by T M Morris
Dusty’s fist came up and connected with Willy’s jaw. Gasps rose from the women standing nearby. The men waited to see what would happen next. Willy stumbled back a couple of steps rubbing his jaw.
“That was stupid Dusty.” Willy lunged toward him, and he deftly stepped out of his way at the last second allowing Willy’s forward momentum and lack of balance to send him sprawling to the floor. The music stopped. He was up in half a heartbeat and charging toward Dusty once more. Unfortunately for Willy, the sheriff, who had been dancing with his wife, grabbed him by the collar and jerked. This time, Willy’s momentum had the effect of knocking his feet out from under him.
“Willy Pruitt, are you causing trouble again?” Sheriff Milford Halfacre drawled. “Miss Lilly, are you okay?”
“Yes, sir. Thank you.” She nodded slowly.
“How’s your hand, doc? You didn’t break it on Willy, did you? He’s got the hardest head in the county.” Milford gave Willy a shake.
“No sir, I’m fine. Thank you.” Dusty rubbed his bruising knuckles relieved he didn’t break his hand.
Sheriff Halfacre nodded solemnly. “Now I should charge you both for assault, but seeing as how I don’t want to stop dancing with my lovely wife, I’ll settle for y’all leaving peacefully and going your separate ways. I know I can count on you Dusty but Willy I’m not so sure about you. Can I let you go without you causing any more trouble?”
Willy sullenly agreed. “Yeah. All I wanted was to dance one dance with Lilly. That’s all.”
The sheriff nodded. “I saw it all Willy. She didn’t want to dance with you, and you weren’t going to take no for an answer, so Dusty stepped in. You better steer clear of them, you hear?”
Willy glared at him. “Yes, sir.”
“All right, then. Y’all best get going.” Sheriff Halfacre motioned to one of his deputies. “Make sure Willy gets home okay. He’s lit.”
Dusty and Lilly watched the deputy walk out with Willy in tow. He raised his voice so everyone could hear. “Sorry to ruin your evening folks. I hope y’all can salvage some of it.”
Some of those who were close by told him not to worry about it. Sheriff Halfacre nodded at Dusty. “Y’all be careful going home. Lilly, how’s your mama?”
Lilly’s smiled. “Thanks for asking, sir. She’s still in the hospital. We’re waiting on the results of my DNA test. Pray that I’m a match so she can get the bone marrow transplant.”
He nodded in understanding. “We will. Your mama is a fine woman.”
“Yes sir, thank you.”
He nodded again as he took hold of his wife’s hand. “Get her home safely, Dusty,” he raised his voice and continued, “Let’s get back to dancing. Jasper, fire up that fiddle of yours.”
The band began to play a fact paced two-step as Dusty placed his hand on the small of her back and led Lilly to the door. Once outside in the relative quiet, he cleared his throat. “I’m sorry Lilly.”
“For what? I didn’t want to dance with him, and it was obvious he wasn’t going to take no for an answer. You did what you thought was necessary.”
He opened the passenger door for her and helped her up into the truck cab. “All the same, I probably could have handled it better. I didn’t need to interrupt Milford’s dancing with his wife or Calvin’s night by having to make sure Willy gets home. Making a scene like that, embarrassing you, I should be ashamed of myself. I’m thirty years old. I have a veterinary practice that I’m trying to build. Almost every one of my clients was in there. What was I thinking?”
Lilly placed her small hand on his forearm. “You were thinking of protecting me, and I appreciate it. I’m sure every woman in there thought you did the right thing. Probably every man in there would have done the same thing for the one they brought to the dance. After all, aren’t you supposed to dance with the one that ‘brung’ ya?”
He smiled. “You sure are a lot of trouble. Your brother is going to owe me big if he ever comes home from the military.” He closed the door and walked around the front of the truck.
As soon as he opened his door, Lilly assaulted him with questions. “What do you mean he’s going to owe you? What you mean if he comes back? Do you know something I don’t? Is he okay?”
“Slow down, Lillian, I—“
“Don’t call me that.”
“It’s your name.”
