All Shook Up

by Annalisa Daughety

  She shrugged. “Unless you want to come with me to the Orpheum, in which case you can just come and pick me up.”

  Nick couldn’t hide his smile. “That actually sounds fun. My grandmother will be so excited to hear it. She’s a huge Elvis fan.” He laughed. “She says she dated him when she was young, but I’m not sure about that.”

  Suzanne’s laughter joined his. “I can’t begin to tell you how many women come through who have that story.” She shrugged. “Guess you never know.” She stood and grabbed her purse from the back of her chair.

  He started to rise but she held out a hand to stop him.

  “You stay. Finish your barbecue. No reason to walk me out.” She grinned. “Talk to you later.”

  He watched her walk away wondering if Friday night would be a mistake. He enjoyed her company a lot more than he’d expected to.

  And she certainly didn’t fit into his future plans.

  Chapter Six

  Suzanne’s phone buzzed against her desk and she jumped. She’d been so engrossed in an e-mail detailing an upcoming wedding she’d tuned out everything around her. She grabbed the phone and answered.

  “Miss Simpson?” a male voice on the other end of the line asked.

  Suzanne held the phone back and glanced at the Caller ID again. It was a local number, but she didn’t recognize it. “This is Suzanne.”

  “This is Gary Anderson, with the property management company that takes care of your rental house. I was just calling to talk to you about your lease.”

  Suzanne wrinkled her forehead. Her lease wasn’t up for another two months. She planned to stay put for at least another year. “Oh, yes. I’d like to go ahead and renew for another year.”

  Gary cleared his throat. “Actually, that’s not going to be possible. The owner of the home has decided to sell. I was calling to give you a heads up in case you were interested in purchasing it. You have plenty of time to get the mortgage in place. But if not, we’ll need to terminate the lease at the end of October.”

  Suzanne blew out a breath. This wasn’t something she was prepared to deal with right now. Why doesn’t my life ever go like I plan? She’d expected to live in her current home for another year and see if she found a new job by then. If so, then she’d thought she might find a new rental close by. “Thanks for letting me know. I don’t think I’m interested in purchasing. Do you have any other rentals nearby though?” She loved her neighborhood in East Memphis. Starbucks and Target were close by. Her favorite takeout places were right around the corner. The park where she took Charlie to run was just down the street. The thought of leaving it made her sad. But not sad enough to commit to buying.

  “We might have a couple more homes coming up for rent in the next couple of months. As you know, Colonial Acres is a popular area because of the easy proximity to everything, so we don’t have rentals available there very often. I’ll let you know though.”

  “Remember I need a place that will let me have a dog and that comes with a fenced-in yard.” Suzanne didn’t care about the number of bedrooms or bathrooms, or even the age of the home, as long as she was allowed to have Charlie. She’d never understood people who got rid of their dog because they moved into a place where dogs weren’t allowed. She’d never consider moving to a place if Charlie couldn’t come with her.

  “I know one of the homes I’m thinking of has a no pet policy. I’ll have to check on the other one,” Mr. Anderson said.

  “Okay. Thanks again for giving me plenty of notice.” She ended the call and tossed her phone onto her desk. She buried her head in her hands.

  “Problem?” Avis Thomas asked. Avis and Suzanne had started working at Graceland the same week and were what Suzanne always thought of as a classic example of “work friends.” They shared details about their lives, but only up to a point. They might grab lunch but didn’t see each other outside of work. Through the years, Suzanne had acquired a number of “work friends” and had the Christmas card list to prove it. But her closest friends, the ones who knew her well, were few in number.

  “That was my landlord. My house is going up for sale when my lease is up. Which means I’ve got to find a new place to live.” Suzanne sighed. “I hate moving. And packing. And looking at rental houses. Ugh.”

  Avis chuckled. “Girl, I don’t know why you don’t just break down and buy. You like your place, don’t you?”

  Suzanne nodded. “Yeah, but I’m not ready to buy.”

