Ryan's Return (16 page)

"That's coffee, Aunt Josephine, and maybe if you stuck to coffee, you'd stop all this nonsense."

Josephine tossed her head in the air, obviously deeply offended by Kara's comment. "You can call it what you want. The leaves don't lie. Only people do."

Kara fumed as Josephine left. Sometimes her aunt drove her crazy. You couldn't tell if someone was about to fall in love from the leaves in a teacup or from the number of goose bumps on her arms. Shivers, indeed, but she couldn't help casting one last look at Ryan's closed bedroom door as she walked toward the staircase.

Ryan checked his camera bag one last time as a knock came at his door. His heart quickened for a moment. He wondered if Kara had changed her mind. That fantasy faded at the sound of Josephine's voice.

"Come in," he said. One look at her agitated face told him something was up. "What's wrong?"

"Angel. She wouldn't open the door to her bedroom."

"She'll come out when she gets hungry enough."

Josephine held out a bobby pin in the palm of her hand. "I picked the lock. Angel is not in her room. She's gone."

Ryan looked at Josephine in confusion. "Gone where?"

"Apparently out the window and down the branches of that tree next to her room."

Ryan rushed over to his window and looked out. Angel's room was on the same side of the house, just farther back. Sure enough, the tree branches did reach right out to her window. But it was a sheer drop to the ground. The kid would have been crazy to try a stunt like that.

Crazy or mad or frustrated -- as he had been when his mother didn't come back, when Jonas sent him to his room, and he could smell the air of freedom just outside the window, too tantalizing to resist.

Angel was gone all right. Damn. The least she could have done was wait until morning.

"I want you to look for her," Josephine said.

"Me? I don't know where she went."

Josephine held up a child's address book. "The page with her father's address is torn out."

"Her father? That's it. Forget it. Count me out. I can't help you. Call Kara. I'm not getting in the middle of this family problem."

"Why not? Kara is in the middle of yours."

"She chose to be. It was her idea to invite me here."

"But you're the one who can't leave her alone."

Ryan saw the perception in Josephine's eyes. He didn't know if she had read it in his tea leaves earlier that afternoon or just knew it in her heart, but somehow she sensed the growing attraction between Kara and himself.

"I'm trying," he said finally.

"Try harder. It's dark and it's going to rain again."

"Where does this guy live anyway?" Ryan asked.

"San Francisco."

"You want me to go to San Francisco?"

"No, I want you to go to Tucker's Bridge and bring Angel home."

"I don't understand."

Josephine put her hands on his arms. "She wants to see her father, but she's afraid that she won't be welcome. She'll stop to think, and the longer she thinks, the more uncertain she'll become."

Ryan nodded. Yes, that's exactly what Angel would do, just what he had always done. He wanted to find his mother, yet he didn't. Because there was always a question in the back of his mind that maybe his father was right, maybe she really didn't want him.

He shook his head. These were two different situations, two different kids, but he grabbed his raincoat on the way out the door.

The Serenity Springs talent show went off without a hitch, and long after the final note had been played, the final song sung, people lingered in the aisles, chatting about the town, beaming their pride in wide, open smiles.

The only person missing from the event was Ryan. His absence disturbed Kara. She had hoped he would photograph some of the performers, but apparently he had chosen not to come. She wondered if it had anything to do with her -- anything to do with her saying no. Maybe he had left, packed his bags and headed south to L.A. to his empty apartment and no-commitment life-style.

Her depressing thoughts carried into her actions as she folded each chair with a decisive thump, irritated with herself as well as Ryan. It shouldn't matter to her what he did. The man would be gone in two days. So what if he left early? He had done what she asked, maybe not all of it, but enough to make a difference. A small one anyway.

"Kara." Dirk Anders called her name.

She waved him across the room, taking careful note of his wet slicker.

"You missed the show," she said.

"Mother Nature is putting on one of her own."

"Is it raining again?"

"A bit. The wind has kicked up. We've had gusts up to fifty miles an hour."

"I guess that means no river events tomorrow."

"The river may be the main event. It's washing over Tucker's Bridge."

"But that bridge is low."

"We checked the high points, too. She's riding high, a couple more inches every hour."

"What are you saying?"

"I think she's going to flood."

"That hasn't happened in twenty-five years."

"Doesn't mean it can't happen now."

"Just the lower roads, right?" She desperately wanted reassurance, but he couldn't give her any.

"I hope so. I cleared out the folks along River Road. We'll start sandbagging tomorrow, see if we can't protect the downtown area."

"And the Gatehouse."

"You could be in trouble, Kara. I won't lie to you. The Gatehouse is at the end of the lane."

"And for me it's the end of the line. I can't lose the Gatehouse."

"Then you better start praying for sunshine." Dirk stepped to one side as Andrew joined them.

"Hi," Kara said, taking Andrew's hand. "You okay?" He looked tired and worried.

"I've had better days."

"Dirk was just telling me about the river."

Andrew nodded, exchanging a long look with Dirk. "I haven't seen her this fast in years. She's roaring with passion."

