Thursday, August 21st, 2014
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“Hey babe, it’s almost 11:00; do you want to meet me for lunch today? I listened as Dana hemmed and hawed on the other end of the line. She’d seemed down in the dumps when I’d left for work and I wasn’t sure why.
After a bit of muttering she popped out with, “I suppose.”
“Dana, if you have something going on, it’s okay. We can do it another time.”
“That’s just it, I have nothing going on Mel. Now that all the fair stuff is over, I’m going stir crazy!”
“Let’s meet at Muddy Misers at 11:30; can you manage that?”
“Yes, of course.”
I got waylaid as I tried to leave my office so I was a few minutes late arriving at Misers. Dana’s car was in the lot but she wasn’t in it. The heat of the day was oppressive. I sure hoped she’d taken a table inside the café and bar rather than one on the patio.
My prayers were answered when I spotted her at a corner table in the air conditioned dining area, a sweating glass of iced tea already waiting for me. She smiled across the table at me as I sat down and took an appreciative swig before I even said anything at all.
“Another rough day?”
Sighing, I let my shoulders slump as I shook my head at her. “I’m just getting nowhere on this investigation.” I leaned toward her and whispered, just between you and me, “JD had an accomplice in the crap that I’ve learned he was trying to pull. He went underground but someone found the guy and busted him up pretty bad too. He ended up over at Genesis.”
I took another sip of my tea and held up the glass, “Thanks for this. Anyway, I didn’t have anything but hearsay on him so I had no reason to take him into custody and he’s refused any sort of a guard. He held back on what he told me when I tried to interview him and now he’s clammed up completely. I’m afraid if I can’t dig up something soon, he’s going to sign himself out of there and disappear again, two broken legs and all.”
Dana gritted her teeth, “Is there anything I can do to try and help you? I mean, I’m not sure what I could do for sure but I do know people that might be able to provide you with information to help you find him, or...I don’t know...”
I smiled at her. “I love you for wanting to help.” Lowering my voice again, I said, “I already have an informant that’s given me more information than anybody but all she could do was point me to the guy that just left the hospital, Sterling Moon.”
At the name, Dana raised an eyebrow.
“Yeah, you heard it right. You’d think with a name like that...”
“He’d be easy to track?” she finished my sentence.
“Exactly.” I blew out a breath. “I’m just frustrated. Nobody that knows anything has come forward and the only person I can directly connect to JD keeps disappearing.” The server appeared at the table and I clammed up about my own problems.
After we ordered, Dana sank back in her chair. I eyed her critically.
“Why are you looking at me like that?”
“Don’t take this wrong babe; I’m just wondering why you’re feeling so bored and so down on yourself. I thought you were past a lot of the depression over your injury and...”
She waved a hand at me and stopped me. “It’s not about the injury Mel. I am over that. It is what it is. It’s...it’s just...I don’t know what to do next and, well, I feel useless just hanging around.”
“Baby, no. You’re not useless at all. Please, don’t even think that.”
“Even so, I still don’t know what to do with myself short term or long term. I just feel so lost.”
“Well,” I took a deep breath then grinned a little shakily at her, “I have a couple of immediate ideas for things you could, uh, do now while you give some thought to the long term...if you’d like to hear them?”
“Such as?” When I hesitated a bit to answer she said, “Fire away Mel; I’m all ears.”
“Okay, well, I don’t know if you’ve realized this, but I own only slightly more furniture than you do.”
Dana tilted her head and looked at me quizzically.
“Babe, we’re about to buy a house. Everything in my current house but the furniture in my den and bedroom and my tools in the garage stays there with Kris and the kids. For our house, we’ll need everything: Furniture...appliances...other stuff and I mean a lot of stuff. I know it’s a lot to ask but I sort of hoped you’d take the lead on that.”
At the look of sheer terror in her eyes, I added, “I’ll certainly help and I’ll handle all the stuff like mowing equipment and...”
She put out a hand to stop me, “Mel, of course, I’ll do it.” She paused. “Wow, huh? I guess I hadn’t even thought about any of that. I’ve been living out of suitcases and the occasional furnished apartment for the last few years.”
“My sister and I combined households when she divorced JD and we moved into grandma and grandpa’s old place. I couldn’t take any of that stuff away from her and the kids, even with Lance getting ready to move in. He’s been spending five or six out of seven days on the road. I doubt he has much besides his clothing either.”
“Kitchen stuff, Bathroom stuff, everything?”
I shook my head regretfully.
