Chapter 14
Ifind myself waking up alone in bed the next morning. His side of the bed is neatly made, with a note resting on the pillow.
First, he made half the bed while I was in it? Second, a note?
“I had to be at the office early. You looked beautiful sleeping in my bed and I didn’t want to wake you. I’ll text you later. Tell your girl I said hi!”
That last sentence makes me swoon. He acknowledges my girl.
I decide to do the right thing and leave things alone… Just kidding; I roam.
Despite the immaculate decor, every room feels cold. I understand that this is a temporary home, but it’s so standard and bare. Cream walls, nature portraits, there is no personal personality here. Again, just like the pajamas, I am comparing home to home. I filled my small, eclectic home with second or third-hand items compared to his high-priced modern apartment. In the grand scheme of things, none of the materialistic things bother me. It’s where I fit into this picture.
Yesterday, he showed me more care and guidance than anyone I’ve ever encountered. I have been told “Just don’t go, and you won’t get upset,” or “Why bother if your brothers don’t go? Why put yourself through it, especially if she doesn’t know who you are?”
He sat and attempted to engage with my mom, even if the conversation was directed toward me.
Deciding that I’ve had enough snooping and need to get to work, I walk to the bedroom, where I make the rest of the bed. Attempting to make it as perfect as his side, I smooth my hand over the almost silk-like fabric of the sheets. I spot my clothes folded neatly on the chair in the corner of the room. Last night I did a roll fold to just keep them off his pristine floors. But now they are precisely folded and laying color-coded on the chair. My heart warms at the sight. No one has ever taken care of me the way he has.
Feeling a new sense of happiness, a sugary breakfast seems in order to balance out the extremely healthy meal he cooked last night. Wanting to make my brothers feel the way I do, I thought it would be nice to bring donuts and coffee. My body sings with praise on every bump my old truck hits. I skip onto the sidewalk and almost dance across the threshold of the bakery. I pick the most outrageous donuts I can find, and carefully make my way back to the shop. When I walk in, Leland is in the office with his back toward me. The door is closed, but his raised voice gives me some concern. He never speaks to people that way. Lawson is in the back, elbows deep in a Chevy Tahoe engine.
“Donuts and coffee in the kitchen,” I tell Lawson. I look back at the office. He seems stressed out more than normal. “What’s up with Leland?”
“Been on the phone with the lawyer all morning. By the way, what’s going on? Why did Victor text my woman about you? She dropped everything and took off yesterday.”
“She didn’t tell you?”
“No, and I didn’t push. What goes on between you two is between you two. But, are you okay?”
I bite my lip. Nervous about what he might say. “I saw Mom yesterday,”
“Oh, how is she?” He keeps his focus on the Chevrolet in front of him.
“She’s the same, as always. I took Victor with me.”
Lawson drops his wrench and his body snaps tall. “Why?”
“What do you mean, why?” Just by the annoyed tone in his voice, I can feel my frustration bubbling with the one-word question. He’s asked before, and it’s always ended in a fight. I don’t understand why he keeps asking. Then again, I haven’t given up on my mother.
“He’s not family. He isn’t staying around, so why bother?!” Lawson continues with the fucking comment. “Why bother?”
“What’s it to you, huh?”
“’Cause you are my sister, and she’s still my mom. She doesn’t remember you or any of us.” He throws his grease towel to the side. Lawson’s chest puffs out further when he rests his hands on his hips. He’s trying to portray an authoritative stance. A normal person might flinch or back away, but I’ve known this man since birth. No fuckin way is going to try to intimidate me.
“Where is this attitude coming from? Huh? Is it because I see mom for all of us, or is it because I took someone?” I ask.
“Both.” Lawson slaps his hands on his thighs before stepping closer to me. With two fingers, he taps the side of my head. “She isn’t there.”
Now I’m pissed. I smack his hand away from my face. “Touch my head like that again, and I’ll break your finger. Talk about how I spend time with our mother and who I take to meet her again, and I’ll knock you out.”
This constant fight has finally reached a breaking point. I’m so furious that I just throw my coffee at him. Turning on my heel, I step away from my brother.
