The Night the Lights Went Out

by Karen White

  “It’s been a while since I did any nursing, but I don’t think it’s broken—it’s either a sprain or a really bad twist.”

  He knelt by Lily’s foot and took it. “I’ll take over—thanks for your help.”

  The woman nodded and gave Merilee a brief smile before heading toward the edge of the trampoline as Merilee moved to Lily’s side and took her hand. The sobs had reverted back to sniffles, although she still looked worried.

  “Hi, Lily. I’m Dr. Blackford, Bailey’s dad. I think what we have here is a badly twisted ankle. You’re very lucky because it could have been worse, but it’s not. I’m going to put a compression sleeve on it and an ice pack, but you’ll need to rest it and keep it elevated for the rest of the day and all tomorrow, too. I know you don’t want to hear this, but you should probably go home so you won’t be tempted to use it. Otherwise, you could really make it much worse.”

  Colin appeared next to the trampoline with a large dripping ice cream cone in his hand and on most of his face and chin, the black Lab at his side as if they belonged together. “Do I have to go, too?” He lowered the cone and allowed the dog a few licks before licking it himself.

  “I don’t want to go home!” Lily began to wail.

  Heather appeared, her elegant hands with pink-tipped nails resting on the edge of the trampoline. “You don’t want to miss cheerleading tryouts, Lily, do you? You really should go home and rest your leg so that it gets better quickly and you’re ready by Friday.”

  “Mom!” Colin protested. “I don’t want to go!”

  Ignoring the children’s protests, Heather said, “Daniel can drive you. I wouldn’t feel right making you take poor Lily home by yourself when I’m sure you’re as shaken up as she is. There. It’s settled. Daniel will drive you all home. I’ll have someone bring your minivan back tomorrow morning.”

  A look that was either annoyance or surprise crossed Daniel’s face so quickly that Merilee couldn’t determine which one it was.

  “Really, that’s not necessary—,” Merilee began.

  Heather interrupted. “We insist. Don’t we, Daniel?” She sent him a pointed look.

  “Yes, of course,” he said. “Let me go get the wrap and ice pack, and I’ll carry her out to my car.”

  Both children were subdued as Daniel carried Lily to the four-car garage and carefully placed her in the backseat of a large black Mercedes sedan, asking Colin if it would be okay for Lily to rest her foot on his leg. To Merilee’s surprise, he didn’t argue, still despondent over having to leave behind his new best friend, who was standing on the driveway, looking at Colin and wagging its tail.

  They pulled out of the garage and down the drive, all of them seemingly lost in their own personal miseries. “This really isn’t necessary,” Merilee said for what seemed like the hundredth time. “Lily’s going to be fine, and I’m perfectly capable of driving.”

  “And all of that may be true, but I feel better knowing you all got home safely. We feel responsible because Lily got hurt on our property. This is the least I can do.”

  She held up her hands. “Fine. I won’t say anything else about it, but I do hate making you leave the party.”

  He let out a soft sigh. “Those parties are more Heather’s thing. Between you and me, I’d rather be at my fishing cabin on Lake Murray. Not a soul around, and the views are spectacular. It’s what I call my piece of heaven here on earth.”

  “Sounds like heaven,” Merilee agreed, enjoying the quiet inside the car, her ears still vibrating with the noise from the party. “I recently moved to a relatively secluded house, and I have to say I do enjoy the quiet. When my phone pings with a text message, it seems like an intrusion.”

  “At my fishing cabin, there’s no cell reception or Wi-Fi. It’s one of its perks.”

  He grinned broadly, as if he’d just shared a secret, and she found herself grinning back. Daniel Blackford was usually the kind of man she found intimidating—successful, self-assured, not to mention gorgeous.

  “And please call me Dan. I’ve been Dan—or Danny to my family—my whole life until I met Heather. She likes Daniel better.”

  “I kind of like Danny,” she said, laughing at the incongruity of it. “Does the rest of your family still call you that?”

