Dismayed at how the number of photos betrayed her preoccupation with the man, Billie left the photos to dry, grabbed yet another glass of iced tea from her tiny kitchen, and went out to her front porch. Sitting down on the kitchen chair she’d pulled out there, she lifted the glass to her forehead and let the cold seep in.
She had to get a grip on this. It wasn’t as if she was attracted to him, after all, in spite of his total attractiveness. She was here only to do a job, to learn her craft, to help out her aunt, not to fall for Cam Van Peter, tempting though that might be.
“Something wrong, Billie?” Brian asked from a few feet away.
She’d been so absorbed in her own thoughts, she hadn’t heard him walk up. Her eyes flew open and she stammered, “Nuh, no. I was developing some pictures and it’s, um, hot in there.”
“Oh.” Brian meandered over and sat on the steps. He propped his elbows on his knees and his chin in his palms. “Well be careful. We don’t want you getting sick again,” he said, then heaved a big sigh.
“What’s the matter? Don’t have anywhere to go tonight?” Billie left her chair and came to sit beside him.
“Well, I was gonna take my girl, Kyndra, to see that new slasher movie, but since she broke up with me, I guess I won’t be doing that.”
“Slasher movie? Does she like slasher movies?”
Brian scratched his nose and thought it over. “I dunno. She kinda ran outside and threw up after the last one I took her to.”
Billie turned to give him her full attention. “And did that tell you anything?”
“Yeah, not to buy her hot dogs at the Speedy Mart before the movie. They must have been bad, or something.”
Billie narrowed her eyes at him. Was he really this clueless? She was beginning to get an idea of what the problem was here. She took another sip of her tea and considered him. “Brian, tell me what kinds of dates you usually took her on.”
He shrugged. “Mostly we hung out at her house. She cooked for me a few times. Both of her parents work a lot so she cooks and takes care of her little brother and sister after school. We played video games. Her big brother, Jason – he’s in the army, has the new X-Z 900 system and he doesn’t care how much we use it.” He turned to her excitedly. “This one time, I was on the tenth level of Purdoom, I’d never gotten that high before, and . . . .”
“Brian,” she said, snapping her fingers in front of his face. “Dates. What did you two do besides play video games?”
“Went to a couple of movies, but I always bought her something to eat before we went,” he said brightly.
“Hot dogs at Speedy Mart?”
“Well, yeah.”
“And now she says she’s in love with someone else. What could she be thinking?”
Brian dug his toe in the dirt. “Yeah, that’s what I want to know.”
Billie rolled her eyes and poked him with her elbow. “You doofus, she’s thinking that she wants to go out with a guy who’ll make her feel like a princess.”
“Huh?”
“One who will spend time with her not distracted by video games or slasher movies. One who’ll take her out to eat someplace besides the Speedy Mart.”
“You mean like a sit-down place?”
“With real silverware, not plastic.”
He looked at her with hope beginning to glow in his eyes. “You think she’d like that?”
“I know she would. Girls like it when you make them feel special. Think about this, Brian,” Billie said, making sure he was focused on her as she spoke. “Your girlfriend goes to school all day during the school year, comes home to look after her little brother and sister and cooks for the whole family. She did special things for you, made meals for you, invited you over. What do you think you need to do for her?”
Brian scratched his nose again as he thought it over. Finally his face lit up and he said, “The same kind of thing?”
Impulsively, Billie threw her arm around him and gave him a quick hug, feeling as though she was a mother whose baby had done something brilliant. “Yes. Do you think she’s really met someone else or is she tired of waiting for you to treat her better?”
“I don’t know. I could call her best friend, Melissa and ask her.”
“That’s a good plan. However, the direct approach is always the best. Why don’t you ask Kyndra herself?”
“I guess I could call her,” Brian said.
“Or you could go see her.”
“I could maybe just happen to see her on Saturday. Melissa’s having a birthday party. She invited me.”