  “I’ll bet your rent is twice what I pay on my mortgage.” Avis shook her head. “Sometimes you’ve got to look at the bigger picture. You like your neighborhood. You’re pouring money down the drain in rent. Not to mention that you’d be building equity.”

  Suzanne made a face. “I just don’t think I want to buy yet. I’m not exactly sure where I want to live. I should probably try out another neighborhood before I do something so drastic.”

  Avis let out a peal of laughter. “Remind me again. How long have you lived in Memphis?”

  “Eleven years.”

  “How many places have you lived in?”

  Suzanne wrinkled her forehead. “Five. Not counting the semester in the dorm.”

  Avis sighed. “So six places in eleven years. And you don’t have any intention of leaving Memphis, do you?”

  Not now, but I like knowing I can pick up and leave whenever I feel like it. “Not anytime soon.”

  “Then maybe you should at least consider it. I promise you, the day I bought my first house was one of the proudest of my life. Second only to being the first in my family to graduate college.” Avis beamed.

  “I’m sure it would be a landmark kind of day. It’s just one that I’m not sure I’m ready for.”

  “Maybe it’s kind of like having kids. If you wait until you’re ready, you’ll never go through with it.”

  “Maybe.” Was Avis right? And Emily? They’d both been encouraging her to consider homeownership. But something about it seemed so final. So settled. Suzanne enjoyed living her life knowing that if it weren’t for Charlie, she could just put her things in storage and bum around Europe for a while. The thought comforted her in some strange way. Because sometimes she looked around at her friends who, the closer they got to thirty, were all starting to couple off and settle down. And quite frankly the thought of saying yes—whether it be to a man or to a home—terrified Suzanne.

  Right to her very core.

  ***

  Nick couldn’t stand to be in his grandmother’s house. Maybe he should check into a hotel. The Peabody was sounding better and better. He armed the alarm and headed out to the car. Way too many family pictures adorned Grandmother’s walls, and Nick couldn’t help but stare at his parents’ faces and wonder if they’d be disappointed in the way he’d turned out.

  He drove aimlessly around Germantown until he ended up on Old Mill Drive. He pulled the car in front of the two-story brick home and killed the engine. The oak tree in front looked bigger than he remembered. But his mom’s rose bushes at the side of the house looked exactly the same. He and Austin used to help her tend to the flowers. They’d water and pull weeds, and she’d laugh and tell them that when they were teenagers they should start their own lawn care business to make extra spending money. And they had, except that it only lasted one summer. Because by the time the next summer rolled around, Nick’s parents and brother were gone.

  A tap on the window made him jump. He glanced up to see an older man peering at him. Nick rolled down the window.

  “You having car trouble, son?” the man asked.

  Nick shook his head. “No sir, I used to live there when I was younger. I guess I just wanted to see the place.”

  The man smiled. “You must be the Taggart boy then? Madelyn Taggart’s grandson?”

  “Yes, sir. That’s me.” His grandmother knew everyone in Germantown.

  “She comes over sometimes when the roses are in bloom and cuts a few to take home. Been doing that ever since I bought the place.” He grinned
. “I’m Thomas St. Claire.”

  The name sounded familiar to Nick. If he remembered correctly, Mr. St. Claire had been an executive for FedEx, but must be retired by now. His grandmother had been pretty picky about who bought the home, but the St. Claire’s had been friends of hers. “Nice to meet you.”

  “How is Madelyn doing? I know she’s been having some health problems.” The elderly man chuckled. “Of course, that’s to be expected once you reach our age.”

  Nick quickly explained that his grandmother was in the hospital, but was expected to be fine after a routine heart surgery.

  Mr. St. Claire’s weathered face grew somber. “Please give her my best. Madelyn has been a good friend to me since my wife passed away a couple of years ago.”

  “I will.”

  The older man gestured at Nick’s childhood home. “Do you want to come in and see the place?”

  Nick bit his bottom lip. Just seeing the outside of the home flooded him with memories of two little boys chasing each other around and playing hide and seek. If he went inside, he couldn’t imagine how he would deal with the pain. “No thanks. Like I said, I was just driving by and thought I’d stop for a minute.”

