Chapter 19
Next morning bright and early Analise stood outside Havoc’s home in the early morning light. It was colder than she’d anticipated though the sun had come up, but she’d not bothered with a jacket, and now she was rethinking that thought. “I’m already here, too damn late,” she grumbled, going up the steps and knocking on the door.
Harley opened the door wide and stepped back. “Daddy made French toast with peaches and whipped cream!”
“He did?!” Analise asked.
“He did,” Havoc said, from the kitchen. “Sit, y’all eat before you go out there in the cold.”
“If we must,” Analise said, rolling her eyes for effect. She slid onto a bar stool at the large kitchen island and watched as Havoc finished cooking breakfast. “How’d you learn to cook all this?”
Havoc grinned at her before he went back to the stove. “Maia. She said if I was going to have a daughter I couldn’t feed her fast food all her life, so she made me start helping out from time-to-time when I wasn’t working with Riley and the guys.”
“Was that often?” Analise asked.
“Well, when Harley was sick, I wanted to be the one taking care of her when I could. She was sick a lot when she was little. I still did more than my share of work with the crew, though, too.”
“Felt like you had to?” Analise asked.
He looked up from the skillet to meet her gaze again. “I had to prove myself, still do. In everything I do.”
“You should give yourself a break. You’re a great dad.”
“I’m not sure everybody believes that.”
“Then they’re fools,” Analise said, looking directly into his eyes to get her point across.
“I’m not sick no more!” Harley announced.
“Well, no. Because you’re a strong little girl. Lots of babies get sick when they’re little. It doesn’t mean you’re not strong.”
“I used to have to give her breathing treatments, and force antibiotics into her, and sit up nights with her coughing like a seal with that croup,” Havoc said.
“I have no doubt having you there with her made all the difference,” Analise said. She watched for a few minutes as Havoc fried some breakfast sausage patties in another skillet, then plated all their breakfasts. He put a dusting of powdered sugar over the French toast, then a dollop of whipped cream, and a splash of warm syrup drizzled over the peaches, the toast, and the sausage.
“Bon Appétit!” Havoc said, sliding a plate in front of both Analise and Harley, before giving Harley a glass of milk, and Analise a cup of coffee with so much vanilla creamer in it, it was almost white. He poured himself a cup of black coffee, and sat down on the stool on the other side of Harley.
Analise took a bite and closed her eyes to savor the flavors. “Oh, my God,” she said.
“Good, huh?” Harley asked. “My daddy cooks the best except for Aunt Maia.”
“I believe you, baby,” Analise said. She looked at Havoc. “I’m impressed.”
“Me, too. I actually enjoy it.”
“It shows.” They ate quietly for a few minutes before Analise started asking questions. “So, what exactly do you do on Riley’s crew?”
“Anything he needs. He taught me to run conduit and electrical wiring. I can install plumbing, though I hate that part. Carpentry, sheet rocking, roofing. Whatever Riley needs, I’ve been taught to do, and I do it well.”
“Are you going to join the crew here if you move back?”
“That’s the plan ultimately, but not necessarily right away.”
“Won’t Riley and Maia miss you?”
“I’m sure to some extent, but I think they always kinda figured I’d meander back here at some point.”
“Why?” Analise asked, placing a peach slice in her mouth after dipping it in extra whipped cream.
He didn’t answer, so she looked his way.
Havoc raised both eyebrows at her, as though to say, ‘really?’.
“Oh, yeah, okay,” she said, realizing she was the reason.
“Does that bother you?” he asked.
“I find I’m less and less bothered by the entire situation. I mean, it is what it is. Can’t be undone. Don’t get me wrong, I’ll never forget, and I’m not sure I’ll ever forgive, but… life’s too short to obsess over something you can’t change, you know? I don’t have it in me to live angry anymore. I don’t want to feel victimized. I want to feel relieved. I want to feel grateful I’m alive, not bitter that I’m alive and living a different life than I expected.”
“You were never meant to be a victim. You were never meant to be hurt.”
“I know that. But it doesn’t change the emotions. At some point I have to stop blaming you and accept that I and I alone are responsible for my emotions and my reactions. There’s no law that says you have to or don’t have to do anything at all. And there’s no law that says that I have to sit by and accept it, or demand anything different. We’re both responsible for our own actions and our own responses. You can’t be happy if you choose not to be, nor can I. And you can’t hurt someone if they don’t allow you to hurt them. And that’s kind of where I am. I refuse to be in a situation that can hurt me again. And I’m sure that’s where you are… you’ve got a baby to protect, and by all rights should be refusing to expose either of you to a situation that could ever hurt you.”
