Covering the Carolinas

by Casey Peeler

  “Fine! But only because I love ya,” she says as she throws off the covers, and we make our way down for breakfast.

  “I know,” I say confidently, and we eat until our bellies can’t handle any more.

  After breakfast, I change, get my stuff together, and tell Jordyn I’ll call her later.

  “Girl, you better call me! I gotta know how this date goes tonight.”

  “Yeah, if I go.”

  “Hold up! Whatcha mean?”

  “Forget it.”

  “Like hell I will!” she exclaims, and we hear her mama yell for her to watch her mouth.

  “Look, I’ve got some things to take care of today. I need to make sure Grandaddy doesn’t need me tonight before I decide to go.”

  “Stop coming up with lame excuses. You like him; he likes you. Have fun.”

  “We’ll see,” I say, knowing good and well I’m going out with him tonight.

  While driving to the farm, I roll down the windows and let my thoughts drift to last night. Then, thoughts of Grandaddy and my conversation with him enter my mind, and tears form in the corners of my eyes. I brush them away and turn up the radio to try to focus my thoughts on something else.

  Putting the truck into park, I look in my rearview mirror to see there is no evidence of my meltdown, so I grab my bag and go inside.

  “Grandaddy, I’m home!” I holler as I close the door behind me. I don’t hear him, but the closer I get to the rear of the house, the clearer I hear the radio playing. Opening the door to the back porch, I see him humming along and shelling pecans from his rocking chair.

  “There ya are,” I say as I take a seat beside him, place an old newspaper onto my lap, and begin to shell them, too.

  “Boy, they are good, ain’t they?” he asks as he eats a freshly cracked pecan. I smile for assurance. “So, how was it last night?”

  “Good, real good.”

  “Uh huh. I know you, Sunshine. Remember that. I know you don’t exactly like those parties, but you go ’cause people expect it. So, spill it.”

  After cracking several pecans, I finally find the words to tell Grandaddy. “I kinda told Jace McCoy to go to hell after the game.”

  “You’re shittin’ me.” He stops mid-crack. I shake my head no. “’Bout damn time. You know, you’re more like your mawmaw than ya know. She’d tell ya exactly what she thought and wouldn’t care who was around to hear it.”

  “Do you miss her?” I ask.

  “Everyday, but she’s smilin’ down on us. They all are; don’t ever forget that, Sunshine.”

  “When you met Mawmaw the first time, what was it like?”

  Grandaddy turns to me. “Rae, I’d known your mawmaw my entire life, but it wasn’t until I was about fifteen years old that I realized there was more to her than just a girl. She was always offering to help me do my homework and bringing me fried pies. Man, they were good. One day, she finally just laid it out onto the table. She never beat ’round the bush. She pretty much asked ‘are you gonna ask me on a date or what?’ I knew right then she was the girl for me. She never made me guess what she was thinkin’, she told it like it was, and she always let me know if she didn’t like what was goin’ on.”

  “Oh, okay,” I say as I continue to crack pecans.

  “What’s this really ’bout?” he questions.

  “I kinda think I like Emmett Bridges.”

  A wide grin covers my grandaddy’s face. “I kinda knew that already, and you know what? I think he kinda likes you, too.”

  “He asked me out tonight,” I say nonchalantly.

  “Well, Sunshine, what’d you tell ’em?”

  “That I’d have to check with you.”

  “What am I gonna do with you? You better go. This old man can survive a meal on his own for a night.”

  We both laugh, and I feel happy. Grandaddy approves, and I have a real date tonight with the Emmett Bridges. That is, if he calls.

  Emmett

  I woke up with the chickens this morning. I tried my best to doze back off, but it was pointless. I fell asleep with the image of Raegan Lowery’s eyes and woke up to them.

  Needing to clear my thoughts, I go for a long run. I bypass a shirt, tossing on only shorts and running shoes. After stretching, I take off down the country back roads.

  Even after almost three miles, thoughts of her still consume my brain, and that’s when I notice her truck stopped at the stoplight. I run a little faster to try to get a glimpse of my southern perfection, but the closer I get, the sadder she looks. She takes her hands and wipes away what I think are tears. What would make a beautiful girl cry? Does she regret last night? Has Jace done something? Anger fills my veins. I don’t want her to see me, so I turn and run home. I now have a decision to make. Call her or not?

