"Henry? Honey?"
He said nothing as he sat on his chair with a bottle of bourbon in his hands. Henry had been unpredictable since Diana's murder and the death of her unborn child. He had been pale and ill-looking for three days and nothing Timber did could cheer him up. Timber kept calling in for him because he wouldn't go to work. He even rejected his favorite foods and had not eaten anything at all. He had let his appearance go as well, which didn't really bother Timber, but she thought he looked odd with his beard growing in. The bald spot looked crescent-shaped and it made his face appear uneven. Timber was at a loss for what to do for days when she was suddenly struck by inspiration.
"Henry, if you can hear me, I'm going to check on Xianna. Do you need anything before I leave? Are you hungry? I can make you a snack."
"Can you shut the hell up?" snapped Henry angrily. "I'm fine."
Timber hung her head in defeat and left him alone. She got in her Ford Fusion and left. She pulled into the driveway of the Michaels' home to find the garage door open with Dresden inside, loading the washing machine. Timber got out of the car and walked up to him.
"Hi, Timber. Xianna is at work," said Dresden. "She's off in an hour and a half if you want to wait."
"I'm here for you," said Timber. "I need your help."
"You never come to me for help," said Dresden in surprise. He set down the basket. "Are you OK?"
"I'm alright," said Timber. "This is for Henry. He's not been himself since Diana and her baby were killed by the vampire and I can't cheer him up. I need you to break my car."
"I'm sorry?"
"I need you to break my car," repeated Timber. "I know you know enough about cars to make sure it's broken but still drivable."
"I don't know that much about cars," said Dresden. "Henry knows more about them than I do. Why not ask him?"
"He loves fixing them but both of our cars are currently in perfect working condition. I need you to change that. If you break mine, it'll force him to fix it. He'll enjoy doing it. Then maybe he'll at least start eating again."
"He's that bad?" Dresden ran a hand over his bald head.
"Yeah. It's not just the lack of food either," confessed Timber. "He's been yelling at me for little things like forgetting to get more toilet paper out of the cabinet when the roll was gone. He's not like he usually is when we fight."
Timber began crying. She had been holding a lot of emotions back to be strong for her husband but she could not keep them locked away anymore. Dresden, being the big brother type, went to comfort Timber. He held her with one hand on her head until she could find her voice.
"Usually we can reason with each other after we calm down but he's staying angry and irrational. It got so bad this morning I Turned and hid under the bed. If he's not yelling at me, he's ignoring me. He's drinking bourbon first thing in the morning and I don't think he's sleeping either. I can hear him pacing in the middle of the night. He needs help, Dresden, and I don't know what else to do. Please."
"Alright, let me finish loading this into the washing machine and then I'll get my tools."
"I'll finish the load," said Timber, drying her eyes. Dresden raised an eyebrow. "Don't worry. I know she's picky about how laundry is done but you'll be fine. Xianna and I both do our laundry the same way because we both learned from Grace."
"Alright, I'll be done as soon as I can."
Timber finished emptying the wicker basket of dirty clothes into the washing machine while Dresden lifted Timber's hood. He began loosening bolts. Then he went under the car and began doing the same thing. After a half hour, he had finished 'breaking' Timber's car.
"I think that'll do it," said Dresden. "See if it'll start."
Timber got behind the wheel and started the engine. It whined and struggled but after several tries, it started. Dresden smiled and closed the hood.
"It should get you home. The sound will get Henry outside. I hope this helps. You're a good wife, Timber."
"You're a good friend, Dresden," said Timber. "I'll see you."
Timber's car barely got her back home. It died just as the back tires hit the driveway. Henry came out of the house looking concerned. It was a better expression than he had earlier. He was still in his sweatpants and his usually well-kept hair was unbrushed and wild but his expression gave Timber hope.
"What's wrong with your car?" asked Henry.