“I don’t care. Don’t call me that.”
“Fine.”
“Answer my questions.”
“I was trying to until you got your panties all in a bunch about me calling you by your given name. I think it’s a pretty name, personally.”
“Erik. What about Erik? Why would he not come home?”
Dusty sighed. “I don’t know. I ask him every time I talk to him if he plans on getting out anytime soon and he says no. I ask if he thinks he’ll come home when he does get out, and he says he doesn’t know. I ask him why he doesn’t know and he asks me if Beth is still in town. I say yes, and he says he doesn’t know.”
“Wow. Was Beth and Erik’s breakup that bad?”
“I was in school, so I don’t know.”
“She must have been able to move on. She has a beautiful little boy.”
“No, and yes she does.”
“I don’t understand.”
“I’m not supposed to know anything.”
“What?” Lilly’s brow crinkled in confusion.
“Erik and Beth broke up just days before he left for the army. Luke was born eight months later. You do the math. I don’t think anyone knows for sure but Beth. No one talks about it, except the gossips and they don’t even mention Erik.”
“What do they say?”
Dusty revved the engine to life and put it in gear. “Oh, you know, every ugly thing you can imagine. I’ve heard them say she high tailed it off to college as soon as Erik left and fell into partying and got roofied. That’s the nicest one. Can we talk about something else?”
“You never asked her?”
He cleared his throat. “No. It’s none of my business. I help Beth because I think it’s the right thing to do. The boy needs a man in his life. If Erik is his father, I’m his Godfather, albeit self-appointed. If someone else is his father, he doesn’t know what he’s missing. Luke is an awesome kid.”
“Neither Mom nor Dad knows?”
“How would I know what they know?” He glanced at her in the dimness.
“I’m just asking. Should I ask them?”
“Are you insane?” He blasted her. “I never said Luke is Erik’s son. Don’t go saying anything to anyone, not even Beth.”
“I can’t believe my best friend had a child I didn’t even know about, and he might even be my nephew.”
“Lilly.” Dusty’s voice held a warning.
“I know. I need to forget you said anything. It’s awfully nice of you to stand in the gap.”
“Hmm. Let’s talk about something else. How long before you can expect the DNA results to come back?”
“It shouldn’t be too much longer. The doctor told me it wouldn’t take more than a couple of weeks. But, then I have to pass a bunch of other tests to prove I’m healthy enough to donate.”
They were driving toward the Tasty Freeze the one drive-in restaurant in Rebel Creek. “Would you like to get something to eat since we didn’t even get to the refreshments table?”
“Yes. I’m starving. I haven’t had a decent milkshake since I left.” Lilly sat up straighter in her seat.
Dusty laughed as he turned into the parking lot. “I apologize for not remedying that before now. Let’s see. I’m trying to remember. You always used to get the chocolate peanut butter one with a squirt of butterscotch, right?”
“How can you remember that?” She looked at him with surprise.
“Believe it or not, Lilly, I remember a lot about you.” He returned her gaze with one that gave her pause.
“We did have to spend a lot of time together since our best friends dated. You know, he wa
s the reason she came home from New York before school started. She missed him so much it affected her performance.” Lilly sighed.
Dusty noted the sadness tinging the edges of her voice. “You missed her after she left didn’t you?”
She waited until he’d placed their order into the speaker before answering. “Yeah. I missed her. I also envied her for being able to come back home. I would have come home too, but Dad said I wouldn’t be welcome. He said that once I walked out the door for New York, I would be dead to him. I guess I owe my success to him. If I had the option of coming home when Beth did, I never would have been a model. I wouldn’t have attained my dream. If I hadn’t attained my dream, I would have been made to sit at that table with Maeve McHenry, drunk off my butt and embarrassing myself. Not that she’ll remember any of it in the morning.”
“So what will you do now?”
“I don’t know. I haven’t thought much about it since you crashed my party. Right now I’m concentrating on giving Mama some marrow. After that, I don’t know where I’ll go or what I’ll do.” She sniffed and rubbed her nose. “Ragweed,” she muttered trying to hide the real reason for her sniffling.