  Once I’m back at the house, I hurry to Cole’s room. “Hey, man, you gotta minute?”

  “Yeah,” he says as he finishes tying his boots.

  “I just saw Raegan while I was runnin’. She was cryin’. Do you know why she might be upset?”

  “Dude, you got it bad. Rae’s a strong girl. She doesn’t bare her soul to many. I’m thinkin’ she was alone and was missin’ her folks. Sometimes when I’m at work, I catch her wiping away tears when she thinks she’s alone. I wouldn’t sweat it.”

  “Thanks, Cole,” I say as I back out of his doorframe.

  “Hey, Emmett, she likes you. Question is, does Uncle Dover?” he says with a laugh.

  “Shut up,” I reply and head to take another shower.

  The rest of the morning, I try to bide my time until I can call Raegan. I don’t want to sound too eager, but Mom’s starting to question who this boy is in her house. I’ve cleaned my room, pulled weeds, mowed the grass, and did my laundry.

  “Emmett, are you okay?” Mom asks.

  “Yeah, I’m fine. Just tryin’ to stay busy.”

  “Are you sure?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Okay, well, George and I are going to a fundraiser tonight. I can get you an extra ticket if you wanna join us.”

  “Um, I might have a date.”

  “Emmett James Bridges, is that why you’ve been workin’ yourself to death this mornin’? What cute little girl has your nerves tore up?”

  “Mom, it’s no big deal.”

  “I beg to differ. You might not have been under this roof in a while, but I know you don’t keep your room clean, and your daddy had to beg you to mow the grass,” she says with her hands on her hips.

  “Fine. Raegan Lowery,” I tell her as I turn to grab my clothes from the dryer.

  She follows me into the laundry room, crosses her arms, and leans against the wall. “Is there anything you want to add to that?”

  “No, ma’am.” After waiting about thirty seconds, she takes the hint and turns to complete a few other Saturday morning chores.

  I carry my clothes to my room to fold them. When I glance at the clock, it’s only twelve-fifteen. I’ll wait ten more minutes.

  Chapter 8

  Raegan

  While enjoying the warm breeze from the back porch with Grandaddy, I continue to stare at my watch.

  “Sunshine, don’t you know a watched pot never boils?” Grandaddy jokes.

  “I know. He said he’d call after lunch, and well, it’s after lunch.”

  Grandaddy shakes his head. “What am I gonna do with you? You gotta learn patience.” We continue to shell pecans. After I get a good rhythm going, I feel my phone buzz in my pocket. I almost jump from my seat, but I try to refrain from acting too excited. Hurry, Raegan, or it’s gonna go to voicemail! I grab it and hit Accept.

  “Hey, Raegan, it’s Emmett. Um, I was just wondering if you had time to talk to your grandaddy about tonight.”

  “Yeah, I can go tonight. He said it was fine,” While trying to keep down my voice, I feel the excitement build within me. I have a real date tonight, and it’s not with Jace! Hallelujah!

  “A’ight, then I’ll pick ya up ’bout six.”
r />   “I’m lookin’ forward to it.”

  “Me, too. See ya tonight.” I touch the End key and break out into a happy dance and a squeal in the laundry room. Once I compose myself, I walk back out toward Grandaddy, pick up my things, and continue to help him.

  “That went well,” he says.

  As my cheeks turn about fifty shades of red, I shake my head yes. We sit on the back porch, relax, laugh, and enjoy each other’s company. Grandaddy hums his favorite hymns, and I fall in sync with the words.

  “Sunshine, your voice is bright as a canary.”

  “Well, I think I get it from you,” I say.

  “I know for sure it didn’t come from your daddy. He couldn’t carry a tune in a bucket.” We both laugh.

  As the afternoon rolls around, so do the chores on the farm. Grandaddy bush hogs the field while I clean out the stalls. About halfway through, I take a short break and grab a glass of water when I see Cole’s truck pulling up. I wonder what he’s doin’ here. I place my glass into the sink and make my way outside to meet him.

  “Cole, whatcha doin’ here? You do know you’re off today, right?” I ask.

