Kissing Trouble

by Morgana Phoenix

  “What are we doing today?” Rick asked, as he sat kicking his legs under the table.

  In the process of raising her coffee to her lips, Julie paused, her mind a complete blank. “Uh...”

  “Well, if you guys behave and hold tight for a little while, I was thinking we could hit the carnival. I saw signs for it driving in. It’s opening night.”

  He had the kids at carnival. They practically upended the table in their enthusiasm. Even Dustin’s sullen expression broke with the enormous grin that spread across his face. Julie laughed and watched as they shoved down their meals and hurried from the room to get ready.

  “Do you think that’s a good idea?” she asked once she was alone with Mason.

  Mason shrugged. “Why not? It’ll get the kids out of the house and keep them quiet for a few hours.”

  Julie had to agree that it had been a good idea. There wasn’t a peep out of the kids the entire day. Even Rick and Wendy, who were notorious for their screaming matches, played quietly in the yard with Mason, shooting hoops and chasing each other around the pool. Dustin, after finishing his breakfast, left his plate on the table and wandered off to flop down alongside Shaun on the sofa. Julie was scrubbing egg and leftover bacon off the plates when Luis padded into the room. He made himself a bowl of cereal and ate it at the counter as Julie did the dishes. When he finished, he rinsed out his own bowl and asked if she needed help before leaving her alone to join Shaun and Dustin in the sitting room.

  Julie finished in the kitchen and did a quick sweep of the rest of the house, making beds and running a quick vacuum and mop over the floor. Mindless cleaning had always helped keep her mind off her troubles, except this time. Thoughts kept bouncing off the walls of her skull and it all revolved around her decision to be in that place. She should have told Maureen no. She should have just accepted the offer to take the kids to Disneyland instead. But no. She hadn’t thought she was capable of handling three energetic miniature-sized humans for a solid month at an amusement park. Somehow, now that she was faced with Mason and some psycho nutcase, Disneyland sounded like a fantastic idea.

  It was two in the afternoon when Maureen called to talk to the kids. Wendy wasted no time telling her mom about Mason’s promise to take them to the carnival if they were good. Even from a distance, Julie could hear Maureen’s false excitement as she cheered at the news. It made Wendy laugh and bounce around the kitchen as she chattered on about the couple of days they’d had. By the time Julie got a hold of the phone, after it had been passed from Wendy to Rick and Dustin, patience was running thin in Maureen’s voice. She could almost hear the rattle of pills as Maureen staved off one of her many migraines with valium, or aspirin, or whatever the choice of numbing agent was that week.

  “Are you sure it’s safe?” Maureen asked once she had dosed herself properly.

  “Yes,” Julie assured her. “There are four adults and three kids. I think we can keep an eye on them. How are you?”

  Maureen blew heavily into the receiver. The sound reminded Julie of wind blowing through an open car window while driving down the highway.

  “Exhausted. I spent most of last night talking to my lawyer and then the rest of it tossing and turning. Susan, my lawyer, swears we have a solid case against him, but it is going to be a long, messy road. Dean’s pulling out all the dirty stops. He’s bringing up stuff that I did in college. Can you believe it?”

  “No, I—”

  Maureen kept talking. “It’s ridiculous. I’m the one the kids should be with. I do everything for them.”

  Julie said nothing, not sure what to say.

  “So have you and Mason solved your problem?” Maureen asked.

  “Oh, yeah, we’re good,” Julie assured her, not wanting to burden her even further.

  “I knew you would be. Mason is just wonderful.”

  What was she supposed to say to that? So she said nothing.

  “Have there been any incidents?”

  Julie considered not telling Maureen about the incident the night before, but years of babysitting had taught her one thing—never lie to the parents. It never ended well.

  “There was one.”

  She told Maureen about the kittens and how the sheriff had behaved and all the things Mason had told her. By the time she finished, Maureen was spitting mad.

  “I never liked that sniveling worm,” she hissed. “Errol Reynolds was always a self-serving little shit.”

