Falling (7 page)
Authors: Jolene Perry
“Well, you called me a lot the first week you were there, and now I haven’t heard from you in a while so I was worried.” He pauses. “Are any of these new friends boys?” He chuckles a little. “Ohhh. I don’t want to hear about boys…. I don’t care if I asked. When I ask I want the answer to be a definite ‘no’…” I smile now. He’s protective, but in a good way. It’s cute. My brother used to set me up with his friends. It never ended well. “Stay away from him.” I can hear a smile in his voice. “I don’t care how nice he seems, all sixteen-year-old boys are after the same thing… What do you mean how do I know? I
was
one.” He laughs. “I’m not
that
old.”
I suddenly feel bad for intruding and head quietly back to the room I spend way too much time in.
Because Apparently Sometimes We Need to be Taken Down a Notch – Even if We’re Already Pretty Low
“Hey, Dad.” I try to put a smile on my face. I walk and stand looking out the window near the corner table. It’s becoming my spot. It has the best view, and the farthest table from the kitchen, where Jason spends a lot of time.
“Something’s up, Dana.” He doesn’t sound mad or disapproving or anything yet.
“Why do you say that?” I try to put on my best ‘nothing’s happening’ voice. But I’m still a little shaky from the call from the police station this morning. They arrested Workman again, so I don’t have to worry about him showing up at my house anymore. It’s something, but doesn’t feel like enough.
“Because you took a leave of absence from work.” Crap, he called my work.
“My ribs,” I say.
“Still?”
I can’t lie to my dad, at least not completely. “I’m helping out a friend while I heal up.”
“Helping out a friend.” His tone is going down.
“It’s just for a little while, Dad. My ribs hurt. It’s hard for me to do all the sitting and planning that I do at the hotel.”
Instead I’m washing sheets, scrubbing bathrooms and waiting tables
. “I’m at a Lodge near Mt. McKinley for a bit.” I don’t know how my voice sounds. I know I want it to sound like I’m great, relaxed, and things are fine. And then I realize that maybe I could go home. Maybe. But when would I see Craig? He’s here on his days off, and I don’t want to think about where he goes home to after work.
“That sounds an awful lot like goofing off.”
“Trust me, Dad. It’s not.” I think about how much work
I do out here
.
“Dana, you could be doing so much right now. You were way up near the top of your class.” There’s a shuffle of papers, and I know our conversation is about over because he’s at work.
“I was number five, Dad.” How can he not remember this? Or maybe since it’s a five and not a one, it’s not important. I’m not sure.
“Exactly!”
“I’ll be back on track soon.”
“You need to be.” He’s trying to agree with me. My dad agreeing with me is like him pushing me in the direction he thinks I’m headed with the subtlety of a bulldozer. It’s just as much my fault as it is his, because I let him do it. “Your brother is really making good strides at the firm.”
Does he add that to make conversation? Or to put the pressure on? “I know. He usually is. Keith is very driven.”
“Wait, does this have anything to do with a guy? This whole lodge thing?”
“No.” I shake my head. “Definitely not.” I think about hairy Jason and want to laugh. Oh wait. Craig. Maybe it could be a little bit about a guy.
“Well, you take care of yourself. You know I don’t like you so far away.” His voice is softer now.
“I know.”
“Love you, Dana Bear.”
“Love you, too.” I want to cry. I hit end, set the phone on the table, and slump down on the bench.
“You okay?” Jason asks behind me. So much for my theory of him not noticing me at the far table.
I jerk around to face him. “Great, yeah.” Why would he care anyway?
“Your dad?” His voice is quiet.
“Can I have a private conversation?” I stare. Sympathy from someone who doesn’t like me sort of sucks.
“Sorry, I just don’t really see you on the phone much and—”
“What?” I snap back. What is he implying? Is he implying something?
“Nothing. Sorry I asked.” His voice is still quiet. He turns and heads into the kitchen.
I grab my computer and head back to the land of the Twilight bedroom. I need a kickboxing class right now or something I can destroy. Instead I realize that I hear people coming
in
the front door downstairs. Crap. I check myself over in the mirror, put on my best smile, and head back down.
I’m Not James Bond, and I Don’t Like Being Followed
I step out of the grand jury room, shaken, but okay. No defendant or his family today. Just me telling my story so the prosecutor can file official charges or something. I’m still not sure how all this works. I scan the hallway for Craig.
He grins as our eyes catch. It’s exciting again to see him. It’s even more exciting because I have to play cool and can’t touch him while we’re here.
“I’m in the middle of work,” he says, “but I can at least walk you out.”
So nice to see him, only it seems like nothing’s happening between us today. All I can think about now is how I still have a two-hour drive, and then either Jason or Boz is going to have to come out to the parking lot so I can ride behind one of them to get back.
