Just Fine with Caroline

by Annie England Noblin

  “Get in the truck,” Caroline replied. “The keys are in it.”

  “Are you sure?”

  Roy neared the house. He was so close Caroline could see his outline behind the wheel. “Do you want to be here when Roy figures out we looted his house?”

  Ava Dawn slammed the tailgate shut and jumped into the cab of the pickup. “Hold on!” she screeched.

  Caroline grabbed on to the TV and squeezed her eyes shut tight. Gravel flew over her head, and she looked up just in time to make eye contact with Roy as he pulled into the driveway. She couldn’t help but grin and use her free hand to wave at him as he watched his wife and his television speed away from him, down the road, and off towards the Missouri skyline.

  CHAPTER 25

  CAROLINE STARED OUT THE WINDOW OF THE shop at Smokey up on the roof of Cranwell Station. He was a little over halfway done, and it looked great. It wasn’t the tin roof that so many of the older buildings had, and that Caroline loved, but the shingles still looked nice. She wondered what Noah’s plans were for the rest of the outside. He’d already replaced the windows and the front door, but with the new roof, the rest of the station didn’t look half bad. In fact, it looked good.

  There had been a constant stream of customers since she’d opened the bait shop back up, and most of them wanted to know what was going on across the street. People were asking her father, as well, during the days he spent at the clinic. Tonight, he was working extra late—they were giving free physicals for all school-age children.

  Caroline grinned and waved when she saw Noah watching her from across the street. He motioned for her to come over, and she noticed Yara already waddling her way over to him. Smokey was climbing down the ladder from the roof by the time she made it over there. “Hey, Smokey. How is it coming along?”

  “Just fine, Carolina.” Smokey dabbed at his forehead with a handkerchief. “I reckon I’ll be finished in a couple weeks.”

  Caroline frowned. That was great for Noah, but it was bad for Smokey. He could stay sober only long enough to finish a job. She’d be back to pulling him out of the bar in no time. “Well, take your time. I’m sure there’s no hurry.”

  “You’re doing a great job,” Noah replied, Yara at his heel. “But I would like to open this place before Christmas.”

  Caroline squinted over at Noah. He was smiling at her, his white teeth a sharp contrast to his deeply tanned skin. She envied his skin color. She never got anything but freckles, but he’d been outside in the Missouri sun for a mere few weeks and he looked like he should be surfing on a beach somewhere. “Not many people spend their Christmases swimming in the Cold River.”

  “My point exactly.”

  Smokey stuffed the handkerchief down into his pocket and said, “I better git. I’ll see ya tomorrow mornin’ bright and early.”

  Caroline and Noah waved him off.

  “You ought to let him work a bit longer,” Caroline said, once Smokey was gone. “It’s not like you’re paying him by the hour.”

  “He’s going slow enough,” Noah replied, crossing his arms across his chest. “Don’t get me wrong, he’s doing a great job, but I’d hoped to have this hammered out by now.”

  “I know,” Caroline replied. “It’s just that he’ll go drink up every penny you’ve paid him the minute he’s done.”

  “I can’t help that. It’ll be his money.”

  “I know.”

  “Hey, you can’t help it any more than I can.” Noah softened. “It’s his choice.”

  “He wasn’t always like this, you know,” Caroline said. “When I was a kid, he had his own business. He had a family and everything. I don’t know what happened. It was like one day he was a decent guy and the next he was falling down drunk.”

  “I’m sure it looked that way,” Noah replied. “But that’s not how it happens, overnight, you know. My mom and dad were drunks—and they always looked good on the outside until they couldn’t keep it straight anymore.”

  Caroline looked at Noah. What a rotten childhood he must have had. “I’m sorry.”

  Noah shrugged. “Don’t be.”

  Caroline was about to say something else when she saw a truck coming from the direction of the river. As it neared them, she realized that the person behind the wheel was Jep Cranwell. He threw the truck into park and sat there for a few minutes, readying his oxygen tank to get out of the truck. Eventually, he opened the door of the truck and stepped out. He was every bit as tan as his grandson, and despite their stark contrast in dress and the deep, craggy lines jutting across Jep Cranwell’s face, it occurred to Caroline that the two men were exact mirrors of each other.

