Bob proceeds to explain to me that there is a small tract of land, deeded to the orchard but not actively used, which has quite a bit of value simply because of its situation in regards to the river and the national forest. “If you had that appraised and then offered her the proceeds from the sale of that tract as an incentive to let you and this place alone, why, I think she’d likely take that deal and run. We could have her sign away all past, present, and future rights for the amount of the sale.”
This is a sly old man. I can see it in the twinkle of his sharp brown eyes. Meeting him and spending a little time with him leaves me in no doubt as to why my parents felt safe leaving their possessions and their legacy in his hands.
Just over an hour after his arrival, Bob is shaking my hand and heading back to his car. Strangely, I’m glad he came. As much as I’d have liked to see Laney, it’s better this way. And now, there’s a plan for handling my aunt, Ellie, and possibly being completely free of her in the future.
Now if only my own future was so clear-cut . . .
TWENTY-NINE: Laney
My cell phone rings. I sigh when I look down to see Shane’s number pop up. Never would I have thought I’d be friends with him again, but when there’s no one else, sometimes a familiar face is a welcome face.
“Hello?”
“Hey, beautiful. How about some lunch?”
I sigh again. He hasn’t given up giving me the full-court press. He swears he’s going to win me back. I keep telling him I’m just not ready and that I might never be, but still he persists.
But then there’s the loneliness that plagues me . . .
“Sure. Where can I meet you?”
“I’ll pick you up at one.”
I glance at my watch. That’s about six minutes from now. “Okay, see you then,” I say before hanging up.
I sit staring at the blank screen. The office is quiet around me. Bob is hard at work trying to free Jake and his family from his greedy aunt.
He didn’t tell me until after the fact that he’d gone to Greenfield to meet with him. That was almost two weeks ago. Two weeks since my last chance to see Jake flew right on by without me even knowing about it.
Now there’s just a constant ache and an ever-present sense of melancholy that I can’t shake. It’s like nothing that used to matter is very important anymore, and nothing that used to make me happy even gets me out of bed.
My parents have called dozens of times. I always answer and chat with them, but they’re astute enough to know that something is terribly wrong. But they’re also astute enough not to make a single comment about Jake.
Other than that, it’s me and Shane and my job here. Tori is back in Greenfield. She’s my only real friend, as I hadn’t lived here long enough before my breakup with Shane to make any more. Not that they would be much help now, anyway. There’s only one person who could possibly make me feel better.
And he’s long gone.
My phone rings again, stopping me from giving in to the threat of another round of tears. It’s Tori this time.
“Thank God,” I say by way of greeting.
“I know I’m the answer to prayer, woman, but damn!” she teases.
“Today, you really are.” This time my sigh is one of relief. “You’re not in town, are you?”
I’m hoping she’ll say yes, but I’ve learned to live with disappointment.
“No, but in just a few seconds, I’m gonna be begging you to come to me instead. Why don’t you save me the groveling and just tell me you’ll come home, okay? Okay!”
I can’t help but smile. I miss my friend. “You know, simply in the interest of helping you to preserve your dignity, I think I can manage that. But just this once. I’m not a fan of missing out on begging. Next time, it may cost you twice as much.”
“Duly noted,” she says easily. “I’ll bring my kneepads next time.”
“Wise choice,” I say with a giggle. “So, what is it that is so important that you’d beg me to come home?”
“Umm, if I told you, I’d have to kill you. And I love you too much to harm one lovely golden hair, so . . . there you go.”
“Lucky for you, I don’t need much of a reason to visit you. Mind if I borrow your couch?”
“Still avoiding the parents?”
“No, not really. I just think space is a good thing. I didn’t cut the apron strings too well the first time around. This time, I’m not making the same mistake.”
“Finally! Ohmigod! Boy, this summer sure was good for you, Laney.” As much as I love Tori, and even though I’ve forgiven her for the stuff with Shane, I still haven’t really felt comfortable talking to her about Jake. At least not about how my life is like a barren wasteland without him. I haven’t told anybody that. It feels almost like, if I keep it a secret, it’ll just go away and not be this way anymore. Eventually.
If only . . .
“Yeah, I did a lot of growing this year, didn’t I?”
“You sure did. And all for the better, I might add.”
I’m glad when I hear the front door open. I’m sure that’s Shane. Just in time to rescue me from a torturous conversation about how wonderful this summer was.
It seems that, no matter how hard I try, I can’t forget how wonderful it was.
But sometimes I wish I could.
“I’ve gotta go, Tori, but I’ll see you home tomorrow night, okay?”
“Sounds good. Meet you here around seven. The key’s under the mat if you get here before I get home.”
“Okay, see you soon.”
“Be safe.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“You know that’s right,” Tori says before making a kissing noise and then hanging up.
“Who was that?” Shane asks as he saunters through my office door.
“Just Tori.”
“Mmm,” he murmurs neutrally. “Ready?”
“As ready as I’ll ever be,” I say, wondering how I ever thought this man was enough to make me happy.
You didn’t really know yourself at all back then, did you?
No, I sure didn’t.
THIRTY: Jake
You still wanting overtime?
A text from the fire chief.
Hell yeah!
Keeping busy is tantamount to staying sane, but I can only stand being at the house by myself for so long. It’s not really that I’m lonely per se; it’s more that I see Laney everywhere and it’s getting harder and harder to stay there without her. To cook in the kitchen, to watch television on the couch, to shower in my bathroom. To sleep in my bed. She’s everywhere. I can’t escape her. Even when I sometimes want to.
Come on in at 6 then. 48-hour shift. May end up being longer.
I make a mental note to myself to fill up Einstein’s dispensers in the barn. Just thinking about them reminds me of Laney’s surprise that he used them.
She had been under the very mistaken impression that I just left my dog to fend for himself. She tried to cover by saying she then concluded maybe one of the neighbors was feeding him. When I told her about the system I’d rigged up, she didn’t believe me so I took her out into the barn and showed her.
The contraptions are really nothing more than levers that release a premeasured amount of food and water down into bowls, respectively.
“See,” I’d told her. “Einstein just walks up and high-fives the lever, and he gets fed and watered. There’s enough in here to last him at least a week if he’s not a total pig.”
“You’re telling me that your dog is smart enough to come in here when he’s hungry, press these levers, and get his own food and water?”
“That’s exactly what I’m telling you.”
“And you expect me to believe that?”