“Do you want to go inside and have some breakfast?” Caroline asked, feeling a small surge of panic at the memory. “I’ll make us some coffee.”
“I’d like that.”
Caroline helped her mother back inside and got her settled on the couch with her knitting. “I’m going up to the attic for just a minute,” she said once the coffee was ready. “I’ll be right back.”
“Okay,” her mother replied.
Caroline pulled down the staircase to the attic and began climbing up. There was something that had been bothering her since the first time Caroline saw Noah, and she thought he looked familiar to her, but she couldn’t figure out why. Then when she had dinner at the Cranwells, Jep said that her mother hadn’t exactly been a friend, but there was something about the way he said it . . . something about the looks he shared with his sister. There had to be more going on than everyone was telling her.
She pulled at the string to turn on the light and glanced around the room. There were boxes everywhere, but she was looking for a specific one. She knew where she’d seen Noah before, only it wasn’t Noah Cranwell she’d seen; it was Jep Cranwell, and it was in a picture in one of her mother’s photo albums in the attic. She looked down at the dusty boxes. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d been up here, but it took her exactly two minutes to find the picture. It was in her mother’s album with pictures from the bait shop. Caroline flipped through the album. There were pictures of the shop being built, there were pictures of her mom, dad, and brother standing in front of the shop at the grand opening, and there, at the end, was the picture she’d come for. It was faded and blurry, taken with an old Polaroid camera, but she knew the two people smiling in the photo—it was her mother and Jep.
Jep was smiling.
Her mother and Jep were sitting on the steps of the shop, her mother’s wild hair was everywhere and she had about sixty bangle bracelets on her wrists, and Jep was in overalls and with bare feet. They looked happy.
Caroline carried the album back down the ladder with her and into the living room. Her mother and Yara were in the same positions in which she’d left them. She sat down next to her mother. “Hey, Mom, can I show you something?”
“Sure.” Her mother continued to knit.
“Can you put down your knitting?”
Maureen O’Conner set the knitting into her lap, and Caroline placed the album between them. “Mom, do you know the man in the picture?” She pointed to Jep Cranwell.
Her mother squinted down at the picture. After a few seconds, she peeled back the plastic page and took the picture out. “That’s me there, you know,” she said. “I was so young then.”
“You were beautiful, Mom.”
“Wasn’t I?” Her mother held the picture up closer to her face.
“What about the man you’re sitting next to?” Caroline asked. “Do you know him?”
“His wife died,” her mother said. “Cancer. He was very sad.”
“I didn’t know that.”
Maureen O’Conner nodded. “It was a long time ago. When his son was small. He raised him alone, all alone, and he was so sad. But look here.” She pointed to the picture. “Look how he’s smiling.”
Caroline watched her mother stroke the picture with her thumb. She was lost in her thoughts, and Caroline wished she knew just the right words to say to unlock what was inside. “I’m glad you were his friend.”
“Yes,” her mother murmured. “I was his friend, and he was mine . . . my friend.”
“How come you never told me about any of this before?”
Caroline’s mother turned the page in the album. “That’s my son,” she said, pointing to a picture of Jeremy and Max O’Conner fishing. “He died, too, didn’t he?”
Caroline swallowed. “Yes, a long time ago.”
Both women looked up when the doorbell rang. Caroline hadn’t been expecting anyone, and it was odd for someone to be there in the middle of the morning without calling first. She handed her mother the album and answered the door.
“Hello, Carolina.” Reese Graham stood in front of her, smiling like it was Christmas. “I saw your truck parked outside when I was driving by.”
“What were you doing driving by?”
“To see if your truck was parked outside.”
Caroline couldn’t help but grin. “Come on in.”
“Hello, Mrs. O’Conner,” Reese said when he stepped inside. “How are you today?”
“Fine, thanks.”
“I’ve called you a few times,” Reese said, walking farther into the house. “God, it hasn’t changed a bit in here.”
“I know you have,” Caroline replied, following him. “It’s the busy season at the shop. You know I don’t have a lot of time.”
“You have time to go out drinkin’ with Tyler and Kasey, but you don’t have time to call me back? That hardly seems fair.”
“Well, life’s not fair.”
“You sound like your father.”
Caroline looked over at Reese. He was standing in the entryway of the dining room. He’d shaved, probably just before coming over, and smelled like some kind of expensive aftershave. His reddish hair had been cut back since she’d seen him at the river. His ruddy complexion, however, hadn’t changed. It told her that he was still drinking far more than he should. “What are you doing here, Reese?”
“I came to take you to lunch.”
“I can’t go to lunch with you today.”
“Why not?”
Caroline sighed. “I’m staying with my mom today.”
“She can come.”
“No,” Caroline replied. “She can’t.”
“Look, I don’t know why you’re acting like I’m some sort of scab,” Reese said. “I’m the one who should be sore at you still.”
“I don’t think you’re a scab.”
“Then why won’t you go to lunch with me?” Reese was grinning, and Caroline realized he was teasing her.
“You know why.”
“I told you that was all water under the bridge, didn’t I?”