  “I need to talk to you, boy,” Jep said. He didn’t look at Caroline. “Best we go inside to do it.”

  “I’ve already closed up for the night.” Noah dangled the keys in front of Jep. “I’d rather not open it back up.”

  “It’s family business.”

  “I should be heading out anyway,” Caroline said, finding her voice.

  “I reckon that’s as good’n idea as any,” Jep said to her.

  “She doesn’t have to leave,” Noah said.

  Caroline wasn’t sure if she should leave or stay, and an uneasy feeling crept up the back of her neck. What am I supposed to do? she thought.

  Jep took a step towards Noah. “You think it’s okay, now that you own this land, to share the family secrets with someone who ain’t blood?”

  “What secrets?” Noah wanted to know.

  “You know what I’m talking about.”

  “Have you been sending Silas to spy on me?” Noah asked. “What did he tell you? Did he tell you I took Caroline to the cave?”

  “He told me more’n that.”

  Caroline felt a wave of nausea wash over her. Did he know about everything?

  “You tell Si he better not let me catch him snooping around here again,” Noah warned. “I need you to trust me, and I need you to trust my judgment.”

  “It ain’t you I don’t trust.”

  Noah rolled his eyes. “Come on, Gramps. Things are different now.”

  “They don’t look so different to me.” Jep glanced over at Caroline. “In fact, they look an awful lot alike.”

  “It’s time for you to go now, Gramps,” Noah said. His jaw was clenched.

  “I pulled you out of trouble once,” Jep replied, turning back towards his truck. “This will be a scrape I won’t be able to fix.”

  “That was fifteen years ago,” Noah replied. “I’m a grown man. I don’t need your help anymore.”

  A fleeting look of hurt flashed across Jep’s face, and then without another word, he turned on his heel and got back into his truck. He sped away from the station, bits of rocks and dust flying up and stinging Caroline’s arms and legs. By the time she got the courage to look back over at Noah, his back was turned to her, his muscles tightening beneath the white T-shirt he was wearing. When he turned around, his eyes were as dark and menacing as the clouds above them, threatening rain at any moment.

  Caroline had a million questions running through her head. What had Silas reported back to Jep? What kind of trouble had Noah been in fifteen years ago? What kind of mistakes and secrets was Jep talking about? What did they have to do with her?

  Noah must’ve realized she was staring at him, because his expression softened. “Look, I’m sorry about that.”

  “No, no, it’s okay,” Caroline replied. “I guess I really should get out of here. Ava Dawn’s alone with my mom, and my dad’s out late.”

  “Okay,” Noah replied. He gave her a tight-lipped smile.

  Caroline wanted to go to him and put her arms around him. She wanted to tell him she was sorry for whatever it was that was hurting him and keeping him from seeing eye to eye with his grandfather, but she didn’t know how to say it. Instead, she said, “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

  “Yeah.”

  She was walking away when she heard Noah calling after her.

  “Caroline,
” he hollered. “Hey, Caroline, wait.” He jogged up to her. “I didn’t, um, I didn’t know that Silas was tailing us that day at the cave.”

  Caroline felt a shudder run through her. “Surely he didn’t follow us inside.”

  “I think we would have heard him.”

  “I just hope he didn’t hear us.”

  For a moment Noah looked mortified, and then he broke into a broad grin. “The bastard was probably traumatized.”

  Caroline started to laugh. “I know. I almost feel sorry for him.”

  “Don’t,” Noah replied.

  “Okay, I won’t,” Caroline said. She didn’t want to leave things this way. She wanted some answers. “Hey, do you want to get out of here for a while?”

  “What did you have in mind?”

  “Well, like I said, my dad is going to be working late. Ava Dawn has the night off, and she’s pillaged Court’s garden.”

  Noah raised his eyebrow.

  “His vegetable garden,” Caroline continued. “He grows the best tomatoes in three counties, and Ava Dawn promised to make fried green tomatoes tonight.”

  “Like the movie?” Noah asked.

