by Leger, Lori
“Yeah, but unfortunately, he’s saying plenty now. At first, I thought your dad was putting someone up to it, and I could have handled that, but now I’m not so sure. The caller has been…threatening, lately. I don’t know where to go to get away from him. All I know is that I don’t want my family to get hurt. Rob thinks it’s someone from this area, since he knew when I moved in with Chris.
Grant crossed one foot over the other. “That’s just great. What are the cops doing about it?”
“They’re doing what they can, but the problem is, as long as he’s bothering me, I can’t have any of you with me, and that sucks.”
“Why don’t you move back home. The rest of us could stay at Maw Maw Ruby’s, even Dad. But at least you’d have the dogs around to protect you.”
“That’s too close to people I love.” She shook her head slowly. “I won’t do that.” She took one deep breath before broaching the move. “Listen, tonight I’m going to Kenton to meet with someone. I’m thinking of renting a place there.”
“In Kenton?”
Carrie gave her son a quick nod. “Yes, it’s far enough away from you three so that you’ll be safe.”
“What about after they catch this guy?” Grant asked, looking puzzled. “What then?”
“I’m praying that happens quickly, and well…I don’t know yet, Grant. I guess that depends on how everything else turns out. I have to know you’re all safe, and I wanted you to know where I’m going tonight. Could you keep this to yourself, for now?” she asked, as he nodded. “I’ll bring up moving to Kenton, but I don’t want to tell them why, okay? I will talk to them about Sam, though.”
Fifteen minutes later, Carrie sat with all three of her teenagers on her mom’s back deck. She told her girls about Sam, but didn’t add anything more than what she’d told Grant about him. Seated across the circular redwood table from her daughters, she gathered her courage. “So,” she said, dreading the answers to her next question. “How do you feel about me dating again?”
The solemn, unreceptive faces of her daughters cued her in on the upcoming struggle.
“What if you get married? Would he want to move over here?” Gretchen said, her brow drawn in confusion.
“I don’t know why you have to date at all. You’re old,” Lauren said.
“You’re so stupid,” Grant told his sister.
“Well, she is!” Lauren said.
“No, she’s not,” Gretchen added. “Brittany’s mom is dating again and she’s a lot older than Mom is.”
Carrie sucked in her breath, picturing the last time she saw Brittany’s mom, sloppy drunk, and dancing on the pool table of the Red Rose in Lake Erin. Any comparison to Mary Ellen Wakely was not good, especially since the woman practically got paid for it.
“Look, when I was your age, I’d have thought I was ancient, too. Believe me, you’ll be here before you can spit and turn around.”
“Ew—that’s a long time from now,” Lauren exclaimed.
“Not as long as you think. Besides,” she sent Grant a look, a silent plea to understand, “Who I date isn’t the real issue here. You all know how far I have to drive to work.”
“So do Uncle Cullen and Dad,” Lauren added.
“They also earn triple my starting salary, sweetie. I can’t afford to have fuel costs eating up that much of my take home pay.”
“But you went to college and got a degree. That’s not fair,” Gretchen pointed out.
Carrie cocked her head and gave her daughter a lopsided grin. “Welcome to my world, Gretch. Life doesn’t always guarantee you’ll be treated fairly.” She placed a hand on her daughter’s cheek. “But sometimes it hands you opportunities to help balance things out. I think this is one of those times.” Carrie cleared her throat. “I saw a place in Kenton last night for half of what I’d have to pay for the place we’re supposed to take in January. It’s larger, completely remodeled, in a quiet neighborhood, and I’d be able to move in right away. I’ve thought about this all night long, but I wanted to talk to all of you, first. It’s possible I may have to take it.” She examined her daughters’ expressions.
“I’m not moving to Kenton,” Gretchen proclaimed.
“Me either. All my friends are here,” Lauren agreed.