"No clue," said Timber, which was true because she didn't know exactly what Dresden did besides loosening a few bolts. "Can you fix it?"
Timber saw him light up a little bit and head inside to change. Ten minutes later he came out in his grimy clothes with his toolbox in his hand. He opened the hood and checked the oil first.
"Well, it doesn't look like you're low on oil," said Henry. "It looks clean too. Didn't you change it recently?"
"I changed the oil about two months ago," said Timber.
"Alright," said Henry, sounding more like himself. "I'll look around. Can you get me my creeper from the garage? I'm going to look for leaks under the car. I don't smell anything but I just want to make sure."
Timber nodded and did as he asked. Timber was happy. She knew he would go over every inch of her car and check every nut and bolt and she knew that would lift his mood. Aside from history, cars were what made him happiest. She went into the garage and grabbed his creeper and headed back to her car.
"I found a few loose bolts, " said Henry. "Not sure what happened but I'm not worried about it. I don't think it's what caused your car to die. This might take a few hours. It's a shopping day right?"
"Yeah," said Timber with a small ping of guilt. She forgot what day of the week it was.
"It's alright," said Henry. "You can take my car."
"I'm sorry. What?" Timber gawked at him. Henry's car was powerful and she had always been afraid to drive it.
"You'll do fine, Timber," Henry said reassuringly. "Just don't floor it and you'll be alright. Your reflexes are faster than mine so I have every reason to trust you behind the wheel of my car."
"If you say so," said Timber disbelievingly. She went inside, grabbed his keys, and her reusable shopping bags from the small cabinet by the door, and went back out to Henry's side. "You're sure about this? Uncle Chad didn't even trust me driving the car I wanted originally because of the power it had."
"What car was that?"
"I wanted an orange '69 Charger," said Timber, and for the first time in three days, Henry cried out in laughter. It made Timber smile brightly.
"You wanted the General Lee?" said Henry when he stopped laughing.
"Well, yeah," said Timber. "I was fifteen and I just started reading the handbook. We were watching the old Dukes of Hazzard series at the time. I liked the way it looked. I still like the way it looks."
"Well, if you can handle my new Demon, you can handle an old Charger," said Henry confidently. "It's an automatic so you have nothing to worry about."
"Alright," said Timber hesitantly.
She was suddenly wishing she had waited a day to break her car. She got into Henry's red Demon Challenger, started the car, and just sat there for a moment. She had been in the passenger seat many times but sitting in the driver seat was very different. She was now responsible for controlling 840 horsepower instead of the 175 horsepower she was used to. She pulled out onto the street slowly to get a feel for the car. She could see Henry watching her with a smile in the rearview mirror and it gave her a confidence boost. She sped up slightly to match the speed limit. Once she hit Main Street, she was a little more comfortable and she relaxed. When she parked in the Safeway parking lot, she texted Henry to tell him she made it without wrecking his car. A knock on her window made her jump. She looked up and saw Kendra outside so she grabbed her purse and opened the door.
"What did you do to your car that put it out of commission?" asked Kendra.
"What?"
"Why are you driving Henry's car?"
"Mine broke," grinned Timber with an innocent tone that didn't fool Kendra at all.
"What did you do?" asked Kendra, moving her blue hair out of her face.
"I had Dresden break it for me," said Timber. "I'll explain inside. I need to get food."
Timber and Kendra walked through the neatly stocked aisles in Safeway as they did their shopping together. Timber told her about her master plan. Kendra laughed when she was done.
"That sounds like something I would do," said Kendra. "I think I've corrupted you."
"You've been corrupting all of us for years," said Timber. "You're the whole reason we all know what whiskey tastes like."
"I thought Henry introduced you to alcohol when you were eighteen," said Kendra.
"Henry gave me a sip of his red wine," said Timber. "And he preferred beer when he did drink. That and occasional wine was all he drank until you turned twenty-one and fell off the wagon."
