Walking Among the Cherry Trees: The Cook Brothers Series

by Heather D'Agostino

  I stood motionless just staring at her back as she climbed off her stool. Well, there’s a spot I can take, I thought to myself as she leaned over to grab something off the floor. The longer I stared, the more I felt like I should know her. When she turned, the entire world stopped, and all the air in the room was suddenly sucked out. Morgan. It was Morgan; she was here. She kept her chin down and didn’t make eye contact with me as she rushed out the door. I knew I should say something, make my presence known. Tell her something, anything, to make her stay.

  She was still beautiful: tall, statuesque, with long blonde hair, and a body that now sported the curves of a woman. The heels she was wearing clicked along the peanut shell covered floor. It almost sounded as if she was running. As much as I wanted to call her name to stop her, my voice refused to cooperate. My throat closed up, and my heart seized as pain seeped in. If she was here, why hadn’t she looked for me? How could she come to town, and not so much as even try to find me? I’d stayed. After she’d gone back to the city all those years ago, I’d stayed, hoping that we’d get another chance someday. I’d pushed her away, but I knew Morgan. She didn’t give up, and I’d always hoped that when her father finally let her out from under his thumb, she’d come back to me. I’d been wrong. I guess what I’d thought she felt was all an illusion. She didn’t love me, maybe she never had.

  WHEN I AWOKE the next morning, it felt like I hadn’t slept at all. Every muscle in my body ached. I’d spent most of the night staring at the ceiling and listening to the crickets chirp outside. It was warm in the house, and I’d managed to open enough windows to get a breeze to blow through. Very few houses had AC in the northern part of the state. It wasn’t needed. When you only had two or three weeks of hot days, it was a waste to install a unit. Virginia had always told me I could sleep on the porch if I got hot. I should have tried that last night. It really hadn’t gotten all that hot, but the upstairs was always warmer.

  I slowly stretched before rolling to the side to check my watch for the time. It was already eight thirty. I needed to get ready for my appointment with Mr. Dewy. He’d left me a voicemail stating that I could come by any time after nine. I wanted to get there and get this over with. The quicker I could get away from here, the better. I couldn’t chance another night like last night. If I ran into Taylor, I knew I’d never leave. He’d pull me under, and I’d have to remember all the things he’d said to me ten years ago.

  I pulled on a t-shirt and a cotton skirt before slipping on a pair of sandals and making my way downstairs. The sun was shining through the kitchen, casting a glow on everything. The shutters were open, and after my mad dash to pull sheets off of the furniture the day before, the place actually looked lived in. Well, until I opened the cabinets and remembered that I had nothing to eat. I sighed as I scrubbed my hand over my eyes. I’d need to go shopping today if I planned to eat again. I didn’t want to eat every meal out. I missed the quiet evenings that I used to spend on the back porch staring at the orchard. I missed walking through the trees at sunset. I missed the solitude that this place offered.

  It felt strange being here in the quiet. In the city, it was rarely quiet. Most mornings I awoke to honking. I had sound reducing glass on my windows, and I was thirty-five stories in the air, but I could still hear it. At night, the local bars and clubs blared their music, and occasionally I’d hear a tenant down the hall yelling about something. Here, all I had was silence. I leaned back against the counter and closed my eyes as I inhaled a deep breath. What would my father think if I told him I wanted to keep the house? It would be nice to have a place to escape to when city life became too much. Would he even understand my need? He never had in the past. He traveled all over, lived in the same type of environment that I did, and dealt with the same pressures. He’d never cared in the past. He seemed immune to it all.

  As my stomach growled, I gave up my musing and decided to walk into town. It was light out, and late enough in the day that traffic wouldn’t be bad. I grabbed my purse, and slung it up on my shoulder as I stepped outside and locked up the house.

