12. Hartley
12
HARTLEY
Flying on a private jet was the way to go. If only the pit in my stomach didn’t grow the closer we were to North Carolina. Once we were off the plane and Sheldon and Oleander were there with three waiting SUVs, the pit became a gnawing void that felt like it was going to consume me whole.
The last time I’d been here was awful. There were no two ways about it. Not getting to say goodbye to my grandfather, watching as they laid him in the ground, it was almost more than I could bear. But anger chased that sadness when Forest couldn’t get out of there fast enough. We’d put it behind us, but that didn’t mean it wasn’t rushing to the forefront of my mind now that we were here again.
The difference was I had Vail and Jordan with me this time. Vail had apologized for not going to the funeral. How could he have known when we kept it private, and he hadn’t spoken to Forest in years?
Vail’s hand slid into mine when we were in the back seat of the SUV. Forest sat up front with Albert .
Albert navigated us down the road and closer to the home that meant so much to me for so long. Now I was going to see it with fresh eyes. Ones that weren’t as weighed down with grief. I just had to keep reminding myself I wasn’t alone. I had plenty of people to lean on.
Jordan took my other hand in his and lifted it to kiss my knuckles. No words were said. They weren’t necessary. I was sure I was projecting my emotions clear as day on my face. I wasn’t as good at hiding them as Jordan was. He had to do that. I didn’t.
When we pulled onto the road the house was on, I rolled the window down to inhale the air. It was different here than it was in Pennsylvania. Warmer but also clearer. Not like living in the city, plus there was the salty air. While it wasn’t home any longer, it brought back memories of going out on the little boat my grandfather had and reeling in fish with him. Of Forest trying to stand on the boat and nearly toppling us into the water. Of me almost throwing up when baiting the hook. I always hated that part, but my grandfather taught us. Every opportunity for a lesson was one he took. He did it with love though, wanting us to learn so we could do things on our own.
The rusted metal mailbox at the end of the driveway was beat up with a dent in the side, only two of the four numbers remaining. The flag was gone, and the door hung open, attached by a single remaining hinge.
Stones crunched under the tires as Albert drove us down the lane until we got to the house. It wasn’t raised as high as the newer homes were. The weather had beaten it a lot over the years, but my grandfather got lucky that none of the storms flooded the home. Sure, he was stuck in here when it flooded since he refused to leave when the tropical storms or hurricanes came through. He did leave during the last major hurricane. He and a friend of his drove inland to stay at a motel. Luckily, the hurricane changed course, and they didn’t get the brunt of it.
The old cedar shingles on the side of the home had seen better days, but they still held strong. The deck looked one storm away from falling off though. We’d have to climb it to get inside. Maybe one at a time, so it didn’t break free while we were all on it.
Forest exited the SUV first when we parked. Vail opened his door next so we could get out. My eyes stayed fixated on the home in front of us. I used to watch the water in the sound, be comforted by the quiet symphony of nature and lulled to sleep with the windows open on cooler nights, the water a natural remedy for sleeplessness. But now all I could see was my grandfather on the deck, hollering at us to come inside and eat.
“Do you remember when he couldn’t find us and rang the cowbell?” Forest asked as I stood next to him.
I chuckled. “Half the neighborhood heard when he rang it.”
“He threatened to do it every time we were late for dinner.”
“I still have no idea where he got it from.”
“Knowing him, he bought it just to teach us to be on time.”
I grinned. He wasn’t a man who needed a lot of material possessions. Give him his house, boat, and truck, and he was happy. However, if he thought Forest or I needed something, including being taught a lesson, he’d do it.
“We walked up the deck covered in mud,” I remembered. “When we got to the top, he met us at the door and said there was no way we were going inside like that. ”
“Then he told us to go back down, and he took out the hose to rinse us off from head to toe.”
“We didn’t come home muddy again.”
Forest peered at me with a mournful smile, then put his arm around my shoulders. “He’d be proud of you, Hart. Of what you’ve accomplished. Of the life you’re living.”
“He’d be proud of you too.”
“Not when…” He shook his head. “Maybe now he would be.”
I could stand here and tell Forest he didn’t have to carry that guilt with him, but just like Jordan and the guilt he had over his son, Forest would carry it until he was ready to let go of it, whenever that would be.
A sound from behind me had me looking over my shoulder. I found our entire group standing at our backs, their concerned eyes on Forest and me. Okay, that was enough of this. I couldn’t spend the next two days upset, especially not with Ava here. She didn’t need more sadness.
I turned around and faced them. “Who’s the brave soul who will step onto the deck first to make sure it doesn’t collapse?”
“Me!” Oleander’s hand shot up like he was in class. I was almost certain they’d been here before we arrived to make sure it was safe. They must have sensed my desire to move past the somber mood.
