Page 63 of Debts and Desires
Carter waited until I was in before shutting the door. Once in on his side, he looked at me, eyes glinting as he asked, “You ready?” I nodded, unable to form words as my heart raced and my body tingled. He put the car in gear and drove us home, a satisfied smirk on his face.
That night, Carter made me sing and sing and sing.
I even gave him an encore.
25. A MAN NAMED JED
October 1
Day Thirty-Five
135 Hours to Go
It was Saturday, a little after lunch, and Carter had already gone back to the shop. I sat on the porch, my fingers gently plucking my guitar strings, lost in the music that was taking shape. The sun dipped low in the sky, casting a warm, golden hue over the porch, my recent sanctuary, where melodies and lyrics finally started flowing freely. Carter was right. Hedidgive me some inspiration.
He had woken me up with his head between my legs, then fucked me so hard I saw stars. It was afterward, when he was holding me, that I looked up and saw the sun catch his eyes just right. They were gorgeous, a whiskey color that I wanted to get drunk on every day.
After breakfast, he got ready, promising he wouldn’t be gone long.
“I want to get back in time to have dessert before dinner,” he said. Then he winked and left.
I had a few ideas pop in my head for a new song, but I ended up working on “Sandcastles” more.
The distant sound of an approaching car drew my attention back to the present. I glanced down the long driveway and saw a beat-up black pickup truck making its way toward the house. As it got closer, I could make out the figure of a large man behind the wheel.
I put down my guitar and stood up from the swing just as the truck came to a stop in front of the house. A tall, brown-and-silver-haired man stepped out, looking to be somewhere between fifty and sixty years old. He was handsome, but had a rugged, weathered look about him. The man closed the car door with a creak and started up the pathway that led to the porch.
There was a low rumbling sound. I realized Mac had put himself in front of me. The hairs on the ridge of his back were up and he showed his teeth.
“It’s okay, baby,” I whispered, patting his head.
The man gave a polite smile and nod as he stepped up to the fence that separated us. Mac growled more, this time louder. I felt a twinge of unease. The man’s brown eyes held a certain bitterness to them, and his presence felt intrusive.
“Hi, can I help you?” I asked, trying to keep my tone confident.
“I hope so, darlin’. Is Levi here?” The man asked with a deep southern accent.Levi?I shook my head.
“Sorry, uh, no one named Levi lives here,” I said with an awkward smile. I should’ve bit my tongue, realizing I just admitted that no one but me was there. He seemed harmless enough, but after my run-in with that robber… The man chuckled awkwardly, a huge grin on his face as his eyes darted around, as if he found the situation amusing. It only added to my discomfort.
Mac was growling even more now, the sounds evolving into aggressive barking. If there wasn’t a fence, I was certain Mac would attack him. I didn’t want to cause any problems like that for Carter, so I snapped my fingers.
“In,” I commanded Mac, my voice firm. He was reluctant at first, giving me a sad look and a tilt of his head. But withanother snap, he turned and headed inside through his doggy door. He still kept a watchful eye on the stranger through the window, growling just enough that I could hear it through the glass.
“Sorry about that,” I said with a small smile. I decided it was best to keep a safe distance, not moving from my spot in case I needed to run inside.
“Not a problem. I know Big Mac doesn’t like people,” he said, seemingly unfazed by the dog’s aggression. I hadn’t mentioned Mac’s name, which told me that this stranger had likely been here before. At least, I hoped. It still gave me some relief. “Anywho, I forgot Levi goes by his middle name these days. You’d know him as Carter.”
“Oh, um, no, Carter isn’t here.”
“Shoot. I thought I’d catch him in time.” His enthusiasm deflated, replaced by disappointment. “He’s at the shop, then?” I nodded. “I always get his hours mixed up.” The man sighed, shaking his head some.
“Yeah, they’re a little different. I can let him know you stopped by,” I offered.
“Oh, no, darlin’, that’s not necessary. I’ll stop there on the way back to the church. But thank you.”
“The church?”
“Yes.” His eyes widened as if something dawned on him. “Oh! My manners! I’m Reverend Jedidiah, the preacher at Hudsonville Baptist. You can call me Jed.”
