Lacy's Lane

by Patricia Strefling

  Oh great, more good news, I’m sure. Lacy was glad the words had not slipped out.

  Her sister’s eyes softened. “Thad Gannon is coming home for a visit.”

  Lacy turned her back and flipped the potatoes. “Geesh, the potatoes were about to burn.” She lied.

  “Don’t you think it’s time you confronted Thad about his grandfather’s condition. Old Gannon has made you promise not to let him know. But now Thad will see for himself. You need to sit down with him and turn the responsibility over to Thad. He’s got money. He can hire someone to come out and clean, cook, maybe even persuade his grandfather to sell the farm and get into assisted living or something.”

  “Oh no. That wouldn’t work. Gannon would die if he couldn’t oversee his farm.”

  “Lace, you’re overseeing his farm, trying to run it as though everything is normal. That’s why you are so tired. Don’t you see that?”

  Lacy heard her sister’s soft voice but could not turn. She forced herself to stay busy with the darn tomatoes…she was cutting up another one. For so many reasons, one of which Allison knew nothing about, Lacy dreaded knowing Thaddeus Galen Gannon was coming home.

  Chapter 2

  The moment Allison mentioned Thad’s name Lacy’s heart sunk. She had handled things well enough after he was gone. It had been four years. Every time he came back he brought with him memories she wanted to forget. Had worked hard to forget.

  Her high school crush, Thad stole her fifteen-year-old heart right from the very beginning. He’d come from Connecticut to his grandfather’s farm in Michigan, which happened to be next door to her family.

  From the first time he came swaggering down the lane to wait for the bus, she knew he was trouble. She had forgotten he was coming that morning and quickly pulled her long hair into a ponytail so she could finish the farm chores. She looked away and quickly pulled several haysticks from her hair. She had a headache the size of Texas from her braces being tightened the day before and could feel her face flush the closer he came.

  “You Lacy?”

  She remembered he had stuck both hands in his back pockets, as he came straight up to her and looked down from his lofty height, his blond hair long and soft looking. She hadn’t noticed what color his eyes were because she hadn’t been able to look up long enough to see. She fidgeted with her ponytail, tapped her fingers on her notebook until he looked down at her hands. She stopped tapping and pinched her lips together so he wouldn’t see her braces.

  Her entire sophomore year was spent going between wanting him to notice her and then glad when he didn’t. He was sixteen and a junior, which made it even worse.

  Since Thad came to town, two other girls, sisters from a neighboring farm, started walking down to join them to wait for the bus. It was not a short walk. Most mornings left her standing quietly while the three of them talked. Thad never made fun of her and one time even picked up a book she’d dropped and their hands touched. She felt like someone had plugged her fingers into a wall socket.

  Thad called her ‘Smiley’ teasingly. Her face had turned three shades of red and she had smiled, closed-mouthed.

  The other girls were prettier and much more sophisticated plus they were juniors like Thad, which made her even less likely to get noticed.

  Then in her junior year, the braces came off, and she had a new hairstyle, thanks to her mother insisting she shorten her long straggly hair. Twice when the sisters had to get to school early for some program, she and Thad had managed to talk at the bus stop. After that he had included her in their conversations.

  Everyone knew he could get any of the girls he wanted.

  But with all his charm and good looks he was still kind. She could see it when he talked to some of the younger boys on the football team.

  The senior girls at school had given her the evil eye when they found out Thad had chosen her, a junior of all things, to go with him to his prom.

  She and her mother spent two weeks designing and sewing a beautiful silky dress in two shades of soft pink. She knew it was not as sophisticated as the other girls were wearing. But it was what they could afford and she had talked her mother into making it more form-fitting and slender rather than the Cinderella-like puffed sleeves and full skirt she had originally suggested.

  But on the night of the prom her life changed. She spent the last ten years building up a wall. Every time Thad Gannon came home for a visit she had to construct it higher until he left again.