  Mr. St. Claire smiled knowingly. “You’ve dealt with a tremendous loss, son. If you ever change your mind and want to stop in, you’re welcome to.”

  “Thanks.” Nick watched the elderly man amble toward the house. He shot Nick a wave before he went inside.

  Nick sighed. He’d worked so hard to get away from this place, yet Memphis had always let out a siren call to him. And now that he was here, maybe it was time he face his past and figure out how to move forward. But to what future? Nick had a great life drifting from place to place. But being here and seeing his roots made him long for something more.

  He started the engine and headed out of the neighborhood that had been his home for seventeen years. His phone buzzed, and an unfamiliar Memphis number flashed on the screen. Could be the hospital. He clicked the Speaker button. “Hello?”

  “Nick Taggart. I don’t believe it.” The male voice on the other end sounded familiar but Nick couldn’t place it.

  “Who’s speaking?”

  The man burst out laughing. “Do you remember that night at the drive-in on Summer Avenue when we changed the movie and showed a video of Jennifer Lampton tripping during her sister’s wedding?”

  Nick chuckled. “Ryan Henderson. How in the world are you? And yes, I remember. It took Jennifer two years to forgive us, and even now I halfway expect her to pop up and retaliate because of what she considered the ultimate public humiliation.” He’d had such a crush on Jennifer their sophomore year in high school. She’d attended Hutchison, the all-girls school whose campus had bordered his own school’s campus. In hindsight, pulling such a prank had probably not been the way to win her heart. But it had been pretty funny to see her face as the scene unfolded on the big screen. He and Ryan had been banned from the drive-in for the rest of their high school career.

  “I’m doing well. I thought I’d heard that you were going to be in town and wanted to see if we could get together sometime.”

  “That’d be great.” Ryan had been his best friend from the time they were toddlers. Their losing touch had been Nick’s fault. He’d even bowed out of being best man in Ryan’s wedding after college graduation because he didn’t want to come back to Memphis. He’d used work as an excuse but spent most of the next month bumming around Central America feeling like a jerk.

  “How about Friday? Huey’s?” The popular burger joint was a Memphis institution.

  “I already have plans Friday. How about Saturday?”

  Ryan groaned. “No can do. My youngest is turning three, and we’re having ten pre-schoolers and a bunch of family members over.” He laughed. “Lila would kill me if I went out after the party and left her to clean up and deal with two kids on sugar overload.”

  Nick couldn’t fathom his old buddy as a dad. It didn’t seem like they were old enough for those kinds of responsibilities, but each day brought him closer to thirty. He remembered a time when that had seemed so old. “I wouldn’t want to get you in trouble with the wife. How about Sunday?”

  “Sunday night after church would work. We usually get out around six, but you probably remember that.” Ryan and Nick had grown up going to the same east Memphis church.

  “How about we meet at six thirty? At the Huey’s on Poplar?”

  “See you then.”

  Nick turned the phone off and tossed it in the console. It would be nice to see Ryan again after all these years. They’d certainly had some fun times.

  He merged the car onto the interstate and headed toward the hospital. Grandmother would be pleased that he had plans to see Ryan. And he suspected she’d be equally pleased that he’d stopped by and talked to Mr. St. Claire. She’d been after him to go by the old place ever since he got to town.

  He’d leave out his upcoming date with Suzanne though. No reason to give her hope that he might decide to stay in Memphis for good.

  Because no matter how nice the idea might sound to his grandma, that move wasn’t in the cards for him.

  Chapter Seven

  “I did something crazy today,” Suzanne said into the phone. She’d just gotten into her car after a long day at work and was driving home to get ready for her date with Nick. Or whatever it was. Her outing with Nick? She wasn’t clear if he considered it a date or not.

  “What in the world did you do?” Emily asked. “Because let’s face it, you’re not exactly known for doing crazy things.”