Billie gave him a bright smile. “That’s a great idea. Take a gift.”
He frowned as this idea worked its way into his brain. “To Melissa? Or to Kyndra?”
Oh good grief, how did this kid function without a keeper? Billie thought. “For Melissa since it’s her birthday. On the card, you write that it’s from both you and Kyndra – but ask Kyndra if it’s okay first.”
“A card, too, huh?”
“Yes, it will signal to Kyndra that you still think of the two of you as a couple.”
“Can’t I just send one of those e-cards?”
“No, a gentleman, which is what you’re trying to be, would send a paper card he picked out himself – one that doesn’t have a hunting, gaming, or super hero theme.”
Brian nodded slowly. “Do you think they have those in the Speedy Mart?”
“No. Go to the drugstore or any other one that sells something besides gasoline and beef jerky.”
“Like Franklin’s Emporium. Okay.” Hope bloomed in his eyes. “I can do that.”
“And if, indeed, she hasn’t met someone else, and she’s willing to go out with you again, and you take her to a nice place, what do you do?” Billie asked, getting back to the subject at hand.
He tilted his head back and stared up into the sky as if expecting the stars to suddenly arrange themselves into a message answering Billie’s question.
He finally turned to her helplessly. “I got nothin’.”
Billie chuckled at his hang-dog expression.
“Go knock on the door instead of honking out front. Open the car door for her.”
“I do that anyway. We have to use the driver side door on my truck on account of the other door is smashed in. My dad’s gonna fix it when he gets a chance.”
“So as far as opening the car door, you’re on the right track.”
He sat up straight as if ideas were flowing fast and hard and interrupted her by saying, “Open all the doors for her.”
“And?”
The light of discovery faded from Brian’s eyes and he gave her a panicky look. “There’s more?”
“You need to hold her chair for her.”
“Why? Is it going somewhere?”
Billie released a puff of breath. “Come on inside. I’ll show you what you need to know and we’ll practice.”
She ushered him inside and to the dinette set in the kitchen. She demonstrated how to hold a chair for a lady, then took out a table setting of silverware and showed him which utensil to use for which course. By the time he had mastered all of this, it was nearly nine o’clock.
Brian walked onto the porch with a decided spring in his step. “Thanks, Billie. Nobody ever told me this stuff before. My mom left when I was six, so it’s just me and my dad, and he works all the time.”
Billie stared at him, dismayed, and embarrassed that she’d thought he was a bit of a doofus when the truth was, he’d never been taught. Poor lonely, motherless kid, she thought, and reached out to give him a quick hug. “I’m happy to help.”
“I’ll go text Melissa and find out if she’s really found someone else. If she hasn’t, I’ll show up at the party with a gift and a card . . . .”
“After you check with Kyndra to make sure she approves.”
“Oh, yeah, right.” He looked as if he was compiling a mental checklist of everything Billie had told him. “I’ll tell Kyndra everything you said.” He crooked a
shoulder, half-apologetically. “But I’ll make it sound like I thought it up myself.”
Billie grinned. “That’s a good idea.”
“Uh, Billie, what kind of gift should I get?”
Stifling an inward sigh, she made a few suggestions while he listened carefully and nodded. Finally, he thanked her again and started down the steps, then turned and rushed back up, reaching out his hand as if to shake hers. His toe caught on the edge of the porch step, though, and he shot forward, stumbling against her and smashing her to the wall.
“Oomph!” Billie grunted. His fist had accidentally landed in her midsection, knocking the wind out of her.
“Oh, I’m sorry, Billie,” he stammered, stumbling backward. “Are you okay . . . ayyy . . . Hey?” The last syllable was drawn out in a squeak of surprise as he was abruptly grabbed by the collar and jerked backwards.
“What’s going on here?” Cam demanded as he hauled the teenager back.
“Nuh, nothing,” Brian sputtered. “Billie was helping me, boss, that’s all, and . . . . I tripped.”
