The Boarding House (13 page)

Tessa was nearly six feet tall and into Goth. She had black hair, black fingernail polish, and kohl-rimmed eyes with fake black lashes. Ellie was all for people doing their thing, but she privately thought the black lipstick was overkill and didn’t like to work the same shift as Tessa because she was lazy.

Today Randy was taking orders and money while Ellie was in back, filling them from a computer screen. As she was filling up the strawberry syrup, a new order popped up. Two chocolate malts and a hot fudge sundae.

Ellie began scooping ice cream, adding malt and milk to the cans, then putting them under the mixers before moving on to the sundae.

Tessa was supposed to be cleaning tables and keeping all of the condiment bins full, but it wasn’t happening fast enough. Ellie had already asked for a container of maraschino cherries and she had yet to get it.

“Tessa, I still need those cherries,” Ellie whispered.

Tessa did a blink that might have stood for “oh yeah” and headed for the storage in back.

Ellie had been working here so long that she could make the orders without thinking. Her hands knew what was supposed to be happening, leaving her free to think. Sometimes thinking was good. Sometimes not so much. Today she was worrying about Wyatt, and just like that he walked in.

“Hey,” he said.

Ellie turned. “Hey yourself,” she whispered. “Where have you been?”

Wyatt shrugged. “Around.” He could see they were busy, but he missed her. He eyed her curiously. He thought she was pretty and wished she had a real life like most of the kids their age, but doubted it was going to happen. He didn’t know this Ellie as well as he’d known her younger self and hated that they’d grown apart as they’d grown older.

Tessa handed Ellie the container of cherries and gave her a strange look before going to bus tables out front.

Ellie set the two chocolate malts on the pickup counter and finished up the hot fudge sundae while Wyatt watched.

“You’re pretty good at this, aren’t you?”

“I guess. Are you going to be home tonight?”

“Maybe, why?”

“I thought we might go to the movies or something.”

Wyatt frowned. “You know Dad isn’t going to let you.”

“I’ll do it anyway,” she said.

“No you won’t and we both know it,” Wyatt said and started walking away.

“Wait. Where are you going?”

“What do you care?” he said, and then he was gone.

Ellie wanted to call him back, but orders kept popping up and she kept scooping and dipping and pretending her heart wasn’t breaking. The pain in her chest was so real that she wondered if she was having a heart attack. A part of her almost wished it were true. She might not mind dying so much. It would solve her problems. Even if she didn’t go to heaven, she already knew her way around hell.

When Randy went on break, Ellie moved to taking orders and Tessa stepped in to fill them. She recognized a couple of the girls from her class and a few of the boys standing in line. One of the girls caught her eye and started to smile, then caught herself and looked away.

Ellie frowned. She wondered what they thought about her that made them behave that way. She knew they’d freaked out when Momma had committed suicide. The whole class had acted as if Ellie had been the cause. She knew why she was different, but she hadn’t always believed that it showed. Obviously she’d been wrong.

Later, a group of boys from the football team came into the shop. As she began taking their orders, she caught one of them staring. When he saw he’d been caught, he blew her a kiss.

This time it was Ellie who looked away.

They laughed, but she just ignored it and told herself it didn’t matter.

When quitting time finally came, she was more than ready to get away. She hung up her apron, grabbed her purse and her keys, and headed home.

She hadn’t gone far when she felt the car pulling to the right. She stopped at an empty parking lot and got out, then kicked the tire in frustration. It was almost flat.

“Great. Just great,” she muttered, as she got her cell phone out of her purse. Daddy to the rescue, which was just the way he liked it.

Garrett was watching the clock
and pacing the floor while waiting for Ellie to come home. She’d insisted on taking a job, which he’d reluctantly agreed to, but only if she kept up her grades. With a 4.0 GPA, she’d given him no room to gripe.

