tonight?” Nancy asked.
“Did I not just get home?” he countered unpleasantly.
“I’m only asking!”
“I said I’d try!”
“Look, folks, I know you’re tired—” June attempted to say, but Chris just walked past her toward the back of the house. He did pause to give Nancy a peck on the cheek, a very short one, but she didn’t look especially grateful. You could cut the tension with a knife. For once the boys were quiet.
“He’s home early again,” Nancy said.
“You must need his help,” June ventured.
“Not as much as we need his paycheck.”
June thought for a moment about the cozy little house that awaited her and wondered what it might be like to be Chris, or worse still, to be Nancy, locked in this bedlam, working like a farmhand to take care of these kids. No wonder they sniped at each other.
When Chris came back into the living room—the hospital room—wearing jeans and a sweatshirt, Nancy finished with Brent’s exercises and rolled him onto his side so she could rub his back. He was worn out from the pain and lay listless under her probing hands. Chris paused by his bed and ruffled his hair. He moved to put an arm around Nancy and she sidled away slightly to avoid him.
“Okay,” Chris said. “I deserve that. I’m sorry, everyone.”
No one said anything for a long, uncomfortable moment.
“Well,” June said briskly. “I’ve got to get going. Nancy, I promise not to be so long in getting back here.”
“Thanks, June. It was good seeing you.” Though her words were polite, she sounded very tired, near tears.
“You, too. Hang in there.”
“Let me walk you out, June,” Chris said.
“Don’t worry about it, you’re busy,” she said, but he opened the door and saw her to her car, anyway.
“I’m sorry you had to see that, June,” he said. “Sometimes Nancy and I just get on each other’s nerves from the pressure and everything.”
“Perfectly understandable. But, Chris, when I told Nancy she should have put out an alarm that she needed help, she told me not to be naive. What does she mean?”
“You know,” he said with a shrug. When she answered with only a nonplussed expression, he elaborated. “We have so many amends to make around here. Not just for the trouble the boys caused right up to the accident, though I suppose people are going to be a long time in letting that go, but also Nancy and me. I mean, we ran off and ditched our town. We hardly ever came back, as if we thought we were too good. Plus, we hurt you, the town’s favorite daughter.” He took a breath. “People aren’t going to be real anxious to help us out right now. We’re strangers to them. And it’s our own fault.”
She was stunned speechless. “Chris, that isn’t true! I don’t think anyone realizes just how tough a time you’re having!”
He smiled and gave her cheek a pat. “Nancy’s right. You’re naive.”
“But…I…”
“I’m going to see if I can get that kitchen sink attached, redeem myself a little. See you around, kiddo.” And he disappeared back into the house.
As she drove up to her own house, she saw that the porch light was on, as well as the light in the garage, a free-standing, one-car building. Curiosity drove her to check it out. She pulled open the doubledoors and found Jim measuring a length of wood balanced on two saw-horses.
“Oh, my,” she said, her face lighting up. “You have a tool belt! You look like one of the Village People!”
He frowned slightly. “Was that a compliment?”
“It sure was. What are you doing?”
“You have a whole section of porch rail that’s rickety. I don’t want you to lean on it and fall through.”
“You’re a carpenter?”
“Naw. Mostly I’m a repairer.”
“I’ve been wondering… We haven’t had a second to talk about this, but what do you plan to do now? Really retire? Get a job? Take up fishing with Sam or poker with my dad?”
“Haven’t decided,” he said with a shrug. “Until I
“Did I not just get home?” he countered unpleasantly.
“I’m only asking!”
“I said I’d try!”
“Look, folks, I know you’re tired—” June attempted to say, but Chris just walked past her toward the back of the house. He did pause to give Nancy a peck on the cheek, a very short one, but she didn’t look especially grateful. You could cut the tension with a knife. For once the boys were quiet.
“He’s home early again,” Nancy said.
“You must need his help,” June ventured.
“Not as much as we need his paycheck.”
June thought for a moment about the cozy little house that awaited her and wondered what it might be like to be Chris, or worse still, to be Nancy, locked in this bedlam, working like a farmhand to take care of these kids. No wonder they sniped at each other.
When Chris came back into the living room—the hospital room—wearing jeans and a sweatshirt, Nancy finished with Brent’s exercises and rolled him onto his side so she could rub his back. He was worn out from the pain and lay listless under her probing hands. Chris paused by his bed and ruffled his hair. He moved to put an arm around Nancy and she sidled away slightly to avoid him.
“Okay,” Chris said. “I deserve that. I’m sorry, everyone.”
No one said anything for a long, uncomfortable moment.
“Well,” June said briskly. “I’ve got to get going. Nancy, I promise not to be so long in getting back here.”
“Thanks, June. It was good seeing you.” Though her words were polite, she sounded very tired, near tears.
“You, too. Hang in there.”
“Let me walk you out, June,” Chris said.
“Don’t worry about it, you’re busy,” she said, but he opened the door and saw her to her car, anyway.
“I’m sorry you had to see that, June,” he said. “Sometimes Nancy and I just get on each other’s nerves from the pressure and everything.”
“Perfectly understandable. But, Chris, when I told Nancy she should have put out an alarm that she needed help, she told me not to be naive. What does she mean?”
“You know,” he said with a shrug. When she answered with only a nonplussed expression, he elaborated. “We have so many amends to make around here. Not just for the trouble the boys caused right up to the accident, though I suppose people are going to be a long time in letting that go, but also Nancy and me. I mean, we ran off and ditched our town. We hardly ever came back, as if we thought we were too good. Plus, we hurt you, the town’s favorite daughter.” He took a breath. “People aren’t going to be real anxious to help us out right now. We’re strangers to them. And it’s our own fault.”
She was stunned speechless. “Chris, that isn’t true! I don’t think anyone realizes just how tough a time you’re having!”
He smiled and gave her cheek a pat. “Nancy’s right. You’re naive.”
“But…I…”
“I’m going to see if I can get that kitchen sink attached, redeem myself a little. See you around, kiddo.” And he disappeared back into the house.
As she drove up to her own house, she saw that the porch light was on, as well as the light in the garage, a free-standing, one-car building. Curiosity drove her to check it out. She pulled open the doubledoors and found Jim measuring a length of wood balanced on two saw-horses.
“Oh, my,” she said, her face lighting up. “You have a tool belt! You look like one of the Village People!”
He frowned slightly. “Was that a compliment?”
“It sure was. What are you doing?”
“You have a whole section of porch rail that’s rickety. I don’t want you to lean on it and fall through.”
“You’re a carpenter?”
“Naw. Mostly I’m a repairer.”
“I’ve been wondering… We haven’t had a second to talk about this, but what do you plan to do now? Really retire? Get a job? Take up fishing with Sam or poker with my dad?”
“Haven’t decided,” he said with a shrug. “Until I
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