Across the Creek (23 page)

“You’re the one who’s too cool. Look at you. Long, curly blond hair, perfect skin and teeth. You’re way too manicured and cool for me,” he teased.

“Me? Look at you. Tall with long, wavy brown hair and big blue eyes. You’re definitely the one who’s too cool.”

“Wow, so you really do dig me.”

Sarah turned to hide the warming in her cheeks. “You’re too sweet, Ponyboy.”

“Hey! You weren’t supposed to start repeating that name.”

She looked back at Jesse. “I’ll admit that at first I didn’t see it. But after spending some time with you these past few weeks, I can now.”

“See what?”

“You and Ponyboy,” she said. “You’re sweet, a little shy, cute, and you have a depth that it is rare in men. You have this intensity about you. And you’re very passionate about the ones you care about.”

“You’re very passionate, too. Your eyes radiate when you talk about your father and the plant nursery.”

Sarah turned her head toward the passenger window. “I miss him.”

Jesse reached over and placed his hand on hers. “I know you do.”

Sarah folded her hands and tried using them as a pillow against the passenger door.

“Are you tired?”

“A little,” she said.

“Come here,” he said, waving her over. She slid across and Jesse wrapped his right arm around her, offering his shoulder as a pillow.

Sarah took in Jesse’s manly scent of soap and cologne. The type of smell she could easily get lost in. The safety she felt within his arm was more than she had felt with anyone else. Kevin was strong, but they rarely took the time to do things like this. In fact, would he have even gone on this trip with her? He wasn’t one to get caught up in whimsical journeys, no matter how romantic. He had been raised to be practical, level headed, with two feet planted firmly on the ground at all times. But beneath Kevin’s hard shell was a heart every bit as big as Jesse’s, Sarah knew.

Jesse kept one hand on the wheel and his eyes fixed on the road. “You should get some sleep. We’ve got another two hours before we hit New Haven.”

“My mother stopped by last week.”

“Are you serious? And how did that go?”

“I slammed the door on her.”

“Really? So not well?”

Sarah had run that conversation with her mother over in her head a thousand times since that day. Could her mother really be sincere? Had her father been seeing her for the last couple of months before his death? Where the heck had she been all these years? “She blames me for Henry’s death.”

“Are you sure?”

Sarah nodded. “That has to be why she left us. Ever since Henry died, she treated me like I had a cold she didn’t want to catch and acted like my father didn’t exist. Then she vanished.”

“What happened to Henry?” Jesse looked down at Sarah. “If you don’t mind me asking.”

The memory of that day had haunted her nearly every day since. Henry’s smile was enough to melt the coldest ice. He had an innocent way about him.

“Henry and I had a game that we played all the time.”

“Robbie and I did, too. Ours was bloody knuckles. I played it because it was easier than taking a beating from him.”

“That sounds terrible.”

“It wasn’t as bad as you’d think. One person has to hold out their fist while the other person punches it. If you flinch or pull back, then you lose. It was stupid really.”

“Ours was stupid, too. But at the time I didn’t realize how much.”

“What was it?”

“Tag.”

“That game isn’t stupid. Lots of kids play that game.”

Sarah remembered the look on Henry’s face when she rounded the corner of the bush. She gave him the
I’m it and going to catch you
look. “Henry was busy building something out of a pile of rocks. That’s what he used to do; instead of pushing boundaries, he built things.

“He looked up at me and smiled. He knew the game was on and all I really wanted to do was catch him. It was just something we did for fun. But when I ran after him, he darted straight into the road and in front of a car.”

Jesse’s arm tightened around Sarah. “I’m so sorry.”

“It was my fault. I shouldn’t have chased him. I should have known that he would do that. He was only five years old and all he wanted to do was avoid getting caught.”

“You were young yourself, Sarah. You had no idea that he would do that. Did you ever speak to your father about this?”

“No. The last time we spoke about Henry was when we were still living in New Haven. I noticed Henry’s bedroom door was open a little. I peeked inside and saw my dad sitting on Henry’s bed with the Star Wars blanket and holding onto an action figure that Henry used to carry around with him everywhere he went. He saw me and waved me in and we cried together.”

“It had to be hard on your family.”