“Screw that,” Sheldon said, elbowing his friend out of the way to stride forward. “If it’s going down, it’ll have me on it.”
“Not if I get there first.” Oleander bolted past him until they ran up the stairs, Sheldon hot on Oleander’s heels. I held my breath, waiting for the damn deck to collapse, but it held strong.
Oleander grinned when he faced us. “We were already up here when we checked out the house. It might look like a gust of wind could take it down, but it’s pretty sturdy.”
“Jerks,” I called to them. I was right about them being here before.
Forest tapped me on the shoulder. “One lap.” That was all he had to say. I knew exactly what he meant.
When we were younger, when the deck was newer, we’d do a lap around the house, then race up the stairs. The first one to put their hand on the front door won and got to pick a chore for the other to take from their list. I was notorious for pushing harder when it was my turn to clean the bathrooms. Forest knew it was coming, but I was quick. Seventy-five percent of the time on my bathroom cleaning turn, I won, and Forest had to do them. Fuck, he hated me so much.
I laughed.
“You’re thinking about the bathrooms, aren’t you?”
“God, you were miserable.”
“What should we bet this time?”
I rubbed my short beard while also being grateful I wore comfortable clothes on the jet and sneakers. My loafers would not fare well running around here. I’d also fall. “Loser has to talk to Mrs. Morris when she inevitably asks what we’re doing.”
He groaned. “You know damn well she’s going to.”
She had to be at least ninety by now. I was certain she was still the neighborhood busybody. Without gossip, she wouldn’t have a clue what to do with herself.
I nodded. “Deal.”
“V, count us down.”
“I can’t believe you two are doing this.” He laughed.
“You should have expected it,” Forest said. Vail had been here countless times when Forest and I raced. “Come on. Let’s do this.” Forest got his serious face on and clapped his hands.
“Ready… Set… Go!”
Forest and I took off, rushing around the house, around the side that faced the sound, and back up the other side. Oh my god, was I pulling ahead? I was! I almost fist pumped the air, but if I did that, my dumb ass would probably trip, fall, and inevitably lose. So, I kept my arms pumping and rounded the deck railing until my feet were propelling me up the stairs, the door in sight. I could hear Forest’s feet on the creaky wood behind me. Sheldon and Oleander jumped out of the way.
And my hand touched the door first.
“Fuck yeah!” I called. “I won; you lose.” I stuck my tongue out at my brother and gave him the finger.
“You were never a gracious winner.”
“Screw that. I don’t need to be gracious. Have fun talking to Mrs. Morris about bugs, teenagers, and how loud the vehicles are that drive down the road.”
He groaned and leaned against the door. “She’s going to ask why we have so many vehicles and who all these people are. She’ll say how this is a quiet neighborhood and we’re inviting trouble.”
I smiled. “It’s going to be great. For me. Not you. You’ll suffer and I’ll love every minute.”
“I like this side of you two,” Sheldon said. “We should come here often just so I can gather enough tidbits to make fun of you both later.”
“Sheldon,” Jordan growled as he climbed the stairs.
“What? You can’t expect me not to bust on them for behaving like children.”
“I know,” Oleander began. “If you take Shel and me to a mini golf course, you’ll see real competition. Then we’ll be even so you can pick on us too.”
Sheldon smacked Oleander on the arm. Nothing too hard, just enough to get his attention. “Why would you tell them that?”
“Because I want to beat you at mini golf for the eighty-fifth time.” Oleander faced us and thumbed toward Sheldon. “He sucks at it, and it drives him crazy that he can’t beat me. One time, he threw his club, and it took out the spinny thing on the mini windmill.”
“The spinny thing?” Sheldon mocked.
“You know what I mean.”
“It was already loose. I just nudged it the rest of the way.”
Oleander barked out a laugh. “You didn’t nudge it. You clipped one of the blades right off. My dad had to drive there with his credit card because we didn’t have enough cash on us to cover the repair.”
“Yeah, and I had to work it off for weeks by mowing your yard.”
Another grin from Oleander. He looked at Forest and me. “I used to sit on the back patio and sip lemonade while he mowed.”
“I flipped him off every time I pushed the mower in front of him.”
They kept bantering back and forth as Forest and I laughed at their antics. While Sheldon and Oleander weren’t related, they acted like brothers. It was the levity we needed and added to Forest and me having fun.
This wasn’t an exciting trip. It was one that had to be done so we could take stock of the house and make sure there weren’t any necessary repairs that had to be immediately made. It was also a chance to show Jordan where I grew up and where Vail spent a good amount of his childhood. This was our past, and we were bringing Jordan into it. It wasn’t glamorous or what others would covet, but it was ours, and I wouldn’t trade the life we had with our grandfather. He showed us unconditional love and what it meant to be a family.