  “But is it true?” Julie asked.

  “Julie, listen, the things Mason did, yeah, they were really stupid, but he was young and he was stupid. He paid for his crimes. He straightened out his life. He’s a good man now and that’s what matters. We all learn from the crap we did when we were young, right? Anyway, that asshole should have looked into the matter instead of sitting on his thumb.”

  “He seemed positive that Mason and Shaun were responsible.”

  “Of course he was,” Maureen muttered. “It means he doesn’t have to do his job. The lazy fuck. I know when Roger and I would take the kids up, back when Dustin was Wendy’s age, there was always that one kid high on bravery who would do something stupid like throw eggs at the house or key the cars. But Mason’s right, after a day or two, they always stop.”

  “So you’re okay with us staying?” Julie wondered. “I don’t mind bringing the kids back.”

  “No, no, it’s fine. I should have forewarned you beforehand, but I always forget about that part.”

  Typical Maureen, Julie thought with a stressed shake of her head. The woman never remembered anything important, not unless it involved her directly. Having dead animals thrown on your porch was something Julie would most certainly not forget, especially when she was insuring the safety of her children to someone who wasn’t properly warned. But then again, that was also typical Maureen.

  “I should go make sure the kids are ready for our outing. Did you want to talk to any of them again before I let you go?”

  “No, no, I think they’ve told me all they can for one day. I’ll call again tomorrow. Have fun and be safe.”

  She hung up before Julie could even open her mouth to say goodbye.

  “Everything okay?” Mason asked when Julie set the phone down.

  “Yeah, everything’s fine.”

  “Great.” He grinned and clapped his hands together once before rubbing them in a very insect-like manner. “Ready for some fun?”

  Despite the tension in her gut, Julie couldn’t help but laugh at the wicked grin on his face. “As I’ll ever be.”

  It took less than twenty minutes to get the kids packed and strapped into Julie’s car. Dustin opted to go with Mason, leaving plenty of room in her backseat for Wendy and Rick. The air was white hot with excitement. The kids were practically euphoric throughout most of the trip into town. They chattered on about all the rides they were going to go on and all the cotton candy they were going to eat. It got loud a few times, but Julie would take their happy babbling over their arguing any day.

  Night was creeping across the sky, dosing the pale gold smear left behind by the fading sun. Cool air swept through the open windows, filling the car with the crisp scent of pine and night. It felt amazing stinging Julie’s cheeks and blowing her hair back from her face. She would have closed her eyes, had she not been driving.

  A safe distance ahead, Mason’s Dodge Ford taillights spilled pools of crimson across the wet pavement. On either side, trees became dark silhouettes that stretched on for miles until it was broken by the first shop into town.

  Mason followed the neatly kept roads and passed rows of country styled buildings. People darted from store to store like it was the night before Christmas and no one had done any of their shopping. Julie had to keep one foot over the brake at all times as she maneuvered the crowd with a tight knuckled grip around the wheel.

  “What the heck is going on?” she muttered to herself as she slowed to allow a couple the chance to dart in front of her.

  They waved, laug
hing as they sprinted across the road.

  “It’s like this all the time,” Rick announced from the backseat.

  “Not all the time, stupid!” Wendy argued. “It’s the festival weekend,” she said. “Mom and Dad used to take us all the time.”

  “So you guys have been to this carnival before?”

  She saw Wendy and Rick bob their heads in the rearview mirror.

  “My favorite is the bonfire!” Wendy announced. “We get to stay up late and roast marshmallows until the fire dies.”

  “The bonfire?”

  Julie made a mental note to ask Mason about all the other festivities taking place in the next four weeks. The last thing she wanted was to make the kids stick around the cabin all summer, doing nothing but swim and run around. New activities once in a while sounded nice.

  “It’s on the beach!” Rick said.

  “The lake!” Wendy corrected. “And the whole town comes and they build this giant fire by burning tons of old furniture and stuff. It’s really fun.”

