Your Hand in Mine: A Heartwood Novel Read online

  I gave one a test, then the other, covertly shaking my feet. Yup, everything still worked.

  “Aunt Shari?” A low, sweet voice cut through the haze.

  “Hmm?”

  Kaylen held up a finger once I turned. “Can you go get me a corn dog? Pretty please? Just one. I’m starving over here and I didn’t pack any snacks.”

  “Sure, sweetie,” I replied over my shoulder. “Whatever you want.”

  I couldn’t look back, didn’t want to see whatever expression was on Fenton’s face while I struggled to make sense of what had happened. People were talking around me, a din of voices where it was hard to pick out a single word, a single sentence. The noise blurred together until all I heard was the beating of my heart in my ears.

  What the frick had happened?

  Or the better question…was he looking at me? I hoped he was.

  While everyone else was oblivious, I must have been the only one who felt the county tilt on its axis.

  I felt eyes on my back but it could have been Kaylen shooting laser beams of hunger in my direction. Urging me with her mind to act like a normal aunt and get her a corn dog. Stat!

  Each unsteady step took me further away from the kissing booth and, once I was far enough, I ran a hand over my front and sides to make sure I was still in one piece and the world hadn’t really come to an end. The apocalypse, remember? There was no other explanation for my unorthodox reaction. Something nuclear must have gone off and left me in an upside-down version of reality. I had enough of my wits left to recognize that this was crazy. Unexpected. A gift.

  Nope, everything was still there, in its same place, soggy clothes and everything. I lingered in the sun with fingertips trailing over my lips. They throbbed in the best possible way. It might have been my imagination, but I could still taste him. Cinnamon…

  Those few moments in silence gave me another gift. The gift of eavesdropping. Out of the clatter, one voice rose above the others. I flattened my back against the nearest booth and tried—truly I did—not to listen to what Rex and Fenton were saying to each other.

  “Dude, what the hell was that?”

  It must have been Rex. The accent was too country twang to be Fenton.

  “Hmm?”

  Oh, yes. Deep tone. Succinct. Definitely Fenton.

  Rex snorted. “You cut in front of me and stole my kiss. You’ve gotten greedy, my friend, and there was no call for it. We’ve both had our fair share today, and there are still a few hours left before quitting time.”

  “Chill out,” Fenton said. Like he was trying to be reasonable. “I’m making sure you don’t beat me in the tally today.”

  “Beat you? You have a solid lead over me!” Rex’s voice rose. “And it’s not because you’ve been promising free drinks at The Tooth to the parents. You had enough of a lead before you resorted to bribery. You didn’t need her. Let’s be honest with each other for a minute. This isn’t about no damn tally.”

  “Please, I can’t handle you, too,” Fenton grumbled. “How many years have we known each other? Phew, it has to four years. Five? Stop being a sore loser, Rex. You’re jealous. And you’re going to owe me a hot dog.”

  They must have a bet going on. A hot dog to the winner. I’d gladly get back in line if Fenton needed a bigger lead. Then I scowled. He was in the lead.

  Grrr. I didn’t want to think about how many mouths it meant.

  “We’ve known each other six years,” Rex answered. “Which means I’ve known you long enough to know when you’re interested in a woman.”

  My heart skipped a beat. He was interested in me? Score!

  “Didn’t we go through this when my last relationship ended? You remember the aftermath from that disaster. I’m taking a break from women right now, to focus on myself and my family and my business. Remember?”

  As quickly as my heart lifted, it plummeted down to the center of the earth.

  “I think whats-her-face is exactly the type of woman you’re interested in. No matter what you say about wanting to focus. You can’t live without love, my friend, no matter how hard you try.”

  “Shari,” Fenton put in.

  “What?”

  “Her name is Shari.”

  “I like how you guys are talking about my aunt like she wasn’t standing right here.” Yup, that was Kaylen. Surly. Bored. A little mean. In other words, typical teenager. “I know she isn’t here anymore, but come on. I don’t want to hear any of this. I’ll be forced to go back to her.”

