Chapter 49
CHAPTER
FORTY-NINE
REBEL
Gunner isn’t picking up and I’m too restless to stay at home, so I go for a drive.
I’m a few meters away from The Pink Garage before I realize I drove to work on autopilot. As the night sprawls before me and stars glisten overhead, I stop the car and stare at the giant, yellow ‘KEEP OUT’ caution tape.
April said the garage is her baby and, honestly, I feel the same. We put our blood, sweat and tears into this place. We took a huge gamble just to bet on ourselves.
It can’t crumble to dust like this.
At this point, The Pink Garage’s future looks grim. Before she left my apartment, April said she would talk to May about putting a notice on our website. The customers won’t be happy about the delay and I can just imagine all the angry comments we’ll be slammed with.
With a sigh, I put my truck in gear and head to my mother’s.
“Rebel!” Mom greets me with an excited smile. “Hey, baby.”
“Hi, mom.” I slip into the mobile home and kick my shoes off at the door. The weight of the day crashes into me and I wrap my arms around my mother, burying my face in her neck. I’m taller than her and she buckles a little.
“What’s wrong?” Mom asks, stroking my shoulder.
“Nothing,” I mumble into her freckled skin.
Mom’s voice holds a hint of laughter, “Then why are you acting like a baby?” She tries to pry me off.
I hold tighter. “Mm-mm.”
Mom’s laughter vibrates her entire body. “Let’s sit down.”
Still hugging her, I follow her to the sofa.
Mom sits down and I immediately fold into her side. Taking her weathered hand in mine, I stare at the callouses, nicks and marks from her many years of hard labor.
“You want to tell me what’s going on?”
“I don’t really want to talk about it.”
She nods and strokes my hair. “You know how proud I am of you, don’t you, Rebel?”
“Because I’m dating a Kinsey?” I ask dryly.
She flicks my forehead.
“Ow!” I exclaim.
“I’m proud of how smart, brave, and kind you are.” Mom’s eyes glitter like the stars I saw twinkling above the garage. “Look at what you did for the school.”
“It wasn’t a one-man job.”
“True, but it was your vision. Your drive. By stepping up, you gave us the chance to show up for ourselves and for each other.”
After all the losses I took today, mom’s encouragement is like rain to a dry, deserted land.
Burrowing closer to her, I mumble, “Mom?”
“Mm?”
“What would life be like if we were rich like the Kinseys?”
“What?” Mom jerks a little.
“Imagine,” I whisper, “if you owned the orchard and all the Kinsey land. Imagine,” I gently caress her worn hands, “that you hired them to clean your houses and your businesses. Imagine you could rearrange their lives with just one word?”
Mom’s other hand closes around mine. “Rebel, it’s no good to imagine those things. Look at all we do have. Health. Strength.” She touches my cheek gently. “Each other.”
I smile.
Mom closes her eyes peacefully. “I wouldn’t trade the life I have now for anything.”
“How can you be so sure?”
“Because I am.” Mom sounds resolute. “Money is useful, but it’s not everything. I’m happy and content. There’s nothing else in this world I need.”
Something inside me cracks open and I let loose a sigh of relief.
All day, I’ve been panicking about the unfairness of the world and fending off anxiety for the future. The garage could very well end up closing its doors for good and all our hard work could go down the drain, but mom’s words give me a much needed perspective shift.
The best thing about coming from nothing is that I’m no stranger to starting from the bottom. Having wealthy parents or lots of valuable land to my name didn’t bring me to where I am and I don’t need those things to get to where I need to go either.
My mood picks up and all the despondency that had sent me crying into my mother’s arms clears away. I’m ready to take on Stewart Kinsey and whatever else might come at me. Bring it on, sucker .
I give her hand a squeeze. “Do you have any ice cream?”
“I’m not sure, why?”
“I’m suddenly in the mood for it.” I patter to the fridge and throw the door open. Cold air blasts my face and I lean in, eyes searching the shelves. “Looks like you’re out.”
“Let me run to the store and get some.” Mom starts to get up.
“I’ll go.” I put my slippers on at the door. “I’ll be right back.”
“Get some popcorn too,” mom says. “We can watch a movie.”
I give her an ‘okay’ gesture and drive to the store.