Cam towered over him, hands fisted at his waist. “I think she’s helped you enough. Isn’t there something else you need to be doing?”
“Sure, Cam. I was going to, uh, text someone.” As if to prove it, Brian scooped his cell phone out of his pocket and hurried away, giving Cam one last puzzled glance over his shoulder as he disappeared.
Billie, who had managed to get a little of her breath back, wheezed, “What was that all about?”
He didn’t know. He’d been coming from the barn when he’d seen the two of them disappear inside her little house. He’d dawdled around for what seemed like an hour, waiting for them to reappear and when they had, she’d given the boy a hug, then it had looked like Brian was trying to kiss her goodnight.
Kiss her! The kid was sixteen, he was heartbroken over his girlfriend. He wouldn’t have tried to kiss Billie. Cam decided there was no doubt that he was losing his mind.
Billie was waiting for an answer, hands on hips, chin thrust forward.
“Why were you hugging him?” Cam demanded instead.
She blinked. “What?”
“You gave him a hug. What was the reason for that?”
“He needed one. He was hurt, and lonely, and . . . his mom isn’t around.”
“You want to mother him?”
“Well, I . . . .”
“’Cause I guarantee you, he doesn’t see you as mom material.”
“Maybe he can see what you can’t, Cam. Maybe he can see that I care about him.” She thrust her chin out even further until she was right up in his face. “Maybe he can see that at least one person on this ranch thinks he’s a nice boy who deserves to have someone, like his girlfriend, care about him.”
“I care about him!” Cam insisted. He was fully aware that he had fallen over the edge into the stupidest argument he’d ever seen, but he couldn’t seem to get out of it – or back down.
“You care about what kind of worker he is, what kind of ranch hand,” she scoffed.
“Good work habits will carry him a lot further than hugs and kisses.”
“I didn’t kiss him,” Billie said, her voice shocked. “He’s sixteen!” Her breath jerked in suddenly. “What kind of person do you think I am?”
“Ah, Billie, I . . . .”
“Never mind!” Billie gulped in a breath of air and turned toward her door. “I need sleep. I have a lot of work to do tomorrow because I’m photographing the Lucky Break volunteer fire department – that is if you think I can be trusted around all of those men.”
“Oh, come on, Billie . . . .”
“But I guess you don’t have to worry since you’ll be there to keep an eye on me and make sure I don’t take unfair advantage of them. Good night.” She went inside and closed the door with a final snap that left no doubt it would stay shut -- and probably locked -- all night.
CHAPTER FIVE
The volunteer firefighters of the Lucky Break Fire Department would have made any big city fire department proud. The men had trained and drilled together for years and the co-captains were two men who had retired from departments back east and settled in Lucky Break.
Billie had the two men, Brad and Ken, stand back to back wearing their firefighting equipment which Cam had informed her were called their turnouts, and holding their fireaxes. She thought they looked pretty impressive for a couple of men in their sixties. Their photograph would be on the page for November.
Since there were twenty men and six women on the team, she was putting them together in groups. She was looking over a list of names and trying to match them up to faces when she saw three names that were the same. Looking up, she said, “Who are the Finas?”
Three tank-sized men detached themselves from the milling group and walked toward her. Surprised that the floor didn’t buckle beneath their combined weight, she looked down at their size fifteen feet, and then up at their identically shaved heads. For a moment, she considered putting the three of them in the same photograph, but realized they were so enormous, she would have to use a long lens and stand on top of a mountain in order to get them all in the same frame.
“That’d be us, miss,” one of them said. “I’m Bull, this is my brother Bruiser, and my other brother, Bison.”
“Are those your real names?”
“Nah,” the one named Bruiser answered. “Nicknames we got playing football in high school.”
“Because you’re so tough?” she asked. Their biceps must have been at least sixteen inches around, maybe eighteen.