“You okay?” Craig lightly touches my lower back as he holds open the door.
“Yeah. Long drive ahead of me.”
He walks too close and smiles again. “I’ll be up again soon. Maybe I’ll leave the friends at home this time, and you and I can just hang at the lodge for a day or two. Life here has been crazy, and I think you’re exactly what I need.”
I lean against my rental car. “Is that so?”
“You look so damn good.” He sighs as he faces me and then glances around the parking lot. It’s near lunch, and a lot of people are coming and going. “Wish I had some time.”
I shrug, trying to play cool, when I’m actually a little disappointed. A lot can be accomplished with ten minutes in a car, but maybe I don’t understand his job, and I definitely don’t want to come across as too needy. “Guess that means I’ll be seeing you.”
He runs a hand down my side. “Definitely.”
Just as he starts to move away, I take a pinch of his jacket, and in seconds he’s spun around, his mouth on mine. Intense, warm, and way too brief.
“Gotta run, beautiful.” His lips tease my neck as he speaks, making my knees weak enough for me to lean against my car.
Craig moves away, and I need to get out of here before I say or do something that makes me seem pathetic.
As I drive, the small trickles of snow from this morning have turned into a real snowstorm. The drive back will be interesting. I notice a small blue car pull in behind me as I’m leaving Palmer. Were they behind me before? I’m not sure.
I take the right turn in Wasilla that leads out of town. The blue car follows. It’s odd, but not too strange since there aren’t that many main roads up here. I keep my eye on the car, but expect it to turn off at any moment.
I drive through Wasilla and out the other side. I drive past Big Lake and past the Big Lake cutoff and the car is still on my tail. More than thirty minutes, and still following. I try to see who’s driving, but they aren’t close enough, and I grasp the steering wheel more tightly.
The snow is coming down hard now. Even if they were closer, I’m not sure if I’d be able to see. I’m pretty sure there’s only one person in the car, but I’m mad at myself for not looking more carefully when I was in Palmer, and the car was closer on my tail. It’s keeping a distance, but never lagging. Finally, I pull out my phone and call Craig.
“Craig? It’s Dana.”
“I’m at work.” His voice is clipped, and this reaction is the exact thing I was trying to avoid by not asking him for a few extra minutes back at the courthouse.
“Yes, thank you, I’m aware of this, but I think I’m being followed.” That’s kind of a big deal, right?
“What do you mean?” He sighs, obviously not taking me seriously.
“I mean, I think I’m being followed. I’m past Big Lake and this same car has been behind me since Palmer.”
“So?”
“So, it’s just a little scary that’s all.” How can he not be taking this seriously? He’s the one who stayed at my house in Anchorage, and all that happened was the guy showed up at my work. Now I’m being
followed
, and he’s shrugging me off.
“Well, we have the guy in custody.”
Now I’m starting to get mad. “Yes, I know. It’s just that—”
“Dana. Pull over and get some gas. If they stop with you and then start following you again, give me a call. I have to go, I’m at work.”
I hang up. The problem with my iPhone is the inability to slam it shut. I figured he’d be making calls for me or doing
something
. He has to have some trooper friends way out here, doesn’t he? I don’t want to be feeling this scratching in my chest over how he’s not
doing anything
right now.
I keep checking my mirror. Still there.
I get close to the Talkeetna cutoff, a little over an hour from Palmer. There’s a small gas station here. I almost pull over, like Craig suggested, but keep driving. What am I supposed to do if they’re following me, and I’m suddenly stopped? That would mean they’ve caught me.
The blue car pulls over and into the gas pumps, and I realize how tense I’ve been. I take a few deep breaths and relax, letting my shoulders fall. I’m only a few miles from the Petersville Road cutoff now, just a little ways left. When I pick up my lip balm and check my mirror, the car is there again, what feels like
only
a few feet off my back bumper. I drop my container on the floor, heart racing, and call Jason.
JASON
Mixed. Mixed. Mixed
.
Relief fills him as he checks into the hotel under a false name. He’s safe. The girl is safe. The second he steps inside the room, her arms are around him
—
The damn phone. Of course.
“Denali Lodge. This is Jason.” I glance back over the last few words, half thinking about what comes next between the couple in my story.
“Jason, I’m being followed. I’m sure of it. Well, almost sure of it.” Its Dana, half gasping for air on the line. I’m immediately tense because I don’t think she’s the type to bring drama for the fun of it. On top of that, she sounds honestly panicked.
“Dana, take a deep breath.” Without meaning to, I’m taking a breath with her. “Have you called the troopers?”
I don’t know what on earth she thinks I can do to help her. I’m thirty miles off the main road and have no idea where she is.