  THE SUN BEAT down on me as I ambled along the country road. The rolling hills in the distance were the greenest I’d ever seen them. A few fluffy clouds dotted the bright blue sky, and a small flock of mourning doves chirped in the distance. It was just as I remembered. I kicked at a rock as I walked along the road. A worn path followed along about eight inches from the pavement. It had been there since I was a kid. Virginia had always told me to follow it and stay off the pavement. I chuckled to myself as I thought about her scolding me. She’d wag her finger in my face as she tried to stay stern. I’d smile, and she’d give in, telling me that she just wanted me to be safe. Of course, I always listened after that.

  I wasn’t really paying attention to the sounds around me, or I would have heard the person approaching me from behind. He came fast, and when he whizzed by, I clutched at my chest. In a matter of seconds, a red bike carrying a young boy had passed me. He laughed as he lifted his hands off the handle bars and shouted at me, “Look! No hands!” He stopped a few feet in front of me and placed his feet on the ground. His head whipped around in my direction as a grin slipped into place. “Did you see that?” his green eyes sparkled as he stared at me.

  I nodded my head as I watched him. He looked so familiar, and the déjà vu I was experiencing was about to do me in. “Yeah,” I nodded as I continued to stare.

  “You visiting?” his head tipped to the side. “I live that way,” he pointed behind himself and to the left.

  My head bobbed as I continued stare at him. I’m sure he thought something was wrong with me. “How old are you?” I moved closer to his bike.

  He puffed out his chest as if he was trying to look more grown up, “I just turned 10.”

  “Where are your parents?” I crept closer. Something about this kid drew me in, making me want to know more.

  “I ain’t got no momma. My dad’s at work,” his lips turned down in a slight frown before he lifted one of his feet and placed it back on the pedals.

  “I’m sorry,” I wrinkled my forehead as I watched him.

  He shook his head slightly, causing his inky black hair to slip over his forehead, “Don’t be,” he shrugged. “I never met her.” He shifted on the seat of his bike as he stared at me some more. “So, do you live around here?”

  “I’m staying about a mile that way,” I pointed in the direction I’d come from as he turned to follow where I was pointing. “You’re kinda young to be out by yourself.”

  He rolled his eyes, “Nothin’ bad ever happens around here. It’s boring most of the time. You got any kids?” He perked up as he waited for an answer.

  “No, sorry,” I sighed as I watched his shoulders sag in defeat.

  “I was hopin’ for a new friend. My best friend moved away last year. All I do is work now,” he groaned.

  I laughed as I watched him. This kid was mature for ten. He seemed wise beyond his years, and I secretly wondered whose family he belonged to. “Well, I need to get going,” I smiled. It was nice meeting you.” I paused as I waited for him to offer a name.

  “CJ,” he muttered as he looked down at the ground. He pushed off as his feet slipped up onto the pedals and began riding away. “I’m good at washing windows and stuff if you need any help,” he shouted over his shoulder as he rushed off into the distance.

  The longer I watched him, the more the memories came flooding back. He looked just like Taylor did when we met. The same dark hair and piercing green eyes had stared at me all those years ago. This boy had to be related to the Cook family in some way. Maybe he was Trevor’s son. Trevor and Sharron, Taylor’s old brother and his wife, had been married a few years the last time I was here. They had a son, but maybe she’d had more. I shook my head, stopping my mind from wandering and I scolded myself. It was none of my business, and if I wanted to keep my wits about me, I needed to forget about that family.

  IT TOOK ME about an hour to walk to town. I
t was nice though. It felt good being in the fresh air, and most of the people that lived in the area were still at home. It was the weekend after all, and other than tourists being out, the locals used this day for themselves. A few shop owners were opening up, and the diner was buzzing with energy, but everyone else was quite.

  I glanced in the direction of Cook’s Hardware and noticed the front door propped open. A young woman was straightening the display in the front. She didn’t glance up, so I continued to stare hopping that whomever was managing the place would come out. No one else ever did, and to avoid looking like a stalker, I quickly slipped into the law office.

  “Good morning. Can I help you?” A young woman who couldn’t be more than twenty sat casually at a desk, picking at her nails.

  “I’m here to see Mr. Dewy.” I smiled politely as I brushed my hands down my skirt.