“You did.” Caroline sat down at the dining room table. “But I don’t believe you.”
“Pretty full of yourself aren’t you?”
“You’re one to talk.”
Reese sat down across from her. “This is why I liked you so much, Carolina,” he said. “Talking to you is always so much fun.”
“But you didn’t love me, did you?” She didn’t know why she said it.
“You cut right to the chase, huh?”
“You didn’t,” Caroline said. “And you don’t now.”
“You’re right.” Reese straightened up. “But it didn’t keep me from being angry all those years ago.”
“I’m sorry about that,” Caroline replied. “I didn’t mean to hurt you.”
“I know you didn’t,” Reese said. “I never should’ve put you in that position to begin with.”
“Well.” Caroline straightened herself up. “What was it you said? It’s all water under the bridge.”
Reese gave her one of his signature lopsided grins. “Does this mean we can go to lunch now?”
“I told you I can’t,” Caroline said, gesturing to her mother.
“How about I go pick something up? Maybe Chinese?”
“I can’t,” Caroline said. “But maybe you can catch Court before his shift starts.”
For a moment, Reese looked hurt. “Good plan,” he said, clapping her on the back. “Old Court always pays!”
Once he was gone, Caroline made her way back over to her mother. She was still sitting on the couch with the album out on her lap, the picture of Jeremy still face up.
Maureen O’Conner closed the album. “I think I’d like to go lie down now.”
“Okay,” Caroline replied, helping her mother off the couch. “Let me help you back to your bedroom.”
“You’re nice,” her mother said, patting Caroline’s arm. “My regular nurse can be gruff sometimes, but I
like her, too.”
“I’m glad.”
“You’re nice,” her mother said again. “What’s your name? I want to tell my nurse to send you again.”
Caroline sat down on the bed, willing herself not to cry. “Caroline,” she said at last. “My name is Caroline, and I’ll come and stay with you anytime you’d like.”
“That’s a pretty name,” Maureen O’Conner replied, sitting down next to her daughter. “That’s a very pretty name.”
CHAPTER 19
“YOU’RE GONNA NEED A NEW MOTOR,” THE repairman said. He was sweating through his Boyd’s Heating and Air uniform. “This unit is from 1979. I don’t even know if I can find a motor.”
“It took you a week to get out here, and now you want to tell me you can’t even do your job?” Caroline asked.
“Look, lady, I’ve been outside for over an hour trying to fix your ancient unit,” the repairman replied. “Do you want me to try to order the part or not?”
Caroline sighed. “Yeah, I guess.”
“I’ll give you a call once I get back to the shop,” he said. “Try to stay cool.”
“Oh, you’re a comedian, too?” Caroline said to his back as he walked out of the shop. “Hilarious!” She was about to say more, but stopped when she saw Noah coming up the steps.
“Good luck,” the repairman said to Noah.
“What’s his problem?” Noah asked once he got into the shop. “Holy shit, it’s awful in here.”
“I don’t know what his problem is,” Caroline replied. “I’m a delight, and yes, it is awful in here, and it is going to keep being awful because the air conditioner is apparently older than I am.”
“Is that why the shop has been closed for the last three days?”
“Yep.”
“Good,” Noah said. “Because I was beginning to think that you were avoiding me.”
Caroline grinned. She’d thought about calling him, but then she’d realized she didn’t have his number. Then she thought about coming out just to see him, but she was afraid he would think that was weird. So she’d stayed home with her mother and given the nurse a break. “I wasn’t avoiding you; I was avoiding dying from heatstroke.”
“I think that’s still a real possibility.”
“I know.” Caroline blew a piece of damp hair out of her eyes. “I can’t keep this place closed down. I’m losing too much business.”
Noah looked around the shop. “Unless people can crawl into those coolers with the bait, I don’t think anybody is going to want to come in here.”
“I’m going to go into town and buy a couple of window units,” Caroline said. “That will keep me from dying at least until tomorrow.”
“Do you want some company?”
“You want to go buy air conditioners with me?”
“Sure.”
Caroline looked up at him. He was looking down at her with those dark eyes of his. Part of her wanted to see if he would take her back upstairs to his place, where the air-conditioning worked, and finish what they’d started days before. But neither of them had mentioned it since, and she was starting to believe that perhaps it had been a mirage from the heat. “Okay,” she said. “But you’re driving.”
THE COLD RIVER Walmart was located right in the big fat middle of town. It was like the Mecca of the county, a super Walmart, and all roads led there.
Noah stood out in front of the store and stared up at it. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen a Walmart so big.”
“Are you sure you’ve ever even seen one at all?” Caroline replied. “Come on, it’ll save time if we go through lawn and garden.”
“Look at all these cars,” Noah marveled. “I didn’t even know there were this many people in town!”
Caroline rolled her eyes. “Just come on.”
They walked through the doors and into an ocean of plastic lawn ornaments, plastic lawn furniture, and charcoal and gasoline grills. “Do they sell everything here?” Noah wanted to know.
“Have you seriously never been inside a Walmart?”
