Page 272 of Love in Riverbend
“I’m here to get her some clothes and things.”
“I was going to go visit.”
“Call your sister first. Maybe you can take a bag to her.”
I press my lips together and shake my head. “No phone, remember?”
“Oh, is Marilyn going to get that for you?”
Marilyn.
“I didn’t ask her to. It’s better if we back things off for a while.”
Mom’s expression saddens. “Why?”
“We can’t date if I’m here and she’s in Indy.”
“It’s hardly long-distance. It’s basically an hour-and-a-half drive. There are people in Florida who commute that long to and from work each day. Of course, it’s only like twenty miles, but the traffic…”
Not interested in facts about my parents’ second home state, I turn back to the staircase. “I’ll go put on pants. Please” —I use her word— “make coffee. I need a whole pot.”
Walking down the hallway, I remember Marilyn staying in the bedroom near the one where I’m staying. I think about the way her lips were parted as she slept and the way she tried to contain her noises and sounds in the shower.
Fuck.
Those thoughts won’t accomplish anything other than making me need a cold shower. I rub my hands up and down my arms. “Why is it so cold?”
I throw on a pair of blue jeans, pull yesterday’s thermal over my head, and slip my feet into socks. Once I’m back downstairs, I hear the coffeepot spitting and spurting. Mom is in the living room putting wood into the woodstove in the fireplace. “Shit,” I say. “That’s why it’s so cold in here.”
“You need to keep kindling going.”
“Thanks, Mom. I didn’t know how a woodstove works.”
She shoots me a side-eye. “If you’re planning on moving in to their house, you better figure it out.”
“I’m not moving in. I’m taking care of it for them.”
“You know, your dad and I can do that.”
“You have your place in Florida.”
Mom closes the glass front on the woodstove. Behind the small window in the door, sparks crackle, creating flames. She stands and dusts her hands, one against the other. “Dad and I can stay here, Ricky. Both of our houses are relatively maintenance-free. If Devan needs us, we’ll be here. You have a life.”
A life.
A job.
A girlfriend.
I look around to see what time it is. “Can I use your phone? I need to call someone.”
“Sure,” she says, walking back into the kitchen, taking her phone from her purse and handing it my direction. “Here.”
“I have the number upstairs.” With her phone in hand, I hurry back to the bedroom and pull out my laptop. A quick search and I have the number to call Parker and Stevens. I hit the appropriate buttons to get me to Mr. Stevens’s assistant.
“…please leave a message.”
I take a deep breath. “Hello, this is Richard Dunn. I’m sorry for calling so early. Please relay this message to Mr. Parker and Mr. Stevens. I am thankful that they expressed confidence in me. I’m certain their agricultural wealth plan will be beneficial for all.” I pause. “Another opportunity has come up, rather unexpectedly. I regretfully must decline your offer.” Before I can change my mind, I disconnect the call.
