Read Online Scared Scriptless by Alison Sweeney - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Alison Sweeney
Ads: Link
You want to go again?”
“Well, it’s not really a hike, more like a nice walk, but don’t knock it till you try it, mister.”
“Oh, yeah, sure. Okay. I’ll hike with you. It’ll be fun. Listen, that’s my other line. Have a great time in Wolf. Text me when you get there.”
“Okay, I will. Have a good weekend, Craig.”
Apparently he’s already disconnected because Adele’s voice comes through the speaker as the iPod comes back on.
My car eats up the miles into the Sierras. Through the desert I have to set the cruise control to avoid speed traps. But now that I’m into the mountains, I like to actually drive this part and pay attention to the terrain. Soon enough, my exit appears and then I see the cheesy wooden sign that says W ELCOME T O W OLF C OUNTY , P OP. 4500 . The knots in my shoulder muscles automatically ease up a bit. I’m home.
Filled with giddiness and nostalgia, I make my way acrossthe main road through town. The strip is dotted with inexpensive motels and fast-food places that were built when I was a kid. The town hit a boom in the ’90s when tons of fancy houses were built near the slopes, and all these hotels cropped up to satisfy the weekenders. But it’s starting to look a little run-down already.
When I get to the intersection of Main Street and Old Forge Road, I am shocked to see that Terry’s craft store, Crop Till You Drop, is boarded up. I went to school with Terry’s daughter, Jill. It was open when I was here last April. I guess it didn’t survive the off-season this year. That seems to be happening more and more frequently with all of these beloved mom-and-pop shops. The economic downturn has hit Wolf County harder than I’d thought. I make a mental note to call Jill while I am home and check in.
It’s just after noon but I can’t go home yet and ruin the surprise—my mom has no idea I’m even coming—so I decide to pay Brian a quick visit first. I pull off onto Pine Cove Road, a street I know as well as my own. I rode my bike here after school pretty close to every day, until I saved up for my first car—a used Jetta I was ridiculously proud of—and then I drove over pretty much every day. I pull up in front and knock on the door. I hear a dog barking and then what sounds like a stampede. Twin four-year-olds appear at the door, still squabbling over who gets to open it this time.
“It’s my turn, Luke.”
“Ow! Stop it! It was your turn last time!”
“Hi, Luke. Hi, Liam.” I kneel down and hug Brian’s children close. Behind them is Brian’s wife, Lily.
“Maddy, you’re early! I didn’t think we would see you until the party! Come on in.” She pulls both boys off me. I look around the warm, cozy living room that looks as if a cyclone has just passed through.
“Lily, so good to see you.” We hug, and Lily smells like milkand honey. In the TV version of my life, I would surely despise Lily, the woman who scooped up my ex months after we broke up. And there was probably a week or so, ten years ago, that I did. But then I realized (or rather, my brothers didn’t hesitate to spell it out for me) that I left Wolf and Brian. What was he supposed to do—pine away for me for years? Well, okay, that would have been nice for my ego, but the more generous part of me wanted Brian to be happy. And the truth is, Brian had waited for me. We did the long-distance thing for a while, still thinking that I would eventually return and we’d settle back into the life we’d had before. But when I got offered my first major promotion, script supervisor for a network show, we both realized there was no going back for me. To be offered this job, working on a network show? It was a huge opportunity. One I wanted.
“More than you want a life back here?” Brian had asked.
“Yes. More than that,” I admitted. What else could I say? He deserved my honesty. But I knew I had to let him go. Fast-forward ten years, and I am standing in the kitchen he and Lily inherited
“Well, it’s not really a hike, more like a nice walk, but don’t knock it till you try it, mister.”
“Oh, yeah, sure. Okay. I’ll hike with you. It’ll be fun. Listen, that’s my other line. Have a great time in Wolf. Text me when you get there.”
“Okay, I will. Have a good weekend, Craig.”
Apparently he’s already disconnected because Adele’s voice comes through the speaker as the iPod comes back on.
My car eats up the miles into the Sierras. Through the desert I have to set the cruise control to avoid speed traps. But now that I’m into the mountains, I like to actually drive this part and pay attention to the terrain. Soon enough, my exit appears and then I see the cheesy wooden sign that says W ELCOME T O W OLF C OUNTY , P OP. 4500 . The knots in my shoulder muscles automatically ease up a bit. I’m home.
Filled with giddiness and nostalgia, I make my way acrossthe main road through town. The strip is dotted with inexpensive motels and fast-food places that were built when I was a kid. The town hit a boom in the ’90s when tons of fancy houses were built near the slopes, and all these hotels cropped up to satisfy the weekenders. But it’s starting to look a little run-down already.
When I get to the intersection of Main Street and Old Forge Road, I am shocked to see that Terry’s craft store, Crop Till You Drop, is boarded up. I went to school with Terry’s daughter, Jill. It was open when I was here last April. I guess it didn’t survive the off-season this year. That seems to be happening more and more frequently with all of these beloved mom-and-pop shops. The economic downturn has hit Wolf County harder than I’d thought. I make a mental note to call Jill while I am home and check in.
It’s just after noon but I can’t go home yet and ruin the surprise—my mom has no idea I’m even coming—so I decide to pay Brian a quick visit first. I pull off onto Pine Cove Road, a street I know as well as my own. I rode my bike here after school pretty close to every day, until I saved up for my first car—a used Jetta I was ridiculously proud of—and then I drove over pretty much every day. I pull up in front and knock on the door. I hear a dog barking and then what sounds like a stampede. Twin four-year-olds appear at the door, still squabbling over who gets to open it this time.
“It’s my turn, Luke.”
“Ow! Stop it! It was your turn last time!”
“Hi, Luke. Hi, Liam.” I kneel down and hug Brian’s children close. Behind them is Brian’s wife, Lily.
“Maddy, you’re early! I didn’t think we would see you until the party! Come on in.” She pulls both boys off me. I look around the warm, cozy living room that looks as if a cyclone has just passed through.
“Lily, so good to see you.” We hug, and Lily smells like milkand honey. In the TV version of my life, I would surely despise Lily, the woman who scooped up my ex months after we broke up. And there was probably a week or so, ten years ago, that I did. But then I realized (or rather, my brothers didn’t hesitate to spell it out for me) that I left Wolf and Brian. What was he supposed to do—pine away for me for years? Well, okay, that would have been nice for my ego, but the more generous part of me wanted Brian to be happy. And the truth is, Brian had waited for me. We did the long-distance thing for a while, still thinking that I would eventually return and we’d settle back into the life we’d had before. But when I got offered my first major promotion, script supervisor for a network show, we both realized there was no going back for me. To be offered this job, working on a network show? It was a huge opportunity. One I wanted.
“More than you want a life back here?” Brian had asked.
“Yes. More than that,” I admitted. What else could I say? He deserved my honesty. But I knew I had to let him go. Fast-forward ten years, and I am standing in the kitchen he and Lily inherited
Similar Books
