Wrapping Up(35)

I set down the spoon and crossed my arms, while leaning on the countertop. “Hearing you two discuss meat and Ty’s mother just ain’t right. Did you check on the boys when you walked by their room?” It wasn’t like he had to do it, but if they were awake I would have assumed he would have told me.

“It was quiet. I reckon their still asleep.” He grabbed a napkin and started folding it. “So, I guess Colt dropped off the kid and went to Van’s parents?”

Ty finally stood up and started washing his hands. “Yeah, it got nasty out there fast. Everything is a sheet of ice, dude. We’re going to have to go out there when it stops and treat the damn lane so they don’t get stuck. Four wheel drive is great, but it doesn’t help with the ice. What’s going to suck worse is if it snows on top of the ice tonight. The roads will be deadly.”

Conner agreed, “Yeah and you know some idiots will try to drive in it.”

“You could probably make a pretty penny pulling people out of the ditches tomorrow morning though, well, if they haven’t already froze to death.” My comment was not very Christmas spirited.

Ty drained the noodles and started sitting them out to dry and cool. He grabbed three spoons and the baking sheets and handed us each our own. “Let’s get this done so we can get some sleep. I have a feeling tomorrow is going to suck ass.” We all sat there stuffing the shells until they were all done.

He was right too, all except for the part about it being tomorrow. We climbed in bed and had just fallen asleep when this faint honking woke us up. We sat up in bed at the same time and looked at each other, first wondering if it was something going off in our own house. Ty climbed out of bed before me and after we both put on some pants, we found Conner on the other side of our door. When Ty got out of our bedroom I saw him whispering to Ty so I couldn’t hear.

“What is it? Is something wrong?”

Ty held up his hand for me to stop talking. “We think it’s just a disabled car. I knew someone would drive off the road, I just thought it would be tomorrow morning. Who would want to be out in this shit tonight?” He leaned down and kissed my head. “Why don’t you just go lay back down. Everything will be fine. We just really need to get out there before everyone in the house wakes up from the sound of that horn.”

I could have huffed and puffed over it, but they would still have gone out into the icy conditions to stop the horn from sounding. I looked across the yard and noticed that the light was now on in Ty’s parent’s house. It was only a matter of time before my house was filled with screaming children.

Instead of waiting for them back in my bedroom, I stared out the window, watching as two four wheelers went driving down the lane. I could see their headlights approaching the car and then they stopped. For the longest time I just stood there, as if I would be able to see something in the dark that was nearly a quarter mile away.

I no sooner sat down on the couch when I heard the four wheelers driving back up in the direction of the house. If they needed the tractor to pull someone out of the ditch they were headed in the wrong direction. Their headlights blinded me and I walked to the door to let them in as they approached. Ty came walking in first and when he glanced at me, he just shook his head. Before I could ask him why he had given me that kind of reaction, my brother came through the door. His coat was wrapped around someone that he was carrying. It was clear that it was a woman. She had her face buried into his chest as she cried and he wasn’t holding her like he was rescuing a stranger from a bad storm.

It took me a second to recognize the red hair, but when I did, I couldn’t hold back my interest in the situation. I approached my brother, but he kept walking in the direction of his room. I grabbed the back of his t-shirt and noticed the goose bumps from him giving his coat to Amy. “Conner, what is going on?”

“Not tonight, sis. Just let it go for tonight.” He kept walking until he reached his room and closed the door behind them. I couldn’t understand why she was out in this weather and why she would have been crying. Obviously something major was going on. If Rick hurt her again, why hadn’t she called the police or gone to a hospital?

I stormed in my bedroom as Ty was climbing into bed. I pointed at him while I climbed in next to him. He wrapped his arms around me. “Is this how you stay out of things?” I was being rude, but he knew what was going on and wasn’t talking. It was pissing me off. Amy was supposed to be my best friend and for months she had been carrying on a secret friendship with my brother.

“I have nothing to do with your brother’s decision, Baby. You know that. Just get some sleep and we can talk about this tomorrow. Amy is safe and I am sure your brother will get her to calm down. She knows where to find you if she needs you.” He was moving the hair out of my face to kiss me, but I was still angry. Maybe I was hurt that they all had a secret.