Now she was talking about colleges and leaving home and he was in a state of constant panic. He couldn’t think of one single way to keep her under this roof that wouldn’t get him arrested.

When the phone rang, he ran to answer.

“Daddy, it’s me. I have a flat. I’m at the parking lot in front of the old strip mall they’re going to demolish—the one on Randall Avenue.”

Garrett frowned. That wasn’t the best neighborhood and it was getting close to dark.

“Get in the car and lock all the doors. I’ll be there as soon as I can.”

“Okay,” she said, and climbed back inside and hit the locks.

It was nearing dusk and their house was on the other side of town. It would take him at least ten minutes to get here, maybe more depending on traffic. She hunkered down in the seat and told herself everything was alright. Daddy would change the flat and then they’d go home. No big deal. She just wished Wyatt had stayed with her. She wouldn’t be scared if Wyatt was here.

When a shiny black car with tinted windows drove past, she hunkered down even further in the hopes no one could see her. Within a couple of minutes, the same car came past her again, only slower. Her stomach knotted.

“Keep going, keep going,” Ellie muttered, then nervously watched in the rearview mirror to see if it made a third trip around.

When it appeared in her rearview mirror, she started to panic and this time when it rolled past, it didn’t go far before the brake lights came on.

Her fingers tightened around the steering wheel. She thought about just starting the car up and driving away on the flat tire. But then both front doors opened and two young Latinos emerged. At that point Ellie got desperate.

“Okay God, You and I haven’t had a conversation in about five years and we both know why, but I’m giving you one last chance to come through for me. Please don’t let these people hurt me. Amen.”

She watched them get out with their baggy blue jeans and long plaid shirts hanging nearly to their knees. They had matching bandanas tied around their heads and walked with a slight swagger as they stopped at her window. They didn’t look much older than Ellie. One of them knocked on the window.

“Hey, pretty lady, are you having car trouble?”

Ellie could almost hear Wyatt telling her
 . . .
don’t let them know you’re afraid
. She made herself smile.

“I have a flat. My Daddy’s on the way to help me change it,” Ellie yelled, pointing to the right front tire.

They circled the car, pointed at her tire, then one of them tapped on the passenger-side window.

“Pop the trunk and we’ll change it for you,” he said.

Two things went through her mind. If she popped the trunk, they could steal the tools and spare tire. If she didn’t pop the trunk, they might try going after her instead. She reached for the button.

The trunk popped up behind her and the two guys disappeared. She heard thumping and bumping. The car shook a couple of times, and then to her amazement they reappeared. One was carrying the spare, the other the jack and lug wrench.

“You don’t have to get out. Just don’t move around,” he said.

Ellie nodded.

Within moments, she heard the hubcap pop. It fell onto the concrete with a clang. When the shorter one suddenly went out of view, she realized he’d squatted down beside the wheel and was loosening the lug nuts. She heard them dropping the nuts into the hubcap and closed her eyes in disbelief. This was exactly what Daddy would do. Oh my God, they were actually changing her flat.

When they began to jack up the front end of the car, it was instinct that made her grab the steering wheel to keep from sliding against the door. She was trying very hard to sit still—to not rock the car in any manner.

There was a loud thump as they dropped the flat tire to the side, and then the spare went on. In no time, the car was being lowered. One of them stayed behind to tighten the lug nuts and replace the hubcap, while the other one loaded up the flat. As soon as the last bolt was tightened, he put the lug wrench back in the trunk, then slammed it shut.

They walked past her, giving her a thumbs-up and a wink, and then got in their car and drove away.

Ellie was still shaking when she got her cell phone out of the purse. She counted the rings until Daddy answered.

“Hello? Ellie, I’m sorry. I’m at a red light. I should be there in about five minutes.”

“It’s okay. Some people stopped and helped me change the flat. I’m starting the car and heading home right this minute.”

Garrett breathed a sigh of relief. “I’ll pull in at the pharmacy parking lot until I see you drive past and then follow you home.”