"Well, I'm back on the wagon thanks to you guys," said Kendra, grabbing a chocolate bar.
"Thanks to my aunt," said Timber pointedly. "You never listened to any of us when it came to your drinking. The only person in the whole world you ever really listen to is Aunt Grace. I'm very thankful she got you before you got out of control."
"I'm sorry," said Kendra and she looked sincerely apologetic. "I know it must have been hard to watch."
"We all knew why you drank," said Timber gently. "Losing a baby is traumatic. We understood for the first few months. Then whenever we saw you, you were drunk. It was difficult to witness. Thankfully, you cut back a lot."
"I am really grateful to you all," said Kendra. "I would have drunk myself to death. Anyway, how's Henry doing? Xianna told me about what happened."
"He's probably having a great time right now," said Timber hopefully. "I bet he's covered in grease and oil and loving it. Have you had this brand of spaghetti sauce before? Something got into my tomatoes so I lost half my harvest."
"It's not bad, but I'd pick something else."
So Timber grabbed an organic brand she used when she was out of her homemade sauce and looked at her list.
"I have everything from my list," said Timber. "I think I'll get dinner from the deli. I don't want to cook if Henry won't eat it."
"Sounds good," said Kendra. "I'm gonna get this box of chocolate chip cookies and head home. Good luck with Henry."
"Thanks."
Timber waved goodbye and headed over to the deli to get her and Henry a precooked chicken dinner with potato wedges. Once she was satisfied that she had everything, she paid for her items and filled the trunk before she headed home.
Her car was all the way up the driveway when she arrived. Henry was still under it. Timber could see sparks flying which told her that Henry was welding something. She went inside and put the refrigerated food away and left everything else on the counter. She plated food for herself and Henry and went outside. The smell of chicken brought Henry out from under her car. As Timber had expected, he was filthy, but he looked really pleased with himself.
"Thanks for this," said Henry. He got to his feet, wiped his hands with a rag from his back pocket, and took the plate. Then he looked her in the eyes with a stern expression. "What did you do, Timber?"
"What did I do what?" asked Timber. She felt her face turn beet red.
"Who messed with your car? Come on. Spill it. The engine was tampered with."
"I had Dresden break my car," confessed Timber. "I'm sorry. I didn't know what else to do. You weren't sleeping and you wouldn't eat, you've been angry all the time and you're drinking more than Kendra did after her miscarriage. I did the only thing I could think of."
"So you broke your car on purpose?" inquired Henry.
"Yes, I did," said Timber. "I thought if I forced you to do something you love doing, something that makes you happy, maybe you would at least eat something. Are you mad at me?"
Henry looked at her scared face for a moment, then smiled gently.
"No, I'm not. I was for a minute when I realized that the engine was fiddled with but I realized that I needed this. You were right," said Henry. He sat down and Timber followed. "I was actually having a really good time. I really appreciate you breaking your car. I realized that you're going to need a new car since you did this."
"What? What did Dresden do?"
"It's nothing he did," said Henry. "This car is pushing 200,000 miles. That's how long an engine will usually last. Do you know how many miles were on it when your aunt and uncle gave it to you?"
"No, just that was two years old and they got it used," said Timber. "Did we really put that many miles on it?"
"I guess so," said Henry. "We have been on a cross-country road trip every summer for the last five years so it adds up. We've seen every state in the country but Hawaii and Alaska so it was only a matter of time before your engine died. Between vacations and daily driving, we put a lot of miles on the car. You breaking it just brought it to my attention."
"I don't want to get rid of it," pleaded Timber. "This was my last present from Uncle Chad."
"We could just replace the engine," suggested Henry. "I'll build you a brand new engine and transmission so you can keep your car."
"Really? Henry, you're the best!"
"I haven't been for the last few days, but I appreciate that," said Henry. Shame covered his face. "Thank you for the food. I'm just going to eat this right here and get back under your car."
"I'll eat here with you."
