Home Again (2 page)

After dinner, Danna went and sat out on the patio overlooking the mountains of north Georgia. Her sister, Emma, came and sat down beside her, drinking a glass of wine. Olivia was inside the house working on some paperwork she needed to do for her own job as an accountant.

“So,” Emma said, “tell me what happened with your job.”

“Well, they decided that I wasn't as valuable as some kid who just came out of college. I didn't get the big account that I was hoping for, so they were going to give me two weeks off to think about things.”

“And why didn't you take the two weeks?” Emma asked.

“You know me, Emma, I'm not one to take things like that. I was really offended and frustrated after all of the years I've been with that company. So,  I just got my things and told them they could keep their job. I'm not sure if I made the right decision or not, but you know I never look before I leap.”

Emma smiled at the memories of her sister doing all kinds of crazy things in childhood. She was always the one trying to get a laugh out of everyone, and sometimes she got herself hurt in the process.

“Well, I hope you find what you're looking for up here in Dallas Springs. You know there's not a lot of work available up this way,” Emma said taking a sip of her wine. Emma was still a knockout at twenty-six years old with her coal black hair and stunning blue eyes. Danna had always wished that she looked like her younger sister, but with auburn hair and green eyes, they couldn’t look more different.

“I know, but I think that I might want to start something totally new. I'm not even sure I want to stay in the marketing game because it's so competitive,” Danna said.

“I'm sure you'll find exactly what works for you. By the way, have you seen Jack yet?”

“Of course I haven’t. I just got into town. But, I plan to stay as far away from him as possible,” Danna said.

“Why on earth would you do that?” Emma asked.

“Because there's no need to get that whole thing started up again. He was livid with me when I went away to college, but I heard he truly hated me after he found out that I got married.”

“You did break his heart, Danna. You know how much Jack loved you after you two dated all through high school. He’s a great guy, and I never understood why you ran off and got married to some guy you met in college,” Emma said shaking her head.

“You know I didn't just run off and get married,” Danna said.

“What would you call taking off to Las Vegas then? We didn't even get to come to your wedding!”

Danna sat back in her chair and smiled. "I guess you’d call it young love or maybe stupidity. I never meant to hurt you guys or mom. I was just thinking about how cool it would be to elope, but obviously that didn't work out so well."

"Well we forgave you long ago," Emma said with a smile. "I’d better get going. I have a girls’ night out planned with some of my friends from work, so I'll see you around over the next few days."

Emma lived in her own apartment just outside of town, and she had a wide variety of friends although she didn't seem to date very much. Truth be told, most guys were very intimidated by her looks. As a model for several years, Emma was constantly traveling in and out of town. Danna never really understood why she stayed in Dallas Springs when she could’ve moved to LA or New York, but she refused to leave their mother behind. That made Danna feel even more guilty about leaving in the first place.

"Oh, and Danna, you should go see Jack. I think you might be really surprised at how he's turned out."

“Danna Evans?” a voice said from behind Danna as she shopped for some snacks at Margo’s Grocery.

“Katie Swanson? Oh my goodness! How are you?” Danna said as she hugged her old friend, and Jack’s sister, Katie Swanson.

“It’s actually Katie Allen now. I got married last year to Heath Allen. Do you remember him? He was a couple of years older than you and Jack.”

“Of course, I remember him. Wasn’t he a varsity football player when Jack and I were freshmen?”

“Yes. It’s so great to see you! What are you doing in Dallas Springs anyway?”

“Came back to stay for awhile, looking for some new opportunities.”

“In Dallas Springs?” Katie asked with a laugh.

“Well, not necessarily here, but maybe somewhere nearby,” Danna said smiling. “So, tell me what’s been going on with you lately.”

“Well, Heath and I are expecting our first baby in December!”

“Congratulations! You’re going to be a great mommy. You always loved kids. I remember when you would babysit every kid in town.”

“I do love kids, and I can’t wait to have this one. I also work at the elementary school now. I’m a special ed teacher.”

“That’s great, Katie. I can see you working with the special needs kids. You’ve always had such a heart for helping people.”

“And speaking of helping people, I’d like to help you out, my old friend,” Katie said with a scheming look in her eye.

“How is that?” Danna asked as she leaned against a display case and crossed her arms.

“Jack…”

“No, Katie. That ship sailed a long time ago.”

“Maybe for you, but my brother has never gotten over you, Danna. Just the other day, I was helping him clean out his attic and noticed he still has a whole box of mementos from you in high school.”

“He does?” Danna was surprised.

“Yes, he does. He rarely dates, and when you got married he left town for two weeks before he finally showed back up again. We were worried sick about him.”

