Chapter 16

Lauralee

Since spending the entire day before making jelly and soup starter, Granny had inspired me to make use of the leftover tomatoes and add them to the abundance of peppers to make salsa. I’d done one with heavy onion and cilantro, and one without either for Bailey. I’d gotten the jars filled, and they were soaking in their bath. After our long day canning, I’d promised Granny if she turned me loose, I’d stack her jars in the pantry. She kept a pretty tight system, and since she was particular, everything had to go in a specific space. I rotated the soup starters to place the new ones in the back of the shelf when Tyler came in the kitchen, looking around as if he were lost.

“Can I help you?” I called out from the pantry, and even though it was right in front of him, he somehow missed it.

His dark brown eyes widened, and his pearly white smile lit his whole face. He was a tall drink of water, as Granny would say, with the perfect show of muscles bulging beneath his shirt that were no doubt earned from hard work and sweat, exactly how I like them. I stepped down off the stool to greet him.

“Hey, I didn’t see you in there. I’m looking for your grandmother. Your dad said something about a clogged drain.” He clapped his hands together, rubbing them like he couldn’t wait to get to work.

“Oh, yeah.” I led him to the kitchen sink. “It’s not a clog. It’s a leak. Doesn’t seem to be too bad, and it’s coming from right under the sink.” He opened the cabinet beneath the basins and squatted down to take a look.

“I see it. Shouldn’t be too tough. I’ll go get some tools and be right back.” He disappeared around the corner, and I heard the screen door slam behind him. I decided to go ahead and move some of the cleaners we stored under there. I’d take the opportunity to toss out a few things that hadn’t seen daylight in too many years. There was some powdered cleaner that was hard as a rock, as well as some old sponges that looked like they’d seen better days. One almost fell apart in my hands and was attached to a rusted scouring pad. I had everything out of his way when he returned.

I smiled and waved my hands to the open cabinet. “Took a few things out of your way.”

His smile widened. “Thanks, I could have handled that. I’m on the clock, remember. I should earn my pay.”

“I know you do that already.” I waved my hand at him dismissively. “I didn’t know you’re a plumber too.”

“Yeah, I’ve had quite a few jobs.” He dropped his toolbox and squatted down and before I could say boo, half of him was in our cabinet. “I will say, I do like this job best so far. I hope your old man will keep me around.”

“I’m sure he will, especially if you do right by Granny. This kitchen is her happy place. If one thing’s not working properly, it affects us all. You included, I might add. I mean, it trickles down.”

“Kind of like this leak. That’s exactly what it’s doing. I’ll have it patched up in no time. I’m surprised she found this one so early. Most people don’t notice until there’s a hole rotting or water standing.”

“I think she pulled out a sponge that was already wet.”

“Ah, I see.” He pulled a wrench from his box and leaned back inside the small space. I couldn’t help but stare at the part that hung out, his waist and legs and maybe I let my eyes linger on what was in between them. I tried not to gawk and turned back to my pantry as he worked.

Minutes later he broke the silence, calling out across the room, “You going to Kinsey’s tonight?”

I checked the dates on some okra that had missed its rotation. The blackened sludge inside the jar looked like a science experiment, and I was grateful that Tyler hadn’t seen the expression on my face as I answered. “I don’t know. I think I need to stay away from that place for a while. I only go hang out there to keep an eye on my brother.”

“Oh, is that what you were doing there three hours after he left the other night?” I couldn’t see his face, but I could tell by the lift in his voice that he was probably smiling.

“I didn’t want to be rude. Besides, I had a nice time visiting with you. It’s not often I get to talk to anyone other than family, and well, we do have a lot in common with you working here.”

“What if I took our conversation somewhere else? Like to the movies?” He and I had talked about movies at Kinsey’s, and he couldn’t believe I hadn’t been to the theaters more often in my life. He and his sister apparently had a ritual when they were younger and would see every new movie in the cinema as soon as it came out.

“I don’t know. We can’t do much talking at the movies. It’s not polite. Don’t people shush you when you talk there?”

“Only if it’s during the movie, and maybe by then I’ll be sick of talking to you anyway.” Again his teasing tone filled the room and widened my smile, but I was hesitant, not only because movies weren’t my thing, but because there was still a tender spot in my heart for Ted. “What about dinner, then? You like to eat, don’t you?”

Some girls might not like the turn of phrase, but it was indeed true about me. Not that I was a heavy girl, by any means, but I was sturdy enough and didn’t miss many meals. This offer tempted me, but I couldn’t see it happening either. “I actually do like to eat, but I was raised on a strict rule of never talking with my mouth full.” I hoped he got the picture and could take my teasing rejection as me wanting to keep it friendly. I really did enjoy his company.

“Sounds like you don’t want to go out with me. I guess I’ll have to give up while I’m ahead.” The lift in his voice fell a bit, and I could tell that disappointment had probably clouded his dark brown eyes.

“Sorry, I’m not totally against it, but it’s a bad time. Besides, I’m not too sure how my Daddy would like it.” Daddy wouldn’t like it one bit, but I didn’t think that it was going to lead to him finding out anyway. It was better not to mix business with pleasure and he wouldn’t want the drama. He’d given me enough of a ribbing when he’d found out I’d taken the job with the Dawsons. Even though his “I told you so” wasn’t as bad as it could have been, I didn’t want him getting onto me for not learning my lesson about workplace romances.