  “Just my older brother, but he’s in Chicago now, so I don’t see him too much. We were both born and raised outside of Macon, and he couldn’t wait to leave. But I guess I’m a Georgia boy at heart and couldn’t stand to live anywhere else. Wanted to raise my children here, to have the kind of childhood I had—swimming holes, fishing on a dock, catching lightning bugs in a jar on summer evenings.” He was silent for a moment, and she watched his expression change so imperceptibly that she almost missed it. He’d gone from the Daniel Blackford she’d been introduced to, to a man defeated.

  “It’s hard to raise kids these days; that’s for sure,” Merilee said, trying to lighten the mood.

  “Why’s it so hard, Mom?” Lily called from the backseat.

  Merilee turned to look at her daughter, the permanent frown line more pronounced than usual, her wrapped leg elevated on her sleeping brother’s lap. “That’s a discussion for another time. How’s your foot?”

  “It’s fine—it hardly hurts. Do you think we could go back to the party? I was having a lot of fun.” She sat up straighter, her eyes round. “Oh, no! We left the silver tray!”

  Even Merilee sat up straighter, too, horrified at the thought. “Let’s not panic. I’ll text Jenna’s mom and see if she can pick it up for me.”

  “I’ll take care of it,” Dan said. “I’ll make sure it’s delivered to your front door tomorrow, along with your minivan.”

  “I’m so sorry to be all this trouble. Really, I could call my ex to stay with the children, and I could drive back with you to get my car and the tray—”

  “I’ll take care of it,” Dan said again, and Merilee knew he would.

  “And our backpacks,” Lily piped up from the backseat. “We left those, too.”

  “They’re in the pool house,” Merilee said almost apologetically, but she didn’t offer again to retrieve everything herself. It was clear Dan was used to getting his way. Except in his own family.

  They drove the rest of the way making easy conversation, which surprised her. She’d expected to be intimidated by him, but he put her at ease, asking her about her job and the children, skirting around her divorce and the reasons why her children had changed schools. He seemed so different from Heather. Not that Merilee knew either of them very well, but he was as quiet and introspective as she appeared to be social and outspoken. It was probably one of the reasons why they’d been attracted to each other.

  As Merilee and Dan entered Sweet Apple, she gave him directions to her house. “Turn right here, and when you get to the white ranch rail fence, take a left onto the dirt road.”

  “This is Sugar Prescott’s place,” he said with surprise.

  “Yes. I’m renting the cottage behind her farmhouse. She’s my landlady.”

  “She’s what my parents called ‘good people.’ Strong principles and convictions, that’s for sure. Did you know she used to be the mayor of Sweet Apple? It was years ago—before I moved here—but I understand she ran against her own brother. That’s something, isn’t it?”

  “I’d say. Have you met her?”

  “Oh, yes,” he said, a soft smile on his lips. “In my office, as a matter of fact. Didn’t make an appointment, just showed up. Had to do with building a new clinic on Main Street. She wanted there to be a more aesthetic design to the building, and a lot more trees, more in keeping with the equestrian feel to the area. And I agreed. Because she was right. And because she didn’t use the ‘proper channels,’ which is usually what people call the government bureaucracy, and I respected her for that.”

  “Yes, well, that silver tray belongs to Sugar.”<
br />
  His eyebrows lifted. “Then I will make sure it is returned to you posthaste. I might even polish it myself to make sure it gleams.”

  Merilee laughed at the image, believing that he actually might.

  They drove past the large farmhouse, Merilee holding her breath until she was sure the front porch was empty, not wanting to confess she’d left the tray behind. Dan carried in Lily, who protested that she could walk herself, then settled her on the sofa in front of the television, her foot propped up on the armrest. He unwrapped it to check on it again, then rewrapped it, telling Merilee to put an ice pack on it for twenty minutes, then gave her his cell number to call if there were any problems.

  She walked him out to the front porch. “Thanks so much, Dan. I can’t tell you how much I appreciate it.”

