Where the Allegheny Meets the Monongahela (6 page)

rough patch. She didn‘t have to stick her nose in. But I guess she‘s had

it in for me ever since I knocked up her little sister.‖ When that tidbit

slipped out, he swung his head guiltily back towards Trudy.

Like a cat on a wounded mouse, Trudy pounced on the new

information. ―Oh… so that‘s how it was. Is that why you got married?‖

―Yeah.‖

―How old were you two?‖

―Just a couple‘a years outta high school. But I would‘ve

‘ventually asked Linda, no matter what,‖ he added defensively.

―Because you were in love with her?‖

―Yeah, sure. I guess.‖

―More than any other girl you ever dated?‖

―Never really dated much.‖

―Really?‖ Trudy‘s question was half surprise, half skepticism.

―Why not?‖

―Too busy workin‘. Started fixin‘ cars for money when I was

‘bout fourteen. Trying to help Daisy and Jim make ends meet.‖

Where the Allegheny Meets the Monongahela

31

―I see.‖

Logan prayed to a God in whom he didn‘t always believe that

Trudy wouldn‘t ask about his relationship with his brother and sister,

one that was nonexistent with the former and strained with the latter.

However, she pulled one of her patented abrupt changes in

subject. He always wondered if she did this to keep him slightly off-

balance. If so, it was working. ―So how was your meeting with Nick

Zales?‖

Feeling like Trudy had tipped him from her frying pan into the

gas flame under it, Logan said, ―Went fine.‖

―Care to elaborate on that?‖

―What do you wanta hear? I‘m gonna do that class, every week

on Thursdays. Okay?‖

―You don‘t sound too happy about it. Didn‘t you like Nick?‖

―What the fuck is that supposed to mean? I said I was gonna do it!

I‘ve done everything you ask, but you keep poking into my business

lookin‘ for… for God knows what. You ever gonna sign that paper?

You ever gonna let me see my daughters the right way? Do you get

some kinda charge outta rippin‘ me apart every week?‖ Suddenly

Logan realized he was standing, practically shouting at a stern-faced

Trudy; abruptly he closed his mouth and dropped back into the chair.

Trudy took a deep breath before asking, ―Okay, then. Want to let

me in on what
that
was all about?‖

―I don‘t know. You know I got a bad temper. Never tried to hide

that.‖

―And it just flares up like that without warning? Without

provocation?‖

Logan wasn‘t about to let that pass; he snapped, ―You‘re plenty

provoking.‖

―Maybe,‖ Trudy allowed dryly, ―but that‘s my job.‖ She leaned

forward, asking, ―Are you completely under control now?‖

―Yeah, it was nothin‘. Just got a little worked up, is all.‖

―And what that I said got you so
worked up
?‖

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Felicia Watson

―I don‘t know. Just get sick of all these questions, I guess.‖

When Logan saw Trudy lean back with her arms folded and her

mouth slightly twisted, he knew she wasn‘t buying his evasion. He

waited for more probing on the subject of his recent outburst and was

puzzled when she said, ―What I want you to do is think back to a time

when you really lost your temper, even worse than you just did.

