Thirteen

After being told about Seth’s conversation with Robbie, Iris was left with very few options but to question Rachel about her frequent accidents, her bruises. Cammie had not come forward with information and Iris was not about to sell her out.

At first, Rachel was quite convincing, telling Iris that her frequent injuries were not related in any way to any form of abuse or neurological disorder. No, she had never thought of herself as one who bruised easily or someone perpetually off balance. In fact, she assured Iris, if she looked around, all athletic girls suffered their share of scrapes, bruises and mishaps.

And then Rachel had yet another fall and sustained a concussion. Iris found out about it after the fact—Rachel’s aunt was concerned because she had hit her head slipping on the icy walk, had a headache, then started throwing up. She took her to see Dr. Grant, who wasted no time admitting her to the hospital. But Rachel was examined, observed and released before Iris even heard about it.

“It’s right under our noses,” she said to Seth. “Something is happening to that girl—something medical or abusive or something. I can smell it.”

Seth agreed. “Keep watch. Don’t drive her further away with too many questions. You can call Child Welfare if you want to,” Seth said. “But in my conversation with Robbie, I didn’t hear anything that made me suspect anyone in her family would hurt her. Robbie’s gone positively sweet—he’s not the Robbie I fought with for years growing up.”

“Sassy hasn’t gone sweet,” Iris said. “But she seems to be very proud of Rachel and Rachel is a nice girl. She’s protecting someone. Uncle? Aunt?”

“Where’d you leave it when you talked to her?”

“On a positive note, I hope,” Iris said. “I want her to know I’m not there to make her life difficult. I’m there to help. I made sure she had my cell phone number.”

* * *

The Thunder Point football team made the state play-offs, but they didn’t make it far. They were a ranked favorite and lost the second game. A pall fell over the town even though a couple of players had such a good season they had great scholarship potential.

Iris returned to school after her flu for the busy season of prep courses for the SAT and then the tests. Students who signed up were allowed a full day for the prep and a full day for the test. There would be another chance after Christmas and again in June. Most juniors liked to test in the spring of their junior year and the fall of their senior year. She had been busy with this since school started and she was back to bringing work home.

And Seth had started showing up with either ice cream or maybe a bottle of wine. Iris stopped him from bringing his mother’s dinner every night, but she couldn’t seem to get rid of him. It was even harder to make him go away since she enjoyed every second he was around.

After a couple of very busy weeks, she stopped by the flower shop on a Friday afternoon to see Grace. “I remember this as the best time of year, but my mother thought of it as the worst time,” Iris said. “Business was kind of down. But so was work and she didn’t need me in here as much.”

“There’s plenty to do right up to the night before Thanksgiving, then there’s nothing until about the second week in December. It would be a good time to take a break if I took breaks,” Grace said.

“Don’t you ever think of going back to Portland to visit friends?” Iris asked.

“Oh, there’s a standing invitation, but I’m very cozy here.”

“Would you like to spend Thanksgiving with me?” Iris asked. “Like we did last year?”

“Well, I might have plans. I’m still mulling it over. Troy is going skiing up in the Mount Hood area. He said I’m welcome to join him, though I don’t have any gear or the right clothes. You could come, too. We could share a room.”

“So, you’re going?” Iris asked.

“I didn’t say yes yet. I could rent skis and boots, but I’d have to ski in jeans.”

“I have a bib and jacket you could borrow,” Iris said. “I have extra gloves and mittens and hats.”

“But then you couldn’t go! I don’t want you to be alone! I’d rather have Thanksgiving with you than think of you being alone.”

“This is a nice conundrum. Seth invited me to his mother’s—I guess his brothers are going to be there and it will be a big family gathering. The invitation is extended to you and Troy, too. But I’m having a real problem with this. I don’t think it’s a good idea.”

“Why not? You’ve been close to the Sileskis your whole life, even through all that time that you and Seth were on the outs. You love Gwen! She’s like a second mother to you.”

“I do love Gwen,” Iris said. “Ever since I had the flu, Seth has been hanging around his mother’s and coming over almost every night. I don’t think he does more than visit his town house in Bandon and I keep trying to put a stop to it, but he keeps showing up.”

Grace leaned on her worktable. She smiled. “Want to come upstairs for dinner? I have chili in the Crock-Pot.”

“Aw, I don’t know....”

“I have wine, Iris. And it would keep you away from your house for a little while.”

Iris thought about that for three seconds. “Yes,” she said. “That’s right. Okay.”

“And you can tell me why you want to get rid of a guy whose company you enjoy so much.”

Grace locked the shop and they went up to Grace’s apartment. When a glass of wine was in Iris’s hand, it was only too natural to tell her closest friend about her dilemma.

“I wish he’d spend more time with his family, with his other friends, with his deputies. It’s nice to see him and, I admit, it’s great to be on good terms again. But he’s been at my back door almost every day for weeks now. It was understandable when he was playing nursemaid to my flu, but I’m all better. I’m not used to being with someone so much.”

“Need more space, Iris?” Grace asked.

“I’m starting to get used to him,” she said. “That’s not a good thing. He doesn’t understand—I have feelings for him. I probably always will. There’s nothing I can do about it. Fighting with him didn’t work so I’m just going to have to accept it. But if he hangs around every day then on that day he moves on, I’m going to feel hurt. Grace, I don’t want to feel sad over him. Friends need to keep it friendly.”

Just as she said that, her cell phone rang. It was Seth.

“Hello?”

“Hi. Are you going to be home tonight?”

“A little later. I’m having dinner with Grace.”

“Good. Then I’ll go home, shower, change out of my uniform and see you in a couple of hours.”

Iris paused for a moment. “Okay. See you then.”

When she disconnected she looked at Grace. “I guess I’m going to have to try to explain to Seth, huh?”

“I can’t wait to hear this explanation.”

“What am I going to say?” Iris complained.

Grace just sighed and dished up two bowls of chili. She put a box of crackers and a small bowl of shredded cheddar on the little table. Then she sat down. “Iris, of all the people I’ve ever known, you not only have the biggest aversion to lies, you have always known how to be direct with the truth and still gentle and diplomatic. You’re the only person I know who can tell a fifteen-year-old girl that the way she’s dressing isn’t doing her any favors and make her feel like she’s just been given a compliment and motivate her to cover her body more appropriately. This is what you do, Iris. You speak the truth kindly, unreservedly, with complete candor. It’s your job and you’ve mastered it.”