I shake my head and lock eyes with her. “No. But I do think for the first time, someone could break mine.”
We talk and eat and talk for another hour or more before Gayl finally reenters the kitchen and shoots me a cold stare.
“Hi. How are you doing?” Issi greets her, pushing back from the table and getting up to take her empty plate. “The food was good, wasn’t it? You ready for ice cream?”
Gayl glances to me without emotion, then walks to the freezer and pulls out a container of Peanut Butter Chocolate ice cream.
Issi looks over at me as if to say ‘sorry,’ and I shake my head, so she knows I understand.
Gayl turns, taking the container of ice cream to the microwave and putting it inside punching the buttons. She keeps her eyes on the turning carton inside until it beeps.
Issi looks at me and I raise a hand and my eyebrows confused.
She twists a smile and fills me in. “It’s a thing of ours. We love ice cream just not frozen ice cream. More like ice cream soup.”
I nod and look over to see Gayl work a bite of the now half-liquid ice cream into her mouth, then takes a few steps closer to where I’m sitting, her eyes fixed on me.
She uses the spoon as a pointing stick. “You leaving tonight then? Or tomorrow still?”
“Uh…” I hesitate.
“Issi has to get back to work. And I’m going to be on a plane to Aruba in six hours.”
“Mom.” Issi’s voice is high. “You’re still going?”
“Of course,” her mom half snaps. “Trip is paid for, and I need a vacation after this bullshit.” Her eyes don’t leave mine. “Lay in the sun, realize what a pain in the ass men are.”
“Mom.” Issi tries to intervene.
I raise my fingers off the tabletop. “It’s okay. I’m so sorry about my Dad…” I start, but Gayl turns and walks out of the kitchen without another word.
Before we can say anything, my phone is ringing. It’s Jack’s ringtone, and I’ve been half dreading the phone call all day.
“I’m sorry. It’s a work thing, sort of an emergency going on.” I stand up and walk to the front door. “I’m going to take it in my truck. I’ll be back.”
“Okay.” I see Issi take a deep breath and run her hands down her hips.
I see Gayl shoot me another look from the stairs as I head down the front hall. I’m already answering the call before I’m out the front door.
“Yeah, Jack.”
“Sorry, Boss. Things went from bad to worse. EPA is here, they are filing charges against the company. And maybe you.”
“What the fuck?” In my career, I’ve only had the EPA up my ass a couple of times. They have a job to do, and I get it, they have to investigate. But criminal charges? That’s next level, Exxon Valeez, Deep Water Horizon shit. No one’s been hurt. I don’t get it.
But, the EPA is no joke. My head is immediately pounding as I run a hand through my hair and grip the back of my neck. My breath plumes in a cloud of vapor as I exhale.
Jack’s voice comes through. “Yeah, I don’t know what the hell is going on. We had things handled, then today, BAM, they show up with a very large envelope that has nothing but bad news inside. You gotta come back, man. Now.”
Eleven
Issi
I SIT ON MY BED EATING out of a half-gallon tub of half-melted butter pecan ice cream just like I like it, watching my mom pull her hair into a ponytail as she stands in front of the full-length mirror on my wall.
“I’ll drive you home.”
She’s being a pain.
“No. The car is paid for, and I’m taking advantage of it all. It can drive me home, I’ll get my suitcase which is already packed and then to the airport.”
It’s been two hours since Van had to rush out of here and deal with some work disaster and I have to say, I’m filling the empty feeling he left behind with ice cream.
My head is full of questions. Mostly for me.
How could a guy—a guy who almost became my stepbrother—that I’ve only spent a few hours with be consuming my every thought? Making me feel things I didn’t think were possible?
Things I’ve actively avoided my entire life?
“Okay. But, please check in, take my calls. You know I’m going to be worried, and you’d be worried about me if the tables were turned.”
She turns around, leaning back on my dresser and crossing her arms. She looks so tired, but she smiles, and I see a spark of something in her eyes.
“I will. I’ll call. I’ll send pictures. But, you have to promise me something in return.”
“What?” I mouth around the ice cream I’m trying to swallow.
“I heard you two talking downstairs. You and Van. I’ve never heard you like that, Issi. I’m not sure what’s going on but promise me you will not get involved with him. Two big reasons. One, he’s the son of a cheater. Apples never fall far from their trees, Issi. Trust me, I know. Second, even his father told me about the men in his profession. The oil field guys. They are notorious cheaters. There are even websites, like forums, where Oil Field wives and girlfriends go to bitch about how they all cheat while they are away. And they are away a lot. You’ve only known him a few hours. Let it go, Issi. For me.”