Texas Temptation

by Kathryn Brocato

  “Sure. Right. Like nobody’s noticed how you look at him.” Felicia swatted at a mosquito on her bare leg. “Like your heart doesn’t beat out of your chest every time he’s around.” She crossed her hands across her own heart. “Whop, whop, whop.”

  “Stop it.” Hailey stepped up onto the cottage porch. “You’re making a real nuisance of yourself, little sister. I think it’s you who thinks the new guy is Mr. Wonderful. To me, he’s a coworker. Nothing more.”

  “Mr. Wonderful Face,” Felicia corrected. “Funny how you keep saying he’s just a ‘coworker.’ And yeah, who wouldn’t think he’s adorable? But he’s waaaaaay too old for me. He’s more your style, older sister dear.”

  Hailey opened her mouth to defend herself, but Felicia interrupted with a snap of her fingers. “Oh, I almost forgot! Mom said, and I quote.” Felicia put a scowl on her face. “I suppose that man can come to dinner. As long as he’s here, we can’t let him starve.” The natural smile returned to her freckled face. “I think she’s warming up to the idea, Sis. Maybe she’ll ask him to stay herself. Maybe he’ll fall madly in love with you, and — ”

  “I think you’d better land that space ship you’re driving,” Hailey interrupted. “Because you’re definitely talking like you’re suffering from air deprivation.”

  “Go ahead, throw those big words at me. I don’t care. Just remember, you heard it here first. I’m the muse with the news. The snoop with the scoop. The lips with the tips. The — ”

  “The mouth that’s gone south. Now get on to the house and deodorize yourself before we have to sit down at the table with clothespins on our noses. And tell Dee I’ll be there to get her to feed the cows in five minutes.” She swatted at her sister playfully.

  Hailey stared at the door in front of her. Her heart was beating a bit faster. Her step was a bit livelier; she had to admit it to herself. But why is that so strange? It was because her mom was about to come around and the business was getting back on its feet. It’s not because she was about to see him. Not at all.

  She raised her hand and knocked on the cottage door. Her heart felt like it could hammer its way out of her chest. Irritation washed over her. If her youngest sister hadn’t put the thoughts in her head, she wouldn’t be feeling this … anxious.

  Jack opened the door and leaned against the door frame. “Cessna, I didn’t expect to see you again so soon.”

  His unexpected wit brought a surprised smile to her lips. “Why, Mr. Handsome Face — ” Her eyes widened. Had she really said … no, no, no. Those words couldn’t have slipped out of her mouth. She felt heat spread like wildfire into her cheeks.

  He leaned his head back and a great peel of laughter escaped from his mouth.

  She stood, feeling — for the first time that she could ever remember — utterly helpless.

  “I … I … ” Her mouth betrayed her. Her brain deserted her. She felt that she was standing in the middle of a swarm of laughing bees. “I … I … ” She shook her head. “I suppose there’s no way you’re going to be gracious enough to pretend you didn’t hear that.”

  He cupped his hand around his ear. “Excuse me? Did you say something? I guess I didn’t hear you.”

  She struggled to regain her composure. There was no need to try to explain it was Felicia who called him Mr. Handsome Face, not her. Not that he wasn’t attractive. She was honest with herself about his attractiveness. But she wasn’t interested in Jack Stinson in that way.

  She gave herself a mental jab. He’s a coworker. An employee. Maybe he’d become a friend after they’ve been working together for a year. But she was not going to think of him as any more than that. She would shut that scary thought down before it crept from her mind to her heart and caused trouble.

  Hailey mustered a simple smile. “My mom said you can come to dinner. Believe it or not, she actually said that. From what I hear, she practically begged for you to join us.”

  He observed her for a moment, the corners of his lips twitching. “Did she actually say she wants me there? Or that she’ll tolerate me?”

  “I think tolerated was more the sentiment. But then again, sometimes she only tolerates me, so don’t feel like you’re anything special.”

  He let out a deep chuckle.

  Her face brightened, anxious to focus the attention back on him and away from her own silly thoughts. “Well, I can’t believe it. Two laughs and a chuckle! In one day. Is this some sort of a record or something?”

  “Come on now. I haven’t really been that stuffy, have I, Miss Holman?” His face grew serious, but his eyes continued to hold the promise of a lighthearted smile.

  “Well, I suppose you’ve never had to rely on your wit like I have. You’ve had your handsome face to open doors for you.” Make a joke, it throws ’em off every time.

  He stood relaxed, hands folded across his chest. “Oh, I don’t know about that. I think you’ve done pretty fair in the looks department, yourself.” He reached out to brush a strand of stray hair from her cheek.

  She took a slight startled step back. He can’t beat me at my own game. “I’m really hungry. I need to go feed the cows.”

  “You always feed the cows when you’re hungry? Makes sense I guess.”

  “Dee promised the cows … I mean, I promised the Dee.” She stomped her foot. “I’m trying to say that I promised Dee I’d take her to feed the cows.”

  He let loose with another genuine laugh. “Well, then you’d better keep your promise.”

  His smile grew half serious, half teasing. He didn’t take his eyes off her face.

  Hailey started to feel … itchy. If he’d only take his eyes away from hers for a split second, she’d make her getaway. But with her luck, she’d stumble down the stairs. She’d be tripped up by her own feet. Betrayed. Just as her tongue had double-crossed her a moment earlier when he first opened the door.