“Then why would you want him to hook back up with me, Katie? I’m bad news for Jack. I don’t want to hurt him all over again even though I’d love to see him…”

“He’d love to see you too. Look, we don’t often get second chances in life, Danna, but it seems to me that you’re here, you’re single, Jack’s single…”

“Always the matchmaker,” Danna said with a sly smile. Her friend was always matchmaking even back in high school, although Katie was a year older than her and Jack.

“Just think about it, okay? You know where to find him, and I think you’ll be surprised at how Jack has turned out.”

“You’re the second person to say that to me in the last two days,” Danna muttered under her breath, referring back to her sister’s comment.

“Go see him, Danna. You’ll always regret it if you don’t,” Katie said with a grin as she pushed her cart up the aisle.

***

As Danna got home with her groceries, her sister Olivia was hard at work at the kitchen table, crunching numbers as usual.

“Whatcha doin’?” Danna asked as she plopped down next to her twenty-five year old sister.

“Working on spreadsheets. Where have you been this morning?”

“Had to load up on some snacks for my stay. Mom doesn’t have anything unhealthy in this house,” Danna complained as she opened a bag of chips.

“Chips in the morning?” Olivia said looking down her nose through a pair of reading glasses.

“Chips are good anytime, anywhere. What’re your plans for today, sis?” Danna asked.

“I’m working from home today.”

“But it’s Saturday…”

“Danna, I work almost everyday of the week.”

“It’s June. Isn’t tax season over?”

“Tax season is never over,” Olivia said with a laugh.

“How do you ever date?” Danna asked. Olivia was an attractive woman with blond hair and beautiful blue eyes, but she hid it well under a tight bun and matronly clothing.

“I don’t date. No time for that right now,” Olivia said looking back down at her spreadsheet. Realizing she was interfering in Olivia’s work, Danna slowly slid out of her chair and went upstairs to her room.

Looking out her window, she could see so many familiar sights from her childhood. The big oak tree on the corner of her property where she and Jack had regular make-out sessions while waiting for the sunset. The old red barn on Mr. Milton’s property where Danna had jumped off the loft and broken her arm at ten years old. The creek where she’d caught tadpoles and picked muscadine berries. So many memories, yet one important person was missing. Jack.

Jack had been there for most of her memories. From the time she was ten years old until the moment she left for college, they’d been inseparable. Jack’s family had moved to Dallas Springs when he was just starting middle school. They bought old Mr. Prager’s apple farm, and Jack was constantly working with his father and uncle in the fields. She remembered the first time they met - when Jack brought her a “special apple” from his favorite tree. During lunch one day, he presented it to her and his buddies made such fun of him that he wouldn’t look Danna’s way for two weeks. Of course, she eventually bullied her way right back into his world and the rest was history.

What had she done? Jack had been her best friend and the love of her short life, yet she’d tossed him aside to pursue her dreams. What kind of person did that make her?

She wondered how he really felt about her now. Did he hate her? Would he even care that she was back in town? Would he want to see her?

She decided, in true Danna fashion, that there was only one way to find out. She would have to see for herself whether or not Jack Swanson still cared about her, and the only way to do that was by sneak attack.

Danna drove slowly up the dirt road leading to the main house of Swanson Farms. The pasture had just been cut, and there were more horses grazing than Danna remembered. She could see the apple trees lining the fields, and it looked like there was a new red barn off in the distance. Some things hadn’t changed at all, but she could tell time had allowed the farm to progress somewhat.

As she parked her car in front of the sprawling white antebellum home that stood on one hundred acres of land, memories came flooding back to her. She and Jack had spent an awful lot of time together running through those fields, picking apples, riding horses and creating mischief anywhere they could.

“
Can I help you?” a man asked who was working on landscaping in the front flower bed.

“I’m looking for Jack Swanson,” she said. Knowing that she was going to a working farm, Danna had worn jeans, brown cowboy boots and a button up plaid shirt. She felt like a real cowgirl again.

“Oh, he’s down in the barn over there,” the man said pointing behind the house.

“Thanks.”

Danna started walking down toward the bright red barn. She could tell that a lot of the fencing on the old farm had been upgraded, and the barn wasn’t that old. As she walked through the big double doors, she could hear a radio playing country music. Jack had always loved country music, and she was sure he was near that radio wherever it was.

Petting one of the horses in a stall on the right, Danna continued walking through the big barn until she saw a pair of cowboy boots on the ground. They were attached to Jack’s legs as he worked on hammering up a board that had apparently come loose.

She stopped in front of where he was lying on the ground, waiting for him to notice her.

“Can you hand me that nail?” he called over the radio, completely unaware that it was Danna standing there. Seeing only boots and jeans, he apparently assumed it was just one of the farm workers.

“Sure,” she said as she reached down and picked it up. When her hand touched his, he stopped cold and sat up.