“I talked to Craig. He didn’t seem worried, but this car has been behind me since Palmer. That’s a lot of turns!” It takes her a moment to catch her breath again. “And then the car pulled off, and I thought I was okay, and now it’s behind me again, and I don’t know what to do!”
“Dana, take another deep breath, okay?” I jog into the entry and start gearing up. “Now, it could be nothing, right? But maybe somebody
is
following you. Let’s plan for the worst. It’s probably nothing, but at least we’ll be prepared.”
My heart’s hammering as I slide on my holster. What the hell, Craig? And then I have the thought that maybe Dana
is
the kind to bring drama, and Craig already knows this, and I’m about to learn.
“Okay.” Her voice is still shaking, and I know she’s got to be calm to navigate the icy road to the parking lot where we switch to snowmachine.
“You need to drive carefully but quickly, do you understand?”
“Yes.” She sounds a little better. More determined. Probably she just needed someone to believe her. But if someone is following her, why are they still? Why haven’t they done something yet? This makes me anxious on a million different levels because I don’t know what they want from her, but they have to be pretty determined to still be behind two hours later. This also means that whoever is following her will know where she’s at. Though—there are a quite a few cabins out here. She doesn’t automatically have to be at the lodge.
But they’d come here first.
But I don’t even know if this is going to be a big deal.
“I’m leaving right now to go to the far parking lot. It’s where you had your car last time, and where Boz dropped you off this morning. You know where to go?”
“Yes.” She gasps. “Jason? The car followed me on the turnoff.”
“Dana, take another deep breath. You’re okay. It might just be a coincidence. I will be waiting at the end of the parking lot.” No way it’s a coincidence. I grab another loaded magazine for my sidearm, and slide it in my coat. Then put another coat on over it, because Dana isn’t going to have time to suit up at the end. We’re going to have to time this well, and do it fast.
She lets out another long breath. “Okay.”
“You drive to the end. Speed across the parking lot, and just let your car run into the snow bank at the end. Leave everything in your car but your keys. We can go back out for your stuff later. You get out of the car and come straight to me. I’m going to stay on the machine so we can take off quickly. Okay?” I do everything I can to keep my voice quiet and calm, but I’m going to have to get off the phone if there’s any chance of me being at the end of the parking lot when she gets there.
“Okay.”
“You need to carefully put the phone down, pay attention to your driving. Can you see how many people are in the car?” I can’t believe I didn’t think of that sooner.
“Just one.”
“Dana, I
will
be there. Get out of the car and run toward me. I’ll get us back to the lodge.” This is insane. When Craig said the guy followed her to work, that was one thing. But he’s in jail, so someone else is following her out here. No way that’s a coincidence either.
“Okay. Meet you at the end. Get out with my keys and run.”
“See you in a few.” I hang up, grab my helmet and pull my machine to a start. Now I have to haul ass so I can keep my promise.
I’ve driven this trail so many times I can’t keep count, but I’ve never driven it this fast. There are narrow trails through the wooded areas, and I stand up letting my machine take the brunt of the bumps as I fly through them, hoping no one else is out here today. The moment I hit the first clearing, I grab the throttle to the handle and take off. Normally, the thrill of moving at a hundred miles per hour over the snow is exhilarating, but today it isn’t fast enough.
As I come down the final hill to the parking lot, I see her car just reaching the far end. It takes everything in me to stay where I am, and follow the plan. There are a few scattered trailers in the middle of the lot here, but that’s it. Mid-week is dead.
Just
like I told her to, the moment her car hits the parking lot, she hits the gas, and a small beater of a blue Subaru is on her tail.
Fuck.
I unzip both coats I’m wearing, and rest my hand on my gun. I want so bad to meet her at her car, but that would just slow us down.
She
rams the front of her car into the snow bank, jumps out, and runs for me.
I should have stopped a hair closer.
The blue car slides sideways, nearly running into Dana’s car. Dana’s in stupid heeled boots and slips a few times, but the second I step off this machine, we lose our advantage of getting out of here quick.
Please don’t let them have a gun…
A skinny bleach blonde woman scrambles out of her car, running for Dana, but Dana’s two steps away from me and safely out of reach.
“You better run, bitch!” the woman yells. “That’s my fiancé you’re fucking with
.
We have two kids
.
I can’t support them without him
.
We’re going to starve because of you, you stupid nosy bitch
.
He didn’t do anything wrong
.
That guy was a loser asshole
.
Nobody’s going to miss him
.
”
Dana glances over her shoulder as she jumps onto the back of my machine. I let go of the gun and grab the throttle as Dana’s arms grasp me around the waist. The woman’s coming toward us fast, but we speed away. Dana buries her face in my back, and tightens her arms around me. I need to get far enough away that if she
is
armed, she won’t have a chance of hitting us.
