Just a Little Promise Read online

  Just a Little Promise | Tracie Puckett

  Just a Little Series Part IV

  These stories are works of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either products of the author's imagination or used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons—living or dead—is entirely coincidental.

  © 2012. All rights reserved.

  Chapter One

  Friday December 14

  “I’m not a villain,” Charlie grumbled, throwing his coffee mug into the sink a little too hard. He turned to my cousin for confirmation. “Right?”

  “Leave me outta this, Dad,” Matt said, snapping the lid on a piece of Tupperware. He secured our leftovers in the refrigerator and turned back to the counter, never once looking at me or Charlie.

  I sat at the table, pushing my asparagus around with the fork. Charlie, who’d cleaned his plate nearly fifteen minutes ago, was now leaning against the counter.

  “Julie,” Charlie said, dropping his head. “I’m sorry, but the answer is no.”

  “But—”

  “No,” he said, refusing to hear my argument before I had time to make it.

  “Why?” I asked, prompting him to give me an explanation (though I already knew exactly why).

  He didn’t think I was privy to the conversation he’d had with Luke last month, but because of my super ability to eavesdrop at any given moment, I knew all I needed to. And Charlie had been bending over backward to keep me from leaving the house alone. He wouldn’t let me step foot near the police station. I was on an imaginary leash—and he refused to tell me why.

  If I hadn’t heard the conversation with my own two ears—if I didn’t know what Luke had admitted to my uncle—I’d be irate by Charlie’s overbearing behavior. But, in a way—a very little way—I found some humor in it. Charlie didn’t want me within a one-mile radius of Luke… and he made sure he did everything he had to do to keep us apart.

  “Because I said so, that’s why—”

  “It’s coffee!” I yelled, throwing my arms in the air. “One cup of coffee with a friend—”

  “Who?” he asked, convinced he already knew the answer.

  “Does it matter?”

  “It does if you want to leave this house,” he said. “Who?” I crossed my arms and slumped further in the chair. “Is it a friend from school?”

  “Ugh! What’s going on here?” I asked. “You’ve been keeping me under a microscope for weeks! You don’t have to know every minute detail of what’s going on in my life.” I looked at my cousin. “Why don’t you hound Matt every time he asks to go out?”

  “Because I trust Matt—”

  “You don’t trust me?” I asked, straightening back up. I threaded my fingers together and rested my elbows on the table. “Charlie, I’ve never given you a reason to think I can’t be trusted. When I first moved here, you let me do anything and everything I wanted to do—no questions asked. What’s changed?”

  He knitted his eyebrows together. He knew I was right; I hadn’t done anything—not once—to make him think I was untrustworthy. But the fear of me sneaking away to see Luke was more than he could swallow.

  “For one,” he said, combing his fingers through his mustache, “you never used to keep secrets.”

  “I’m not keeping secrets now.”

  “Who are you having coffee with?”

  “Grace Reibeck,” I said, seeing Matt perk up with sudden interest in the direction the conversation had taken. He knew as well as I did that mentioning the name Reibeck meant I was dancing on dangerous ground.

  “What business do you have with Grace?” Charlie asked, folding his arms across his chest.

  “It’s two-fold, really,” I said, working out my explanation just as I’d rehearsed it earlier in my room. “One, she and Lonnie own the only flower shop in town.”

  “And that’s important because….?”

  “I joined the Oakland Celebration Committee last month,” I said. “After designing the Fall Ball, I realized I have a bit of a knack for party planning and party execution. With some time, a budget, and a place to work, I can come up with just about anything for any occasion.”

  “Not following, Julie,” Charlie said. “Narrow your scope.”

  “I wanted to get involved,” I said. “You’re always preaching about how important it is for kids to stay active in the community. Take your job shadowing program, for instance. You wanted us to figure out what we wanted to do post-graduation. You wanted us to be proactive. Well, I’m being proactive. I found something I like doing. I’m sticking to my guns. The Fall Ball was great, but it was small potatoes compared to what I’m doing now.”

