As the crowd died down, Lauren joined them with her own plate of food. Nicole couldn’t help but smile when she saw how close Lauren and Avery had become. The two women had been rivals in school; both were on the dance team and in sports. Time had a way of making all the little dramas seem trivial, like the sharp edges of a rock worn away by the constant flow of the river.
“Do you want to go into the city with me tomorrow night? I need new running shoes.” Avery asked Lauren as she picked the onion off of her hamburger.
“You’re still running that trail in the woods? I couldn’t even hike that sucker anymore after having the girls.” Lauren’s surprise was obvious as she looked at Avery.
“Hell yeah. Almost every day. This ass naturally wants to be fat,” Avery responded.
“Whatever. Look at your mom. She’s a stick just like you. You’re an addict.” Lauren shook her head.
Avery shrugged.
“What about you, Nic? Have you become a psycho health nut too?”
“I don’t run unless something’s chasing me.” There was a lull in the conversation and Nicole seized the moment. “So, Lauren … Avery saw this really hot Native American guy at the store,” she lied. Avery shot her a hostile look, which she ignored. “Do you know who he is?”
“It’s got to be Shilah.” Lauren gave Avery a saucy look. “He is hot.”
“You know him?” Avery’s tone was nonchalant, but Nicole could see she was intrigued.
“Sure. His name is Shilah Nizhoni. He and Jack play cards together. He works at Gates Corp. I think he’s an engineer or something.” Lauren eyes lit up. “You know, he’s coming out to our fish fry next weekend. I can introduce you.”
Avery fixed Nicole with a deadly look when Lauren turned away. Now Avery had to act like she hadn’t met Shilah. Nicole bit her lip to suppress a laugh.
“I don’t know if I’ll be coming.” Avery seemed to flail for an excuse. “I have a lot of work to get caught up on.”
“Well, you better come, hooch. I am making my potato salad just for you.” Lauren flashed a smile and winked. “So Nicole, are you ready to chase Ike through the corn maze at Foster’s Farm?”
“Foster’s Farm?” Nicole did a double take and nearly dropped her purse. “As in Aaron Foster?”
His name made her pulse quicken and she wondered if she was having a hot flash.
“Yeah. He’s turned the family farm into quite a production. They have a pumpkin patch and a corn maze, and after Thanksgiving, a Christmas tree farm with Santa. All organic … is everything all right?”
Nicole felt the color rise in her cheeks.
“Yeah, I guess I thought he was still in St. Louis.”
“God, no. He’s been back for what, three years?” Lauren looked to Avery for confirmation. Avery responded with a non-committal gesture, and Nicole didn’t like the way Avery was eyeing her.
Hearing about Aaron was like a cold pail of water in the face. Flashbacks of his dimpled smile and his rich voice flickered on the movie screen in her mind. Seeing the mix of confusion and intrigue on Avery and Lauren’s faces, she busied herself removing baby wipes from her purse and wiping the ketchup from Ike’s hands. Ike twisted and screamed as if she was torturing him. Avery and Lauren chuckled at the scene. As Nicole turned away from Ike, she spotted Jason making his way to their table.
“Shit, Aves. Here comes Jason,” Nicole whispered unenthusiastically.
“Nicole. Lookin’ good. How’ve you been?” His tone was naughty as he shot her a lopsided grin. His eyes dropped to her low neckline and unapologetically lingered on her cleavage. He moved behind her chair, running his fingers down her ponytail and briefly resting his hand on the back of her neck. Nicole blanched, immediately uncomfortable. Jason had a knack for making every interaction feel vulgar.
“Good.” Nicole glanced at Avery who blinked and folded her arms.
“This must be Isaac.” Jason sat down and ruffled Ike’s blonde hair. Ike looked at him as if to say, “Dude, please.” Nicole internally applauded Ike for being a fine judge of character.
“No one asked you to sit,” Avery remarked. Jason shot her a wicked grin and Lauren’s mouth dropped.
“It’s a public place.” Jason smirked.
Avery sighed, turning back to Nicole. “Do you mind if I take Ike for a walk?” She was already on her feet.
