Sisters in the Wind(58)

WHEN I WAS SIXTEEN


2006

Diego and I slept on sofas in the living room. Mister snored on the recliner between us. Loud as he was, our ears still registered a vehicle in the driveway. Not Allen’s diesel truck. Jennifer’s car was the same as my dad’s. Each time I heard it, my heart leaped in recognition.

We rushed to the kitchen before Mister startled awake mid-snore.

“How is she?” Diego asked an exhausted-looking Jennifer the instant she stepped inside.

“And the baby?” I added because, after all, we shared a birthday.

“She’s fine. They’re both fine.”

Diego made the sign of the cross before grabbing my hand. He didn’t hold back his happy tears. Emily was lucky to have someone so concerned about her.

The sky and one insistent rooster prepared for sunrise. Bruce came in from the new three-car garage, a heated outbuilding with a bathroom and an attic bedroom. He was an early riser who filled the teakettle with fresh water and made the first pot of coffee for the day.

“Allen will be back later with Mom,” Jennifer said. She didn’t refer to her mother-in-law as Missus, like we did. “She wanted to check on Emily as soon as visiting hours start.”

“Can I see her?” Diego’s voice cracked.

“Her aunt’s arriving sometime this morning. They’ve got a lot of catching up to do,” Jennifer cautioned.

Over breakfast, Mister told everyone—in celebration of Emily’s healthy baby boy and it being the Fourth of July—to keep a light schedule that day. We were to do only the essential chores that couldn’t be delayed until tomorrow such as tending to the animals and preparing meals. Since I wouldn’t need to do anything until dinner-time cleanup, I took advantage of the gorgeous day.

Boyd walked with me to the hammock grove. I blushed when he held my hand. We’d kissed less than twenty-four hours ago, but so much had happened since then.

“Dreamed about you last night,” Boyd said. “Did you dream about me?”

“I was too tired to dream about anything,” I admitted.

When Boyd laughed, I realized I should’ve given a flirty answer. My embarrassment probably deepened my blush to an all-over sunburn.

“Once I finish up with the horses, I’ll be back. Maybe we can try out the big hammock now that Emily and Diego—” Boyd halted at the sound of someone jogging to catch up with us. “Speak of the devil,” he said.

Diego’s bloodshot eyes were unsettling.

“Man, you look awful,” Boyd added.

I let go of his hand to give Diego a comforting hug.

“Diego, buddy.” Boyd softened his tone. “Emily will call today. I’m sure of it. She’s your girl. You guys are great together.”

Boyd nudged me toward the double hammock. I rolled into it, hoping my face had returned to its normal golden-brown glow.

“I gotta tend them horses,” he said. Then he leaned over and kissed me on my lips. He walked away, calling over his shoulder, “Look after my girl, Diego Diaz. Make sure no one joins her in that hammock.”

I was too surprised by the kiss and the declaration of being Boyd’s “girl” to say anything. I waited for Diego to speak as he paced around the double hammock.

“I don’t think Mister and Missus are worried enough about Emily.”

I probed. “What worries you about her?”

Diego was the most serious of the three boys. Boyd was, well, Boyd. A cute wannabe cowboy whose twang strengthened whenever a girl was nearby. Otto was a wannabe comedian who Tonya nicknamed “Otto Work” because he was going to be a “broke-ass out-of-work Adam Sandler impersonator.”

Diego spoke with the solemnity of a priest administering the Last Rites.

“Mister and Missus should be more concerned about an aunt who Emily barely remembers.”

Despite wanting to help Diego, I felt the easy day take over. My eyelids grew heavier with each gentle breeze. As I drifted into something deeper than a nap, he voiced his biggest concern.

“What if her aunt wants the baby but not Emily?”



* * *



I dreamed about Stacy Sterling. She was in the library at Hoppy Farm, waiting for me to select a book for her. I knelt before the low bookcase, examining the old hardcovers that had made their way from garage sales and donation bins to my library. Crawling from one bookcase to the next, I became more desperate. There had to be a book that would help her. To let her know that none of this was her fault. If I could get the right book into her hands, she would be okay.

I tried to rise but fell onto my back instead. Then Steven Sterling leaned over to kiss me. I pushed and punched, yelling myself awake to find Boyd rubbing his jaw.

“Oh. I—I thought…” I couldn’t find my words.

“Are you okay, Lucy?” Diego rushed over.

“Now that’s a punch,” Boyd said, trying to make light of the situation.

Still in a panic, I grabbed Diego’s hand to help pull me out of the hammock. With my feet on solid ground, I forced myself to take deep breaths.

“I had a bad dream, but I’m okay now,” I said, waving off the two guys.

I kept shaking my wrists even as they fell to my side, and I felt some of the fear fly off me. But now I wanted to get away from the hammock grove. My happy place was the library, but the nightmare felt too raw for me to go there.