Tumbleweed (11 page)

I waited until it got quiet in his office and went to drop my pretty spreadsheets and charts off on his desk while he was gone.
Then I grabbed a pair of gloves and my tool box out of the shed and headed for what used to be a turnout pasture. We were in the process of converting it into cattle chutes that would be used for things like vaccinations, freeze branding, and vet checks. Maybe I wasn't on par with Bob Villa, but I am pretty darned good with a hammer and a saw—and I needed the physical exertion of hard labor today. There was still plenty of time before dinner.

My muscles protested at first, but soon every part of me was lost in the act of making something with my own two hands. Ethan had laid out the plans earlier, I just followed the pattern he had set, and slowly it all came together. I didn't mind the mud I was tromping through or the chilly mist that had settled in. It felt good to be doing something.

“Hailey, where are you?” Ethan shouted from the far side of the stable.

“In the turnout!” I shouted back, wiping the sweat from my brow with the back of my hand.

“What are you doing back there?” he called again, his voice coming closer.

“Working on the chutes!” I bellowed back and then swore softly under my breath as the hammer slipped and I whapped my thumb. Stupid Ethan distracting me.

“They look great.” He leaned against the fence railing. He seemed sincere, but his lips were also quivering like they tend to do when he's trying not to laugh at me.

“What's gotten into you?” I eyed him warily for a moment before turning back to my work.

“Hailey? Hailey? Are you back here?”

I shot straight up at the sound of a distinctly feminine voice that I knew very well. I cracked my head on a two by four and swore again, staggering back. Ethan let out a guffaw before he could catch himself, and I shot him a dirty look.

“You knew,” I accused him in a harsh whisper.

“I tried to get you to doll yourself up.” He shrugged innocently.

“Rebecca!” I forced a smile to my lips. “What are you doing here?”

“Ruth insisted we bring Thanksgiving to you. It just didn't seem right without all of us together.” She beamed at me, so proud of the surprise they had pulled off. “You are a mess. What are you doing out here?”

“Building a cattle chute,” Ethan and I chorused, although he with slightly more amusement than I.

“Well, put your stuff away and come on. We're all dying to see you.”

With the air of someone who knows they will be obeyed, she turned and strode back to the cars. I shook my head and smiled.

“Is this a good surprise?” Ethan asked hesitantly as he helped me round up my tools.

“You know what? It is.” I surprised myself a little with that one. “I think I missed them.”

“They swore me to secrecy. They've been planning this a while. They brought the whole party down here.” He extended a hand to help me through the fence. I didn't need his help, but I also didn't mind his touch, so I thanked him and took the hand.

“Where are they going to stay?” I stopped dead in my tracks. My house was not suited for company. Even if I could squeeze them all in, which I couldn't, I had a back porch filled with drying laundry, no stove, and no fridge. I was not equipped for company.

“You'll all stay in my house. I'll stay in yours.” He tugged me along. “But you really might want to get a shower before dinner.”

“Do I smell?” I teased.

“Yes,” he replied without hesitation. “And you have mud across your forehead.”

“Oh,” I wasn't sure what else to say to that. “Could you show them to your house while I sneak away and shower, then?”

“Anything else?” He tugged my ponytail gently.

“Hey, I warned you I was high maintenance,” I retorted and took off the back way to my cabin.

I took the fastest shower of my life and slapped some makeup on my face. I was putting on deodorant and applying mascara at the same time when Ethan strolled in.

“I can't hold them off much longer.” He stopped short, blinked a couple of times, turned around and walked right back out the door.

“I'm right behind you!” I called to his retreating back. One last look in the mirror and I was ready to face my family. I was excited to see them, and that made me even happier. I was a little overwhelmed that they went through all of this trouble for me. I could hear Aaron chattering a million miles an hour before I saw them. Then I rounded a corner and there they were, my entire family, the whole crazy lot of them. There were hugs all around. A few tears. Ruth whispered in my ear that if I were to decide to make Ethan my boy toy, she would approve.