So they ate in the driveway, leaning against the Fusion. Henry's face looked weary and conflicted but Timber knew better than to pry so she said nothing. Timber's perfectly manicured toes poked out from her nude wedge sandals and she focused her eyes on her feet. She noticed a single hair that she missed when she shaved her legs the night before. She found a weed that was poking through the crack in the driveway. She made a mental note to pull it out soon.
When they were finished eating, Henry disappeared under the car again and Timber cleaned up and put the rest of the food away in silence. She was still disappointed that Henry hadn't wanted to speak more. He was usually open with her about everything. To be closed off from him felt strange to Timber. When she was done with her work, Henry came through the back door with his rag and toolbox in his hands.
"Everything is fixed," said Henry. "It'll last you another few thousand miles before the engine goes out. It's also safe for you to drive again."
"Thank you, Henry," said Timber.
"You're welcome," said Henry. "I'm going to shower and change. And shave. I hate this ragged beard. You should get in more comfortable clothes."
"This is comfortable," said Timber gesturing to her dark denim jeans and her flowing mustard yellow chiffon blouse.
"Something more comfortable. I'm thinking of something like your workout clothes or your yard work clothes."
"These are more comfortable than my gardening clothes," said Timber. "Why do I need to change?"
"I'm taking you for a ride in my car."
"We've been on lots of rides," said Timber.
"Do you remember our first real date?"
"Yes," said Timber with a grin.
"Good. Get ready."
An hour and a half later, Timber and Henry were in his car and heading south toward Highway 20.
"Where are we going?" asked Timber.
"An abandoned airport," said Henry. "I snuck an extra set of clothes for you in the trunk while you were in the bathroom. We're staying out tonight. You've been bending over backward the last few days trying to cheer me up. I ignored your efforts, snapped at you, scared you, and pushed you to the point of desperation that you deliberately killed your car. I'm treating you to some fun and a weekend away."
"But we just got back from vacation," said Timber. "We already spent a bunch of money."
"I don't care," said Henry. "We have more money than we know what to do with and it's only making more money. I would give you everything but you always say no, even if it's something you really want. I'm not letting you say no for the next two days. If you want to visit the spa, we'll do it. If you want to sunbathe, we'll do it. If you want to spend a hundred dollars on a pair of jeans, you'll get them. You deserve this."
"But.."
"What did I just say?"
"Alright," said Timber.
She couldn't help but smile. Henry was right. She had never allowed herself to be spoiled. She was always afraid of wanting more and turning into Diana. The most expensive clothing item she ever bought for herself was twenty dollars if it was nice. She was always frugal even though Henry's massive inheritance was making more money, giving them enough monthly income to live like royalty. She was also sitting on an enormous pile of gold, though she didn't know exactly how much she had. Henry had always been smart about when to save money and when to splurge and she trusted that if he was alright with her treating herself to a spa trip, she should be too.
As they drove out of the evergreen trees, the sun set, and night fell. Timber looked over at Henry only to find him grinning. She didn't ask any questions as he drove. He reached an old, locked fence and he pulled out his phone and sent a text. Five minutes later a security guard came over and went over to Henry's window.
"Nice car, Mr. Santelli," said the guard. Timber recognized him as one of her old classmates a couple of years below her.
"Hi, Nate," said Henry. "Can you open the gate for us?"
"Absolutely," said Nate. "Hey there, Timber!"
"Hello, Nate," said Timber with a smile and a wave. "Is this going to get you into trouble?"
"Naw," said Nate. "This isn't what I was hired to watch. I was hired to watch the place across the road. No one cares about this place. I'm off in an hour so you only have forty-five minutes here."
"That's enough. Thanks, Nate," said Henry.
Nate smiled and then went to the gate. He opened it and pushed it open. Then he stepped to the side to let the car through. Henry went to the far side and turned the car around, facing the opposite side of the runway.