  “Yeah, silly girl, I do. I left my fishin’ rod here last week, and I think we’re going down to the pond to see if we can catch a bite for supper.”

  “Oh, okay. Have fun and catch a bigun for me!”

  “I will. What’s Uncle Dover got ya doin’ now?”

  “Just cleanin’ out the stalls. Nothing special.”

  “Do you want some help?” he asks. I can tell Cole is up to something, but what, I’m not sure.

  “Um, aren’t you goin’ fishin’?”

  “In a little while. I don’t mind helping you first,” he states like he doesn’t care about the fishing excursion.

  “How ’bout you just spit out what you wanna say and mosey on?” I ask with a little attitude.

  “How ’bout I work and talk at the same time?” he counters right back.

  “I guess, but who wants to shovel shit on their day off? You must be crazy,” I say as we make our way to the barn.

  Cole removes his shirt to where his undershirt is all that remains to cover his hard as a brick body. I can’t grasp why he hasn’t found a girl yet. I mean, it’s not like he’s old, but it’s almost like he couldn’t care less. I push away that thought, and we get to business. After a minute or two of silence, he finally starts to talk.

  “Rae, I’m just gonna lay it out there for ya.”

  “You know, you’re kinda scarin’ me,” I say with a little nervousness in my voice.

  “No need to be scared, but I just want you to know. I know what’s going on.”

  “Okay… so, you know I have a date tonight with your stepbrother, no biggie.” I figured he knew that already, so I have no idea why he had to come here and say it, unless there’s something I don’t know about Em.

  He stops what he is doing, puts down the shovel, wipes his hands on his jeans, and then walks toward me with both fear and compassion in his eyes.

  “I know, Rae. I know something’s wrong with Uncle Dover.” With those words, I drop my shovel and fall into Cole’s arms. He doesn’t say a word. He just lets me cry.

  I finally pull myself together and away from him. “How’d you know?” I ask as I wipe my tears with the hem of my shirt. Really ladylike, I know.

  “He had me go to the doctor with him.” I begin to speak, but he stops me. “Stop, Rae. He wasn’t gonna let me, but he just said he needed someone else to know that could take care of you if something happened to him.”

  “Why didn’t he tell me you knew?” I question.

  “I’m not sure. I think he just wants to act like everything’s okay, and the doctor said a few pills might fix it. He knows you, Rae, and he knows you don’t talk to many people. He also knows I’ve been around you as long as he has, so I am his best bet in case something goes wrong.”

  Wrong. That word hits me like a knife in the heart. “Nothin’ is gonna go wrong, Cole! Grandaddy’s gonna be fine. He said so. The doctor said so. We just have to keep the farm goin’ and keep it to ourselves. We’ve already been the pity of this town when I was five, and I’m sure as hell not gonna let that happen again!” I yell at him.

  As if he knows exactly what to do, he pulls me in again. “Rae, I’m not sayin’ I’m gonna announce it to the world. I just wanted you to know you have someone to talk to. I love ya. I always have. You’re my cousin and I’m here for ya, okay?” he says as he lifts my chin toward him. Now, let’s hurry up with this shit toss we have right here, so you can get ready for your date with Emmett,” he says in his most girlie voice.

  I push off him and fling one shovel of shit right at him, but I play nice because it lands a couple of feet away from him.

  “Girl, you better be glad that didn’t land on me. I’m tryin’ to help ya, for cryin’ out loud.”

  I smirk and keep working. When we finish, I give Cole a glass of water. He gets his fishing rod, stops by to talk to Grandaddy, and then leaves. There is something about that boy that always makes me smile. I guess he is like the brother I’ve never had, and I am relieved the secret isn’t only kept with me.

  Once Cole is gone, I check to make sure Grandaddy doesn’t need anything else done around the farm. He just has to give the animals some fresh water, and he will be done, so I go inside to get ready.

  Looking in my closet, I try to figure out what I’m going to wear. When nothing strikes my fancy, I decide to shower first and then find something later. I grab my iPod, turn on iTunes Radio, and crank up some good ol’ country music. I spend the next hour singing, showering, dancing like a fool, and making my legs silky smooth. Then, it’s time to decide what to wear. This would be so much easier if I had a clue where we were going. I don’t want to dress too laid back, but I don’t want to overdo it, either. I mean, we’re in Pleasant Hill for goodness sake. It’s not like there’s much to do here.

