Chapter 9
CHAPTER
NINE
REBEL
The drive from the Kinseys to the neighborhood where I grew up is a long one. With every mile, I notice a sharp difference in my surroundings.
Even the sky changes, turning from a cheerful blue to a sunset red firing across the horizon.
With the sky ablaze and the buildings ahead growing more and more decrepit, I feel like I’m driving out of a dazzling, utopian world into a dark and hopeless apocalypse.
But it’s not all bad.
Children play on a basketball court happily. The basketball net was lost or stolen ages ago, but that doesn’t stop the game or the laughter.
An abandoned lot filled with garbage sits next to the old pharmacy where Abe Jenkins has been handing out lollipops to little kids since before I was born.
My perusal lands on a pack of dogs. I screech to a stop as the wild canines prowl the neighborhood, on the hunt for trash bins they can tear into and scatter across the streets.
Okay.
So even if there are pockets of good in my community, there’s no hiding the fact that we’re the abandoned people of Lucky Falls.
There are no wide, spacious parks, nor upscale boutiques or fancy restaurants out here.
And there definitely aren’t any Victorian-style houses surrounded by lakes, beautifully maintained apple orchards or acres and acres of family land worth millions.
The houses are small and huddled together, boundary lines protected by rusty, chain link fences—no white picket fence to be seen. Paper thin walls separate one family from another, so that if a couple argues, the people in the house next door can hear every word.
I take a right, pointing my car to the trailer park. As the sun streaks low in the sky, I roll to a stop and peer out the windshield.
Mom’s in the front yard, taking clothes off the line. She’s got a bandana wrapped around her head, as always. The holes in her oversized T-shirt are hidden by a threadbare apron. The slippers on her feet are so worn, it’s only duct tape and a prayer keeping them together.
Mom wraps her fingers around a shirt on the line, tests to see if it’s dry and then plops it into her basket.
Annoyed, I throw my car door open and lumber across the yard. “Mom!”
She looks up, startled. “Rebel?”
“Why are you still hanging out your clothes? I already paid the hardware store for your washer and dryer. It should have been delivered by now.”
“I told Robert Kinsey to keep the money you paid as store credit. You can buy other things you need with it.”
“Mom…” I groan.
“I don’t have space in the trailer for that.” Mom shakes her head at me. “I’m perfectly fine doing things the way I always do them.”
“You work so hard, and you’re getting older. You should relax when you get home.”
“I don’t mind hard work. Idle hands are…”
“… the devil’s playground. Yeah, yeah. Let me help.” I squeeze the clothes pin at the top and release the blouse held between its teeth.
Mom watches me closely.
I unpin a pair of rough work pants and a jacket next, pretending not to notice.
“Are you really going to make me ask?”
“Ask what?” I release a wash rag from the clothesline.
Mom snaps it out of my hand. Excitement hums in her voice. “You’re dating Gunner Kinsey!”
I wince. “News travels fast.”
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
“I don’t want to talk about it.”
Mom wags a finger. “You’re always like this. You never discuss boys with me.”
“I don’t need to add to the conversation. Boys talk about me enough as it is,” I grumble.
“Well, for what it’s worth, I approve. Gunner Kinsey is a fine young man. So quiet and steady. He treats his mama well too. Oh dear, his mama.” Mom touches her lips, her face turning white. “What did Carol say when she heard about this?”
I open my mouth to answer.
Mom waves a hand to stop me. “It doesn’t matter. I’ve been working for the Kinseys all my life. They know us well. Our family might not have much, but we’ve got our dignity and our name. That’s worth more than gold.” She smiles shakily. “Money can’t buy a good reputation, you know.”
“Do you really think the Kinseys care about things like dignity and a good reputation?” I snort.
Mom licks her lips. “E-even so, Gunner was brave enough to tell his mother about your relationship, that means he’s serious about you. He wouldn’t have done that if he would easily change his mind now, would he?”
“Mom—”
She gasps suddenly. “What if you two get married? You’ll be a Kinsey! My daughter… a Kinsey.” The tail of the bandana wiggles as mom shakes her head in delight.
“Why are you so happy?”
She stops to look at me. “What do you mean?”
“You know how the Kinseys see us. They think we’re beneath them. Why would we want to be family with people like that?”
“Rebel…”
“Do you love the Kinseys so much you’d trade your daughter to them?”
Mom’s eyelashes flutter.
I glance away, trying to calm my emotions.
Mom’s voice sounds tentative. “Are you okay, Rebel? Did Carol say something to you when she found out about you and Gunner?”
“No, mom. She welcomed me to the family with open arms.”
“Really?”
I was being sarcastic, but I feel bad seeing how happy mom is to hear that.
She bounces on her feet. “Oh that’s so lovely to hear!”
Awkwardly, I add, “Yeah, Carol loves me so much, she even invited me to join the Lady Luck Society.”
Mom covers her mouth. “No! Are you serious!” She grabs my hand and brings it to her lips. “ My baby… is one of the Ladies?”
I’m twisting the truth quite a bit, but I’d rather see my mother smile than hammer her with reality.
“I’m so happy for you, Rebel!” Mom pats my hand. As she does, I catch sight of her knuckles. They’re laced with scratches and cuts from years of working on the Kinsey farm.
Sadness weighs my heart down like a rock sinking to the ocean floor. A knot of emotion in my throat, I bend down, hoist the basket of clean clothes to my hip and carry it inside the trailer.