“I understand,” Havoc said. He didn’t like it, he wanted her to fall into his arms and say that she forgave him and they’d live happily ever after, and that wasn’t happening. But at least she was sitting here having breakfast with him and they were conversing like two grown ass adults instead of verbally fencing with each other. It was progress.
“My daddy won’t let anything hurt us, right, Daddy?”
“Not ever. Northing’s gonna hurt anyone I love.”
“Told you!” Harley said, pushing her plate away. “I’m done.”
“You ate it all!” Havoc said. “You must be anxious to get out there and get your walk on, girl!”
“I am. Are you ready?” Harley asked Analise.
“I am, just a few more bites and I’ll be done. You got your shoes on?”
“I do!” she lifted her feet to show Analise her tennis shoes.
Analise turned just slightly so her legs would clear the edge of the kitchen island and lifted her feet. “Me, too!” she exclaimed.
“Go get your coat, Harley. By the time you get back Analise will be ready,” Havoc said.
She jumped down and ran toward the stairs, stopping to climb them carefully rather than rushing up them.
“Good girl,” Havoc said.
He got up and started clearing the plates, taking Analise’s from her as she finished her breakfast.
“Thank you for breakfast. I wasn’t expecting that,” Analise said.
“You’re welcome. Gotta make sure you two have something warm in your bellies before you go off in search of the morning birdies,” he said.
“I’m back!” Harley said, charging to the top of the stairs before once again, slowing and taking her time coming down.
When she ran into the kitchen Havoc helped her get her jacket on, then walked them to the front door. Just before he opened the door, he took a jacket off a rack there and draped it over Analise’s shoulders. “Keep warm.”
“Oh, you don’t have to do that. I’m fine.”
“Humor me,” he said.
“Alright. Thank you.”
He smiled but didn’t say anything, instead he just opened the door and stood back so they could head outside. “I have my phone on me in case you need me,” he said, looking at Analise.
She nodded, knowing he meant if the car from the previous day showed up.
Harley pulled her toward the edge of the porch. “Come on! Let’s hurry!”
“I’m coming!” Analise said, laughing as she followed Harley.
~~~
After almost an hour of randomly following the sounds of the morning birds back and forth through the woods, Analise and Harley finally decided to cross the highway and go back toward the creek to see if there were any cranes over there. But they were far on the other side of Brandt’s property and had quite a walk to get back in the vicinity of the roads that led to Kaid’s and Brandt’s property. While walking along the highway to get back to the road that led from the highway through Kaid’s property, Analise saw several cars drive past. They all slowed a little and steered a little more toward the centerline when passing them, which was not only a safe thing to do, but it was considerate as well. Each of the drivers lifted a hand in a wave to Analise and Harley, and they waved back. It was just the way things worked in rural Louisiana. You passed someone on the road, you waved. But none of them were the old car from the previous day.
As they approached the place Kaid’s drive intersected with the highway, Analise began to hear a sound in the distance that seemed a little familiar. Deciding that it reminded her of slight screeching of the straining engine from the car that had behaved unusually the day before, she hurried Harley a little toward Kaid’s drive they could see up ahead. Just before they got there the sound stopped, almost like the car responsible for the noise had just been turned off. Analise hesitated, looking back toward town which was the direction the sound came from, but still no car came around the curve and the sound had stopped all together.
“Let’s see who can get to Kaid’s house first!” Analise said excitedly.
“I’ll win,” Harley said, and took off at a run.
Analise kept pace with her, while keeping a watchful eye out, but never did see anything.
They ran until they reached Kaid’s house, then slowed to a walk when Harley saw the bird houses and wanted to stop to see if anything living in them would come out and talk to her.
“Baby, I don’t think they’re going to come out and talk to you,” Analise said.
“They might. If we’re really quiet.”
“Well, we can try,” Analise said.
They sat quietly in Kaid’s front yard, not too far from the driveway and tried to make themselves invisible.
Kaid walked out on the porch with a coffee cup in hand and observed them for a little while. “I’m pretty sure that whatever you’re doing, is not working,” Kaid called out.
“Shhh!” Harley said, shushing Kaid.
