Chapter 32

Gracie awakened, not from a bad dream but with an ice cream recipe in her head. She even had its name: Sweet Dreams.

At Swirly’s, Kage helped her mix the vanilla ice cream with the strawberry preserves and add a faint chocolate ribbon swirl. Gene Carter peered as curiously at Kage as he did at the tub of Chocolate Swirl invaded by strawberry preserves, but he didn’t say a word other than “Chocolate Swirl.”

When they closed Swirly’s that afternoon, Gracie watched Aaron pace outside the grocery store. She felt badly that she hadn’t talked to him since the night they nearly ran over Kage. Gracie got in her car, on the passenger’s side. Kage opened the door for her just as Aaron had done before, but now with Kage it felt natural. He scooted into the driver’s seat, and Gracie slid across the vinyl to the middle of the car, her head coming to rest against Kage’s shoulder.

“He’s got it bad for you,” Kage said as Gracie extended a wave in Aaron’s direction. “Really bad,” Kage repeated, causing Gracie to blush.

“You think?” Gracie asked.

“You’re crazy if you don’t see it.”

Gracie nodded and mumbled, “What do I do?”

“Just don’t go falling in love with him before I get back.”

“What! You’re leaving again?” Gracie deflated instantly.

“Gracie,” he pleaded, “I don’t have a choice. But you have to believe, I’ll come back. I will.”

“I’m tired of it, Kage!” Gracie said, shocked by her own honesty. “You know I thought that you had decided you didn’t want to move around anymore—that you wanted to stay in one place. Why I thought this would be the place! You’ll have to forgive me for assuming that I might be somewhere in your plans. Why’d you give me this?” With her teeth, Gracie pulled the ring from her finger and spit it from her lips onto the floorboard.

“Please put the ring back on,” Kage pleaded. “I don’t want to have to work my whole life for someone like Gene Carter. I could do it, but that isn’t what I want. It isn’t what I want for us!”

“Kage, I have a house and Swirly’s. I need the help. It could work.”

“I need a paycheck. I need to be the man you deserve,” Kage insisted.

“Why do you have to always run off? That’s what caused all the trouble in the first place!” Gracie put her hand over her face, trying to think of something to say that would make him stay.

“I don’t want to leave. I don’t want to run anywhere!” Kage’s voice rose as well. “I wish I had the answer. I wish I knew I could support you and give you things a man should. If I could just work for one year down south in construction, I could save up enough money.”

“Stop the car!” Gracie screamed. Even before Kage came to a complete stop, she had opened the door, and touched the toe of her shoe to the road as the car slowed beneath her foot.

“What are you doing?”

“What? You ask me what I’m doing? Kage, you’re driving me crazy. I can’t take it anymore. I can’t do this.” She threw her arms in the air and her sleeve fell, exposing the scars on her right arm. Covering it with her hand, Gracie pulled her arm against her chest. She glared at Kage then took off walking. For one quick second she thought about running back to him, afraid he might turn the car around and leave on the next bus. Too stubborn to turn her head, she listened hard, hoping to hear the car start up again and the motor hum behind her.

* * *

Kage sat stunned. How had he messed this up? He planned to come back, as quickly as he could, didn’t she understand that? And his following thought was, “Why did she have to be so gorgeous?” He watched her from the back, her shoulders ticking in beat with each step and her long hair swaying from side to side. His eyes drifted to the floorboard where the ring lay.

He drove slowly, counting his options with each individual pop of gravel under the weight of the tires.

When he arrived at Gracie’s, she’d just stepped up on the front porch on her way inside.

“Gracie,” Kage shouted, shutting the car off quickly and jogging her way.

Gracie kept her back to him when he stepped up on the porch. She answered weakly, “I can’t tell you how many quiet nights I tried to remember the sound of your voice, or what I would have given for you to walk through that door.”

He turned her toward him and grabbed her hand and right arm holding them up close together in front of him, and then brought his lips near, kissing her fingers softly. She looked up at him, tears pooled in her eyes.