Carrie nodded and crossed her arms tightly. “I know that, not now, for sure, but I thought maybe when…maybe sometime in the future you might want to give it a try.” Carrie crossed her arms tightly against the defiance on her daughters’ faces, and turned to stare out at the back pasture. When had life turned into one major stress-fest? She gazed out at the tall grass, longing for the carefree days when she’d used that patch of land to explore and play all day long. She wiped away a tear at the corner of her eye and took a calming breath. She had no other choice. “Nothing has to be decided now, but if the time comes when all this…mess…is cleared up, I’ll expect the both of you to move in with me.”
Her twins exchanged silent gazes steeped in stubbornness. “We already have a home,” Lauren said. “You remember, that place you helped build with dad. If you’d just move back there, we c—”
“Look, I will always be thankful that I met your dad. Without him, I wouldn’t have the three of you.” She focused on Lauren as she continued. “But he and I are finished. You have to accept it, so we can all go on with our lives.” When Lauren’s face crumbled, Carrie pulled her daughter close for a hug. She smoothed a hand over tawny curls, tangled from the brisk, December wind. “Life is all about growing, changing, and having different people come into our lives at times to help us adapt to those changes. Your lives will be filled with new people and new experiences. You’ll make new friends, but family will always be our constant. You are my children, and I’ll want you with me.”
“Lauren pulled away from her mother. “What if we go live with you and those Yankees don’t like us?”
Carrie worked hard to keep from laughing. “Yankees?”
“Last year I heard you say how anyone north of I-10 was a Yankee and how they talk funny.”
“That was a joke, hon. I’ll admit that some people there talk with a twang, kind of like your cousins from Lake Coburn, but it’s still in Louisiana, even if it is a different Parish. To people from Kenton, we’ll be the ones with the accents.”
“You see?” Lauren cried. “I don’t want to be different. I want to be the same as all my friends.”
“You don’t know what it’s like to leave your friends,” Gretchen accused.
“You’re wrong,” Carrie told her. “From the third grade through the eighth grade, I went to two different schools in Texas. I still have friends I stay in contact with from there. Besides, we have family ties in Gardiner, so you’ll see your friends often.
Gretchen groaned. “What if they don’t like us?”
“They’ll love you, sweetie,” Carrie explained, realizing when the time came, she would have to push the issue. But now wasn’t the time. Forcing her daughters to move would lead to more complications. Carrie pictured them planting their stubborn size sevens firmly in Dave’s camp, and blaming her for everything bad that happened to them from now until forever.
She followed them into her mom’s dining room through the patio door, wearing her heaviness of spirit like a bulky overcoat. Her discussion with her children had been eye opening. She knew that any permanent change of location or future relationship with Sam, depended on whether or not her children would be willing to give change a chance.
CHAPTER 13
Carrie stood staring out of her mother’s front door sipping a cup of coffee. When Christie pulled up into the driveway, she set the cup on her mom’s entertainment center and went to help her sister unload the car. “Hey roomie, I didn’t realize you and Max would be back this early.”
Christie unbuckled Max from his car seat and set him on the ground. The toddler promptly ran to the front door of his Maw Maw Elaine’s and banged on it until someone let him inside.
Carrie watched her nephew’s pro
gress then turned to grab some packages out of her sister’s open trunk.
“You want to tell me why the screen on my back door is cut?” Christie asked.
“Dave,” she answered, then gave her the abbreviated version of everything that happened. She pointed to her windshield. “Look what he did to my car.”
“That son of a bitch!” Christie growled.
“I know, and as bad as that seems, it’s not the worst that’s happened. She explained about the call and the fact that he’d been watching Christie’s house. “I’m considering a move to Kenton instead of the place in Gardiner. “I’m going to check it out tonight.”
“Really? You’d move to Kenton?”
Carrie nodded as she balanced a third gift on top of the two in Christie’s arms.
“Is this guy really scaring you that much?”
“Enough to make me leave everyone I love behind. I need to know my kids are safe. Me staying at your place has only put you and Max in danger.”
“So you and Sam went out on a real date.”