  “Anytime. I mean it. And if that boy of yours wants to learn how to fish, call me. I’ve tried to teach my girls, but they’re not too thrilled with sticking worms on hooks, and they’re certainly not going to skin or gut a fish. I bet we can find plenty of fish in that lake at the front of the property. And since Sugar and I are such great friends, I’m sure she’d let us.” He winked.

  “Will do. And really, thanks again.”

  “Thank you, Merilee,” he said. “I don’t usually get a chance to know many of Heather’s friends, but it’s been real nice talking to you.”

  He said good-bye, then slipped behind the wheel of his Mercedes, making her wonder if he’d have preferred a pickup truck instead. Maybe he kept one for when he went up to his fishing cabin, hiding it from sight so Heather wouldn’t have to look at it.

  She watched until he disappeared around the bend, the puffs of red clay and a slightly unsettled feeling the only reminders that he’d been there at all.

  Eight

  SUGAR

  The shrill of the telephone startled Sugar from where she sat typing another letter to Willa Faye, her fingers paralyzed over the old round keys before she realized what the sound was. With her legs feeling rusty from sitting for so long, she wrested herself from her seat and made it to the rotary dial phone on the hall table on the eleventh ring.

  “Hello, Sugar. This is Daniel Blackford. How are you?”

  “Hello, Dan. Well, I’m still breathing. I hope you’re calling about my tomatoes and not about me selling my land. I haven’t changed my mind and don’t plan to.”

  A low chuckle sounded in her ear. “I know that, Sugar. No worries. I’m actually calling about your new tenant, Merilee Dunlap. Her daughter, Lily, hurt her foot at a party at my house yesterday, and I was hoping you could go over and take a look and let me know how she’s doing. I told Merilee to call me if she needed anything, but I haven’t heard from her. You and I both know that doesn’t mean everything is fine. I think Merilee would die of embarrassment if she knew I was asking after her. She seems very self-sufficient, and I don’t think she’d take kindly if I called her myself.”

  She waited a moment before responding, biting back the first words that came to mind. Daniel Blackford was one of the few people she could still tolerate, and she knew he didn’t take favors lightly. And she certainly couldn’t explain her reluctance to talk with Merilee Dunlap, that every time she went over there it was like being confronted with a younger version of herself. It had been hard enough living through her youth the first time around, and she had no intention of reliving it. But standing on that front porch was like standing in a wind tunnel that sucked her into Merilee’s life whether she wanted to go or not. “I’ll go take a look and let you know. I suppose I could bring some of my tomatoes over, and some of my leftover corn bread from supper, so I have an excuse. If she thinks I’m just being friendly, she’ll get suspicious. And she needs the food. I don’t believe that woman knows how to cook.”

  “That’s not considered a sin nowadays, Sugar.”

  “Well, maybe it should be. Back in the day I could feed my brothers and my daddy an entire meal with just a handful of collards, some flour, and a couple of eggs. I’m not saying it was tasty, but it put food in our bellies.”

  “I hear you. Please call me after you see Lily and let me know how they’re getting along.”

  “I will. And, Dan? Please make sure my silver tray gets returned to me. It was my mama’s, you know.”

  There was a small pause and Sugar smiled with satisfaction.

  “How did you know about the tray?”

  “I went to church today. You know the parking lot at First Methodist after services is better than a megaphone and a gossip column rolled into one.”

  He laughed out loud. “You don’t miss a beat, do you, Sugar?”

  “No. I surely don’t.”

  There was a long pause on the other end of the line. “Good to know.”

  They said their good-byes; then Sugar placed the cover over her typewriter before heading to the kitchen to get the corn bread and tomatoes. The overcast sky gave her some respite from the hot sun, but still the driveway between her house and the cottage seemed to go on for miles. But she’d have to be crippled and forced to crawl before she’d spend the money for gas and take her car.

  She looked toward the woods and for a moment she imagined she saw a mirage, a milky image of a small white dog by the edge of the trees. Dixie. She stopped, staring harder, pleased that she remembered the name even though she rarely thought of the sweet dog she’d had as a little girl. The last dog she’d ever had. She blinked and the dog was gone.

