“Moooomm,” I whined. “I don’t want to sit here for hours.”
“Wait until she gets there, then run back, and at least scrub the bathrooms. I’m sure they need it. Make sure the kitchen’s wiped down, too. She’d want that done. Have they told you what’s wrong yet?”
“Kind of.” I forced myself to sound kind. “Something about an appendix.”
“Oh, wow. Good thing you found her.”
“That almost sounded like a compliment.”
“It is. ” She sighed. “You did well, sweetie.”
“Mm... ”
“I have to go. I’ll call you tonight, okay?”
“Yep.”
I slapped the phone shut. Nurturing people wasn’t my gig. It was Mom’s.
I texted Tyler.
Me: I’m stuck at hospital what r you doing?
It took a few minutes before my phone vibrated in my hand.
Tyler: Is it your dad? Where are you?
Me: HMC. The lady I clean for is sick. Called ambulance.
Tyler: Why are you there?
Me: Waiting for her sister.
Tyler: Sit tight.
Me: What?
He didn’t text back.
I sat there for thirty minutes, staring... watching... bored. Slouching in the corner of the chair, I surrendered and closed my eyes. Over the next few minutes, I sensed twenty people walk by, but then the air shifted, and Tyler’s woody scent drifted my way.
I opened an eye.
“Thought you could use some company,” he said, settling into the seat beside mine.
“It’s about time,” I whispered. “I’m going crazy here.”
“Trouble seems to find you everywhere you go.”
“I have to get your attention somehow.”
“That, you have... ” he said, relaxing back in the chair. “So, now what?”
“Mom wants me to wait for Mrs. Baltic’s sister. It could be a while.” I laid my head back, and stretched out my arms. Tyler’s warm touch started at my elbow, running all the way down to my hand, lacing our fingers together. “Thank you for coming. You didn’t have to.”
“What? And miss a chance to sit in a hospital?” He waved his other hand. “I do this all the time. I love spending my afternoons here.”
I laughed, and for the next hour, we joked about the outlandish clothes people wore. But after two hours, time slowed to a crawl. Tyler didn’t seem to notice, Mr. Cool and Collected. I fidgeted in my seat, about to come unglued.
He tossed down a magazine and smiled. “Are you okay?”
“No. I’m ready to get the hell out of here.”
“She can’t be too much longer.”
“I hope not. Mom didn’t let me off the hook, either. I still have to clean.”
His eyes darted to mine. “That almost sounded like you were whining. Your mom just wants you to have the same work ethic as she does.”
“I was not whining,” I said, trying not to smile.
“I said, ‘almost.’ Want some help?”
I recoiled. “No. I’d never ask you to do that.”
“You didn’t.”
“Okay, well, that’s nice of you and all, but it shouldn’t take me long.”
“Fine. Your loss. I have mad skills with a dust rag.”
“Yeah, right.” I laughed.
An elderly couple approached the front desk. We watched them talk to the receptionist for a few moments, then Tyler looked at me.
“Will you have to take care of your dad?”
“I don’t know. All I know is what Mark said.”
“How long? I mean... ” He shook his head. “I guess you wouldn’t know that. Will you have a nurse to help out?”
“I have no idea. If not, we’ll just have to get through it.” I shrugged. “All of it scares me, and then I feel guilty. On top of everything, we have five acres of peppers to harvest. Mark and I plan on picking some, but that’s a lot to do with only two people.”
“Yeah, it is. You have some kind of machinery, right?”
“Not at all. We have to handpick.”
He coughed. “Are you serious? That’s insane.”
“I know. We’ve done it since I was thirteen, just the four of us. Of course, Dad did more than the rest of us combined, so it seems impossible to do it with only Mark and me.”
“You only need two more people?”
“No, I need two days and fifty people. Then it wouldn’t be a nightmare. With the four of us, it took at least two weeks. There’s no way we can get them out before they rot.”
“I can help.”