"Is your window closed?" asked Henry and Timber nodded. "Good, hold on."
Henry put the transmission into D, held the footbrake down, and built up the revs of the car by pushing the throttle pedal. Then, he released the footbrake and the back wheels began burning against the pavement. Smoke filled the air and adrenaline filled Timber's veins. Then Henry took his foot off the brake and the car launched, trailing smoke behind it. Timber watched the speedometer. The car hit sixty miles an hour in just over two seconds. Timber yelled out in pure ecstasy as Henry raced to the end of the runway. He slowed down slowly and just stopped before the dirt.
"How was that?" asked Henry. He was grinning wildly and breathing heavily with excitement.
"Epic. Let's go again!"
So Henry put the car into reverse and put his foot down on the gas again but he didn't go quite as fast but it was fast enough to scare Timber slightly. Henry reversed quickly in a straight line then, without warning, he turned the wheel sharply while using the foot brake to lock the front wheels. Henry changed into a forward gear as the nose came about and the car sped forward. Henry slammed on the brakes and spun the car. Timber laughed and screamed until her abs were sore.
"That was so much fun," said Timber.
"Do you want to drive?"
"Really?"
"There's nothing out here for you to hit. You've got plenty of room." So Timber and Henry switched places. Timber buckled her seatbelt and gripped the wheel tightly. "Relax. Take a deep breath, and just floor it."
So Timber put her foot down and sped off to the other side of the runway. She had plenty of room to keep going but she stopped.
"Nope," she said. "I can't. This is too scary. My body wants to Turn."
"I'm glad you tried anyway," said Henry. "You did great. Are you ready to go?"
"Yeah, but you're driving," said Timber.
"Fair enough." Henry got back in the driver's seat and headed back to the gate. Nate was waiting for them.
"That was awesome, Mr. Santelli," said Nate, loudly. "I didn't know you could do all that!"
"There's a lot of things I can't do," said Henry.
"Yeah, he can't cook to save his life," teased Timber.
"That's very true," laughed Henry.
Nate laughed and said goodnight before Henry drove off and went through Willits.
"Where are we going?" asked Timber.
"We're going to visit Emily," replied Henry and Timber squealed in delight. "Before we do that, we're going to stay in a nice hotel. I know you're tired so if you want to, you can take a nap in the back seat. I'll pull over."
"What about you?"
"I'll stop and get some coffee," said Henry.
He pulled to the side of the road to let Timber get into the back and Turn so she could sleep. When she woke up two and a half hours later, she found herself in front of a high-end hotel. Timber took Henry by the hand and let him lead her in while she looked around at the immaculate interior, from the polished marble floors, the beautiful mahogany walls, the ornate wrought iron details on the stairs, and the massive chandeliers. While her manners could make her blend in, she felt out of place.
Henry took care of checking in so Timber could do her usual hotel routine and subtly sniff around to satisfy her inner canine and it made her feel safe. Timber and Henry found their room and Henry carried their bag in. Timber sat on the luxurious bed, looking conflicted.
"What's on your mind, Baby?" asked Henry.
"Are you alright?" asked Timber.
"What do you mean?"
"You're not really the spontaneous type," said Timber. "And I'm not really sure what I did to be whisked away like this. I like it, this place is beautiful, but I don't know what I did to deserve this. I mean, I know we're not poor, but this feels like more than I deserve. "
"Timber, listen closely. I feel fine. After seeing what I did, and doing what I did, I was angry and I took everything out on you. I can't tell you how much I regret the last few days. I was so angry I wanted to lash out physically. I almost came close to hitting you. That made me angrier at myself and I took that out on you too. I made you afraid of me. When you Turned, I thought I was going to get attacked but you ran away and hid from me this morning. That was a huge wake-up call for me but instead of responding, I snapped at you when all you did was ask me if I was hungry.
