Chapter 20

Lauralee

I was folding laundry on the couch and listening to the news when Bailey came down the stairs. It was a nice change from the usual walk of shame he did on Saturday mornings. I finished folding the towel and turned to tell Bailey there was some leftover breakfast. My jaw dropped when I saw his face.

I crossed the room for a closer look. “What the hell happened?”

“Nothing you need to worry about. Ted brought me home. I told him he should come up and see you.”

“Did he do this?” Anger sent my heart pounding, but Bailey raised his hand.

“No, it was your other boyfriend, Tyler.” He walked into the kitchen, and I followed needing to hear more.

“Was it because Dad fired him? That was uncalled for, you know.” I grabbed a piece of bacon off the plate I’d saved for him and took a bite.

He frowned but put the rest in the microwave. “Uncalled for? He called you a slut last night, and I kind of remember him saying something about you being passed around to all our farm hands.”

My eyes widened. If I knew my brother and Teddy, that had gone over like a lead balloon. “You said Ted was there?”

“Mhm, and there’s that concern of love.” He pointed toward me and took his plate from the microwave to the table. “Kinsey broke it up after Tyler knocked me on my ass. I was nearly knocked out, but even I wasn’t going to miss Ted kicking that guy’s ass. He wanted to, I could tell, but he backed down when Kinsey threatened to call the cops.”

I was glad they both hadn’t ended up in jail but mad at Ted for not walking away in the first place. Who cared what that toad Tyler had said about me? I thought Tyler and I were friends, and he used the first opportunity to talk shit about me. “So, you said that he brought you home?”

“Yeah, like I said, I was pretty lit. He didn’t want me driving, and I think Kinsey was sick of my presence.” He munched on some bacon and then shoveled some eggs in his mouth.

Before he could taste it, I continued to pressure him for the play by play. “So then what happened?”

He sighed loudly after swallowing and met my eyes with a look of boredom. “I told him about your vast computer skills, and then he stared at your bedroom window all dreamy-eyed.” He filled his face with more eggs and then managed to cram in some toast before I slapped his arm.

“You told him I know the program?” He probably thought I was horrible for not confessing that to him earlier, but by the time I learned of it, he’d pissed me off. How embarrassing. “Why did you do that?”

“Because it’s true and because he admitted that he regretted firing you. He also said you were done with him, which would be comical if it hadn’t broken his poor fool heart.” He glanced up at me from his plate. “We both know that’s a lie, don’t we?”

“It’s what I told him.” I shrugged. “Don’t you think the two of us would be better off without each other and all the constant bickering that happens when we’re together? He’s got bigger worries.”

“No, I think you need each other. I think, believe it or not, that it’s possible you two are more miserable without each other than you are together. Besides, he needs your help, and you know you want to help him.” He smiled at me and made teasing kissy noises like when we were little and Ted would pick me first. “Admit it, you love him.”

“So what, it’s not like he’d ever tell me he loves me. He can barely say he’s sorry.” I plopped down beside my brother.

“He’s a good guy. He loves you. He’d burn the whole world down to protect you. What more do you want?”

Resting my chin on my palm I sighed. “I want him to, at the very least, make me feel like he’s that guy.” I dropped my hand and leaned back in my chair. “I should offer to help, shouldn’t I?”

“You could negotiate your job back if you want it. Hell, it wouldn’t take much, and I think Ted’s getting desperate.” Bailey smiled as if the thought amused him. I remembered the way Ted explained his situation, like all the weight of the world was on his shoulders smothering him.

A part of me thought, based on our past alone, I should offer to help, but another part of me didn’t want to go running back to Ted. If I was met with his smug indifference, or worse, his boastful arrogance, I didn’t think I could handle it. “I’ll think about it.”

“If you’re that hell-bent on working, you can go ask Dad for Tyler’s job. I’m sure he’d be interested in the heavy work you’ve been doing over at the Dawson place.”

“What did he think I was doing? Picking peas?”

“That’s exactly what he thought. With Mrs. Dawson recovering, he assumed you were taking over her duties.” I wished. That would have been the easiest job ever, but even though Mrs. Dawson was pushing the limits of her recovery, Mr. Dawson had taken to her side in the garden. He didn’t want her lifting a tomato, much less picking the entire garden.

“Well, at least he has you.” I wasn’t going to bring up the drinking and was certain Bailey knew exactly what I meant. Dad hadn’t been able to count on him as much with his little problem. “Guess I should thank Ted for bringing you home alive, though black and blue.”

Bailey shook his head and smiled as he headed for the door. “Sounds like a good excuse,” he mumbled on his way out. He thought he had me, but I wasn’t going to weaken. I’d wait until later and call Ted to thank him and then politely mention the program and offer a hand.