“I don’t care,” he spoke calmly. “I don’t care that you don’t look just like everyone else. You’re prettier than any girl I’ve ever met. I don’t care that you’re still angry that you don’t have your grandfather anymore or your family. I know how the reminders every day never go away. Maybe it was easier for me or maybe I missed out on what really counted, I may never know. But I don’t want you angry at me over it. Don’t blame me and include me in all the list of things that have been unfair to you. Don’t do it, Gracie.” Kage looked at her for a sign that she understood what he was saying.

“Don’t go!” Gracie begged. “Don’t! This house is empty and all I’ll do is think about you. I’m tired of all the pain. I’m tired of it all going wrong. I’m just tired.” Gracie beat her fist against his chest lightly.

Kage pulled her close, snug, her face buried against him. “Okay, okay,” Kage promised.

“I’m trusting you, Kage,” Gracie said muffled against his chest.

“And I trust you,” Kage mumbled, his lips against her hair. “Now what do I do?” He closed his eyes letting her scent intoxicate him.

* * *

“I was curious if you’d have any room for another hand these days?” Kage asked, noticing Gene had three men at work.

“Nope, can’t say as I do. Got three lazy ones I’m paying right now.” He pointed in the direction of the disinclined men. Barney waved, and Kage nodded, annoyed even at the sight of him.

“I understand.” Kage took a couple of steps back. “Thought I’d stop by and ask.”

Gene placed his rake against the truck and looked Kage over carefully. “I might,” he paused, glanced toward the field and then focused on Kage, “be able to use you for a week or two when the ‘baccer’s ready.”

“I really need something now and more permanent.”

“Why, you planning to stay around here? This town ain’t for everyone. Ridgewood ain’t got the happenings I expect you’re used to.” Gene lifted his hat with one hand, scratched his head with the same hand before placing it back on his head, all in one well-constructed maneuver.

“That’s what I like about this town, sir, the people. They’re nice. I’ve met lots of them at the ice cream shop.”

“Seems you show a liking to one of them more than the rest.”

Kage quickly changed the subject, to avoid any chance for Gene to pass judgment on him again. “Well, if you know of any place that needs a hand, I’d appreciate it.”

“Well, you’re good at that travelin’. Seems you’d find something somewheres else just fine.”

“Yeah, I figure that might be so. Just wanted to—” Kage stopped not wanting to share his plans with Gene and changed the subject. “Several shovels there.” Kage pointed to one of the shovels leaned against the truck bed. “Sure you don’t need some help?”

“Took those from Willy last night. I caught him and Barney sneaking out again on some kind of ridiculous treasure hunt. Last time they did that they got scratched up in a briar patch from head to toe and attached to a hundred or more cockleburs. Willy’s got it in his head that it is somewhere on that hill over there.” Gene pointed over his shoulder without turning his head. “They ain’t never goin’ to find it, none of ‘em,” Gene shook his head.

“Willy once told me that he stays awake at night trying to think up where that treasure is.” Kage returned a wave from Willy.

“Yep. Lost treasure sure will keep a person up at night,” Gene quietly murmured under his breath while fumbling with a loose wire on the rake. “You ever find your sister you’s lookin’ for?”

“Yes, sir, I did.”

“Well, I think she called here lookin’ for you. Got her number, if you need it.” Gene piddled with the rake tines, his back now to Kage.

“When was that?”

“Been a couple months, I guess. She said she found my number at her place and was tryin’ to hunt you down. She also left another number—one for your brother Cecil. That number’s in the house too.” Gene pointed toward the old barn where Kage had stayed. “It’s scribbled on a piece of paper tucked under a glass trinket on the buffet, if Willy hasn’t moved it.”

“You mind if I get it?” Kage asked.

“Go ahead.”

Kage stepped toward the barn, however Gene continued—looking more like he was talking to his rake than Kage. He dragged the rake against the dirt. “Well, I suppose you could try to find some work at the wood mill. Don’t know for sure, but you can check with ‘em,” Gene said then took hold of the rake and headed toward the shed, no good-bye.

* * *

Gene Carter rarely had a reason to stop at Franklin’s Grocery, but recently he’d found one of the finer things in life that he decided was worth the splurge. Once a week he would stop in for it—toilet paper. Gene would come in and pick up several rolls at a time, but nothing else, just toilet paper. He carried his toilet paper to and from the outhouse each visit, still requiring the others to use old newspaper.

