Passing to Payton (5 page)

“Sam?” Julie calls from inside the room. “If you’d rather sleep in the hall…”

“Sorry,” I blush, 
again
, stepping inside the comfortably spacious room that’s been decorated like an old-farmhouse. “Nice.”

“Thanks! We combined two smaller rooms to make this one, and added a bathroom,” she points at an open door, “through there. Cody did all the plans, and even some of the decorating.”

And, we’re back to Cody?
 “He did?”

“Well, sure,” Julie blinks at me with an odd expression I can’t quite place. “You know, I figured you’d be staying there… At the Greene estate, I mean… I… Never mind,” she holds up one hand as my jaw slacks open. “Not my business. I refuse to be pigeon-holed as the next town gossip just because the women in my family have held that title the three previous generations. Well, I’ll let you get settled.”

“
Thanks,” I move out of the doorway with a wobbly step, feeling off-kilter by the way Cody Greene keeps coming into the conversation. A bad omen? This return to my hometown already isn’t going anything like I’d expected. Of course, I certainly hadn’t expected to be going to a funeral tomorrow. “Oh, is Mr. Harvey’s Formal still open on Sycamore?”

“It is, but you don’t have to dress up for the funeral, if that’s what you’re thinking. Mrs. Greene left explicit instructions that we were 
not
 to make some sad, black-dress affair out of it. After the funeral, there’s a cook-out. Jeans and a dress shirt is fine. That’s what Kyle’s wearing.”

That idea clears away the gloom a bit and makes me laugh. “Sounds like something she’d do.”

“That’s what everyone’s saying. Well, I’ll be downstairs if you need anything.”

“Thank you.”

“You’re welcome, Sam. And, welcome home.”

As Julie leaves me with a small smile, closing the door behind her, the truth of it finally hits. I’m back home in Alvarado, but Mrs. Greene is gone. Her funeral is tomorrow, and I’ll never get the chance to say 
thank you
.

My body sinks down to the bed, head falling into my hands as a sob shakes my entire frame. Sure, I said 
thank you
 in letters and emails, but it wasn’t the same. I wasn’t able to express everything I wanted to say; things that needed to be said in person. I was too immature to know how. And now, it’s too late.

Sucking back tears, I try to refocus. It takes a moment for my ears to register that my phone is buzzing again. With a harsh sniffle, I eye the blurry phone number with its Alvarado area code.
Now what…?

“Hel-” my voice hitches, laden with sorrow. 
Get it together, Sam.
 Clearing my throat, I try again. “Hello?”

“Uh,” the deep baritone on the other end is unexpected and seems hesitant. “S-Sam? That you?”

“Yes…” I’m not really in a mood to be pleasant with the unknown person on the other end. “Who is this?”

“It’s, uh, Cody. Cody Greene.”

“Oh.” My body straightens, despite the wind being knocked from my lungs.

“Sorry to bother you, but…”

My eyebrow shoots up as a red flag raises. Since when was Cody ever 
sorry
 to bother, pester, or otherwise use an opportunity to torment me? “What is it?”

“I…” Cody stalls again, then inhales audibly through the phone. A brief silence is followed by a hiccup. “Mom’s gone.”

Oh, God. Is big, bad Cody Greene actually crying on the phone?

Dammit.
 The man’s mom just died, and I’m being a defensive ass. Of course Cody would be crying about his mom. With an inhale, I try to swallow the dick I’d put in my mouth.

“Yeah, I… I just found out. I’m sorry for your loss, Cody.” The words come out quietly as I listen to Cody sucking back a sob.

Clearing his throat, Cody replies. “Oh. I, uh, wasn’t sure if you were still in contact with anyone else back home, so I got your number from her phone, because she would’ve wanted you to know and…”

Cody is floundering past swallowed sobs, and I can’t help but feel truly sorry for him. “Thank you. For calling to let me know, I mean.”

“You’re welcome.” He takes in a deep breath, and I can tell he’s trying to pull himself together. “The funeral’s tomorrow. I know it’s a drive for you, but Mom would’ve wanted you there, and-”

“I’ll be there. I’m already back in town and staying at The Pleasant Peach.”

“Oh.” Cody sounds stunned, and a silence follows the single exclamation.

“I’d actually planned on coming to see your mom. We spoke last week. I didn’t find out she’d passed until half an hour ago.”

“Oh.” And, I’ve shocked him again. “She didn’t tell me you were coming to visit. Damn, I’m sorry, Sam. I’m sorry you didn’t get to see her. That would’ve made her so happy. But, it just… She just… So sudden, and…”

Cody falls back into sobs, leaving me trying to picture the muscle-headed football player as anything but an arrogant, rude bully. I try. I really do, but all those years of avoiding Cody as much as possible, even being afraid of him, has left me with nothing but bad memories and a bitter taste in my mouth.

“Sorry,” Cody sniffles, trying to get back some composure. “So, you’ll be there tomorrow?”

“Yeah,” the word comes out flat, my memory-fueled bitterness leading to defensive posturing. I’m a grown man, and I won’t be bullied anymore. “Is that a problem?”

“What? No, of course not. Like I said, Mom would’ve wanted you there. You were her favorite student, you know.”

I do know, but it doesn’t mean I’m not the town’s 
least
 favorite. “I don’t want to cause commotion at her funeral.”

“Uh, why would you?”

I can almost see the confused look on the dumb jock’s face. As if he has no fucking clue why my presence might be an issue. Fine, I’ll spell it out for him. “After what happened… that night…”

“Oh! Oh, shit, Sam. No, don’t worry about 
that
. Mom took care of it a long time ago.”

“She what?”

The phone cuts out for a second, and I don’t get my answer. Instead, Cody says “…Damn, I have a call on the other line I have to take. Damn florists and the cremation arrangements and Mr. Eves and the caterers for tomorrow and the-” Cody sighs, sounding exhausted. “Never mind. I’ve got to go. See you tomorrow?”

“Yeah.” My flip-flopping heart fills with pity again. “Hey, you’ll get through this, man. If you need any help, just call.”

Wait. Where the heck had that come from?
 I’d rather eat dirt than-

“Really?” Cody’s voice brightens, and it makes me smile.

Smile? Since when does making Cody happy make me smile?

“Thanks, Sam. You always were a nice guy.” The phone cuts out again. “Dammit, better go. Bye, Sam.”

“Bye, Cody.” Well, that was all kinds of crazy. I fall backwards against the mattress, cellphone in hand and the Twilight Zone theme playing in my head.

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