  “Relax, kid. We’re not saying anything bad,” Fenton replied.

  “You got your tickets,” Rex told her with a laugh. “Let’s focus on the next round of customers. Look, Fenton. Here they come.”

  After a time, I heard, “Rex, you feel like taking five?”

  “Yeah, I’m getting real chapped, man. I could use a break. Or some heavy-duty lip balm.”

  “You’re taking a break now?” Kaylen asked. Clearly upset with the way things were going.

  “Relax, kid,” Fenton said. “We’re teasing you.”

  “You seemed serious,” she grumbled.

  “Of course we do. We’ve got to have a little fun or we’re in for a long, long,” Fenton paused, “long afternoon. Why don’t you go and get yourself something to eat?”

  “Aunt Shari said she’d be back with a corndog for me.”

  “We can’t have you getting grumpy and scaring our customers away before she gets back. Here.” I caught the clinking of coins, guessing it was Fenton searching his pockets. “Grab something to drink while you’re at it. I could use something cold.”

  Kaylen gave her thanks and bolted, I was sure. That girl was a chip off her old aunt’s block. She could find food frozen in an iceberg in the middle of the Arctic Sea.

  Then Rex let out a full-bodied laugh. “You do realize you gave the kid a fifty-dollar bill, right?”

  I took my leave, and my feet made their way to the dunk tank although my brain had no comprehension of how I’d gotten there. I’d heard enough. I’d heard too much, in essence, and felt instantly guilty for staying so long to eavesdrop on their conversation. On the bright side, at least it gave me a few choice nuggets of information to digest later.

  I was in no position to dust them off and examine them now.

  Essie glanced up from the book on her lap, bright blue eyes blinking in the sunlight. “Did you get me my funnel cake?” she asked the moment I returned.

  Crap. I knew I’d forgotten something. Multiple somethings. Somehow, I couldn’t get my brain to function right, and autopilot only took me so far. “No, I’m sorry.” I fished around in my pocket for the extra tickets I hadn’t blown at the kissing booth. “I got distracted. Take these back. You’ll have to run and grab something to eat while I man the battle station.”

  “It looks like you got a little too much sun,” she noted, scrutinizing my face. “Your cheeks are red.”

  “You’re right.” I’d gotten too much something. I opened my mouth to tell her then stopped.

  For some reason, my tongue had tied and trying to talk to Essie became an impossible task. Whatever had happened with Fenton bared scrutiny, for sure. A niggling thought in my head told me there would be multiple sleepless nights while I tried to figure it out.

  “Are you sure you don’t want something?” She stood and stretched her arms above her head.

  “I’m good. I’m suddenly not hungry anymore.”

  I took my place on the board and waited for Essie to get back, for the next child to throw the ball at the bullseye. They weren’t the only ones who’d hit the target on me today.

  **

  Ah home sweet home, finally. The silence was welcome after an afternoon of constant chaos and noise. Grateful for the escape, I kicked off my shoes and listened to the splat they made against the tile in my front foyer. I’d have a mess to clean up later. I really should have shucked my clothes before coming inside, I was a sopping wet mess. As it was, I hurried on tiptoes to the hallway half-b
ath and used my elbow to knock open the door.

  “Hurry, you’re dripping everywhere!” Essie followed me inside the house and quickly shut the door behind us. Her voice high with cheerful energy. “Now spill. Are you going to tell me what’s wrong?”

  “Hmm?”

  I didn’t have an answer to her question. I was still trying to figure it out myself!

  The wet shirt landed in a pile, followed by shorts and socks. Sparing a glance in the mirror, I decided I was better off crawling under a rock than going out anywhere tonight. Ugh, was it possible for a face to look worse than mine? I poked and prodded the lines around my eyes. This was not a face meant to be allowed in public. What had I been thinking?

  I needed a shower and about a gallon of Maybelline before I stepped foot out of the house.

  “Something is wrong with you,” Essie continued. “I can tell.”

  I ignored the harpy in the mirror’s reflection and continued to undress. “What do you mean?”