“Sure, I’ll join you.” Nicole stood. No idea how to make a graceful exit, she waved awkwardly. “Jason.”
Avery helped Ike out of his high chair, and as soon as his feet hit the ground, he was off and running. Avery ran after him.
“Well, that was creepy. You really know how to clear a table.” Nicole heard Lauren murmur to Jason as she gathered Ike’s diaper bag and cup. He seemed to not hear Lauren; he was too busy watching Avery run after Ike, who was laughing hysterically.
After chasing Ike all over the waterfront, Nicole announced it was time to put him down for a much needed nap. Full of adrenaline, Avery decided to stop and see her father at the clubhouse. She was still reeling from Jason’s appearance at CoffeeSmith’s. It pissed her off that he had slimed all over Nicole. It was insulting as hell and an affront to her brother’s memory. It just confirmed that ditching Jason had been a stellar move. She chided herself for sleeping with him once more and vowed not to slip up again.
She pulled into her parking spot and glanced at her appearance in the mirror, applying more lipstick. As she entered the clubhouse bar, she waved to the regulars who greeted her. Louise was tending bar. Fit and energetic in her mid-fifties, she could still keep up with the younger employees.
“Avery. What are you doing here? Don’t you know the meaning of the words ‘personal day’?” Louise pushed up her glasses as she poured a beer from the tap.
“Looking for Dad. Seen him around?” Avery took off her jacket.
“He’s out on the golf course. He should be back soon.”
Avery nodded taking a seat at the bar. “How’s business today?” Her eyes scanned the posh dining area.
“Kind of slow, but it should pick up around five. Here you go, Pug.” Louise handed a beer to an older gentleman.
“Hey Pug, did you hear about the new fellow working at Gates Corp?” the man next to him asked. “The Redskin?”
“Yep. Just saw him at the pro shop. This place used to have some standards. What’s the world coming to?” Pug grumbled in return.
Avery shot a cold look at them both. Jason had her itching for a fight. Remembering her position, she decided to dismiss their conversation. Though it was true that there weren’t many minorities living in Jefferson Point, Stone Valley did not discriminate. These two fools had spent a lifetime forming ignorant opinions and going off on them wasn’t going to fix their character flaws.
“Do you want something to drink, Hun?” Avery realized the bartender had read the tension on her face.
“No, I’m good.” Off duty or not, she never drank during hours of operation.
“So, Pug, how’s this year’s harvest?” Louise seemed eager to move the two men away from their controversial topic. Avery valued Louise’s intuitiveness.
“Looks like I’ll break even.” Pug took a sip of his beer.
“Well, that’s good after last year,” Louise responded, and Avery noticed Louise watching her. She realized she’d been twisting her hair, a nervous habit that she’d been trying to quit. The ability to relax was not in her nature; she couldn’t even get through a facial without fidgeting.
“Is something bothering you?” Louise shot her a concerned look.
“No, just tell Dad to call my cell, okay?” Avery stood and grabbed her jacket, not wanting to stay a moment longer while in such a foul mood.
“You got it.” Louise shrugged.
Avery hurried to her car and slowed her approach as she discovered her front tire was flat. “Shit.”
She threw her jacket and purse onto the front seat. She pushed the button for the trunk. As she rummaged for her tire jack, a
deep and unforgettable voice stopped her mid-motion.
“Do you need some help?” Avery turned slowly to see Shilah looking at her over his sunglasses. She felt herself blush.
“I think I can get it.” She knew she sounded defensive, but she couldn’t help it. She yanked the jack from the trunk.
“If you insist.” Shilah turned away and as she admired the way his jeans fit, Avery noticed him put a golf bag in the back of his black hybrid.
“Did you have a nice round today?” Recalling that she was at her place of business, she scolded herself for her lack of professionalism.
“I haven’t played yet. I just bought these today.” Shilah shut his trunk and leaned a muscular arm on the car, studying her.
“Don’t wait too long. This weather can’t last forever.”
Avery slid the jack under her car and began the tedious process. As she was attempting to raise the car, her hand slid and she cracked her knuckle on the concrete. She grabbed her hand and howled in pain. Shilah, who’d been about to climb behind the wheel, shot her a concerned look and she sighed.