“That Kage boy’s back in town. He used to work for you, right?” Aaron asked, trying his best to act as if he were just making casual conversation, though Gene knew better.

Gene nodded.

Aaron continued as he rang up the toilet paper, “Figure he’s just passing through again. He seems to take a liking to Gracie Howard every time he drops in.”

“Yep,” Gene agreed.

“You like him much?” Aaron asked.

“He was a hard worker,” Gene answered, pulling his cash from his pocket.

“Well, there ain’t no work in this town for him. I know you’ve got three helping you, and I figure he can’t do much more than shovel dirt.” Aaron took Gene’s cash.

“Nope, don’t got no need for him at my place.”

“Hello there, Mrs. Martin,” Aaron said with a nod hello to the lady behind Gene in line. “How’s Chippy?” Aaron asked, sounding more as if he were asking about a young boy instead of her sixty-year-old husband.

“He’s doing great, just working too hard as always.”

“Looks like you’re loaded up with groceries. You got company coming over?” Aaron asked, making his usual conversation.

“Yes, guess you could say that. I got a young man staying at our house tonight. Chippy has him working at the wood mill starting tomorrow and seems he doesn’t have a place to stay. He’s a handsome boy—just handsome,” Mrs. Martin said as she unloaded her groceries onto the counter.

“Is that right?” Gene asked.

“Yep, Chippy brought him to our house at lunch today and he nearly ate everything I had on the table. He’s a hungry one, and he likes my bread pudding. Loves it!” She leaned in toward Aaron. “So, I’m making him some more for tomorrow.”

Gene probed, swifter than Aaron on this one, “Who might this young man be?”

“His name is Ben Kage. A handsome thing, I tell you. And loves my cooking!” Mrs. Martin cooed.

Aaron almost dropped her jar of pickles on his foot.

* * *

“Hey,” Kage burst through Swirly’s door. “I did it. I got a job—a good one, Gracie. Listen, Gene suggested I talk to Chippy Martin.” Kage shifted from one foot to the other. “He hired me on the spot!”

“Really?” Gracie squealed, dashing from behind the counter.

“It gets better. He invited me to stay on his property. You know the nice house on the hill just down the road from the mill? Well it has an apartment over the garage. He’s letting me stay there. I’ll have my own place,” Kage cheered.

“You know the mill,” Gracie paused, “that’s where my father worked … the year before …”

Kage ran his palms over Gracie’s ears, then held her head between his hands. “I know,” he said quietly.

“I like that you are going to work there.”

Kage agreed. “Gracie, he even mentioned maybe retiring in a few years and said he needed somebody to run the business. If I prove to be a hard worker, learn fast, and pick up a good deal of the responsibility, he might consider me. He was so nice to me!” Kage’s voice rose again.

“Of course, that could only work if you stayed in Ridgewood?” Gracie asked hopeful.

I told him I was planning on staying, and then he asked about you!”

“What?”

“Yeah, kind of surprised me too. He said, ‘Does Gracie have enough help at Swirly’s?’ That’s what he asked.”

“Maybe he saw you here. Maybe he thinks you were working here?” Gracie speculated.

“Yeah, I guess.”

“You know, Kage, you could. We could work together every day,” Gracie said, liking the sound of it.

“I don’t know, Gracie. You fit here. You enjoy what you do, but it’s not me. I want what Mr. Martin was talking about. I want to learn about what he does,” Kage said, still wired. He began alternating his weight from leg to leg again, bobbing back and forth.

“Kage, I’ve never seen you like this, you’re … so happy.”

“I am, Gracie.” Kage placed his hands on her shoulders.

“Happy to be in Ridgewood?” Gracie asked checking to make sure.

“Yes, and happiest to be here with you.”

“Promise?”

“Yep. Gracie, I love you.” Kage leaned toward her.

“Promise?” Gracie whispered.

“Promise,” Kage repeated softly, inches from her face. “Would you do something for me?” Kage asked.

“What?”

“Call me Ben.”

“Okay … Ben,” Gracie mumbled leaning into him, their lips touching.

With all the bad timing in the world, Gracie heard Swirly’s door open. Gene Carter sauntered in, Willy in tow.