Covered in Coal

by Silla Webb

  “Daddy, I love ya an’ all, but if you ever touch my bacon again, I’m gonna get Papaw to hold you down and let Mamaw cut your finger off. You don’t mess with a girl’s bacon, old man, don’tcha know?!”

  She twists her hips, plopping down in the chair; her face red and scrunched up in anger. Everyone at the table laughs at her cute little remark, but her. Something tells me she wasn’t kidding. Emily piles her plate with bacon, and she grins from ear to ear, then gives Colton an evil eye.

  After we’ve all filled our bellies, I help Heidi Jo gather her backpack and lunch box before we set off to start our day. I thank Emily for breakfast, and offer to help her clean up, but she shoos me from the kitchen, sending me on my way. Bill stops me in the doorway, “You’ll be in the office all day?” he asks.

  “I plan to be. Is everything okay?”

  “No, but there ain’t a damned thing I can do about it. I’ll stop by later.” He nods, then disappears through the hall. I slide on my shoes, and meet Heidi Jo and Colton in the truck. We drop the chatter-box Heidi Jo off at school, then head into work.

  “I think you’re Dad’s planning to stop by the mines later. Not sure why he didn’t just talk to me back at the house.” I tell him. Colton looks over at me, scratching his scruffy day old beard, shaking his head.

  “Pops don’t like to make Momma worry any more than she already does.”

  “He looks rough, Colton. I’m worried about him. I don’t know what Drew’s plans are, but I don’t trust him.”

  “Don’t sweat it, baby. Y’all gonna figure it out.”

  When we get to the mines we kiss goodbye and go our separate ways. As I’m passing by Shelly’s desk, she is a frantic mess. Her cheeks are red and she’s trembling.

  “Ms. Simon, I’ve been trying to get in touch with you all morning. There is a Mr. Varney here to see you. He’s been requesting that I call you every fifteen minutes, to see when you would be in. I told him that unless he had an appointment you wouldn’t see him, but he forced the issue and refused to leave until he sees you. I’m sorry. I didn’t know what else to do.”

  “Mr. Varney?”

  “Yes ma’am. Mr. Drew Varney, he said he’s with Dalton Trucking.”

  “Where is he now, Shelly?”

  “He’s waiting in the conference room.”

  I take in a deep breath, and bite down on my lip. Turning on my heels, I stalk towards the conference room. I stop by the door, straighten my clothes, and push the door open.

  Drew is sitting at the head, yes the HEAD of the damn conference room table with a file in one hand, and his cell phone glued to his ear. This son of a bitch has some nerve coming into my office, and making himself comfortable like he owns the damn place. He turns around slowly and when our eyes meet, I gasp at the striking resemblance he bares to my daddy. Drew has coal black hair, a strong jaw and deep green eyes. He looks tall, and is very fit.

  “Yeah, I got that J, let me holler back at’cha. Yeah, she just walked in the room.” He says, before pressing end and sliding the phone in the front pocket of his shirt. He arches his back, then stands tall, walking around the table to greet me.

  “Ms. Simon, Drew Varney.” He says reaching his large hand out to greet me. Like hell. I cross my arms over my chest, ignoring his gesture. He pushes his hand into his pocket, lightly chuckling to himself. “I’m the owner of Dalton Truck,” I cut off his words before he can even try to step knee deep in the shit he’s standing in front of.

  “I know who you are, Mr. Varney. And correction, you’re the business partner of Bill Weston, who’s the owner of Dalton Trucking. Now, care to explain to me, why the hell you feel the need to bust into my office, patronizing my receptionist, and requesting an abrupt meeting with me? I’m a very busy woman. You have two minutes to state your reason for visiting with Simon Energy today, then you need to get the hell out of my office.”

  Drew chuckles, then takes his seat again, at the head of my damn conference table. That in itself flames my blood. This asshole hasn’t been in my presence for more than a minute and I’m already plotting his tragic demise.

  “So you want to cut the shit. Great. I’m here to inform you that as of midnight, Dalton Trucking will cease all operations with Simon Energy.”

