Leaving Tracks (25 page)

I
had the
world’s largest headache. My head hurt, my eyes hurt, my damn nose hurt. Everything was pounding in tune, the road ahead was dark and I was still twenty miles from home.

The meeting was over. The accusation against me was proven unfounded, and my membership had been restored. Everything was as it should be. Now, if Hadley threw me out I’d fly to Georgia and wring her gutless father’s neck.

The lights were on in the apartment when I finally made it home–back to Hadley’s. Concerned and curious I took the stairs two at a time. There may be nothing wrong; she may have just fallen asleep with the light on again.

Hadley was sitting at the dining room table with her chin propped up in one hand, a bottle in her other and her eyes closed. The chubby, little puppy was sucking greedily at the nipple. Hadley didn’t move when I stepped fully into the room.

“So, you finally decide to show up.” She said without opening her eyes.

“I had some business to take care of and forgot my phone at the house. I’m sorry I didn’t call. I came straight here instead of going to get my phone.”

“You know, I think, after missing a practice and letting me worry for more than twelve hours I deserve a better answer than that.” She still didn’t move but the puppy was answer enough for that. If he was new new, he’d have to be feed every two hours. That probably added to Hadley’s grumpiness. She didn’t like being woken up once she was asleep.

“You’ll have to open your eyes for the long answer.” I told her. “I can hold the bottle if you’d like.”

Hadley finally opened her eyes and I pulled the envelope of papers out of my back pocket. She sighed and stood. “Sit here. Don’t move the bottle. Jack will get mad if you take it out before he’s ready or it’s gone.”

I did as she commanded and sat. I put my hand on the bottle and she didn’t let it go until she was sure I had it and at the right angle.

“Don’t touch him; you haven’t washed your hands.” Hadley said and picked up the packet of papers I set down.

“Jack?” I asked resisting the urge to stroke the tiny puppy. She was right of course. I shouldn’t touch him without washing my hands.

“What. The. Hell.” Hadley tossed the paper onto the table far enough away from the pup to not disturb him. “Of course it’s all lies and garbage.”

“Which is why I spent the morning driving to Minneapolis, and spending half the day wading through bullshit to speak to someone that could do something about it,” I replied. “You’ll want to read I think its page eight.”

Hadley took a deep breath and picked up the stack of papers again. “You’ll have to find another coach. I can’t continue to coach you under these circumstances. It’ll probably be best if we stopped seeing each other…”

“Put that thought on pause and read the rest of the paperwork.”

“I’m reading it.” Hadley sat in the chair adjacent to mine. “You’ve been acquitted but the fact that you were even accused of such bullshit will hang over your head. I still stand behind you need a new coach and I should step back. It will eliminate any nasty rumor that could generate from anyone that’s seen this paperwork.”

“Read page, heck,
page twelve I think. I have full permission with the support of the USFS to continue being coached under your tutelage.” I told her. “I’m not stepping back and I’m not getting a new coach. Internationals are in thirteen days. I’m not changing anything with that competition so close. It’s suicide to do so and you know that.”

“This is what was bothering you.” Hadley set the papers down. “This is what you didn’t want to talk about.”

I sighed and nodded. The puppy whimpered and Hadley scooped him and the blanket he was laying on up to her shoulder. She patted his back gently and the puppy gave a couple of what I would call comfortable burps. Hadley wrapped him up and set him in her lap.

“He’ll sleep now.”

“I can get up for the next feeding. We can switch back and forth if that will help. You got him this morning?”

“Last night
, when I went out to help Glory feed the dogs. He’s a runt, the mother wasn’t trying to take care of him.”

“And Jack because?”

“You saw the patch?”

I nodded slowly.

“His registration says Captain Jack.”

“Captain…”
Dawning hit me and I laughed. “As in Captain Jack Sparrow?”

Hadley nodded. “It suits him.”

“It does.” I reached out and touched her hand that still rested on the papers. “I’m sorry I kept this from you. I was afraid you’d pull away, ask me to leave. You know, you have to know I like being here, I like being with you.”

Hadley rubbed her tired eyes with her other hand. “I know. And I’m trying to understand you didn’t want me to be upset. I don’t like secrets North. The last secret that was kept from me was my mother’s death. I can’t live with secrets.”

I nodded. “No more secrets. I won’t keep anything from you again.”

Hadley seemed to think about it then nodded. “Al
l right. We should get to bed. It’s going to be a long night of two hour increments.”

“Go ahead. I’ll get the lights.”

Funny, I thought as I did just that. I hadn’t taken anything for my head and I felt fine. I felt normal again. Just being home with Hadley had taken away the pain. It was…magical.

“I know you know how to do this,” Hadley was speaking to Wesley. “I mean I appreciate you volunteering and it keeps Glory from falling asleep in school, but…”

“Hadley, we’re going to miss the plane.” I repeated again. “Wesley knows how to take care of a puppy. He’s in safe hands. Do you want to go to Barcelona or not?”

