“Sam’s guys ran a trencher across the driveway here.” James pointed to the gravel. “All the way to that tree, where those raspberries are. Hidden in there is a box with batteries that power the magnetic sensor under the driveway. So if a car pulls into the driveway in the middle of the night, we’ll know it.”
“Detection,” Brittany mumbled to herself.
He led Brittany near the front porch, keeping their distance from the workers. A stocky man held up black steel burglar bars over the window as another man installed the lag bolts.
“The windows are being coated with a special thick plastic that, even if you break the glass, it’ll still hold together. I saw videos on the stuff. It takes a long time to break through it. Then we have the bars on the windows too. That guy there”—James pointed to the pudgy man measuring and then attaching metal brackets to the door frame—“he’s beefing up the door frame. Most home invasions come right through the front door. It’s actually really easy to kick in a door, but it isn’t the door that breaks. It’s the hinges or the frame. Those metal brackets solve that problem.”
“Barricade.” She nodded, her blue eyes wide.
“I also have a couple motion sensors to install. I’m trying to figure out a way to mount them so they’re hard to see, but they’ll detect anyone near the front or back door. My only concern is the sensor tripping every time an animal walks by in the middle of the night. I’m thinking that, if I can set it up so it only trips for tall things, it might work okay.”
“I didn’t realize you were gonna do so much. All this seems really expensive. I can give you my money to help out.” She bit her lower lip. “I mean, this is my fault you’re doin’ all this. If you never helped me—”
“This is Harold’s fault, not yours. Besides this security stuff’s not that expensive. The septic and the plumbing put a dent in my savings. That has nothing to do with you either. I should have bought a place with indoor plumbing anyway. It was stupid of me to think I could live up here in the woods like a mountainman.”
* * *
James paced. Brittany sat at the kitchen table, working on his laptop. Flurries fell on the frozen ground. Wood burned in the fireplace insert. A tiny artificial Christmas tree sat on top of the storage cubbies. A small bathroom and shower now occupied the corner. She looked up from the laptop. James checked the time on his phone.
“You look stressed,” she said.
“I am.” He scowled. “I’m tired of waiting. I want to get this over with.”
“I just try to concentrate on something else.”
He nodded and shoved his phone in the front pocket of his jeans.
She said, “Maybe they’re not coming because of the snow.”
“It’s flurries. They just want me to sweat.”
A police SUV turned onto the driveway. The black box in the kitchen that looked like an answering machine chimed and said, “Alert zone one. Alert zone one.”
James walked over to the machine and turned it off. He saw Officer Dale Strickland and Chief Wade Strickland marching toward the porch in puffy police jackets. James opened the door before they had a chance to knock. He hated how the police banged on the door when a polite knock would suffice. James greeted them and invited them in. They stepped inside without wiping their boots on the Welcome mat. The chief had an expansive glistening forehead, accentuated by his receding hairline. Above his lip was the obligatory copstache. His son was a better-looking version of the old man with an oversize beaklike nose. Both men stole looks at Brittany. She had tunnel vision, avoiding the stress by submerging herself in GED prep.
“You always have those bars?” Officer Strickland asked.
“I just put them in,” James replied.
“Is there a fire code against burglar bars?” the officer asked his father.
The chief nodded. “Yep, you have to be able to get out in the event of a fire.”
“That’s why there’s a quick release on them,” James said. “They’re up to code. I can assure you of that.”
“Let’s see that latrine then,” the chief said.
James showed the officers the small bathroom that featured a toilet, a sink, and a shower stall.
“It’s tight in there,” the chief said.
“We don’t have a lot of space,” James said.
“That’s not such a bad thing,” the chief replied, his eyes darting to Brittany and back to James.
“Do you want to see the drain field?”
“Not necessary. I trust that Sam did what he was supposed to do.”
“I have the permit that says he did, if you want a copy.”
The chief brushed his mustache with his thumb and index finger. “Won’t be necessary.”
“Is that it?” James asked.
“I’ll be checking on you come spring,” Officer Strickland said. “Make sure you’re keepin’ those weeds under control.”
James bit the inside of his cheek. “I’ve already complied. This has cost me a lot of money. I would like you guys to leave me alone now.”
The chief stepped closer to James. Wade spoke casual, relaxed, at a low volume. “I decide if we’re gonna leave you alone. You got me?”
James was silent.
The officers marched to the front door. Officer Dale Strickland flashed a crooked grin on his way out.
The chief stopped at the threshold, the door open, a cold draft blowing in. He said, “Be good now.”
* * *
James sat at his desk, reading on his laptop, the classroom empty.
Canadian Budget Deficit Growing
Illinois Budget: It Is Really, Really Bad
Oil Firms Burdened by Debt
China Increases Gold Reserves
Rail Cargo Declines
China’s Slowdown Hurts California Exports
Brittany walked through the door, her eyes red and puffy. James diverted his attention from the computer.
“Are you okay?”
She nodded as she sat in the student desk across from him. “We talked about you today.”
