The Family Gathering

  Later that week, Dakota walked Sid out to her car first thing in the morning. She’d spent the night even though he had an early shift on the garbage truck. When she opened her car door they both jumped back in shock. The entire front seat—driver’s seat and passenger seat—was heaped with garbage. Smelly garbage. Not recyclable paper or plastic but degrading, rotting, wet food.

  “Oh my God!” Sid exclaimed. “Who would do such a thing?”

  “I never heard a car,” he said. “I never heard a sound. I’m pretty sensitive to out of place sounds after a few war zones. Little things, like a click, can be a matter of life and death. Whoever did this didn’t drive up to the car. I’m calling Stan. I’ll call work and explain that I can’t start until later. You can take my car and I’ll see that yours is cleaned up.”

  “How will you manage that?”

  “I have lots of resources. Cal, Sierra, Sully. I can do it.”

  My son, may you be happier than your father.

  —SOPHOCLES

  14

  SIERRA WAS ALREADY home from the diner on Tuesday afternoon when Dakota finished his shift and dropped in. Connie had the day off and had been home with Sam. The door was open and through the screen door Dakota could see Connie was cooking dinner, Sam was propped up in his walker, though still so small he couldn’t make any headway, and Sierra sat at the breakfast bar folding little clothes. He tapped at the door, announced himself and walked in. Molly barked at him, then jumped on him for good measure, and Sam squealed and raised his little arms; Sierra yelled at the dog to get down. All in all a lovely domestic scene.

  “Look what the cat dragged in,” Sierra said. “Can you stay for dinner?”

  “Probably not, I have errands,” he said. “But I have to talk to you about something very weird.”

  “I specialize in weirdness,” she said. “How’s Sid?”

  “Oh, she’s great, considering.”

  “Considering what?” Sierra demanded. “Did you do something stupid?”

  “I’m completely blameless,” he said, squatting in front of Sam. He made a couple of playful sounds and asinine faces and the baby giggled like mad. Helpless, Dakota kept it up for a while, then kissed the baby on his head before rising. “This is the happiest baby I have ever seen. He has no idea all he’s been through.”

  “He’s amazing, isn’t he? I bet if we had one of our own, he or she would be a holy terror.”

  “I doubt it,” Dakota said. “You’re both so frickin’ sweet. Hey, any chance you have a cold beer?”

  “A very limited supply that I’m willing to share with you,” Connie said.

  “Thanks. Whatcha building over there?”

  “I’m marinating flank steak that will go on the grill, corn on the cob and potatoes. There’s plenty.”

  “Thanks but I’m going to head to town. Sid’s working. But I have to talk to you guys about something. When I first got to town I met two women right away and both of them hit on me. Alyssa at the beauty shop and some fancy woman named Neely, who happened into the bar.”

  Connie and Sierra looked at each other with shocked expressions on their faces. “Oh, brother,” Connie said. And Sierra followed with, “Boy, can you pick ’em.”

  “You don’t know the half of it,” Dakota said. He proceeded to tell them the story from the beginning—Alyssa’s rather pitiful and hopeless pursuit, Neely’s crazy and almost scary pursuit, the flat tires, hair clippings, the garbage. Neely’s convoluted double message to the police chief, accusing Dakota of an assault.

  “Garbage in your girlfriend’s car,” Sierra said. “A little obvious, isn’t it?”

  “Is it?” Dakota asked.

  “Oh, yeah,” Sierra said with a laugh. “You sure you want to hook up with a garbage man, sister?”

  “No kidding,” he said. “That never crossed my mind!”

  “Because you don’t know how to think crazy. Did you have a thing with one or both of them? Like a little fling?”

  “Not even a little hand-holding. I didn’t encourage either one of them for one second.”

  “Listen, Cody, we know both of those characters a little too well,” Sierra said.

  “What do you mean?”

  “I was engaged to Alyssa a few years ago,” Connie said. “A couple of years before I even knew Sierra. We lived together in this house. I came home from work in the middle of the day to find her in bed with one of my friends, ex-friends, having some afternoon delight.”

