Stranded (5 page)

Daryl’s eyes beaded.  He was nervous.

“Or I can take a really good picture of it, “said John.  “If that doesn’t work, I can come back.”

“Oh brother,” said Daryl.  “Are we going to be like this, really? Are we going there? Of course she’s going to say she didn’t sign this.  She wants her house back.”

“Going where?” asked Foley in an eerie tone. “Murder for hire?”

“Foley,” John admonished sharply.  “Mr. Pollard, like I say we can go down to the county office.“

John leaned over and snapped pictures of the paper with this phone.  Daryl was agitated.  He looked like he was going to pop.

“I don’t have to, sheriff. That document belongs to me,” he declared, snatching it from the sheriff.

John stood upright and glared.  Naomi shivered.  She would not want to mess with the sheriff when he was riled.

“Have it your way.  So you have a deed but it’s been contested.  I am going to use my judgment here.  You got kids? I am not displacing them. I will wait for you to gather your things and I am ordering you to vacate the premises in the interest of peace,” said John.

“I’m not going,” said Daryl with his arms folded across his chest.

“Now Mr. Pollard, you don’t want me to pick up and carry you out. Because then you’ll be spending the rest of the day and night in jail.  Your choice.  Leave now.  Or leave in ten minutes with your things,” said John coolly.

Daryl fumed.  He buzzed around and bagged some things in a pillow case.  Keys jingled in his hand.

“I am taking the car,” he declared.

At he stomped down the stairs between the people who filed at the entry way, he barged into Naomi with his elbow.

“Wow!” shouted John.  “You are under arrest for assault on a civilian and on an officer.”

The burly sheriff spun Daryl around with ease and cuffed him.  Daryl frothed at the mouth.

“I didn’t even fucking touch you,” whined Daryl.  “These cuffs are tight!”

Naomi studied Foley who was paralyzed with rage.  His face was slack and his eyes fixed.  It was probably a good thing John got to him first.

John carted him out the driveway, Daryl planted his feet the entire way.  He refused to get into the car once the sheriff opened it. John swept his feet with his foot and lifted him into the backseat.

“Foley!” he called.  “Ride with me.”

Foley was in a daze which he broke just enough to brush Naomi with his lips in a quick kiss.

“I’ll be back.  I am leaving my bike here,” he said entranced.

Kay’s eyes flared with curiosity.  Naomi pushed the door, closing them both in the house.

“Girl,” Kay declared.  “What in the world?”

That was what Naomi loved about Kay.  Even when things were tense, she was sunshine.  With her white-blond ringlets and her bright blue eyes.  Her crisp white Ts and Daisy Maes, she got right to it no matter what.

“Why Miss Kay I have no idea what you mean,” Naomi giggled.

“That fine looking deputy-slash-biker kissing you good-bye is what I am talking about?” said Kay.  “Got some coffee?”

“I just got here.  I am sure I am about to walk into a kitchen mess,” said Naomi as the two of them climbed the stairs to the kitchen.  “Daryl Pollard hasn’t pitched in since he helped make my last child.”

“Ew,” said Kay.

Sure enough, dirty dishes loaded the sink.

“Have a seat, while I clean,” said Naomi.  “I’ll put a pot on.  My stomach is roiling though.  I need me some biscuits.”

She pulled a zippered bag of home-made biscuits from the freezer and popped a couple in the toaster oven.

“Girl you are so organized,” Kay remarked.  “I wanna be you when I grow up.  So tell me.”

Kay flipped her fingers like she was coaching Naomi to back up a truck, encouraging her to give her the details. Naomi made coffee.

“Daryl finally got the kids and me a truck. You were gone when he brought it home.  So immediately I hop in and do my thing. I was in a meeting in downtown, coming home and it died.  Well the son of a bitch would not come and get me,” said Naomi.

Kay snickered in her hand.

“What?” asked Naomi.

“Well for corn sake, Naomi.  It’s not but a twenty minute walk from here to downtown,” said Kay.