“Okay then; I guess I better start making a list.” She grew silent and thoughtful for a minute. I just let her mind run wherever it was going. Finally, she spoke again, “Tell you what, I’ll work on all the basics but as far as furniture and decorating goes, we have to measure rooms and then look at stuff together. Deal?”
“Deal!” I was relieved. “You might want to...if you feel up to it...start taking a look around for deck designs that you like too. It’s nearly fall so that will have to wait, but we’ll want to know where we’re going with it in the spring.”
“What about that barn, can that be torn down now? Should I be looking for contractors too?”
“Oh, but you still have a lot to learn.” I almost added, ‘city girl’ but I knew that would irritate her. “The Amish will actually pay us to tear that down. I’ll get a guy I know to come out and take a look at it.”
“You’re not serious?”
“No, it’s true. That barn’s got to be 100 years old or more. They’ll want the wood for crafts and reclamation projects. They’ll tear it down and haul it all away and give us a small sum for the wood to boot. Next spring, along with the deck, we’ll take a look at putting a nicer structure out there and maybe even some work space for you...if that’s what you decide you want.”
She shrugged at first and but then thought for a minute. Finally, she smacked a hand lightly on the table, “Well, alright then. I guess I have my work cut out for me after all!” She smiled all the way up to her eyes. “All of that should keep me busy for a bit, eh?”
I dropped my head but I had to look up as the server brought our food. When she moved away, I kept my eyes firmly trained on my plate.
“Spill it Mel, there’s something you’re not telling me.”
“I don’t exactly know how to frame this without it sounding bad but, well, with all the stuff going on with JD and the investigation and the fair and the house, and dad’s health...we were supposed to...” I trailed off not sure how to ask what I was about to ask.
Dana read my mind, “Our wedding planning kind of got put on the back burner, didn’t it?”
Relief washed over me again. “Yes. I know I promised we’d sit down after the fair and make plans, but...it’s not that I’ve forgotten...”
Dana laughed hard. “Baby, you look like you’re about to be sick with worry. It’s only been a few days and, trust me, I completely understand.” She took a bite of her food and made moaning noises that lightened the mood considerably.
After dabbing at her mouth with her napkin, she waved a finger at me, “I will plan our wedding Melissa Crane but there will be no arguments from you over what I decide.”
“Honey you just tell me when I need to schedule time away from work and don’t put me in a dress. That’s all I ask.”
“We’ll just see about that dress bit!”
My eyes bored into hers.
She waved her fork at me, “Kidding! I was just kidding.”
“If you’re still bored after all of that, you might consider setting up your own business sooner rather than later.” Jokingly, I told her, “Tomorrow would be great. You could start by finding Sterling and JD’s bookie because Sterling, before he ran again, claimed no knowledge of whom that might be and my informant isn’t saying either.”
###
Thursday Evening, August 21st, 2014
Crane Family Farm
Dana and I were summoned out to the farm for an ‘adults only’ dinner, as my sister put it when she called. We arrived just after 6:00 PM to find mom and Kris sitting at the kitchen table. There was no food in sight; instead, the table was covered in bridal magazines.
A sense of dread washed over me. I looked at Dana and she looked back at me through hooded lashes. I could feel something brewing that I just knew I wasn’t going to like and it seemed like Dana was feeling the same sort of tension that I was.
“We ordered pizza,” mom said. “Your father took Lance and they went into town to pick it up so we only have a few minutes before they get back.”
“Um, okay,” I said, “First of all, should dad be eating pizza?”
“The doctor hasn’t called with his test results yet. We should know something tomorrow. We might as well let him have his fun now.”
“Fair enough, but now tell me what this is all about that they can’t hear?” Dana just stood by silently.
Instead of answering, mom ordered, “Sit, sit you two!” then she spent a couple of minutes bustling about doing much of nothing. Kris started gathering the glossy magazines into a pile in front of her. We watched her expectantly but she wasn’t talking either and I was getting impatient.
Just as I was about to lay into both of them, mom finally bubbled over, “Your dad and Lance didn’t think you two would agree to what we have in mind so we wanted to talk to you without them.”
“Um, okay. What about?”
Kris remained silent so mom continued, “Kris wants you and Dana to have a double wedding ceremony with her and Lance in October.” She rushed on, “We’re thinking outside, with the fall color, right here on the farm and...”
“Mom, stop. I know you’re excited but you know that Dana and I can’t get married with Kris and Lance.”
“Why not?”
It took all I had not to role my eyes at her like her granddaughter would have done. “Kris, is this something you’re wanting?”