  Suzanne laughed. “Okay. Crazy by my standards, boring to anyone else.” She slowed down for a red light. “I signed up to run in the Elvis Presley 5K tomorrow. I know we aren’t really at that point in our training yet, but it always looks like so much fun.” The 5K had been held for more than twenty-five years, always during Elvis Week. The race started and ended at the gates of Graceland, and thousands of people ran or walked it, many decked out in their best Elvis attire. The proceeds always supported a great cause, and Suzanne had considered signing up for the past few years. And today in a weak moment, she’d registered.

  “I wish I could do it with you, but I have to work late tonight. There’s no way I’ll be able to get up early for a run. But it’s not that crazy. I think you’ll do great.”

  She knew she could count on Emily for a pep talk. It was one reason she’d called. “Are you sure? What if I can’t finish?”

  “Don’t be silly. No one says you have to run the entire time. Jog some and walk some, just like we do at the park. You’ll do great. Besides, aren’t there usually more than a thousand people running?”

  “I think so.”

  “Then there’s no way you’ll be last.” Emily giggled. “Surely in that big of a group there’ll be someone slower than you.”

  Suzanne couldn’t hold back her laughter. “Thanks a lot. Some cheerleader you are.”

  “I’m totally kidding and you know it. We’ve been running for a few weeks now. I definitely think you can do it. Besides, this will be great practice for the St. Jude race. If you have trouble with this distance, maybe we really should switch from the half marathon to the 5K.”

  “Good idea. I’ll let you know. If I have to be carried over the finish line, I’m definitely switching.”

  “Whatever.” Emily sighed. “Is tonight the night you’re going out with Airplane Guy?”

  Suzanne laughed. “Nick. I told you his name is Nick.”

  “So we aren’t just referring to this one by a nickname? He must be special.” Emily always accused Suzanne of referring to her dates by nicknames to keep herself from getting too attached.

  “Not special. Just that the nickname doesn’t seem to fit him.” She pulled into her driveway and turned the engine off.

  Charlie barked a greeting from inside the house, and his face popped up in the window next to where her car was parked.

  “Whatever you say. But have fun tonight. And go
od luck tomorrow. You’ll have to fill me in on how it goes.”

  “You want to come to church with me on Sunday? We could have lunch afterward. I think Jade is back in town.” Jade Denton had been the first person Suzanne met when she started attending a new church in Midtown. They’d become fast friends, and sometimes the three of them got together for girls’ night out.

  “I really can’t. I’m on call and will probably be at the hospital most of the day.” No matter how many times Suzanne invited Emily to church, she always found an excuse why she couldn’t come. But Suzanne would keep trying.

  “Okay. Maybe some other time then. I’ll talk to you soon.” She tucked her phone into her purse and hurried inside. She and Emily had a lot in common, but Emily refused to discuss her faith—or lack of it. In all the years they’d been friends, Suzanne had only seen Emily inside of a church for weddings or funerals. Suzanne’s faith had gotten her through a lot of tough times. She couldn’t imagine not having that. But Emily was stubborn and wouldn’t even discuss it. Lord, please open her heart and show me how to be a light for You.

  “Hey, sweet boy,” she said as she opened the door.

  Charlie bounded out, stopping just long enough for her to pat him on the head before he set out to explore the backyard.

  Suzanne hurried to get ready. She’d spoken to Nick on the phone last night and they’d decided he’d pick her up. At first she’d hesitated. So much so that she’d almost called him and told him she’d have to meet him downtown. She didn’t usually date guys from Memphis for a reason. Dating someone local would mean they would spend time at her house. In her space. That was too close for comfort for her.

  But it was too late now. She glanced at the ornate clock that hung over her plush, red couch. He was probably already on his way.

  She picked out her outfit last night, so at least she wouldn’t have to stress over what to wear. She slipped on a dark red wrap dress. It had been one of her most recent purchases at Ann Taylor. She didn’t splurge on clothes too often, but this dress looked like it was made for her. Emily had been with her and had threatened to buy it and give it to her for her birthday if she didn’t get it for herself.