“I’m coming, I’m coming.” Hadley gave Wesley and the puppy carrier one last glance and jumped into the
Jeep.

Morgaine and Avala were driving us this time to the airport. Morgaine had already selected the radio station–a hard rock that I knew wasn’t in Avala’s style, but even as the driver
, Avala didn’t complain.

“You don’t think Jack thinks I’m leaving him do you?” Hadley asked me completely serious. She was biting her lip and staring back at the house.

“He can’t fly, Hadley. And even if he could, do you really want that customs headache?” I reminded gently. “He’ll be fine. Just think when we get home he’ll be excited to see you. And Wesley knows tomorrow starts the gruel mix, and he’s got Glory’s numbers in case he forgets anything.”

Hadley continued to chew on her lip but nodded. “You’re right.” She took a deep breath and released it slowly. “You’re right. Well, bright side? Six whole days of not waking up in the middle of the night for feeding time.”

I laughed. “Yes. There’s that. Man, do I miss that. But you’ll sleep the entire plane ride over the Atlantic.”

I saw Avala and Morgaine exchange glances but I had no idea wh
at it meant or what it was for. I didn’t overly worry about it. Since our confrontation, they’ve been more attentive to learn about Hadley and given me no grief.

“If God is merciful.” Hadley replied. “If not
, I have the air pills. Not that they ever work, but I have them.”

Hadley seemed pretty okay when the plane landed in Spain. I had seen her take slow deep breaths and do the yoga meditation she had taught me after buckling her seat beat. Once the plane was in the air
, she was promptly asleep. I should ask her how to turn on and off like that.

She didn’t seem okay when she frowned at the papers she pulled out
of her bag and stared hard at the signs after we picked up our bags at the baggage check. She sighed, stared some more and finally I couldn’t take it.

“What’s wrong?” I asked looking over her shoulder
and reading the papers then up at the signs. “Taxis are this way.” I pointed.

She glanced up at me surprised. “How do you know that?”

I resisted the urge to kiss the tip of her nose and smiled easily instead. “My junior year of high school for Spanish IV we got to spend all of July in Peru. The immersion was great and while my Spanish is probably very informal compared to here; it’s still Spanish.”

“Oh.” Hadley
said simply and picked up her duffel bag. “Lead on.”

“I would think,” I said to her taking the bag off her arm and adding it to mine, “that you would speak Spanish with all the traveling you did.”

“French.” Hadley told me. “And German. Well, and I’m decent with Mandarin as long as the conversations aren’t complex. I never understood Spanish. I tried. The best I can do is ‘I’m lost’ and ‘I’m an American.’” She shrugged. “My father speaks eight languages so it wasn’t really a big deal if I didn’t.”

“Huh.” I replied. “Hola,
Senor.” I said to the taxi driver and then asked if he could take us to the hotel on Hadley’s paperwork.

He seemed very impressed with my Spanish and nodded talking rapidly about the places we should visit if we were on our honeymoon. And the beaches that would be sort of busy but well worth the visit to the south. I didn’t correct his assumption. It was harmless and Hadley had no idea what he was saying. No chance she could be offended by it.

Hadley seemed content to let me take the lead and I chatted amicably with the driver the entire ride to the hotel. At the hotel, he insisted on helping unload the bags and I insisted on the tip I folded into his hand.

“
Buenas noches, Senor!” he called as he climbed back into the taxi and rocketed off. Probably back to the airport.

“What did you say to him?” Hadley asked picking up her duffel bag.

I took the bag from her. “Nothing really. He says the beaches are really nice if we want a good place to relax. The food downtown may look a little different to us as Americans, but he assures it’s delicious. The hotel is a good hotel, and the restaurant here is very good for traditional food.”

“All that?” Hadley asked amused.

I shrugged. “He was talking pretty fast, to be honest, I didn’t catch all of it. Just the general idea. It’s a little different than Peruvian Spanish.”

“Still
.” Hadley smiled. “It’s more than I could do.”

“
Bienvenidos,” the woman behind the counter began.

I returned her welcome. “Gracias.” I looked at Hadley, “What name is the room in?”

“Yours.”

“
Reserva para Graton.” I said to the receptionist.

“Si
Senor. Un momento.” The efficient woman was already tapping on her keyboard when she spoke.

I took care of the details and in minutes
, Hadley and I were standing in the suite. The room looked like any other hotel suite, with the subtle smells of Spain instead and a décor style that could only be accredited to the Spanish.

“It’s nice.” Hadley said and crossed the room to the balcony. “I didn’t know we get a balcony.”

“It’s nice.” I echoed and stepped up behind her to wrap my arms around her waist and nuzzle her hair. “You know what else would be nice?”

“North, really?” Hadley asked with wry amusement.

I nibbled lightly at her ear, “Gutter brain.” I whispered and she shivered. “You’ll be disappointed to find out I was thinking of my stomach. Want to try that restaurant.”

She laughed, but it was out of breath and slightly strained. “Sure.”