I went back to work with my chores and stewed over my next move as I polished the furniture. I’d made it all the way upstairs and down the hall when my cell phone rang. My heart skipped a beat, hoping it was Ted, but then I should have known better. The screen lit up with my best friend’s name.

“Hey, Katie! How’ve you been?” My lifelong bestie and I hadn’t talked in days. That was forever for us, and I hated that life had pulled us in different directions.

A loud sigh of exhaustion sounded through the phone. “I need your help.”

“Anything.” I never hesitated when it came to Katie, though I often regretted being so eager. I held my breath and waited, hoping I hadn’t sold my soul for something awful.

“I’m organizing the FFA Banquet this year at the high school, but we’re using the Baptist fellowship hall, and the place needs a little dressing. I’m stuck because I need something free-standing, so I wondered if you still had those old doors from your house lying around.” Katie took a deep breath, and I could hear a pen scribbling on paper across the line. Katie had always been a doodler, especially when she was on the phone and the more anxious she was, the harder she pressed with her pen. I remember her nightstand having marks from where she’d scribbled on her paper too hard.

“I think I do. I’ll have to go out to the barn and find them, but I can let you know.”

“Oh, that would be great. Don’t you think they’d be perfect? I could throw a few bales around them and maybe put the cake table in front of them? You don’t think they’d tip over and ruin the cake, do you?” She made a sound of frustration and then I heard paper crumble.

“It will be fine. You could hinge them all together and stand them up. I think there were five of them and the hinges were still on them.”

“That’s perfect! You’re a lifesaver. I’m so glad you answered. I didn’t know if you’d be at work.” I imagined by the way she said work that she had a dopey grin on her face and shook my head as she continued. “How’s that going? Teddy giving you proper training?” Her giggle made me want to crawl away and die, and I hated to tell her everything that had happened. Besides, I didn’t know if I wanted her opinion on what my next move should be.

“Things are okay, and I’m off today.” A sinking feeling accompanied how pathetic I thought I was, and I hoped she wouldn’t press on about it. I’d have to steer her away from the topic. “When do you need the doors?”

“As soon as you can find them. The banquet is Monday night, so I’ll have them back to you as soon as I’m finished.”

“Okay, let me go make sure we still have them, and I’ll let you know. Daddy could be using them to hold up the barn for all I know.” We shared a laugh and then said our goodbyes. I’d need both hands to get into the loft where I thought they were stored.

I went outside and crossed the field to the big barn. Our farm had six, but this was the one where Daddy kept most of our old junk. I climbed up the ladder and rummaged around the hundreds of boxes to see where the doors might be stacked. Sure enough, I found them, but there were only four. Daddy had pulled six from inside the house, but he’d given one to Bailey for a headboard. I glanced around hoping I’d find the fifth one and then scratched my head wondering what could have happened to it. I tried to pull them free from the tight space they lay in, but it was no use, they weren’t budging. I’d have to move all the junk that pinched against them and hope that they weren’t that heavy. I remembered the day Katie and I had climbed up here and wanted to use them to build a clubhouse. But we couldn’t get to them then, which was a good thing, since Daddy squashed our plans and sent us out to Fort Langston to play.

Ted didn’t stick around for dolls or tea parties at that age, though he’d had imaginary tea when no one else was around. He and Katie had always gotten along, but the few times she came over, he kept away. He tried bringing us both fishing once, but then got mad and went home when Katie and I kept talking and scaring away the fish. His theory didn’t hold up, though, because both of us had caught fish after he left, or maybe we didn’t talk as much.

I finished shoving the boxes out of my way and then pulled one of the doors free. The heavy, solid oak did still have its hinges like I’d thought. It wouldn’t be hard for Katie to screw them together, considering she had a little help. I shoved one over to the ledge and then slowly lowered it to the bottom, leaning it against my ladder and still managing enough room to work my way down. One down, three more to go.

I couldn’t help but think more about my childhood and Katie, and that made me think about Ted as well. I wanted to put him out of my head, but it was no use. We’d been friends too long, and I needed to make up my mind what to do. I dusted off my jeans and climbed back up the ladder. Putting everything else with Ted aside, one fact remained. He needed my help and I needed a job. As hard as it was to tuck my tail and go talk to him, I’d be doing us both a favor. He’d come to me wanting to put everything aside and in the past, and maybe he was right. Everything in the past, including the relationship, should be put aside while we moved on, him with his ranch and me with my own farm. Once things got worked out for both of us, then we could concentrate on salvaging what was left of our feelings for one another if there were any.

After I got the doors down from the loft and accounted for, I called to let Katie know they were waiting. Once we made our arrangements, I freshened up and headed next door.