Carrie stopped to gape at her sister. “After me saying your lives may be in danger, all you can think about is my date?”
Christie stopped and put a hand on Carrie’s arm. “Y’all didn’t do anything, did you?”
Carrie’s jaw shut with a snap. “That was a Dave-worthy comment. Of course we didn’t.”
Christie raised one hand in explanation. “Hey, I told you all about the lack of sex and the horny woman syndrome.” She pulled a pack of cigarettes from her purse and lit one up.
Carrie wrinkled her nose in distaste. “I thought you quit smoking.”
Chris took a long drag on the cancer stick. “I did,” she said, but no way in hell I can give up sex and cigarettes at the same time.” She took two more exaggerated drags before putting it out. “See? Just talking about it makes me need a smoke.” She grabbed the last of the gifts, and closed the trunk. “Have you spoken to your kids about moving to Kenton?”
“Yep, but I didn’t tell them about the guy on the phone. I just said that I needed to be closer to work, and that maybe later they could move in with me, switch schools and all. That went over like a tent in a hurricane,” Carrie groaned.
“At some point, they need to learn there’s a world outside this tiny town.”
The two women made their way to door and paused. “I wish I knew what the future held for us, Chris, and whether or not it’ll be worth it to put them through this.”
“What are your instincts telling you?”
Carrie bit her lower lip. “Honestly? That this is the right thing to do.”
Christie gave her older sister a hug. “It’ll be fine.”
“Don’t tell anyone about the cut screen yet. I don’t want anyone talking bad about Dave in front of the kids. It would ruin their Christmas.”
Christie nodded her head. “My lips are super glued.”
The rest of the family streamed steadily in until around noon. They feasted on a wild goose and sausage gumbo, cooked by Mack, Carrie’s older brother by two years. After lunch, the grandchildren migrated to the front porch to take advantage of the crisp, clean air of the sunny December day. The men, stuffed on good food and desserts, staked out various couches, chairs, and recliners for naps. That left the women of the family seated around the table in the just cleaned kitchen. The aromas of dark roasted coffee, fresh baked breads, and fig tarts filled the air.
At the first lull in the conversation, Carrie cleared her throat. “I need to get your opinions on something. I’ve got an opportunity to move to Kenton,” she said, as the other women focused their gazes on her.
“I remember playing Kenton in football. That’s about thirty miles north of Jennings, right?” Jen said.
“Yeah, it’s about sixty miles from here, but a little under thirty miles to my job in Lake Coburn.”
“That should save you some fuel,” Katie added.
Elaine turned to place a hand on Carrie’s arm. “I wanted to tell you that I got a phone call bright and early this morning from Kathleen Ledoux, Rob’s mom.”
“Oh hell, I guess she told you everything, didn’t she?”
“Well, if everything includes Crazy Dave’s antics, from a broken windshield to breaking and entering, then I guess so. She also said something about threatening phone calls early this morning? What’s going on?”
Carrie shushed her while she checked the front porch to make sure her kids were out there. “They know about the windshield, but that’s it, and I don’t want them to know anything else,” she said, giving the other women a look of warning. “We talked some about me moving when I got here. They think it’s just to be closer to work…and Sam, but they’re not thrilled, of course.”
“Who’s Sam?” Katie asked.
“He’s her new boyfriend,” Chris said, excitedly.
Carrie glared at her sister, tight jawed with annoyance. “He’s a friend, for now, who may, or may not, turn into something more. Yes, the house I’d be renting happens to be across the street from his place, but that has nothing to do with anything.” She shook her head at all snickers.
Finally Elaine spoke up, putting an end to the teasing. “They’ll go with you, Carrie. Maybe not right away, but they’ll go. You’re a good mother, and they’ll miss that if you’re not around,” Elaine told her daughter.
Carrie walked over to the coffee pot for a refill. “I hope you’re right.” She turned and leaned against the cabinet and sipped from her mug. “Sam and I have only been on one date, so don’t assume something is happening that isn’t,” she said, glaring at Christie. “And please don’t upset my kids by talking about Dave.”