  As I begin to rummage through my closet, I find my cream colored, long-sleeved, lace top. From the front, it appears pretty plain, but when I look at the back, I know it’s the one to wear. The back looks like an upside-down triangle is missing, and it shows off my back perfectly. Knowing I want to try to keep my look casual chic, I match it with my dark denim cutoffs and a pair of crocheted slouch boots. Now that this decision is made, I make my way back to the bathroom to finish my makeup and hair.

  As I pause to look at my reflection, I stand silently as I see a girl who is the spitting image of her mother. I vaguely remember my mother’s chocolate locks that flowed halfway down her back and how she pulled it up into a messy bun when it got hot. I’d ask her to do the same to mine, and she would. My heart hurts for her. How I wish she were here to talk to me about boys, life, and what she wants for my future. Sometimes a girl just needs her mama. I smile and speak out loud to her, “Mama, I hope I make you proud. I miss you.”

  I don’t know if it’s my subconscious or just wishful thinking, but I can hear her saying, “You bet I am, sweet girl. Now, knock ’em dead out there.” And, just like that, I feel her around me, and I know I’m going to be okay, regardless of what the future holds.

  Looking at my watch, I realize it’s almost time for Emmett to arrive. I take a little product and run it through my hair to help with the frizz that will happen later from the Carolina humidity. I grab my accessories, change my purse to match, and make my way down the hallway to talk with Grandaddy until Emmett gets here.

  Grandaddy is sitting in the kitchen, reading the newest Our State magazine as I enter. He looks up, and I know words are coming. I brace myself.

  “Sunshine, you look beautiful. Emmett is one lucky boy, but I got my shotgun ready to scare him a little.”

  “Grandaddy!” I exclaim.

  “Hey, you got to let those boys know we mean business, even if he is a good guy. They are only out for one thing, no matter what they tell ya. I was young once, too, ya know?”

  “Whatcha talkin’ ’bout? You’re st
ill young,” I say as I give him a hug.

  “That’s my girl. Makin’ your old man feel good,” he says with a laugh. “But, listen to me, Rae. I know you’re excited, and you look like a million bucks, but be careful. I’d hate to have to whoop that poor boy’s ass over you.”

  Gasping, I say, “Such language.”

  “Hey, I’m just tryin’ to get my point across. Really, be careful, have fun, and don’t do anything I wouldn’t do,” he says, as there is a light knock on the door. “Oh, let me,” he suggests with a shrewd grin. Grandaddy stands from the table, grabs his shotgun from the corner, and heads for the front door. Oh, gawsh! I wanna die from embarrassment! I put on a smile and wait for Emmett’s reaction. Grandaddy opens the door with the gun in his hand.

  “Good evening, Mr. Lowery,” Emmett says calmly, but the expression on his face looks like he’s ready to about-face and run as I peek around the kitchen corner.

  “Emmett, come in,” Grandaddy says flatly, and I try to resist the urge to giggle. They make their way into the foyer. “Rae will be out in just a minute, but I wanted to talk to you first.”

  “Yes, sir,” Emmett replies.

  “I expect you to take care of her, Emmett Bridges. She’s a good girl, and I love her more than life itself. If you hurt her, by God, I’ll make you wish you never stepped foot back into Pleasant Hill. Got it?”

  “Yes, sir.”

  “A’ight. Now, have her home by eleven.”

  “Will do, Mr. Lowery.”

  “Sunshine!” Grandaddy hollers. “Emmett’s here.”

  On that cue, I walk into the foyer to meet him. When I round the corner, I see him standing there in a pair of jeans and a fitted polo, holding a bouquet of daisies. I feel as if the world stops spinning when I see him. A smile spreads across his face, but I can see he’s trying to refrain from a real reaction with Grandaddy standing there.

  “You look gorgeous, Raegan,” Emmett states as his smile continues to grow.

  “Thanks,” I respond as he hands me the flowers. “They’re beautiful; let me put them in some water real quick.”

  As I start to make my way toward the kitchen, Grandaddy intercepts me. “I’ll take ’em. You two go on.”