Kaid’s brows rose in surprise, then he started laughing.
“We’re hoping that the birds will come out and talk to us,” Analise called softly. “We’re trying to be invisible so they’re not afraid.”
Kaid chuckled again. “Yeah, not working. Wild birds will not come out and talk to anybody. They’re pretending to be invisible themselves. And I can see you over there, so you’re not very invisible.”
“How do I get them to come out, then?” Harley asked, giving up sitting quietly on the ground and standing up to talk to Kaid.
“These birds come out in the afternoon. Tessa’s been feeding them in the afternoon, so if you want to see them, come back then. Even if she’s not here, they come out. I got some wild bird seed on the back porch. You can feed them and maybe even make friends with them if you want to.”
“Really?! Promise?”
“Yes, ma’am. I promise.”
Harley started doing her little dance and shrieking happily, while Analise laughed.
“I guess that means we’re coming back this afternoon?”
“Yes!” Harley said.
“Okay, then let’s get you back home so I can take care of a few things today and we’ll come back this afternoon.”
“Are you going to come back and get me?”
“I will,” Analise said.
“Okay! Let’s go tell Daddy!” Harley exclaimed.
They headed back down the drive with Harley chattering happily about being able to feed the birds that afternoon. Almost the exact moment they stepped onto the highway to run across, the sound of the whining engine started again. Analise grabbed Harley’s hand and they darted into the woods rather than running down the highway to the drive that would lead onto Brandt’s property.
“Why are we going in the woods?” Harley asked.
“I just thought maybe we’d see how fast we can make it through the woods.”
“I’ll race you!”
“I’ll win!” Analise said, running behind the child, but constantly scanning everywhere, including behind them for any sign of someone in the woods. There was no one, and after a few minutes, the sound that had put Analise on edge seemed to move further away from them.
Fifteen minutes later they came out of the woods behind Havoc’s and Harley’s house.
On seeing that Havoc wasn’t outside working, they went right up onto the back porch via the side steps and knocked on the back French doors.
Havoc heard the rushed knocks and wasted no time getting to the doors and pulling them open. “What’s wrong?” he asked, ushering them inside and taking a step outside to scan the area.
“Nothing! I’m going back to Uncle Kaid’s house later to feed the birds. He says they’ll come out when they see me feeding them!”
“Oh, yeah? Sounds fun. We’ll have to see about getting you some birdhouses around our house, too.”
“I will give them some of my breakfast every day!”
“No, you will give them bird feed,” Havoc said. “Now, go take off your coat and put it where it belongs.”
She ran off to do what Havoc told her to do, and he turned to Analise. “What happened?”
“I thought I heard the car from yesterday and got spooked.”
“Heard the car from yesterday?” he asked.
“Yes, it makes kind of a high-pitched whiny noise, like the engine is stressing trying to keep running. A few cars passed us and everybody waved, then a few minutes later I thought I heard the sound of that whiny engine, it was getting closer. I rushed Harley up to Kaid’s driveway. But almost as soon as we get there, it just stopped. Either the car stopped, or the engine stopped whining, but nothing ever drove past. Then later when we left Kaid’s and came back this way I heard it start up again, so I told her I’d race her home and we ran through the woods.”
“Do you think it’s something to be concerned about?”
“I don’t know. It’s probably just my imagination getting the best of me. Not a single thing has happened and I didn’t even see any car to associate with that noise. It could be anything. It was probably just a coincidence. If it was just me I wouldn’t have thought twice, but because I had Harley I was just being extra careful.”
“If you’re sure.”
“Yeah, I’m sure that’s all.”
“You want to hang around? I thought we’d just take the day off and watch some TV today. We been going since we got here.”
“Oh, no, but thank you. I have a few calls to make before I come back here to take Harley to feed Kaid’s birds.
“Work?” Havoc asked.
“Yep. The shipment from Malta is starting to arrive, I’m sure. They’ll be looking for me to come help.”
“Thought you had another week or so.”
“I do. They just get nervous. I’ll see you later, though.”
“Why don’t you let me drive you?”
“No, it’s fine. I’ll walk.”
“You’re doing a lot of walking lately.”
“She likes to walk,” Analise said with a quick smile.
“She does. I’m driving you home.” He walked away from Analise and shouted up the stairs as he walked by. “Come on! We driving Analise back home!”
“Havoc, you really don’t have to.”
“Yeah, I really do. Let’s go!”