Dusty paid for their food and handed over her order before he spoke. “When you do start thinking about it I hope you decide to stay here.”
She had her mouth full of a bite of cheeseburger and nearly choked. When she was able to speak she croaked, “Why on earth would I stay here?”
Avoiding her gaze, he shoved a tater-tot into his mouth, chewed, and swallowed, she said, “I don’t know. I guess I thought you’d come home for good. I guess I was wrong.”
She studied him for several French fries. “I haven’t thought about it yet. I don’t know what I’m going to do.”
Chapter Nine
Lilly unlocked the door as quietly as she could. It wasn't late by any means at least not by New York standards. But this was Rebel Creek Tennessee, and Otter went to bed early. She gently closed the door and light-footed across the kitchen and up the stairs. As she passed down the hall, she noticed her parent’s bedroom door stood open. She peeked in to see if he was sleeping. No one was there. The bed was perfectly made. That's odd, she thought.
She turned and walked to the bathroom which was also unoccupied. She scratched her head. Pulling out her cell phone, she called his number and waited for an answer which didn't come. Three more times she tried, and each time it went to voicemail after ringing several times.
Frustration mounting she gave up and called the hospital and asked for the nurse’s station on her mother's floor. She didn't want to disturb her parents if they were sleeping. Otter did stay at the hospital a couple of nights a week, and she wondered if he had decided to stay. "Hello, this is Lilly Caldwell. Did my dad happen to decide to stay there tonight?"
"He's not been here today at all, and Miss Addie is beside herself with worry. When you hear from him, he needs to call her. She won't go to sleep."
"Thanks. I'll tell Dad." Lilly hung up the phone and tried her dad's cell once more. Nothing. "Where is he?"
She went back downstairs and out onto the porch and hollered for him. No response, so he wasn't nearby. She decided to go to the barn. Since the full moon was hiding behind the thick clouds, she turned back and went into the house to get a flashlight first. She also grabbed a thicker coat. The one she left the house in earlier in the day was sufficient for warmer daytime temperatures but when the sun set the temperature plummeted.
She locked the door behind her and trudged the long track to the barn. How many times had she walked this road? Too many to count.
As she neared the barn, her concern grew. Not one beam of light peeked through the gaps in the wood. She pulled open the door. The interior was darker than pitch. She couldn't see anything beyond the confines of the flashlight’s beam. One of the horses whinnied. "Hush. I'll turn on the lights in a second. Just as soon as I find the switch. There it is." The interior of the barn filled slowly with light as the old fluorescent bulbs came to life.
Lilly went down the aisle checking each stall for an occupant and rubbing their velvety noses and whispering endearments. She reached the end knowing full well Otter was not out on one of the horses. She went into the tack room and grabbed enough sugar cubes to give some to everyone on her way out. Having spent far too long in the barn, she called out to the horses a goodnight and flicked the lights off. The same horse that had whinnied a greeting whinnied goodbye. She smiled as she closed the door. She had missed them while in New York.
She paused outside the closed barn door. Where could her dad be?
Lilly strode back to the house passing by the carport she saw two trucks and one car. All the vehicles were there. She hadn't checked the workshop. Her flashlight beam swayed and bounced as she stumbled over the uneven ground between the house and the workshop. She arrived to find the door ajar. She wished she'd thought to get a sidearm before she left the house. What was she thinking? If anything she might need it against a coyote.
She pulled the door open wider and swept the blackness with the light. One of the ATV’s was missing. Ok. So he was somewhere out there in the dark on the ATV. The question was where.
How do you find one middle-aged man on an ATV on a hilly property about the size of Central Park? She pulled her cell phone from her back pocket. "Dusty? I need your help. I can't find Dad. He hasn't been to the hospital at all today. He's not in the house, the barn or the workshop. One of the four-wheelers is missing, and he's not answering his phone."
"Slow down Lilly. One more time, Otter is missing?"
"Aren't you listening?" Her agitation was rising. "He's nowhere close. He's not been to see Mom. She's upset and won't sleep. That's what the nurse said."