Something we haven‘t already discussed. And tell me what happened

right before—what you were
feeling
, especially.‖

Logan felt too worn out to even try. There were only ten minutes

left in his session; maybe he could stall her. ―I can‘t think of nothin‘

right now.‖

―There was an incident in your file about you getting into a bar

fight back in Elco. You beat the guy up pretty badly, it seems. He even

tried to sue you for lost wages while he was laid up, didn‘t he?‖

―Yeah,‖ Logan laughed. ―His lawyer dropped that idea like a hot

rock when he found out we didn‘t have any money.‖

―Okay. Tell me about that fight.‖

―Not much to tell. The guy tried to jump ahead‘a me for the pool

table. I wouldn‘t let ‘im.‖

―So you hit him?‖

―Not right off. I told him we‘d put our marker down before his

and he should wait his turn. He kinda backed down, and his friends

pulled him over to the bar.‖

―And?‖

―When Red Thompson and me finished playin‘, Red called over

and said they could have the table. I was puttin‘ the cue back, and that

asshole comes over, puts his arm ‘round my shoulders, and says, ‗No

hard feelin‘s, huh, pretty boy?‘ And then… then I hit ‘im.‖

―
That’s
what set you off?‖

―Yeah.‖ There was a long silence where Logan could feel Trudy‘s

eyes boring into him. Almost nervously, he added, ―You let a guy get

away with treatin‘ you that way at a place like Carney‘s, and soon

everyone‘ll think… think they can talk down to you.‖

Where the Allegheny Meets the Monongahela

33

―So that‘s what really made you lose your temper—that he was

talking down to you?‖

―Yeah.‖

―Do you think that‘s a common thread when you lose control?

Did you feel like I was patronizing you when I asked about the

course?‖

It seemed safest to agree. ―Maybe. Yeah, maybe, that‘s it.‖

―Hmmm, we could be getting somewhere. This week I want you

to think if there was ever a time when you felt like someone was

putting you down and you
didn’t
lose your temper. Next week we‘ll

talk about it. Can you do that?‖

―Sure.‖
Got a whole string of ’em—from today goin’ back to

March. Prob’ly more to come.

NICK was glad to see Cheryl smiling at Tish‘s wisecracks as they rode

to their first Basic Automotive class. Sometimes Tish‘s motormouth

wore on him, but if her wild tales of what she was going to do when

she moved in with her sister were bringing his newest client out of her

shell, he was all for it. Nick glanced at Tish in the rearview mirror.

―Well, thanks a lot, sounds like you can‘t wait to get away from us.‖

Tish pushed her short, curly black hair out of her dark eyes,

teasing back, ―Not you, honey, all them fuckin‘ rules I‘ve been under

for the last four months. ‗Make your bed, clean up the kitchen, wipe

down the shower, no yellin‘ at your kids,‘ and a curfew! Shit, I ain‘t

had one of them since I was twelve.‖ She leaned forward, saying, ―You

been there a few weeks now, right? Bet you know what I mean, don‘t

you, girlfriend?‖

Cheryl tipped her head forward shyly, bringing a curtain of long,

straight brown hair around her freckled face. ―It was awful nice of them

to take me and the kids in—no notice or anything.‖

―A little more freedom would be even nicer,‖ answered Tish.

―Can‘t wait for September,‖ she added, referring to her imminent

move.

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Felicia Watson

Since he‘d said it a dozen times previously, Nick refrained from

telling her again that with an average population of sixty women and

nearly as many children, ACC would quickly descend into chaos if it

weren‘t for the tight set of rules. With Nick mostly silent, Tish held

court all the way to Dave‘s repair shop.

When they got there, Nick was disappointed not to see Norah and

her Cavalier waiting. It was a few minutes after three p.m., and she had

promised to be on time. As he led his charges up the long flight of

steps, Nick strained for any sound of Norah‘s arrival, knowing that her

junker was audible from many blocks away.

They found Logan leaning against the front of the shop, taking

long drags on a newly lit cigarette; several butts strewn at his feet

attested to the fact that he‘d been waiting a while.

―Sorry we‘re a little late,‖ called Nick, though Logan looked

anything but relieved to see them. He noticed that Logan immediately

pinched off his cigarette and slid it back into the pack which he then

hurriedly stuffed into the pocket of a black, short-sleeved shirt hanging

open over a white, sleeveless T-shirt.

Nick introduced Logan to his new students. ―Logan, meet Letisha

Wilson and Cheryl MacLean. Ladies, this is Logan Crane.‖ Tish

offered her hand while raking the mechanic up and down appraisingly;

Cheryl merely uttered a barely audible hello, which Logan returned,

only slightly louder.