"Then, I began to think about what would happen if anything happened to you. You and Diana were the same age. I know you were completely different people but I still knew her. Then I had the thought that I had grown to take you for granted. Like I had somehow earned you. That made me feel worse. You do so much for everyone else. If one of your friends needs you for anything, you drop everything. If I need you, you're always there without fail. If anyone you care about needs anything, you always do whatever it takes to help them and you always forget to take time for yourself."
"I take care of myself," said Timber. "I work out every day. I do my hair and makeup every day. I shop for new clothes now and then."
"At thrift shops," said Henry. "You take all your money and donate it. Don't get me wrong. I love you for it because truthfully, we don't need twelve thousand dollars a month. I sometimes regret not giving away all my inheritance. I forgot about the monthly income I would make. But you make sure it goes somewhere it's needed and you leave next to nothing for yourself."
"It's not fair to my friends," said Timber. "They can't afford the things we can. Besides, I like living modestly. It makes me feel normal and I'm used to it."
"I'm not saying you need a new wardrobe or expensive new things all the time," said Henry. "I'm just saying that tomorrow, I don't want you to worry about the cost. If you want something, you're going to get it."
"So if I wanted a couples massage at the spa?"
"Done," said Henry. "I want to treat you like the queen you are. You deserve a full day of pampering and shopping if that's what you want."
"Right now, I want you, but your clothes are in my way," said Timber, and Henry grinned.
The next morning, Timber woke up to the smell of hot food coming toward her. She opened her eyes and saw Henry with a tray in his hands. On it was a plate of French toast, scrambled eggs, bacon, orange juice, and a vase full of yellow roses. She Turned and sat up with her eyes following the bacon. Then she saw a card. When Henry set the tray on her lap, she thanked him and reached for the card.
Thank you for being a better woman than I deserve.
I love you.
Henry.
Timber smiled up at him with watery eyes.
"I need you to know something," said Henry. He sat down on the bed. "Do you remember when we went public during the prom?"
"Yes," replied Timber slowly.
"After the dance, I received a lot of dirty looks. As it turns out, you had a line of suitors just waiting for you to decide you were ready to date."
"I'm sorry. What?"
"Xianna was the one they had to go through and she shot them all down," said Henry.
"I didn't know any of this," said Timber. "I thought I was too fat to be of interest."
"You were only a little chubby but you carried it well," said Henry. "You should also know that Xianna figured out that I was interested in you and threatened me. We actually fought over you. I got so angry I told her that I would rather die a thousand times than stop fighting for you. She surrendered."
"That sounds right," chuckled Timber. "But the line of guys? That sounds far-fetched and exaggerated."
"It's not," said Henry with a smile. "Of the entire senior class, I counted at least thirty dirty looks and death glares after the prom. You were the Belle of Fort Bragg High School. I heard girls talking about you all the time. Most of it was good. Some of it was jealous whispers. The boys were the same. I heard many conversations about boys who wanted to ask you out, or mention how pretty you were that day, or say something sweet you had said or done."
Henry caressed her cheek with his thumb.
"Out of the large number of choices you had, you chose me," said Henry. Tears escaped his eyes. "I lost sight of that recently. You chose me. You could have married someone your age. Someone you knew for years. But you didn't. You married me. Of all the men in the world, you picked me. I never want to take you for granted again. You're better to me than I deserve."
He wiped his eyes.
"You should eat and then get dressed. I have something I want to show you before I spoil you."
"When are we going to see Emily?" asked Timber.
"We're meeting her for dinner on the wharf," said Henry. "She has classes all day. And don't worry. I already called in and let them know I'm feeling better and that I can go back to work tomorrow. Eat."
So Timber ate her breakfast and got ready. Her pinned-back hair took three minutes and her light makeup only took five. She then got dressed in the outfit Henry had picked out for her. She had never paired her white jeans with her loose cream blouse but she decided that she liked it. She got her wedged heels on and grabbed her purse, ready for whatever Henry had for her.