I wanted to show them every inch of the place. Aaron did most of the talking. He couldn't be contained. It was all too much. I couldn't take my eyes off of them. The whole experience washed over me, and it was like being a little girl again. Everyone always talked at once. They laughed and joked and poked and prodded at each other. Most importantly, they liked this place. They liked Ethan. They liked my home. I was just about to walk back out the door of my little cabin when I pulled up short. There was a bar fridge in my kitchen.

“Where did that come from?” I blinked to make sure I wasn't imagining it.

“Rebecca brought it,” my oldest brother Jacob spoke up.

“It's an early Christmas gift,” she shrugged self-consciously. “I heard you didn't have a fridge.”

“Thank you,” I whispered. It was the prettiest thing I'd ever owned, all shiny and white. I didn't know quite what else to say, so I stared at my hands intently.

“We'd best get to dinner.” My knight in shining armor appeared at the door.

“Dinner, yes. Let's go to dinner,” I hurriedly agreed and ushered them out of the cabin.

Chapter Eight

Between the dinner
Sue had prepared and all of the goodies brought by my family and Ethan's, Thanksgiving dinner was nothing short of a feast. The aroma of turkey, spices like cinnamon and nutmeg, fresh baked apple pies, and bread hot from the oven permeated the main house, beckoning us to the dining room like a siren's call.

Banter flowed freely all around me. I watched Ethan deep in conversation with his father and mine. David quickly jumped in when he realized the topic. There seemed to be a lively debate about the virtues of DNA testing versus good, old fashioned gut instinct. Ruth, Rebecca, my sister-in-law Doreen and Ethan's mother were discussing the differences between rural classrooms and urban ones. Aaron was chattering excitedly to Jim and Cheyenne about Tumbleweed. Jonathan wanted to discuss fiscal projections with me.

I found myself inexplicably nervous when Ethan introduced me to his parents, Evelyn and Harvey. They seemed like good people, but I had to admit I was more comfortable around Harvey than his wife. She kind of scared me a little.

Other than my neurotic fear of Ethan's mother, things just seemed easier somehow. If comments were made that might have rubbed me the wrong way before, they bounced right off of me now. The night flew by, and it was soon time to say our good nights.

Ethan walked us back to his house before heading to my cabin alone. I watched him go, wanting to apologize, to say thank you but not sure how. So I just stood there like the big chicken I was as I watched him go. In the room behind me I could hear my sisters laughing and giggling as they prepared for bed.

Aaron was in Ethan's room with his cousins; they were whispering about something terribly funny. The fire crackled and popped merrily in the living room while my brothers discussed the merits and pitfalls of Microsoft's latest operating system. My father occasionally interjected a derogatory comment about Bill Gates.

It was a scene filled with happiness and warmth, yet somehow removed. I'd always told myself that it wasn't my fault that I didn't fit in with my family. But there was no reason I couldn't join my sisters in the bathroom to giggle and talk boys. I could list everything wrong with any given operating system, gladly. They wouldn't turn me away, none of them would. It was me who chose to remain separate.

I grabbed my coat from the hook and slipped outside unnoticed. I wrapped my arms around myself and stared at the sky. The stars sparkled like diamonds. Twinkle, twinkle little star….

Blue let out a loud bawl that caused me to jump.

“Geez, Blue. Knock it off,” I started to admonish, then paused. He took off towards our cabin, hackles raised. Rover was right behind him, every ounce of the little bulldog ready for a fight. An intelligent woman would have called out to her family where she was going.

I just ran, following the dogs, fearing the worst but hoping like crazy I was wrong. As I neared the cabin I could hear heavy footsteps falling, someone was running in the opposite direction with two very angry dogs hot on their trail.

I skidded to a halt and stuck my head inside my dimly lit cabin. “Ethan?”

A groan was the only response.

“Ethan?” I inched in a little further. A hand extended just beyond the couch. It moved. There was another groan. I knew that hand.

Once, when I was a kid, I'd gotten the bright idea to jump off of a cliff named “Dead Man's Bluff” into the lake. After what seemed like an eternity of free falling, I had the even brighter idea to plug my nose to keep water from shooting up it at what I assumed would be an alarming speed.

That movement was enough to throw off my equilibrium, so I landed in a sitting position. The water felt like concrete, the pain was immediate and intense, and for a second I was pretty sure I was drowning. That's how I felt as I fell to the floor beside Ethan now.

