Vicki was pressing a hand to her chest. “Omigod. What do we do? Who do we tell? No one,” she decided, erasing the news with both hands. “We can’t tell anyone. Jude is the most irresponsible, unpredictable person I know. He may say he’s coming and then chicken out and go somewhere more exciting. Mom is used to the idea of his being gone. If I tell her he’s coming back and he doesn’t show, she’ll be destroyed.”
I couldn’t imagine Amelia being destroyed by much, and might have asked more, if Vicki hadn’t narrowed her eyes.
“
That’s
why you’re here? Not to see me, but because
he’s
coming back?”
“No.
No
. I’m here because I need you and I need the peace of this town. Maybe I’m even here because I needed to give you this news, but I am not here for Jude. I’m here for me. Call me selfish. I am.”
“You’re not,” she muttered grudgingly. “If you were, your life wouldn’t be in this mess. You’d have stood up for yourself and your needs before this.” She slouched against my side. “Why is he coming back? He won’t stay. He’ll just stir things up and leave. His idea of hell is being stuck here.”
“Maybe he’s grown up—you know, seen other kinds of hell.”
But Vicki was shaking her head, seeming more sad now than annoyed. “He’s a Bell. Bells have lived here for generations. He may fight the pull, but it’s strong.
That’s
what’s in our genes.” She reached for my hand. “I could never have walked away from my life, certainly not the way you’ve done. But your doing it doesn’t surprise me. You were always the bolder of us. Like the semester abroad. I wouldn’t have done it if it hadn’t been for you. Wouldn’t have had the courage to go so far for so long. You were my more spirited half.”
I couldn’t remember the last time I’d held a friend’s hand, but with Vicki Bell, it was the most natural thing in the world—the great connector, not to mention a ticket to confession. “And you my sanerhalf.” I had a qualifying thought. “Except for Jude. You didn’t stop me there.”
“How could I? He was my brother. I was hoping you’d be a good influence on him. Besides, there was no stopping what you two had. It was like wildfire—
poof
, hot as hell in an instant, pure animal magnetism.”
I might have argued that there had been far more than that, only she had given me the opening, and if my dreams were to be believed, the subject had a grip on at least a small part of my mind. “Speaking of animals, there were coyotes that summer. Are they still here?”
“No. Not since Jude left. He was the only one who saw them, or said he did.”
“I saw them.” I could vouch for Jude on this. “There was actually just one, up by his cabin. We watched it—and it us—for hours. Jude used to whisper to it, like they had this awesome connection. He was sure it had a mate in the woods, but we never saw the pair together. So, you haven’t heard them?”
She shook her head.
Not since Jude left
. That gave me a little chill. It was only in recent months that my dreams had begun. I wondered what the significance of that was.
“He always drew creatures that way,” Vicki mused. “Like I said, animal magnetism.” Her eyes found mine. “He’s coming back after all this time? Did he say what he wanted to do here or how long he’d stay?”
“He mentioned unfinished business, but he didn’t elaborate, and he knew he might have trouble staying here long.”
“That is Jude. I wonder what he looks like.”
So did I. One look at him that summer, and I’d been lost.
Vicki read my mind. With a little squeeze, she dropped my hand. “Is it good with James?”
“Sex?” Only with Vicki could I have this conversation. “It used to be fabulous,” I said, folding my legs. “Trying to get pregnant makes it less fun.”
“Does James agree?”
“Not in as many words. He would never tell me it isn’t good.”
“Would he ever have an affair?”
I
I couldn’t imagine Amelia being destroyed by much, and might have asked more, if Vicki hadn’t narrowed her eyes.
“
That’s
why you’re here? Not to see me, but because
he’s
coming back?”
“No.
No
. I’m here because I need you and I need the peace of this town. Maybe I’m even here because I needed to give you this news, but I am not here for Jude. I’m here for me. Call me selfish. I am.”
“You’re not,” she muttered grudgingly. “If you were, your life wouldn’t be in this mess. You’d have stood up for yourself and your needs before this.” She slouched against my side. “Why is he coming back? He won’t stay. He’ll just stir things up and leave. His idea of hell is being stuck here.”
“Maybe he’s grown up—you know, seen other kinds of hell.”
But Vicki was shaking her head, seeming more sad now than annoyed. “He’s a Bell. Bells have lived here for generations. He may fight the pull, but it’s strong.
That’s
what’s in our genes.” She reached for my hand. “I could never have walked away from my life, certainly not the way you’ve done. But your doing it doesn’t surprise me. You were always the bolder of us. Like the semester abroad. I wouldn’t have done it if it hadn’t been for you. Wouldn’t have had the courage to go so far for so long. You were my more spirited half.”
I couldn’t remember the last time I’d held a friend’s hand, but with Vicki Bell, it was the most natural thing in the world—the great connector, not to mention a ticket to confession. “And you my sanerhalf.” I had a qualifying thought. “Except for Jude. You didn’t stop me there.”
“How could I? He was my brother. I was hoping you’d be a good influence on him. Besides, there was no stopping what you two had. It was like wildfire—
poof
, hot as hell in an instant, pure animal magnetism.”
I might have argued that there had been far more than that, only she had given me the opening, and if my dreams were to be believed, the subject had a grip on at least a small part of my mind. “Speaking of animals, there were coyotes that summer. Are they still here?”
“No. Not since Jude left. He was the only one who saw them, or said he did.”
“I saw them.” I could vouch for Jude on this. “There was actually just one, up by his cabin. We watched it—and it us—for hours. Jude used to whisper to it, like they had this awesome connection. He was sure it had a mate in the woods, but we never saw the pair together. So, you haven’t heard them?”
She shook her head.
Not since Jude left
. That gave me a little chill. It was only in recent months that my dreams had begun. I wondered what the significance of that was.
“He always drew creatures that way,” Vicki mused. “Like I said, animal magnetism.” Her eyes found mine. “He’s coming back after all this time? Did he say what he wanted to do here or how long he’d stay?”
“He mentioned unfinished business, but he didn’t elaborate, and he knew he might have trouble staying here long.”
“That is Jude. I wonder what he looks like.”
So did I. One look at him that summer, and I’d been lost.
Vicki read my mind. With a little squeeze, she dropped my hand. “Is it good with James?”
“Sex?” Only with Vicki could I have this conversation. “It used to be fabulous,” I said, folding my legs. “Trying to get pregnant makes it less fun.”
“Does James agree?”
“Not in as many words. He would never tell me it isn’t good.”
“Would he ever have an affair?”
I
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