Solstice - Of The Heart (25 page)

I could see him pondering the
question. I got the feeling he didn’t want to have anything to with
me anymore.

“That’s okay,” I said. “You don’t have
to.”

I turned to walk away, pinching back
tears.

Aaron leaned out the
window.

“I’m going hiking in the Crags
tomorrow if you’d like to go.”

I didn’t want to appear too eager, or
show my emotion. I bit my tongue and took a second or two to
answer.

“Sure. What time?”

“Eight.”

“It’s Saturday. You don’t sleep
in?”

He didn’t answer.

“Can we make it nine?”

“Sure.”

He started the truck. As he drove away
he leaned out the window, waved, and yelled back.

“See you at nine.”

I smiled one of those hesitant smiles
you aren’t quite sure will be received with open arms.

As Aaron drove out of the driveway and
onto the street, he looked back, waved again, and relinquished a
tooth-lined grin.

My heart quit mourning.

I fell in love all over
again.

16 WINDOW TO THE SOUL

I heard the tapping from
afar, a steady drumbeat which became louder with every thump. I
realized someone was at the door. I checked my watch and saw it was
eight in the morning.

Dierdra was due in today, but she
wouldn’t be knocking. She carried her own key.

By the time I reached the door, I
heard Cherrie yelling for me to get my you-know-what out of
bed.

“You’re up early,” I said, as I opened
the door.

“Let’s go girl.”

“Where?”

“Snowboarding. Day two.”

I wiped the sleep from my eyes and
remembered.

“I can’t!”

“Yes, you can. Come on sleepy head,
get dressed.”

“Aaron’s picking me up.”

Cherrie looked at me as though I had
shot her in the heart.

I checked my watch a second
time.

“He’s going to be here at
nine.”

“To do what?”

“Go hiking.”

“Not him again. Thought you were done
with this guy.”

“What gave you that idea?”

“Aren’t you the one who said he tried
to kill lightning boy? And don’t forget, he almost killed you
too.”

“He did not.”

“Maybe not on purpose with you, but
lighting boy, yeah. I think he was trying to do him in.”

“I talked to Aaron. He said it was an
accident. He didn’t see Louk.”

“Likely story.”

“He believes in the Law of
One.”

“You mean like everyone is related and
we’re all one?”

“You’ve heard of it?”

“Of course. Grandpa and the story
tellers talked about it all the time. I just don’t believe in it.
Nor do half the other crazies in this world. Otherwise we’d all be
singing Kum Bay Ya, like the girl scouts do.”

“Well Aaron believes in the Law of
One. At least he says he does. You saw him and Louk at the Burger
Hut. Did they look like they were mad each other to
you?”

“No, they didn’t, but they weren’t
singing Kum Bay Ya either. It’s too damn early. I’m not in the mood
to argue, so I’ll spot you the point. Got any coffee?”

“Instant.”

“No thanks. Think I’ll run over to
Starbucks and see if Jason is hanging out. Maybe he’ll go boarding
with me. You sure you don’t want to go?”

“Maybe tomorrow.”

“Be slush by then.”

Cherrie started for the door. She
hesitated, her hand resting on the doorknob.

“You be careful with this guy. I know
he says he isn’t dangerous. The way I see it, he hasn’t proven
otherwise.”

She tapped her skull.

“You got the knobby to prove
it.”

Cherrie held up a hand to ward off my
response.

“I know. I know. He believes in the
Law of One, but it’s like we talked. He’s got super powers, but
he’s still human. He can make mistakes. All I’m saying is be
careful. Okay?”

“Yes, mother.”

“Good.”

She walked out and closed the door. A
second later she stuck her head and a finger back in.

“I’ll want to hear all about
it.”

“Get out of here. Let me get
ready.”

“Tonight! Come see me.”

I stood in the shower and sipped my
instant coffee. I let the hot water soothe my back. I warmed to the
thought of Aaron and I alone in the woods. Physically, I became
stimulated. Warm on the inside, but cool on the outside. Goosebumps
popped out everywhere. My breathing became labored. I stiffened and
curled my toes as the caffeine and heart palpitations took
hold.

By the drama queen’s standards I am a
bit heavy set, a little pudgy around the middle, but I have good
complexion, dark thick hair, and brown eyes. Simon and Dierdra
always called me their beautiful little angel. I’m not an Angelina
Jolie, but I’m not bad to look at-in my opinion-either. Of course
it helps when I add some eyeliner to my long eye lashes and powder
my face to highlight my high cheek bones.

I shaved my legs and washed my hair,
twice, before adding a conditioner. I ran my hands over my body.
Despite a few extra pounds, I felt firm in all the right places.
Maybe the hike would help reduce my tummy roll, and maybe the world
will wake up today and everyone will adopt the Law of One and start
singing Kum Bay Ya.

I patted my belly.

“Neither one is going to
happen.”

Not in one day.

Maybe I could get Ms. Wroblewski, my
PE teacher, to do a Gut & Butt workout program, like the one I
attended back in White Bear Lake.

What to wear for a first date; a
girl’s biggest nightmare.

Well, we were going hiking, so that
limited the choices. No high heels, of course. I picked out a
sports bra, V-necked long sleeve T shirt, a pair of jeans, and a
pull over sweater. I hadn’t thought about what the weather was
going to be like. I took a gander out the window.

I could see the sun rising. Make for a
warm day. Either way, dressing in layers, I felt
covered.

