Bright Lights, Big Christmas(40)

“Screw you.” Murphy reached for the backpack he’d left on the trailer steps and headed for the truck. “I gotta get to the storage yard and get the trailer hitched up. I don’t have time for your crap.”

“When will you be back?” Kerry asked, suddenly panicked.

“Tomorrow night or early Sunday morning.” He climbed into the cab of the truck. “I’m leaving Queenie here with you. She’ll raise hell if anybody tries to mess with you.”

“And how am I supposed to run the tree stand by myself?”

“You’re an expert. Figure it out.”



* * *



“C’mon, Queenie,” Kerry called. “Let’s call it a night.” The dog wagged her tail in approval and followed her into the trailer.

She sat on her bunk and looked around the cramped space, which looked like a cyclone had blown through. Her brother’s dirty clothes were strewn around the floor, which bore his muddy boot prints, and his bed was a lumpy jumble of blankets, sleeping bag, pillow, and a pile of clothes of indeterminate cleanliness.

Without giving it much thought, she dumped the clothes in a laundry bag, folded the blankets, and remade his bed. She went outside to grab the broom, and while she was there, went to Jock’s truck and retrieved the baseball bat he kept stowed under the front seat.

“Security,” she told herself. She had to admit she was already feeling uneasy about her first night alone in the city.

After she finished rage cleaning, she got ready for bed. Queenie jumped up and settled herself on Murphy’s bunk. Kerry locked the door and retrieved Murphy’s notebook, and thumbed through to the page for the previous year’s sales. He’d circled the number of trees in red. Forty-two.

When her cell phone rang, she grabbed it, hoping it might be Patrick.

It was her mother.

“So it’s true?” Birdie asked. “Murphy’s really driving back down here for another load of trees? Your dad is all worked up about it. He hasn’t said so yet, but I know what he’s thinking—that he’ll ride back up there with your brother. It’s killing him having to stay home this year.”

“Mom, no!” Kerry yelped. “You absolutely can’t let him come up here.”

“I told that old fool if he leaves this house, I’m done. He can go back on Silver Singles and find him a new girlfriend to cook and clean and remind him to take his meds.”

“Hah! He’d never date anybody old enough to be on Silver Singles,” Kerry said. “But you better tell Murphy the same thing. I’m sure he’d love to have Dad replace me.”

Mother and daughter both sighed at the same time.

“Tolliver men,” Birdie said. “My mama tried to warn me, but…” Her voice trailed off. “Are you gonna be able to run the stand by yourself? That’s a lot.”

“We do have a pretty conscientious high school kid who’s been helping out. I’m hoping he can recruit a friend so I’ll have somebody in the stand while Vic’s out making deliveries.”

“I hope so too,” Birdie said.

“Tomorrow’s Saturday. According to Murphy’s notebook, it should be the busiest day of the season.”

“I wish there was something I could do to help,” her mother said. “Honey, I’m so proud of you and the way you stepped up. I know you’re going through a rough patch in your own life. Have you heard from Blake at all?”

“Blake is old news. But Mom, I’ve been thinking. As soon as the holidays are over, I’m going to seriously start looking for a place of my own.”

“Here in town?”

“No. You were right. I’ve got to quit hiding out and playing safe with my life. It’s time to reinvent myself. I don’t know exactly what that will look like yet. But I’ve started drawing and painting. And it feels like I can breathe again. Like my creative soul has been set free.”

“That’s what I’ve been praying for,” Birdie said. “That’s all I want for both my children. For you to be happy and fulfilled. And safe. Good night, honey.”

“G’night,” Kerry said, not bothering to stifle a yawn.

“Don’t forget to lock the door,” Birdie said, right before she disconnected.



* * *



Ten minutes later, her phone rang again. It was Murphy.

“Hey,” he said. There was a long silence. She could dimly hear his radio, playing country music, of course.

“Hey,” Kerry said, just to break the silence. “What’s up?”

“Uh, I been thinking. I guess I was sort of a prick earlier tonight.”

“Sort of?”

“Not gonna let me off the hook, are you?”

“Not even a little bit,” she said.

He took a deep breath. “Anyway, I think I was out of line yelling at you. It’s actually a good thing that we almost sold out of trees today. And that was all you.”

Kerry laughed. “Mom called and read you the riot act, didn’t she?”

“Yeah.” He sounded sheepish. “Okay, that’s about it. Let me know how it goes tomorrow.”

“I will. And Murph?”

“Yeah?”