  He leans back in the high back leather chair, and laces his hands behind his head, glaring a deadpan stare straight through me. He thinks he has the upper hand here, and that’s all fine and well. He thinks because he is a big man, that I will wilt, falling to his feet like a dainty little flower begging and pleading. This jackass is dead wrong, because this little bitch don’t wilt. I fight.

  “Well Mr. Varney, I’m so sorry to hear that. Unfortunately, we have a binding contract with Dalton Trucking, so any breech of said contract can, and will result in some very nasty litigation. So you may want to ask yourself, do you really wanna start off on the wrong foot with your new business partner, costing him thousands of dollars?”

  “Please, call me Drew. Bill and I are still working on the terms, but we are willing to buy out your contract, to prevent any legal issues. You see, I am the owner of American Heritage Coal Company. We are a slightly smaller mines than Simon Energy, but we are paving our way to the top, and will be the largest coal producing company in the state of Kentucky within the next five years. It only makes sense that Dalton Trucking signs a contract with my coal company now, considering I own a portion of the trucking company. I’m sure you can understand the business side of things. I just need you to tell me your number, and I can cut you a check right now. There is no need to drag things out. You need to understand, I’m a very powerful man, I don’t just get what I want, but I take what I want. So don’t fight me on this. It will only make any future business we may have together, well, awkward.” Drew rocks back and forth in the leather chair, waiting for my rebuttal. He is such a cocky bastard, and just looking at him sends shocking volts of pure hatred straight through to my blood.

  “You think you’re so clever, walking in here, trying to intimidate me don’t you? Well, you don’t. You need to understand who you are dealing with Mr. Varney. I’m a damn Simon. I don’t play games, I don’t put up with bullshit, and I certainly don’t take kindly to idle threats. Now, here is my counter offer for you. Name your number. I’ll buy out your partnership with Dalton Trucking right now.” Rage is boiling deep in the pit of my stomach, and I can’t shake the urge to bust him across the damn face. There is a knock at the door, so I take two steps backwards and open it, shocked to see Shelly with a pissed Bill Weston on her heels.

  “Ms. Simon, again, I’m sorry. He said he was late for the meeting. Your schedule was clear for the morning.” Shelly says, shrugging her shoulders.

  “It’s okay, Shelly. Just hold any calls for now.” She nods her head, stepping aside so Bill can enter the conference room.

  As soon as his eyes land on Drew’s, his face turns purple with anger. He charges across the room, screaming and cussing loud enough for everyone in the damn building to hear him. As soon as he is within reach of Drew, he connects a right hook across Drew’s jaw. Drew’s head pops to the side, then springs back quickly, and his eyes grow dark, full of fury. He swipes the drop of blood from his lip, and sneers up at Bill.

  “You son of a bitch! I told you when I left the office yesterday that I would not breech contract with Simon Energy. Why the hell are you here, Drew?”

  I approach with caution, reaching my hand up to rest on Bill’s shoulder. He jerks around quickly, and his shoulders relax when he sees that it’s me.

  “Carly, I’m sorry. I didn’t have any idea he had plans of coming to see you. He’s a lyin’ snake that you just can’t trust.”

  “Bill, first I think you need to calm down. Have a seat, so I can explain what Mr. Varney is doing here.” Bill’s eyebrows furrow, and confusion mares his face. He scratches his head, and takes a seat at the other end of the table. Drew still hasn’t said a word, he just keeps glaring an intense deadpan glare at Bill.

>   “Bill, Mr. Big Talker Varney, here tells me as of midnight tonight, Dalton Trucking will no longer be in contract with Simon Energy to carry our coal. He tells me that since you refuse to breech the contract, you are both prepared to offer me a substantial amount of money to buy out that contract, is any of this true?”

  “It’s true that he wants to breech the contract, only because the greedy asshole wants Dalton Truckin’ to sign with American Heritage Coal Company. I’ve done told him that Simon Energy could burn to the ground tonight, and I still wouldn’t sign a damn contract with AHCC to haul their damn coal.”

  Drew remains silent, just listening to the conversation between Bill and me.

  “Bill, I’ve turned down Mr. Varney’s offer to buy out the contract between Dalton Trucking and Simon Energy. So I expect to have trucks lined up, waiting to be loaded with coal. Do you both understand?” I look to both of the men, Drew doesn’t offer any answer, but Bill agrees.