She looked at me, eyes pleading, “Don’t you think it would be amazing to walk down the aisle as twins? We wouldn’t need attendants or anything with the double wedding party and all.”
Dana and I exchanged glances again. I started gently, “Mom, Kris you know same sex marriage isn’t legal in Ohio...not yet, anyway, right?” Mom looked confused. Kris just looked at the floor.
Dana tried to help, “We can’t get married legally in this state. We have to go somewhere where it’s legal for us to do it.”
“My friend Sandy’s son married another man right in their backyard...had a cake and everything. If they can do it, why can’t you?”
“Faye, I’m sorry but that wasn’t a legal marriage,” Dana explained. “That was probably what’s called a commitment ceremony. They were just pledging their love and loyalty to one another.”
“What’s the difference? I don’t understand how something can possibly be legal between two men or two women anyway...”
“Mom, enough!” I was exasperated, “We aren’t having a commitment ceremony. We’re going to have a legal wedding and live together as a married couple, period.” I stood and turned to my twin, “I’m sorry to ruin whatever plan you’ve been cooking up but it’s just not going to work.”
She got up too and got in my face, “I’m trying to understand this relationship between you two; really I am. I just don’t get why a piece of paper is so important to you, is all. It doesn’t do anything for you!” She was getting angry.
“Whoa, stop right there!” I was getting angry too. I took a deep breath and tried to remember how much I really love my sister. Softening my tone, I asked, “Let me ask you something; what does it mean to you – that piece of paper, as you put it?”
Her eyes bored through me, still full of fire. She started to say something then stopped twice. The words finally coming to her, she blurted out, “It’s a symbol of a legal commitment to each other. It...it binds us together, makes us equal partners.”
“In the eyes of the law, exactly! We want the same thing.”
“But why does it even matter if it isn’t legal in Ohio anyway?”
My ire boiled over again. I clenched my fists and tried to restrain myself from grabbing her and shaking her. Fortune smiled on her as I heard the voices of dad and Lance coming up the walk outside and I resisted.
The two men entered the house carrying pizza boxes but took one look at us and their faces both went from friendly to concerned almost simultaneously.
Dad queried mom, “What did you do Faye? I swear woman, I can’t leave you alone for a minute!”
Lance’s approach to Kris was a little gentler, “Baby, I know what you’ve done. We talked about this...” He set two pizza boxes on the table, and took her hands in his. “Please, everyone just sit down and let’s figure this out.”
I was still angry, “What’s to figure out?”
Dana, who was still seated, reached up and put a hand on my arm, “Babe, please?” Now her eyes were the ones doing the pleading.
When everyone was seated, Lance looked at Dana and I, “You two want a legal wedding right?” We both nodded. He pointed at mom and Kris, “and they both want some big soiree.”
I cut him off, “Which makes no sense to me. I mean, no offense Lance, but come on Kris! You’ve been married before. You had a huge wedding then. Why do you need a second big blow out?”
“We’re paying for it,” she spat, “If that’s what you’re implying!”
“No, that’s not what I meant. I meant why does it have to be some knockdown, drag out affair?” I looked from her to Lance and asked him, “is that what you want?”
He blanched, “It uh, doesn’t matter to me. I want whatever makes her happy.”
I rolled my eyes, “Whatever!”
Dana put a calming hand on my arm. She looked around the table and let her eyes rest on my father. His hands gripped the table edge, his knuckles white. “We all need to calm down.” She took a deep breath and let it out slowly then looked at each face again. “Can I make a suggestion?”
There were nods from me, dad and Lance. Mom and Kris sat motionless.
“How about Mel and I go somewhere to get married where we can do it officially fairly soon and then we’ll be here for you two in the fall. We can have a big double celebration after you actually say your vows...a huge blowout bash if you want.” She looked around expectantly.
Kris whined, “No!” as dad, Lance and I all nodded.
“Why not?” I asked her. “It’s a pretty fair solution.”
“Because...Because...I want to do it together or I want...”
“To be first, don’t you?” I scowled at her. I knew my twin and her competitive nature well. “That’s what this is really about, isn’t it?” She didn’t say anything, just turned red faced. “Let me remind you again: you were already first!”
“Girls, enough!” Dad stood on shaky legs. “I don’t want to hear anymore.” He pointed at Dana and me, “You two do what you have to do,” then he pointed at Kris and Lance, “and you two do what you have to do. If that’s here at the farm, fine. Afterward, we’ll have a big reception for everybody.” He sat back down, spent.