Letting You Know (44 page)

My
squeals of delight echoed through the air, the two of us chasing each
other around the car on the empty stretch of highway. When we finally
gave up our game, the world was turning grey with the dawning hour.

****

“
Yes,”
Deacon said into his phone, “we'll be there soon, but it won't
matter. It's impossible to make our flight.”

Watching
him, I wondered what Nicholas was saying. Especially when his
eyebrows shot up.

“
Seriously?
That's too perfect. Yes. Yes, we can make that. Alright, see you!”

Blinking,
I pulled my hair back, debating on tying it up. “What was it,
what'd he say?”

Hiding
his phone away, my boyfriend sped the car up. With the clear skies,
the clouds empty after dropping their bloated load on us, the road
was a straight shot to our destination. “Apparently, the snow
delayed our flight. It sounds like we might be able to make it after
all.”

Squinting
at him, my grin grew tight on the edges, crinkling the skin around my
eyes. Deacon looked at me, then the road, then back again. “What's
that face for?”

“
Lucky,”
I chimed, leaning back proudly.

He
just laughed, then turned the radio on.

We're
really going to make it,
I
thought to myself, finally content with how everything had fallen
into place.

Yawning,
I closed my eyes, feeling the lack of sleep hovering over me. My body
was sore from the accident, even if I'd not been injured the way
Deacon had.

On
top of that, my mind felt truly at peace with the choking cloud of
doubt finally removed. Knowing that Deacon loved me,
loved
me
,
made the world feel like it was full of tingles and cotton.

I
fell asleep within minutes.

The
dream that took over was amorphous. It was soft, airy and warm. There
were no details, perhaps a whisper or a word here and there.
Sometimes, I thought I saw a face. It was a dream that wrapped me up
and took me deep, keeping me safe the entire time.

It
was the first dream I could remember where I'd felt so welcome, so
loved.

The
first dream I didn't run from anyone.

Loud
voices woke me, the engine of the car idling as it stopped moving.
Lack of motion was what yanked me into clarity, the understanding we
must have reached Deacon's grandparents' house.

Sitting
up, scrubbing my eyes, I saw people were standing just outside.
Deacon touched my shoulder, his expression grim. “Come on, we
need to tell Bethany about her car.”

Turning,
I caught a glimpse of the blonde girl outside. “I think she has
a pretty good idea of what happened, if you ask me.”

Together,
we exited the vehicle. I didn't get two steps before I was almost
bowled over by Deacon's mother. “Thank goodness you both are
alright!” She cried, crushing me against her with a strength
rivaling her son's.

Balking,
my arms high in the air, I stared at everyone in confusion. Deacon
had no answer for me, he seemed just as uncertain.

Warily,
I lowered my arms, hugging the woman back tentatively. “We're
fine, really.”

“
The
storm was horrible,” she mumbled in my ear, cracking my back
with another squeeze. Catching a glimpse of Nicholas smirking, I
tried to pry myself away politely.

It
didn't matter, the younger brother had Deacon in his line of sight.
Stepping close, he stood a mere foot away, eyeing the bandage on my
boyfriend's head. “That's all? You walked away with just that
scrape?”

“
I
said it wasn't a bad accident,” Deacon sighed. He opened his
mouth to say more, until Nicholas grabbed him hard with one arm. The
hug was rough, brisk.

When
he was finished, Nicholas stepped back, hand picking at his sling. “I
would have gone looking for you last night, if you had let me.”

“
We
didn't need that,” Deacon chuckled.

“
No,
not at all!” Their mother released me, so I drew in a gulp of
air into my burning lungs. “I couldn't have handled all of you
out in that snow!”

Someone
coughed; we all turned, spotting Dr. Day standing just outside of our
gathering. His face reminded me of milk gone bad, it looked like he
hadn't gotten much sleep. “They're fine, Jenna. They said as
much.”

The
electric mood in the air was uncomfortable. It ran into my veins,
hinting at some unspoken expectation.

Nervously,
I studied Deacon while he stood there, watching his father quietly.
It was impossible not to remember the last time they had talked, the
argument that had come up over us taking the trip.

With
a straight back, Dylan crossed the snowy ground. In one quick swoop,
his arms circled his son, clapping him on the shoulder. “I'm
glad you're both okay, son. When that snow started coming down, we
got awfully worried.”

“
Did
you know about the accident?” He asked softly, leaning into the
act of affection.

Looking
over, I saw the flicker of guilt on Nicholas's face. When he saw me
staring, he rubbed his neck awkwardly. “I told them, Deacon. I
didn't plan to, but after I talked to you, I went and woke Bethany.
We were pretty loud, I guess, with her telling me we couldn't go out
in the storm chasing you guys down.”