“Oh baby.” I ran my hands along his body, trying to feel where the damage was. He had a nasty gash on the back of his head, but that was all I could see in the current light.

“Is he gone?” His voice sounded hoarse and dry. “You shouldn't be here….”

“He's gone,” I soothed. “The dogs chased him off. We need to get you to a hospital.”

The only response I got was another low groan.

“You hold on, hon. I'll be right back.” With that, I took off at a dead run. I didn't like leaving Ethan alone, but it couldn't be helped right now. I reached the door to his home and burst through it with such ferocity that every person in the house looked up mid-sentence. Jacob happened to be walking by the door and caught me before I plowed into the opposite wall.

“Whoa there kiddo, what's wrong?”

“Ethan. Come. Hurry.”

I didn't wait to see if my message made any sense. I took off back towards my cabin. It hadn't felt that far away all those lazy mornings ambling between the two. Now it felt like an eternity. By the time I got back to my house Ethan had managed to pull himself forward a little and seemed to be trying to roll over. I slid to a halt and leaned over him, trying to sooth and orient with a steady flow of conversation and the stroke of my fingertips on his cheek.

“You're okay. I'm back. Help is coming,” I crooned, brushing the hair off his forehead. “It's okay. I'm here now, and I'll take care of you.”

My hands trembled; I tried to will them still. It couldn't have been just last night that he was so strong and sure right here in this same room. No. This was not happening. I'd just found this man. I needed more time to sort out how I felt. He couldn't be taken from me now. Oh Lord, I'm so selfish. He can't be taken because he's too young, has too much to offer. So many reasons that have nothing to do with me. But I think I might love him.

“Hailey?” Jacob skidded to a halt right inside the door with Jonathan hot on his heels. “What happened?”

“I'll explain later. Someone help me get him to the hospital.”

“The nearest hospital is in Springfield.” My dad had joined us.

“I know. Someone stay here and call the sheriff. Call Bobby and tell him that Hobbes was here and Ethan's hurt. He'll know what that means. Tell him to get his ass out here to be sure no one else gets hurt.”

“I know Bobby. I'll stay,” Daddy offered. “Call us at Ethan's as soon as you know anything.”

“I'll pull the car around,” Jacob leapt into action.

Ethan's eyes fluttered open. I smiled what I hoped was an encouraging smile. “Hey handsome.” Man his eyes were a pretty green. Green with flecks of gold. I guess that's called hazel. Green with flecks of gold sounds prettier.

He raised his hand to touch my cheek. I captured his fingers in mine and kissed them. He was still vibrant and warm and I told myself that had to count for something.

“Hailey, he's here with the car.” Jonathan reached down to help me lift Ethan. Somehow we managed to get him into the back seat and I slid in beside him, resting his head against my chest. Jonathan rounded the car and climbed into the passenger seat, motioning for Jacob to drive. The ride seemed to take forever. In reality it was more like forty-five minutes.

The next hours were surreal; they went so quickly and so slowly at once. People in scrubs met us at the door. One of my brothers must have called the hospital to tell them we were coming in, but I don't remember when. They whisked him behind closed doors and wouldn't let me through. Stupid HIPAA.

“Jacob, say you're his pastor. See if they'll talk to you,” I whispered urgently as I pulled my brother aside.

“I'm not going to lie, Hailey,” he patiently informed me.

“But I need to know how he is, and you are a pastor.” I resisted the urge to stomp my foot.

“His parents will be here any minute. Maybe they can find out,” Jonathan stepped in and offered.

“You don't know it's a lie. Maybe he wants you to be his pastor and just can't ask,” I persisted.

“Evelyn Johnston…. My son Ethan was brought in tonight.”

I stopped pestering my brother and turned to face Ethan's mother. Her son was here because of me. He was alone in that cabin because of me, the high-maintenance bimbo who wouldn't give him the time of day. I'd really messed things up this time. I wanted to run and hide. That I could do well. But I needed to know that he was okay. I needed to see if there was something I could do to help his mother.

“Mrs. Johnston,” I came up beside her.

“Hailey,” she looked at me without really seeing. “I can't seem to get them to tell me anything.”