When Dana starts shaking behind me
enough that I feel it through two coats
, and we’re surrounded by trees, I stop. The silence after the screaming and noise of the machine feels empty.
“You okay?” I ask as I pull off my helmet.
Dana laughs hysterically mixed with sobs as tears stream down her face. “I don’t know.”
“You must be freezing.” I’d be freezing, and she’s shivering all over—probably as much from fear as cold. All the reasons I was determined to hate her start to dissolve as she continues to shake.
“I brought you a coat.” I take off both coats, and hand her the one I had closest to me, knowing it’ll be warmer. Her eyes close briefly as she pulls it on.
“Thanks.” She looks down, her teeth chatter, and my heart aches a little for what she just went through. Part of my big-brother thing must be kicking in again because I step toward her and pull her into my chest.
She’s almost as tall as me, but still manages to feel like almost nothing in my arms.
Dana cries against me for a few moments before I realize we’re not even friends, and we’re in this really weird sort of
…
intimate
s
ituation
.
“I’m glad you called. That could have been a much worse situation,” I say quietly as I drop my arms and brush my palms together.
“She drove all that way just to yell?” Dana pulls away from me, her face red and blotchy.
“I don’t know.” I shake my head and hand Dana my helmet. “Ready?”
She climbs on behind me, and I try not to notice how strong her arms feel around my waist, or how good her long legs feel when they
squeeze
against mine
to hold on
. The drive back to the lodge takes a lot less time than I’d like.
We step inside, and I have no idea what to say. Anything I tell her right now will make her think I like her more than I do, or will make me sound like a dad or a big brother, and I’m neither.
“Thank you again.” Her eyes dart around as she hands my coat back to me.
My hand brushes hers as I take the coat, and sends a shock through me.
No. Definitely no. I do not need that to be happening. And definitely not with her.
It’s just been too long. That’s all.
I open my mouth to say something, but instead walk through the kitchen and into my room. Dana’s here and she’s safe. And I need to be alone.
Instead of relaxing, I get a little more pissed, and finally call Craig.
The moment he answers, I start in. “Did you or did you not tell me she should be up here for her safety?”
“What?”
“She was followed, asshole. Didn’t she call you when she got back?” I’m actually way too glad that she didn’t.
“No.” He’s quiet.
“I had to haul ass out to the parking lot, and some crazy bleach-blonde woman was screaming. We’re all lucky she wasn’t packing.” I’m pacing in my apartment, from my bed, past the fireplace to the bathroom and then back.
“I wasn’t expecting that.”
“No, shit.” I decide I need a beer and head to the kitchen. “Maybe next time she calls you with a problem, you’ll listen, huh?”
I sound like a woman. A mom scolding. I shouldn’t be. If Dana’s pissed at Craig then maybe whatever ridiculous thing is between them will go away. My cousin deserves better. This bites. I snatch a Mississippi Mud from the back of the fridge and pop it open.
“I really appreciate it, Jason.”
“Yeah. Well.” I lean against the counter, realizing there’s nothing he could say that would make me less angry.
“I don’t think I’m going to make it out this week, so…”
“So, what?” I snap.
“Maybe you could pass that on? To Dana?”
“Are you fucking
serious?” He wants me to pass bad news on to his girlfriend when his wife is
my
family?
Instead of waiting for his answer, I hang up. And this is when I realize Dana’s in the room.
“Hey.” I don’t make eye contact because she has that vulnerable girl thing happening right now that gets me every time. Justine’s pulled I don’t even know how much shit over on me by using that look. Now, I’m pretty sure Dana’s not trying to use this look for anything, because I think it’s real, but I’m also pretty sure that means I’m even more likely to make an ass out of myself in some way.
Her long hair hangs down around her slim face, and her huge doe-eyes are still watery and staring.
“Thanks for standing up for me. I don’t usually panic like that.” She pulls her sweater more tightly around her.
“You were good to call, I just…” Damn. I need food. I need to get away from this girl. Maybe I should go to Boz’s and light up tonight. That would be good. His weed is legendary. If I were a pothead, I’d be sunk living next door to him.
Dana’s phone rings, and she stares at it for a moment before tucking it back in her pocket.
“Not going to get that?” I gesture with my beer.
She shakes her head, her hazel eyes still rimmed with red.
“I was about to make a massive plate of nachos. Want some?” I’m being nice again. This isn’t good. I can’t be friends with a girl who makes my gut twist when she smiles, which she’s doing right now.
“I’d love some.”
I’m fucked, and have to find a really nice way of getting Dana home where she belongs because I can’t like someone who has affairs, normally drives BMWs and doesn’t live in this state.