Naomi was surprised at her response.

“Really? After dark in Deliverance-ville, you going to tell me you would walk home? And I was on the other side of town not on the hill side.  It would have taken an hour if anything,” Naomi challenged.

Deliverance-ville was their reference to a movie about people who lived in the deep hills.  Any kind of scary, iffy person in Orange got a Deliverance reference. 

“Hayell no,” said Kay putting on her thickest southern accent.

“I didn’t think so,” said Naomi.

“But,” she continued. “If I had to I could and I would. I wouldn’t spend the night at some stranger’s house.”

Now that really blindsided Naomi because she hadn’t told Kay a thing about Foley.

“Who said I did?” demanded Naomi.  “And you saw him.  Yes you would, not that I said anything about shacking up.”

Kay leaned in across the table, wide-eyed.

“Naomi Wellington.  I am your best friend.  You got in a spat with your husband and a gorgeous, and I mean gorgeous, man is in your doorway, kisses you goodbye.  I can do math.”

“Okay,” said Naomi with an irrepressible grin.  “Okay.”

But it still didn’t make sense, completely unless Kay knew Naomi better than Naomi realized.  She was fighting with Daryl it was true but that didn’t mean she stayed out all night.  It didn’t matter.  Maybe she had said as much and didn’t realize it.  She shrugged it off and poured them two fresh, hot cups of coffee.  She checked the biscuits.  They were just about done.  She took a ramekin out of the refrigerator and popped it in the microwave.  When the microwave was done, so were the biscuits.  She set biscuits and honey butter in front of Kay.

“Dang, but this is good,” Kay remarked. “We are so blessed.”

“I knew that yesterday when I felt trapped in my marriage.  But I know it even more,” said Naomi.

“Oh please,” said Kay. “A Wellington? Not blessed? By ‘we’ I meant me,” Kay cackled.

Every once in a while Kay would make a sly joke about the money Naomi’s family once had. Naomi was sitting pretty at the present but it was nothing like the money her family once had.  She had the luxury of being a stay at home mom but she was already looking forward to a career when Andy was a little bit older. She planned to work.

“Knock, knock,” said Foley as he entered the house.

Kay dashed to the kitchen doorway.

“Who is there?” she asked seductively.

Foley was clearly uncomfortable.

“Just letting you know I am picking up my bike,” he said shyly.

“Give us a sec,” Naomi whispered to Kay.

She joined Foley at the front door and walked him out.  It was a spectacular summer day. 

“I am so sorry to involve you in all of this,” she said.

“You didn’t,” he said. “Daryl Pollard made his own bed.  It might get all tangled because I am the guy he approached to have you killed and I am the guy who hauled his butt to jail but it will work itself out.”

“You aren’t in any trouble are you?” she asked.

“Not me. John. But that’s just worry.  No one is in trouble as of yet. John’s honest.  He has faith. He didn’t do anything wrong. Pollard was acting like a jackass in the squad car and John needed my help.  Case closed,” said Foley.

Naomi grinned.  “Did you hit him?”

“I mighta grazed him with my elbow or something.  Those squad cars are little. I like my bike.  Like wearing a pair of shoes when you’re used to going barefoot.”

“So you winged him with your elbow.  Case closed,” Naomi repeated as she looked up at him with adoration.

He caught her gazed at him.  A smile curled his lips.  She winked at him.  He bent down and kissed her so so slowly. He cupped the back on her head and parted his lips.  The trees swayed above them.

“I will come by later on and see how you’re doing,” he said. “John says he’s staying in jail till the morning.”

“Hey,” she whispered.

“Yes,” he whispered back.

“I know this is short notice and all,” she continued in a hush.

“Yes,” he laughed.

“But will you come by my house tonight and have sex with me?” she said.

“Oh my God yes,” he said as he practically mauled her.

Once again, Naomi had that sensation of experiencing her front yard for the first time.  In the arms of this stranger who felt like her best friend.