  Lacy put her memories away and gave herself a good talking to. This was no time to start digging up the past, she told herself as she bucked up and got back to work.

  Chapter 3

  The next morning started with a summer storm. The skies were dark and bright blue lightning lit up Lacy’s bedroom at the top of the stairs.

  She’d shut the door to her parents room and left it just the way it was the day they died. There had been a funeral to plan and papers to sign, meetings with lawyers. Lacy, the eldest had been left as sole executor of the will with the stipulation that she would share half with her sister. She was twenty-four years old.

  The storm outside her window brought back the awful memories. She had woke to someone pounding on the door that day four years ago, the rain pouring and lightning crashing. The town sheriff was standing there, a circle of rain pouring over his shoulders from his round brimmed hat. She’d barely had time to grab a robe and stood there as he and his partner stepped inside, dripping all over the wood floors. Lacy could only think her mother was going to be mad about that when she got home. Mother loved those floors.

  Then the sheriff slowly began to break her heart. Her father had missed a red light and both her parents were gone. Just like that. Lacy knew which stoplight. Her father had slid through it saying, “It’s country out here, not likely to be anybody around at this hour.” She could hear it even now as he said it. “This hour” meant no one should be stopping him from going about his business no matter what time of day it was. He had come from country and expected the world to remain just the same as when he was a boy, even though he was nearly 70. Mother had been nervous every time he slowed and kept right on going through that light.

  When the sheriff told her, she slapped her hand over her mouth, barely managing to keep her screams from coming out. Al was upstairs asleep and she would not…would not…let her little sister see the Sheriff standing in their house telling her their parents were dead. Lacy would do it herself.

  She told them she would be all right, held the door open, and watched them walk slowly through the rain, then drive off in their brown police car. Their world would never be the same again.

  * * *

  Now here they were, she and Al together. Mr. Gannon next door, almost like a grandfather to both of them….and it was four years later. And what had she done?

  Nothing. She’d managed to keep up both farms. And that was about it.

  “This darn storm.” She stomped down the stairs and wiped bitter tears from her eyes, went to the small bathroom right off the kitchen and grabbed a cloth and washed her face. It was time to make breakfast. She went at it with a vengeance. It was Saturday. Al was sleeping in and Gannon never minded a late breakfast.

  Then she saw the newspaper on the table. Slowly she dropped onto the chair and opened it. Right there on the front page was a photo of her sister with the book. The book Lacy had secretly written under a pen name. Al had donated it to the town library saying it was one of the best stories she had ever read. And if Allison Linden said it was good the whole county would read it.

  Lacy groaned. She’d made it clear that Al was never, ever to show her book to anyone. It was Lacy’s one weakness. Writing. Dreaming what life could be like, was more like it. Well it was too late now. It felt like Al had given the world her personal diary. Lacy felt her face turn warm. She felt anger and worse, disappointment, that Al had broken her promise never to tell anyone she’d written a story. At least she hadn’t told the world that Lacy was the author,
she argued with herself. She had written under a pseudonym.

  People loved her sister. Allison was beautiful, talented, loved people, named Queen of the County Fair last year…and she was country. She could swing a lasso as good as any of the guys and she loved horses. But since she had gone to work for the county fair marshal as his marketing agent, she was spending less time in the barn with her beloved horse, Redd. Her reign as County Fair Queen was about to come to an end but she had made the most of it appearing in the small town newspaper every chance they could think up something newsworthy. Sales went up when Allison Renee Linden was on the front page.

  Today it was her book that would be checked in and out of their small town library. Everyone would be talking about it because Allison said she loved it.

  Lacy Lee Linden had taken on the name of Bethany Barlow as her pen name. Not another living soul knew Lacy had written that book. No one except her sister. Marketing agent that she was, Al had taken her manuscript and had it printed into a book and presented it to her for her birthday last year. All without her knowing.

