Page 35 of Beck & Coll
“No, Mama. I was shocked that I fell in and by how cold the water was.”
“The creek isn’t deep,” Bayliss agreed. “She could stand up in it. But the water is cold, and it can be a shock to the system.”
“Ma, please don’t start tripping. I’m thirty-six years old. I’m a grown-up. I’ve been fine. Besides, everything I’ve done, Beck’s been right by my side, and he’s a professional. He wouldn’t let me get hurt.”
“And now that he knows that she’s clumsy, I can assure you that he’s even more cautious,” Bay tacked on.
My mother chuckled.
I sucked in a breath. “Clumsy? I beg your pardon.”
“You have always been clumsy, Coll,” she said gently.
I didn’t even justify that comment.
“So, we’ve just entered Red Leaf, Oregon. This is what we in Jackson Falls consider the city. If you ever hear a Jackson Falls resident saying they’re going to the city or went to the city… they usually mean Red Leaf. It’s where that red store with the bull’s eye and the blue store are located, the shopping malls, and the chain grocery stores. You can find home improvement stores and the nearest beauty and nail salons. It’s about a thirty-five to forty-five-minute drive from town. So, you can see why my mother would love to reopen the salon at the lodge.”
We drove for about another twenty-five or thirty minutes.
“We’ve just entered Chinook Woods. Jackson Falls and Chinook Woods operate in tandem, but each has their own mayor and their own village officials. Jackson Falls is smaller, and between the lodge and the Cascada Noir Mountain range there is more usable space in Chinook Woods. So, most people who work in Jackson Falls actually live in Chinook Woods. Both the elementary and middle schools are in Chinook Woods. In the year 2000, my parents donated twenty acres of their land to the town to build a new high school. The kids in both towns were being bused to Red Leaf, and that school was getting overcrowded.”
“Wow. That was generous of your parents,” my mom commented.
“It was,” I agreed.
“They consider Jackson Falls their community, and they’re dedicated to pouring into it.”
“I love that.” My mother trilled.
“To your left, you’ll see an apartment complex. The Jackson Strong Apartment Community was developed by my youngest brother, Brighton. We call him, Bright. There’s a few more apartment complexes in town… maybe three or four. Jackson Strong is the newest. It’s known for being modern, well-maintained, and well- managed. Jackson Falls and Chinook Woods aren’t really ‘renting’ towns. Usually renters are newlyweds, recent college grads, or those just starting out. Most people in this area wanna have a house, wanna own land. Land ownership means a lot to them. And they like to build their own homes. New construction barndominiums are a big thing here.” He chuckled. “There are a few houses for sale in Jackson Falls. Some of the owners have gotten elderly. Their kids come and get them and move them away. That’s my sales pitch. Please let my brother know that I gave you the tour and told you what’s up. If you decide not to move here, it’s not because you didn’t know what Jackson Falls has to offer.”
My mother stoodin the floor-length mirror, combing her hair. I sat on the bed applying moisturizer to my legs. We were meeting Beckham at the stage on Second Street for the concert in less than an hour. We wanted to get there a little early to explore.
“You seem really happy, toots,” she said, calling me by a familial term of endearment. “Happy and relaxed.”
“I am,” I confessed. “This break has been so good for me—taking time for my mental health, not stressing over my plans for the salon, or if there’s even gonna be a salon, breathing in fresh air, looking up at the stars at night. This vacation has been everything I hoped it would be.”
“And it’s even included the companionship of a man, huh?”
I smiled involuntarily. “Yeah. I think you’re gonna like Beckham. He’s kinda like Bayliss. I mean, he’s not pushy or super flirtatious like Bayliss.”
We both laughed.
“Is he warm and gentle like his brother?” she probed.
I cut my eyes at her. “Lady, please don’t be falling for nobody you just met two seconds ago.” I chastised her. “How do you know that Bayliss is warm and gentle?”
She sighed heavily before patting the neat ponytail she made. “Listen, when you’ve been around the block as many times as I have, when you’ve dealt with as many men as I have, you’d be a fool not to start picking up on the cues… good and bad. Now, that youngin’, Bayliss? That’s a good man. Some woman is gonna get a hold of him and be loved down. And man, is she gonna be spoiled.”
“You don’t want to be the woman he loves down and spoils?” I twisted the top back onto my moisturizer and picked up the jeans I was wearing.
“Yes, I do. But Bayliss is younger than me, Collins. Plus, I’m way out of my baby-making stage. That man deserves children… a house full of them. Besides, we just met. He’s taken with my looks. Having a man flirt based on physical beauty comes a dime a dozen. He would have to stick around once he found out all the drama I come with—four daughters, a different father for each daughter, needy daughters, grandkids, minimal education. I mean, all I know how to do is drive a city bus.”
“Unh uh.” I shook my finger back and forth like I was correcting an unwanted behavior. “None of that. I’m not about to sit still while you talk down on yourself. Do you have drama? Yes. Does every human on earth have a measure of drama? Yes. Do you have four daughters? Yes. Did you raise them mostly by yourself and produce four law-abiding, productive members of society? Yes.
“You did good, Mama. Your girls are raised, and you raised us well. You didn’t have time for college, so what? You had girls to raise. You went out there and got a good paying job. You’ve been on it over twenty years, and when you get ready to leave it, you’re gonna have a hellafied pension. You won’t be a burden to your daughters because you’ve secured your retirement bag. You’ve done a better job than most of these parents out here.”
I jumped into my jeans before crossing the room to hug her.
