Alvin's Farm Book 5: An Innate Sense of Recognition Page 4

  Dana’s plane wasn’t due into Eugene until noon, but Eric was out the door at nine, giving his mother a simple kiss. That David was arriving soon held little importance, but Jenny wasn’t surprised. Tanner, Travis, and one young woman held Eric’s attentions.

  Eric had mentioned that Max and Liz were picking up Travis in Portland at the same time Dana arrived in Eugene, twelve fifteen. Wasn’t that a coincidence, Eric had smiled, wolfing a piece of raisin bread, then one more along with sugary coffee. Sam had looked heartsick; he had slept badly, which might be predicted for the father of the bride. But it had nothing to do with his daughter.

  Chelsea would sleep there that evening, the arrangements still up in the air with the rest. David might bunk at Will’s if Eric and Dana slept at the farm. Eric said it depended on his girlfriend, and he wasn’t even sure if they would make it to Tommie’s that night for the pre-wedding dinner. Not a rehearsal dinner; how hard would it be for everyone to gather around that tree in the front yard, then Sam to walk Chelsea from her bedroom down the stairs. She would miss the squeaky boards, Sam taking steps Jenny felt might be lighter by then. By then maybe Eric’s homecoming would have settled.

  Jenny didn’t worry where people might sleep that evening, but in how slumber would be found. The original trio Eric had always been a part of was now widened. Even before meeting this Dana Browning, Jenny felt her own chest muscle expand, unable to change it.

  First Eric had to see Tanner, which was above everything. Well, almost everything. Eric had texted Dana as soon as he woke in his old room, lying on the queen bed. Rachel had slept in the room across, and after that night, it would be only he, David, and Rachel to ever sleep there again. Chelsea would flop her head on a pillow one more time, a quaint gesture Eric thought, his big sis and Andy not spending that night under the same roof. Chelsea would have the parents’ old room, David’s place depending on Eric.

  On Dana more to the truth; if she could stay at the farm, they would sleep on the third floor queen mattress. If not, Eric had a room booked at the Arkendale Inn, the same motel that Alvin had told Jenny harbored mice. Eric had heard that story, knew much about his parents, which included Alvin, a missing link like Tanner’s biological mom. Eric had grown up with so many tales about Alvin Harris it seemed he’d known him, but Alvin was a better person than Jan Cassel ever was.

  Those thoughts flitted in and out of Eric’s head, only due to seeing Tanner first. First he would talk with that brother, then pop in on Will and Bethany. Then a quick stop at the newlyweds-to-be, and by then Eric would be itching to get on I-5 and head to Eugene. He had the extra pick-up, a Toyota with plenty of miles. His parents only drove Toyotas and Eric knew why that was too.

  While David loved his aged but reliable Chevy truck, Sam and Jenny had only driven one brand of car since Eric was a baby. That Sam had miraculously walked away from an accident that should have killed him might encourage a family to continue with that brand of vehicle, but Jenny had put stock in a different Japanese company. His father hadn’t seemed odd that morning when handing over the extra keys, but Eric had missed Sam’s sorrow. Or perhaps Eric hadn’t wanted to again be confronted with his dad’s incomprehensible attitude, even if Eric could now somewhat understand.

  As he pulled into Scott and Lana’s driveway, that brother of a nephew of a cousin was sitting in a chair in the front yard, being served early morning tea by Janessa. Eric only needed one glance, faraway and fleeting, to comprehend why Sam wanted him to stay away.

  They spoke of what Janessa could appreciate, how the make-believe tea was delicious, the pretend muffins so yummy. Eric didn’t see anyone else, and was surprised Janessa was home from school.

  “Mom let her stay,” Tanner whispered. “Said one day out wouldn’t hurt her.”

  Eric heard many issues brokered in those few words, Mom the biggest. For how long had Tanner been calling Alana Mom?

  Also there was his tone, soft and yielding. Tanner was bending, didn’t seem in danger of breaking. That Janessa needed to be here was another; was that for Tanner or Alana? Or maybe Scott, Eric wondered, having heard from his dad that Uncle Scott was still wary. Eric didn’t blame him. He felt a little cautious too.

  This brother/cousin/nephew still stood on shaky legs, better for them both to be seated as Janessa served another round of breakfast. Her heady laugh hit Eric with a jolt; she had no clue about all that swirled around them, only that Chelsea was getting married tomorrow. A tea party was the best way to celebrate such a great day.

  “And we’ll meet Eric’s girlfriend,” Tanner added, taking another sip from his small cup. “That’s pretty special too.”

  Eric caught Janessa’s wide green eyes, a shy smile accompanying. “Eric, will she like me?”