  Caroline rolled her eyes. “Like the food.”

  “I’ve never had them before.”

  “Well, then, Mr. Cranwell,” Caroline said, taking Noah by the arm, “you’ve not lived.”

  CHAPTER 26

  AVA DAWN STOOD IN FRONT OF THE STOVE wearing one of her aunt Maureen’s old aprons. She had her iPod tucked down into one of the pockets, and she was singing so loudly that Caroline and Noah could hear her before they even opened the door. Her voice was only slightly louder than Caroline’s mother’s, who stood beside her singing and dipping the tomatoes into a bowl full of egg yolk. Oh, so hang on to the ones who really care, Cuz in the end, they’ll be the only ones there . . . Noah looked from Caroline to Ava Dawn and back again. “Are they singing . . .”

  “Hanson?” Caroline finished for him. “Yes. Yes they are.”

  “Why?”

  “Why not?” Caroline replied, grinning from ear to ear. “Ava Dawn and I were about seven when ‘MMMBop’ came out. It was our favorite song. We must have listened to it fifty times a day that summer. My poor mom had to hear it all the time.”

  “They look happy.”

  “They are.” It was as if everything was completely normal—her mother and Ava Dawn side by side singing and cooking dinner. It was a scene she’d come home to plenty of times over the years. Five years ago, Caroline would have burst through the front door with Noah and feigned embarrassment over the song while her mother wiped her hands on her apron and serenaded Noah with a cornmeal-covered spatula. But now, Caroline knew, when the song was over the spell would be broken. Maureen O’Conner would turn around, and it was very likely that she wouldn’t know either of the people standing in her doorway. She wouldn’t even know it was her doorway. She could remember all of the words to a pop song that came out in 1997, but she couldn’t remember her own daughter.

  It wasn’t fair.

  Caroline felt tears pricking at her eyes, and she wiped at them furiously. “Let’s just stand here until the song is over,” she said to Noah. “Just give me another minute.”

  Noah didn’t say anything, but he reached down and grabbed her hand, giving it a squeeze just before Ava Dawn turned around and noticed them.

  “Well, hey, you two,” she said, fumbling for the iPod inside of her apron pocket. “Caroline, I didn’t expect you to bring company.”

  “It was kind of spur of the moment,” Caroline replied. She was dying to tell Ava Dawn everything.

  “She took pity on me, is what she means,” Noah cut in. “I wasn’t having the best night.”

  Ava Dawn eyed Noah up and down and then turning to her aunt said, “Look who’s here, Aunt Maureen.”

  Maureen O’Conner turned around from the stove. “Hello,” she said. For a moment, she let her hands wander up to her hair, smoothing it down. It wasn’t as red as it used to be, but it was every bit as curly. Then she turned back around to the tomatoes, humming “MmmBop.”

  Ava Dawn shrugged. “She’s had a good day.”

  “Do you want a beer or something?” Caroline asked Noah, desperate to take the focus off of her mother. “I’m sure we’ve got one or two in the fridge.”

  “I’m fine,” Noah said, walking over to the stove. “This smells delicious.”

  “Oh, it is,” Ava Dawn assured him. “Fried green tomatoes are Caroline’s favorite.”

  “I’ve never had them.”

  “Well, your life is about to change.”

  Noah laughed. “I haven’t had a home-cooked meal since Caroline and I went to my grandfather’s for dinner.”

  Ava Dawn raised her eyebrow over at Caroline. “Yeah, I heard about that.”

  “I can’t say that I’m a huge fan of deer meat,” Noah admitted. “But my aunt has always been a good cook.”

  “I met your aunt a few times,” Ava Dawn said. “She used to bring her old truck into the shop where Roy works. It’s been years, though.”

  Noah nodded. “I don’t think she drives much anymore. Her eyesight isn’t what it used to be.”

  Caroline’s mother turned to them. She was holding a slice of tomato between her thumb and index finger. “I really don’t like Roy much.”

  “To be fair,” Ava Dawn said after a moment of silence, “nobody does.”