  “Now, I have offered to buy his partnership in Dalton Trucking. I’d imagine it would rid you of one pain in your ass. I’m just waiting on him to tell me his number, and then we can get the transaction started. So what do you say Mr. Varney, what amount of money is it going to take for you to walk away from Dalton Trucking and out of our lives?”

  Bill looks to me, then to Drew, waiting for his response. Drew stands from the chair, straightening his shirt, brushing at the imaginary lint on the cuff of his sleeve. He shoves his hands in his pockets, and walks towards the door. He twists the knob, and turns back to me,

  “Ms. Simon, I’m disappointed that we couldn’t come to an agreement today. I’ll be in touch. Bill, I’ll see you at the office later.”

  Chapter 30

  It’s been two weeks since Drew Varney walked into my office unannounced. Two weeks since finally seeing with my own eyes the breathing evil that is my illegitimate brother. Drew seems to be laying below the radar. I was dead serious about buying his partnership with Dalton Trucking, just to rid Bill of that pain in the ass.

  When I told Colton what I had offered Drew, he wasn’t sure how to respond. I explained to him that I didn’t want the partnership myself. I had planned to sign my portion of the company over to him, so he could keep the business in his family where it belonged, safe from the talons of venomous vultures, like Drew Varney.

  I see Bill almost daily, and he hasn’t mentioned anything else about the contracts, or my offering to buy out Drew’s partnership for Dalton Trucking. In fact, Bill has been utterly silent, and it has Colton really worried. Bill is a grouchy ass bastard, there is no denying that. But there is something that lies beneath the surface, something that is gnawing at him about this entire situation. Colton has tried to talk to him, but he just pushes him away and tells him to leave the business to him, and keep mining his coal.

  Colton and I are moving forward, trying to rebuild our relationship into what it once was. When we come home from work each day, we spend our evenings with Heidi Jo, then we fall into each other’s arms once we have her tucked away in bed. Heidi Jo is beyond ecstatic that I’m around more often, and she really brings happiness into my life.

  Colton is working night shift tonight, and has been in the bed most of the evening, so I surprised Heidi Jo with a girl’s night out. I picked her up from school early, and started the evening off with Mani/Pedi’s at my favorite salon. Next, we hit the mall, and do some Christmas shopping for her and Colton. This kid can shop! Every store she walks in she finds a new dress or shoes that she just can’t live without. Probably doesn’t help that I enjoy shopping just as much, and have a sweet spot for her chunky little face. We finish the evening off at her favorite ice cream shop, sharing a bowl full of rocky road ice cream.

  “Oh, I’m sure glad you brought me for ice cream, Carly Jo. Daddy won’t let me eat it when it snows, he says it’s too cold and that I need hot chocolate, not ice cream.”

  “Your daddy is silly, Heidi Jo. He just don’t understand that no matter how cold it is outside, a girl always needs her ice cream.”

  She laughs, cramming a spoon full of the chocolaty goodness into her mouth.

  “Ya know, my daddy thinks you’re more than just pretty Carly Jo, he loves ya.” She says, licking the spoon.

  “He does? Just what makes ya think that, sweets?” I kid with her, amused by her excitement that she thinks she is sharing secrets.

  “Because he always brushes his teeth, and sprays on that boy perfume when he’s comin’ to see you. He bakes peanut butter kiss cookies for you, and he named me after you. Daddy loves me to the moon and back, so he has to love you a whole awful lot to name me after you.” Her wide eyes, glistening brightly as she whispers this secret across the table.

  I think about what she says for just a minute, and then it hits me. He gave Heidi Jo my middle name. Colton is the only person who always calls me Carly Jo. Everyone else refers to me as Carly. Or when I was little and in trouble, Daddy called me Carolina Jo Simon, which translated to oh shit, what’d I do now? I giggle along with her, and commit the comment to memory.

  Heidi Jo finishes her ice cream, licking the bowl clean, but missing her sticky hands and cheeks. I wipe her face and tell her to go to the bathroom to wash her hands before we leave. She bounces from the bathroom a few minutes later and we leave the ice cream shop to head home. I fasten her seat belt and climb in the driver seat. I start the engine, then thumb through the playlist on my iPod searching for a song to jam to.

