Murky Pond

by T. L. Haddix

“Warped,” he responded as he put the truck in gear and started forward. “It’s other parts of you that are perverted.”

  “Warren!” She hid her face in her hands as his laughter grew. “Good grief, what a day.”

  “It’s definitely one for the record books.”

  The closer they got to Mt. Vernon, the less likely it was looking that they’d be able to get a room, if the line of traffic taking the exit was any indication.

  “Should we even try, or just phone a friend now?” she asked.

  “Well, I know we’d be welcome at Cal’s. It’s about thirty minutes from here. I know the beds are bug free.”

  “Let’s push on then. I’m not up to dealing with bedbugs on top of everything else. Want me to make the call?”

  He gave her his phone. “Please?”

  She thought about teasing him, telling him she’d look up his girlfriend while she had the phone, but she really, really wasn’t up to having that conversation tonight.

  “Yo, baby brother,” Caleb answered after the second ring.

  Lily laughed. “Sorry, nope. It’s Lily. He’s driving. We hate to ask, but is there any room at the inn tonight? Both roads north are blocked.”

  “Absolutely. How far out are you? We’ll get the chickens out of the bedrooms and put the cow outside. Hang on a second. Honey, Warren and Lily are on their way back. They’re moving in with us.”

  The sip of water she’d just taken went down the wrong way, and Lily almost choked. Coughing, she struggled with laughter. “Did you take a funny pill on the way home or what?”

  “Nah, I just heard something tonight that made me very happy. We’ll be ready for you. Drive safe.”

  She handed the phone back to Warren. “He’s something else, you know.”

  Warren smiled. “He is. What did he say that had you so tickled?”

  “He was just being himself.” She shook her head, not about to tell him. “I’d best call Mom and let her know.”

  Lily was dog-tired and more than ready to strip down, get into her comfy pajamas, and curl up with a pillow in a soft bed. She was so tired, in fact, she couldn’t even find it within herself to be nervous at the prospect of spending more time with Warren in a very personal setting. Her defenses were down, non-existent, and she hoped she had time to rest a bit before she needed them again, otherwise the hurt she’d felt that afternoon when the pony kicked her would be akin to a tiny scratch.

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  Being back in his old bedroom, staring at the ceiling and chasing sleep through a restless mind, felt almost normal to Warren. Being back in his old bedroom with Lily next door, separated from him by a wall and a few feet of space, made him ready to bolt from the room and even the house in search of fresh air.

  It was either that or sneak into her room and curl around her for the rest of the night. He needed to reassure himself she was safe, and if he admitted the truth, he wanted to feel her in his arms. But he stayed where he was, knowing neither the running nor the holding was an option for him at the moment. It was raining again, and he had no idea if he’d be welcome in Lily’s bed, even just to hold her.

  Every time he closed his eyes, he saw the pony whirl around, heard her gasp of pain. He’d almost stopped beating himself up over the incident, but he’d not yet managed to let go of the fear. He knew he had to do that else he ran the risk of it taking him over.

  Shifting to get more comfortable, he thought about what his counselor had told him so many years ago, something Warren had hated hearing, but wise words he’d come to depend on almost as a mantra since then.

  “You’re going to lose people through the years. You’re going to get hurt. You can’t control that. None of us can. Unless you cut yourself off from the world entirely, life is going to get messy.

  “What you can control is how you react. You can do your best to make sure you’re honest with people, treat them right, and if you love them, love them well. If you care about people, make sure they know. Enjoy them while you can, and don’t take the future for granted. Our next second on this earth isn’t guaranteed, but we can use what time we have with purpose. Think of every second as a micro-life. It’s not about the end goal, Sullivan. It’s the journey that counts.”

  That had been a hard lesson for Warren to learn, but once he had, it had lifted a weight off his shoulders like nothing else had been able to in years. Reminding himself of those tenets now, he finally felt some of his tension lessen, and he let out a relieved breath.