  She wanted to believe that it had run back into the woods. Wanted to think it was safe. Poor little dog. They had both once believed the woods to be a refuge, shade on a hot summer day or quiet when too many voices in the house made your ears ring. A place to be alone. But it had stopped being that years ago.

  It took her a full minute to catch her breath before climbing the steps and knocking on the front door. Colin opened the door before she’d rapped the second time. “Did you see the little dog? Did you? He was right there by the woods!”

  Merilee came to stand behind her son, a look of panic widening her eyes.

  “My eyes aren’t as good as they used to be.” Sugar pressed her lips together. “Can’t be sure if I saw anything at all.”

  “Mom! I told you there was a dog! And if you won’t let me feed him, he’s going to starve!” He ran down the steps and headed around to the backyard.

  “Don’t go past the tire swing!” Merilee shouted after him. She looked at Sugar apologetically. “I’m sorry for shouting. It’s not been a good weekend. Lily hurt herself at the party yesterday and is afraid she can’t try out for cheerleading, which I had no idea she wanted to try out for until yesterday. She doesn’t want to put any weight on it, so she’s making me do her every bidding.” Her gaze slid to the dish and the paper bag Sugar was holding. “Can I take those for you?”

  “You may. The corn bread is left over, and I’ve got too many tomatoes for me to eat, so you might as well take them. Just make sure you bring back the plates.”

  Pink flooded Merilee’s cheeks; no doubt she was remembering the silver tray. She opened the door wider. “Would you like to come in?”

  Sugar was about to say no since she’d just learned what she needed to know for Dan, but her gaze strayed behind Merilee to the table in the hall and the small white book that sat on top of it. In a moment of weakness, she’d called Merilee and given Colin permission to use Jimmy’s bird books if he promised to be responsible and take good care of them. They certainly weren’t doing anyone any good sitting on the shelves. Sugar squinted at the book. She couldn’t read the title, but she knew what it was. Georgia Birds and Their Nests. She knew on page forty-eight there was a picture of a summer tanager and on page sixty-two there was a black-and-white sketch of a chipping sparrow in its nest. They’d been Jimmy’s favorite to spot, and below each picture were little pencil markings to keep track of how many times he’d seen one. And on page one hund
red and six there was a small smear of blood on the bottom right corner, the ridges of Jimmy’s fingerprint faintly visible.

  She looked back at Merilee. “I suppose. If you’ve got some of your sweet tea, I’m thirsty enough to drink it. It’s hot outside.”

  “Of course. Come on back to the kitchen.” She opened the door wider to let Sugar pass through before taking the bag and plate and leading them both into the kitchen.

  Sugar peered into the front room, where Lily lay on the sofa with her foot propped on the armrest, watching something on the television, a laptop open on her lap, her fingers furiously typing on the keys. Dirty plates and glasses and a bowl of popcorn littered the coffee table in front of the sofa. The girl was obviously not feeling too poorly.

  Sugar sat down at the table while Merilee poured two glasses of her barely palatable sweet tea and placed the cookies on the table. She kept her back firmly against the chair, unwilling to get too comfortable. She was still trying to understand what had made her tell the story of Rufus and Lamar. And Jimmy. Maybe it was the boy, Colin, and how much he reminded her of her youngest brother, the soft lankiness of him. His enthusiasm for the world in which he lived and his unconcern for things like shoes and napkins and cleanliness. The boyness of him that made Sugar miss her brother as much now as she had when he was first gone. Just the whiff of boy sweat clinging to Colin’s skin made her remember. Made her want to cry all over again. And that was something she was not prepared to do.

  “Would you like a cookie?” Merilee asked, passing her the plate.

  “No, thank you. I’m watching my figure.” It wasn’t true, but she said it anyway, trying to keep some distance from this woman and her children yet finding it more and more difficult. She took a sip of her tea, looking at the dark shadows under the other woman’s eyes, the fingernails that were ragged and short. They had too much in common, and it unnerved Sugar. Made her feel as if she were standing on a red anthill and couldn’t move out of the way.