“I guess I could use some help.” Reaching into her car, she grabbed some napkins and wrapped them around her hand. Shilah removed his sunglasses and sauntered to her side.
“Let me see.” He took Avery’s hand and his sudden nearness allowed her to study him up close. His features were perfection, and when his eyes met hers, warmth shot through her. Caught off guard by her physical reaction to him, she steeled herself.
“It’s just a scratch.” Flustered, she quickly pulled her hand away, and Shilah looked at her as if she were a small child telling a fib. Unprepared for the feeling of blood rushing to her face, she glanced at the ground.
“You should probably put some pressure on it.”
Avery’s dirty mind went to unexpected places at his innocent comment and she felt feverish. As he began working on her tire, Avery took in his muscles, his graceful movements, and his tight Levi’s. She suddenly realized that Shilah was staring at her, and knew she was turning an even deeper shade of red. He went back to his task, but she was pleased to see he was smiling.
Nicole eased Ike’s bedroom door closed and tiptoed down the stairs. Crossing into the living room, she plopped down on her sofa. It felt good to just be still. Looking around her new place, she smiled. Ryan would have loved it; he’d been a sucker for old architecture and exposed brick. Contented with the fruits of her labor, she went to take a bath, carefully shaving her legs and plucking her eyebrows.
After making a cup of tea, she headed to the small room that would be her office and sorted through books and supplies. A box marked “Ryan’s Locker” stopped her in her tracks. The hospital administrator had presented it to her after he died and she’d never bothered to look at its contents, afraid of what she might stumble across. She still couldn’t bring herself to open it, so she set the box aside to give to Avery.
Turning back to the stack, she found the box of yearbooks. Visiting with Lauren had her feeling nostalgic, and she couldn’t resist the urge to thumb through them. She cackled at a few of the pictures and at some of the things she and her friends had doodled on them.
She turned the page and Ryan’s beaming young face greeted her. His perfect teeth and sparkling eyes stabbed her like a hundred tiny nails. He wore his Prom King crown and she was on his arm. Prom had been their first time. Remembering his attempts to make that night romantic (the flowers, the limo, and later … the hotel), she felt the sting of unshed tears. Ryan had always been one for big gestures.
She hesitated for a moment and flipped to Aaron Foster’s photo. His dimples still left her breathless. His strong square jaw and expressive eyes caught her by surprise, and she had to sit down for a moment, feeling weak in her knees. As she continued to study his image, she frowned, ashamed that seeing Aaron was somehow more poignant than seeing her late husband. In the center of the following page was a large photo of her between Aaron and Ryan. The guys were mugging for the camera in their football jerseys, and she was laughing and partially hiding her face with her hand. Inspecting the image of her younger self, she was grateful the girl in the photo had no idea what ugly times lay ahead.
Her cell phone rang, putting the brakes on her reminiscing. Glancing at the number, she saw it was Ryan’s mom. Dread washed over her and she heaved a resolute breath as she hit the answer button.
“Hello.” Nicole made her voice sound cheerful.
“Hello, Nicole. How are you today?”
“Fine, and you?” Nicole bristled at Sandra’s icy tone.
“I’m just wonderful. Are the two of you available Friday night?”
Nicole glanced at the calendar, and immediately felt stupid. She had nothing in the works except her upcoming pumpkin patch adventure on Sunday. “Yes, we are.”
“Fabulous. I’m planning a ‘welcome home’ dinner. The whole family is going to attend.” Sandra Harper always sounded formal, especially when she was trying not to.
“That sounds great.” Nicole forced a smile and immediately began planning an outfit that wouldn’t make her look dumpy. Sandra was known for her elaborate dinner parties.
“Good. So we will see you at six?” It sounded like a question, but barely.
“We’ll be there.” Nicole ended the call and made a distasteful face as she tossed her phone on the table. She glumly shelved her yearbooks and continued unpacking.
