The Other Boy

“Okay. No problem,” she replied. “What do we need? A bottle of bleach and some Mr. Clean? I’ll be back soon!”

She was out the door and halfway up the path before he could reply. The fresh mountain air against her face and the sun reflecting off the glossy grape leaves were as enticing as the thought of escaping the vineyard—even if it was just for an hour. Sweet freedom!

49

Chapter Seven

!

When she got to the house, Maddy rushed into the front hall. “Hello?” she called. Silence. Everyone was out working. Perfect. She searched through the seed catalogs, pieces of twine, and old junk mail covering the hall table for the keys to the Lexus. All she found was a single key attached to a dirty leather fob. It looked suspiciously like . . . Maddy ran to the front porch. The only vehicle in the driveway was, unfortunately, the red pickup truck. Crap. Dad must have ridden with Fred. She eyed the key and then stared at the truck. What the hell. She had to get out of here.

Maddy clattered down the wooden porch steps and wrenched open the heavy driver’s-side door. She hesitated briefly at the sight of the ripped gray cloth seat 50

The Other Boy

with its exposed stuffing. Then she shrugged, climbed onto the ru

Maddy faced front again and cranked the key in the ignition. She jumped as the engine roared. It was like sitting on a dragon. She threw the car into drive after a brief struggle with the sticky old gearshift and carefully turned around in the driveway. She scraped against a few branches as she pulled out. This isn’t too bad, she thought. She remembered to signal and turned onto the main road, firing the truck up to thirty-five. It shuddered a little but obeyed. Woo-hoo. Now we’re rocking. The road unfurled before her like a ribbon and the breeze whipped in at her. Maddy sighed happily and reached her free arm out the window to feel the sun. She had just passed a makeshift billboard reading mitchell’s grocery for all your napa valley needs!

2 mi. in splashy red letters when her BlackBerry buzzed on the seat beside her. She picked it up and glanced at the screen. It was Brian. Finally! She pressed answer. 51

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“I am so glad to hear your voice!” she squealed.

“Hey, babe,” he replied. Brian sounded like he was talking from the bottom of the ocean. Keeping one eye on the road, she looked back down at the screen. Only one bar.

“Brian, the co

“What? I can’t hear you. Go somewhere else.”

“I can’t! I’m driving right now!” Great. Four words into the conversation and she was already snapping at him.

“Okay! I can hear you now! Why are you yelling at me?”

She sighed. “Sorry. I’m in the worst mood.”

“Well, I was going to ask how it’s going up there, but I guess I don’t have to.”

“It completely sucks. I have to fix up a shed. I’m supposed to be cleaning it right now, but I escaped.”

“Do you want me to drive up and rescue you?”

“Yes! But you can’t. The party is still too fresh in my parents’ minds. . . .” She was getting a crick in her neck from attempting to cradle the BlackBerry on her shoulder.

“I’m going to L.A. tomorrow anyway. But you know, I was thinking about your birthday next month. They’ll have forgotten about the party by then. Why don’t you get them to let you come back here for the weekend?”

“Are you kidding? I’m surprised they don’t have me in chains. I think they’re worried I might run away or something if they let me off the property.”

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“Tell them you’ll stay at Kirsten’s.”

“I don’t know,” Maddy said doubtfully. “Maybe. I have to soften them up a little first.” She was vaguely aware that she was passing the grocery store, a big white building with a red sign on her right, but she kept driving.

“I really miss you.” Brian’s voice was soft. Maddy felt tears creeping into her eyes. “I miss you too. Call me every day!”

“Well, I told you I’m going to L.A. But I’ll call you when I can. Just forget about all that work for a while. You need to take a break and chill. You sound awful. Why don’t you go do something fun?”

“Maybe I will.” She sniffled. “Bye.” She dropped her phone onto the passenger seat and took a deep breath. Brian was right. Buying bleach wasn’t going to improve her mood. Maddy drove past pastures of dry yellow grass with black-and-white cows lying in clumps on the hillsides, interspersed with little wooden cottages. The occasional irrigation pond sparkled blue under the cloudless sky. She snorted to herself. Who was she kidding? What was she going to do around here for fun? Go swimming with the cows?

The road widened as she approached a little town. Maddy eyed a small group of buildings clustered next to the street, shaded by massive redwood trees. Maybe there would be a coffee shop or something— wait! She 53

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jammed on the brakes, pitching herself against the seat belt. Glancing in the rearview mirror for confirmation, she read an elegant yellow and black sign out loud:

“Oasis Day Spa.”

She glanced around quickly and reversed the truck right back to the entrance. She killed the engine and quickly glanced at herself in the mirror, which was held together mostly with duct tape. Mmm. Hair wild and dry, dark circles under her eyes, skin flaking and red. It was a crime for her to walk around looking like this. Right, she thought. No one should have to see me in this con- dition. It was only right that she stop and have a couple treatments done. She’d be doing the people of Napa a public service.

Maddy climbed down from the ridiculously high cab and did her best to brush off the assorted bits of straw, seat stuffing, and dog hair that were clinging to her dress. She gave up and marched through the tinted glass front doors of the spa. Ahh, she thought as she entered. Sanctuary.

The lighting was soft and dim, and Maddy could hear soft harp music in the background. A fountain in the corner tinkled soothingly. The air smelled like lavender and clean towels. Maddy wanted to kiss the carpet, but instead she addressed the dark-haired young woman behind the desk. “Do you have any open appointments today?”

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The girl smiled as if she knew everything Maddy had been going through. “You’re in luck. We just had an entire wedding party cancel for the afternoon. The bride had an allergic reaction to a kiwifruit and swelled up like a bullfrog,” she said cheerfully. She handed over the menu of treatments. “Can I recommend the Seaweed Stress Service? If you don’t mind my saying so, you kind of look like you could use it.”

Maddy touched the scaly skin on her cheeks and heaved a huge sigh. “I don’t mind at all. Actually, I couldn’t agree more. I’ll take the seaweed treatment and a hand and foot massage, too.”

Fifteen minutes later, Maddy found herself reclining on a cushioned table in another dimly lit room, listening to a nature sounds CD, while a girl named Tamara slathered her bare skin with a warm seaweed mixture the color and consistency of ca