  “Which is?”

  “Managing the Oakland Holiday Parade,” I said. “Which brings me back to Grace. She’s going to cut me a deal on flowers for the floats. I need flowers, and lots of ‘em. Grace is my go-to gal.”

  “This isn’t the Rose Bowl, for God’s sake,” he mumbled, burying his head in the palm of his hands. “What’s the other reason?”

  “Hmm?”

  “You said you wanted to meet with Grace for two reasons,” he said. “What’s the other?”

  “Right!” I said. “Glad you asked. She’s the middle man between me and the Grand Marshal.”

  “What’s that now?” he asked so quickly that his words sounded like one long slur.

  “The Grand Marshal,” I said. “The parade honoree…they ride through the line first, leading the rest of the floats along the route.” Charlie’s mouth hung open, so I elaborated. “The Grand Marshal is an outstanding member of the community that is deserving of an award or recognition of some kind—”

  “I know what the Grand Marshal is,” he said. “I just don’t know who it is.”

  “Luke,” I said, watching his face turn a dark shade of crimson.

  “Luke?”

  It was strange to hear his name cross Charlie’s lips. I’d gotten so used to hearing him, Matt, and everyone else we knew call him Trigger. To hear Charlie refer to him by name… well, it told me just how quickly the dynamic of their relationship had changed. It was no longer rainbows and butterflies… or, beer and poker nights. Their friendship—or what they had of one—ceased to exist the night Luke opened his heart to my uncle.

  “He was nominated by the committee and voted into the position last week,” I said. “I wanted to do a flashback kinda thing with his float—old pictures, mementos from his past… really celebrate who he is. Grace is gonna try to dig some of that up for me. When it comes right down to it, we just want to give him the best float possible. After all, it is Luke.”

  “Aren’t they s’pose to just ride in on a car or something?” Charlie asked, trying to keep his voice calm and unsuspecting. “Why a float?”

  “Change of management, Charlie. We’re doing things different this year,” I said. “Grace is my right-hand man, and she agrees… it’s time for change. And,” I said, looking at my watch. “She’ll be here any second to pick me up, so if you’re not going to let me go… you’ll have to tell her yourself. We’ve had these plans for weeks. She won’t be happy if I cancel.”

  Right on cue, the doorbell rang. We all knew it was Grace, but the real question was whether or not Charlie would ever let me walk out the door with her.

  “Julie,” Charlie said as I jumped from my chair and sprinted for the door.

  I turned back and met his stare.

  “Yes?” I asked, long and drawn out.

  “Just you and Grace?” I nodded, and it seemed to ease his mind. “One hour. I want you back here by sundown.”

  “Great!” I said, wearing a genuine smile. “I couldn’t stay out long, anyway. Luke’ll be here at eight to help me pull tog
ether the proposal for the parade route. See you in a bit.”

  I turned on my heel just as Charlie said, “Whoa, whoa, whoa. Get back here.”

  I stopped and turned back yet again.

  “Yes?” I asked, as melodramatically as before.

  “What did you just say?”

  “See you in a bit—”

  “Before that.”

  “I couldn’t stay out long anyway,” I said, acting as though I didn’t know what he was aiming for.

  “After that.”

  “Oh,” I said, nodding. “Derek will be here at eight to help pull together the route proposal.”

  “You said Luke.”

  “Did I?” I asked, looking innocently between Matt and Charlie. “Silly me. I meant Derek.” I slapped myself on the forehead. “I guess with all this Grand Marshal business I’ve just had Luke on the brain 24/7.”

  Charlie groaned as I turned out.

  I felt borderline evil messing with Charlie, but I couldn’t help it; any chance to see him squirm. I was tired of his new approach to parenting. I wanted off the leash. I planned to keep applying pressure; I’d make him squeal eventually. He was going to tell me why he was so hell-bent on keeping me away from Luke.

  Chapter Two

  Friday December 14

  “Can I see the sketches you came up with?”