Avery’s morning was off to a better start than the one before. She’d driven out to the Overlook Trail for a run at sunrise. She really pushed herself, glancing at her watch to monitor her pace. The beauty of the wooded running path was at an all-time high; the oranges and reds of the leaves were a feast for her eyes. Warm weather helped her morning workout feel more therapeutic than painful. As she returned to her car, she studiously ignored the cemetery across the gravel parking lot. She popped an antidepressant in her mouth and washed it down with a swig from her water bottle.
She needed a spare tire. Procrastination was not in Avery’s nature. With her track record with tires, it was only a matter of time before she had another flat. She figured she could drop the tire off the minute Ron’s opened and be to work at a semi-decent hour. Ecstatic to be getting back to the grind, it irritated her that she’d be late. She smirked at herself and her to do-list; she had to admit she was more than a little Type A.
Ron’s Tire Shop was only a few blocks from CoffeeSmith’s and Nic’s wasn’t far away, so she had plenty of ways to kill time during the repair. Entering the shop, she spotted one of the “old farts” from the country club standing at the counter with the shop owner.
“Avery, how are you?” Ron’s wide smile displayed his gold tooth. He was in his late 30’s, very tall and macho, with tattoos to enhance his badass image. Avery remembered thinking he was the sexiest man alive when she was in high school and forcing Nicole to drive by his house daily to catch a glimpse of him. The memory of her girlhood stupidity tickled her and she fought off a fit of laughter. The machismo permeating the shop caused an air of levity that reminded her of church. She and Ryan used to pass notes to each other during mass in an effort to entertain themselves. His comments were so vile and inappropriate she used to have to dig her fingernails into her knees to keep from laughing. This random, vivid memory of her brother sucked the humor from her as swiftly as a decompression chamber.
“I’ll be better as soon as you fix my tire.” She managed a halfhearted smile.
“What did you run over this time?”
Avery shrugged and followed Ron outside to her car and opened the trunk to retrieve the flat.
“How long do you think it will take?” Avery asked as he assessed the damage.
“Probably about an hour.” Ron’s inspection continued as he turned the tire over.
“Okay, I’ll be back.”
As Avery headed to CoffeeSmith's, she attempted to absorb the beauty of her hometown in its prime. Incapable of being in the moment, her thoughts whirled like they alway
s had. Avery often felt she was pouring over her past and worrying about her future. It had always been hard for her to focus on the present. Her anxiety, which had been at an all-time high a couple of years before, had never come back down to a manageable level.
CoffeeSmith’s was busy, so she paid Jules for coffees, scones, and chocolate milk for Ike. She made her way to Nicole’s, basking in the autumn sunshine. She rapped lightly on the door, not wanting to wake Ike. Nicole answered, red-eyed and looking like she’d just rolled out of bed.
“Hey.” Nicole wrapped her robe around herself in a flurry. “I thought you were going back to work today.”
“I am. Relax.” Avery laughed. “I just need my tire fixed, so I figured we could kill some time. I hope you don’t mind.”
“Shut up and get in here. Ike’s still asleep.” Nicole snatched one of the coffees from her. For a moment, she sounded like the Nic Avery knew and loved. Nicole had never been remotely gregarious like Lauren, but since losing Ry, she’d become even more introverted. For a long time she’d seemed distant and stilted, but with each passing day, the old Nic seemed to be resurfacing.
“So I saw Shilah again. He was at the pro shop buying clubs when I got a flat. He changed it for me. Oh my God, Nic. He’s...” Trailing off, she realized there wasn’t a suitable adjective to describe him. She entered the loft and looked around admirably at the progress Nic had made hanging pictures. She had such a good eye and had done a stunning job.
“Is he your hero … or a stalker?” Nicole looked enthusiastic as they sat down on her sofa. “Can’t wait to meet him. So your mother is having a dinner party on Friday night…”
“Yay.” Avery murmured unenthusiastically. She and her mother were at opposite ends of the spectrum.
“I know,” Nicole agreed. “I hope she realizes that two-year-olds, crystal glasses and tablecloths don’t mix.”
Avery scoffed and shook her head. “Hey … I need you to help me with a project and it may be good for the job search.” Avery grabbed her coffee cup for another swig. Nicole tilted her head and instantly looked interested.
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