“It was. And my mother spent the next few years blaming me for it.”

Jesse looked down at Sarah. “Look at me,” he said, his voice as soft and caring as his large blue eyes. “It’s not your fault, Sarah. It was an accident. Accidents happen. There was no way for you to see it coming. It’s not your fault.”

She looked back out the windshield. His words were comforting, and she almost believed them. “Thank you, Jesse.”

Jesse

Shortly after driving past the sign welcoming people to New Haven, Jesse pulled into the entrance to Whispering Meadows. The lights in most of the homes were off. The large Victorian houses were bigger than he remembered as a kid. Most were white with a different colored trim, and many had large balconies. He couldn’t help but wonder how different his life would have turned out if he had grown up in a place like this. Then he looked at Sarah, who had fallen asleep with her head on his shoulder, and remembered what his Uncle August always told him:
Money can’t buy love or happiness.
Maybe he was right.

“Sarah.”

Her eyes opened and blinked a few times before she sat up. “What time is it?”

“I’m guessing it’s after ten. We’re here.”

She looked around and wiped her eyes. “You mean I slept this whole way?”

“No. Just the last two hours.”

“I’m so sorry. I’m a terrible traveling partner.” She stretched her arms. “This place hasn’t changed a bit.” Jesse’s shoulder felt as if someone had frogged it. He gave it a few rotating twists. “I’m sorry. You should’ve knocked me off of you.”

“No, you’re fine. Which house was yours?”

She looked up and down the streets as if catching her bearings. “Turn here,” she said, pointing to the left. “That’s our house there.” She pointed at a house not much different from the rest. Three stories, white, with large windows and decorative molding around the house. Only the huge pillars at the top of the steps set it apart from the others.

“Nice house.”

“Yeah, too bad it doesn’t come with the nicest of memories.”

Jesse shot her a smile. “They weren’t all bad, were they?”

She smiled back and shook her head. “No. Not all bad.” She looked back at the house. “How are we going to get to the willow tree?”

“Just leave that up to me.”

Jesse got out of the truck first. He looked around before pulling out a blanket, tossing it over his shoulder. Then he removed a flashlight and handed it to Sarah before removing the shovels and gloves.

“Yeah, this doesn’t look criminal or anything.” Sarah giggled.

“Shhh,” Jesse said, pressing his finger to his lips. “You’re going to blow our cover.”

Sarah laughed even louder.

With a military wave, Jesse set off, Sarah following behind with the flashlight. They crouched down, careful not to make too much noise as they walked up the side yard and stopped beside Sarah’s old house under a cloak of darkness.

“It’s too dark,” Sarah said, turning on the flashlight.

Jesse tossed the blanket over the flashlight. “Are you trying to get caught?”

“Oh yeah, this whole trespassing thing is illegal, isn’t it? Sorry. I keep forgetting that we’re breaking the law.”

Jesse leaned in toward Sarah, placing his face directly in front of hers. The smell of her sweet perfume was enough to make him forget for a moment what they were doing there. Then he noticed that her eyes held a slight reflection of the moon. The thought of kissing her passed through his mind but he dismissed it in order to focus on the task at hand. “Don’t take this the wrong way, but you are a terrible criminal,” he informed her.

“I’m sorry. I’ll try harder, sir,” she said, saluting.

“Have you been sneaking alcohol when I wasn’t looking?” he asked.

“I’m sorry. I always get a little goofy when I’m really nervous. I don’t think I’d make a very good bank robber.”

“You think?” Jesse replied sarcastically. “Just follow me.”

Staying close to the house, he peered around the back and saw the same floodlights shining in the backyard as the ones he had seen in the front. Damn.

“Do you see that shed off to the corner of the yard?” he asked. Sarah nodded. “That’ll have to be our cover.”

“Okay.”

Sarah turned to look at her old yard, and a sad look crossed her face. Jesse followed her line of sight and remembered that a massive garden used to take up most of the backyard. It was gone now, replaced by sod. It had been a big part of her childhood and a reminder of her dad. Jesse gave her hand a squeeze.

He hunched down and quickly walked between the properties. Just as they got halfway, the neighbor’s lights kicked on.

“Run!” Jesse whispered. “Go, go, go!”

