What They Left Behind Read online

Ben and Gennie waited in the parking lot of The Crabby Fish. They were going to meet Malcolm and his wife there for lunch. Gracie told them they had just bought a new car, a Pontiac Catalina, and she was concerned it wouldn’t make it up the dirt road to their cabin, especially since it had been raining lately.

  They spotted them right away. Most people in town drove old pickups or station wagons. This car was shiny and sleek, black with chrome trim. Gennie was so envious. She would give her right arm to have a car like that.

  “Are they rich?” Ben asked Gracie.

  “No, I don’t think so,” Gracie replied, “though Mal is an accountant. They own a very nice house in San Francisco, but it isn’t a mansion. I guess most people would say they do very good for themselves.”

  Gracie got out of the truck when she saw the Catalina’s driver side door open. Ben and Gennie followed her lead. Gennie didn’t have any expectations of what Malcolm would look like, except maybe he would resemble Rusty, and he did. He had the same dark hair and almond shaped eyes. The only difference was he was several inches taller and rail thin. He also wore glasses so thick that they distorted his eyes. He was younger than Gennie thought, probably around Bryan’s age. He stood out like a sore thumb in this town. He had on black pants, a white dress shirt, a jacket and tie. He also wore a hat. Gennie didn’t see people dress like that around here unless they were going to church.

  “Mal!” Gracie said, holding out her arms and giving him a hug. “I haven’t seen you in so long!”

  “I know,” Malcolm said, smiling brightly and hugging her back. “How are you doing?”

  “I’m wonderful and how are you?”

  “Great.”

  A lady emerged from the passenger side of the car. Her red hair was teased on top and the ends were curled up. Gennie had only seen someone with that hairstyle on TV or in magazines. She had on a plaid red and white jacket with a red skirt. She wore very little makeup though. Gennie could see a smattering of freckles on her very pale face. She was surprised someone like her hadn’t covered them up.

  “Well, don’t you look lovely?” Gracie said to the lady.

  “Thank you, Aunt Gracie,” the lady said shyly.

  “Let me introduce you,” Gracie said. “This is Ben and Gennie.”

  They shook hands with the couple. Gennie felt underdressed. She had on a pair of cut off denim shorts and a floral pattern shirt Gracie had gotten her at the local consignment shop.

  “Ben, Gennie, this is Malcolm and his wife, Colleen.”

  “Nice to meet you,” Gennie said softly.

  Malcolm chuckled nervously and adjusted his glasses. “I’m starving,” he said. “Me and Col have been thinking about those fish and chips for three days now.”

  “Oh you poor thing,” Gracie replied, “Let’s go in there and grab a booth before they fill up.”

  Gracie chatted with Malcolm and Colleen, while Ben and Gennie ate their lunch silently. Gennie was too intimidated by both of them to say anything. Ben seemed to be listening intently, especially when they talked about San Francisco. Gennie couldn’t imagine either of them ever growing up here. They both seemed too sophisticated for this town.

  Near the end of the meal, Malcolm insisted on paying the tab. He gave the waitress five dollars, which was probably the biggest tip she had seen in months.

  “So, where’s Uncle Rusty?” Malcolm asked.

  “Oh, he’s at the cabin, sleeping in,” Gracie replied. “He didn’t feel like coming today.”

  “Does he know we’re here?” Malcolm said pointedly.

  Gracie chuckled. “No.”

  Colleen frowned, but Malcolm waved a finger at Gracie playfully.

  “He’s already has guests, and now you’re adding more. That’s going to put him over the edge, Aunt Gracie!”

  “Oh well,” Gracie shrugged. “I don’t care.”

  “That’s the spirit!” Malcolm replied. “Well, you might want to tell him that we’re staying at the Lakeside Inn before he completely unravels.”

  “I will,” Gracie said.

  “So these kids kept that secret all week for you?”

  Gracie patted Gennie on the shoulder. “Yep. They didn’t tell Rusty a thing.”

  “I hope he won’t be too upset,” Colleen said.

  “Oh don’t worry,” Gracie replied. “He’ll get over it soon enough. I didn’t tell him because I didn’t want to hear him complain about it all week. This way I’ll only hear about five minutes worth before he finally adjusts.”

  Malcolm and Colleen left their car in the restaurant’s parking lot and they all squeezed into the pickup truck together. Colleen sat next to Gennie. They were probably about the same size but Colleen seemed to have longer legs and a more delicate build. Gennie could smell Colleen’s perfume. Gennie could have sworn it was the same kind her mother had on her vanity. She sniffed it one time, but never tried it on herself. Gennie also looked at their shoes. Colleen was wearing a pair of pumps, while she had on flip-flops. Her feet were about an inch longer and they were dirty as heck from spending most of the morning outside in the mud. You’re no lady, that’s for sure, she thought to herself. She couldn’t even imagine what Colleen was thinking of her right now.

  When they made it to the cabin, it began to sprinkle and the mud pit surrounding the cabin became even muddier. Colleen looked very concerned. Everyone else got out with no hesitation but she stayed inside the pickup.

  “I guess I should have worn more sensible shoes,” she said, giggling.

  “Aw, don’t worry about it, sweetheart, I’ll carry you in,” Malcolm said.

  “Are you sure?” she asked.

  She slid over and Malcolm picked her up and carried her into the cabin. She was chuckling nervously the whole way.

  Oh, wow, Gennie thought, that’s so nice of him. She wondered if her dad ever carried her mom. From the few pictures she saw of her, she was even more girly than Colleen was. She didn’t know if he did, but she was certain that was never going to happen to her. She was too tough looking for any guy to pick up.

  “Rusty, wake up. Look who’s here!” she heard Gracie say from inside the cabin. Gennie wasn’t so sure she wanted to go in right away.

  “So, what do you think of them?” Ben asked her.

  “I don’t know,” she answered. “They seem okay.”

  “I like them,” he replied. “And their place in San Francisco sounds fantastic.”

  “Don’t force yourself on them,” Gennie warned.

  “I’m not going to do that,” Ben replied.

  “Uh huh,” Gennie said, not believing him at all.

  “So, are you going to stand out here and get wet or are you going inside?”

  “It’s barely raining,” Gennie said, “but I guess I should go inside. I don’t want to seem unfriendly.”

  Chapter 9: August 29