James raised his eyebrows. “You don’t have to tell me. What you talk about with Diane is between you and her.”
“I know, but she said I should.” She tucked her hair behind her ears.
“Should what?”
“Talk to you about things.”
“Okay.” He shut his laptop.
“She asked me today if you and I have a physical relationship.” She pursed her plump lips.
“What did you tell her?” He leaned forward, his elbows on the desk.
“I told her what you told me about it not bein’ a good idea. She said you were right. That it’s not a good idea. She also said that we can’t live together forever. You might wanna have a girlfriend or get married, and, if I’m here, it might be … a problem. And I want those things too.”
“And how do you feel about that?”
“That’s what she says. How do you feel about this? How do you feel about that?”
“How do you feel about it?”
She took a deep breath. “I don’t like it, but I know it’s true. I feel like I’m holdin’ you back, but I don’t wanna feel like I’m holdin’ you back. Am I? Do you wanna have a girlfriend and get married again?”
He was blank-faced. “Someday, maybe, but I’m not ready for that now. It’s only been a year since … the accident.” He shook his head. “Sometimes I think about how Lori and I were, the first few years of marriage. I guess everyone says the beginning is good, but it was really good. Then it wasn’t. I would give anything for a second chance to make it right.”
She sat, her face cute and buttonlike, her blue eyes popping. She said, “My life would be … I don’t even wanna think about where I would be without you. Maybe you don’t get second chances. Maybe you can only give them.”
* * *
“How long is winter break?” she asked.
James stood at the sink, washing the dishes that Brittany bused.
“It’s a month,” James said, “but I’m teaching a two-week intensive history class, so I’ll only get the next two weeks off. I have to be back at work on the fourth.”
“The diner only gives us Christmas and New Year’s.”
“We’ll have to do something extra nice for Christmas and your birthday. I think we should devote half the day to Christmas and the other half to your birthday. Is there something special that you want to do?”
She shrugged. “I don’t know. It’s up to you.”
He smirked. “It’s not up to me. It’s your birthday. Think about it.”
“Okay.” She began drying and putting away the stack of clean dishes on the counter.
“What about New Year’s? Do you want to go out to dinner or make something nice here?”
She winced. “I’m goin’ out with Jessica and Denise on New Year’s.”
“Of course,” James said with a forced smile. “I forget that you’re almost nineteen.”
“They have a place rented in Philly for the night. There’s some huge party down by the water at this ice skatin’ rink. They already bought the tickets. I was going to mention it earlier, but I …”
“It’s okay. I’m glad that you’re making friends.” James dried his hands on a towel. “You should be spending time with kids your age. It’s pretty expensive on New Year’s. Do you need any money?”
She shook her head. “I already paid them for the ticket, and they’re not chargin’ me for the room, but I have to sleep on the cot—which I really don’t mind anyway. I’d sleep on a cot every night if it saved me a hundred bucks.”
“I’m going to put on my sweats and brush my teeth.” He pulled his shirttail out of his khakis.
“Me too,” she replied.
“Do you want the bathroom first?”
“No, you go ahead.”
James brushed his teeth. He spat and rinsed. He put both hands on the sink and stared in the mirror. He gazed at his face from different angles, his nose always too large and his chin always too small. With his head tilted down, he had the makings of a double chin. He exhaled. Now I’m skinny fat.
He unbuttoned his shirt and replaced it with a sweatshirt. He heard “Alert zone two. Alert zone two.” I need to fix that thing. He sat on the toilet seat cover and removed his dress shoes. Brittany screamed. James burst from the bathroom in stocking feet. She stood in sweatpants, with her arms wrapped around her bare chest.
“He was in the front window,” she said, her eyes wide.
James unlocked the dead bolt and sprinted outside. In the moonlight, he saw a dark form galloping toward the trail. He sprinted after it, his socks immediately soaked from the half inch of snow on the ground. Despite his awkward gait, he gained ground. James tackled the person dressed in black coveralls and a knit hat, just before the trail. There was an audible yelp on impact. James turned over the person. Harold’s eyes were wide. He tried to cover his face with his arms. James pummeled the diminutive man, some punches blocked by his forearms but many connected with his face. His nose and lips ran red.
“James,” Brittany said, grabbing his shoulder.
James stopped, condensation spilling from his mouth. He pushed off Harold as he stood, saying, “Get up.”
Harold staggered to his feet. James grabbed him by the collar of his coveralls and pulled him close. Harold wheezed, and blood dripped from his mouth and nose.
James said, “If I ever see you on my property again, I will fucking kill you. Do you understand me?”
Harold nodded.
“Speak!”
“Yeah, I got it.”
James pointed the man toward the trail, shoved him, and said, “Get the fuck out of here.” Harold stumbled in the right direction.
Chapter 11
Reckoning
James sat at the kitchen table, reading on his laptop. Brittany stirred in the top bunk.
“Good morning, sleepyhead,” James said over his computer screen.
She climbed down from the top bunk in her flannel pajamas. A fire burned in the fireplace insert. She rubbed her eyes, stretched her arms over her head, and sat down across from James.