  He trembled, another sentence filled with many meanings. What Tanner never believed about Alana, what Janessa was now old enough to wonder about herself. Not even ten years old, she had accepted not everybody liked her. Within their family it was without question. But like Alvin, Janessa recognized that not everyone was comfortable around a disabled person.

  Eric stood, needing to leave. Time was short, there were others to visit, and the ache was unbearable. His father’s pain thumped in Eric’s chest, but he didn’t know it was from Sam. Eric assumed it was the unknown truth about Dana somehow leaking to these two, for Tanner also looked grim. Yet he didn’t know; Janessa’s words had slapped his face too.

  “Oh honey, she can’t wait to meet you! I’ve told her all about you and Janess, I think she’s looking forward to meeting you and Tanner the most.”

  “Really?” The little girl clapped her hands in delight.

  “Oh yeah.” Eric blinked back tears. That Tanner was alive and just a foot away was one reason. That Dana was ready to face this clan was the other. Eric knelt down, embracing a girl so innocent, thinking that at one point his girlfriend had been the same, unharmed and trusting.

  Tanner joined them, telling his cousin, his brother really, that it would be okay. Eric felt their loving arms, hoping Dana could take the same. It would be okay, it truly would.

  An hour later, Eric was on the road, the image of Will’s usually svelte, impeccable wife still provoking chuckles. Bethany was swollen and slow, but Will seemed on top of the world. He had put on weight too, sympathy pounds he’d said, but it bore the hallmarks of a man soon to be a father. Eric had felt young standing next to that brother, not that Will’s incredible height was any less foreboding. The accident and the baby had heralded some shift; Will would be twenty-eight in a few weeks but looked more like Uncles Scott and Max. A family man, leaving Eric somewhat behind.

  That Chelsea looked about Rachel’s age was then a surprise, but made Eric laugh out loud. She had been scurrying about, Andy underfoot, and he too looked young. If Eric had more room in his head, he would have accepted the changing roles; Will and Bethany were becoming parents, something Andy and Chelsea would never know. They had shared a short bout of bickering in Eric’s presence, then made up, Chelsea’s hands all over Andy’s backside. It spurred in Eric two reactions; joy at the youthful manner of a couple both in their thirties. Then an equal longing Eric hoped to lay to rest once it was feasible. He wanted to make love to Dana as soon as possible.

  When he left the Schumacher-Cassel residence, Eric yelled that he would see them at Tommie’s later. He wasn’t sure if it would be in time for dinner, a pot-luck his aunts had arranged. It might only be at the tail-end, once most had left for the evening. Eric wouldn’t know until right before it was time, all based upon what Dana could handle. He hoped to introduce her to his parents first, then siblings, probably just Rachel and David. Chelsea and Andy had a wedding around their necks, maybe Chelsea’s hands around Andy’s, the comedic upheaval perhaps more than Dana could take.

  Will and Bethany’s baby was more subdued, maybe that couple before the bride and groom. Bethany was somewhat like Dana, not overly chatty, but the reasons were so different; maybe if Dana’s life had been no
rmal… Eric never went past that, there was no place to go. Dana’s upbringing was the ugliest thing he could ponder.

  That she was alive reminded him of Tanner, but he had caused that himself, and seemed to be aware this second chance was maybe more than he deserved. Eric couldn’t forget the malicious threats Tanner had hurled at Alana, but he had paid, no one who saw him could refute that. He’d paid and come out the other side, but Dana hadn’t done anything to earn her disastrous childhood.

  Maybe everything with Tanner had been practice; perhaps all those moody, aching girls of Eric’s past were to prepare him for what now was only minutes away. Dana had checked a bag, which might seem odd for a two-night stay, but she needed certain possessions to feel at ease. Eric had fallen in love with her on sight, but hadn’t committed right away, knowing himself. A deliberate action, one that he now employed with Tanner; while he would still do just about anything for that brother, Eric wouldn’t do everything. Those days had ended when Tanner threatened to kill his own mother.

  But toward Dana, Eric was helpless. He would drive to Eugene, not attend that night’s family dinner, not stay at the farm. They would sleep in the Arkendale Inn even if mice still scuttled across the floors. They didn’t, hadn’t in Alvin’s day either. But at times men said things to delay what would cause pain. How many times had Eric shouted at Tanner, but to no avail, and he wouldn’t do it again. But with Dana… Eric sighed as an ache invaded, one that no other female had ever roused, but one his father had known with the woman of his dreams.

  Sam and Eric shared more than looks. They shared a propensity for falling in love with injured women.