  “You’ve been acting strange since you got back from snack time. Anti-snack time, more like, since you came back empty-handed. I’m wondering if the sun didn’t get to your head. I’m not sure if you ever recovered. It’s the last time I let you go off on your own, you’ve obviously lost the ability to handle yourself.”

  I poked my head out the door in time to see her grin wickedly at me before sailing past the door and making herself at home in the kitchen. It was where she functioned at optimum capacity. I let her have her way, feeling more comfortable with a microwave than a Dutch oven.

  Our relationship worked on multiple levels. I provided her with company and stellar conversation, and she came over to feed me occasionally. It was a win/win.

  “Are you putting on a pot of coffee?” I begged, raising my voice to make sure she heard me. “If not, then can you? Pretty please?”

  “What do you think I’m doing?” Came the satisfied response, accompanied by the clink of glasses and rush of water from a running faucet. “But I’ll warn you. You are going to tell me about your weirdness. Your weirder-than-normal weirdness. The suspense is killing me and I’m prepared to hold back the good stuff if you refuse to give me the information I want.”

  “You wouldn’t dare!”

  I knew she would.

  “Try me. It’s been a long, exhausting day. Who knows what I may do if I don’t get my way? I think it’s better if we don’t find out.”

  The threat was empty but I responded as though she’d meant it, to make Essie feel better. “You kiss Isaac with that mouth?” I teased.

  Her laughter echoed down the hall. “You bet I do. I use tongue and everything.”

  I caught the scent of brewing coffee and knew I’d tell her anything she wanted to know as long as she didn’t withhold the good stuff, as she put it. “Let’s go with too much sun,” I said, and ran a hand over my arms. Bumps burst to life and my hair rose on end. “My head is a little woo-woo. Maybe the heat got to me.”

  The feeling went well with the tingling in my nether regions whenever my mind flashed back three hours.

  “Have a drink of water while the coffee brews. You might be dehydrated,” Essie offered.

  I scoffed. “I think I swallowed enough water to last me, thanks.” What had I been thinking, agreeing to the kissing booth deal? Letting a pre-pubescent girl influence me like that…it was sickening and I felt like a terrible aunt.

  The little shyster. I was going to have to have a talk with her later, woman to woman, about the delicate art of manipulation, and how one never tried it with family. Not unless the situation was dire enough to call for drastic measures.

  This certainly didn’t count.

  I sighed, reaching into the vanity and dragging out a clean tank top. The curvy girl in the mirror tugged the material over her head.

  Sadly, I knew what I’d been thinking. Volunteering for the fair meant more than sitting above the dunk tank. The school needed help, and when Kaylen had asked me to come and be a part of the fair, I did. Even if that help came in the form of five damp tickets and confusion enough to make my head split open. It was civic and familial duty rolled into one big mess of huh?.

  I liked my town. The quaintness of the streets and the single county-wide stoplight. As far as I was concerned, the privacy of the mountains was well worth the lack of amenities. The lack of easy access to restaurants, shows, dance clubs, and driving over thirty minutes to go to the movies. I was used to it by now. We’d lived in Heartwood for the last fifteen years and, okay, I might have bristled at first. It was hard being a teenager with absent parents and a sister on drugs, especially dropped in the middle of Nowheresville.

  Now? I took the place and the past and used it to help define me. I loved this small mountain town, nestled in the wilderness and surrounded by clean air and green grass. I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else. Especially not when my family was here. Jackie and Kaylen. The only two people who mattered to me outside of my tight circle of friends.

  Summer in the country meant an influx of tourists and renters in search of open spaces. It meant temperatures climbing higher on the thermometer. Smoking grills and tubing down the river. It also meant partying and kids getting into trouble. Kids who came from an area where quality after-school programs were hard to come by. It would be much better if kids were learning about arts or sports or music. Without a program to keep them occupied, children in the county turned to drugs. Or worse.

  I couldn’t let it happen to my niece. Any opportunity to raise money for the school was celebrated. Embraced.