  Derek passed a small black folder across the bed. He was sitting with his back against my headboard, his long legs stretched out in front of him. I rested on my belly—head at the foot of the bed—kicking my feet back and forth as we traded visions for the parade. Like he’d helped execute the Fall Ball, Derek was lending a helping hand with the parade. He and I shared a passion for finer details and organization. When it came to bringing a vision to life, we were two peas in a pod.

  “Nice work, Julie,” he said, reading over the list of sponsors I’d composed. “It looks like we’re working with quite a hefty budget.”

  “And this,” I said, holding up a sketch he’d drawn to detail the parade line-up. “It’s beautiful. I love it.”

  I turned to smile. His strawberry-blonde hair was mussed, and his face looked a few days unshaven. He lifted his glasses to pinch the bridge of his nose and then nodded. “Thanks.”

  “You okay?”

  “Yeah, why?” he asked, looking back down at the list I’d given him.

  “You seem stressed.”

  “Just tired,” he said. “A lot of sleepless nights lately, that’s all.”

  He managed a half-hearted smile, but I couldn’t find anything but sadness and remorse lingering in his stare.

  Hannah’s trial was coming up. In fact, it was just around the corner—January 2nd— as long as it didn’t get pushed back for a second time. Despite his anger over the crime his sister committed, Derek still found it difficult to watch as Hannah helplessly wandered down the same path her father had taken.

  “It’s going to be okay,” I said, pulling myself up. I leaned my back against the headboard next to him, resting my head on his shoulder. “Hannah has to live with her decisions, Derek. But you don’t.”

  “I feel responsible—”

  “You shouldn’t. You couldn’t have known what she was going to do—”

  “I should’ve seen it, though,” he said. “She was so insistent on coming here. When I suggested we leave West Bridge and start over, she lobbied for Oakland like it was the answer to all of our prayers. Her behavior was so erratic, but I wanted to believe she just needed a change of scenery. I thought starting over would be the best thing for her… for both of us, really. But look where that got us. She sealed her fate with a single bullet.”

  “You couldn’t have stopped her,” I said. “Hannah wasn’t going to stop until she got what she came here for—”

  “And I should’ve recognized that,” he argued. “If I’d only stopped and paid more attention…. But I was enamored by you, by our friendship. When we first arrived, all I wanted was to keep building on this bond we’d created. I stopped focusing on my family and started focusing on myself.”

  “That’s okay, though—”

  “And the moment I took my eyes off of Hannah, she nearly killed your boyfriend—”

  “Luke’s not my boyfriend,” I said, unable to stop the words before they fell off my lips. But it was too late. The mood shifted, and all it took was four little words.

  Derek seemed to forget about his worry, and immediately shut down. His eyes glossed over as he stared straightforward. I lifted my head from his shoulder and stared at him.

  “Derek, I’m so—”

  “It’s okay,” he said, but I knew it wasn’t.

  As far as he knew, Luke was my boyfriend… or some strange version of one. But it was hard for Derek to know anything; he always tuned out at the mere mention of the other guy. He’d become so distant. The fact that he’d even mentioned Luke was because of Hannah, and only then had it been an accident. But I understood. He’d openly admitted to having feelings for me (and acknowledged my feelings for Luke). But because he wasn’t the one my heart ached for, Derek didn’t want any part of the discussion. We had an unspoken agreement. He wouldn’t inquire about my love life—or lack thereof—and I wouldn’t share anything that wasn’t necessary.

  “I should probably get home,” he said, pushing his overgrown hair out of his eyes. He didn’t bother coming up with an excuse. He and I both knew why he was leaving. The air was thick with unrequited love.

  “Derek,” I said, watching as he reached the door. “Things are going to get better. I promise.”

  He nodded, but didn’t say another word before disappearing from the room.

  Saturday December 15

  “Can I reject it?”

  I arched my brow and stared at him.

