Life in Fusion (28 page)

her mouth. They were all laughing and having a grand ole time,

and I nearly lost my marbles seeing Dixie squeezing Sandy’s arm

as if they were old pals.

Why couldn’t I have Kathleen Turner from
Serial Mom
for a

mother?

Take a hatchet to her, Dixie!

Okay…time for some air, I decided. Between Sandy and her

innocent bystander, Peanut, I’d become nothing but murder and

mayhem on the inside.

I looked around for a moment contemplating the parking

lot out front as a suitable escape. I wondered if it would seem

ungrateful or anti-social were I to do that—as if they’d all gotten

on my nerves and I had to get out. I became suddenly unsure of

where I wanted to go, before deciding on the monster fire pit

outside. I’d hopefully get the breathing room I needed without

coming off like an asshole.

I’d smiled and hello’d my way through the crowd, taking a sip

of beer whenever anyone acted like they were getting ready to

attempt an actual conversation. I was humming along with the

band, who’d just transitioned from Free Bird into MMMBop, and

was wondering what the hell ever happened to Hanson. I finally

made it to the promise land. The night air was tinged with a chill,

and I jiggled from the momentary goose pimples.

I strolled over to the fire, warming myself. I hadn’t seen Gabe

since Chip went chasing after him. I’d half hoped to find him

204 Ethan Day

outside.

“Hey there sailor,” Jackie said from behind me in a breathy

voice.

“Hello beautiful,” I said turning to face her instead of the

flames.

“You weren’t contemplating leaping into the fire just to avoid

moving here, were you?” Jackie asked.

“Not hardly. I appreciate the idea, though.” I laughed at her as

she handed me another beer. “That your brother’s doing?”

“No, why would it be?”

“Nothing, just silliness, really.” I followed suit as she sat down

on the brick and stone ledge that wrapped around the fire pit.

“Wade teasing about getting me drunk so he can win a fight.”

“Robbie, huh?” She asked, nodding as if she’d already

suspected.

“Yes and no.” I shrugged. “Do you think it’s crazy? Me moving

here in a few months, considering all the shit we apparently still

don’t know about one another?”

“Not if you love each other,” she said, smiling when she saw

the shock on my face discovering her hidden romantic streak.

“So,
not
the surly, sister-to-be comment I was expecting.”

“You have your whole lives together to swap useless stories

from one another’s past, Boone.” She stopped as if searching for

the right words. “Knowing those things shouldn’t change the way

you feel if you really do love him.”

“You go, Dr. Philomena.”

“I can be profound when it’s important.”

I got suddenly excited, and waved frantically at Cotton Candy

from the ski lodge as she walked by. She smiled and waved in

return, though somewhat taken back by my vigor.

“You know her well?” Jackie asked.

I felt my face flush with heat. “Not particularly.” I rolled

Life in fusion
205

my eyes, figuring I should go ahead and lay it all out there to

somebody, if I were going to expect to have any friends here.

“Not at all, actually. Apparently excited merely to have recognized

anyone, I guess.”

“You’re a bit of a spaz sometimes, huh?”

I nodded my agreement. “Pretty much.”

“You see those four over there by the bar?”

“The ones who look like the love children from the unholy

union of Heather Locklear and George Hamilton?”

Jackie waved back at them when they all smiled and waved at

her in unison. “So fake and cheesy,” she said through her own

cheesy smile, while never needing to move her lips.

“How did you do that?” I asked, leaning forward to look at

her mouth. “Do it again.”

She smacked me. “Stop that, you look like your checking my

teeth.”

“I’m sorry, but that was mad-skilled and freaky.”

She rolled her eyes at me then took a sip from her cocktail.

“Okay, fine…I’m all settled down now.” I patted her on the

knee. “Tell me a story, mommy.”

“Don’t make me smack you again.” She shot me a dirty

look before nudging her head back toward the table filled with

feathered blond hair and too much self tanner. “That’s Summit

City’s version of the Adams family.”

“They don’t look quite that creepy.”

“Their last name is Adams,” she explained. “And they most

certainly do look that creepy.”

I laughed as she was obviously not joking around.

“Once upon a time they were the first family of Summit City.

Had their greedy hands in everybody’s business and they liked

to lord it over the rest of us. As if this place was their very own

feudal land and we were their obedient group of serfs.”

206 Ethan Day

“Big shots, huh?” I asked, doing my best to not crack up.

Oozing with sarcasm she said. “I’m sure it seems silly, as we’re

such a small community.”

“Maybe just a smidge. Let’s call ‘em big shoots instead, since

they’re all mean and stuff?”

Jackie smiled, shaking her head. “Rita had quite the torrid

affair with the father, Tony Adams back in the day, before she

left to pursue the stage and screen. Patricia Adams had it bad

for my daddy, tried to steal him away from our mom when they

were all back in high school. But the kids are even worse. The

daughter, Tilly, married Jake Mason, then got caught having quite

the illicit affair with Pastor Dan a few weeks later. They were

into the weird shit, apparently…pretending to be farm animals

or some such.”

I lost myself, laughing suddenly as I pictured her crawling

across seedy motel room carpet on all fours, making sheep noises.

Jackie smiled, though she was glancing around to make sure

no one else could overhear our conversation.

“Baaa,” I said under my breath like a goat, causing Jackie to

burst out laughing as well, despite doing her best to shush me.

“Oh my, what a cry for help that had to have been.”

My mouth fell open slightly, seeing Wade and Jackie’s cousin

Sarah, walk up to the Adams table and lay a kiss on the son.

“That’s Sarah’s boyfriend that everyone hates?”

“We don’t hate the kid,” Jackie shrugged. “I mean, he could

be the one good apple of the bunch as opposed to another piece

of their family fruit…that rotted.”

