Devious (10 page)

“How’d
you know?”

“Well,
Willie never passed the kissing test for one thing.  You can usually tell when
a guy really loves you and when he’s just passing time.  I guess ol’ Willie was
the one who really taught me that lesson.  It made me appreciate your Papa all
the more when he came along.”

I
didn’t know whether I should trust my own judgment.  I had thought Stone truly
loved me.

“Stone’s
nothing like him,” Granny said softly as if she were reading my mind.  “Why
don’t you tell me what happened?”

I
picked at my grilled cheese, wondering if I should relay the whole story.  I
knew I would.  Granny had a way of prying things out of me.  So I started the
story by explaining to Granny who Tiffany was.

Granny
listened intently, never interrupting.  By the time I was finished, she covered
my hand with hers, her fingertips skimming across the back of my hand.

“Do
you believe him when he tells you that she kissed him and caught him
off-guard?” Granny asked.

I
shrugged my shoulders.  “I want to.  I can’t believe that he would plan
something like that when I was just inside the building and he knew I’d be
walking out at any moment.  But at the same time…he kissed her, Granny.”

“I
wish I could wave a magic wand and tell you the right answer, but I can’t. 
Sometimes you have to go with your gut.  If you think there’s truth to what
he’s saying, then maybe he deserves a second chance.  If you think he’s up to
no good like Willie Mason, then you should dump his sorry butt and never look
back.  But honey, I’ve seen the way he looks at you.  If I was a bettin’ woman,
I’d bet that Stone loves you, really loves you.  But I suppose you know more
about what goes on between the two of you, so I guess it’s something you’ll
have to decide for yourself.  Forgiveness is an essential part of a lasting
relationship.  Now you have to decide whether Stone is worth forgiving.”

“I
don’t know what to do, Granny.”

“Just
give it time.  If he loves you, then he’ll wait while you’re sorting through
this.  There will come a moment when everything will click, and you’ll know
what you should do.”  She patted my hand.  “My baby girl’s all grown up.”

“I
still need you,” I said, a small smile curving my lips. 

“I’m
here for you whenever you need me.”  She squeezed my hand.  “Now eat your
sandwich before it gets cold.”

Obeying,
I picked the sandwich up and took a bite.  Talking to Granny always made me
feel better. 

Mr.
Milton came into the kitchen and kissed Granny on the cheek.  He looked at me
and smiled, his white hair combed neatly into place.  “How’s it going, ladies?”
he asked, his voice gravelly with age.

“We
were just having a little girl talk,” Granny replied.  “Have a seat, and I’ll
get your sandwich.”

I
was happy that Granny had Mr. Milton, and as I watched them interact, I
wondered what my life held for me.  Who would I marry?  Would I have children?

Graduation
was a major stop on my journey into adulthood.  I realized that it would be the
beginning of grown-up decisions, the kind of decisions that were indicative of
where life’s path would lead.  I knew that college was in my future and that I
would major in marketing.  Now all I had to do was figure out whether Stone
would be in my future.

Chapter
9

Stone

Monday
morning came way too freaking early.  To appease my father and to prevent
spending another year in high school, I’d stayed up late studying for my final
exams.  If things went according to plan, I’d graduate in three weeks.  I
intended to attend the local university, which wasn’t my father’s first choice,
but at this point, he was just happy to know that I did plan on going to
college.  While my father could afford to send me to any college in the
country, I knew that I’d never make it into some of his top choices, but
mostly, I knew that Dara could never afford to go to college away from home. 
While she had received some scholarships, they would be just enough to cover
her tuition and books.  And if Dara was staying on Quail Mountain, I’d be
damned if I was going anywhere else.

As
I grabbed my backpack and helmet and headed out the door, I wondered if Dara
would talk to me today. 

It
didn’t take me long to get to school, and the ride in the crisp, morning air
did wonders for shaking the remnants of sleep from my brain.  I pulled into the
parking spot beside Dara’s car and rushed into the school, so that I wouldn’t
be tardy.

Since
Dara was in advanced placement classes and I was taking the bare minimum to
graduate, we didn’t have any classes together, and I didn’t get the chance to
see her until lunch.  As usual, I grabbed us a couple of drinks and some snacks
from the vending machines and found her sitting on a bench in the courtyard. 

I
offered her an orange juice, and she shielded her eyes from the sun and stared
at me. 

“You
do remember that I told you that I didn’t want to see you, right?” she asked. 

The
pain in her voice made me feel like shit all over again.

“Yeah,
I remember.”  I stood my ground, watching her facial expressions.  “You do
remember that you think I’m a sexy beast and that you love me, right?”

“This
isn’t funny, Stone.”  Her lips thinned as she pursed them together, and she
tilted her chin down and stared at the ground.

With
both orange juices still in my hands, I sat beside her.  “I know, babe.”