“
I
didn't want anyone getting killed,” she mumbled, unable to meet
my eyes. She stayed staring at her feet, digging a hole in the snow.
“I understand it would have been brave, maybe, but it also just
seemed—”

“
Reckless,”
I said, thinking I knew what she was trying to say.

Bethany
lifted her head, blue pools watching me curiously. “Yes.
Exactly.”

Dr.
Day broke away from Deacon, dusting himself off like he was
embarrassed. “We all heard them arguing. When I went up, to ask
why Nicholas was even
up
there with her at that late hour... he told us you'd gotten caught in
the blizzard.”

Inhaling
deeply, Deacon gave his head a quick shake. “I'm really sorry.
We didn't predict things would get as bad as that. And Bethany,”
he added, looking over at her somberly. “I'm really sorry about
your car.”

“
It's
fine,” she shrugged, walking around the SUV slowly. “I
don't see any major damage. If it turns out you messed it up somehow,
I'll just send you the bill.” Her smile helped the mood
deflate, relief edging in on all our faces.

Grandaddy
Day, who'd been quiet the whole time, finally gave a soft grunt. “We
gotta get these kids going, or they're gonna miss their flight even
with the delay.”

“
I
hate to ask again, but Bethany, can we...?”

“
Yes,”
she nodded, “except you're way too tired to drive any more.
I'll take you guys to the airport.”

Deacon
looked ready to argue, his mouth half-open. Nothing came out, so he
clamped his teeth and smiled sheepishly. “Alright.”

Turning,
I intended to get back into the car. The hand on my shoulder stopped
me. Blinking, I found Deacon's grandfather standing before me. He had
a sweet smile, those eyes twinkling in a way that reminded me of his
grandson's. “We didn't get much time together, you and I,”
he explained. “You also never got a chance to try any of these,
what with how things went down.”

In
his hands, he held up a small plastic bag of shelled pecans. Gasping,
I took them like they were fragile jewels. “These are for me?”

“
'Course,”
he chuckled. “You enjoy these. But don't bother savoring them,”
he winked. “There'll be plenty more when you come back next
year.”

Stunned
into silence, I simply grabbed the older man in a tight hug. I might
have held onto that moment forever, if Deacon hadn't called out to
me. “Leah, we really need to go.”

Stepping
back, I wiped my eyes hurriedly and smiled. “Thank you so
much,” I whispered. Spinning, I was quick to scramble into the
back seat of the SUV, letting Nicholas have the front with his
girlfriend.

With
the windows down, we started to wave, the engine humming as we
reversed down the driveway.

“
Wait!”
Dylan shouted suddenly, stomping through the slush towards us.
Nicholas, confused, stamped on the breaks.

Through
the side window, Dr. Day handed something to Deacon. Those eyes fell
on me in the back seat; for once, hesitantly welcoming. “You
almost forgot this. I found it in the living room, on the table.”

Gasping
with chagrin, Deacon took the envelope eagerly. “I—thanks,
Dad. Thanks.”

“
I
just thought you wouldn't want to lose it,” he mumbled. With a
hurried wave, like he wanted to get away, the man stood back so we
could drive off.

Wrinkling
my forehead, I leaned over the seat so I could see what Deacon held.
“What was that about?”

He
turned towards me, not needing to say anything. The object in his
hands was one I was very familiar with. I'd worked on it in secret
during the weeks before we'd flown out to Kentucky.

It
was the painting of swallows I had created for Deacon.

His
father had made sure it wasn't left behind.

****

Bethany
proved to be a skilled, if reckless, driver. I was, personally,
grateful when we made it to the airport in a single piece. Deacon's
hand, crushed by mine between the seats, no doubt felt similar.

“
You
guys need to move,” Bethany said sharply, halting the car on
squealing wheels next to the departure curb. A number of people
shouted angrily, but she ignored them.

Jumping
from the car, I managed to catch my bag seconds before it hit my
face. “Hey!” I gasped, hugging it, glaring over the top
at Nicholas.

“
Sorry,”
he winced, handing the other to Deacon. “Swinging with one arm
has a lot of force. Listen your plane is leaving in twenty, and you
need to get through security still.”

“
I
know,” I sighed, fighting the battle between being happy we'd
made it, and frustrated at how fast we had to say our farewells.

Deacon
hooked his bag over his shoulder, reaching out to grab Nicholas's
hand. “Hey, thanks again. I don't think I could have done this.
Pretty sure I fell asleep off and on back there.”

Shrugging,
the younger brother gave a quick hand squeeze before letting go. “It
was nothing. Send me a postcard when you get to California.”

“
Visit
sometime, instead,” Deacon laughed.