Inside, I grab a basket and begin perusing when I hear my name.
“Rebel?” Sheriff Kinsey hurries toward me. He’s not in uniform today and is simply dressed in a T-shirt and jeans. “I thought that was you.”
“Sheriff.” My lips tilt up in a wary smile.
“Please. Call me Dan.”
My smile turns even more awkward. Sheriff Kinsey represents the law around Lucky Falls and people from my side of town don’t have the greatest relationship with the police. Because of it, I’ve kept my distance from him. I can count the number of times we’ve talked on one hand.
“Is Gunner with you?” His eyes dart past me as if his giant son will come bounding down the aisle at any second.
“No, he’s not.”
“Oh.” The sheriff looks down thoughtfully. “I was sure he told his mother that he was going to see you.”
“Maybe he got caught up on his way.”
“Maybe,” the Sheriff muses, rubbing his mustache.
“You know how the Lucky Strikers are when they get together,” I add, throwing in a little laugh.
The Sheriff pauses and gives me an uncertain look. “Rebel, has anything been going on with Gunner lately? Anything strange?”
“Something like what?” I gulp.
“He’s been asking his mother some strange questions…” The Sheriff’s words trail. “Perhaps I’m overthinking it. Gunner’s not the type to share his true thoughts and sometimes it’s hard for me to understand him.”
Unsure of how to answer that, I nod to his basket instead. “That’s a lot of ice.”
The Sheriff lifts the basket high. “My uncle came down for a visit and the entire family’s at the house. Carol sent me to pick up a few things.” He checks his watch. “I better run before the ice melts and I get in trouble with my wife.”
“See yah.” I smile as he passes me by. But when his words register, I call out, “Sheriff?”
He spins, his brows tightening in a way that reminds me of Gunner during an intense play. It’s like his mind is already ten steps ahead of the moment.
My heart humming with quiet dread, I ask, “Who came down to visit again?”
“Uncle Clarence. My dad’s older brother. I’m not sure if you’ve ever met him.”
The blood drains from my face and I struggle to hide how shaken I am. “Uncle Clarence. Yeah, yeah, I’ve heard of him.”
Water drips on his shoes and the Sheriff winces. “This ice is about to melt completely. Let’s talk again soon, Rebel.”
The sheriff rushes to the counter to pay for his items while I frantically process the news.
Clarence Kinsey is here. In Lucky Falls.
After everything that happened today, that can’t be a coincidence.
I run to find the nearest clerk, who so happens to be one of the little girls I babysat as a kid.
“Rebel!” Britney brightens when she sees me.
“Brit, I’m so sorry. Can you put this back for me?” I hand over the basket with the ice cream and popcorn kernels.
Hurrying out of the mart, I climb into my truck and dial Gunner’s number.
He doesn’t pick up.
I call Chance next. “Hey, have you heard from Gunner?”
“No,” Chance says. “Why? What happened?”
“He’s here,” I relay in a frantic rush. Throwing my seatbelt on, I back out of the parking lot and speed down the road to the Kinsey farm.
“Who’s here?”
“Clarence Kinsey.”
Chance leaks a stunned breath.
“What happened?” April’s voice echoes in the background.
“Clarence Kinsey is here in Lucky Falls,” Chance tells her.
I can picture my best friend’s eyes double in sizing.
“I’m going over there.”
“Where? The Kinsey farm?” April yells and I realize that Chance must have put me on speaker.
Chance throws in his own protests. “Are you sure that’s a good idea? What if you run into Clarence? We don’t know what we’re up against here. He could be dangerous.”
“He’s not going to try anything with the entire family there. And I doubt I’ll run into him. I have an idea of where Gunner is right now.”
“Just… be careful,” April stresses.
“I will.”
I hang up and focus on the dark road. Since I know the Sheriff will be right behind me, I take a detour that leads to the back of the Kinsey property, and closer to the treehouse.
After parking the car, I throw the door open and hike on foot until I see the platform built on long, winding tree branches. Hiking up my pants, I scale the ladder quickly and just as I’m about to pull myself up, a hand appears in front of me.
My eyes collide with Gunner’s as he leans down, his hair blowing gently in the breeze and tugging on his shirt.
Heart bursting with relief, I take Gunner’s hand and let him pull me to the top of the treehouse.