“What the fuck? You’re my baby sister. I’m only looking out for you,” Lawson yells.
I turn to face my brother to really give him a piece of my mind when Leland’s door slams open. His heavy footsteps echo through the tiny garage.
“What the hell are you two going on about?” Leland’s raised voice surpasses both of ours. He leans his large body against the frame of the door.
“Collins is seeing Victor, and she took him to see Mom,” Lawson tattles, pointing his finger toward me.
“So?” Leland looks between us, confused.
“Are you serious?” The wind in Lawson’s sails falls dead when he realizes he doesn’t have big brother to back him up.
“Are you this daft, Lawson?” Leland asks.
“Y’all are out of it!” Lawson shakes his head.
“You are stepping over the line, brother,” Leland defends me. “Lawson, go home or see Massey. I don’t give a shit which one, just walk,” Leland instructs.
“Why me?” He looks offended.
“Because I brought coffee and donuts,” I say smugly.
“Enough!” Leland loses it. “She’s staying because I need to talk to her. Now go!” He points to the door.
Lawson jumps back, then marches out of the shop, glaring at me with such anger. I don’t care though. He should know better than to talk to me like that.
“Thanks for that, Leland, he can be…”
“Shut the hell up and sit!”
“Whoa.” I quickly sit down, holding my hands in the air.
“Sorry.” Leland rubs his hands up and down his face before jutting his fingers through his long hair. He pulls the hairband from his wrist and tosses his hair into a messy bun on his head. “I just got off the phone with the lawyers. There is a company pushing for eminent domain.”
“What’s that?”
“Where the government can come to take our property if it better suits the community.” He drops his head into his hands.
“Why our place? This garage has been here since we were kids. It’s like a local institution.” I can’t believe what I am hearing.
“I don’t know yet, but I need to come up with some more money for the lawyer.”
Biting my lip and looking down at my car, I’m trying to hold back tears. Could we lose this place? “Want me to sell her?”
“Hell no! That is yours,” he quickly responds.
“Okay, but don’t pay me for any work until this is all fixed!”
“Collins, you’ve got to support yourself. You need the paycheck.”
“Listen, I own that little shack. I bought it several years ago for super cheap and have been fixing it up myself. I can make it all work. Got it? You try to give me any sort of money and I’ll shove it…”
“Got it!” He holds his hands up. “Geez, you’re such an asshole today. How did I not know you bought that shack?”
I shrug. “I didn’t want anyone to worry about how I paid for it or how bad of condition it is. Especially you and Lawson. I listen to everything you guys say. Oh, because I fixed it up, I can sell it if we need it. Could probably get a good profit on it for us.”
“Not happening,” Leland firmly states. “I’m not going to have you sell or get rid of anything you’ve worked your ass off to get. I’ve moved our appointments to later this week. We need a couple of days to process this information and to think of a backup plan.”
“Does Lawson know?”
Leland shakes his head. “You know how he is. If he finds out we could lose this place, he is prone to lose his shit. I don’t want him to go into that dark place again.”
“He has to know, Leland. You know he will be more hurt if he comes here and sees a sold sign on the door.”
“Always right, sister. I’ll tell him. Maybe he will surprise us and have a good idea to keep it,” Leland grumbles.
I nod and watch my brother disappear back into his office and shut the door. Hard rock music booms from inside, shaking the windows. With a quick huff, I just head to my girl for some maintenance therapy.
Lost in my own head, I’m sitting on a small wooden bench working on the door when I feel someone take a seat behind me. It’s his clove and peppercorn cologne with a hint of bourbon that interrupts my focus. Gone is the worry of what could happen.
“What are you doing here? I thought you were at work?” He encourages my body to lean back against him. I soak in his scent as it wraps me with comfort.
“I was, but I think I needed more local research.” His hands press against my shoulders with his fingertips, applying pressure with small circles. I groan obnoxiously loud with appreciation. “Collins, why are you so tense?”
“I had a fight with one brother and then the other received a bad call,” I mumble. My head drops forward with every pressed and released circle his fingers make.
