by Rayne, Piper
“Why did you put the ad up, Phoenix?” Holly rounds her desk and sits on the edge, crossing her ankles.
She’s wearing a skirt today, and if I wasn’t so mad, I’d envision my hand sliding up between her thighs. Okay, I did. But just for, like, a millisecond. I stopped myself because apparently she already thinks I’m a pervert.
“Because it’s funny.” She shrugs.
I should tell Holly to give up the fight. Phoenix is Phoenix. I can’t even explain her at this moment. She fights me on every single thing these days.
“Do you have any idea how that affected my morning?” Holly asks. “Did you think about Fay or even your brother when you decided to do it?”
Phoenix ignores Holly and turns her head to look at me, raising her eyebrows with an expression of boredom. I nod for her to answer Holly. “Well, it gave you something to think about other than my brother seducing me.”
“Out.” I stand. “I’m sorry, Holly, I don’t mean to override you, but just suspend her. She’s deserving.”
Holly stares between the two of us. “Okay. It’s Wednesday, so you’re suspended for the rest of the week.”
“Great.” Phoenix jumps to her feet and holds out her hand.
“What?” My forehead crinkles in confusion.
“Keys.”
“In your dreams.” I pull out my phone and dial the only person who has the time to babysit her, though he’ll do a crap job of it. “Hey, it’s me.”
Holly crosses her arms, still eyeing Phoenix and me.
“What’s up?” Denver says.
“You still in town?”
“Until after Founder’s Day, why?” He sounds as if he just woke up.
“Come to the high school and pick up Phoenix. She’s been suspended.”
He laughs. “Classic. Why?”
“We’ll talk about it on Sunday. Dinner, remember?” I eye Holly. She really doesn’t need to know anything else about my life today.
“I’m not coming until you tell me.”
“Denver…” I sigh and rub the bridge of my nose.
Phoenix beams at me because she now knows suspension equals fun if Denver is in charge.
“Is that a family member?” Holly asks.
“It’s my brother. Do you really know nothing about us?” Phoenix asks.
“Obviously I don’t.”
I smile at Holly, happy that she can give it back to Phoenix.
“She put the high school for sale on Craigslist,” I say into the phone.
Denver laughs again. “I love that girl.”
“Listen, no fun of any kind. Take her home, strip her room of electronics, and don’t let her out.”
“How many of you are there?” Holly asks.
Phoenix sits back down and crosses her legs, eyeing me for a moment before leaning toward Holly. “There’re nine of us. And just so you know, there’s another one of me roaming the halls. That’s Sedona. Then there’s Austin, Savannah, Brooklyn, Denver—whose twin is Rome—Kingston…oh, you know who you should meet next?”
Holly smiles at Phoenix, tricked into thinking Phoenix is being earnest. Phoenix is pissing me off, that’s what she’s doing.
“You should meet my sister Juno. I mean, she is the matchmaker of Lake Starlight. And since rumor has it you and Austin aren’t knocking boots anymore, she might as well find you someone who has more respect for you than to screw you in his Jeep.”
“Come now!” I tell Denver. “You.” I point at Phoenix. “Go out there and wait for him to show up.”
“Come to Founder’s Day, Holly, and you’ll meet the whole gang.”
“Phoenix,” Holly says before my sister can flee from the room. She turns around slowly, a self-satisfied smirk plastered on her face. “You will refer to me as Principal Radcliffe.”
She stands still and stares for a moment, her gaze shooting over to me for a second. Then she opens the door and leaves.
“I swear she was a good kid at one point.” I tuck my phone into my pocket. “I better get to class. My brother will be here in twenty. He has to drag his ass out of bed first.”
“Okay, I’m sure Fay will enjoy the company.”
I glance behind me to find Fay offering butterscotch candies to a smiling Phoenix.
“She can turn it on and off pretty easily. Have a great day.” I walk toward the door.
“Austin.”