"Okay. I'm turning around. I'll be there in about twenty minutes. I'll call the sheriff too. I think I'll make more sense."
"I'm not making sense?"
"Not much. I'll be there shortly. Get out a couple of the four wheelers, some food, water, and some blankets. Get a couple of rifles too. Don't forget ammo."
"Seriously? You think I'd forget the ammo?"
"Well, you're agitated. I’d say on the verge of hysteria. You might not be thinking too clearly. Calm down, get together the supplies and wait for me."
"Do you want me to boil water, too?"
His rich laughter filled her ear. "Not unless it'll make you feel better. Let me call the sheriff. Bye."
"Bye." Her cell went dead. Shoving it into her pocket, she got to work.
Lilly was carrying two rifles along with two boxes of cartridges out of the house when Sheriff Milford Halfacre stopped his truck behind the four wheelers. She stopped at the top step. “Sheriff, I see Dusty called you. I hope we aren’t further interrupting you date with Miss Nell.”
“Naw, Lilly. Nell and I had just sat down at the kitchen table for a little Bible reading and prayer before bed. She said to tell you she’s praying that we find Otter in one piece. Here, let me help you with those.” He walked up to the bottom step and took the guns from her shoulder.
“Thank you. The thing is I have no idea where Dad may be. He doesn’t talk to me. He’s still mad at me for leaving home when I did.” She half lied. It was true her father didn’t talk to her, but his reasons were unknown to her, and it went back as far as she could remember. She stepped off the porch and walked with him to the ATV.
“I guess when everyone gets here we’ll have to formulate a plan.” He sheathed each rifle in the on board holster on the side of each machine. “Here comes someone now. It’s probably Dusty.”
“How many people are coming?”
“Oh, I expect most everyone on this side of the county will send someone over. I hit the ‘phone-tree’ after I got off the phone with Dusty.” Sheriff Halfacre pushed his baseball cap back and scratched his forehead. “It’s a good thing the weather hasn’t turned off too cold just yet. He’s at enough risk of exposure to the temperature cool as it is.”
“We need to hurry. I
have no idea how long Dad’s been out there. I haven’t seen him since this morning around eleven or twelve.” Lilly shielded her eyes against the headlights of what sounded like Dusty’s truck.
The engine shut off, and Dusty bounded from the cab. “Sheriff glad you’re here. Lilly.” He nodded to her.
Sheriff Halfacre shook Dusty’s extended hand and squeezed it firmly. When Dusty winced, he chuckled. “Hurt your hand earlier, did you? Shouldn’t waste good punches on sorry targets, son.”
“Yes, sir. I’m sorry, but I had a good reason. He—“
“I don’t want to hear about it, Dusty.” The sheriff waved his hand as if to shoo a fly away. “It’s over. I’m glad you didn’t break your hand. It would have been a shame if you had.”
“Yes, sir. Thank you.” Dusty turned to Lilly. “How are you holding up?”
“I’m fine. We need to get out there and find Dad.” Lilly snapped as she began to pace around the small side yard. “We can’t wait much longer for everyone to show up.”
As if on cue, the long driveway began to look like a long double strand string of brilliant diamonds as pairs of headlights followed one another toward the house. Dusty nodded toward the procession. “Looks like we won’t have to wait any longer. Sheriff? Will we have any assistance from the sky?”
Sheriff Halfacre spat on the ground before answering sourly. “Not until daylight unless we need life flight before then. Only have the one life flight chopper in business right now. Our other one is out for service.”
The first few vehicles had pulled off the drive and were parked. Some began unloading and saddling their horses and others began to unload ATV’s off trailers. Everyone assembled around the sheriff. He told them his plan. “All right everyone. Otter’s gone missing. We aren’t sure how long he’s been missing. No one has seen him since around noon. I need everyone to pair up and head out roughly on a compass point. Since dawn is still a few of hours away, it’s going to be a real slow search. Hopefully, he ain’t too far from the house. Does everyone have a cell phone?” He waited for a show of hands. “Good. If you come upon him, call me. Everyone’s got my number, right?”