“Why did you fight with Lawson?” His voice is just above a whisper, but I can hear the concern.
“You want to know?” I raise my head and look over my shoulder at him.
“I want to know everything about you,” he answers honestly. “So, yes.”
“Lawson and I fought about you and how I took you to meet our mom. Leland has been on the phone with our lawyers. It’s not looking so good.”
“I’m so sorry, Collins. I don’t want you to fight with Lawson. Is there anything I can do to help Leland?”
I point to the office where the music is still going strong. “I have no idea if you can help him to be honest. I’m still not sure what’s happening. As far as Lawson, it’s not your fault. I wanted you to meet her, and you did. I don’t regret it, do you?”
“No, I understand you a lot better now.” Victor rubs down my greasy and sweaty arms.
“You are going to get your nice work clothes messed up. Grease isn’t forgiving.”
“Oh, I know! I threw my clothes out the day I worked here. I get why you looked at me with disgust in my polo shirt.” He laughs. “How’s your girl?”
“She’s good today. Maybe later this week we can take her for a test drive? Test out the new fuel system that I installed?”
“Yeah, that sounds like a plan.”
“Just tell me when you are available.”
“Anytime you need,” he reassures me. I don’t know why, but it makes me giddy like a schoolgirl. “So, I packed a bag… I didn’t want to assume, but… your place or mine?”
“What do you want?” Biting my lip, I already know the answer, but it’s nice to hear.
“Hands down, your place. I love the outdoor shower,” he admits.
“Yeah?” I turn slightly to look at him.
“Are you kidding? Yeah! Plus, you don’t have any neighbors,” he says, wiggling his eyebrows.
I turn my whole body to face him. “Wait, aren’t you from New York? The overpopulated city.”
“Yeah, but we keep to ourselves. My apartment is more soundproof and neighbors leave you alone. Here, neighbors are nosey or touristy.”
I giggle at his response. “Is that even a word?”
“I said it, so sure,” he teases. His head dips lower and his lips hover over my temple. “I’m addicted.”
“To what?” I whisper, digging for more information. I’m drowning in this feeling with him. It’s a mixture of excitement and calm that settles the worry. His entire demeanor went from someone I couldn’t understand to a man who makes it easy to smile.
“The quiet, man. It’s nice.”
“So, you like me for my house. The outdoor shower and the quiet?” I bury my face in the crook of his neck. I lay a soft kiss on his neck, my lips smiling against his skin.
“That had better be the only answer he has in this room,” Leland interjects.
We jump apart at his sudden appearance.
“Oh yeah, and the company, too. She’s pretty exceptional,” Victor adds.
“She’s fucking amazing,” Leland corrects him. “I’m out sis, lock up when you are done. Victor …Watch yourself with her,” he warns.
“Got it.”
“Love you, sis.” Leland nods and turns on his heel, heading out.
“Love you, Leland,” I yell after him.
Victor scoots closer behind me and waits while I put the door back together. Occasionally, he hands me a bolt or a wrench. Quietly following along.
“Almost done. Let me clean up. Did you want to go ahead and I’ll meet you at my place?”
“Did you eat dinner?” he asks.
“Not yet.”
“Alright, I’ll pick up some food and meet you back at home.”
I hand him a key to my house, and he drags me in for a lingering kiss. I could get used to this kind of kiss from him. He rushes out the door, pulling his phone from his pocket. He’s ordering food from my favorite poke truck.
He’s raised the bar. A bar I didn’t even know existed. I’m finally alone, so I quickly wash up and turn the lights off. I see that Leland’s office door is propped open as I pass by. A glance inside, I see a picture sitting on the desk behind a pile of paperwork. It’s a “family” picture I drew as a kid. It was for a school project and we had to draw our families. I drew my mom, Leland, Lawson, and myself at the shop. Bright flowers and make-believe grass all around. A poorly circular sun overhead. It was a dream to have the four of us together as a real family again.
Leland kept this horrible drawing. I forgot what I wrote at the top and seeing it now is a reminder of why we need to save this place.
“We have no one else but us.”