  Which meant I would cheerfully—as cheerful as I was capable of acting—suffer through whatever fundraising opportunities came my way. That’s the way it worked. Those few hours of volunteering my time meant preserving Kaylen’s ability to get a well-rounded high school experience. Most times it also meant boredom capable of driving me wild inside the first thirty minutes.

  I took the bad with the good and told myself it was brownie points for the afterlife.

  Then came today and the kissing booth. I wasn’t one to spread it on thick when a dab would do it, I had never been. But damn. The worst part wasn’t the kiss. It was how it made me feel.

  Embarrassed. Anxious. Elated.

  What kind of guy was Fenton to get such a stupid reaction out of me? It was a kiss. Or so I kept telling myself. It helped to repeat it more than once. At this point in my life, I wasn’t believing it. Not one bit.

  “Push it deep and forget about it,” I muttered to myself as I slipped on a clean pair of pants. The pit of my stomach gave a single flip before settling into a cellular-level ache. There must be a perfectly logical explanation for my response. He was a dude, and not even the most attractive one I’d kissed in my life.

  I’d blame it on the sun and empty stomach and be done. Sure, the tiny and sarcastic voice inside my head remarked. You keep telling yourself that.

  “It’s ready!”

  I sighed again and threw my hair into a couple of messy braids. When I came out of the bathroom, Essie was standing in front of the kitchen sink looking out the window. Looking slick in some floaty floral tank top and shorts. Her hair was chopped back in her typical summer fashion and she was her typical neat and tidy self.

  Of course she looked good. She hadn’t been the one sitting above the dunk tank all day.

  She turned around, leaned her hips against the cabinets and set me with a you’re-not-telling-me-everything look. She knew me too well.

  “I will let you have this entire pot,” she said, sweeping an arm out like a television show prompter, “if you tell me what’s going on. You’re acting squirrely and you never act squirrely without a good reason. You also never withhold information from your absolute best friend in the whole wide world. I should be hurt.”

  Coming around the corner towel drying my braids, I made a beeline toward the pot on the counter. “So,” I began, pouring myself a cup of coffee and dropping the towel, “what do you know about…” I trailed off.


  “About?”

  “A dude. Fenton what’s-his-face. Novachek? I can’t remember where I’ve heard his last name before. Novachin?”

  “Fenton Novack.” Her smile told me she recognized what was on my mind before I had a chance to speak it. What a know-it-all. This was the dirt she’d been waiting for. “And?”

  “And nothing. I was curious about him. He was at the fair today with Kaylen.”

  “Doing what?”

  I took a small sip of life-giving coffee and felt instantly rejuvenated. Ah, goodness, there was nothing better in the world than a fresh cup of something hot and black. Except, maybe, that kiss.

  And there it was, creeping out of the recesses of my mind and back to the forefront.

  “I don’t really know much,” Essie feigned nonchalance when I failed to answer her question. She was enjoying my discomfort, but I didn’t mind. It’s what best friends were for. “He works down at The Tooth as a bartender. Seems like a nice guy. Has kind of a messed-up brother from what I understand. I don’t know much more. I haven’t had any personal experience with him. Why do you ask?”

  “I saw him today and wanted to know a little more about him,” I said, eyes wide as I took a sip of coffee. Peering innocently at her over the rim of the mug.

  Essie shrugged. “I can’t offer any advice. If you’re free, and he’s free, with a mutual attraction between you, then it’s a win and I say go for it. I know it’s impossible to dissuade you anyway. Once you get your sights set on someone…you zero in. Like a vulture! A vulture with a juicy piece of carrion.”

  My surprise was genuine. “I’m not a vulture! I’m a woman with good taste who knows what she wants. A woman who isn’t afraid to go after it, either. It’s not my fault I’ve made a few bad choices. Everyone does!”

  “Suuure.” She held out the vowel sound for longer than I thought the moment warranted. “I wonder how you managed to run into an eligible guy at a school fundraiser. You’re insane.”

  “It’s a gift,” I said, shrugging one shoulder. “Men are attracted to me. Confidence is key, my friend. If you have the attitude then the rest takes care of itself.”