“They just want to sound tough,” Cam said, walking up beside them. The three men broke into wide grins and turned to shake Cam’s hand and clap him on the back.
“You need to take plenty of pictures of this guy,” Bull said. “He’s the real hero. If it hadn’t been for him, me and my brothers would have been at the bottom of a caved-in mine shaft.”
Cam shook his head and looked away. “That’s not the way it was.”
Billie gaped at the three huge men. “These are the men you saved?” When Doreen Van Peter had been bragging on her son, Billie had never suspected that the firefighters he’d rescued had been the size of dump trucks.
“These guys were down the shaft with their backs braced against one side and their feet jammed up against the other side. There was no way they would have fallen. I just held onto the rope around Bull’s waist so he wouldn’t get scared.” Cam leaned close to her and whispered conspiratorially. “He’s afraid of the dark.”
The men laughed and Bull punched Cam on the arm, which caused him to stagger into Billie, then grab her to keep her from toppling over. She gasped with laughter and looked up into his gray eyes, lit by humor. Sweet warmth rushed through her as their eyes met, but someone called his name and he set her gently on her feet and turned away.
Flustered, Billie turned back to work, but she couldn’t quite shake the warm happiness that filled her.
* * *
“Brian, if you’re so uncomfortable, why did you wear a tie?” Billie asked as she parked her Mustang in the lot at Lucky Break Community Church and turned to look at her red-faced passenger.
“I want to look nice for Kyndra.” He jerked at the knot again. “I had Cam tie it for me since I don’t know how, but it bugs me.”
“If that’s the only reason you’re here, then you’ve come to church with the wrong motive.” Billie got out of the car and stood looking at him over the top.
“That’s not the only reason,” he assured her quickly. “Things went good when I saw her last night. Thanks for telling me what to do with the gift and all. Kyndra liked that, so I thought . . . .”
When his explanation trailed off, she smiled. “I understand. But now you’re ready to be yourself and not worry about other people’s opinions.”
“Yeah, like Cam’s always telling me.” He nodded to their right and Billie turned to see Cam crossing to greet them.
“If I’d known you were coming
, you could have ridden with me,” Cam said, stopping before them.
Billie’s eyes widened.
A grin teased the corner of Cam’s mouth. “Surprised to see me here?”
“Surprised to see you so dressed up,” she responded. Was this the same man who had sat at breakfast, eyes sleepy and hair mussed, sipping coffee and reading the Sunday paper?
He wore a light gray shirt with a tie in a darker hue, almost exactly the same shade as his eyes, black slacks and dress shoes. His jaw shone with a fresh shave, his hair was perfectly neat, and he smelled deliciously of musky spice.
Billie feared she would choke on her tongue since she had just swallowed it.
“Thanks, Billie, you look good, too.” He took her arm, waved Brian ahead of them, and started for the door.
The church members were welcoming and friendly, asking after Billie’s progress on the calendars and commiserating over the difficulties of working with some of Lucky Break’ citizens.
Red Franklin came up to welcome her and shake her hand, accompanied by his wife, Zoe who looked at Billie with bright-eyed interest. “The whole town is excited about these calendars.”
“I hope my photographs live up to everyone’s expectations.” It was actually more than a hope. It was a daily prayer.
“I’m sure they’ll be lovely, dear, but I know what would make the perfect calendar.”
Billie shot a sideways glance at Cam, who grinned again. “Oh, um, really?”
“Yes, my wonderful collection of historically accurate costumes, which I’ve made and which I’m willing to model myself,” Zoe said. “When can I show them to you?”
“Oh, well . . . .” Once again, she glanced at Cam, who rescued her this time.
“I think all of the calendars have been decided on,” he said.
Zoe looked at Cam, and then at her husband who gave her a pained smile. “We’ll talk about this,” she said, taking his arm.
Here To Stay (Welcome to Lucky Break, Arizona!) Page 7