  Lacy made her swear she would never tell a soul she wrote it. Once sworn to secrecy, she knew her sister would keep her word. Al had chosen the cover, added some extra material about the author and had actually done a good job.

  She had gone to her room that night after Al had gone to bed and read it clear through in two nights.

  Now Al had donated a copy of the book to the local library saying it was one of her favorite reads! Instantly Lacy set the egg down she was about to break over the skillet and tip-toe-ran up the stairs to see if her only copy was gone.

  She lifted the mattress and it was still there. Oh my gosh, that meant she made copies. Lacy ran back downstairs and wondered how she was going to deal with this. First, Al had promised not to tell, second, now everyone would be reading it. How could she justify that?

  Three egg breaks into the sizzling skillet and she heard Al’s feet hit the floor up above. Then the shower. Then her fresh-smelling self as she made her way to the breakfast table after pouring a cup of tea.

  “So you made prints.”

  “Just one…or two…well fifty if you must know.”

  “FIFTY!” Lacy broke the yolk in Al’s egg, knowing it would make her mad, and served it up on a saucer.

  “You did that on purpose. ” Al stared at her. “You know I love the yolk runny.”

  “Yep. You not only printed extra books without my permission, you have it on the front page of the daily paper. You promised, Al.”

  “I kept my promise.” She cut her egg and ate it, grumbling, “You’d think I could get a little credit here. I’m getting your book out there so people can read it, instead of it sitting under your mattress where no one can see it.”

  “How’d you know it was there?” Lacy turned to stare at her sister and noticed Al was looking down at the floor at her bare feet.

  “Darn.” Lacy realized she was dripping butter on the wood floors and grabbed a napkin to wipe it up.

  “Might want to at least try to appreciate what I’m trying to do for you Lace.”

  “Appreciate what? You took my book to the local library. Am I supposed to thank you after you knew, you knew, that I did not want anyone to see it.”

  “Thought maybe if you’d act like the writer you are, you might appreciate having another aspect added to your life…like something social…instead of locking yourself up on 32 acres of land, counting Gannon’s! You haven’t been anywhere since mom and dad died and frankly, sis, I’m getting tired of you taking care of me. I’m moving out.”

  Lacy stared at her. Was she angry or just being independent.

  “Yep. I’m 21 and I’ve been saving for awhile now. I’ve been checking out apartments and a condo. There’s no AC in this old farmhouse, it’s drafty in the winter, and the drive to work is too long. Besides, maybe you’ll sell and find yourself a man.”

  Lacy tapped the spatula on the counter and turned to face her sister.

  “First of all, we have fans in every room.” She waved the spatula accenting every word. “Second we’ll get the windows replaced as soon as I have the extra cash, and third, I don’t need a man. You can cook your own breakfast from now on.”

  Then she remembered Al wouldn’t be here to cook breakfast for. She slammed the door and went out to the barn, the storm outside raging and the one inside raging too.

  She grabbed a fork and starting pitching hay.

  First her parents gone, then Mr. Gannon’s health was failing, now she’d be living alone in that big farmhouse. And to top it off mister-full-of-himself Thaddeus Galen Gannon was coming home.

  Chapter 4

  Half an hour later, Lacy saw Al’s little red Hyundai Sonata as she drove down the lane, the windshield wipers slashing furiously. She finished her work and put the fork back on the nail where it belonged and headed for the house, not exactly feeling great about herself. She dumped her dirty rain soaked boots on the linoleum mudroom floor and tossed her yellow raincoat on a peg.

  The dishes were washed and lay drying in the rubber rack. A note was scribbled on a scrap paper. Al had gone to the library and then was headed to town to do some errands.

  Lacy’s mind went into high gear. Surely her sister wasn’t mad enough to give her secret away was she? No. She knew Al would not do that. Still, a woman, when pushed far enough…

  No, she was probably going in early to check out an apartment. Lacy’s heart dropped into her stomach. Al was leaving. They had never lived apart. Not even when Al had gone to college. Her little sister had gone two years at the local community college and then headed off to Michigan State in East Lansing, but father and mother insisted she live at home. It was a 45-minute drive each way, but Al had done it, so they could all be together for dinner every night.