“Honey, despite everything, that man did his part to give me some beautiful grandchildren. I’ll always be grateful to him for that,” Elaine said.
“So, when do we get to meet this Sam Langley?” Christie asked.
Carrie gave her sister a bewildered look. “I thought we’d take things slowly. No pressure, you know? I planned for us to get to know each other before I told anyone about him.” She plopped herself down in a chair. “So much for plans.”
“When are you going to see him again?” Katie asked her.
“Tonight. He’s coming with me to meet the landlord and to check out that house. Sam says it’s nice, and it’s cheap. He had some bad renters before and wants someone trustworthy in it. But if I do this, I’ll need some furniture.”
“What about your own stuff?” Susan asked. “You have a right to half of everything.”
Carrie nodded. “I know, but I told him he could have the living room furniture, it’s shot anyway. I’m taking my small dresser, the freezer, my rocker, and a few other odds and ends. Besides, all three of my kids will be at their dad’s at least until the end of the semester and they’ll need beds.”
“So, tell us about this co-worker in Kenton,” Jen told her.
Carrie spent the next several minutes telling them about Sam, and answering whatever questions she could about him.
“Well I can’t wait to meet him,” Elaine told her daughter. “It sounds like he’s a good guy.”
Carrie sent her mom a serious look. “He seems to be, but there are so many things that can go wrong. It’s not just about Sam and me; it’s about our kids too.”
Elaine reached out to cover Carrie’s hand with her own. “Don’t borrow trouble, sweetie. Just get to know each other, and stop trying to figure out what’s going to happen a year from now. God has a way of working things out when you least expect them to.”
Carrie chewed her lower lip nervously and nodded. “I hope you’re right, Mom.”
***
By four fifteen, Carrie and her kids pulled up at Christie’s to unload a few gifts and give her the opportunity to change clothes. She discarded her blouse and jeans for her favorite hunter green, v-neck sweater, along with dressy black slacks, and a pair of rarely worn heels that added a good two inches to her height. After refreshing her make-up and dabbing perfume
to her wrists, she met her children in the living room.
“You kids ready to go?”
Grant took one look at his mother and whistled. “You look good, Mom.”
“Thank you, Grant.”
“You sure do,” Gretchen told her. “Are you going to check out the rent house dressed like that?”
Carrie nodded in the direction of the car. “Yep, and I have to be there at six, so let’s go.”
Once they were on the road, Carrie began fielding questions from her curious teens.
“Are you gonna see that man again?”
“What’s his name?”
“How come he’s not married?”
“Does he have any kids?”
“How many?”
“How old are they?”
“How long have you been dating him?”
Carrie cleared her throat and began. “Sam’s divorced, like I am. He has two kids, Amanda, who’s twenty and is married to Joe. Nick is seventeen and he’s a junior. We went out on our very first date last night.”
Lauren’s head popped over the seat. “You did? A real date? Where’d you go?” she asked, firing the questions out in rapid succession.
“Sit back, and buckle your seatbelt,” Carrie said, as Lauren sat back and obeyed her mother. “He took me to a restaurant for a steak dinner. Afterward we went to a movie in Lake Coburn, and then we went back to his place so he could show me the house. I was back at Aunt Christie’s by midnight.”
“Where’d you meet him?” Grant asked her.
“At work. He’s head of the survey crew.”
“Do you like him a lot, Mom?” Gretchen asked her.
She thought about how to answer that as she drove past the long harvested rice fields lining the highway. “I don’t know everything about him, but I like what I’ve seen so far. He makes me laugh.”
“Is he nice?”
She nodded slowly. “Yeah, he is.”
“Have you been on many dates since you and dad split up?”
Carrie stared at her daughter’s reflection in her rear view mirror. “Honey, that was the first date I’ve had with another man since I met your father.” She smiled, as Lauren’s shoulders drooped in relief.