Caroline

Chapter 17

"Don't tell me you didn't see all that?"  Derek asked incredulously, his voice rising above the register of a whisper.

"Derek, please!" she whispered back, harshly.  "I live in this community now.  These people are my neighbors.  I don't need trouble with them before I've even found my place here!"

"Baby...."  His voice lowered immediately and his tone was as smooth as silk.  "You don't have to make nice with these people.  You're better than them, than all of this.  Is there anyone here you can even have an intelligent conversation with?"

Before she could answer, a woman was standing by their table, reaching her hand out to shake.  "Good to meet you," she said, giving Caroline's hand a firm up and down pump when she offered it, and ignoring Derek.  "I'm Johnnie Martin.  My husband's people run Martin's Hardware down the street.  Lonny over there tells me you're in the cabin near Michael's now."

"Michael..." Derek muttered under his breath.  Caroline nudged him under the table.

"That's right," she answered.  "He's in the next cabin up from mine."  She saw Derek turn a calculating look toward her.

"Well, would you mind telling him for me that the young'uns have sure appreciated those games he brought down to the rec center.  My own boy, Thomas, would rather run down there and play now instead a playing on his own stuff at home.  And Josie appreciates having 'em focused on something instead a running wild.  Did you meet Josie yet?"  Caroline shook her head. "I just bet you two would get along.  I get feelings like that sometimes and they're almost always right.  I got the feeling that the old Jeter place was gonna be bought.  I even told Michael, I said, 'You're gonna have a new neighbor soon, you just watch.'  And then, here you come along and buy it.  Josie minds things at the rec center.  Y'all need to meet up, I'm just telling you now.  I got a feeling...."

Caroline kept her focus on their latest companion, fascinated by the woman's seeming ability to talk endlessly without taking a breath, but also to avoid Derek's gaze for a while.  A niggling suspicion had formed in her mind, and she had no doubt it had taken root in his as well.  But why would these people make any sort of connection between her and the hermit?  Why would it even matter to them?

"...and now I remember!" Johnnie Martin of the firm handshake and perpetually inflated lungs exclaimed.  "I knew when you walked in you looked familiar!  You were looking at the rocking chairs in front of the store yesterday.  I told my brother-in-law, Marshall, I said, 'You see the look on her face outside that window?  That's the look of a woman going to buy herself a rocking chair.'  But then you got this funny look like you smelled something bad, and walked away.  And I said to Marshall, 'Now what would make her wrinkle up her nose like that?  You'd best get out there and make sure nothing died and started up a stink...' "

She continued on in this manner, even as Janice appeared with a tray bearing their meal, though she did slide onto the opposite seat to "get outta the way".  The plate placed in front of Caroline boasted two large, fried catfish filets.  Derek's plate held one small piece of overfried... something.  As Johnnie continued to talk and Janice went in search of the tea pitcher, Caroline quietly slid one of her filets onto Derek's plate.  He, in turn, gave her a knowing look and a conspiratorial smile.  By following her old habit of making sure he was fed, she had inadvertently created a "moment" between them.  And, she realized, he now believed they were united.

As she ate her meal, quietly smiling and nodding at Johnnie, who went on with her monolog as energetically as she'd started, Caroline couldn't help but feel that in this case, she and Derek were two souls against a common adversary.  Something had these good people believing they needed to run interference on Michael's behalf.   But what on earth had given them the impression that it was necessary, or even wanted?  Had the hermit himself made presumptions, then rallied the troops to his cause?  But that explanation didn't feel right.  He had been the one to tell her to talk to Derek in the first place, no matter the outcome.  And it wasn't as if he had declared himself in any way.  He had held her during a moment when she'd needed reassurance, but it had been as a caring friend.  No, she couldn't see his hand in this.

She and Derek had nearly finished eating when Johnnie said, "But listen at me ramble on!  I'll just scoot on out of here and let you eat your supper.  I meant what I said, now.  Marshall will give you a real good deal on that rocking chair if you just tell him I said so.  Well, I'm gone!"

"So soon?" she heard Derek mutter, but didn't think anyone else had.  Her stifled laugh was only apparent by the slight shake of her shoulders, but he knew it.  In acknowledgement,  he draped his arm over the back of their seat and dangled a hand to caress her shoulder.  This was what they'd once had together, and it was dangerously comfortable.

"Nearly finished?"  He spoke into her ear, which elicited a slight shiver.

"Almost.  I want to enjoy this last piece of cornbread."

He smiled at that, pressed a kiss to her hair, and said, "Eat your cornbread, Cara.  I'll smile at every dirty look they throw at me, as long as I have you beside me."

The bell on the door jangled then, and Caroline heard Janice say in a loud voice, "It's almost ready!  Would you mind turning the sign over for me?"

"Not a bit!"  Carla's unmistakable voice answered back.  "How much longer?"

"I'm thinkin' five to ten minutes, but let me go back and see if I can't push him a bit."

"I 'preciate that."

"Hey, Carla, "  a male voice chimed in.  "How's your mama been?"

"She's a mess, William.  The nursing home just called and said she's throwing a fit to beat all."

"Oh lord.  Bless her heart."

"And I'd already told Michael I'd run his supper by there before I headed out."

And then Caroline knew who was behind this bizarre scene.  She patted Derek's knee twice before saying, "Hey Carla!  I can take something by there if you need me to."  She felt Derek's irritation, but gave him a small, secret smile.  She felt him visibly relax as he returned it.

"Caroline!  Honey, could you do that for me?  I can get to Mama a half hour sooner if I don't have to ride up that mountain and back."

"It's no trouble.  It's what neighbors do."  Caroline said, with her most pleasant smile.

At that moment, Janice emerged from the kitchen with two well-laden plastic bags.
"All right, now, we got one for you and one for Michael.  You sure you don't want no tea this time?"

Carla was already pulling money out of her purse.  "No, hon. I picked a co-cola out of the case at the store.  Give Michael's to Caroline here.  She said she'd ride it up there to him."

By this time, Derek had risen from his seat with the check.  He handed it and two bills to Janice as Caroline emerged and took the bag.

"Well, idn't that sweet of you!"  Janice gushed.

"No,"  Caroline responded, still with her smile in place, "It's sweet of us."  She handed the bag to Derek and took his arm.

"Keep the change, Janice," he said brightly, with his own smile in place, before escorting Caroline out the door.

Carla and Janice watched them walk away.  "Well, that was a big ol' bomb," Lonny's loud voice observed.   Carla glanced around the room, then looked up at the ceiling.

"Lord a mercy, Mark.  When you said it wouldn't be easy, you weren't lyin!"