  Dakota was speechless for a moment. “Tacky,” he finally said. “I’ve been known to use poor judgment from time to time, but even I never did anything like that. Your ex-friend still around?”

  “A firefighter,” Connie said. “Married, couple of kids, still prowling around. We don’t talk. We don’t work together. As for Alyssa...” He shrugged. “Apparently she hasn’t found the right man yet. You made a narrow escape, that’s my opinion. Though maybe she’s changed her ways. It doesn’t matter to me anymore.” He wiped off his hands and picked up Sam, holding him on his hip. “I’m glad you settled on Sid. She’s cool.”

  “I can’t wait to hear about Neely,” Dakota said.

  “She’s a lot harder to explain,” Sierra said. “She made me a little bit uncomfortable with a rush to friendship. I’d known her for an hour when she suggested we take a trip together. A road trip. I’ll admit, she makes such a good first impression I wanted to be her friend. I was new in town—I didn’t have any friends yet. Then I caught her in a couple of lies. Not little ones, either. She made up a story about a big, fatal accident. It didn’t sound credible and I told Connie.”

  “So I checked,” Connie said. “It’s a matter of public record. I just checked the computer for the highway patrol stats—not only wasn’t there a fatal accident, there wasn’t any accident in the vicinity she claimed. And I guess if you had a run-in with her, she’s not done with the lying.”

  “Was that it? She invented an accident?” Dakota asked.

  “Not quite,” Sierra said. “This dramatic story came up in the beauty shop and it was Alyssa who said she’d never heard of such a thing, a really bad accident happening without everyone in town talking about it. Then Neely also casually told Alyssa that I had wanted to take her on a trip. I didn’t say anything but that’s when I decided I’d be giving Neely a lot of space. That kind of thing creeps me out.”

  “She need attention or something?” Dakota asked.

  “I don’t have the first idea. Some people just lie all the time for the drama of it, I guess. We’ve all exaggerated. But after that accident story, saying a kid was killed? Saying she was sorry she hadn’t been in touch but she was at this dying boy’s bedside for days? I felt terrible for her. Is that the payoff? Pity? Now I’d never know what to believe from her.”

  “You met her at the beauty shop?”

  “Not exactly. I met her...” Sierra hesitated. “I met her through friends.”

  “I thought you didn’t have any friends?” Dakota said.

  “I didn’t have many and none I was close to. I was brand-new in town.”

  “You met her at AA?” Dakota guessed.

  “I didn’t say that,” she said.

  “I know you take your promises seriously so I won’t push you to tell me, but just in case you think she’s sober, she’s not. At least, I know she drinks. I’ve never seen her drink alcohol, but she does. She kissed me, remember. I had to peel her off me. She’d definitely been drinking.”

  The surprise on Sierra’s face said it all.

  “You don’t have to say anything, Sierra,” Dakota said. Then he looked at Sam, who was busy chewing his fist and drooling all over his bib. He frowned slightly, then reached for the baby.

  “Uncle Cody is coming around,” Sierra said.

  Dakota rested the baby on his hip. “This brilliant baby gave me an ide
a,” he said. “I feel the need to install a nanny cam.”

  * * *

  When Dakota left, Sierra was a little overwhelmed by what she’d learned. Connie went back to puttering in the kitchen while she gave Sam his bottle. “This business with Neely sounds almost scary.”

  “I think Dakota can take care of himself,” Connie said.

  “Making up tall tales is one thing, but this woman sounds like a stalker.”

  “It’s been known to happen,” he said.

  “Has it ever happened to you?” she asked.

  “Not like that, no. I mean, Alyssa was kind of a pest. I had to tell her to give up way too often, but she never did anything to hurt me or my property.” He grinned at Sierra. “I’m making you a treat. Your favorite. Stuffed mushrooms.”

  “I love stuffed mushrooms. Sam wants to hold his own bottle,” she said. “He’s taking my job.”

  “He’s feeling independent,” Connie said. “That’s good.”