“Okay, and thanks. Sorry I had to get you out.”

Garrett sighed. “That’s what daddies are for.”

When she hung up, it was with a heart was so full of joy she wanted to sing. But it wasn’t because of Daddy, or even the two boys who’d stopped to change her flat. For the first time in her life God had answered a prayer.

By now, it was almost dark. She turned on the headlights before she pulled out of the parking lot.

“Thank you, God. Thank you very much. And if you see Momma anytime soon, tell her I’m doing the best that I can.”

She drove home with a light heart, telling herself that things just might be turning around. She knew when Daddy pulled in behind her and followed her home, and for one of the few times in her life, didn’t mind.

They pulled into the driveway, one behind the other and got out nearly at the same time. Ellie knew he was going to hug her. She stood her ground and let it happen, even though she would have preferred it not be the case.

“Sweetheart. I’m glad you’re okay. Come inside. You must be chilled.”

Ellie nodded as they entered the house. “They put the flat tire in the trunk,” Ellie said.

“I’ll drop it off at the garage on Monday on my way to work. I made tuna sandwiches. Are you hungry?”

“Yes, but I want to change out of this uniform first. I’ll be right back.”

She could hear him rattling dishes and glasses as she headed for her room. Even though she knew he was in the kitchen, she still locked her bedroom door before she stripped.

She would have liked to shower before putting on other clothes, but didn’t want to take up too much time and have him come looking for her. She put on a pair of sweats and a long-sleeved T-shirt, slid her feet into some house shoes, then stopped by Sophie’s door and knocked before poking her head inside. Sophie had the television turned up to what Wyatt called blastoff.

Ellie ran over to the rocker. “I’m back from work. Daddy has sandwiches in the kitchen. Come eat with us.”

Sophie hit the mute button on the remote. “What did you say?”

“I said come eat.”

Sophie nodded. “Be right there.”

Ellie was almost skipping as she headed for the kitchen.

“Just in time,” Daddy said. “Do you want soda pop or iced tea?”

“Tea, please and make another one for Sophie. She’s on her way.”

A shadow passed over his face, but he didn’t comment. Instead, he filled a third glass with ice and tea, added another plate and then set the sandwiches on the table.

Sophie took a seat at the table with Ellie.

Garrett sat across the table.

Ellie looked up. He hadn’t set a place for himself.

“Aren’t you eating?”

“I already ate a sandwich when I was making them. Help yourself.”

Ellie served sandwiches to Sophie and herself, then dug a handful of potato chips from the bag and divided them on their plates.

“So who were the people who stopped to help you?” Garrett asked.

Ellie shook her head as she reached for a napkin. “I don’t know. I did like you said and got in the car and locked myself in. They stopped, asked me if I needed help. I popped the trunk. They did the rest.”

He frowned. “You say you didn’t know them.”

“Right.” Ellie popped a chip into her mouth and washed it down with a drink of iced tea.

“What’s right?” Sophie asked.

Ellie laughed. “I was talking to Daddy.”

“Oh,” Sophie said then promptly dropped part of the sandwich in her lap. “Oh no.”

“I’ll get it,” Ellie said, and jumped up to get a paper towel.

“Were they old or young?” Garrett asked.

Distracted by Sophie’s mishap, Ellie had lost track of the conversation. “Um
 . . .
I’m sorry, Daddy, what were you saying?”

Daddy’s jaw visibly clenched. “It doesn’t behoove you to play stupid, Ellie.”

Ellie’s heartbeat skittered before it caught back up in rhythm. What had she done wrong?

“I’m sorry, Daddy. I was talking to Sophie and—”

He slapped the table. “You were talking to me.”

Ellie felt the tuna coming up. “Yes. Sorry.”

Sophie got up, making no attempt to hide her disapproval of his behavior. “It appears I am in the way, so I’ll be leaving. Sorry, Ellie. I had no idea.”