Authors: Anna J. McIntyre

After Sundown (21 page)

"Where’s my mommy?" her lips were trembling, obviously upset that her mother was no where in sight and in the mother’s place, this strange teenage boy who looked as if he might gobble her up. She nervously chewed her quivering lower lip and glanced anxiously at the door from which she had just entered.

She was a tiny little thing. Garret guessed she was in first or second grade, obviously arriving from the elementary school next door. Her hair was a mop of unruly dark brown curls and a spattering of freckles dusted her tiny nose.

He had no patience for children. He guessed that his younger brother, Russell, was a few years older than this sprite. Russy was a pain in the butt. Most of the time Garret wanted to toss the kid into an abandoned mineshaft or tie him to a tree. Yet, this child unexpectedly tugged at his heartstrings.

"Is your mom Mrs. Chamberlain?" Garret stood up from the chair and walked toward the little girl. She nodded the affirmative, silent as a doll. At that moment, the door burst open and three of Russy's classmates rushed in.

"Hey baby, your mama's in the office and she ain’t gonna help you none!" the tallest boy sneered. The three young boys did not see Garret as a threat. Heck, Garret Coulson was one of the meanest boys around, and he would probably help them.

Garret looked to the three young thugs then back to the trembling child whose eyes were wide in fear; silent tears were streaking down her chubby cheeks. Even Garret did not terrorize girls. He might seduce the older ones, but he would never bully them.

"You boys bother this kid again and your mamas won't know what happened to your scrawny little butts," Garret, already reaching six feet in height, placed his hands on his hips and stood beside the small girl.

"Kids like you can get lost real easy in the mountains."

Now it was the boys' turn to look wide-eyed in fear.

"If I so much as hear that you or any of your friends ever bother her again, you'll hear from Garret Coulson, personally."

In a flash, the three boys disappeared out the door in a full run.

Garret leaned down on his bent knee and pulled the young child before him. With the back of his hand, he gently brushed away the tears and smiled.

"Thank you," whispered the small voice as she blinked away unshed tears.

"My name is Garret, what's yours?" he asked softly.

"Alexandra Maria Chamberlain," she smiled sweetly. Her thick dark lashes were heavy with dampness.

"Whoa, that's some big name for such a little thing," he chuckled, gently rustling her mop of curls with his right hand.

"You saved me. They were gonna kill me," she declared in a small but serious tone.

"I don't think they would actually kill you, Alexandra Maria Chamberlain," his eyes twinkled. "But I do believe they were gonna pester you a bit. Don't worry; they won't be bothering you again. And if they do, you just come tell me. I'm in your mama's
eleven o'clock
class."

Impulsively, Alexandra threw herself into Garret’s arms and wrapped her little arms tightly around his neck.

"I love you, Garret, you're my hero," she cried.

Garret was surprised at the gesture and eased himself from Alexandra’s death grip, holding her at arm’s length. Looking into her sweet face, he could see the promise of a true beauty.

"You, Alexandra Maria Chamberlain, are going to be a heartbreaker," Garret chuckled.

She was just six years old.

Garret did not see Alexandra again until eleven years later. By that time, Beth Chamberlain had managed to convince Garret to buckle down at school, which meant he was able to get into college without a Coulson bribery.

Although he excelled in college and proved to be an asset to the family business, Garret continued to be a reckless spirit. By the age of twenty-seven, he had already divorced a woman, whom he had married to annoy his father. He was rich, cynical, and incredibly self-indulgent.

The town of
Coulson
had grown considerably since Garret's reckless teen years. His grandfather, father, and older brother were turning toward politics, and no longer found Garret's randy behavior amusing. They insisted the young man learn the meaning of discrete. Since he was not stupid, he soon learned what his grandfather and father had learned years before; you can have your proverbial cake and eat it too.

Impressions were a necessity. Each year, the Coulson family faithfully attended the Coulson High School Homecoming football game. What better way to remind the community of the family's contributions to the town. Not only did they have spirit for the home team, didn't they donate the new football bleachers? A budding political family could not ask for better public relations.

It was at the 1971 homecoming game that he saw her.

Sitting in the front bleacher with his younger brother, Russell, Garret watched as the parade of five convertibles drove between the football field and bleachers, and then stopped. Each of the convertibles carried contenders for the homecoming queen and king.

Garret had no idea who she was, the contender in the car directly in front of him, not ten feet away. She was the most sweetly beautiful young woman, with long, chocolate-brown hair tumbling down her back and an innocent, wholesome smile that reminded him of apple pie and the girl next door. He felt a bit like a pervert, gawking at this fresh-faced high school kid.

"Who the hell is that?" Garret nudged his brother and nodded toward the convertible that parked directly in front of their seat. Since Russell had graduated just two years earlier, he must know her -- it was a small town.

Russell glanced up and smiled, "Alex Chamberlain, you know, her mom was your algebra teacher."

"Ho
ly shit. I certainly was right," Garret smiled, suddenly wishing he were ten years younger.

"Right about what?" Russell puzzled.

"She's a heartbreaker," Garret smiled.

Fourteen years later, true to his word, Alexandra Maria Chamberlain broke Garret Coulson's heart.