Chapter 7
Though Julian didn't like being back in Peach Tree, he had to admit that everything today had gone better than he expected. Rob was a great help and Danny didn't have a serious fright. Julian wasn't as hopeful about tonight, but he didn't plan on leaving Danny by himself.
Going inside the house, they could see the sun setting through the living room windows.
"This is why my grandfather always kept the shutters closed, only opened the slats a little," Julian said as the setting sun filled the room with a brilliant, rosy light.
"But this is a great view," Rob said. The light was already deepening and coloring the sky with the coppery shades of fall leaves.
For a while, they stood at the window together and watched the sunset. While holding up Danny so he could see better, Julian pointed out the river shining and meandering through the countryside before losing itself among some evergreen covered hills.
Once the show was over, it was time to check out the bedrooms upstairs.
"Up there?" Danny asked pointing up the staircase.
"I bet your room is somewhere up there," Rob said and turned on the light above the staircase so it wouldn't look so forbidding to Danny.
Julian confirmed it. "That's right. All the bedrooms are up there, so I will never be far away."
Danny climbed up one step at a time and Julian and Rob kept pace with him. At the top of the stairs, Julian turned on the hallway light and Danny went a little ahead. He cautiously went up to the six sets of doors, which all stood open. Each time he peered inside the dark rooms, he looked back as if to make sure Julian and Rob were still there.
"There's nothing scary up here," Julian assured him.
"I'm not scared," Danny claimed and he pouted at Julian before he went on to peer inside the next room.
The first two doors were the guest rooms. Julian pointed them out to Rob. "Either of these rooms should work for you," Julian told him as he opened the doors further and turned on the lights so Rob could have a better look. "Both have their own bathrooms."
"Fancy," Rob said seeing the old fashioned décor. He then made a quick decision. "I'll take the one with the orchard view."
"That's right. The view," Julian said as he went over to the window. "I remember looking out there, watching the workers tend to the trees. Harvest time was my favorite time of year. But when peach trees are in bloom..." Julian trailed off.
Rob would be long gone by then. This job and this living arrangement were temporary after all.
Turning away from the window, Julian found himself face to face with him. He held his breath and noticed Rob's green eyes again. Transfixed for a moment, he stared into them.
"Sorry. I was crowding you," Rob said and he backed away.
"No," Julian said and hoped he hadn't made him uncomfortable. "I was just wondering where Danny was."
The last time they saw him, he was going down the hall. Now he was hovering in the doorway of one room in particular.
"That room must have something good in it," Rob said as they went to join him.
"I doubt that," Julian said and then he found himself in the doorway of his old bedroom. Turning on the light inside with his hand trembling slightly, Julian was greeted with a familiar sight of his bed, his desk, his childhood and his nightmares. The light came on, so that was good, not like those times when he was being punished.
Except for the little boy who was walking in bravely, ready to explore, everything was exactly the same as Julian remembered it. The bedding was striped brown and beige, the rug was patterned in beige and black. The only decorations on the walls were framed, old maps.
Nothing in the room was suited for a little kid, but it looked like Danny was ready to make himself at home in there. He sat on the floor in front of the bookcase and pulled out a book. Opening it in his lap, he started leafing through it.
"What did you find?" Julian asked him and Danny held up a children's book about animals.
"Clockodile," Danny said.
"Crocodile," Julian corrected him. Then he corrected him again. "And that's an alligator."
Rob laughed and got down to check out the bookshelf. "Some interesting books in here," he said to Danny. "You're finding lots of good stuff."
"Is it Danny's room?" Danny asked looking up at Julian.