  “And you.” Maureen walked up to Noah and stood directly in front of him. “I thought I told you that I don’t like this scruff,” she said, reaching her free hand up to his face. “Clean shaven, that’s what a man should be.”

  Caroline, Noah, and Ava Dawn all looked at each other. To Caroline’s relief, Noah smiled. “I’m sorry, Mrs. O’Conner,” he said. “I didn’t have time to shave this morning.”

  Caroline’s mother backed away from Noah. “Call me Maureen.”

  “Okay, Maureen.”

  “We better get back to cookin’,” Ava Dawn said to her aunt. “I’ve still got to fry up the chicken.”

  “Do you need some help?” Noah wanted to know.

  “Sure. You two can set the table.”

  Caroline busied herself taking down the dishes from the cabinets. She noticed Noah looking around as if he’d never been inside her house before. That was when she realized that he hadn’t. It was so strange—him being here felt natural, normal, even after the awkward conversation with her mother. He probably thought she’d lost all of her manners. “I’m sorry,” she said to Noah, setting down a pile of plates onto the table. “I forgot you’ve never been here before. Let me show you around.”

  “I was beginning to wonder,” Noah said. “I thought about just wandering around on my own.”

  Caroline grinned. “Well, there isn’t much to see. It’s a pretty small house.” She led him into the hallway and to her parents’ room. “This is my mom and dad’s room. Back there is the other bathroom. There’s another porch off the back, as well. We added on to it when we bought the place. It’s bigger than it once was, but it still feels pretty small sometimes.”

  “Where’s your room?” Noah asked.

  “At the other end of the hallway,” she said. “Come on, I’ll show you.”

  Noah stood in the doorway of Caroline’s room. “How long has this been your room?”

  “Oh, since forever,” Caroline replied. “My parents moved here when I was a kid. They’d had a larger house outside of town, close to the river, but I think it was just too hard for them to live there.”

  “That makes sense,” Noah said. He walked inside the room, his arms crossed over his chest while he looked around.

  Caroline felt her cheeks burn as he gazed around her room. What is he thinking? she wondered. My whole life exists in here.

  Noah ran his fingers along one of the many bookcases. “You’ve got some interesting titles in here.”

  Caroline walked over next to him and picked up a book titled Gangsters and Grifters: Classic C
rime Photos from the Chicago Tribune. “I got this one for Christmas a couple of years ago. It’s one of my favorites.”

  “Interesting.”

  “Hey,” Caroline said. “Not all of us are born into a family people write books about.”

  “Nobody has written any books about my family,” Noah replied. “Trust me, if they had, my grandfather would have had them drawn and quartered.”

  “I bet half of the people in this book came through Cranwell Station,” Caroline said. She sat down on the bed. “Those pictures you showed me were so cool.”

  “There are a lot more where those came from.” Noah sat down next to her. “You may be right.”

  “I still can’t believe your family had a speakeasy in a cave,” she whispered.

  “I’d really like to go back there again sometime,” Noah replied.

  For the first time in a long time, Caroline wished she had her own house like most people her age. If she had her own house, the two of them would be alone together. She wouldn’t have to deal with Ava Dawn setting the smoke detectors off with her tomatoes. She wouldn’t have to worry about her mother thinking Noah was someone else, maybe even Jep. Surely her mother had never worried about Jep Cranwell’s beard. Had she? Caroline felt a pang of guilt at those thoughts. In an attempt to shove them aside, she said, “I’d like that, too.”

  Noah scooted closer to her on the bed. He laced his fingers in with hers. He was leaning in to kiss her when they both heard the front door slam. “Did someone just leave?” Noah asked.

  “I better go check on my mom,” Caroline replied. “Sometimes Ava Dawn forgets she has to keep an eye out.” She stood up to leave the room, and that was when she saw her father standing in the hallway.

  “Hey, kiddo,” he said.

  “Dad? What are you doing home so early?”

  “One of the schools’ buses broke down,” her father replied. “They had to reschedule. And it’s pouring down rain outside, in case you hadn’t noticed.”

  “I hadn’t,” Caroline admitted sheepishly.

  “Hello, Dr. O’Conner.” Noah appeared behind Caroline.