Covering the Carolinas (37 page)

“
Sunshine, your voice is bright as a
canary.”

“
Well, I think I get it from you,” I
say.

“
I know for sure it didn’t come from your
daddy. He couldn’t carry a tune in a bucket.” We both
laugh.

As the afternoon rolls around, so
do the chores on the farm. Grandaddy bush hogs the field while I
clean out the stalls. About halfway through, I take a short break
and grab
a
glass of water
when I see Cole’s truck pulling up.
I
wonder what he’s doin’ here.
I place my
glass into the sink and make my way outside to meet him.

“
Cole, whatcha doin’ here? You do know you’re
off today, right?” I ask.

“
Yeah, silly girl, I do. I left my fishin’ rod
here last week, and I think we’re going down to the pond to see if
we can catch a bite for supper.”

“
Oh, okay. Have fun and catch a bigun for
me!”

“
I will. What’s Uncle Dover got ya doin’
now?”

“
Just cleanin’ out the stalls. Nothing
special.”

“
Do you want some help?” he
asks. I can tell Cole is
up to something, but
what, I’m not sure.

“
Um, aren’t you goin’ fishin’?”

“
In a little while. I don’t mind helping you
first,” he states like he doesn’t care about the fishing
excursion.

“
How ’bout you just spit out what you wanna
say and mosey on?” I ask with a little attitude.

“
How ’bout I work and talk at the same time?”
he counters right back.

“
I guess, but who wants to shovel shit on
their day off? You must be crazy,” I say as we make our way to the
barn.

Cole removes his shirt to where
his undershirt is all that remains to cover his hard as a brick
body. I can’t grasp why he hasn’t found a girl yet. I mean, it’s
not like he’s old, but it’s
almost like he
couldn’t care less. I push away that thought, and we get to
business. After a minute or two of silence, he finally starts to
talk.

“
Rae, I’m just gonna lay it out there for
ya.”

“
You know, you’re kinda scarin’ me,” I say
with a little nervousness in my voice.

“
No need to be scared, but I just want you to
know. I know what’s going on.”

“
Okay… so, you know I have a
date tonight with your stepbrother, no biggie.” I
figured
he knew that already, so I have no idea
why he had to come here and say it, unless there’s
something I don’t know about Em.

He stops what he is doing, puts down the shovel,
wipes his hands on his jeans, and then walks toward me with both
fear and compassion in his eyes.

“
I know, Rae. I know something’s wrong with
Uncle Dover.” With those words, I drop my shovel and fall into
Cole’s arms. He doesn’t say a word. He just lets me cry.

I finally pull myself together and
away from him. “How’d you know?” I ask as I wipe my tears with the
hem of my shirt.
Really ladylike, I
know.

“
He had me go to the doctor
with him.” I begin to speak, but he stops me. “Stop, Rae. He wasn’t
gonna let me, but
he just said he needed
someone else to know that could take care of you if something
happened to him.”

“
Why didn’t he tell me you knew?” I
question.

“
I’m not sure. I think he
just wants to act like everything’s okay, and the doctor said a few
pills might fix it. He knows you, Rae, and he knows
you don’t talk to many people. He also knows I’ve been around
you as long as he has, so I am his best bet in case something goes
wrong.”

Wrong
.
That word hits me like a knife in the heart. “Nothin’ is gonna go
wrong, Cole! Grandaddy’s gonna be fine. He said so. The doctor said
so. We just have to keep the farm goin’ and keep it to ourselves.
We’ve already been the pity of this town when I was five, and I’m
sure as hell not gonna let that happen again!” I yell at
him.

As if he knows exactly what to do,
he pulls me in again. “Rae, I’m not sayin’ I’m gonna announce it to
the world. I just wanted you to know you have someone to talk to. I
love ya. I always have. You’re my cousin and I’m here for ya,
okay?” he says as he lifts my chin toward him. Now, let’s hurry up
with this shit toss we have right here, so you can get ready for
your date with
Emmett
,”
he says in his most girlie
voice.

