Part Two
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Author's note: Have shocked myself by completing another part in less than my usual 2-wk period…. Maybe I'm ill….
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"Hello," Jackson said, leaning down over the picnic things to kiss her on the forehead.
"Hi," Beth answered, putting down the book she had been reading. "Did you ring her?"
"Yes." He sat down and started looking through the food she had brought for them.
"Did you speak to your mom?" Beth asked impatiently.
"I left a message." He poured himself some coke.
"What? You didn't speak to her at all? You've been gone two hours!"
"I rang Dad. You want some of this?"
"And you told him about her?"
"Yes. I can't go and see her without telling him first, Beth."
"Okay, so what did he say?"
"He said not to expect anything from her, but that he was proud of me."
"What message did you leave on her answer phone?"
Jackson sighed and put down his drink. "You're not going to let this go, are you, Beth?"
"No. Tell me what you said."
"Okay," he threw his hands up in a helpless gesture. "I said ' Hi Sally, it's Jackson Witter here - your son. Just called to say hi, speak to you soon maybe.' Then I hung up."
"That's it?" Beth exclaimed. "You didn't even mention where we were, or that we were going to see her?"
"No. Listen, Beth, I never get a courtesy call when she decides to pop back into my life, why should she get one?"
"Jackson, if that's going to be your attitude, maybe there's no point in us going."
"Well, finally we agree on something. Let's just skip it, hey?" His voice was angry.
"Why are you being like this?"
"Beth - you're the one who wants me to go and see her. I'd never even have considered it otherwise! I don't want to see her and she doesn't want to see me! You don't understand! You have both your parents - they've always been a part of your life. But it's never been like that for me. This little visit idea of yours isn't going to make us into one big happy family. It's damned before we even get there!"
"But you said you'd visit her! I thought you wanted to!" Beth exclaimed, getting angry in turn.
"I said that for your sake, Beth!" Jackson said more softly. "You're trying to help, and I appreciate that, but I don't want to visit her at all! Don't try to force me into it. I'd do it for you, but that's the wrong reason for me to go."
Beth looked away from him and stared out at the lake. "I think you're making a mistake."
Jackson made a "tch!" type noise.
"And I think you're being childish, blaming me," she continued, looking back at him again. "I'd never force you to go - you know that. But I know that you need to go, whether you admit it or not. When was the last time you saw her in person? But fine, push it all underneath the surface and take it out on me. We can drive right past your mother's house and not even stop there, I don't care. I won't pretend it has anything to do with me anymore. I wouldn't understand anyway. Enjoy your picnic."
And with that, she rose and took off, leaving Jackson behind with all their things.
"Beth!" Jackson roared after her. "Beth come back - for heaven's sake!"
But she was gone.
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Beth stormed angrily towards their cabin. Pounding her way up the steps, she paused as she furiously searched for her key. As she did so, a noise from around the back of the cabin alerted her attention.
"Hello?" She called out, leaning over the edge of the small veranda. She heard hurrying footsteps moving away. In a second, Beth was down on the path and running towards the back of the cabin.
"Hello?" She called out again. She followed the sound of rustling someway into the bushes behind. "Jackson, if that's you I'm going to break your arm!" she shouted.
There was no response. No sound at all now. She must have frightened off whomever it was lurking about. She noticed the bathroom window of the cabin was open and she hurried inside to check if anyone had got in.
Evidently they hadn't. The place was as spotless as when the cleaning lady had left it earlier. No signs of a break-in. She must have stopped whoever it was before they did anything. Even so the thought made her shiver and she picked up the phone to ring reception.
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"I've taken a good look round," Verma's husband Ray told them. "I can't see any signs of forced entry."
"No, sir," Jackson said politely, as Ray repeated this knowledge for perhaps the tenth time in the last half-hour.
"We'll move you into the hotel if you'd feel safer, honey," Verma said kindly, looking at Beth.
"I'm fine, really," she said sedately, shrugging off Jackson's arm. "I just wanted to let you know I'd seen someone suspicious. I don't think they'd come back here now, but they might try one of the other cabins."
"Besides, we've nothing in here worth taking," Jackson said cheerfully. "Unless of course you count Beth's make-up collection. Women eh, Ray?"
Jackson and Ray chuckled together before the glares of the other two silenced them.
"Well, we'll leave you to it," Verma said, gesturing to her husband," C'mon, Ray."
"Yes, dear." He smiled at the young couple. "You should be fine - I've taken a good look round for you."
"For heaven's sake, Ray! If you haven't told them enough times. Take care you two, and don't worry. I've got Deputy Green over for dinner tonight, you can be sure I'll mention this to him."
"Thank you, Verma," Jackson said, making sure they finally left. "We'll see you for dinner!" He waved them off.
"Well!" Jackson closed the door and stood smiling at Beth. "Okay?"
"Yes, I'm fine," she said irritably. "And I'm still mad at you, so why don't you disappear somewhere and leave me to sulk in peace."