“You want some breakfast?” James asked. “You must be starving. You slept through dinner last night.”
“I had trouble sleepin’ at the hotel. When we got back, I was exhausted.”
“You have fun?” James asked.
She blushed.
“That good, huh?” James stood from the table. “How about eggs?”
“Scrambled?”
“Coming right up.” James cracked eggs into a bowl. “So how was it?” he said over his shoulder.
She grinned. “It was so much fun. I think I met more people in one night than in my whole life. Jessica and Denise were like the center of everyone.”
James turned around. He held the bowl, scrambling the eggs with a fork. “What did you guys do?”
“We went ice skatin’, dancin’. We hung out.”
James removed a frying pan from the cabinet and set it on the stove top. “With who?”
“Huh?”
James added oil to the pan, turned on the stovetop, and glanced over his shoulder. “Who did you hang out with?”
Brittany’s face turned scarlet. “We met these guys from Temple.”
James grinned as he poured the eggs into the pan. “College guys, huh?”
Brittany smirked. “We were just hangin’ out.”
James sat down across from Brittany, his grin receding. “I think it’s good that you’re spending time with people your age. It’s important. Just be careful.”
Brittany bit the inside of her cheek. “I know.”
“Did you like any of these guys?”
She shrugged, but her face betrayed her.
“Are you going to see him again?” James asked.
“Prob’ly not.” She smiled. “He was really nice though … and cute.”
James smiled. “I’m glad.”
* * *
Brittany piled produce onto the small counter next to the self-checkout area. James typed SKU numbers into the screen and placed a bundle of bananas on the scale. The machine told James to place the bananas in his bag.
“That it?” James asked Brittany.
“Yep.”
James pressed the Pay for My Order button. He slipped a one-hundred-dollar bill into the machine. A ten and a couple ones appeared at the bottom, along with a few coins.
Bundled in heavy jackets and knit hats, James pushed the cart into the salt-stained parking lot while Brittany walked alongside. The gray sky made everything look dingy. Dirty snow was piled up in the back of the lot.
“It’s freezing,” James said.
“I’m not cold.”
James looked at her long puffy Patagonia coat.
“The best birthday present I ever got,” she said.
James grinned, stopping the cart next to his truck. “You mind riding with the groceries?”
Brittany handed bags to James, and he placed them on the middle of the seat and in the passenger wheel well. Brittany climbed into the truck, carefully situating her feet among the groceries. James walked around the back of the truck. A flash of red caught his eye—a red Ford Ranger a couple rows over. A shadowy figure sat in the driver’s seat. The engine fired up, and the high beams flicked on and off, on and off. The truck peeled out of the lot.
James climbed into his truck with a scowl. He cranked the engine and gripped the steering wheel strong enough for his knuckles to go white.
“What’s wrong?” she asked.
James shook his head as he backed out of the space. “Nothing.”
“I know you, James. There’s something you’re not tellin’ me. If you keep things from me, I end up thinkin’ scarier things in my mind.”
James pulled from the parking lot. He exhaled and glanced at Brittany. “I think I saw Harold.”
Her eyes were wide. “When? Where?”
“Right before we pulled
out, after we loaded the groceries. He was a few rows over.” James looked at Brittany. “Are you okay?” He focused back on the road.
“I’m worried,” she said. “Diane said I should be honest about my feelin’s, and I’m really worried.”
James shook his head. “I won’t let him hurt you. He’s just a sick little old man.”
“I’m worried about you. What if he told the chief what you did to him?”
“He won’t. Besides, it’s been weeks. I would have heard by now if he had pressed charges.”
She crossed her arms with a frown.
James glanced at Brittany. “Do you really think he wants to tell his brother that he was beat up by a skinny city boy? He’ll take that to the grave.”
* * *
“What would you like to drink?” the tall waitress asked.
“Iced tea, please,” Brittany replied.
“And for you, sir?”
“I’ll have water,” James said, “but I may want wine with dinner.”
James and Brittany sat at a corner table of a dimly lit restaurant. James wore a dark suit; Brittany, a black dress. If it wasn’t a day for lovers, and if they didn’t look so different, they might have passed for father and daughter.
“How does it feel to be a high school graduate?” James asked.
Brittany looked up from the heart-shaped menu. “It’s only a GED.”
“Don’t do that. Don’t minimize your accomplishments. You’ve come a long way in a short time. It’s only been four months since you started on the GED prep.”
She nodded with a crooked grin. “You sound like Diane.”
The waitress returned with water and iced tea. James ordered fish with white wine—Brittany, the New York strip. After the waitress departed, James raised his water glass.
“I would like to propose a toast to you,” he said. “Congratulations on your high school diploma and your driver’s license. I’m very proud of you.”
Brittany sat in her seat blushing and smiling.
James said, “This is where you pick up your drink, and we clink glasses together.”
Clink.
After dinner, James helped Brittany with her coat. He left cash on the table, and they strolled through the restaurant toward the front door. An elderly couple glared at them.
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