  Though he tried, he’d not always taken that sage advice, especially where Lily was concerned. He thought about that as he stared at the ceiling, about how careful he’d been to guard his heart so he wouldn’t get hurt again, and he called himself an idiot.

  If Lily had died this afternoon, if the pony had done more damage than that glancing blow, she’d never know how he felt. That realization humbled him like nothing in recent months. They’d still not resolved the rift between them, but Warren hoped they were making some strides in that direction, but if she’d died…

  Losing her wouldn’t hurt less now than it would if he told her he loved her. He’d been stupid to think it would. He’d be wiped out if something happened to her, period.

  He didn’t know how Lily felt about him, but he was starting to think he’d been blind to her feelings for years. He didn’t know why she’d fled so desperately last fall, and he admitted he should have tried harder to find out. Again, he’d been protecting himself even as he made a token effort to reach out to her.

  “I should have gotten on a plane,” he murmured. “I should have just gone to her and talked.”

  Urgency rose inside him, his gut practically screaming at him that he needed to go to her now, to not wait another minute to resolve whatever differences remained between them.

  He’d just put his feet on the floor when his phone buzzed on the nightstand. “Shit.” Two a.m. calls were never good, and when he saw Ben’s number, he cursed again. “Hello?”

  “I’m sorry to wake you,” Ben said. “I have some bad news. I’m going to need you to tell Lily.”

  As Warren listened to what her father had to say, he closed his eyes, swallowing hard against the grief and rage that threatened to choke him. “No, I understand. God, Ben, I’m so sorry. I’ll go to her now, and I’ll call you back when I can.”

  After they hung up, Warren sat there for a few minutes, needing the time to pull himself together. What Ben had told him was devastating, and he knew Lily would take it as hard as a physical blow.

  Easton had been assaulted. He was on his way to Lexington via helicopter, airlifted out and destined for the trauma center at UK with multiple serious wounds, including a possible brain injury. From what Ben had said, he’d been beaten to within an inch of his life.

  Knowing she’d want to head home as soon as she found out, he checked the traffic reports before he went to her. Thankfully, Highway 25 had opened back up and was serving as a detour around the slide area. They’d be able to get to Lexington, though the drive would take a bit longer than normal.

  Saying a desperate prayer that he had the right words, he headed next door to break the news.

  Dodging rain and storms the entire way, they reached the hospital just after four o’clock. By seven a.m., Easton was out of surgery and everyone was waiting for news. The waiting room was full of Campbells and Gibsons and their kin, worry and heartache subduing the normally rambunctious crowd.

  Warren was keeping a close eye on Lily, who’d gone terribly quiet after learning about the attack. She was staying near her parents, though she’d taken a few breaks to go down the hall with some of her cousins.

  When the doctor came in and went to Rachel and Lee, the room went so quiet, the machines and phones from down the hall were audible.

  The man sat down beside Rachel with a sigh. “I don’t sugarcoat things, so here go
es. He’s alive, he’s stable, and he’s in for a tough time ahead. By some miracle, there’s no swelling on his brain, but he does have a severe concussion. We’ll be monitoring him over the next few days to make sure nothing develops that could cause him further problems.”

  As he detailed the list of other injuries Easton had sustained—a fractured orbital socket of the left eye that could lead to permanent damage to his vision, a ruptured spleen that had been removed, broken ribs, a punctured lung, broken fingers, a broken arm, bruised kidneys—Warren felt as though he was going to be sick.

  Sweet God, Ben hadn’t been kidding. Easton had nearly been beaten to death. Just thinking about what had been done to the funny, happy young man who always shadowed him around the barn whenever he came to visit was enough to make Warren want to cry. He sank onto a chair beside Ben and closed his eyes, cursing whoever had committed the assault and praying to God that Easton was able to make a full recovery.

  “When will we be able to see him?” Ken “Bear” Boyd, Easton’s father, asked.