Jackson kept his smile.
"No can do, I'm afraid."
"Oh, really?"
"Yes, really. You see, I've decided you were right."
"Oh?" she said in a different sort of tone.
"Yes indeed. I have been childish about my mom - and I've been taking my feelings out on you."
"You have, have you?"
"I'm being serious, Beth. I honestly think you were right." He said earnestly, seeing she didn't quite believe him.
"And all it took was me getting angry? They should make me Secretary General of the UN."
"Okay, so it wasn't just you getting angry that did it, but it got me thinking. Can we sit down?"
Jackson sat down on the small pink sofa provided with the room. Beth sat down next to him but some distance away. He looked at her and winked. Trying not to smile, she shuffled up to him and positioned herself under Jackson's arm.
"Happy now?" she asked him.
"Never happier," he said, reaching for her own arm and drawing it about his waist.
"Can we get started now? What profound thoughts finally made you change your mind?"
"Okay," Jackson began. "It was really when I started thinking about you, and Dad and the few other people I care about. I know how worried I was for you when I thought we'd been burgled here. I know how special it felt when we found out my Dad had sorted out this cabin here for us. I don't know… those kinds of feelings… I don't have them about too many people, and I never have about my own mother, and…"
"And…" Beth prompted.
"And… I regret that, I suppose. I regret that I don't really care about her. That I don't even know her taste in music or favourite tv show. And although I don't think any of that is my fault, exactly…"
"You think that you're old enough now to do something about it."
"Pretty much, yeah." Jackson looked at her wonderingly. "Now how did you know I would feel like that before I did?"
"Because I'm smarter than you," she grinned, sticking her tongue out at him.
"Really?" Jackson said in mock astonishment. "Shall we compare out SAT scores again then?"
"I don't really think there's any need for that…" Beth mumbled. "Just admit that I'm of a higher intellectual plane than you."
"Are not!"
"Are too!"
"Are not!"
"Are too - oh, Jackson, no, don't!"
"Don't what, Miss Intelligence?"
"Don't tickle me - ah, ooh! … No! … What will the neighbours think?" Beth managed to get out between her shrieks and giggles.
Jackson just laughed and then leaned down to kiss her.
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"So where are you guys off to next?" Verma asked them when they went to hand in their keys.
"Wherever the wind takes us, Verm'," Jackson smiled at her.
"He means Oklahoma City," Beth cut in.
"Well, the wind is westerly this mornin'," said Ray as he came in to say goodbye.
"Well there you are, Beth," Jackson said, nodding at Ray. Beth just shook her head.
"Hey, Bridget! Bridget, come out here, the kids are leaving!" Verma called into the dining room. Beth and Jackson looked at each other helplessly.
"Oh, you guys leaving us already?" Bridget stuck her head around the door.
"Yeah, bye Bridget," Beth said cheerfully.
"Thanks for all those waffles you brought us!" Jackson called out.
"My pleasure, kids, and don't forget to tell your Dad that Bridget says hi!"
"We won't!"
"Well, goodbye Jackson, Beth," Verma said shaking each of their hands in turn. "It was a pleasure meeting you, and drop by again real soon."
"We'll do that, Verma, thanks," Beth replied warmly. "Goodbye, Ray!"
"Goodbye!" Jackson said, pushing Beth out the door.
They hurried over to their car and watched Verma and Ray go back into the hotel.
"Oh no, Beth!" Jackson gasped, clapping a hand over his mouth.
"What is it?" she asked in concern.
"We forgot to say goodbye to the dog!"
"Oh ha ha!" she said, climbing into the car. "You shouldn't be mean, Jackson, they showed us real hospitality."
"Yes they did. They are lovely people and I can see why my dad likes the place, but geez, will I be glad to get back into a world where people talk at a normal volume!"
They couldn't help laughing as they backed their way out the parking lot.
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"Everybody's leaving us this morning!" Verma said sadly. "Must be some big event going on, Ray. Is there something going on in Oklahoma City we don't know about?" she asked the man in front of her.
"Oklahoma City? No, no I don't think so," he replied, handing over his credit card.
"Well, you didn't stay long, but I hope you enjoyed it. The weather was real nice for you, wasn't it Ray?"
"Yeah, gonna heat up pretty fierce though, this week," Ray said from his chair.
"Going far are you?" Verma asked curiously.
The man didn't reply. Verma still didn't like the look of him. He said very little, and didn't seem to have any reason for being there as far as she could see. But then he hadn't caused any trouble, and after all, he was leaving.
"Well, that seems to be everything. You've handed in your keys, settled your tab. Unless you have any questions, I'd like to wish you a pleasant journey and a good day from all of us here at the Lodge Hotel, Mr Leery."
"Thank you, Verma," he replied, smiling for almost the first time. "Have a good day yourself."
The door swung shut behind him.
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To be continued….
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