I stop, my hand on the doorknob.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to offend you earlier. I let my mind get away from me.”
I circle around. “You thought the absolute worst possible thing of me.”
“Well…” Her gaze drops to her feet. “You told me nothing about your situation. I thought you were single. I didn’t realize you were the guardian of your sisters. When you said you returned home because life happened, I didn’t know you meant you’d sacrificed your own future to make sure your family had one. I saw you this morning in the courtyard with Phoenix. Can you understand a little why I thought maybe… after what I saw?”
I cross my arms. “You know what I think? I think you wanted to see a bad side to me. A self-fulfilling prophecy, if you will. I think you don’t want to be attracted to me. I think you moved up here to hide from something. Whether it’s a guy or your family or life, I don’t know. But the fact that you could draw that conclusion?” I shake my head. “You know what? I can’t deal with this right now.”
I open the door and walk out, shooting Phoenix a death glare before I head back to my classroom to finally start the shittiest day I’ve had in a long time.
* * *
I arrive home to find most of the Bailey crew at the house. All their cars, including my Grandma Dori’s Cadillac and Uncle Brian’s truck, are parked along the long driveway to the house.
“Great, fucking great,” I murmur as I head up the walkway to the front door.
I walk into the house to find them in the kitchen, with the exception of Phoenix, Sedona, and Jamison, who are huddled at the dining room table, doing homework.
I toss a packet of papers on the table. “This is your work from Mr. Layton.”
“Thanks,” Phoenix murmurs.
“Austin!” Grandma Dori spots me first. Her blue eyes sparkle and her wavy gray hair is pulled back off her face in some kind of clip.
Denver has Brooklyn dancing, instructing her how not to step on her husband-to-be’s toes.
“Where’d you learn to dance?” I pass them and grab a carrot Savannah’s cutting for the salad. “Why are you all in my house?”
“It’s our house,” Denver says.
“You moved out,” I remind him.
Savannah smiles softly at me.
“Here, let me show you how it’s done.” Uncle Mike kicks Denver out of the way and sways side-to-side with Brooklyn.
He should be the one to show her, since he’ll be doing the daddy/daughter dance with Brooklyn at the wedding. He circles her around and around until they leave the room.
“Uncle Mike!” Brooklyn screeches, but I know from her tone that she’s amused by whatever he’s doing.
Denver plops down on the kitchen stool, stealing a carrot for himself.
“Another one and I’m taking a knuckle.” Savannah points the knife our way.
Denver holds up his hands. “Whoa, when did you become so aggressive?”
“Birth,” I say.
Denver nods and Savannah narrows her eyes.
“The doctor says I need daily exercise. Walk with me, Austin?” Grandma Dori circles her arm through mine.
Savannah shoots me a look that says she’s had enough grandma guidance for the night and now it’s my turn.
“Of course.”
Ten minutes later, Grandma’s got her shoes on, as well as her hat, her gloves, and her parka. To every other Alaskan, it’s sweatshirt weather.
“Thin blood,” she says. Obviously telepathy is one of her skills too.
“Have fun, you two!” Sedona calls.
One day it
’ll be her turn to take in Grandma Dori’s wisdom.
We haven’t even reached our usual path through the trees before she lays into me. “Phoenix is getting out of control. You need to rein her in. It’s ridiculous that she’s not looking into schools yet. She needs to figure out what she’s going to do with her life. Also, I told Savannah to put money aside for Brooklyn’s divorce because that fiancé of hers is just… well, I’m a lady, so I won’t go on. You still thinking about leaving?”
Typical Grandma Dori. Right from one thing to the next.
I grip her hand on my forearm, just in case there’s any ice I don’t see. “Not thinking. I am.”
She nods. “I suppose it’s your right. You coming back here instead of trying your hand at baseball. I have no fight in me to try to stop you.”
“Thanks.”
“But take this for what’s it worth from an old lady who’s lived a lot of years on this earth. You might not find what you’re looking for down there. The grass sometimes looks greener because you’re seeing it through a filter.”
