My summer trip to my Great Aunt Maddy's house in the Piedmont region of North Georgia was usually the highlight of my year, but a car accident earlier that winter almost ended the tradition. Aunt Maddy and Aunt Agnes are tough sisters. They both outlived their husbands and continued living independently until the accident. The Sheriff said a drunk driver ran them off a bridge in the rain. Their car plunged into the frigid water and was rapidly sinking. They climbed out in the nick of time, but Agnes slipped on the muddy bank and hurt her knee. Then she slid right into Maddy, sending them tumbling back into the cold water. A young neighbor drove by and saw them struggling, so he dived in and helped them to safety, but the damage was done. They were both hospitalized for hypothermia and other injuries. Maddy developed pneumonia, and Agnes was wheelchair-bound until her leg healed. Maddy bounced back to good health and turned her attention to taking care of her eldest sister. Agnes had no choice but to move in with Maddy until she could walk again. It was a blow to her ego but didn't dampen her fiery spirit.
July was my month to visit the small town of Kingston, Georgia. I made many memories and friends there over the years. City living had its perks, but there was something irresistible about the peace and beauty of a rural town. My mom grew up in the area. She wanted me to have a taste of the countryside since most of my days were spent in Atlanta. I was seven when she first sent me to spend a week in Kingston with Maddy, and I absolutely loved it. The trips got longer as I got older. It became my summer home away from home. This year would be different because of the accident and the fact that I would be a college freshman in the fall. It felt like I was leaving my childhood behind, and Kingston was a huge part of it. So, I planned to indulge in the hill country as much as possible. The smell of the countryside on a hot July day and the bliss of swimming in a creek fed by the Etowah River defined summer for me. Maddy's cottage had it all. It was surrounded by woods and streams, but it was still a short drive away from the little town of Kingston if she needed to go shopping.
My mom gave me some last-minute advice for dealing with Aunt Agnes as we drove to Maddy's cottage. Despite my dread, the rolling hills and green pastures outside the car window kept my spirits high. I was nervous about the new living situation. Maddy was easygoing and fun to be around, but Agnes was difficult. Dad referred to her as the family hillbilly, and she lived up to her reputation at every reunion. We all knew to avoid Agnes's casserole if we didn't like squirrel and avoid mentioning politics in her presence. She had many guns and knew how to use them, so we stayed on her good side to keep the peace. Mom assured me Aunt Agnes had a heart of gold underneath her prickly exterior, but she would go out of her way to make a point if she was angry.
It was noon when we arrived at the cottage. I stepped out of the car and took a deep breath. The air smelled like the surrounding forest of pines, cedars, oaks, maples, fir, wild honeysuckle, and a hint of wet earth from the creek at the bottom of the hill. It was the perfume of July in the Piedmont region. It instantly brought back my fondest summer memories. Maddy was all smiles as she waited for us on the front porch. She was short and slightly rounded compared to Agnes, who was absent for my arrival. Maddy said hello and then goodbye to my mom before she left. Mom had a flight to Vermont with Dad that evening, so she couldn't stay and socialize. Maddy held the front porch door open as I carried in my bags.
"Where's Agnes?" I asked as we stepped into the kitchen.
"She's in the bathroom at the moment. She'll be in there for a while. You can take your things upstairs before you join us for lunch. I'm making chicken salad sandwiches."
Her chicken salad was legendary and another important part of my summer.
"You spoil me, Maddy."
I gave her a hug before hauling my bags upstairs. That's when Agnes made her presence known.
"Maddy, is that delinquent niece of ours here yet? Be sure to lock the liquor cabinet! That shit is expensive!" yelled an old, but not entirely unpleasant, female voice from the downstairs bathroom.
I stopped and looked into the kitchen at Maddy with an eyebrow raised.
"She's already here, Agnes, and she ain't an alcoholic! 'Kitty' Katie is staying with us, not 'Tipsy' Taylor. Please mind your manners!" Maddy yelled.
"Last I checked, I don't have any manners. That's what you told me this morning," she yelled back.
Maddy huffed and put her hands on her hips. I couldn't help smiling at her. I had earned the nickname 'Kitty' from the many stray cats I brought to Maddy's house over the years. She kept one of them. A yellow tabby with a nipped right ear. I named him Milo.
"Kitty? You in there?" Agnes continued, "Did you know Tipsy got another DUI last week? I knew that girl wouldn't amount to much," she cackled.
"Agnes!" Maddy exclaimed. "Please stop yelling from the bathroom. We can talk like civilized folks over lunch."
Maddy's southern accent came out thick when she was scolding Agnes. I covered my mouth and hurried upstairs before I burst out laughing. Laughter only encouraged Agnes's ill manners, and she loved an audience.