We
sat in silence.  I watched her as she swung her feet back and forth, scraping
the toes of her tennis shoes against the sidewalk.  She was doing a damn good
job of ignoring me.

“It’s
just orange juice,” I said, sitting the bottle beside her.  “You have an exam
this afternoon.  You need to keep your energy up.”

Knowing
that the school angle would appeal to her, I felt a small victory when she
reached for the bottle.

“Dara,
I know I screwed up.  But believe me when I tell you that I never planned on
that to happen.  She kissed me, and for a brief moment, I was living in the
past.  By the time my brain caught up with my lips, it was too late.  I
couldn’t take it back.

“I
know I hurt you, and I’m really, really sorry.  I wish I could say that I’d
never screw up again, but we both know that I will.  But I
can
promise
you that you are the only girl I want and that nothing like that will ever happen
again.  You know how much Luke means to me, and I promise you on his grave that
I will never so much as kiss another girl as long as you and I are together.”

She
remained silent, staring at her shoes.  Who could blame her?  I was an ass, and
I’d ruined the one thing that meant the most to me.

Defeated,
I set the snacks that I’d bought beside her. 

“I’m
sorry,” I whispered.  “I’ll give you some time, but you haven’t heard the last
from me.  You’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me, and I won’t let you
go that easily.  I’ll be waiting for you, and if you need me or want to talk,
all you have to do is call me.  I want to make mud pies with you, Dara.”

The
corners of her mouth tilted up as the silent tears slid down her cheeks.  I
reached for her chin, and she didn’t stop me.  Turning her face toward me, I
brushed her tears away with my thumbs, hating like hell that I was the one who
put them there.  I kissed her on the cheek and walked away.

To
leave her sitting there was one of the hardest things I’d ever done.  Normally,
I would’ve stayed there and tried to cajole her until I’d gotten her to forgive
me.  But I hoped that she would come to that conclusion on her own.  I needed
her to love me enough to forgive me.  And while I’d always heard the saying
that what doesn’t kill us makes us stronger, I was pretty damn sure that if
Dara didn’t forgive me, it would kill me.

***

By
Saturday, I was relieved to have made it through my exams, and I expected to
have a decent grade on them.  I hadn’t heard from Dara, and I was beginning to
wonder if I’d lost her forever.  Dylan was due home in a week, and I dreaded
the friction that would bring.  My life was screwed up enough as it was.

I
grabbed Luke’s copy of
Frankenstein
from my nightstand and flipped it
open to my bookmarker, which was a photo of Dara.  It was a poor substitute for
her, but somehow, it made me feel like she was with me as I read.  I thought
back to the day she was in my room with me and the way her voice soothed me as
she read the words of Mary Shelley.

As
much as I hated reading, I refused to let Luke down.  Or Dara.  I’d let them
both down enough, already.

It
was hours later when I put the book down again, mere pages from the finish. 
The early afternoon sun filtered through my window, and my bike was calling
me.  Mike had phoned earlier, but I had ignored him.  I’m sure he’d be willing
to go for a ride, but what I really wanted was time to myself.  It had been
days since I had talked to Dara, and I was in need of something drastic to get
her attention.  She wasn’t one to dwell on material possessions, and the only
thing that I knew that she really wanted was to see her mother.  And I wanted
to give it to her as her graduation present from me. 

As
I thought about how I would accomplish that, I realized that I didn’t know
where her mother was and I didn’t know if her mother would want to see Dara. 
Both variables were potential monkey wrenches to wreak havoc on my plan.  But I
also knew that if I could pull it off, maybe, just maybe, it would help make up
for the pain that I’d caused her.

I
picked up my phone and attempted to make the call that I never completed thanks
to Tiffany.  I dialed Jess’s brother, Drew Eldridge.

Relief
flowed through me when he picked up.

“Hey,
Drew.  It’s Stone Hamilton.”

“Stone,”
he said, “what’s going on, buddy?”

“Not
much.  Jess told me you were working in Oakley.”

“Yeah. 
Hopefully not for much longer, but I’ve been here for about seven months now.”

“Listen,
I was looking for somebody.  Her name is Yvonne Golding.  Have you ever heard
of her?”

“No. 
That name doesn’t sound familiar.”

“She
works at a hotel.  I’ve called most of them in Oakley, and they’ve never heard
of her.  Do you know of any new hotels that might not be listed on the
Internet?”

He
chuckled into the phone.  “Most of the things in Oakley are ancient, including
the people.  There’s one newer hotel on the main strip.”

“I’ve
already checked that one.”  Technically, Dara had been the one who checked it,
and although we didn’t really have a conversation about it afterward, I was
pretty sure that she would’ve said something if she’d gotten some information
about her mother, no matter how mad she was at me.

“Most
of the hotels are on the main road that goes through town.  There is a little
bed and breakfast on the corner of Ivy and Elm, but I don’t know the name of
it.  One of the guys I work with has been staying there.”