“What does that mean?”
She smiles at me. “You’ll know what I mean if things don’t end well. That’s all.”
“Thanks.”
Sometimes Grandma Dori’s wires cross. I’m not sure I understand what the hell she’s talking about. I’m hoping to go to California to coach, not play, but maybe she missed that fact somewhere when I announced it to the family.
We walk in comfortable silence through the woods for a bit before she speaks again. “Tell me about this principal lady. She’s very pretty.”
We reach the small lake hidden on our property and sit down on the bench my parents placed there for Grandma Dori when she started getting older. The water is still half frozen, but it’s thawing around the edges where the water is shallow.
“There’s nothing to tell.” I shrug.
She smacks my shoulder.
“What was that for?”
“I raised you better. Your mama and your dad raised you better than to do that. I was embarrassed when my friends at the center were talking about it.”
“They read it?”
She nods. “We’re old, what else do we have to do? Lucky for you Viv’s daughter rear-ended Father McAlister. Did you read that yesterday? It’s made them forget my grandson is wooing women in his Jeep.”
“Sorry,” I mumble, unbelieving that I’m having this conversation with my grandma.
She hits my shoulder with hers. “But the picture of the handprint on the fogged window was hot.”
I shake my head, unable to stop from smiling. It might’ve been the hottest night of my life, but I’m not telling her that. “Can we talk about something else?”
“Phoenix told us about the misunderstanding.”
“Of course, she did.”
She laughs and places her hand on my thigh. I stare at her gloved hand, picturing the wrinkles and age spots I know lie under the fabric. She’s growing older, and I hate that I’ll be leaving her when I know she’s going to need more support soon. Will Denver step up? Will Rome return for good? Kingston is only nineteen. I don’t want him to sacrifice his dreams like I had to. Savannah will always look out for her; I’m sure I can depend on that.
“I think you need to make it up to this principal. Embarrassing her like that when she was new in town isn’t very gentlemanly. Does she even know who you are? What your name means in this city? What you gave up to come back here?”
I shake my head. “She’s only here until the end of the year, and I’ll be leaving anyway. There’s no point.”
She huffs, her shoulders falling. “You have now. I’m not telling you to ask her daddy for her hand in marriage. I’m only suggesting that you owe it to her to take her out on a proper date. Let Buzz Wheel print that.” She hits my shoulder again.
“C’mon. You know what she thought. I mean, how could she?”
“She’s not from this town. She didn’t know you had two sisters at that school. You’re fairer, like your daddy, and Phoenix looks more like your mom. You don’t look related. Cut her some slack.”
“Fine,” I say begrudgingly. I suppose I can somewhat understand how she could make that mistake.
“Besides, it’ll make me look good at the center. Ask for a window seat at the restaurant and maybe take a nice stroll down Main Street.”
We both laugh.
“Now, it’s damn cold. Get me back to the house.”
I stand, holding out my arm for her. She slides her arm around mine, and we walk away from what I think is every Bailey’s favorite spot.
“And don’t worry, your grandpa always loved the thrill of a tryst in the most unlikely of places. You probably got your love of adventure from him.” She smiles, looking up at the sky as though my grandpa is staring down at her.
To quote Phoenix—eww!
Twelve
Holly
Main Street is lined with people as floats big and small travel down the road, interspersed with the high school band, fire engines, and police cars. The Bailey Timber’s Founder’s Day Parade is as big as the Fourth of July parade back home.
“Holly!” Francie waves from the front row, Jack at her side.
I weave through people, a few saying their hellos to me. I smile and wave, although I’m not nearly as familiar with the people of Lake Starlight as they are with me.
“Hi,” I say, stuffing my hands in my sweatshirt pocket.
“It’s crazy, I know.” Francie looks at Jack. “You know Holly Radcliffe?”
He laughs. “I know her and of her.”
I smile, a tad embarrassed that I’ll always be known here for being in Austin Bailey’s backseat.