  Julie huh’d. “We’ll have to check it out,” she said.

  Wendy clapped excitedly.

  It seemed like forever before they pulled away from the bustle of the main road and headed further out of Salmon Cove. Julie was beginning to wonder if they were headed back to Alberta, when Mason turned off the highway and pitched headlong down a dirt path that forked off. The darkness was thicker and the road thinner, not nearly big enough for the two-way pass that it was. Julie prayed to god no one was headed towards them going in the opposite direction. She wasn’t sure she had enough room along the shoulder to allow them to pass.

  Eventually, after nearly six miles, the road yawned and widened. The trees thinned until they were sparsely placed and finally stopped altogether as a clearing came into view.

  They saw the halo of light first, spreading into the navy blue sky like the approach of dawn. The tinkling sound of music came next. Then she saw it, the glittering top of a Ferris wheel peeking out from over a small cluster of trees. A long row of cars curved up the road ahead, creating a line that seemed endless as Mason rolled to a halt, forcing Julie to do the same.

  “Guys?” Julie called into the backseat. “We need to set down some rules before we get there, okay?”

  Groans followed her statement, making her grin.

  “First, you stay with me at all times. You don’t go anywhere without me. You stay where I can see you and you can see me. Don’t talk to anyone you don’t—”

  “We know all this, Julie!” Wendy whined. “We’re not babies.”

  “No, you’re not, but I just want to refresh your memories.”

  “Are we there yet?” Rick piped in, craning his neck to look out the window.

  “Okay, guys, for real now, I need you to stay with me at all times, okay?”

  “We know!” Wendy whined, bouncing in her seat.

  Julie didn’t push the matter, because it was becoming a task to navigate as they finally reached the parking gates.

  Cars and people filled every square inch and Julie began to have doubts about agreeing to go. Every so often, she had to hit the brakes as some kid darted into the middle of the road. Her fingers ached. She was sure the steering wheel would forever hold the imprint of her grip. She had one foot hovered over the brake and she was leaning so far over the wheel, her face was nearly brushing the windshield.

  Ahead of her, like a shark through a school of fish, Mason’s truck rolled through the crowd. The back lights flicked on every so often, warning her to halt as well. So it was a surprise when he suddenly shot forward and slammed on the brakes a second later. A horn shrieked in the night and Julie was sure he’d hit someone. She was about to jump out when he stuck his head out his window and waved her onward. Bemused, she watched as he inched forward, revealing a parking spot on his left. He pointed to it.

  “Get in!” he shouted over the noise.

  Highly relieved that she would finally be out of that rat race, Julie pulled into the spot and cut the engine. She pocketed the keys and slipped out. Mason was still there, blocking traffic.

  “Thank you!” she called.

  Through the window, he waved. “I’m going to find a spot and meet you at the front gates.”

  She raised an arm that she understood and watched as he swerved around a small compact and a very irate little man who shook his fist at the back of Mason’s four by four. Julie winced as she realized what Mason had done; he had blocked the man from taking the spot so Julie could have it. As touched as she was, she contemplated pulling out and letting the man have it. Then she thought better of it. No way was she getting back in that mess. Even she wasn’t that noble.

  Helping Wendy and Rick out of the car, she took each of their hands and led them quickly, but safely to the metal arch opening a path to the park. She propelled them off to the side, under the shaded arches of a swaying oak tree and away from the rush of traffic as people shoved their way into the park like there was a free for all going on inside.

  “They’re taking forever!” Wendy whined, sagging against Julie’s hip.

  “There’s a lot of people,” she told the younger girl. “They’re probably still looking for a spot.”

  They must have parked somewhere at the far back, because it took them twenty minutes to reach Julie and the kids. Relief must have shown on her face, because Mason flashed her a grin.

  “Miss me?”

  Julie chose to ignore that. “Everything okay?”

  He nodded. “Had to park at the other end. This place is a zoo!”