  Sierra started to cry softly. “I want to hold him longer.”

  “You’re crying?”

  “Sometimes I think about the fact that he’ll never know his mother and it breaks my heart a little. I mean, I so want him to be with us, but his birth mother, gone from his life at such a young age. He won’t remember her.”

  “Sierra?” Connie asked.

  “It’s been such a troubling day,” she said with a hiccup of emotion. “Am I supposed to tell someone Neely is drinking?”

  Connie frowned at his wife. “I don’t know. I don’t know all the AA rules. Besides, what does it have to do with anything? Do you think it’s making her act the way she’s apparently acting? Dakota doesn’t even know for sure it was her, he just thinks—Sierra, why are you crying?”

  “I don’t know. I find it so emotional. A lot of it, you know? Neely’s a nutcase, I think. And my brother—he’s been alone so long and he has a good woman in his life now, that makes me so happy.” She wiped her eyes. “But poor little Sam will never know his real mommy. That’s sad, don’t you think.”

  “Honey, are you about to get your—?” She glared at him and he put his hands up as if he was being arrested. “I didn’t say it! I almost said it but I caught myself. Do you need a nap?”

  “Maybe,” she relented. “Having a baby is a lot of work. He sleeps pretty well but he still wakes up sometimes...”

  “Why don’t you take a little nap with Sam before dinner,” Connie said.

  “Maybe we should. I’ve been a little off today. I might be coming down with a cold.” She sniffed. “Cody’s going to be all right, isn’t he?”

  “He’s a big boy,” Connie said. “And we’re going to be all right, too. We’ll get pictures from Sam’s grandma so we can show him some of the family he missed knowing, but don’t cry over it—that kid hit the lotto when he got us because he’s gonna have a great childhood. He’ll have a good mom and dad. He could’ve been bounced all over the state, but we lucked out and found each other.”

  “Oh, Connie,” she said, sniffing.

  “Go take a nap,” he said.

  She cuddled Sam against her and headed for the bedroom.

  “Sheesh,” Connie said. But he said it very quietly.

  * * *

  Dakota stopped by the police department on his way to the bar and grill. With the damage to Sid’s car, he and Stan were becoming much closer than he would have liked—in a professional capacity. When he walked in, Stan smiled from behind his desk. “Get the smell out?”

  “Pretty much, but I had to take it to Colorado Springs to get a good detail job and the ride over was grueling. My buddy from the county, the guy I ride the garbage haul with, came by after you took pictures and wrote up your report. He helped me empty that mess into the truck. It was easier to do that wearing our hazmat suits. Nastiest mess I’ve ever seen. Then I filled my sister in on some of the details—she already knew Neely was a nutjob. She caught her in some lies, I guess. Not in vandalism, but very colorful lies. So I took a side trip to Walmart and bought myself a surveillance camera.”

  Stan just lifted a brow. “I guess the next time something happens around your place, you’ll have yourself a little movie. I hope there isn’t any more bullshit. Even if you had some proof, she’d probably just get a fine. Oh, and lying ain’t against the law, unless you’re under oath.”

  “Just so you know, I have guns,” Dakota said. “A couple of rifles and a .45. I’m going to take the rifles to my brother’s house to lock up and keep the .45. Because... I don’t know... When someone trashes your car while you’re in the house... If I was burglarized, I’d hate there to be guns stolen. Even by some girl.”

  “It’s just peculiar enough to get my attention. I’m doing a little of my own checking around. We’ll talk about that another time. For now, I don’t want you to get the idea that just because it’s a woman you suspect of giving you grief that means it’s not a real threat. And I like the idea that you’re storing the rifles at Cal’s for the time being, but lock your doors, anyway. And pay attention. That’s about all I can advise you. I’d hate for you to shoot her. That’d make a mess of paperwork.”

  “I didn’t do anything to make her think we had a relationship,” Dakota said. “I didn’t encourage her. And I didn’t do anything to purposely offend her. I was polite. Just not interested.”

  “You don’t have anything to defend, Dakota. It’s just one of those weird things. We might never get to the bottom of it.”

