Excerpt from Chapter 11 of Sadie's Mountain by Shelby Rebecca. (c) Copyright. All rights reserved.
"I remember riding on the
back of his bike, his scent mingling with mine in the mountain air. I remember
making snow angels together and then him helping me make the biggest snowman I’d
ever seen—he even ripped two buttons off his coat to make the eyes. I can see
the determined look on his face when I’d helped him rescue a dragon fly out of
the mud behind my house. “Look at its face. It looks like a bulldog, don’t
it?”
These memories sting—but I
want to remember. Just like the song asked me to in his car. I do
remember—everything.
I’ve made my decision.
I love Dillon. I want him in
every way he wants me. We’ll work it all out. We have to.
“How
are you feeling?” he asks, holding my face in his hand, my other hand pressed
up to his heart. He’s looking deep in my eyes with those Tahoe blues.
“I think I’m cured,” I say,
peeking into his core, trying to see if he understands the double meaning. If
he understands that I’ve made up my mind about him, about us. Even if it is
only for this brief moment before the real world comes roaring back to me in a
moment of lucidity. I trace his cheek with my index finger and he nuzzles me
back.
“I love you,” I say, before
I can become a coward. Is that clear enough? I never stopped and I don’t
want to push you away anymore—I can’t. His eyes widen and he shudders as if
a chill goes through his body that he holds in. I place both my hands on his
face and pull him toward me. There is only him. There is only me. It’s as if we’re
alone on this planet and we’re creating all the meaning that exists in it.
“Is this really happening?”
he breathes as he leans down and easily slides me by my waist toward the edge
of the counter closer to him. My legs move to either side of his hips. I take a
sharp breath as my tummy clenches up. He tenderly rubs the tip of his nose the
full length of mine before he grasps my chin, gently tilting it up. His chest
strokes against mine.
“And I love you, Sadie,” he
whispers into my mouth and takes my lips between his, so delicately. Live
wires. I move my hands up to his hair as our kiss deepens.
“Dillon!” We are forced out
of our reverie; the stern voice is coming out of Donnie’s mouth as he stands in
the doorway. “God dammit, boy. You’re out in public. Ain’t nobody allowed to do
this even if it is with someone like that.”
I gasp and cover my face
with my hands.
“Someone like what?” Dillon
challenges, turning away from me, blocking me from Donnie’s stare. I pull my
legs up to my chin, pull my skirt over my legs, and cross my ankles.
“Someone who lets men grope
her in public,” he says, like it’s hot and he needs to drop it on someone.
“We aren’t doing anything
wrong, Donnie.”
“From my perspective you
are, and I’m the law.”
“Shut up,” Dillon says, just
like a brother would.
I peek out from my hands.
Donnie’s mouth says, “It’s your turn in about five minutes,” but what he’s
really saying is: “I’m going to kill you both.” That’s exactly the look
on his face. Pure evil. I’ve started trembling so badly now, like I’m cold on
the inside.
“Sadie, why are you shaking?”
Dillon says, so concerned. I can’t help it when I start to make the ugly cry
face.
He’s breathing harder than
normal. “What’s the matter, baby?” He looks at Donnie and back at me with my
head hanging low. It’s like something clicks. “Give us a minute, man,” he says,
curtly and waits until Donnie walks away.
“Does he scare you?” he
asks, leaning into my legs pulled up to my chin, wrapping his long arms around
me. I can’t lie. He knows. I shake my head yes. “Why?”
“It’s just that we keep
getting caught kissing and it’s really embarrassing.” Did that work?
“Is that all, Sadie?”
“Yes,” I lie again. This
sucks.
“Don’t be embarrassed. Who
cares what he thinks?” Well, you might if he tries to kill you with his
fishy knife.
“What just happened, Sadie,
was one of the most beautiful moments of my life.” I shake my head and try to
calm my breathing and straighten my ugly-cry face. “When you said you loved me,”
he puts his hands on his head, “I don’t care if this means anything for me
right now, like if you’re ready to be with me or if you want what I want. Just
to know how you feel.” His voice hitches in his throat.
I guess that depends on what
Donnie’s going to do now. Maybe it would be better to just tell Dillon so I would have someone
to help me through this. I would, too, if I thought that Dillon could stay calm
and strategize rather than turn medieval and challenge his brother to a duel.
He would be no match for an ex-Army soldier. It would be like tagging him with
a big red stripe and sending him to the slaughter house.
At this point it’s too late
to hide what’s going on between us. We’ve kissed, like that, right in front of
Donnie. There’s no going back. I’m staying here to see my mother until her last
day. And I’m going to help protect this mountain—for her. There has to be a way
to get one step ahead of Donnie. A way to keep him away.
“All I know right now is
that I love you, Dillon. I always have and I want what you want. I do. But
there’s so much that you don’t know.” He helps me put my legs down and pulls me
into his strong, safe arms. This is where I want to be—need to be.
“There’s nothing you need to
say right now,” he says into my ear. “You owe me nothing. I’m just happy with
whatever this is right now.”
“Thank you, Dillon,” I
whisper into his chest.
He pulls back and looks down
at me thoughtfully. The iPhone in my purse strung crossways over my shoulder
buzzes. I must have a new email. That’s when divine providence strikes. I can
get Donnie to talk. He’s so angry he’s bound to threaten me again and someone
will hear. No, I need a way to prove what he did in a way that I can control. I
look at my purse again. That thing has to have some kind of a recording
device.
“Are you ready to go out
there now? Can you walk okay?”
“Yes, I’m ready.” Yes, I
am. For the first time in my life I want to talk to Donnie. And I’m going
to find out what’s going through his Machiavellian mind—right now.
I bet my eyes look like a
wild dog before a planned attack. "