“You’ve completely lost your mind. The work sucks.”
“Why do people think I can’t handle physical labor?” His voice cracked. “Jeez. I run over twenty miles a day in the blazing hot sun. I can handle picking a few peppers.”
I chuckled at his comment. He could handle the work, but who would sign up for something like that if they didn’t have to? But two more hands always made a difference. If we could get an early start on harvest, and a full load delivered to the processing plant, the money would really help Mom.
“Thank you,” I said. “Let me see what’s ready to pick. Most of the crop won’t come on until after we start school, but anything helps.”
“Well, I have ten days until I have to leave. I’m sure we can do something.”
“You have no idea how much I appreciate that.”
He nodded with a smile. I leaned forward, letting out a sigh.
“If I could have one wish,” I said, rubbing the tension in my forehead, “it would be that everything would go back to the way it was. I’d even welcome the old Mark who loved to make our lives hell, just to have Dad back.”
“Elsie.” Tyler leaned forward so he could look me in the eyes. “I believe you were given more character and strength than the average person. I don’t know what’s going to happen, but I do know you’re a tenacious girl who’ll persevere. You just need to believe that, too.”
His words took my breath away. I was not feeling strong and tenacious at all.
“How will I ever get through this when you leave?” I whispered.
The whole world disappeared around us as we stared into each other’s eyes. Then, he leaned in with a shy smile and kissed me like no one else existed.
An hour later, the spitting image of Mrs. Baltic hurried into the waiting room. She scanned the seats, wild-eyed and panicked-looking. I stood to get her attention. She waved and scurried my way.
“Are you Elsie?” she asked with a high-pitched Southern drawl.
“Yes, ma’am. Nice to meet you.” I offered my hand. She placed her floppy, soft fingers in mine.
“Yes, you too,” she said. “Do you know anything about Betty?”
Betsy and Betty? That had to be confusing growing up.
I squinted at her. “Are you twins?”
“Yes, yes, miss, since birth. Now, do you know where I can find her?”
“Sure, follow that red line on the floor.” I pointed over her shoulder. “It will lead you back to the nurses. They wouldn’t allow me back there since I’m not her kin.”
“Oh, thank you,” she said, reaching out to give me a hug. She stepped back and grabbed my hand. “Now, your momma told me all about what’s going on. You take that and keep it for your troubles. It’s mighty nice of you to sit here like this waiting for me.”
I looked at what she’d left in my hand. A hundred-dollar bill.
“Oh no, Mrs.—Betsy, this isn’t necessary.”
I tried to hand it back. She shook her head once, turned, and followed the red line through the steel doors.
“Thank you,” I said, too late.
Tyler stepped behind me and put his hands on my shoulders. “What was that about?”
I flashed the bill at him. “She gave me a hundred bucks.”
“That’s cool,” he said. “Let’s get out of here.”
Chapter 16
Tyler wanted to follow me to M
rs. Baltic’s house. Thankfully, I had talked him out of it. I appreciated the offer, but taking him along would’ve only distracted me.
When I got there, I couldn’t even bring myself to do the short-list Mom gave me. But the bathrooms were a wreck, and Mrs. Baltic deserved to come home to a house cleaner than when she left.
Three hours later, I was backing out of the driveway, numb and exhausted. I rolled down the window and headed west toward home.
The sun breached the canopy of the trees, casting red, yellow, and orange across the sky. A barge tinted in the warm hues of the evening chugged down the placid Tennessee River. The fresh air felt cool on my sticky skin, and I breathed in the earthy smell of the water. It’d been a long day, but I felt good. Mom would be proud that I’d finished the job.
Later that night, a text arrived.
Tyler: Meet in the morning?
Me: Of course.
Tyler: Wanna pick a peck of pimentoed peppers?
Me: LMAO you’ve lost your mind.
Tyler: Seriously. I’ll be there at six. What’ cha think?
Me: I’m not going to refuse.