  “It’s an honor, Luke,” I said. “Why would you want to reject it? The people of Oakland want to recognize you for your service on the force. Don’t you want to accept their gratitude?” He looked at me, biting back a snarky comment (I’m certain), and let me continue. “If nothing else, look at the perks. There’s a float, flowers… not to mention the hundreds of captivated women in the crowd— all of them waiting to get a glimpse of the sexy, dangerous, and wounded Officer Reibeck.” His lips curved into a smirk. “How can you say no to that? Huh? Huh?” I nudged him playfully in the side.

  He took a deep breath and shook his head.

  “Jules,” he said, a soft gleam of humor dancing in his eyes. “I know you’ll find this hard to believe, but it hasn’t been my lifelong dream to sit atop a heavily decorated parade float and perfect my princess wave.”

  I threw him a sideways glance and shrugged.

  “Do whatever you want,” I said. “But it’ll fall on your shoulders to tell Grace.”

  “Tell Grace what?”

  “That you’re backing out. She’s spent hours working on your float, and your float alone. Do you really want to break an old woman’s heart?”

  He closed his eyes for a minute and shook his head. “Fine. I’ll do it.”

  I clapped my hands and smiled.

  We continued our long walk through the historic district in the heart of Oakland. It was a beautiful one-street community of brick-faced buildings and quaint shops. In the summer, the trees on the sidewalks were fully bloomed, casting a cool shade on the passersby as they bustled in and out of the stores. Now, in December, the branches were bare and snow-covered. It was a scene right out of a Kinkade painting.

  I was out to finish the last of my Christmas shopping, and Luke was a last-minute tag-along. It rarely occurred that we’d find a moment to spend together, let alone a full afternoon, but today was special. Charlie was stuck at the station all day dealing with a load of paperwork that he couldn’t push off on someone else. With no threat of him lurking about, I called up Luke and asked if he’d like to join me on my final shopping day of the holiday season.

  This was the first one-on-one time we’d shared since our final dance at the Fall Ball. W
hen the dance ended, Matt and Kara—his newest love interest—were ready to blow the joint. Luke left me with a sweet, warm kiss to the cheek, a hug, and a goodnight wish. Since, I’d only seen him twice—once when Matt and I dropped by the station to take Charlie out for his birthday, and then once again when I bumped into him at the supermarket. Both times, Charlie was breathing down my neck… so Luke and I could only utter the simplest of hellos.

  “What’s with the goofy grin?” Luke asked, zipping his leather jacket a little further.

  “Hmm?” I asked, but shook my head to ward off any unusual expression. “Sorry, I was just thinking.”

  “About?”

  “You,” I admitted.

  “Hey,” he said, nodding at a small diner two doors down. “You wanna stop for lunch before we start shopping? If I know you—and I think I do—I’m going to need the fuel to get through this day. I can’t picture you being a fast shopper.”

  I smiled and nodded, and together we walked in silence to the diner. He held the door as we reached the building and rested his strong hand on the small of my back to direct me through the door.

  Five minutes later, we were nestled at a cozy table in the furthest corner. The breakfast rush had subsided, and it was still too early for the lunch crowd to start straggling in. The diner was ticking at its daily low. It was quiet, serene. Luke and I were the only customers in sight. The waitress, who seemed to know exactly who we both were, took our orders and left us alone. It was one of the perks of small town life. Everybody knew everybody.

  “I won’t lie,” Luke said when the waitress disappeared into the kitchen. “This is nice.”

  “What?”

  “Seeing you,” he said, unzipping his jacket and taking it off. He draped it along the back of his chair and turned back. “You have no idea how many times I’ve thought about dropping by.” He jokingly pointed a finger at me and his scarred lip curved into a smile. “Don’t assume I’m going soft,” he warned. “But I’ve missed you.”

  I smiled, but didn’t respond.

  “You know,” I finally said a few minutes later. “There are these crazy little gadgets people are using nowadays.” He lifted his brow as if interested to hear more. “They’ve actually been around since… about 1876. A phone,” I said slowly, as if he’d never heard of one. “You use it when you want to talk to someone. You know, someone you like. Someone you’re thinking about. Someone you miss.”