“It’s been a long time,” Noah admitted. “Most of the places I’ve lived didn’t have them. They’re not very popular in more urban areas.”
“Lucky you,” Caroline grumbled. “I hate this place.”
“Why?”
“Because it’s crowded, I always see someone I know when I’m looking particularly awful, and even when I go in for just one thing, I end up coming out with 200 dollars’ worth of crap.”
“Hey, I need this.” Noah picked up a double pack of Old Spice deodorant. He threw it into the cart Caroline was pushing. “I need toothpaste, too.”
“No,” Caroline said. “No, we are not here to shop for you. We’re here to get air conditioners and get out.”
“Aw, come on,” Noah replied. “I haven’t done any shopping since I got here. I’m out of everything.”
His eyes were dancing around excitedly, and Caroline couldn’t help but laugh. She’d never in her life seen someone so excited to be inside a Walmart. “Fine,” she relented. “But when we get back to the shop, you’ve got to help me install the air conditioners.”
“Like I wasn’t going to have to help you do that anyway,” Noah said. He slid one of his hands onto the cart and said, “I’ll push.”
Caroline followed beside the cart, watching him throw random things inside of it. “Is there anything you don’t need?”
“Nope.” Noah handed her a can of shaving cream. “I’ve been living out of a suitcase for a decade. Everything I own is travel sized.”
“You’ve been all over the world,” Caroline said, crossing her arms over her chest.
“Yep.”
“And the inside of a Walmart in Cold River, Missouri, excites you?”
“Yep.”
“You are a ridiculous person.”
“Oh, I’m a ridiculous person?” Noah put the razors he had in his hands back on the shelf. “The first time I met you, your three-legged Tibetan mastiff tried to eat my shirt.”
“Yara would never have eaten your shirt,” Caroline said, pretending to be offended. “She’s a lady.”
Noah began to laugh. “I’m pretty sure that my shirt would disagree.”
“I guess I owe your shirt an apology.”
“You do.” Noah pulled her into the aisle with him.
Caroline allowed him to pull her up close to him. She wasn’t sure if he was playing or if he was serious by the way he was looking at her. “People are staring at us.”
“I thought it was me they were all staring at.”
“This time it’s both of us.”
“Let them stare.” Noah pulled her closer still, so close that his lips brushed against hers.
Caroline felt every muscle in her body tighten, and she wished like hell they weren’t standing in an aisle at Walmart, but instead somewhere private. From over Noah’s shoulder she saw a familiar face. It was Reese, and he was walking right towards them.
“Carolina?”
“Oh, hey, Reese.” Caroline pulled herself away from Noah. “What’s going on?”
“Just gettin’ the necessities.” He was grinning like a Cheshire cat at the two of them. “What are you two doin’ here?”
“We’re just here looking for air conditioners.”
“Hey, man, I’m Reese.” He stuck out his hand to Noah. “I don’t think we’ve actually met.”
“Noah.”
“Oh, sorry,” Caroline said, her cheeks flushing. “I should have introduced you.”
“Hey, it’s alright,” Reese said, turning his attention away from Noah. “So that air’s still not fixed, huh?”
“Nope.” Caroline looked down at her feet. She didn’t know why she felt so awkward, but she did. “I don’t even know if it can be fixed.”
“Did you call those morons at Boyd’s?”
“They’re the only morons in town.”
Reese sighed. “Why didn’t you just call me? You know I would have come over and tak
en a look at it. I told you that the other day when I stopped by your house.”
Caroline had known. She’d even considered calling him in a moment of 100 degree weakness. “I’m just not used to you being around.”
Reese put his hand on her shoulder. “Well, get used to it.” He looked back over at Noah and said, “It was nice to meet you, man.”
“Yeah, you, too.”
As Caroline watched Reese walk away, she could feel Noah’s eyes on her. When she turned back around, he was busy surveying the razors again. He threw a package in the cart and pushed forward. “Let’s go find the air conditioners” was all he said.
They walked in silence for a few minutes. Finally, she said, “I’ve known Reese since elementary school.” She wasn’t sure what to say, but the silence was grating on her.
“I remember your cousin mentioning him.”
Caroline ran her hand down a line of box fans. “He was more than my friend for a little while,” she said. “He was my boyfriend.”
“I remember her mentioning that, too.”
“He works for Burlington Northern, you know, the railroad?”
“Good job.”
“It is,” Caroline replied. “Really good. More than most people around here can hope for.”
Noah stopped the cart. “Is that why he was your boyfriend?”
“No.”
“Does he want to be your boyfriend again?”
“No,” Caroline said. “And I don’t want him to be my boyfriend.”
“Good.”
A little thrill ran through Caroline’s body as she stared at him. She wanted to ask him what he meant, but she didn’t want to push it, to push him away from her. Not all men are like Roy and Reese, she thought. Some men are calm and even. Some men are like my father. The more Caroline thought about it, though, the more she realized she didn’t want either one of those kinds of men. She wanted, well, she wasn’t sure what she wanted, but she hoped more than anything that he was standing right there next to her in the Cold River Walmart.
Just Fine with Caroline Page 15