“I’m kidding. How’s your sink?” he asks.
“Good. Thank you.”
“Come closer. This is your first time here.” Francie steps in front of Jack, allowing me to squeeze in beside them.
“Thanks. I wasn’t sure if I would stay to watch the parade.”
Francie looks at me as though I just said that every man who owns a hardware store is a sexual deviant. “Oh!” Her hand lands on my arm. “It’s a must. You know how at Christmas parades Santa comes at the end? For this one, the Baileys come on the last float.”
I can’t help the chuckle that escapes. “Are they like the town royalty?”
Francie looks at Jack. “Kind of, I suppose. Way back, the town was floundering, then the Baileys started their business. Employed a lot of people, and the town began to flourish. They’re basically responsible for Lake Starlight being what it is. Everyone’s always looked up to them, but even more so since, you know…”
“I don’t. Austin hasn’t shared anything with me.”
Francie’s gaze veers to her husband again. Their smiles falter.
Jack looks my way. “He doesn’t like to talk about it.” He shrugs as though it’s understandable.
“It’s really none of my business.” I shove my hands deeper into the pocket of my sweatshirt. I notice that the guy next to me is in a long-sleeve Henley. Does blood really thicken depending on where you live? Is that an actual thing?
“It’s not that he’s sad. I mean, he is, they were his parents, but…”
Francie continues where Jack left off. “This whole town puts Austin on a pedestal for what he did, and although there are men who would love that, Austin isn’t one of them.”
The crowd’s sudden cheering interrupts us, and my eyes shift to the street, where the high school band marches by, playing a song I’m not familiar with.
“What song is that?” I ask.
Francie leans in. “‘Sea of Love’ by The Honeydrippers. It was Austin’s parents’ wedding song. The high school does it every year in tribute to them.”
Jack tightens his hold on Francie, and they sway with the melody. My eyes scan the other side of the street. Everyone has their arms linked and are swaying back and forth.
The band passes by, and a voice sings along with them. Either
Phoenix or Sedona is on the top tier of the upcoming float, wearing a beautiful maroon dress that has multiple layers flaring out from the waist. Her hair is curled and loosely pinned back.
“She has such a beautiful voice,” Francie says.
“Is that…?”
“Phoenix. She’s always had a voice like that. Like the voice of an angel.” Jack smiles, his eyes fixed on Phoenix.
I agree—I can hardly stop admiring her or her voice.
A couple in a wedding dress and a tuxedo dance along the bottom tier of the float, giving the impression that it’s a wedding. Melancholy surrounds me as everyone focuses on them. Conversations stop to give their respect to a couple who clearly meant a lot to this town. Tears fill my eyes, and Francie links her arm with mine, as does the stranger on the other side of me.
It’s the most beautiful thing I’ve ever witnessed.
The song ends but starts up again as the float and the band head around the corner.
“How does she sing that over and over again and not cry?” I ask. I suck in a breath and compose myself as the mood shifts with the next spectacle.
The bystanders unhook their arms and clap as a line of muscle cars take over the scene. They’re all driven by men, with the logo of the tattoo place I walk past on my way to the diner every day on magnets on the sides of the cars.
“Now this is new.” Francie claps as “Born in the USA” by Bruce Springsteen blares from the backseat of the first car, which is driven by a muscular, tattooed man.
A group of girls and guys walk along the edge of the crowd, handing out small American flags while everyone sings along.
“Figures. Liam knows exactly how to get the crowd going after Phoenix’s song.” Jack raises his hand. “Liam!”
The guy in the first car raises his fist and honks his horn. Francie and I wave our flags high, singing along with the rest of Lake Starlight.
“Told you, you couldn’t miss the parade,” she leans over and says. “Be careful, this town has a way of sucking people in.” She smiles and knocks shoulders with me.
I definitely understand the appeal, though I’ll keep that fact to myself.
“Here they come!” Francie screams.