Can You See Me? (2 page)

She ignores my jibe and revs the engine pulling out of the parking lot.  The ride in the truck is even bumpier than the last twenty minutes of the plane ride, but I feel safer on the ground with my sister driving than in the air with some unknown pilot.  I rest my head on the window pane and promptly fall asleep.

I feel the truck slowing and pulling to a stop.  I stretch my arms.  “Are we here already?” I ask around a yawn, still groggy from sleep.

“Almost.  We’re on the outskirts of town but one of the town cruisers just flashed his lights so I’m pulling over,” she says coming to a stop on the shoulder of the road and rolling down her window.  I pull out my cell phone.  It’s noon, so that means we’ve been on the road for almost three hours.  It’s a two and a half hour drive from Evansville to Acorn Grove.  There’s no way Summer was speeding.  As a matter of fact, she drives like molasses in the winter time.

“Good afternoon ladies,” a deputy says through Summer’s open window.  Wow.  He’s handsome, with golden brown skin, light brown eyes and a dimple in his left cheek as he flashes a sexy smile. “Do you know why I stopped you?” he asks eyeing both of us.

“No, Deputy Dark Star, I have no clue,” Summer replies.  Oh, so she knows him.  He tears his eyes away from me and looks back at Summer, startled.

“Oh hey, Summer.  I didn’t recognize you for a second.  New truck?” he asks her.  I raise my eyebrows.  New?  This thing is at least twice my age.  “Who’s your pretty friend,” he motions towards me, flashing that gorgeous smile of his again.

“Jon this is Skye.  She’s my older sister and she’s just moving to town.  I’d hate for this to be her first impression of Acorn Grove,” she implies, with an impish grin.

“Sister?  I thought the other girl Dawn, with the blonde hair like yours, was your sister,” he says obviously confused.  I’m used to this reaction from people but it makes Summer angry.

“What do you mean Jon?  Dawn is my younger sister.  This is my older sister Skye and she looks like me too,” she insists.  Deputy dreamy just gives her a skeptical look.

“Whatever you say Summer.  She looks like she could be my kin more than yours,” he comments, referring to what I would guess is his Native American heritage and he’s not far off the mark.  Our mother is Anglo-Saxon and our father was of Shawnee and African-American descent.  I happen to take more after my father with my wavy black hair and toffee colored skin.  Summer and Dawn take after my mother looking more like Mariah Carey’s long lost sisters, with their honey blonde tresses and sun-kissed looking skin tone.

“You’re right,” I chime in.  “We could be cousins,” I add trying to diffuse, what he obviously doesn’t realize can turn into an ugly situation between him and Summer.  She may be my younger sister but she’s protective of me.

“Kissing cousins,” he remarks, and then blushes.  “I apologize that was unprofessional.  I just stopped you today because your driver’s side tail light is out.  You might want to get that fixed.  Have a nice afternoon ladies,” he taps the roof of the truck and walks quickly back to his patrol car.

“Big Dummy.  Who says that? She looks more like my kin than yours,” Summer mimics in a whiny voice, not like Jon’s at all.  “I’ll forgive him this time. He was obviously brain addled by your beauty.  Kissing cousins?  I mean really.  What kind of pick up line is that?” she scoffs, and I laugh at her commentary.

“It’s no big deal Summer.  I’m used to people being surprised we’re sisters, you should be used to it by now too,” I tell her, making light of the situation.  “It’s bound to happen again until people spread the word through the small town gossip mills.  Which means it should all blow over within ten minutes of me stepping into town,” I say half-seriously.

“I shouldn’t have to get used to it and neither should you.  People don’t even have common courtesy anymore,” she huffs.

“He’s a good looking guy.  What’s his deal?” I inquire, somewhat interested, but mostly just trying to change the subject.

She glances at me from the side of her eye as she pulls the truck from the shoulder and back onto the road.  ”He’s single, but he’s good looking and he knows it.  He picks up all the strays that Cooper leaves behind.  Between the two of them, there’s not a heart left unbroken within a twenty-mile radius of this town.”

“Who’s Cooper?” I ask, pulling down the dusty visor to check my face.  I don’t really wear makeup but I don’t want to have crusty eye boogers reminiscent from my nap when we get to the house.

