by Jill Sanders
Chapter Five
Lauren walked across the street and tried not to feel let down. The sun was just rising and she had so much on her mind, she couldn't enjoy the bright colors flooding the sky. She had to pick up a few more hours at the diner just to cover the cost of Billy coming out to tell her the old pump had to be replaced. Now she was looking at having to use the profits from the sale of her old gelding to Grant to help pay for it. She knew that in the next few weeks she'd have to pick up any shifts she could at the diner to finish paying for the new pump.
When she walked in the front door, she groaned silently when she saw Chase and Grant sitting at the counter bar. Just what she needed, she thought. Walking behind the counter and through the swinging door towards the back, she dropped her purse under the counter, grabbed the coffee pot, and poured herself a cup.
“Morning, how's it going, hun?” Her boss, Jamella, walked around the corner with a tray full of food. She stopped for a second and looked at her. “You look like the cat drug you in this morning.”
Lauren let out a quick laugh, wanting to break into tears. “Water pump is broken. Don't ask, right now. I'll be fine. I just need the extra hours. Thanks for letting me pick up today's shift.” She spoke softly, hoping no one in the front heard her.
“Well, you can have as many as you want, since Barbara is out the next few weeks after her surgery.” Jamella turned and walked out the swinging door to deliver a tray of food.
Lauren tried to postpone going out front for a few minutes. She just couldn't stand to see Chase and was hoping he'd leave before she walked out there. Of course, she wouldn't be so lucky.
“Hey there, Lauren.” Grant smiled at her when she walked behind the counter. She avoided looking at Chase and smiled at Grant.
“Hi, there. How's Bob doing?” She started cleaning the counter top, not really thinking about the move as she pulled dirty dishes off and mopped up some spilled coffee.
“He's doing great. It took him a few days to get used to Mr. Tomas, my new Appalachian, but he's settled in just fine.” Grant's smile got bigger. She smiled back. “Chase was just telling me he's living out at your place now.” Her smile fell away and she felt her heartbeat in every vein in her body. Her eyes moved to Chase and she realized he was watching her very closely, a slight smile on his lips.
“The little place by the stream needs some fixing up. I was just enlisting Grant here to help me out.”
She felt her heart slow and the red haze behind her eyes slowly disappeared. “If there's anything major, just let me know. I'll have Jimmy take a look.” She saw Mrs. Roberts, one of the diner's regulars, waving from across the room. “Excuse me.” She left the two men and walked over to the older woman.
“How are you today, Mrs. Roberts?” Lauren was happy for the reprieve.
“Oh, just fine today, Lauren. I heard you were having some work done out at your place today. I hope you aren't having too many issues with the old house.”
Lauren smiled, knowing how fast word spread in small towns. She figured she'd have to explain herself a dozen times by the end of the day. “No, just some minor issues with the plumbing. Billy assured me that everything would be back up by the end of the day.”
“Oh, that's good. I was worried when I saw all those trucks heading out your way. Well, you will let me know if you need anything, won't you?” Mrs. Roberts smiled up at Lauren. Just then the bell chimed for the front door and Lauren looked over to see Mr. Graham and Mr. Holton walk in. The two had been her father's best friends, and since her father's death, their friendship had gotten even closer.
“Lauren, dear.” The men walked over and took a seat in their favorite booth next to Mrs. Roberts. “We'll have our usual,” Mr. Graham said as she walked over with a hot pot of coffee. Pouring each of the men a cup, she walked back to place their orders. Mrs. Robert's words hung in her mind like a broken record. Trucks? What trucks?
Four hours later, her mind was fried. She didn't know how Alex worked here thirty hours a week. She looked over at her sister and realized that, since she had arrived three hours ago, Alex's smile hadn't faltered once. Her makeup was still fresh, not a hair was out of place on her head, and she wore heels on top of it all. Lauren looked down at her black tennis shoes. Her feet were killing her and she desperately wished to soak them in a hot tub, which only reminded her that it might not be possible. A little more of her spirit slid to the floor.
Three more hours. You only have three more hours, she told herself. Then you can go home and sleep in your soft bed. She felt a bead of sweat drip down her back and cringed again at the thought of no shower when her shift was over. Instead, she knew she'd have to make do with a jug of water and a washcloth, like she'd used the last few days.
Growing up in East Texas, she knew that all it took in the summertime was a walk out to your car to be drenched in your own sweat, but spending seven hours on your feet, running around carrying hot plates and being around the hot kitchen, really did her in. She smelled like grease and coffee the second she stepped into the place.
If there was any other place to make a decent day's salary, she would have jumped at it years ago. By the end of her shift, she was completely worn out. Just looking at her sister and noticing how cheerful Alex still looked in the seat beside her made her feel even more down. How could she have so much energy? Alex had always been like that though. Maybe it was the fact that her sister didn't have the burden of the ranch's fate on her shoulders. At least she'd given her sisters that.
When they drove up the long driveway, her sister happily chatting about the day, Lauren looked at the house and hit the brakes, sending her sister jolting forward.
“What?” Alex gasped, “Are you okay? You're not having a heart attack are you?” Her sister quickly unbuckled her seat belt and reached for her.
“What? No!” She would have laughed, but her eyes were fixed on the house. “Look!” She pointed towards the large place. There across the field, with the sun setting behind it, stood her house with a shiny new metal roof on it. The new green sheets almost sparkled in the dying sunlight. The entire roof was done. How had someone done it all in one day? And without her notice? And who had done it?
Then her eyes squinted and instead of seeing green, she saw red. “Alex, you'll have to walk the rest of the way. I have to go kill someone.” Alex looked over at her, her eyes still huge from seeing the new roof on the house.
“Lauren, I'm sure he didn't mean—”
“Out! Now.” She playfully pushed her sister. “I'll deal with him and what he did or didn't mean myself.”
Alex quickly gathered her bag up and stepped out of the car. “Lauren, I'm sure he was just trying to help. His father and our pa were best of friends. Don't really kill him, okay?” Her sister bit her lip, but smiled at her.
Lauren put the car in reverse without another word. She didn't trust herself to speak just then. She glanced at her sister in the rear mirror, then she drove as quickly as the little car would on the dirt road full of potholes.
When she reached the ranch house, she saw Chase out on the front porch leaning against the post with a smile on his face. He looked like he'd been expecting her. He wore a crisp white shirt tucked into his light colored jeans, and dark brown boots. His hat covered his eyes, but she was sure he was laughing at her.
She pulled the car to a quick stop, spitting up dust as the tires skid in the dry dirt. By the time she jumped out, she'd built it all up in her head and she knew there was no talking herself out of killing him.
“How dare you!” She slammed the car door and marched over to him, stopping less than a foot away from him. As she looked up the small step towards him, his smile got even bigger.
“Hello, Lauren. My, you are looking mighty pretty tonight.” He tipped his hat up a little and she got a good look at his dark eyes. She was right, he was laughing at her. Pulling her arm back, she let it fly.
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