  “You and his mother can go in soon, maybe a couple of others if you all decide that, but only for a few minutes. He’s in ICU, and he’ll likely be there for at least twenty-four hours. After that, he can have visitors if he’s doing well enough, but not a lot of people at once, and he’ll need as much rest as he can get.” The doctor looked around the room at the Campbells. “All of you are related to him?”

  A chorus of yeses and nods answered him.

  “I’d like to stay with Easton,” Rachel said, her voice strained as she leaned into Lee.

  “Let’s see how he reacts, if he reacts, to you being in the room with him. He’s fairly heavily sedated at the moment. If it agitates him, I can’t let you stay.” The doctor wasn’t unsympathetic. “Is there any word on who did this?”

  Lee exhaled, his face tight with anger. “They know who it was and they’re looking for them now.”

  At his words, Colin cursed and pushed away from the wall and left the room. Logan hurried to follow him, and after a moment, so did Lily.

  The doctor squeezed Rachel’s hands. “He’s a strong young man. Don’t underestimate him. I’ll send a nurse over as soon as he’s settled.”

  After he left, it seemed that all the quiet worry that had been helping keep everyone’s emotions in check evaporated. In its wake came sorrow, grief, and anger.

  As the room erupted into a discussion of what needed to happen, Ainsley touched Warren’s arm. “Walk outside with me?”

  “Sure.” He stood and followed her to the hall, where she kept a careful eye on the waiting room.

  “I want you to take Lily home. Put her to work if you have to, or let her grieve if that’s what she needs. I don’t want her waiting here. As soon as everyone gets straightened out, I’m sure there’ll be a convoy heading to the farm. I’ll head there as soon as I can to get the house ready, but Ben will probably stay here. I doubt we’ll get Owen and Sarah out of here anytime soon.”

  “Probably not,” he agreed. “You realize that Lily might not want to go home.”

  “I know.” Ainsley ran her hand over her hair, shoving it back off her face. “If she doesn’t, I’ll talk to her.”

  “Is there going to be enough room for everyone in the house?”

  She shrugged. “It’ll be close quarters, but we’ll manage. But with tension so high right now…”

  “If someone wants to stay with me, I have a spare room. And Jonah’s house maybe, although it’s not my place to make that decision.”

  “I’m going to call him in a few minutes and ask. I thought we might send Lee and Rachel there so they have some privacy.”

  Warren nodded. “I’ll go find Lily and head out then. Call if you need us.”

  She gave him a quick hug. “Thank you.”

  He’d just reached the elevators when the doors opened, revealing a very dejected, tired-looking Lily.

  “Hey. Your mom wants you to go back to the farm with me,” he said.

  “You don’t think I should stay?” she asked as he joined her on the elevator.

  “I think if you’re home, you can at least be busy while you worry. You can’t do a damned thing here, and that’s what Ainsley’s concerned about. She said it’s likely everyone will head to the farm soon, with a couple of exceptions.”

  Lily leaned into him, and Warren put his arm around her. “She’s probably right. God, I’m so tired.” She yawned, turning her face toward his chest to cover her mouth. “I tried to catch up to Colin, but I couldn’t find him and Logan. He blames himself.”

  “I can understand why he would, not that I think anyone else is blaming him,” Warren said quietly as they reached the ground floor. “I wish I could say I can’t imagine a world where the simple act of a guy flirting with the wrong girl could cause such a thing, but I can, all too well.”

  “From what Dad said, Colin wasn’t just flirting. He was practically propositioning her.” Lily shook her head. “Still, it was just a joke, words. Those guys had to be out looking for trouble to take it so personally. It wasn’t like she wasn’t giving it right back to Colin. He told Logan she was more bawdy than him, even.”

  Early yesterday evening, Easton and Colin had been at a diner in Hazard, close to Easton’s home. Colin, still feeling the sting of being dumped by his girlfriend, had made a hard pass at a cute waitress, including a lot of heavy flirting and some crude language, but it hadn’t led to anything. After the boys left the diner and Easton and Colin parted ways some time later, Easton had gone back to the diner. That’s when the men, who were allegedly related to the waitress, had jumped him in the parking lot.