  “What song do you want to hear?” I ask Heidi Jo over my shoulder.

  “Eh, nothin’ right now.”

  “Nothing? What’s wrong, did you eat so much ice cream that you’re worried you might shake your belly too much, dancing in your seat?”

  “Nah, I just wanna talk right now is all.” She states, very matter-of-factly.

  “Okay, talk sweets.”

  “Well, I don’t wanna hurt your feelings.” I turn in my seat, and look at her chubby little face. She is looking down at her skirt, fidgeting with the hot pink sequin.

  “Heidi Jo, whatever it is, you can say it sweets. I’m a big girl, you won’t hurt my feelings, promise.”

  “Cross your heart?”

  “Cross my heart.” I tell her, making imaginary x’s with my finger over my heart, just as I did when I was a kid.

  “Why don’t I have a mommy?”

  I freeze. I can feel the pressure behind my eyes as they threaten to jump right out of my head. I reach back, unbuckling her seatbelt and help her climb over to the front seat.

  “Heidi Jo, have you talked to your daddy about your mommy?” I ask her, so scared to even touch the subject due to the sensitivity of it. She nods her head up and down, and continues to play with her dress.

  “And what did Daddy tell you, baby girl?”

  “Daddy told me that my mommy is an angel up in heaven.”

  “That’s what your daddy told me too. But sometimes, Mommy’s are so special, that God needs them to help Him in heaven. He knew that your daddy was big and strong and could take good care of you.” I don’t know how else to answer.

  “Well, why did he have to take my little baby too?”

  “You’re little baby?” I ask, confused by what she is referring too.

  “Your baby, Carly Jo. Daddy told me that I should have a little brother or sister, but it went to heaven before it could be born. Why?”

  Tears well up in my eyes, and my breath has escaped my body. I had no idea that Colton had told her about the baby. Why would he do that? Hell, she is just a baby herself. There is no way she can wrap her tiny little head around any of this. I can’t even understand it some days. I take her hand in mine and give her the only answer I can.

  “I don’t know, sweets. It isn’t fair, and it hurts, but I don’t have any answers.” I pull her into a hug and kiss the top of her head. She is a tough kid, asking such profound questions for her six year old mind. She doesn’t cry a single tear, she isn’t even sad, really. She just doesn’t understand.
>
  “Will you be my momma one day?” She smiles at me with her eyes. My breath hitches, my throat feels as if it is closing up and my heart has stilled. She is staring up at me waiting for an answer, but I don’t have an answer to give her. I can’t tell her no, and I’m not sure I want to. So I offer her the only answer I can think of while in dire panic.

  “Heidi Jo, I think you and your daddy need to talk about that, baby girl. I love you so, so much. But you need to talk to Daddy, okay.”

  Her little face falls flat, and I can see that I’ve just shattered her world. I hate that I’ve broke her heart, but Colton and I are just building our relationship, and I’m just really getting to know her. I can’t say well sure, I’ll be your mom, let’s hop off to Disney World to celebrate. I’d love to, but in reality, that’s just not how life works.

  Heidi Jo nods then hugs me before climbing over the console to the back seat.

  “Buckle up, the roads are slick. When we get home, we’ll wrap the presents you bought your daddy, okay?”

  “Awesome blossom. Turn the music up, and let’s roll.”

  And just like that, she is back to her smiling self, forgetting the little moment we just shared.

  COLTON

  Carly Jo and Heidi Jo are just comin’ in from God knows what they have gotten into, just as I’m gettin’ ready for work. Heidi Jo rushes into my arms and starts to tell me all about their girls’ night, flashin’ her sparkly hot pink fingers and toes.

  “They put my feet in warm bubbles and it tickled.” She giggles.

  “Did ya have fun, baby girl?”

  “Sure did, Carly Jo bought me dresses and boots too, but said I have to wait to open some of them on Christmas.” She whines, rollin’ her eyes back in her head, before bouncin’ down the hall to her bedroom. Carly Jo wraps her arms around my waist, tippin’ up on her toes to kiss me.