“Okay now,” she said gently pushing him back.  “Better git.”

“I am going to work,” he murmured. “Remodeling a monster mansion over at Dale Farm Estates.
 
I should be off by night fall.”

“I kept you, didn’t I?” she said apologetically.

“Baby you can keep me anytime but no, you didn’t.  I am a big boy,” he said.

“Man are you,” she said, pressing her eyelids shut in recollection.

His face washed with a sensual smile.

“I make my own decisions,” he assured her.

“Okay,” she said.

“I’ll give you a call about the truck if I hear anything,” he said.

“You mean car,” she gently corrected.

He smiled. 

“Baby, a Suburban is a truck,” he said with a wink.

It seemed like they were not making much progress in their good-byes.  Finally Foley sauntered to his bike, swung his magnificent leg over and mounted. Naomi could watch that all day long.  He fired up the engine and coasted down the winding road back down the hill. Naomi went inside to Kay.

“Was that him?” Kay asked.  “Naomi Wellington slumming it!  Your mama must be rolling around in her grave.”

“Oh hey,” she said. “Please stop saying things like that.  And she’s not.  She would like him.  Daddy too.  He works for a living, for one.”

“Really? But just not today,” said Kay.

“Hey neither are we,” said Naomi.  “He did go to work as a matter of fact.”

Kay was recently divorced and living in her house for the time being. She, like Naomi, did not have a job.  And as much time as they spent together,  Kay was way more private about her personal life than Naomi was.  Naomi knew there was infidelity behind the break up  Kay’s marriage, but Kay was tight lipped about it.  It was way too painful to discuss, apparently. One day,  Kay’s husband left.  End of story.  Cheating was all Kay managed to say.  Naomi didn’t heard a word about the subject or the husband again.

“So what does lover boy do?” asked Kay eagerly.

“He’s owns his own company,” said Naomi. “And we’re just friends.  We’re having dinner tonight.  That much I know.  Now I’ve said too much.” 

“Dinner, hunh?” Kay teased.  “Friends yeah right.” 

“I gotta clean up and take a nap,” she said. “It’s time for you to go on.”

“Okay,” said Kay.  “But I am bored.”

“Good bye,” Naomi said affectionately.

“Not fair,” Kay resisted.

But Naomi stood up from the table to officially end the conversation.  Kay knew she was serious.  She too reluctantly rose from the table and left.

Chapter Five

Naomi’s big mansion house had a scary almost terrifying feel to it once she was alone in it.  Maybe it was somehow connected to the finality of her marriage.  She loved her house.  Grew up in it but it was now way too big and way too dark.  Even though parts of it were flooded and baked with the mid-day sun, the downstairs of the house was below ground level so unless she went down and flipped switches, it was like a cave.  It was always the coolest part of the house.  and where people went before the days of air-conditioning. But it was now uncomfortably chilled.

Naomi shivered as she contemplated going to down to try to knock out the frightfulness of the bottom floor.  She considered calling Kay back but she really wanted to be alone at the moment.  She told herself she was being ridiculous.  That there was no such thing as monsters.  Still, she was just too chicken.  She imagined that the vampire hillbillies of the Town of Orange lore were waiting in the shadows for her.  So she went to the top floor and pushed back the drapery to let the sun stream in.

  The first thing she thought of was vampire hillbillies would not come to the living room gushing with sunlight.  And because she was now fixated on the supernatural urban legends, it was her signal that she was overtired.  But now she couldn’t get her mind off of it.  It was just the downstairs, she told herself.  It was a finished family room.  Her kids played there before.  She harkened back to sleepovers where as kids Kay and she shared stories about how at night when the town was asleep, the mythical creepy crawly undead hillbillies roamed.  They pried opened the windows and sucked out souls.

She quickly danced up the stairs to the dorm room.

Her cell phone rang.  It was Foley.

“Are you breathing hard?” he laughed softly.