“Sherriff Cooper Talbott.  The one I told you that Dawn has been mooning over.  He’s not cocky like Jon.  He’s more of the strong silent type.  His family owns half the town, but he’s still a humble guy,” she enlightens me.

“Are you sure you don’t have a secret crush on this Cooper guy too?  You sound awfully sweet on him,” I tease her, pulling on one of her honey blonde tresses.

“No.  He’s too quiet for me.  I like the fun outgoing type.  He’s just an all-around good guy and I see him at the AG Bar & Grill all the time when I’m working.  We talk sometimes and he’s a great tipper.  Alright, enough about those guys.  We’re going to head to grandma’s house to see her, Mom and Dawn.  Then we’ll head to my place and get you settled in,” Summer informs me.

The way she talks to me you’d think she was the older sister.  I don’t like conflict so I tend to let others take over if that’s what they’re inclined to do.  I’m more than capable of handling most situations but I don’t feel the need to always be the one in control.

Summer pulls her beat up old truck into the driveway of an old white two-story home with dark green shutters and a wraparound porch.  I get out of the truck and walk up a brick pathway.  I notice the peeling paint and a few loose boards as I step up on the porch.  The house is charming, but it could definitely use some work.

I reach out my hand and the front door opens before I even get the chance to knock.  Grandma Rose is standing there hunched over in her snowman Christmas sweater, her steel gray hair in tight curls and her already pale skin looking ashen.  She looks so tiny and frail; I’m scared to hug her.

“What are you waiting for Skye?  Come give your grandma a hug.  It’s been years since I’ve laid eyes on you,” she says in a cheery voice, holding out her arms to me, her soft gray eyes assessing me.  I step gingerly into her embrace and she shocks me with a strong bear like hug.  I gasp in surprise.  “Oh don’t be putting me in my grave just yet.  I still got some fight left in these old bones,” she laughs at me pushing out of the hug and flexes her puny arm.

“Are you hungry?  Your mother’s in the kitchen making some BLT’s.  She figured you two would be showing up soon.  Come on Summer quit your lollygagging and get in here,” She motions to Summer, who’s on her cell phone standing outside by the truck.

“Where’s Dawn?” I ask my grandmother as I step into a small living room filled to bursting with a hodgepodge of mismatched furniture.  Good Lord, it looks like the Goodwill exploded in here.  Summer steps into the house behind me.

“Looks like they looted the Salvation Army and put it all in here, doesn’t it?” she whispers behind me.  I suppress a laugh.  Great minds think alike.

“What’s that you girls are whispering about?” Grandma asks, without even turning around on her way to the kitchen.

“Nothing Granny,” we answer sweetly in unison.

“Your sister Dawn is working a shift at the gas station and she’ll be home later this evening.  You’ll probably want to go get settled in with Summer by then, so you’ll likely have to catch her tomorrow.” She stops at the doorway that opens into a floral catastrophe.  The kitchen is dripping in floral wallpaper. Curtains, dish towels, plates, absolutely everything in this room is floral.  My mother is standing there making the sandwiches seemingly oblivious to her atrocious surroundings.

My mother wipes her hands on her floral apron and walks over giving me a hug. “I’ve missed you.  Have a seat.  I know you must be starving.  They only give you peanuts on airplanes nowadays, sometimes not even that,” my mother pulls out a chair and places a plate holding a BLT, potato chips, and a pickle on the table in front of me.  The same thing my father used to eat for lunch every Saturday.  My stomach rumbles loudly.  I couldn’t deny my hunger even if I wanted to.

Summer grabs a plate and a chair next to me at the small round 50’s style kitchen table complete with red vinyl chairs and digs in with gusto.  My grandmother sits on the other side of me and my mother places a bowl of soup in front of her. I eye the bowl of mostly broth.

“I’ve got to keep my girlish figure.  I can’t afford to eat bacon sandwiches like you young girls can.  You know what they say, a moment on the lips a lifetime on the hips,” Grandma Rose says, trying to be funny.  But it’s not funny because I know her chemotherapy makes it hard for her to keep food down and that’s why mom gave her a broth-like soup to eat.  I admire her resilience and positive attitude, though.  I hope I’m like her when I grow up.