Lunch was as interesting as I had anticipated. Agnes wheeled herself into the kitchen and greeted me with a nod and a wry smile. She looked good despite her age and the wheelchair. Her frame was slender, and her long gray hair was braided over her shoulder. Her bright blue eyes were full of life and mischief, but she ate like a barbarian. She devoured her sandwich like she was starving in between bouts of gossip. The conversation eventually settled on the accident.
"Do they know who ran you off the road?" I asked.
"No. Sheriff Jordan doesn't know his ass from a hole in the ground because they're both full of shit," Agnes grumbled.
My brow furrowed at that rare Southern insult. I had to bite my tongue to keep from laughing. Maddy gave me a "don't you dare laugh and encourage her" look.
"The investigation is ongoing. I'm more than happy to put the mess behind us now," Maddy said calmly.
Agnes let out a sad sigh as she looked at her left hand.
"What's wrong?" I asked.
"My wedding band and engagement ring have been missing since the accident. I don't know if I lost them in the creek or if someone stole them while we were in the hospital. I kept a string on them to keep them together. I'd be in the creek looking for them right now if it weren't for this damn leg. I treasured them for fifty-three years, and now they're gone."
Her lip was trembling as she spoke, and it broke my heart. I had never seen Agnes sad before. I wished I had known Uncle William. He died when I was two. Agnes talked about him like he was flawless and braver than any man in the country. I figured he was very brave or crazy for marrying her. I felt guilty after thinking that.
"I can look for them. I love swimming in the creek," I volunteered.
"Thank you, sweetheart, but you don't have to. Reese has searched it up and down several times to no avail."
"Reese? As in Reese Thomas? He's back in town?" I asked in surprise.
Reese was the cutest young man I had ever met. We often swam together under Hardin Bridge in the summer. We even shared our first kiss there. I was devastated when he moved north three years ago. I thought my fifteen-year-old heart would literally implode with grief. The thought of seeing him again made my stomach flutter. Maddy saw the blush on my cheeks and smiled. She was the first person I told about the kiss.
"That's him," Agnes confirmed. "His parents just went through a nasty divorce. Reese and Helen moved back here to escape the fallout. I told Helen not to marry that asshole in the first place, but she didn't listen. I'm glad Reese is more like his mom. Weren't you two an item before he left?"
"We were definitely friends," I nodded.
After lunch, I helped Maddy clean up the kitchen before assisting Agnes with yard work. She sat in her wheelchair on the front porch and bossed me around the whole time. After thirty minutes of pulling weeds under the hot July sun, she thanked me for my efforts and dismissed me for the day. I ran upstairs and pulled on my red bikini and a yellow summer dress before I dashed from the cottage to officially start my summer vacation.
"Don't let them uppity hormones get you into trouble now, Kitty! Have a good day, and don't be out too late!" Agnes yelled as I ran up the dirt drive toward Kingston.
My first destination was Hardin Bridge. I texted my friend April to meet me there for a swim in five minutes, but she said she wouldn't be free for another hour since she was helping her mom at her floral shop. We agreed to meet in town later for ice cream. In the meantime, I was going for a swim.
Maddy's driveway connected to the gravel road that led to Hardin Bridge. Beyond the bridge, the road became asphalt as it continued into Kingston. The ancient bridge hadn't changed much. Everyone knew it was hazardous. It had an exposed iron frame and gray timbers for a driving surface. It squeaked and popped as heavy vehicles drove over it one at a time, and the dents in the rusted railing told many stories. The freshly repaired hole told Maddy and Agnes's story. I walked onto the bridge and examined where the accident happened. Maddy had swerved and crashed through the railing to avoid a head-on collision with a larger vehicle. She said she didn't see much beyond the headlights, but it was likely a truck. I shook my head as I looked at the water fifteen feet below. It was a miracle they survived the fall.
"Katie? Is it really you?" spoke a male voice from behind me.
I gasped and twirled around to discover a familiar pair of big blue eyes. It was Reese, and he was shirtless. All he was wearing was a pair of black swimming trunks. He had grown into a man while he was away. The skinny teenage boy I had kissed three years earlier was barely recognizable. Still, I could never forget his large eyes, shiny black hair, and olive skin.
"Reese? Holy cow, you grew up," I chuckled.
He grinned and looked down at himself, embarrassed and proud of how he had changed.
"Thanks. Same to you," he nodded as he looked me over.
I blushed and glanced down, too. My body had filled out more since the last time Reese saw me, making me look very nice in a bikini and tightening my summer dress in all the right places. My tan wasn't as dark as Reese's, and neither was my hair. My eyes were a bright hazel instead of a pretty blue. I punched Reese for describing them as "muddy" when we were ten.
"Um, wow, your hair is longer. I love it," he smiled.
He had picked something to compliment that wouldn't offend me. He prioritized politeness after I punched him.
"Thanks. It's almost to the center of my back. It's harder to manage now. I'll probably trim it before classes start in the fall."
