Chapter One
IT WAS A BRIGHT DAY when I left my home in Phoenix, Arizona, to live with my father for the summer. Clear skies and thankfully, no sign of tears from my mother yet. My mom, who just landed her new job as a marketing consultant for London Group & Associates, is driving me to the Phoenix International Airport, before she starts her first day at the firm. I can tell that she is anxious, her knuckles are white and she is very quiet this morning. I grab my cup of coffee and sip it slowly, wondering if I should engage in conversation or let her be. I decide not to wake her from her reverie. I roll down my window, enjoying the crisp desert wind blowing through my hair and the sun beaming down on my golden skin.
I'm excited to see Daniel, my dad. I haven't talked to him since last summer, when I visited him in New Mexico. He is an outdoorsy type, picking up whatever dangerous sport he falls in love with next. He has had a thirst for adrenaline since mom left for phoenix, and took me with her. After we left, he coped with the heart break by seeking out one adrenaline rush after another. A temporary break from the all too desolate reality that he lived in. I've visited him every summer for 10 years now. He lives in a small village just outside of Albuquerque, called Corrales. This is where I will be staying for the next couple of months before I head off to New York University in the fall.
As we approach the airport, my mother wakes from her reverie long enough to tell me goodbye. I can tell that she is having a hard time with me leaving for the summer; tears start to well up in her eyes as we say goodbye.
"Kate, sweetheart, I'm going to miss you baby girl. Do you have everything you need?" She asks endearingly, a tear escaping from her eye.
"Oh, mom! Don't cry. I am going to miss you too. I love you more than a million chocolate chips." I say, hinting at our much used expression.
"And I love you more than a million peanut butter cups. Have a safe flight sweetie. Call me when you land." She responds, keeping time with me.
I plant a quick kiss on her forehead and make my way to the airport doors. Once in, I maneuver my way through the terminal and find the gate matching my flight number. As I take a seat, my mother's teary face appears in my mind and I feel a slight stab of pain. I close my eyes momentarily and take a deep breath. I shouldn't have left her.
A short time later, a woman in her late forties calls over the intercom for zone one boarding. I stand up, gather my things and head towards the jet way. I feel butterflies appear in my stomach as I walk onto the airplane. This might be the last time I see my dad for a long while. It is difficult to imagine what my life will be like after I start college. I find my seat, and fall asleep and wake up again only after we have already landed in Albuquerque.
My dad is waiting in the main lobby of the airport and I approach him with a big smile on my face. I see the sparkle appear in his eyes as he looks me over.
"You're getting big Catherine! How tall are you now, six feet? You're too skinny. Do you eat, generally?" My dad says with excitement and a hit of humor.
"I'm 5'10 dad." I respond with a giggle. "And yes, I do eat. Generally."
"It's good to see you kiddo." He says.
He takes my backpack from my shoulders and starts walking toward the exit. I follow instinctively and wonder if anything has changed since the last time I've been here. It almost seems like time stopped when I left last summer, and just recently resumed now that I have returned. We approach dad's white F-250 and he puts my backpack in the bed of the truck. I stumble into the passenger seat, feeling challenged by the height of the truck. I see my dad smile, knowing all too well what he is thinking. We drive out of the airport and hit a local hamburger place for lunch before he takes me home to Corrales.
"So how are things with your mom?" He asks, rather gently.
I look at him, unsure about what to answer. His intentions seem genuine, not a pry for information about whom my mother's new suitors are.
"She's good. She just started a new job as a marketing consultant." I offer, shrugging my shoulders.
"Marketing, huh? She always struck me as a free spirit. Not one to get stuck in a corporate loop." He says.
I smile. "Yeah, me too."
We finish up lunch and drive home to Corrales. My dad brings my backpack inside. I don't follow him. Instead, I take a look around outside. Wandering through the trees, I browse the neighborhood, breathing in the sweet aroma of the air. I haven't felt this peaceful in a long while.