  Julie cringed inwardly at the thought of still being in that jungle, circling like vultures on a carcass.

  “Thank you for finding me that spot,” she said as they started for the ticket booth. “But you shouldn’t have cut that man off.”

  Mason shrugged. “He had a tiny car and he was one person. Finding another spot and walking up wouldn’t have killed him.”

  Julie pressed her lips together. “It wasn’t very nice.”

  His eyes glinted a near black in the semi darkness, but even then, the amusement was almost blinding. “And yet you didn’t give it back.”

  Biting her lip when they threatened to twitch, Julie turned her head away. “You’re a bad influence.”

  “You have no idea.”

  The lineup for the ticket booth was like waiting for the women’s bathroom during a Boxing Day sale at the mall. Shaun and Luis took the kids and moved to a souvenir stand, rescuing Julie from a parade of are we there yet?, How much longer?, and I have to pee while she stood in line for wristbands. Mason stayed with her, hands in his pocket, gaze surveying every passing face like he was expecting someone. A few people, Julie noticed, eyed him back, none of the glances flattering. The very bold actually pointed and whispered to whoever was with them. Mason was like the town celebrity, but not in a good way.

  “You weren’t kidding,” she mumbled, fiddling with the strap of her purse.

  “Nope.” He smirked a little at an older couple that stepped past, both glowering at Mason as though he were the antichrist. “Salmon Cove never forgets.”

  “So what did you do exactly?” she wondered.

  He tipped his head slightly towards her. “Which time?"

  Julie chuckled. “In general.” She faced him fully. “What’s the worst thing you’ve ever done?”

  “The worst?” He drew his lip between his teeth and scratched the stubble on his chin.

  “Was that too personal?” she asked.

  Mason shook his head. “No. I’m not proud of the things I’ve done, but I don’t hide it either. The worst thing I think is the time I broke into the high school.”

  “You broke into a school?”

  The horror and outrage must have shown in her face and in her voice, because he chuckled. “It was on a dare,” he justified. “Shaun and I were running with this group of kids and one of the guys dared Shaun to get into the school and change a few things around.”

  “Change
a few things around?”

  “Yeah.” He gestured absently with his hand, like he was moving invisible chess pieces on a board. “We took the gym equipment and put it in the music room and the musical instruments went in the art room. Things like that. We also moved a few of the teacher’s desks and put them in the cafeteria.”

  Julie eyed him. “And that’s the worst thing you’ve ever done?”

  Mason shrugged. “Maybe not, but it was the most elaborate and the one we got the most grief for.”

  She shook her head. “I can only imagine.”

  The line shuffled and they moved forward a few steps.

  “What about you?” he asked. “What’s the worst thing you’ve ever done?”

  It wasn’t a question she’d ever gotten before and she had to really wrack her brain to think of something. By no means was she a saint, but she just never had time to do anything bad, or saw the reason to.

  “I’m a little concerned that you have to think about it,” he teased. “Either you’re not as innocent as you look, or I’m going to have a lot of fun corrupting you.”

  Julie scowled up at him. “I don’t need help being corrupted. I’ve done loads of bad things.”

  The soft leather of his jacket rustled as he folded his arms. “Like?”

  “Well, I...” She furrowed her brow and pinched her lips, thinking hard. “Oh!” Her face lit up as it finally came to her. “I got one. You know Mr. Talbot from down the block?”

  Mason nodded. “The grumpy asshole. Yeah, I know him.”

  Julie pursed her lips at his name calling, but continued. “Well, you know his Pomeranian, Miss Teacup? I used to walk her every day for five bucks. Anyway, I loved her. She was adorable, but he was just...”

  “An asshole?” he prompted.

  “Stop that!” she scolded without heat. “So every time I would bring Miss Teacup home, he would snap at me that I wasn’t gone long enough, or I that I was gone too long, or I wasn’t holding the leash properly, or something else. There was always something I wasn’t doing right. So one day when he called me to take her, I told him I was sick.”