I laughed, trying to keep myself under control. “That brother

of yours is lucky to have you for a sister. Otherwise, I wouldn’t be

half as okay as I am about moving to this gin joint.”

“The point of my story…” Jackie paused as if searching for

the right words. “Just keep in mind that all your business has

been and will continue to be spread around for the entertainment

and amusement of others.”

Life in fusion
207

I snarled up my lip, no longer finding it all that funny.

“They still hold influence, but Gordy getting elected back in

the nineties, due mainly to all the family’s scandals, along with

Wade and all his Gold Medal good fortune, they sort of fell out

of favor, so to speak. But I think they’re biding their time, waiting

for any slip up on our part so they can pounce—full of nothing

but fake ass empty praise and plastic smiles.”

“I can see that,” I said, squinting at them. “You think the son’s

latched onto Sarah for PR?”

Jackie shrugged. “Maybe? I hope not.”

“Me too,” I said, feeling a solidarity with the Walker family’s

Anti-Adams cause.

“It’s really that big lug of a brother of mine,” she added.

“Everyone loves him. It’s as if he emits some sort of likeability

pheromone.”

“That, and he’s hot.”

“Ew.” Jackie said, taking another drink.

“Sorry lady, but my guy is hot, sexy, and then some.”

“Sick.” Jackie cringed, jiggling as if she’d fought off a wave

of nausea. “You know, it was the Adamses that always wanted to

put in the luxury, five-star ski resort. The townies never liked the

idea. It was Gordy and Wade that convinced them. Of course,

the entire town shares in the profit from the lodge as opposed

to one family, which is all the Adamses were after. That Mayor

of ours is something of a finance and marketing wiz. He’s taken

Wade’s Olympic career and turned it into a birthright.”

“So I need to watch myself, I get it.”

“No that’s not what I’m saying at all.” Jackie seemed

momentarily frustrated with me. “You know, our daddy was like

Wade, very handsome and everyone wanted a piece of him. And

all Daddy ever wanted was my mother.”

“Very romantic.”

“It’s easy to get lost in the sadness of our family’s history

208 Ethan Day

when you think about it from mine and Wade’s perspective. But

having your parents star in this epic local love story, filled with

one-trues and tragic loss, it’s a lot to live up to.”

Jackie waved at my dad, Uncle Pete and her husband as they

came outside. Shep steered them over toward the bar as if Jackie

had just communicated telepathically that this wasn’t a good time

to interrupt.

“People like you and Wade because of the way you met,” she

continued. “It’s a nice story and has a bit of that star-crossed, two

souls colliding feel to it.”

“The collision part’s true enough.”

“They eat that shit up here,” Jackie said. “You should think of

it as theatre for the masses with the entire town playing a role.”

“And I’m the new character brought in to spice shit up and

increase the ratings?”

Jackie smiled and leaned back, taking a long drink before

setting her empty glass of ice down. “I wanted to make sure you

understand because I like you Boone. There is every possibility

I’ll wind up liking you more than I do my own brother.”

I was slightly shocked by that admission.

“What?” She smiled, slightly evil-looking. “Wade can be a bit

of a goody-goody. You’re someone I can see myself getting into

a lot of really fun trouble with.”

I winked at her. “I’m likely your guy.”

“So don’t let this town force you into fulfilling a role. I think

you’re more like me. I had to force all of them to accept me

on my own terms, as opposed to becoming who they thought I

should be. You make sure you do the same. After all, that’s the

guy my brother fell in love with—me too, for what it’s worth.”

I slung my arm around her shoulder and gave her a squeeze,

laughing when she acted all grossed out, like she wasn’t into that

sorta thing.

“Don’t go getting all handsy, you big brute,” Jackie said.

Life in fusion
209

I knew I’d found at least one friend in the normally snow

covered, odd little hamlet that was to be my future home. I

grinned, thinking it was more than I had when I showed up.

“Don’t you two look cozy,” the pharmacist lady from Sullivan’s

Drug Store said, her voice soft and raspy, like verbal-velvet.

“He won’t stop molesting me,” Jackie said, grinning.

“That is going to be a problem,” Wade said, coming up

behind her.

I bit my lip, seeing the twins hot on the heels of Dean Staggs.

I had to appreciate their mindless dedication to achieving a goal.

If we could somehow harness that and refocus those two, they

could probably solve global warming in less than a week.

Jackie had now changed her tune, clinging to me as if she

liked it. “I’m irresistible, brother, he’s swapping sides for me.”

“I can’t fight it any longer,” I said, nonchalantly.

Wade shook his head at us. “I’ll be sure to pass this news

along to your husband, sis.”

“He can have the kids,” Jackie said, causing everyone to

chuckle.

“We insist,” I tossed in.

As if on cue, the Summit City Band started another set, and
I

Can’t Fight This Feeling
, came power-ballading from the speakers—

the new soundtrack for our illicit love affair.

“Not to interrupt your rather disturbing new love affair,”

Pharmacist Lady began.

“Please, you’ll be doing us all a favor,” Wade interrupted.

“Have you two met?”

“Not officially,” I said standing up and shaking her hand.

“Lynn Washington,” she said, smiling. “I own the drug store.”

Her perfectly manicured hands were soft as silk. The cut and

fit of her grey pin-striped pant suit reminded me of Marlene

Dietrich from the thirties. Her beautiful cocoa-mocha skin was

light on make-up, with good reason. She simply didn’t need it.

210 Ethan Day

Her long black curls were bunched up in the back, cascading over

her shoulders.

“I was hoping to talk to you about helping me with a little

project, Boone.”

“Oh, well I’ll be happy to if you think I can help.”

Lynn sighed, smiling as if newly refreshed. “Amazing the way

the newbies just agree to anything without waiting to hear the