I'm sitting with my eyes closed on a patch of grass, when I hear a loud argument coming from the house on my left. I open one eye to locate the source of the sound and I hear the door open and slam shut. A man, probably 20 years old, by my calculations storms out of the house and catches my eye. He's beautiful. Although his face is contorted into a look of anger, his eyes are a smoldering golden brown color. I catch my breath and stare, unintentionally at him. He looks at me, momentarily intrigued by my presence, and shakes his head, relapsing into his irritation.
I watch him carefully, as he paces back and forth in front of the white gate. Before I know it, I'm up on my feet and walking toward him. What am I doing? He stops in his tracks as I approach him. Once in front of him, I immediately regret not minding my own business. I swallow hard, almost audibly.
"Hi." I say, and my throat is too dry to speak. Get a grip, Kate. He only looks like a golden-tanned Greek God. Nothing to worry about, right?
"I came over here to ask if you were okay. That sounded like a heated argument… Oh! I'm Kate, new to the neighborhood." I extend my hand to him.
He doesn't reach for it. Instead he retorts,
"With all due respect miss, I don't know you. I don't share personal information with strangers and would appreciate it if you did NOT listen in on my private conversations."
With that, he storms back into his house, leaving me hanging and my hand still extended. It takes me a minute to recover my composure. And thanks for the warm welcome, friendly neighbor. I can't believe that just happened! Nobody has ever been bold enough to call me out like that; especially when I use my charming smile and big blue eyes on them. Irritated, I saunter back to the house and find my dad on the couch, reading his latest book.
"Dad?" I ask, fuming. "Has courtesy somehow disappeared down here in Corrales? Because I think it still exists in Phoenix. Yeah, I'm pretty sure it's still a thing."
"Ah, I see you've met our new neighbors." He says, with a hint of sarcasm. "Aren't they just wonderful?"
I look at him, deeply confused. I'm speechless as I turn and walk away, towards my room. I grab my backpack from the floor and put it on my bed. My intentions are to unpack my belongings, but the boy next door keeps appearing in my mind. I've never seen someone so beautiful. He must have been over six feet tall. It seemed like he towered over me. It shrunk my confidence, wounded me. I try to shake it from my mind and unzip my backpack. Ok, Shirts here, shorts there. I turn to place them in my closet and I'm immediately paralyzed by his image; again. In my mind, I can't help but admire the way his tattered jeans hung on his hips and his black T-shirt clung to his chest. Oh my, I'd better sit down for a while. I close my eyes and breathe.
All throughout high school, I'd never bothered with a relationship. Usually, there was no one to catch my interest, but the main reason I refrained was because I so badly wanted to get into New York University. It had been my dream since I was a kid to study journalism and live in a big city that offered the means to achieve my goals. I toured many places, but chose New York because it seemed to have a charm that was unique to the rest. People walked around me with elegance and a sense of purpose. This was the beauty of New York. One day, I will be one of those people. I'll be searching purposefully for my place in the world.
Once more, I breathe in the air around me, this time, like it's the smell of success. When I open my eyes again, I find myself staring at the other side of my closet. I frown. I'll be in New York soon. Until then, I get to deal with nasty neighbors and the old fashioned outdoors. With a wave of determination washing over me, I head out to the living room and meet my dad for dinner.
"Hey kiddo!" He says, with a smile. I love my dad's smile; it reminds me of various adventures he took me on during the summer months.
"Hey dad." I reply, and take a seat at the table. "What are you making for dinner?"
"Well, I took the liberty of making fish sticks and curly fries for tonight. I hope that's okay with you."
I gasp. Fish sticks and curly fries! Mom would never have allowed this. Her motto has always been, 'lean is green, fries are mean'. Instantly, a smile emerges on my face and I break out laughing. I love it here!
"Dad, that's amazing! I'd love to eat fries and fish sticks with you."
He smiles back, and hands me my plate of goodies. We skip the kitchen table and go right for the couches, planting ourselves in front of the television. We watch a movie and clean up after dinner. After an exhausting day, I get ready for bed and bid my dad goodnight. I yawn and fall into a deep sleep, dreaming about the boy next door.