  “They probably were itching for trouble,” Warren said. “Guys like that usually are.”

  The whole thing reminded him starkly of the crowd he used to hang out with, back before he’d been sent to jail. Even though it had been years since he’d behaved in any way approaching how he’d been back then, he felt a lingering shame for the things he’d done. None of his actions had ever been nearly as bad as what had happened to Easton though, and he thanked God for that small mercy.

  When they approached the doors to the parking garage, they saw Colin and Logan on the other side of the glass, talking. The men looked up as Warren and Lily approached.

  “Hey. Any word?” Logan asked.

  “Just what you heard,” Warren said. “We’re heading back to the farm.”

  “Do you mind if I catch a ride?” Colin asked, his eyes hollow as Lily gave him a quick hug.

  “Not at all,” Warren assured him. “Logan?”

  “I’ll go back in for Amelia and Luke, and we’ll come out shortly.” He pulled Colin in for a tight hug, cupping his face with one hand as he gave the boy a firm, loving shake. “Remember what I said. I’ll see you soon.”

  Colin nodded, but he didn’t speak.

  All three of them were quiet until they reached the turnoff to the road the farm bordered.

  “I need to run. Is it safe?” Colin asked.

  Warren glanced across Lily. “You mean shift and run?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Lily?” Warren wasn’t sure, but he knew she’d have an answer.

  “You remember where my caboose is, right?” she said, digging in her purse as he nodded. She pulled out her phone and sent a text. Colin’s phone dinged a second later. “That’s the code to get in the electronic lock on the front door. If you stand on the front porch and look across the pond and to your left, all that land in the trees is ours. When you hit pasture, you’re getting close to the border. So long as you stay in the trees or close to them, you’ll be fine. Just be careful. Oh, and there are food and drinks in the caboose. Just try to leave it as close to how you found it, okay? Don’t share that number with anyone. And don’t go through my art books.”

  Colin ruffled her hair. “Thank you.”

&nb
sp; Warren slowed the truck at the main gate for the turn, and when he got a few hundred feet up the driveway, he stopped. “Cut through here,” he said, pointing at a barely visible path that snaked off through the woods. “When you get to the oak that’s been split by lightning, turn right to get to Murky Pond. Call if you need us.”

  They watched as Colin disappeared into the trees. Once he was gone, Lily sagged against Warren.

  “I can’t stand this,” she whispered.

  He put his arm around her and pulled her into him, resting his head on hers. “I know. Neither can I.” But they were going to have to stand it, at least for a while. “Like the doctor said, don’t underestimate him. He’s a strong kid.”

  She gave a small laugh. “He’s not a kid anymore. He’s only a month younger than me.”

  “I know. It just feels like he’s younger. What do you want to do here?” he asked as he pulled up to the house. “It’s entirely up to you.”

  “I’m going to head in for a few minutes, then I’ll go to the barns. I need to stay busy. Mom was right, as usual. I don’t know that I can manage to stay on task though.”

  Warren touched her cheek. “That’s fine. Do what you think needs doing, and if you have questions, just ask.”

  Lily closed her eyes and pressed her hand against his, then she sighed and straightened away. “See you in a bit.”

  He wanted to follow her into the house, but he needed a few minutes to come to terms with the morning. Knowing Lily, he figured she probably did, as well. With that in mind, he headed for the barns. He’d let Mickey know the latest, then he’d pick up a shovel and start mucking. There was administrative work that needed attention, but right at the moment, Warren needed to expend some physical energy.

  The next few days were going to be rough on everyone, he knew. He’d let Mickey and the other hands know to expect visitors, some of them traumatized or angry. The Campbells had been through a lot in the years Warren had known them, but this… this was different. This was a wound he feared would leave deep scars for a long time.