The living area is neat and tidy. ‘ The Lord won’t bless you with a bigger house if you don’t take care of the one you got’ is what mom used to tell me growing up.
Unfortunately, I’m still waiting for the promised blessing. Mom faithfully plucks the weeds around the trailer, scrubs the cement blocks holding it up, and wipes every wooden surface that collects dust, but she still hasn’t been granted a new home.
“You want some tea, sweetie?” Mom moves past me to the tiny kitchen.
I shake my head and sit on the sofa. Mom’s home-making skills are so impressive, it’s impossible to tell we’re in a double wide. She hung pretty curtains over the windows, the kitchen cupboards are stained white, and the old gas stove looks practically new.
My studio was built five years ago, but my house looks far less cozy than hers does.
Mom comes over while the kettle heats up. She pats my knee. “Tell me the story of how you and Gunner got together.”
“I,” my mind goes blank, “there was nothing to it, really.”
“Come on, Rebel. Throw your mama a bone. It’s been years since I’ve been on a date. Let me live through you.”
Eyelashes fluttering, I give it a shot. “I guess… uh… we were just… talking about how we used to play together on the farm.”
“Oh, yes! You two went everywhere together. You were Gunner’s little shadow. And he doted on you too. What did he used to call you?” Mom taps her chin. “It was ‘Bell’, I think. Just the sweetest.”
I force a smile. Yeah, mm-hm. So sweet, I could choke on it.
“What happened next?” Mom leans forward.
“Well…” My eyes dart back and forth. “After that, he stepped closer…”
Mom’s eyes widen expectantly.
“He touched my face…” My heart quickens at the memory.
“And?”
“And told me he wanted to see my smile.”
“That’s so romantic!” Mom coos. “Oh, Rebel, sweetie, you’re blushing. Do you like Gunner that much?”
I cup my cheek with my hand. “I’m not blushing. It’s just hot in here.”
“It’s not that hot,” mom teases.
Feeling exposed, I change the subject. Mom prattles happily about her day and I’m free from discussing my relationship with Gunner Kinsey.
As the night winds down, I say my goodbyes.
“Bring Gunner with you next time,” mom says, waving from the front steps.
“I’ll try,” I tell her. But it’s hard to imagine the distinguished, golden child of the Kinseys stepping into our humble trailer.
The car hums beneath me as I drive away from the trailer park. Today has been absolutely draining, but I don’t want to be alone right now. My thoughts are a mess and I need my best friend’s help to sort them out.
I stop at April’s place on the way home.
To my surprise, April is waiting up for me, along with Chance and May—April’s college-aged sister.
I freeze in the doorway, my eyes darting from one face to the next. “Am I in trouble?”
April shakes her head slowly. “Rebel Eleanor Hart.”
I step back.
April stomps toward me. She’s wearing a white T-shirt beneath a navy jumper. Her straight brown hair is pulled back into a ponytail. Her green eyes spark with disapproval.
I wince. “Can you save the scolding till after I get a hug. It’s been a really long day.”
“Humph.” April wraps her arms around me and squeezes. “I can imagine.” My best friend runs a hand down my back in comfort. “Are you okay? Chance told me everything.”
I ease back. “Everything?”
“Yeah, everything,” April says with a nod.
“Gunner told me at training today,” Chance explains. “He says you two can’t stand each other, but you’re faking a relationship for a good cause.”
“Gunner said that?” I breathe out.
April studies me closely.
I’m too tired to fix my expression or to work through why I feel so betrayed. My eyes sink to the ground. Gunner asked me to smile at him. Why did he make that stupid comment about my smile if he hates me so much?
“Rebel?” April touches my arm.
“It’s exactly as Chance said,” I speak to the floor. “I agreed to be Gunner’s girlfriend so I can join the Lady Luck Society.”
April pulls her lips into her mouth as if she’s forcing herself not to share her true thoughts. An awkward silence falls on the room.
“I think that’s great! ” May skips to me, her eyes bright with excitement. “Chance and April started as a fake couple too and look at them now.”
“Gunner and I are not like that. Believe me.” I hike my purse strap over my head and toss it in the couch.
“What do you mean? You’re insanely pretty and he’s so hot. Why wouldn’t you be together?”
April scolds her little sister. “May, there’s more to a healthy relationship than being good-looking.”
“I know that. I’m just saying. It doesn’t hurt.”
“Something still isn’t adding up,” April murmurs.
Everyone in the room turns to look at her.
“I understand why you’d want to join the Lady Luck Society, but what’s in it for Gunner?” April folds her arms across her chest. “Why would he do that for you if he hates you so much?”
“He wants the Lady Luck Society to change too,” I answer flatly.
April rubs her chin, not buying it.
May offers, “There could be another reason. Like he’s trying to stop his family from marrying him off? I heard the Kinseys still believe in arranged marriages.”
“It could be simpler than that.” Chance shrugs. “Maybe Gunner doesn’t hate you as much as you thought, Rebel.”
I shake my head. “You didn’t grow up in Lucky Falls, Chance. Gunner Kinsey has made it abundantly clear that he doesn’t like me. We grew up together, but he never talked to me, even when we were in high school. And his eyes are always so cold and arrogant when they look at me.”
May insists, “But that doesn’t mean?—”
“May,” I sink into the sofa and tilt my head back, “I can tell when a guy likes me. Guys have been confessing their love for me since elementary school. Trust me…”
The smile that reaches your eyes.
“…Gunner Kinsey and I…”
Give me that one.
“… are never going to be real.”