I push off him and fling one
shovel of shit right at him, but I play nice because it lands a
couple of feet away
from him.

“
Girl, you better be glad that didn’t land on
me. I’m tryin’ to help ya, for cryin’ out loud.”

I smirk and keep working. When we finish, I give
Cole a glass of water. He gets his fishing rod, stops by to talk to
Grandaddy, and then leaves. There is something about that boy that
always makes me smile. I guess he is like the brother I’ve never
had, and I am relieved the secret isn’t only kept with me.

Once Cole is gone, I check to make sure Grandaddy
doesn’t need anything else done around the farm. He just has to
give the animals some fresh water, and he will be done, so I go
inside to get ready.

Looking in my closet, I try to
figure out what I’m going to wear. When nothing strikes my fancy, I
decide to shower first and then find something later. I grab my
iPod, turn on iTunes Radio, and crank up some good ol’ country
music. I spend the
next hour singing,
showering, dancing like a fool, and making my
legs silky smooth. Then, it’s time to decide wha
t to
wear. This would be so much easier if I had a clue where we were
going. I don’t want to dress too laid back, but I don’t want to
overdo it, either. I mean, we’re in Pleasant Hill for goodness
sake. It’s not like there’s much to do here.

As I begin to rummage through my
closet, I find my cream colored, long-sleeved, lace top. From the
front, it appears pretty plain, but when I look at the back, I know
it’s the one to wear. The back looks like an upside-down triangle
is missing, and it shows off my back perfectly. Knowing I want to
try to keep my look casual chic, I match it with my dark denim
cutoffs and a pair of crocheted slouch boots. Now that this
decision is made, I make my way back to the bathroom to finish my
mak
eup and hair.

As I pause to look at my reflection, I stand
silently as I see a girl who is the spitting image of her mother. I
vaguely remember my mother’s chocolate locks that flowed halfway
down her back and how she pulled it up into a messy bun when it got
hot. I’d ask her to do the same to mine, and she would. My heart
hurts for her. How I wish she were here to talk to me about boys,
life, and what she wants for my future. Sometimes a girl just needs
her mama. I smile and speak out loud to her, “Mama, I hope I make
you proud. I miss you.”

I don’t know if it’s my
subconscious or just wishful thinking, but I can hear her saying,
“You bet I am, sweet girl. Now, knock ’em dead out there.” And,
just like that, I feel her around me, and I know I’m going to be
okay, regardless
of what the future holds.

Looking at my watch, I realize it’s almost
time for Emmett to arrive. I take a little product and run it
through my hair to help with the frizz that will happen later from
the Carolina humidity. I grab my accessories,
change my purse to match, and make my way down the hallway to
talk with Grandaddy until Emmett gets here
.

Grandaddy is sitting in the kitchen, reading
the newest
Our State
magazine
as I enter. He looks up, and I know words are coming. I brace
myself.

“
Sunshine, you look beautiful. Emmett is one
lucky boy, but I got my shotgun ready to scare him a
little.”

“
Grandaddy!” I exclaim.

“
Hey, you got to let those boys know we mean
business, even if he is a good guy. They are only out for one
thing, no matter what they tell ya. I was young once, too, ya
know?”

“
Whatcha talkin’ ’bout? You’re still young,” I
say as I give him a hug.

“
That’s my girl. Makin’ your
old man feel good,” he says with a laugh. “But, listen to me, Rae.
I know you’re excited, and you look like a million bucks, but be
careful. I’d hate to have to whoop that poor boy’s ass
over
you.”

Gasping, I say, “Such
language
.”

