Page 17 of Rescue
“I’ll let you gentlemen talk,” Mrs. Callahan says as she makes her way to the door. Just as she’s about to walk out I feel her stare. I look up and catch the pain in her eyes. I’m filled with shame, but I push it aside and focus on my goal.
Tom avoids me entirely and focuses on my dad. They exchange brief pleasantries for a minute and then finally, Tom turns his attention to me. “Your father mentioned you’d like a meeting to discuss the sale of Tom’s Cabins, is that right, Miles?” I can hear the doubt and hostility in his voice when he speaks to me.
I know everything hinges on this discussion, but my whole body is telling me this isn’t going to go well. My stomach gurgles with unease but I press on. “Yes, sir. I believe I have a deal for you and Mrs. Callahan that we feel is more than fair.” I proceed to go over my presentation and explain our offer. I do it just like I practiced, but even as I’m saying it, I can tell he’s not really listening to me. He’s staring out the window, as though he’s not even in the room.
When I finish explaining the numbers, I pause and he looks up at me. I expect the anger I see looking back at me, but what I didn’t expect was the disappointment. I know I deserve it, but I had hoped we could put the past behind us and move forward like the neighbors and friends that we were before. I’ve known Big Tom my whole life, and it’s hard to see the look he’s giving me right now.
He clears his throat and with it, the look disappears from his face. His cold and dismissive tone says everything as he responds, “We’ll think about it.” With that, he gets up and walks around the desk signaling that the meeting is over. Dad stands and thanks him for his time. They small talk their way to the door. I hear Dad ask about their son and his wife, but I tune it out. It feels like my brain is in shock, as if unwilling to accept the obvious defeat.
As we say goodbye, I get another cold hard look from Mr. Callahan and I lower my head in guilt. If he only knew the depths of my shame. Too embarrassed to even look up, I step off the porch, and head straight back to the store. I don’t go in though. I get in my truck and drive.
I drive for hours through these winding mountain roads. I think about all my mistakes and the decisions that brought me here. When my thoughts get to be too much, I focus on the road ahead, trying to work out a plan for the future. I drive and drive, and then I turn around and drive home. I know I won’t find the peace I’m looking for hidden somewhere in these mountains.
Before I know what I’m doing, I’m pulling up outside Mabel’s Manor for the second time today. I put the truck in park and just sit there for a minute, uncertain what I should do next. I obviously didn’t give this a lot of thought, but here I am. I debate for another minute longer, before I see a face emerge from the window inside the cafe. I look around the parking lot and see that I’m the only car out here. I realize belatedly that it’s almost dinner time and Mabel’s closes at 3. Penny is probably wondering what the hell I’m doing here. Feeling my earlier embarrassment and shame creep back in, I don’t think I could put myself out there and be rejected twice in one day. I quickly put my truck in reverse, back out pointing my truck towards home. I don’t know what drove me to stop at the cafe instead of going all the way home, but I don’t want to intrude on Penelope and I’m terrible company right now anyways.
Once I get home, I go straight to the shower, turn the water as hot as it will go, and scrub the day off my skin.