Tyler: Good. I’ll see you then.
Me: I wouldn’t dress in your usual clothing.
Tyler: I can handle it...
Me: The work isn’t exactly fun.
Tyler: We’ll make it fun.
Me: Once again you’ve lost your mind.
Tyler: Once again, I’ll see you at six. Get some rest. You deserve it.
Me: :)
At six sharp the next morning, Tyler pulled into the driveway. I met him outside in my favorite worn-out Levi jeans and Bears T-shirt. He stepped out of the car in dark blue designer jeans and a navy Under Armour shirt.
“That isn’t exactly dressing for field work,” I said.
He shook his head. “Well, good morning to you, too. Is there a dress code?”
“No.” I chuckled and waved my hand. “Follow me.”
I led him behind the house, then down the steep hill toward our whitewashed barn. When we stepped inside, the dry scent of red dirt and hay filled the air. He grabbed my wrist, pulled me to him, then pressed his forehead to mine.
“You haven’t given me a kiss,” he said.
I laid a long one on his lips and pulled away. “Better?”
“It definitely gives me more incentive to work.”
His willingness to come along on my rollercoaster ride was almost too much to handle. Don’t get sappy. Suck it up. He doesn’t want praise. He just wants to help.
I crossed the wooden plank floor and grabbed two canvas bags off of a hook on the wall, then handed one to Tyler.
“Here’s an apple bag for you.”
He chuckled. “I thought we were picking peppers.”
“Luckily, apple bags will hold anything you put inside them.”
“True.”
“I’ll drive the tractor to the field so we can empty our bags in the scoop as we go.”
He pointed at the scoop tractor parked at the far end of the barn.
“You’re going to drive that?”
“Yes. If you can, I’ll be happy to let you.”
“Um, no. Feel free to show me how it’s done.”
“My pleasure, city boy.”
“That’s nice. Insult the help before we get started.”
I grinned over my shoulder. “You can handle it, right?”
I grabbed the handle to the barn door and pulled the heavy wooden wall open. Sunlight spilled onto the floor, dust billowing in my face. I waved my hand in the air so I could breathe, and climbed up on the tractor seat.
“You look damn good up there,” Tyler said.
“You think?” I loved it when he said things like that. “Don’t get used it. I’m done farming after this. I’m thinkin’ the city will fit me pretty well, too.”
I turned the ignition and she fired up without a cough. Running the tractor wasn’t that big of a deal. It drove just like a car. Nevertheless, I was proud that Dad had taught me. Tyler trotted over, hopped up the step, and plopped down on the fender next to me.
“Show me how it works,” he said over the rumble of the engine.
I pointed at the throttle and pushed it to max, then shifted it into drive and let my foot off the brake. We rolled toward the open door. The blazing hot sun had broken over the tree line, warming the stagnant air. Bumping across the dirt lane, Tyler scanned the scene as I drove to the furthest row by the woodlands. Cypress and cedar trees framed a thick border around the five acres. At the far end of the rows was a pond overgrown with brush. Dad told me to never go back there. Copperhead and rattle snake nests were all I needed to hear to stay away.
A few hundred yards later, I parked under the tree line in the shade, before I pushed the lever to lower the scoop.
“I counted forty-five rows,” Tyler said over the cackling motor. He pointed down the field. “How far is that?”
I turned the key, killing the rumbling vibration.
“Quarter of a mile. Dad told me last spring that there are roughly three hundred and thirty plants per row. You can figure out the rest.”
“Fourteen thousand eight hundred fifty plants?”
“Wow. You did the math that fast? I was just kidding, but thanks for the info.”
I stared across the field at the weeds that prevented me from seeing how many peppers were ripe. I pointed at an ancient oak tree near the thicket line.
“If we work the front section of the field, we can cover at least fifteen rows on this side of the tree. The sun beats this corner, so there should be plenty of them ready to pick, and we won’t have to walk as far to unload our sacks.”
