I care enough about you to let you be happy. Even if that means to let you be happy with someone else. Don’t worry about hurting me? I’m pretty tough. I know I can get over it, with time. So if you want to be with him, then I don’t want to stand in your way,” Shawn said.
Heather wiped her tears from her face and replied, “You are good to me. You deserve to be happy too,” Heather responded.
Heather and Shawn stood there for a brief moment before returning back to their friends.
Heather and Shawn went back to the bonfire and sat down. The rest of the night, Heather watched the bonfire in silence. She relaxed as she listened to the crackling sounds of the fire burning in the night. The flames produced red and orange colors that were enjoyable to watch. Stephanie tried to talk to her, but she was quiet.
Stephanie realized that Heather had a lot on her mind. She knew that Heather would notice if she talked to Shawn. So she stood up and walked over toward him. “I saw the Panther statue yesterday. It’s amazing, isn’t it?” Stephanie asked.
“Yeah, pretty amazing,” Shawn replied. Shawn and Stephanie continued with their conversation and exchanged friendly banter.
Heather got up and walked closer to the pond looking out into the night. She thought about everything that happened in the last few weeks. So much had happened since she had arrived in Huckleburg. She knew that she wasn’t the same girl that she was when she came to the town of Huckleburg, Alabama.
Chapter Seventeen
Heather continued to visit with Jake at the hospital over the next few days. On the day that he was released to go home, Heather helped Sue pack all of his belongings and drove them both home. Heather had formed a close friendship with Sue and Sue with her. Often, they would go shopping for clothes and groceries together.
Sue enjoyed Heather’s company and felt a kinship to her. She wanted her son to end up with someone like Heather. Sue saw qualities in Heather that she appreciated and admired. Sue feared that Jake didn’t have the same feelings for Heather as she did for him.
Jake never told his mother how he felt. He was a very independent young man and was too prideful to tell his mother that he loved Heather. Jake had thought Heather was the most beautiful girl he had ever seen, since that first moment he saw her at the school. That is why he had been so mean to her. He didn’t know how to respond to his feelings. Especially since he had just met her. Besides, he didn’t know if he wanted to fall in love with her or anyone for that matter. He was always focused on football and his friends. He didn’t have time to give a girl the time of day.
Now things were different. Now he knew exactly what he wanted and that was Heather. He realized how short life really was, and he didn’t want to waste any time. He was determined to win Heathers affections anyway he could. The fact that she came to see him at the hospital gave him hope. He considered why she would come to see him so much, if she didn’t like him. Did she come to visit because she wanted to be helpful to his mother or because of him? He knew that Heather and his mother had been spending a great deal of time together.
Heather and his mother were always huddled in the corner laughing about something. He was glad that his mother had someone to talk to while he was so sick. Now he felt better, and he was ready to pursue what he wanted. Even if that meant losing her completely. He didn’t know what her feelings were, but he was determined to find out.
When they had finally made it back to Sue and Jake’s new trailer, Jake asked Heather to walk outside with him, so they could talk privately. She agreed and followed him outside into the back yard. A new swing set was placed a few feet behind the back door.
“Come on over here, and we can sit down,” Jake said. Heather complied with his request.
“What do you want to talk about?” she asked.
“I wanted to tell you how thankful I am for what you did for my mother while I was sick,” he replied.
“I really didn’t do anything special. All I did was come and sit with her while you were in the hospital,” she replied.
“I know, but that meant more to her than you know. You were able to comfort her and keep her mind off of me. You were a real friend to her and I really appreciate it. Thanks for what you did,” he said.
“You don’t have to thank me. You mom is a pleasure to be around, and I wanted to help her,” Heather said.
“Well that means a lot to me. I know there is no way I can ever repay you, but I would like to try. I do have one question for you, though,” he said.
“What is it?” Heather asked.
“Why did you come to the hospital and see me at all. You had enough to worry about with your uncle’s farm and everything else going on. Why would you take the time at all to help my mother?” he inquired.
“I wanted to help her and wanted to check on you,” she replied.
“Yes, you said that already, but why?” he asked.
“I don’t know. Why are you asking me all of these questions? Isn’t it enough that I said I wanted to help, why don’t you believe me?”
“It is enough that you helped her, but I didn’t say I didn’t believe you. I think you came for another reason as well,” Jake said.
“O.k. If you think you know me so well, then why did I come?” she asked.
“I think you came because you have feelings for me that you don’t want to admit to,” he replied.
“I told you at the hospital that I cared about you, but that doesn’t mean that I love you,” she said.
“I think that is exactly what it means. You love me, but you don’t want to be hurt by me. You don’t want to hurt Shawn, either.”
“Look, I have to go. It is getting late and I need to check on my uncle,” Heather replied as she jumped off the swing.
Jake grasped Heather’s arm and said, “I’ll let you go when you admit that you love me.”
“If I agree that I love you, you will let me go,” she replied.
“Yes, that is what I said,” he said.
“All right, I love you. Are you happy?” she asked sarcastically.
“Yes, I am,” he responded. Heather pulled her arm loose and left Jake sitting on the swing alone.
Chapter Eighteen
Finally Mick and Heather were able to move back into the farm house and get back to their normal routine. Heather was afraid of her feelings for Jake. She tried to avoid him and his mother as much as possible. It was hard though, because she had classes with Jake and saw him at all the football games. She traded seats with another girl in class to avoid having to sit right next to him.
He was upset about how she was trying to avoid him, but knew exa
ctly why. He didn’t get mad at her though. Because she was trying to keep away from him, it made him want her more. Heather talked with Shawn during school. She was trying to make Jake forget what she had told him that day at his house.
Jake thought the reason she was acting this way was because of fear. She was afraid to let herself love someone. He knew that she had experienced enough loss to last her a lifetime. He wanted to give her time because he knew how afraid she was. Her suffering and anguish did something to her on the inside, where she was afraid of commitment. She was afraid to allow herself to love someone and to allow herself to receive love from someone.
Jake knew that something had to be done. He decided that he would talk to Shawn and try to make peace with him. He knew Shawn still harbored some jealousy toward him. He didn’t know if Shawn would accept his friendship, but he had to try something. He didn’t want to lose the only girl he ever cared about. So one day, he approached Shawn during football practice.
“Shawn, can we talk a minute?” Jake asked.
“Why? What on earth do we have to talk about?” Shawn replied.
“It’s about Heather,” Jake replied.
Shawn didn’t want to talk to Jake at all, but was intrigued by what he had to say, so he agreed. “Walk over there with me. No one can hear us,” he replied. After they walked over to the corner, Shawn said, “What’s up?”
“I wanted to talk to you about Heather. I think she is unhappy,” Jake replied.
“Yeah, she’s unhappy, because you won’t leave her alone,” Shawn replied.
“No she is unhappy, because she is afraid. Don’t you want her to be happy?” Jake asked.
“Of course, I want her to be happy. I think she is happy with me,” Shawn replied.
Jake looked at Shawn trying to hold back his tears. “Man, if you care about Heather the way you say you do, then you will listen to me. I want you to really look at her. She is not happy. She is in love with me, but she will not allow herself to be with me, because of you.”
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