Kara was beginning to get irked by the pronoun "she." "The river is not a person." Dirk and Andrew looked at her blankly. "You keep saying she."

"She's just like a woman," Dirk explained. "She gives life, brings peace, nurtures the land. And when she's angry, all hell breaks loose."

Kara sighed as Dirk and Andrew nodded in complete accord. There was no point in trying to change their minds. The Snake River was as much a passionate woman to them as it was a dangerous serpent to Kara. She didn't love the river. Oh, she enjoyed the water. But deep down she was scared of all that uncontrollable power.

"This could be a disaster," Kara said. "I wanted the media to cover the centennial, not get front-row seats for a natural disaster."

"Well, at least we have more folks in town to fill sandbags," Dirk said, looking at the bright side. He turned to Andrew. "How's Jonas?"

"He's holding his own, demanding to go home, threatening to kill someone if they don't give him back his pants."

"That's good. He's on the mend." Dirk tipped his hat. "You both take care now."

Andrew turned to Kara. "I finished the paper. I think it will be okay. I had to make some last-minute decisions that I'm not sure Jonas will agree with, but -- Kara?"

"That's nice," Kara said, distracted by a conversation going on at the other end of the room between Harrison Winslow and Mayor Hewitt. They seemed to be arguing about something.

"It's the first edition I ever did completely on my own," Andrew continued. "I think you'll like it."

"I'm sure I will," she said, without really hearing his words. "Would you excuse me? I think I need to interrupt that conversation over there."

"But Kara, I want to tell you about..."

"Can you tell me tomorrow?" She offered him a pleading smile. "I want to catch Harrison before he leaves. I have my car, so I don't need a ride."

"Sure, fine." Andrew watched Kara leave with a heavy heart. So much for rushing over here to share his news. He dug his hands into his pockets and walked outside.

When he got in his car, he hesitated before turning the key. He was still tense and excited, nervous about his father and the paper. He didn't feel like going home. He needed to unwind, to talk to someone. Down the street, he saw the sign for Swanson's Bar. Maybe just a quick drink.

"Harrison," Kara said with a smile. "I'm glad you didn't rush out. I wanted to get your impressions of the centennial."

"It's terrific," Harrison said. "Unfortunately the mayor seems to think my plans are too progressive."

"How so?" she asked, trying to sound calm.

"He wants to tear down half the woods, Kara," Mayor Hewitt said angrily.

"That's an exaggeration," Harrison proclaimed in his smooth, somewhat arrogant voice.

"I'm sure when Mr. Winslow presents his plans to the city council, they'll be well within our guidelines," Kara said, "at least for the city-owned land."

The mayor shook his head and went to join his wife, who waited patiently by the door.

"You're one of the few people in this town with vision," Harrison said, eyeing her with more personal appreciation than was appropriate.

"I'm not afraid of change," Kara said diplomatically. "Others don't feel the same way."

"Why don't we have a drink and discuss it?"

Kara felt certain he had more than a drink in mind. "I'm afraid I can't. I need to get home to my daughter."

Harrison's eyes lost their warmth. "I'm not about to change my plans, Kara. Frankly I don't need to. Most of the land I want is privately owned. You've convinced me that Serenity Springs can offer a touristy appeal to my guests. As far as I'm concerned, the resort is a done deal."

"I'm sure we can peacefully coexist. You want a thriving resort. I want a thriving town. We both want the same thing."

"Maybe." Harrison didn't look convinced. "Sometimes it just looks that way on the surface."

"What do you want?" Loretta asked abruptly as Andrew sat down at the bar.

There was a large group of outsiders drinking over by the pool table and a smaller, quieter group of locals sharing beers across the room, but there was no one at the bar except him and Loretta.

She looked tired. Her hair was falling out of its ponytail, and as he watched she pursed her lips together and blew a few strands off her hot face.

"Come on, Andrew. I don't have all day," she said.

"Sorry. I'll have a beer, whatever is on tap."

While Loretta got him a beer, Andrew looked around the place. It was certainly more lively than he had seen it in awhile. Business had picked up for the centennial, despite the rain.

"Still wet out there?" Loretta asked as she pushed his mug across the bar.

"Yes. The National Weather Service is predicting steady rain for the next four days."

"Oh, dear." Loretta looked at him through worried eyes. "Last time it flooded we lost everything."

Andrew nodded. Loretta's house was down toward the river by Jonas and Kara. His own house was on higher ground, so he probably wouldn't have to worry, unless the whole town went underwater.

"Maybe you should start packing just in case," Andrew suggested.

"And go where?"

"I don't know. You must have some friends or family somewhere else, don't you?"

She looked him straight in the eye. "No."

"Oh." He paused. "I'm sorry about last night," he said, referring to the scene at the dinner.

Loretta shrugged. "Doesn't matter. I know what you think of me. I know what everyone thinks of me."

"You don't." The words burst out of him before he could consider the consequences.

"What does that mean?"

"It means ..." Instinctively he looked around to see if anyone could hear him, but no one was paying any attention to them. "It means I think you're a nice person.