They both shot over to the shed and then ducked down behind it.

For a few minutes they waited in silence, Jesse scanning the yard as he waited for a neighbor to come out. No one did, and the light soon switched off.

“Motion sensor lighting,” he said. “It’s okay.”

“Wow, it’s kind of a turn-on seeing you like this,” Sarah said. “You’re so in control.”

“Are you sure you haven’t been drinking?” Jesse asked. She nodded. “Come on. The woods are about fifty feet from here. Once we’re inside, we won’t have to worry about being seen.”

They made a dash to the woods and disappeared into the trees. “Are you okay?” he asked.

“Yeah, but I can’t see. Can I turn on the flashlight now?”

“We should be fine. Just keep it pointed down at the ground.”

They made their way through the woods with Jesse guiding them. “How do you remember the way?” Sarah asked.

“I don’t know. I just do. Not much has changed back here.”

With the exception of crickets and the rustling of the trees’ branches, the woods were silent, secretive.

“Are you scared?” Jesse asked.

“I would be if you weren’t here.”

Jesse smiled. “I don’t think we have much farther to go.”

A few minutes later Jesse could hear the sound of running water. “Do you hear that?”

“Is that the creek?”

“We’re getting close.”

Just like the woods, the creek appeared untouched. The rushing water and shiny wet rocks reflected light from the moon and stars, giving it a mystic look and feel. “Wow,” Sarah said. “It’s more beautiful than I remembered.”

Jesse looked down the bank and found the giant willow tree about twenty yards from where they were standing. “Look,” he said, pointing.

“Oh my gosh!” Sarah ran over and placed her hand on the bark, as if proving to herself it was real. “I can’t believe it. Lots of great memories here.”

“Yep. Lots of great memories,” Jesse agreed. “Look at this,” he said, pointing at the carving on the tree.

“I remember when you did that.” She traced her fingers on the letters. “J & S 4-ever.” She looked at him. “We were crazy kids, weren’t we?”

“It seems like a lifetime ago,” Jesse said. And in more than one way, it was. Both Jesse and Sarah were no longer who they were the day they shared their first kiss beneath this tree. Life had separated them the way the creek had when they were children, and now she was engaged to marry someone else, while Jesse had architecture, Aunt Sherry, a pet shop, and a brother in prison.

“Look.” Jesse followed Sarah’s line of sight through the branches and found the moon, lighting the draped branches with a soft glow. “Isn’t that just beautiful?”

He looked back down at her and watched as the moonlight danced in her eyes. “Yes. One of the most beautiful things I’ve ever seen.”

She met his eyes with her own. The same fire and intensity he felt that night in her apartment burned within him now. Their eyes remained locked in that moment, as if their souls had somehow found each other and intertwined.

“Well.” He set the shovel against the tree. “I should probably start digging. Do you remember where you buried the time capsule?”

“What? Oh yeah, the time capsule.” Sarah aimed the flashlight toward the ground and began looking for the burial site. “I think it’s over here,” she said, pointing the flashlight about five feet from the tree.

“Are you sure?”

“Pretty sure. Dad put that rock over it as a way to mark the spot.”

“All right,” he said. “Are you ready for this?”

She nodded. “Let’s do it.”

Jesse decided to lay out the blanket a few feet from the burial site. As he opened it up, a second blanket fell out. “Looks like there are two blankets here.”

“That’s good,” Sarah said, rubbing her arms. “It’s getting a little chilly out here.”

“Yeah, you probably shouldn’t be wearing short sleeves.”

“Sorry, I’m not used to trespassing and traipsing through the woods in the middle of the night.”

“Here you go. You can sit here and aim the flashlight for me.” After she sat, Jesse wrapped the second blanket around her shoulders. “This should keep you warm.”

“Thank you.”

“You’re welcome. Now, it’s time to go to work.” He let out a slight grunt as he lifted the heavy rock and set it off to the side. “Are you sure you’re ready for this?”

“Absolutely.”

Jesse picked up the shovel and slammed it into the dirt, threw his load to one side, and then repeated. After a few minutes of digging, he stopped and checked his depth. About two feet deep. “You guys did a good job burying this thing. Are you sure it’s here?”

“I think it is. It’s the same rock.”