For a fleeting moment, all the talk about it made me miss Ted. I licked my lips remembering the taste of him and the feel of his flesh in my mouth. I snapped out of it when I heard Tyler drop a tool back into the metal box with a hearty clank. I shouldn’t be having such thoughts in the presence of another man and wondered if he could tell my mind had gone off into the gutter. I made sure to keep my face from him as the stain of blush faded.

I hoped I didn’t leave him much hope and was disheartened when he responded. “Well, so at least I still have a chance. Maybe some other time.” I walked to the stove to pull my jars from their bath and place them on the counter to seal.

Tyler rose beside me from under the sink. “All done.” He clapped his hand, and I glanced to flash him a smile.

As I did I lost my grip on the jar lift and the entire thing, jar and all, fell, crashing to the counter. Before I could grab it, or get out of the way, the jar of salsa hit the edge of the counter, breaking apart and splashing lava-hot liquid on my shirt and waist apron. I screamed, knowing the hot sauce could cause me severe burns. I gripped my shirt and held it away from my flesh, just in time. A few small splatters made their way onto my arm and hands and through the shirt.

“Careful!” Tyler untied my waist apron and let it fall to the ground, and then nervously I laughed as he threw it into the sink.

“I need to get this off,” I said holding the steaming hot fabric from my sensitive stomach. It was full of shards of glass, and heat from the boiling salsa that was inches away rolled off the damned thing. One slip, the stuff was going to burn me. I pulled it off carefully over my head but couldn’t manage to get my arms out without possible harm. “Help me!” I said helplessly, completely embarrassed that I’d worn my ugliest cotton bra.

“Here. Easy does it,” said Tyler, but footsteps sent my cheeks flaming as the back door slammed shut.

“What the hell?” The sound of his voice sent chills down my spine and soon I was free and standing in the middle of my Granny’s kitchen in nothing but my ugliest bra surrounded in wasted, scolding salsa and broken glass.

“We seem to have had a little—”

Ted had crossed the room so quickly I didn’t have time to stop him before he punched Tyler in the head. Poor Tyler had turned to grab a dish towel off the oven door handle, probably to save me from the humiliation of my underdress.

“Teddy, no!” It was prom all over again, and this time I was leery of getting too close. Last time, I’d gotten in the crossfire of his fist and been knocked backward, my mother’s dress ripped in the process. I had to do something to stop them, but I wasn’t about to go for help. Enough people had seen me in my skivvies for one day, and if I went running out to get my Daddy, I’d have a whole lot more explaining to do. “Teddy, stop it! Stop!”

I wound up a towel and hit him with it, keeping my feet away from the broken, slippery mess between them and me. It didn’t stop him, and poor Tyler was finally coming around enough to what was happening to him to land a good punch or two. He came alive all of a sudden and he and Ted were rolling around dangerously close to the muck and broken glass.

I wound the towel again and popped Ted on the back. “Dammit, Lauralee!” He grabbed his back and pulled himself off Tyler, backing up as Tyler stood to his feet, getting a grip on what was going on around him.

“Don’t you dammit me, Ted Dawson! What the hell do you think you’re doing here?” I jumped across the puddle of muck and nearly slipped until Tyler’s strong grip pulled me to the other side of him. Once I found my footing he stood in front of me protectively, forcing me to talk around his broad chest.

“It doesn’t matter when this is what I find!” His wild eyes pegged me hard and they were so full of storm clouds that I expected lightning at any moment. “You lied to me, Lauralee. You said that there wasn’t anything going on between the two of you.”

“There’s not,” said Tyler, holding up his hands. He started to explain, the words spilling from his lips until I closed my hand over his mouth.

“We don’t owe you an explanation! It’s the same thing all over again with you!” I burst into tears, but I was as much angry as saddened and humiliated.

I held Tyler’s chin in my hand and checked his face as Ted stood stewing, digging into his pocket. He was bruised up pretty badly and had a nice knot on his head, just like Andy did prom night.

He pulled out his phone and then separated a piece of paper from the screen. “Here’s your damned check.” He threw it at me, and it landed at my feet.

I looked up and, the silence between us was so thick. He looked me over as if disgusted by my appearance or the fact that I stood so close to Tyler with my breasts bulging from the stiff cotton of my Granny-style brassiere.

Tyler stepped forward to see him out, and before Ted reached the door, he turned back to me and shrugged, and then quick as before he balled up his fist and connected with Tyler’s chin. This time he sent Tyler to the ground. He spit on him as I stood there with my mouth gaping and rage boiling through me.

As he left, I stepped over Tyler and grabbed my brother’s jacket by the back door and shrugged into it as I tried to catch up. He was almost to the path that led to his house when I finally did, and as I ran up behind him, I pushed against him with all my might.

He turned, tears staining his eyes red. I’d never seen that look in his eyes before. Though I was angry, I was also so confused. “What’s the matter with you?” I broke into tears and dropped to my knees, the exhaustion of all the activity along with my emotions crashing heavy down on me all of a sudden. I stayed there weeping as he wiped his eyes and turned to walk away.

He could be so cruel and hard, and yet as he walked away, I wished deep in my heart that things were different. But Ted was never going to change. I’d been hoping against hope for too many years he would change. History had a terrible way of repeating itself where we were concerned.

I picked myself up and hurried back to the house to check on Tyler, but by the time I got back, he was gone. Granny said Daddy had taken him home and passed me a broom and dustpan.

As I peered down to the broken glass and bright red sauce glaring up from Granny’s pale tile floor, I thought it looked an awful lot like my heart felt.