  She put the dishes away and got some chicken out of the freezer to thaw. It was past time for her usual visit to Gannon’s place and hurried on over, taking some zucchini from his garden. She would cook a batch for him. He loved it fresh from the field.

  Armed with bags of green beans and squash and tomatoes, she headed down the lane. The rain had stopped and the sun was peeking over the horizon. It was about a six-minute walk and she loved it. The lane was graced by tall trees on both sides making it a beautiful walk, especially in the fall. Right now she could hardly wait for cooler weather to come to Michigan. She mused remembering cows in the pasture. At least in days past. Her parents and Mr. and Mrs. Gannon had given up raising animals once they turned sixty, wanting to slow down. Lacy was glad the smell of farm animals no longer invaded her nostrils. The August wildflowers were in full bloom. A purple, yellow, white and pink array of flowers drooping from the recent rain began to dry as the wind blew softly.

  She would knock as always and hear Gannon talking to the television. He had insisted she and Allison call him Gannon, like his Navy buddies did way back when. So they had. “Don’t want them getting me and my grandson mixed up, both of us are so good lookin’.” He’d winked that day when he said it. He and his wife Sally Jean had lost their only child, a son Thaddeus Galen Gannon the second, in a motorcycle accident when he was twenty-seven, leaving his young wife, Julia and baby Thad only two years old. Julia married another man a year later and took herself and her son to Connecticut. The Gannon’s had never been the same.

  When Thad was fifteen his mother and stepfather divorced and he was shipped out to Gannon and Sally Jean, hoping they might straighten up his life. He was wild and willful.

  That’s when Lacy first met Thad. She, in her sophomore year, he a year older and a grade ahead of her, waited at the main road for the bus with the other kids in the country. He was already good looking and full of himself then.

  She was still walking down memory lane when she heard a car coming from behind.

  “Well, if it isn’t Miss Lacy Lee Linden. What’re you doing up so early. It’s not even eight o’clock.”

  Lacy’s heart stopped at the voice. She’
d had a major crush on Thad when she was sixteen and felt silly knowing her face warmed. She stopped and gave him a look.

  “Hello Thad.” He was sitting there in his rental car, which happened to be a huge black SUV with all the bells and whistles.

  “Hmmm…you gave up your Harley for this?” She smiled.

  “’Fraid so. LA traffic you know. Guy could get killed out there on a cycle.”

  The air hung thick. His father had been killed on a motorcycle and it had been a huge point of contention when Thad brought one home without his grandfather’s permission. The memories had hurt too much and the elderly couple had to watch their grandson race down the lane leaving them in the dust. To their credit, Lacy knew they kept their peace. They had to let their grandson learn.

  Lacy shrugged, started to move forward…as his SUV inched alongside. “You still mad at me?”

  “For what?” Lacy heard her voice go all defensive.

  “For standing you up at the prom that night?”

  She firmed her lips and looked straight ahead. “I don’t even remember that.”

  Thaddeus Galen Gannon smiled at her with those handsome dark brown eyes of his as he swooped his blond hair away from his face.

  She kept walking. He kept inching.

  “Want a ride down?”

  “I’ll walk. Go ahead. I’m sure your grandfather will be happy to see you. It’s been…what? Four years?”

  Lacy saw the teasing smile go away. She’d hit a nerve.

  “Better yet, why don’t you take these vegetables to him and maybe you two could go out to breakfast or lunch or something.” She held out the bags, trying to soften the effects of her last, thoughtless statement.

  “Sounds like a good idea.” He reached out his driver side window and took the bags.

  She stuck her hands in her jeans pockets and wondered if she’d even combed her hair this morning and got her answer.