Just please don’t let it rain, I
prayed. Does cruel things to my hair and make-up.

Shoes were going to be a problem. I
really didn’t have a good pair of hiking boots. I dusted off my
tennis shoes.

I checked my watch; ten to
nine.

I wondered if I should make breakfast
for Aaron and thought, no. He’d want to get going. I was already
indebted to him for the hour I slept in.

I threw a cup of oatmeal in a bowl,
added milk, skipped the brown sugar, (fattening) and micro waved
it. I was gobbling it down when I heard Aaron’s truck pull into the
driveway.

I opened the door and yelled out. “Be
right there.”

I scribbled Dierdra a note.

Mom:

Gone hiking to the Crags
with Aaron. Not sure when we’ll be back, but will be sometime
today. Hope things went well for you in Redding.

Love Julissa

Aaron handed me a cup of coffee as I
hoisted myself up into his truck.

“Good morning,” he said. “Thought you
could use an eye-opener.”

“Thanks.”

I didn’t want to tell him I already
had an eye-opener.

“This your truck?” (I knew
better)

“No, it’s Bernards. Bit crusty, but it
runs good.”

“Did you say rusty or
crusty?”

I eyed the floor boards, which lay
hidden under floor mats, but looked suspect.

Aaron smiled.

“Probably both. Crusty and
rusty.”

“So,” I said, trying to keep the
conversation going, “you didn’t have to work today?”

“Carson gave me the day off. I worked
late last night.”

“Last night? After you left
here?”

“Yes.”

“You have customers shop that
late?”

Aaron headed the truck onto I-5
south.

“No. We close the store at six, but I
stayed over. Cleaned up the stock room.”

I sipped my coffee. “Doing
what?”

“Oh, you know, sterilizing boots,
restocking the shelves, housekeeping stuff.”

“Sounds like an adventure.”

“It pays. Gives me some cash for gas
and such. And Bernard believes we all should contribute at
home.”

“You said Beaumont and Belmont don’t
work at the Fifth Season?”

“No.”

“Where do they work?”

“They don’t. Do you have a
job?”

I noted the quick reversal of roles.
It was fair. Aaron had answered all of my questions—so far. If he
didn’t want to talk about the twins, it was okay with
me.

“No, I don’t. You
offering?”

I saw the heart-softening grin again.
I felt a flush fill my cheeks.

“I’d like to, but I’m not in charge.
You’d have to ask Carson about a job. What do you do for money if
you don’t work?”

I drained my coffee cup.

“Where can I put this?”

I showed Aaron the empty
container.

He reached over and popped the glove
compartment.

It was half full of papers, a few
tools, and what appeared to be a bouquet of weeds.

“In there. I’ll get it
later.”

I pulled the bouquet of weeds from the
glove compartment.

“What are these?”

“Campuanula shetleri.”

I shook my head and shrugged my
shoulders to indicate I didn’t understand.

“It’s a flower,” Aaron said. “Only
found in the Crags. They call it the Castle Crags
bellflower.”

I looked at the dried up stalks with
hairy leaves and small brown flowers.

“Doesn’t look like much.”

“They’re rare. Very rare.”

Aaron said this with
reservation.

I’m sure Aaron was waiting for me to
ask him, why in the hell did you pick them then? When I didn’t, he
continued.

“They grow from rhizomes. They’re
pretty, with white and blue flowers. Some people use them as herbs.
So,” Aaron said, “you never answered my question.”

“What question?”

I put the coffee cup and weeds back in
the glove compartment.

“What you do for money if you don’t
work?”

I sensed Aaron manipulating the
conversation again.

“I haven’t really needed a lot of
money, but my father had a life insurance policy. I get a few bucks
off it every month.”

“I heard the rumor. Your dad died? In
a whiteout?”

“Not a rumor. It’s true. He died on
Mount Hood, along with my Uncle Mickey.”

“Sorry. Didn’t mean to bring it
up.”

“It’s okay. It’s been three
years.”

“Must still hurt.”

“More so for my mom than
me.”

“You don’t miss him?”

I paused, thinking.

“Yes, at times I guess. He was never
around much when I was young. He drove truck, an eighteen wheeler.
Always out on the road. When he had time off, he’d somehow wind up
here in California for his layover. Him and Uncle Mickey would go
mountain climbing.”

“Shasta?”

“All over. Climbed Shasta many times.
Rainer, Hood, Baker, and Whitney. Once, they went down to Mexico
and climbed a mountain, Pico something or other. They wanted to
climb Denali, but it never worked out.”

“The white mountain.”

“White?”

“Pico de Orizaba. That’s what the
natives call Pico de Orizaba, Istakteptl, the White Mountain. In
Mexico. Your dad ever take you climbing?”

“No. Too young, I guess. But I use to
like it when he’d come home from the mountains. He’d always have a
story to tell. And, for some reason, I loved the smell of his gear.
Woodsy, smokey smell. Stinky, but I still loved to help him unpack.
He always brought me a present. Kept it buried down at the bottom
of his pack, so I’d have to help him unpack.”

“What kind of present?”

“Dolls. Made of wood.”

“Really? Didn’t think they made them
out of wood anymore.”

“They don’t. He liked to carve, so
he’d take a piece of wood on the road and up on the mountain with
him. By the time he came back, he’d have a doll carved. They were
pretty much just stick dolls with faces. I’d take the clothes off
of my Barbies and dress them up. Put some makeup on them and they’d
look store bought.”

“You still have them?”