That
didn’t sound very promising.  “Can you think of anything else?”

“Not
really.  Oakley isn’t very big, but the next time I’m driving around, I’ll keep
my eyes open.”

“Hey,
man, that’d be great,” I said.

“No
problem.”

“Talk
to ya later, Drew.”

Discouraged,
I hung up the phone, wondering how I was going to find a woman who apparently
didn’t want to be found.  In recent months, Dara’s mother had made an effort to
have a relationship with Dara.  It pissed me off that she would ignite hope
within Dara, only to snuff it out so carelessly.  Dara deserved better.  Her
mother must’ve turned back to drugs.  Why else would she be a no-show for her
own daughter’s birthday party?

I
rubbed my jaw with my fingertips, feeling the stubble of my unshaven face.  I
usually kept it smoothly shaven for Dara’s sake, not that she’d ever said
anything, but I figured it would feel better against her skin during our heavy
make-out sessions.  Since she refused to see me, there was no point in
bothering now.

I
stared out the window at the oak tree, its branches stretching across the
backyard in a show of newly sprouted leaves in vibrant green.  Luke had spent copious
amounts of time beneath those very boughs, and as I thought about him, the ache
in my soul multiplied.  Luke was gone forever, and Dara had helped replace the
sorrow that had seeped into my bones with something more promising.  Luke was
irreplaceable, but Dara had given me so many things to focus on other than
Luke’s passing.  I closed my eyes, wishing that simple act would shut out the
knowledge that I had hurt the one person who had made me enjoy living again. 

With
renewed determination, I made the decision to spend the day in Oakley.  I was
going to find Dara’s mother if I had to scour the entire country.

I
picked up where Dara and I had left off, at the newer hotel in the middle of
the main strip.  Two hours later, I’d checked in every hotel that remained with
nothing to show for it but my own aggravation and desperation.

Knowing
it was futile, I decided to check out the bed and breakfast that Drew had
mentioned.  When I pulled up in front of the dilapidated, antebellum home, I
wondered who in the hell would want to stay there?  An old, wooden sign declared
that this creepy, two-story abode was
Clara’s Bed and Breakfast.
 
Sporting a jagged crack lengthways through the weathered wood, the sign swayed
gently in the breeze, the rusty metal rings that held it in place creaking with
the movement.

Despite
the horrid condition of the building, the lawn and shrubbery were neatly
trimmed and gave the overall impression that someone did actually live here.

Killing
the engine, I lowered the kickstand and removed my helmet, placing it over the
mirror.  If I came up empty here, I would resort to riding down random side
streets to see if I was fortunate enough to locate any other hotels.

After
shuffling up the narrow steps that led to the sidewalk, I quickly made my way
to the front door and knocked.  A couple of minutes later, the door swung open,
and a tiny, elderly lady smiled at me and waved me inside with an arthritic
motion of her hand.

“Come
in.  Come in,” she said as I entered the front parlor, which was furnished with
antiques.  Pale blue wallpaper with intricate, gold scrolls covered the walls,
and I had the distinct impression of taking a step back in time.

“Are
you looking for a room, honey?” she asked as she placed a trembling hand on my
forearm.

I
had no idea if she was hard of hearing, but I found myself talking a little
louder than usual as I replied, “No.  Actually, I’m looking for a woman named
Yvonne Golding.”

“Vonne? 
Oh, honey, she’s still at the hospital.”

“The
hospital?” I asked, wondering if she and I were even talking about the same
person. 

Small
tremors shook the old woman’s entire body, her head bobbing as she watched me. 
“Oh, yes.  I don’t know when they’re gonna let her go, poor thing.  She called
me yesterday…or was it the day before yesterday…I really can’t remember. 
Anyway, she told me that she didn’t know when she’d be back by.  I told her not
to worry about a thing that my son would keep her stuff in the basement until
she could get it.”

“Do
you know what hospital she’s in?” I asked.

“Oakley. 
It’s the only one in town.”

I
thanked her and exited as quickly as I could.  I still had no idea if we were
talking about the same person, but it was the closest thing to a lead I’d
gotten.  So damn it, I was making a visit to Oakley Hospital.

I
straddled my bike and pulled out my phone, searching the Internet for Oakley
Hospital.  I closed my eyes as I waited for what felt like forever while the
blue loading bar worked its way across my screen. 

When
the search results finally surfaced, I pulled up the map and noted the
directions.  I slid my phone back in my pocket, pulled on my helmet, and sped
toward the hospital.  I was within two miles of Yvonne Golding, and I hoped
within two miles of winning Dara back.

The
hospital was easy to spot with its emergency sign in bright red letters.  I
pulled into a parking spot, noting how much smaller Oakley’s hospital was
compared to the ones near Quail Mountain.  Several cars filled the lot, which
wasn’t surprising considering the average age of an Oakley citizen was probably
higher than the national average.