  Eric shifted in his shoes, glancing to the board; Dana’s flight had arrived, but only a few passengers had trickled into baggage claim. The carousel sat empty, but she had texted that she was there. He could feel her, had to fight an erection that had woke him, but had stayed quiet until Chelsea and Andy made up from their small spat. Then Eric had known that sense of desire, and he and Dana had only been separated for two days.

  He hadn’t seen her all summer, which had been difficult, but since returning to school, aware nothing his dad might do or say would alter his plans, Eric had felt differently about his girlfriend. That her summer in Los Angeles had been free from the usual insidious clutches had allowed him to breathe easier. Maybe that angel who had saved Tanner had also been keeping an eye on Eric’s beloved.

  She was his beloved, which sounded close to what Chelsea and Andy were preparing to celebrate, but Eric was in no hurry for a wedding. Only to hold her, love her, then take her home. This was his home, Oregon and all that surrounded it. He wanted it to be Dana’s too.

  It didn’t have to be the farm; on the internet Eric had found places for sale in the Arkendale area. Some were close to his folks, some to Will. Some were in town, but Eric wanted a few acres like Scott and Lana’s, lots of trees, a big house. Not that he eagerly desired a family, but security and quiet. Maybe a gated property where only relatives knew the code. Then Eric forgot that as he spied a guarded young woman gripping a shoulder bag.

  “Honey!” he called, running her way.

  They were only kids to most eyes. He was twenty-one, she was almost that age. Her long brown hair flew as she met him, then she was spun in his arms. Kisses were exchanged. Eric grew hard against her, felt her nestle against him. Those two days apart seemed like a million. Since he went back to Palo Alto in September, Tanner’s whereabouts unknown, everything Eric felt for this young woman had changed. Now she was all that mattered.

  Once they pulled away, he touched her face, wiping her tears. It had been the same for her, the awareness of a fragile life in the balance. That usually it was hers hadn’t troubled her, but those six weeks of Tanner’s absence had set themselves into Dana Browning. Why she was there, Eric knew. She couldn’t stay away.

  “Oh baby, my God, you look so good!” Her voice crackled as she kissed his fingers.

  They didn’t halt their affections, both immune to those around them. Eric wrapped her next to him. “Honey, Christ, thanks for coming.”

  “Anything for you Eric, anything.” Her whispers were demure, needy. Truthful, to a point.

  He nodded. “I saw him this morning. Janessa can’t wait to meet you.”

  Eric said that in her ear, like a code. Tanner and his little sister were like Eric’s immediate clan, but would follow Sam Cassel’s family. Then the rest, better for Dana that way.

  They collected her bag, then walked to the truck. Dana giggled at Eric’s vehicle. Another Toyota, she smiled, also aware of that family story. “Your dad ever gonna buy anything else?”

  “Not for him or Mom to drive. The flight okay?”

  “Uh-huh,” she said, caressing his right thigh.

  Eric swallowed, but didn’t attempt to dissuade her.

  They said nothing as he left Eugene, heading north on Interstate 5 toward Salem. A right turn would precede that city, leading them to the small town of Eric’s birth. But before they reached Arkendale, Eric made another right turn, down a narrow, deserted lane. This led to a few more turns, landing them in the middle of a field. In the middle of nowhere, Dana noted, her voice not displeased.

  The cab of that particular truck was a bench seat, and Eric killed the engine, taking off his seat belt. Dana knew that story too, Max’s lost eye and useless arm the result of a teenager’s impetuousness. Her suitcase rested in the back, under a tarp, protected. In that isolated clearing, so were they.

  They still didn’t speak; many words remained but the essential ones were unnecessary. Only kisses at first, tender touches Eric had never felt so inclined to offer in the past. Not that he had been a brute. Like his father Eric was aware of what a woman might need, be it soft words or gentle hands. He was a good dancer, taught by his many cousins, but it was also inherited from both parents. The bit he shared there with Dana emerged from those two, also one more, Alvin’s easy ways imbedded within Eric Samuel Cassel. Alvin’s loving call to Jenny reduced so much turmoil; only an equally broken man could recover her heart.

  In the same manner, Eric eased his girlfriend, his lover as he thought of her. He was an adult, he considered, as he took from Dana her blouse, then her bra. Then his shirt was discarded, revealing a chest covered in the same curly brown hair that his father and biological brother had. Will was like Alvin, a small patch in the middle of his torso. But the Cassel men, including Tanner, were coated in it.

  Soon Dana Browning was as well, sitting atop her lover. Eric was her lover, and she proved that in manners utterly silent but wildly explicit. She was only his at that moment, not belonging to any other, especially not her brother or father.

  Chapter 5