Lucky In Love, page 18
“Are we going to live with you now?”
Without taking his eyes off the road, Harry responded, “It looks that way.”
I couldn’t take it anymore. “Do we get to stay on your farm?”
I had heard stories from my mama about growing up there. She had talked about dogs, cows and horses. I had marveled at her stories, wishing I could be a part of them myself somehow, but my father had hated animals. He was a farmer himself, but all he had ever been interested in was cornfields.
“It's not a farm. Farms have chickens. There are no chickens. It's a ranch, and yes, that's where we are all going to live.”
Eli’s eyes widened at the sound of his gruff voice. Other children her age might have been scared by Harry, but she was clearly intrigued by him. Nothing much ever frightened Eli, although sometimes I wished it did.
“Did Mommy use to live there, too?” Eli asked.
Finally Harry’s gaze shifted. He looked at the three of us, and when he answered, his voice softened. “Yes she did.”
We drove the rest of the way in silence - much like it had been before we started talking.
Chapter 2
Small Town Louisiana
The Summer of 2001
It was early morning in our small town of Angie, LA. Downtown was quiet with a just a few people running their morning errands. Eli was blasting the radio in her rusty, old truck as she made her way down the otherwise peaceful streets. She was dressed in her usual work clothes, which consisted of washed out, holey blue jeans, a tank top, boots and a raggedy old cowboy hat she had stolen from Harry about a hundred years ago. Today I’d decided to tag along although Eli could have handled the errands herself like she did most of the time.
Without much warning or so much as a turn signal, Eli yanked her steering wheel to the left and pulled into the parking lot of the local feed store, cutting off Old Man Riggins in the process. She had hated the old man for getting her arrested back in high school for a cow tipping spree she had not only participated in, but had carefully planned and successfully executed. Even now, years later, she was happy to piss him off any chance she got.
Eli tipped her hat at Old Man Riggins as she got out of the truck, while he in turn gave her the finger as he passed by. Satisfied with his reaction, she smiled.
“Meet me back here when you’re done at the drug store, Em. I’m gonna head over to the bank and make the deposit,” she explained. Within an hour, we were back at the feed store, and we walked along the side of the old, wooden building and around to the back where they stored the feed and hay. When we walked in, Eli was surprised to find that we were alone. She wandered through the aisles for a moment, scanning the newest merchandise, before she became impatient. Lifting her fingers to her lips, she let out a high pitched whistle, sure to get the attention of anyone within a five mile radius. Almost simultaneously, she heard an “Oh Shit” and a scuffle, followed by a loud thud as Simon’s ass hit the floor.
“Finally,” she said, her amusement clear in her voice.
We made our way to the back corner from which we’d heard the thud. Simon was still in the process of dusting himself off when we found him. His mama and daddy had owned the feed store for nearly fifty years. Simon himself had been working there ever since the time he could walk.
“You didn’t get hurt, did you?” I asked.
Eli glanced at the ladder leaning up against the hay, then back at him. He was tall and lanky, with wavy blond hair. Looks like he should be wearing a ‘handle with care’ sign, I thought to myself as we eyed him up and down.
“Nah, soft landing and all that. Besides, it’s not the first time I’ve taken a fall from that high up,” he replied, rubbing his rear end.
“Yeah, didn’t you take a dive off the truck while you were unloading it last time I was here?” Eli asked, trying hard to bite back her smirk.
“Uh-huh. Something about your whistle just gets me every time. Anyway, the usual today?”
Eli nodded. “You want me to go pull the truck around?”
“Yes, Ma’am.” That was Simon. Always polite, no matter how many times you made him fall on his ass.
Once Eli pulled the truck over to the loading area, I watched as she and Simon worked together throwing feedbags into the bed, one after the other, until they were piled as high as they would go.
“There, that should be the last of it. Can I get you anything else today, Eli?”
“No, that ought to do it.” She walked back around to the front of the truck and got in. Simon was busy taking off his gloves.
“Alright, we'll just put this on your account then.”
Eli stuck her head out of the window and shouted over the radio that was blasting through the airwaves once again, “Thanks. Be sure to tell your mama I said 'hi'.”
“Will do,” Simon replied with a quirky little grin.
And away we went. I was surprised that Eli hadn’t given me what for about just sitting in the truck while she and Simon did all the heavy lifting. She’d been in an odd mood lately, and I wondered what was on her mind, but I didn’t ask. She’d talk about when she was good and ready and not a moment sooner. Besides, I had a sneaking feeling that whatever it was could in some way be traced back to Evey and I was in no hurry to find myself in the middle of whatever trouble was brewing between those two.
Eli drove down Main Street where she waved to a few people she knew before she veered to the left and took a road that led away from town. Soon, we were in the middle of nowhere and the road had gone from pavement to dust and dirt. Finally, we arrived at a large gate with a big sign that read, 'Wilson Ranch'. Eli pulled in and followed the long, dirt driveway up to the house. She parked the truck by the barn and got out.