“You sure? We could knock out the whole row so you don’t have to go back.”
“Sections are fine. I have to be at your house by nine. Besides, we’ll walk it again as they continue to ripen.”
“Whew, that’s a ton of work.”
He hopped off the tractor and held out his hands to help me.
Part of me wanted to be sassy and jump the other way just to show my independence, but he was so sweet I couldn’t insult him. I grabbed his hands and jumped down. He had both canvas bags over one shoulder. I took one and hung it across my chest as we headed toward the first row.
Tyler seemed content, hanging out with my impossible mission, and me. But fourteen thousand plants? Why did he have to say that number? Overwhelmed, I scanned the field.
“This may be pointless,” I said. “It’s just too early.”
“Let’s see what we can find,” he reassured me. “We can cover several rows, can’t we?”
“Yeah, that works best. Take three rows on each side of you, and I’ll do the same.”
He moved up field, leaving six rows between us.
“So, I just pull off the red ones?” he asked.
“Yep, but if there’s too much green on it, don’t pick it.”
“Okay. Too much green... ” he repeated under his breath.
He was lost. Adorably lost. I watched him for a moment. His face brightened when he pulled the first red pepper, then he held it up with a big smile. I gave him a nod of approval and started searching for signs of red, pushing weeds aside, lifting the leaves.
“There’s more here than I thought,” I said, grabbing several myself. “I think they’re turning red as we go.”
“There’s a ton over here.” He pushed both hands full in his sack. “It’s kinda like a treasure hunt.”
His giddiness filled my heart. He had no idea how much his effort meant to me.
We worked for almost two hours, gathering twenty total loads. After we emptied our last sack, I spread the stock inside the scoop.
“Thank you so much,” I said. “This is a really good start. If I can get two scoops in the back of the pickup, Mark can take them to the processing plant.”
I turned around and wrapped my arms around him, pressing my lips to his. Sweat trickled down his dirt-streaked face. He pulled away and laughed.
“No doubt. I need to take a shower before I go to your grandmother’s.”
He took my hand in his, and we started toward the house.
“Hey, I have a question,” he said.
“Sure, what’s up?”
“Dad called last night. He has some papers I need to look at for school. He wants me to come home tonight, go out to dinner. You know, hang out for a while, maybe crash there.”
“That’s cool.”
“You wanna go with me?” he asked like we were going to get ice cream.
“Uh, well, I... ”
Would I have to talk to his supermodel mother? How strange would she act this time? Where would I sleep? Did this mean he wanted to take it to the next level? Oh, God... I wasn’t sure if I was ready for all that.
“It only takes about an hour and half to get there,” he said. “We can leave after you’re done working. Come with me. Get away for the night. It’ll be good for you.”
“I’d like to, but I have to work at Smith’s in the morning.”
“We can get back in time. You said you didn’t know me outside of the park. So... I’m here with you on your turf, now I want to show you mine.”
“Won’t it be weird that I’m with you?”
“No, it’s all good. You know you want to.”
“Yeah, I want to, but—”
“No ‘buts.’ This is my only chance this summer to take you home. It’s an innocent twelve to fourteen hours of your life. We’ll eat dinner, maybe go swimming. Just hang out.”
The word “innocent” helped.
“Okay, I’ll go. But only because you helped me.”
“That’s the only reason?” he asked as he leaned against the hood of his car.
“No. I want to go. I just don’t want to lie to Mom anymore.”
“So, don’t. Tell her you’re staying the night with a friend.”
“That’s kind of the truth.” I chuckled. “Are you going back to your grandmother’s?”
“I’ll probably go for a run, but yeah, I’ll be back before lunch.” He narrowed his eyes. “Remember what I told you. Just ignore her, okay? She’s all talk.”
“You’re right. I’ll see you later,” I said, turning to go to the house.
He caught my wrist and pulled me back to him. “You’re not getting away that easy.”
Life Happens on the Stairs Page 13