  “I’m sure you’re far too busy for this kind of BS.”

  Stan laughed. “This is Timberlake, Dakota. We don’t have that much going on. But let me be straight with you here—I don’t like the thought of someone doing nasty things to one of my people. Lying about assaults, stabbing tires, fouling someone’s car with garbage, and I frankly don’t care if it’s a man or a woman. So I’m checking out this Neely character. I’ll let you know what I find. You let me know what’s on your camera.”

  Dakota smiled. “Thanks, Stan.”

  * * *

  Sid was serving in the bar in the afternoon. The happy hour and dinner crowd would be descending on them soon and she’d heard from Dakota that he was on his way over. She was completely unprepared to see Neely come into the bar, dressed to the nines as usual, and jump up on a bar stool, all smiles.

  “Hi,” she said brightly. “Sid, isn’t it?”

  Sid frowned. This was a leap from her finger-snapping order for a chicken Caesar. “Have we met?” Sid asked.

  “Well, I guess not officially,” Neely said, putting out her hand. “I’ve heard other people in here call you Sid. I’m Neely.”

  “I know who you are,” Sid said. She took the offered hand reluctantly. “What can I get you?”

  “Let’s see... I almost always have a salad, but I missed lunch. How about a BLT, fries and... Let’s see... I don’t drink... I just don’t like the taste... How about a tonic with a sliver of lime. Two slivers of lime.”

  “You got it,” she said, turning away. She keyed in the food order, then prepared and delivered the drink.

  As she was turning away, Neely spoke. “Excuse me, but you seem a bit aloof. Was it something I said?”

  “You ordered your meal,” Sid said. “And I said, ‘You got it.’ I think we’ve covered everything.”

  “Then why are you so unhappy with me?” Neely asked.

  Sid was stunned for a moment. Then she smiled. “You’re reading me wrong. I have things to do before the happy hour crowd arrives. Will there be anything else?”

  “I was just wondering, when do you get off work?”

  Sid tilted her head. “And you’re asking because...?”

  “Maybe we could get together sometime, get to know each other. Maybe for coffee or dessert. Or if you have days off, I’d love to have dinner. I don’t know that many people and we’re about the same
age. I bet we’d find we have things in common.”

  “Thank you, that’s very nice, but I’m very busy with my job and family and I don’t think we’d have much in common.”

  Neely smiled chillingly. “We have Dakota in common. Dakota and Sierra. Sierra is a good friend of mine.”

  “Is she?” Sid asked, as if surprised. “I didn’t know that. Then you’re pretty well fixed up. Excuse me.”

  Sid went to the kitchen. Rob wasn’t there. She went to the small office he kept in the back, behind the kitchen. He appeared to be on the phone with a vendor. She couldn’t tell if he was arguing about the price of something or complaining about the cost of a delivery, but she lingered in the doorway until he hung up. “Problem?” he asked.

  “A very unique problem,” she said. “I’m sure I didn’t tell you about this before but there’s this woman who’s been hitting on and aggravating Dakota and she’s in the bar, waiting for her sandwich. She wants to know if we can be friends. Will you please take the bar for ten or fifteen minutes? I’ll do anything you ask in return.”

  He raised his eyebrows in curiosity. “Now I can’t miss it.”

  “She’ll hit on you,” Sid said. “Don’t hook up with this one. She’s pure poison.”

  “I’m a big boy.”

  “No, you’re not all that big. This has fatal attraction written all over it.”

  “Yeah, and now I have to see her,” he said.

  Because it was irresistible, Sid peeked through the cook’s glass to watch as Rob fastened a white apron around his narrow hips and picked up a cloth to wipe off the bar. He completely ignored Neely, but Sid knew he checked her out. Rob never missed a thing. And she’d loaded the bait—Rob was hot. She knew that, even though he was her brother—he was just plain hot. Six-two, strong shoulders from lifting crates of drinks, narrow hips, long legs, big hands and a face that would cause Hugh Jackman to file charges for theft.