Harry came walking out through the big barn doors when he heard that nasty old truck pull in. He had been waiting on us for nearly twenty minutes, which is a long time when you have hungry animals waiting and making it known that they intend to start making other arrangements if you don’t feed them something soon.
“Get lost?”
Eli gave Harry the same look she’d been giving me her whole life. The look that said she wasn’t in the mood to play games.
“You wanna make jokes or you wanna help us get this truck unloaded?”
“Who peed in your grits this mornin'?” he asked. He was never quick to back down
Without answering, she just began unloading the truck, taking feedbags into the barn one at a time. Harry just shook his head and headed back up to the house. I watched her for a moment before I did the same. It didn’t take too long before Eli started talking again.
“While you were at the drug store, crazy Miss Ruth had me cornered at the bank for nearly half an hour talkin' about her grandson again!”
I smirked. “That sweet old lady must not like her grandbaby very much if she wants him to go out with you.”
“This is exactly what I'm sayin'! That poor city boy wouldn't make it through one day of my life. The last thing I need is some man who's afraid to get dirt under his manicured nails.”
Eli never was the kind of girl who was waiting around for Prince Charming to show up, mostly because she had convinced herself early on that he didn’t exist anyway. It didn’t stop men from trying to date her from time to time, but they were always unsuccessful. Eli made sure of that.
I stopped for a second to catch my breath. Then I asked, “Is that what you told, Miss Ruth?”
Eli paused as well. She looked uncomfortable. “If only. I'm not really sure what I said, but I may have agreed to have dinner with him the next time he comes for a visit.”
“You big softy,” I laughed.
Eli hated being laughed at even more than she hated the idea of dating. With one smooth motion she managed to pitch her raggedy, old glove right at the side of my head.
“Oh, please. I had to tell her something or else she never would have let me outta there!”
Before I had a chance to throw something back at her, Harry came walking back into the barn. He had his morning coffee in his right hand and the mail in his left. Shadowing his every move was Roscoe, a dog so old he had been there almost as long as I had. Harry was a man of few words. When he spoke it was straight to the point. He was never big on small talk. Honestly, I wasn’t sure he was capable of it.
“Mail's here. Looks like you girls got a letter from Evey.”
I looked at the envelope in his hand suspiciously. “Did you open it?”
“No, I didn't open it! Why would I open a letter that wasn't addressed to me?”
In spite of his lack of dialogue, he was never short on the drama.
Eli shook her head at him. “Wouldn't be the first time.”
I put away the feedbag I was hauling in and took the letter from Harry. Then I went to sit on a hay bale where I began to read it.
Patience was a virtue no Wilson possessed, least of all Harry. Usually he blamed it on his age, claiming he was running out of time and people just needed to hurry shit up.
“Well, don't keep us in suspense. What's it say?”
I looked up from the letter and announced, “Eve is pregnant!” If I’d taken a moment to think about it, I might have considered Eli’s reaction and not blurted the news out.
“Shut up! She got herself knocked up already? They've only been married six months!”
“Eli!” Harry frowned.
“What?”
There it was, without hesitation - the face of innocence. She’d perfected it over the years, although around these parts, everyone knew innocent was not what she was.
Harry wasn’t prepared to let it go that easy. “Would it kill ya to be happy for your sister?” he groused.
Eli began moving feedbags again. “I didn't realize this was a good thing,” she scoffed.
“Well, I'm happy! I can't believe she's going to have a baby,” I chimed in, thinking it was time to lighten the mood and move on.
Eli did not.
“I know. Sometimes I think she still is a baby.”
Harry was ready to be done with the conversation all together. It had already gone on too long for his liking anyway.
“You're ALL babies to me,” he said, and with that he turned around and left the same way he came, with Roscoe following close behind.
Eli and I finished unloading the truck and began feeding the horses, who had been busy snorting and digging their front hooves into the stall doors, waiting for us to get done. I looked at Eli and could tell that she was still chewing out Evey in her head.
“What are you thinking?”
She didn’t even look up when she answered. Instead her entire body began to move faster and more intensely as she grew more and more agitated with the current topic in question.
“I'm thinking that little hussy was already pregnant when she married that prince of hers.”
“He has a name you know, and she may consider him her Knight in Shining Armor, but I know you sure as hell don't.” Eli had never liked him, not from the day she met him. But then she rarely cared for any man she met.
“That's 'cause I've never heard of a fairy tale where the prince knocks you up and then forces you to marry him and leave your family.”
“Sure you have; you've heard of 'The Shotgun Wedding'. Besides, we both know Preston didn't force Evey into anything, even if she was already pregnant.”
Ever since she was a small child, Evey had dreamt of little else but leaving the ranch and our little town to go out into the world and explore all that the big city had to offer. It was Eli and I who felt at home in the country. Eve had always had other plans. I suppose it was easier for Eli to blame Preston and marriage rather than admit that it was Eve who left us and broke up the threesome we had grown so dependent on. It wasn’t Evey’s fault. She was too young to remember the things Eli and I would never forget.