“
Hey, I’m just tryin’ to get
my point across. Really, be careful, have fun, and don’t do
anything I wouldn’t do,” he says, as there is a light knock on the
door. “Oh, let me,” he suggests with a shrewd grin. Grandaddy
stands from the table, grabs his shotgun from the corner, and heads
for the front door.
Oh, gawsh! I
wanna die from embarrassment!
I put on a
smile and wait
for Emmett’s reaction.
Grandaddy opens the door with the gun in his hand.

“
Good evening, Mr. Lowery,” Emmett says
calmly, but the expression on his face looks like he’s ready to
about-face and run as I peek around the kitchen corner.

“
Emmett, come in,” Grandaddy
says flatly, and I try to resist the urge to giggle. They make
their way into the
foyer. “Rae will be out in
just a minute, but I wanted to talk to you first.”

“
Yes, sir,” Emmett
replies
.

“
I expect you to take care of her, Emmett
Bridges. She’s a good girl, and I love her more than life itself.
If you hurt her, by God, I’ll make you wish you never stepped foot
back into Pleasant Hill. Got it?”

“
Yes, sir.”

“
A’ight.
Now, have her home by eleven.”

“
Will do, Mr. Lowery.”

“
Sunshine!” Grandaddy hollers. “Emmett’s
here.”

On that cue, I walk into the foyer to meet him. When
I round the corner, I see him standing there in a pair of jeans and
a fitted polo, holding a bouquet of daisies. I feel as if the world
stops spinning when I see him. A smile spreads across his face, but
I can see he’s trying to refrain from a real reaction with
Grandaddy standing there.

“
You look gorgeous, Raegan,”
Emmett states
as his smile continues to
grow.

“
Thanks,” I
respond
as he hands me the flowers. “They’re
beautiful; let me put them in some water real quick.”

As I start to make my way toward the kitchen,
Grandaddy intercepts me. “I’ll take ’em. You two go on.”

“
Thanks, Grandaddy. I love you,” I say as I
give him the flowers and a kiss on the cheek.

“
Love you, too.”

With that, Emmett and I
make our way out the door toward his truck.

Emmett

After hanging up the phone, I
throw it onto the bed. Now, what to do to kill time until our
date.
I just might take a ride to see
exactly what we can do tonight. I’m thinking she’s more than a
dinner and movie kinda girl, but what?

I walk into my room and grab my phone, keys, and
ball cap as Mom yells for me. “Yeah?” I answer.

“
Did you talk to her yet?” she
asks.

“
Yes, ma’am, I’m pickin’ her up at six, but I
have no clue where to take her.”

Mom ponders a moment, and
then
her face lights up. “I heard there’s a band
playing at The Shed tonight. That might be fun, and maybe take her
somewhere nice to eat, like Smoke?”

“
Thanks, Mom, I actually kinda like those
ideas.”

“
You’re welcome. Just be home by
midnight.”

“
Yes, ma’am.” I scratch the idea of a ride and
decide to hang around the house. As I walk to the barn, I pass Cole
who is obviously looking for something. His fishing pole of course,
and it’s at the Lowery Farm. Shaking my head, I pull the cover off
the four-wheeler and make my way to the woods out back.

After riding around for an hour or so, I return to
the house to get ready for the night. Not that it will take long,
but the sooner six o’clock gets here, the better.

Cole’s truck is gone when I get
back to the house. I wonder if he got to see her, and a hint of
jealously races through my veins. I shake it from my head and go
inside. I hurry upstairs to shower and get
dressed
.

Once I’m ready, I turn on ESPN and
relax for a little while. That’s when the idea hits me.
Flowers! I need flowers!
Looking at the clock, I have more than enough time to go and
buy her some at the farmers’ market. Grabbing my things, I let Mom
know I’m leaving and make my way there.

As I pull into the farmers’ market, the crowds are
leaving and the vendors are packing up for the day. I hope I’m not
too late. Glancing around, I see a guy loading up flowers onto a
truck to head back home. I make my way toward him.

“
Excuse me, sir. Do you have time to sell one
more set?” I say.