  “One moment,” she nodded as she picked up her phone. She pressed a button and announced my presence as a door a few feet behind her opened slightly.

  “Kathy, I swear you can be so lazy at times,” a balding man grumbled as he opened the door wide enough for me to enter. “Come on in, Miss McGregor. If she wasn’t my niece I’d fire her,” he nodded at the woman as she went back to picking the polish off her nails.

  “It’s fine,” I laughed as I stepped past him and took a seat in front of his large desk. He moved around behind it and settled into a chair then thumbed through a large stack of papers until he came to a folder and nodded.

  “Here it is,” he slid it across the desk as he flipped open the front. “I just need a signature here,” he pointed to a spot at the bottom, “and it’s all yours.”

  “Excuse me,” my eyes widened.

  “She left you everything,” his head bobbed. “The house, her savings, everything. She has a safety deposit box at the bank too. I’m not sure what could be in it, but she made sure to let me know about that too.”

  I swallowed as I stared at the paper, “Everything?”

  “You seem surprised,” his head tipped. “She loved you Miss McGregor. She told me every time she saw me that she loved you, and she hoped you’d forgive her one day.”

  “Forgive her,” I was confused. Virginia was the one person who understood me. She did everything for me. She loved me, sheltered me from my father, and in spite of the mistakes I made all those years ago, she’d always stood up for me. “I don’t understand,” I mumbled as I attempted to flip through the folder.

  He scratched his head as he glanced down and opened a drawer. “I’m sure she’s put the answers somewhere in all of that. Now if you’ll just sign this, I can get you all the files you’ll need.” He handed me a pen and sat back to observe me.

  I sucked in a breath as I scribbled my name across the bottom of the paper in front of me. My father was going to be outraged when he found out I took on something this big. He’d want me to sell right away and roll the money into the business. I could never do that though. Virginia wanted me to have this. She was sorry for something, and I’m sure whatever it was, was something that she thought was unforgivable.

  “Here ya go,” Mr. Dewy handed me an envelope with more papers, and then placed a small brass key on the desk in front of me. “You can’t get into the box right now, but here’s the paperwork for switching all the accounts to your name. The taxes are paid up for the year, and I’m sure the people that have been taking care of the place would continue if you wanted to keep them on.”

  “Thanks,” I smiled as I stuffed everything in my purse. “I’ll go over all of this later. Right now, I need to eat.” I giggled as my stomach grumbled.

  “Sounds like it,” he winked as he pushed his glasses farther up on his nose. “If you need anything, Miss, just let me know. You can call me anytime. I live upstairs,” he pointed above him as he reached out to shake my hand. “It’s been a pleasure.”

  After exiting the office, I turned and shuffled directly next door and into the diner. An omelet was calling my name, and if I’d been listening more carefully, I would have heard someone else calling for me, too.

  “DAD! HEY, DAD!” My son was rushing through the store, almost knocking over the display of gardening tools I’d just set up.

  “Slow down.” I reached out to grab him by the shoulders. This spring break seemed like one of the longest ones yet. I loved spending time with him, but I needed my sanity back. I only had two more days, and he’d be back at school.

  “We got new neighbors,” he beemed up at me.

  “Have, not got.” I slowly shook my head at him.

  “We have new neighbors.” He rolled his eyes at me. “It’s a lady. She’s pretty, too, Dad.” He bounced on the balls of his feet.

  “And you know this how?” I began walking back to the register to open for the day. I’d given Maryanne the morning off after she’d set up, so it was just CJ and me for the next couple of hours.

  “I talked to her on the way here. She seems nice.” He reached for the jar of mints I kept on the counter and popped one in his mouth.

  “What did you eat for breakfast,” I scowled at him.

  “Waffles, Aunt Sharron made me some,” he brushed me off. “Anyway, maybe I can work for her, too.”

  “Her husband might do her work,” I warned him. He always got excited when new people came to town, especially women. He wanted to be the knight in shining armor, so to speak. A few times, older sons or husbands showed up later to do whatever job he’d taken on. I didn’t want to discourage him, but I also wanted to make sure he was prepared. My son had a kind heart, and he was easily hurt.