Nick noticed Logan giving him the once-over and wondered if

there was something about his navy polo shirt and tan chinos that the

man found objectionable.
What do I care?
he reminded himself sternly,

feeling that responding to this man in the presence of ―his girls‖ would

be a betrayal of sorts. Steeling himself against any attraction, Nick

shifted his soft-sided briefcase from his hand to his shoulder, fumbled

for the keys, and quickly unlocked the shop door.

The four of them trooped inside, where Logan immediately raised

the bay door. Looking at Nick, Logan asked, ―Where‘s the car?‖

―I don‘t know. Norah should have been here by now.‖

Logan nodded and wordlessly turned his attention to selecting a

few tools, which he neatly laid out on the workbench. While Tish and

Where the Allegheny Meets the Monongahela

35

Cheryl popped outside for a smoke, Nick went over to the small, messy

desk shoved in a corner that apparently had been Dave Acken‘s office

and removed his laptop from the case. His plan was to work on case

reports while he ―chaperoned‖ this module, since he could ill afford

losing two hours out of a workday.

A minute later, the girls came back, announcing that it looked like

Norah was heading up the driveway, an unnecessary chore since the

sound of her car straining up the incline was evident to all. After

pulling into the garage, she bounced out of the driver‘s seat,

exclaiming, ―Hey guys—‘the late‘ Norah Seebold, at your service.‖

After more formal introductions, Norah aimed a brilliant, apologetic

smile at the group, explaining, ―I‘m sorry. I got
soo
lost.‖ She pointed

to her soft blonde curls, saying, ―Guess I proved this is my real color,

huh?‖ While Nick and the girls laughed and even Logan cracked a

smile, she added, ―I think I took the wrong bridge over the river.‖

―Which one?‖ Tish asked.

―If I knew which bridge it was, I probably wouldn‘t‘ve gotten so

lost,‖ laughed Norah.

―That ain‘t what I was askin‘,‖ Tish corrected. ―Which river?‖

―Isn‘t it all kinda the same river?‖ Norah wondered.

While Tish gaped at her in amazement, Nick hastened to explain,

―Norah‘s from New York.‖ He turned back to the transplant, saying,

―You may not know it, but you just committed heresy. There are
three

rivers in Pittsburgh. There‘s the Allegheny, the Monongahela, and

those two join together to form,‖ Tish and Nick finished together, ―the

‗Mighty Ohio‘.‖

Tish explained to an amused Norah, ―Growin‘ up in Western

P.A., ya hear that every fuckin‘ year of grade school.‖

―Okay, geography is over. Time for basic automotives.‖ He

turned to Logan, who had been watching the exchange in expectant

silence, saying, ―Mr. Crane, they‘re all yours.‖

Nick had been wondering how Logan would introduce this group

of neophytes to car repair. Upon seeing him start by demonstrating the

basic tools they‘d be using, Nick begrudgingly acknowledged it to be a

logical and savvy move. By the time Tish was asking who this guy

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Felicia Watson

―Allen‖ was and why he had so many goddamn wrenches, Nick

thought it was safe to leave the group alone and get some work done.

Ninety minutes later, Nick had polished off five reports, and

Logan was having the girls take turns removing the lug nuts from one

of the tires. Tish‘s extended and effusive swearing when she broke a

nail eroded Nick‘s concentration; he decided to take a break and see

how the training was going.

Tish had retrieved a nail file from her bag and was repairing the

damage while she watched Norah take her turn at the stubborn lug nuts.

―So, you moved here from New York? Are you crazy?‖

―Upstate New York, not New York
City
,‖ Norah explained, as

she rolled her cornflower-blue eyes. ―And if you ever saw Arkport,

you‘d understand.‖

―Bet it was for a man, wasn‘t it?‖ Tish countered.

―You got it,‖ admitted Norah.

―How‘d you meet ‘im?‖ Cheryl asked.

―On the Internet. I was seventeen and knew my mom wouldn‘t let

me talk to a grown man in person, but online, I thought, was okay—

besides, she wouldn‘t know.‖ Norah finally broke the first nut and

looked up at Logan for approval.

He smiled encouragingly before saying, ―Good job, but you gotta