Finally, Eli slowed down. She leaned up against the wall and looked down at her feet as if there were something stuck to the sole of her boot that she didn’t recognize. When she spoke, her tone had changed.
“Oh, I know. Eve's been looking for some way to escape this place since she was a little girl. Still, I don't trust the guy,” she finally replied.
I knew what she meant. I had been busy trying to push down the nagging feelings of suspicion that kept trying to creep up within me as well. Nevertheless, I tried to remain positive.
“When do you ever trust any guy?” I asked.
Eli stood up straight with conviction.
“I trust my gut, okay? When my gut tells me a guy is trustworthy, I will believe it. Until then - and for the record my gut has never been wrong!”
It was hard not to agree with her, but I couldn’t. I felt as though I was stuck in the middle of my two sisters, even though the one wasn’t even in the same state. In Eve’s absence, I felt I had to defend my little sister’s choices.
“You wouldn't really know that, would you? You've never given any guy a chance,” I stated, staring Eli down.
“Look, this isn't about me, this is about Evey and what's his face. And I am telling you, something about him isn't right,” she answered.
Eli never half-assed anything. If she believed something, she believed it wholeheartedly and there was never any telling her otherwise. There was no point in arguing with her and most days I wondered why I even bothered.
“Well, I hope your gut is wrong this time. Let's just get this done. Harry took a drive down to the back four this mornin' and he said last weekend's storm took down a whole row of fencing.”
“Great.” Eli feigned enthusiasm, twirling a finger around in the air.
Before long, the day’s work set in, and what couldn’t be forgotten was brushed under the rug, like so many other things nobody really knew how to talk about or do anything about.
Chapter 3
The Doctor Is In
Harry was in the kitchen, still holding his coffee mug as usual, and looking out across the pasture. He could see Eli and me loading up the truck with fence posts and tools needed to fix the fence. He stood there watching long enough to see us climb into the cab and take off across the fields. Then, he turned back to the house and into the living room. There, on the walls were pictures of all three of us girls, starting from the time we had come to live with him. He’d proudly showcased our lives and personalities. Myself, the cheerleader and Rodeo Queen; Eli, the tomboy and animal lover; and Eve, the princess and girly-girl. At the center of it all hung an old picture of our mother. Harry glanced at the photographs on his way to the recliner where he sat down to read the paper and finish his coffee.
“Let's see what trouble the world is in today,” he muttered.
He never had a chance to find out. There was a knock on the door and Roscoe who had been laying in the front room, let out a gruff little bark. Then, he went right back to taking his morning nap. A moment later a man walked in. The man was Harry’s age, but much more distinguished looking, with neatly trimmed hair and a clean shaven face. He was dressed casually, but clearly, had no intentions of doing any manual labor outdoors. His face was kind, and contrary to Harry’s, frequently displayed a warm smile. Harry sat up in his chair.
“Oh, hey Doc. I didn't know you were coming by today.”
Doc took off his hat and set it down on the coffee table before he sat down on the sofa.
“I was in the neighborhood. Thought I'd check in on you.”
Harry stood up.
“You want some coffee?” he asked holding his own nearly empty mug.
Doc nodded and said, “If it's no trouble.”
“No trouble at all,” Harry replied as he made his way to the kitchen. Moments later he came back into the living room and handed Doc his cup. Then he settled back into his recliner. Doc took a sip of his coffee and then carefully cradled the hot mug in his hands. “So, how are the girls?”
Harry was relieved to have something else to say. “Fine. In fact, we just got a letter from Evey. Looks like she's going to be a mama.”
Doc looked surprised. “Well, I guess congratulations are in order.”
“Thanks.”
Silence.
Then Doc spoke again. “You don't seem too happy about it?”
“Oh it's not that...I just don't like having her so far away. You can't really tell that much from a letter...and she hardly ever calls. I just want her to be happy, that's all.” Harry sighed. Doc was practically family. He had taken care of us girls since we were small and he had known Harry most of his life. He could tell that Harry was concerned.
“She doesn't call her sisters either?” Doc asked, prodding for more information.
“She talks to Emma now and then...but Eli and her haven't been too close, since the wedding. Can't say that I blame Evey, Eli has been less than charming about the whole situation.”
Doc grinned and said, “Well, that's Eli. Charm has never been one of her finer points.”
Harry snorted. “You can say that again.”
They both had another sip of coffee. After a moment Doc continued, “Maybe after the baby is born, they will find a way back to each other. Babies do have a way of bringing people together.”
Harry was starting to shift around in his seat. He was getting uncomfortable with the conversation. He knew Doc well enough to know that he hadn’t come by out of the blue to check on us girls. It was nearly a forty-five mile drive in from town. Nobody made the trip unless they had a real reason.
“Yeah, we'll see. So, tell me Doc, what are you really doing here?”
“What do you mean?”
Harry was sitting up straight in his recliner now.
“Well, you said you were in the neighborhood...but, you and I both know that this is all there is in the 'neighborhood' so you are either here for a specific reason or you are getting senile and wandered out here by accident. So, which is it?”