  “Yeah, I know,” he groaned as he shuffled his feet. “Hey, can I go down to the diner and get a milkshake?” His big green eyes peered up at me and reminded me of myself at that age.

  “Don’t you ever get full?” I teased as I ruffled his hair.

  “Nope,” he grinned. “Aunt Sharron says I got a hollow leg.”

  “Have, not got.” I shook my head at him knowing that this was a habit I was never going to break.

  “Please? I’ll get you one, too.” He clasped his hands under his chin and leaned against the counter with a pitiful look on his face.

  “All right, fine,” I groaned as his grin spread before he turned and rushed to push the door open.

  “Hey, Dad!” he shouted. “There she is,” he pointed in the direction of the diner. “Hey, lady!” He cupped his hands around his mouth as he shouted.

  “CJ!” I scolded.

  “Sorry,” he cringed as he stepped out the door letting it swing shut behind him.

  I knew I should have looked. I should have looked to see who he was talking about. I shouldn’t have just brushed him aside as the overly energetic boy that he was. I should have investigated the woman he seemed so taken with after one meeting. I didn’t know then that he was talking about Morgan. If I had, I would have been able to keep him away. I didn’t need the heartache that being around her would cause. I didn’t need the past to come creeping back in, and I most certainly didn’t need the well-constructed lies that I’d been telling the both of us for years to come unraveled. My son was getting ready to turn our world upside down; he just didn’t know it yet.

  “HEY, DAD?” CJ nudged my foot under the table. “Dad!” My head popped up in his direction as I finally came back to the present from my daydreaming.

  I sighed as I glanced over at him. I knew whatever he was about to ask, I didn’t really want to deal with, “What?”

  “Can I go swimming after supper? It’s hot, it’s the last day of vacation, and well, I really think you should let me go. I won’t go far. I’ll stay on this end of the creek, I promise.” His pleading eyes looked up at me and blinked a few times.

  “It’s getting late,” I reasoned. “I don’t want you out after dark.”

  “I’ll come back before dark. Please? Look,” he motioned to his plate. “I’m finished now. Can I go now? Please?”

  “Oh, all right,” I rolled my eyes as I wiped my mouth wi
th my napkin. CJ jumped up from the table, almost knocking his chair over, as he raced out of the room.

  “Home before dark!” I shouted as the screen to the upper porch on the house slammed shut with a bang. I heard his feet thundering down the stairs outside before shouting something at what I assumed was my sister-in-law. She hollered back about being careful, and I laughed. Sharron was more of a mother than an aunt. She’d helped me from the beginning, and I had no idea how I’d ever repay her.

  With CJ gone for the evening, the house was quiet. I’d thought about going downstairs to hang out with my brother, but I knew he would be tired and want to spend the time he had with his wife. They had their own amount of chaos in their own home. Kenneth, their oldest, would be home soon from baseball practice, and Michael was a whirling dervish of his own. Always into everything, he kept Sharron on her toes. CJ had tried to include him many times, but Mikey was always breaking things and getting the two of them into trouble. He reminded me of my younger brother, Tyler. CJ had been pulling away lately as he found out just how much trouble Mikey could get them in.

  After washing the dishes from supper, I grabbed a cold beer and made my way out onto the porch. It was a hot night, but there was a slight breeze, and as I lowered myself into one of the rocking chairs on the porch, I couldn’t help but think back to all the warm nights spent with Morgan doing the same thing my son was doing right now.

  “I dare you!” Trevor, my older brother, taunted from the water below. We’d come down to the creek after helping my dad in the store all day. It was hot, and the water looked so refreshing. Trevor was always the daredevil, and after finally landing the flip he’d been attempting all summer, he’d now decided that I needed to also.

  “That’s really high.” I glanced up at the branch my younger brother, Tyler, was sitting on. His feet were swinging back and forth as he shoved a Popsicle he was eating back into his mouth.