I’m polishing off the last of my food when my Mom says “So, did you meet any nice young ladies in the military Skye?”  Summer sprays me with the remains of her chips as she tries to hold back her laughter.  I could see how this situation could be funny if it were anyone else but me.

“Yeah, but they were afraid of commitment so I dumped them like last week’s trash,” I respond dryly.  Grandma Rose chuckles next to me.  I think she knows I’m not into girls but Mom is stuck on the notion so I’m playing along for the hell of it.

“That’s too bad honey.  Maybe you’ll meet someone here.  I don’t know of any lesbians in Acorn Grove though.  Do you Summer?  Oh wait! Doesn’t Dawn’s friend Trixie swing both ways?” she asks Summer excitedly.  You have got to be freaking kidding me.  This is going way too far.

“No, Mom.  She just kisses other girls in front of the guys to get them all hot and bothered.  The girl is a slut and an idiot but I don’t think she’s a lesbian.  Sorry, Skye.  Better luck elsewhere,” Summer comments laughing hysterically.  At this point, my grandmother is having a hard time controlling her own laughter and is shaking with humor in her chair.  Only my mother remains clueless.  Peachy, I’m glad I could provide some comic relief for these two.

I push myself away from the table grabbing my plate and everyone else’s empty dishes carrying them to the sink where I rinse them off and place them in an ancient dishwasher.  The dishwasher looks like it might be the first one ever made.  I hope it works and doesn’t short circuit the electricity in the house.  Why are my mother and grandmother living like this?  I’m curious but I don’t want to upset anyone by asking so I’ll wait and ask Summer later.

“I hate to eat and leave, but I want to get Skye settled in.  Besides, it’s not like you won’t be able to see her whenever you want.  She lives here now,” Summer says flippantly. 

I lean down and give my Mom and grandma hugs and kisses.  “Don’t bother to get up, we’ll see ourselves out.  I’ll stop by around this time tomorrow if I can,” I say the last part to my grandmother.  I’ll be happy to see my mother and my sister Dawn too, but my grandmother is the reason why I’m here.

Summer and I walk out the front door closing it behind us and hop into the truck.  It’s a good thing we left because it looks like it just started snowing and my luggage is exposed to the elements in the open bed of her truck. 

Less than three minutes later we’re pulling up to Acorn Grove Bar & Grill.  “What are we doing here?  I thought we were going to your apartment,” I ask confused.

“We are.  I live up there,” Summer says pointing to the top of the Bar.  “The owner rents me the place dirt cheap and I can roll over and be at work,” she comments happily.  “Let’s go put your bags up and then we’ll go downstairs for a drink and I’ll introduce you to some people.

I sigh.  I’m jet lagged and probably smell like a muskrat after traveling all day.  I shrug my shoulders.  “Sure, why not?” I’m nothing if not accommodating.

Chapter Two

Cooper

I showed up at AG’s Bar & Grill hoping that Summer would be working.  Mitch the bartender informed me that she took the day off to pick someone up from the airport.  The airport is a couple of hours away so this person must be special to her.

I don’t even know why I sought her out today.  She’s friendly and one of the few women in town who haven’t tried to bat her eyelashes and flirt with me, which is refreshing.  She’s also a pretty girl but I’m not romantically interested in her.

I wish that I was attracted to Summer.  She’d be a nice girl that my parents would approve of.  Yeah, she works as a cocktail waitress, but she has her Associates Degree in general studies and goes to school at night to get her BA.  In what, I don’t know, but the fact that she’s educating herself is a step in the right direction. 

Funny thing is she’s not my type. She’s forward and outspoken.  I don’t think I’m her type either.  I’m quiet and pensive and she’s a talker.  Boy, is she a talker.  If I did speak more I don’t think I’d get a word in edgewise, but I think she still wants someone more talkative than I am.  I think we’d make better friends than we would lovers.

I’m leaning against the bar sipping on a cold Bud when I hear a loud truck engine outside of the bar.  Sounds like that jalopy Summer recently bought.  Maybe she’ll come in here although I know I wouldn’t want to hang out where I work on my days off. It’s kind of unavoidable in her situation, though, living above the establishment and all.