Loretta laughed. "Gee, I'll have to remember that for my tombstone. There goes Loretta Swanson, a nice person."

Andrew flushed angrily. "I take it back."

"You didn't mean it anyway."

"You know, it's your own fault that people don't treat you better," Andrew said. "Here I am trying to be a friend, and you laugh at me."

Her expression turned serious. "Are you really trying to be a friend, Andrew? Honest?"

He nodded.

She stuck out her hand. "Shake on it?"

When he took her hand, he found he couldn't let go. Her skin was so soft. He wanted to pull her closer, across the bar and into his lap. He wanted to take down her ponytail and run his hands through her hair. He wanted to trace her lips with his finger. His breathing came faster with each treacherous thought.

Loretta pulled her hand away and turned her back on him. She seemed to be trembling, as if he affected her as much as she affected him. But how could that be? Someone like Loretta wouldn't get turned on by a simple touch of his hand. She had probably had sex every way known to man. He was a fool for thinking she could want him. He couldn't satisfy a woman like her; he would be afraid to try.

Picking up his glass, Andrew drank it down. Loretta suddenly got busy behind the bar, tallying up cash receipts and filling drink orders. It was a good five minutes before she spoke to him again.

"How's Jonas?" she asked. "I heard he had a heart attack."

"He's all right for now, but the doctor said he needs to get his blood pressure and his cholesterol down and start taking it easier."

"Who's going to put out the paper tomorrow?"

"I am. I mean, I did. It's done."

"You? Now there's a refreshing thought. If I have to read one more editorial on preserving this town and the river exactly the way they are, I'm going to puke. What did you write your editorial on?" she asked, eagerness lighting up her tired face.

"I wrote about preserving the river and the town exactly the way they are," Andrew said slowly.

Her face fell. "Oh, well. I'm sure it still has a fresh twist to it."

"No, it doesn't. I wrote the thing like a memory, Loretta. I've heard and read the words so many times, I just turned on the computer and my fingers knew what to do." He hit the edge of the bar with his hand. "God, I am so stupid, thinking I'm putting out my own paper now, and all I'm doing is putting out the same damn paper. No one will even notice Jonas didn't do it."

"It's okay," she said soothingly, touching his hand with hers. "You just need some warm-up time. Do something special for Sunday's paper."

"Like what?"

"I don't know. Write about something that's important to you."

What was important to him? His son? His family? Kara? The river? Loretta? His mind fixated on the last word as he watched Loretta fill another drink order.

Her hands were quick and efficient. He wondered if she had ever had a doubtful or cautious moment in her life, or if she had always known just what to do and when to do it.

"I did put Ryan's picture on the front page," Andrew said when she turned her attention back to him. "Kara wanted him to get coverage. And it's ridiculous to ignore his presence when the rest of the county is covering him in their papers."

"So you did it for Kara," Loretta said with a smile that seemed rather unwilling. "That was sweet of you. I'm sure she'll love it." She picked up the dish towel and began to wipe down the bar.

"I hope so." He ran a finger around the edge of his glass. "It felt good to be at the paper all alone, nobody looking over my shoulder, nobody telling me I'm doing it wrong. The truth is, I could put out that paper in my sleep. Why can't my father see that?"

"He doesn't want to let go. He's hanging on for dear life to that paper and the way this town used to be. But things are changing, Andrew Joseph."

"Why are you still here? I would have thought you'd have left a long time ago."

"I did leave for a while in my twenties, just after you married Becky Lee. I went to Berkeley. It was like stepping onto a movie set. Nobody cared what you wore or how you talked. It was free there."

"That actually sounds kind of nice. I've often wondered what it would feel like to live in a place where no one knew me."

"It feels good. Real good." Loretta rested her arms on the bar. "I had to come home when Pop got sick. There was no one to take care of him. I never expected he'd linger for six years. By the time he finally passed on, it seemed too late to go back. But someday I'll get out of here. I want to see Los Angeles and San Diego, maybe go somewhere exotic like Bermuda or Tahiti, or somewhere cool like Switzerland."

"I wouldn't know what to do in any of those places."

"That's the beauty of it, Andrew. Learning new things. Being someone different."

"It might be lonely, going alone."

"Maybe I won't go alone. Haven't you ever considered leaving this place?"

"No. Not really. Well, sometimes," he prevaricated as he saw the challenging glint in her eye. "Okay, I confess, I've thought about it."

"Where would you go -- if you could go anywhere in the world?"

"I'd like to go to New York City."

Her eyes widened. "You, in New York City? That's a picture."

"I'd like to go somewhere fast, where everything moves at the speed of light."

"Me, too -- where you can feel the blood rushing through your veins and your heart pounding against your chest," Loretta agreed.

Andrew felt drops of sweat bead along his brow. He could almost see the two of them dancing in some dark nightclub in New York City, their bodies rubbing up against each other, her bright red lips leaving marks all over his body. He took in a deep breath and tried to remember where they were -- a small-time bar in a small-time town. "Yeah, well, neither one of us is going anywhere, especially you. You're having a baby."