  “Okay. All right.” She scratched the back of her neck and attempted a composed front.

  “Wash those greasy hands and we’ll see you at the table. To eat. Thirty minutes.” She backed away from the door. “Don’t be late. You know my mom won’t hold supper on you.”

  Hurrying to the house to fulfill her promise to Dee, she wondered how something this unthinkable could be happening to her.

  She didn’t have time for this right now. She was Web Holman’s little Comet. And she’d fight that flirty, girly stuff trying to weasel its way into her heart to the bitter end.

  • • •

  Instead of plopping into bed as usual after her prayers, Hailey hesitated, peering into the mirror hanging over her sister’s dresser. She picked up the pearl-handled hairbrush her dad had brought her from a business trip in France, and ran it through her dark hair.

  She ran a finger across her chin, examining the skin she knew she too often took for granted.

  Not that she didn’t take care of her skin. It’s just that she didn’t make a fuss over it the way some women did. Certainly not the way her sisters and mom did, with all their creams and facials and wide-brimmed hats. Sunscreen and a baseball cap were about all Hailey usually needed.

  She returned the brush to the dresser top and leaned closer to the reflection, scrutinizing her skin’s texture, suddenly not satisfied with what she saw.

  She’d never given the sprinkling of freckles across her nose much thought. Her mom had bought her a tube of concealer once and tried to give her a lesson on camouflaging her “imperfections.” She’d laughed and her dad had shaken his head after Rinnie left the room. “Don’t use that stuff, Comet. It’ll smother your angel kisses.”

  The memory made her eyes grow misty. She swallowed hard. Her dad; her biggest fan.

  Her mom, on the other hand … Hailey shook her head. Her mom made a lot of noise about Hailey’s lack of interest in salon appointments and spa days.

&n
bsp; She ran both hands through her hair. She liked her hair. It was wash and go. Long enough to push behind her ears and out of her way. Or make a pony tail. Who could climb around in the hangar in the Texas heat with hair flying everywhere?

  She continued peering into the tell-all glass. “Maybe it is time for a few changes. Nothing drastic.” She was fine with the way God made her, but maybe her mom and sisters were right. Maybe she could use a little something. She’d always liked her eyes because they were the color of the sky. But what would it be like to have eyes like … well, like Jack’s? His eyes were like drops of chocolate. Chocolate Kisses.

  She straightened her back and cocked her head at the reflection in the mirror. “Who are you staring at? What’s the matter with you, anyway? A good-looking guy comes around and you start acting goofy all of a sudden.”

  “Who’re you talking to in here?”

  Hailey jumped. She turned to see her sleepy sister standing in the doorway.

  “Felicia! What are you doing, trying to scare me half to death?” She put a hand over her thumping heart.

  “What are you doing? You’re scaring me half to death.” Her younger sister leaned groggily on the doorframe. “You were looking in the mirror.”

  Hailey cast her a look. “Ha. Ha. Very funny.”

  Felicia yawned and turned toward the hallway. “I’m going back to bed. I must be having some really weird psycho dream.”

  “Wait.”

  She turned back around to face Hailey, her eyes blinking slowly.

  “Hailey, come on, what? I need to get some sleep.”

  “I could use a little help here.”

  “A little?” Even half asleep Felicia could dish it out as good as Hailey.

  Hailey waved her off. “You know, never mind. Go back to bed.”

  Felicia didn’t argue. “Goodnight.”

  Hailey turned her back on the mirror and climbed into bed, reaching for the light on the bedside table. She chuckled at herself. Big ol’ hair and mud packs and eye liner. That was for divas.

  Her eyes closed and her mind went to work. Someday she supposed she’d have to redeem the gift certificate her mom had given her Christmas before last. Or was that the Christmas before the Christmas before last?

  A frown crept across her lips. Whenever it was, giving Web Holman’s oldest daughter a certificate for “The Works” at Beth’s Salon & More was pointless.

  Hailey turned to the other side and then rolled again to settle on her back, staring up at the ceiling with her hands tucked behind her head. She finally let out an irritated sigh. She obviously wasn’t getting to sleep any time soon.

  “Lord,” she whispered into the darkness. “I’m feeling something I’ve never felt before. I’m feeling like a … ” She stopped herself. “I’m feeling like a woman, I guess. I mean, for heaven’s sake, I’m twenty-six and never really thought much about this before. Not seriously anyway. It’s natural, I know, and someday I want to find that special guy, but it’s complicated right now.”

  She let her eyes slip shut. “Okay, Lord, complicated is nothing for you, I know that. But there’s some sort of … attraction I feel for this guy. And I don’t like it. Even if he did seem pretty boring at first, which, you and I both know is a total turn-off. Anyway, today I saw something special in him.”

  She blinked into the stillness of the room and reflected on the past six months. It seems that I’m the only one here who remembers who Dad really was. I don’t want to hide him away with his box of baseball caps and his shaving stuff. I don’t want to let go of his dream.

  She swallowed the lump that lodged in her throat. “I have to be the one who lives for him, now. I am Web Holman’s daughter, and I thank You for the chance to continue his dream. Nothing can stand in the way of me doing his will … and Yours. I know everybody gets sick of hearing me say it, but I get so weary of being told I can’t do this.” She let her eyelids close on the tears that threatened to spill from her eyes. “Amen.”

  The next thing Hailey knew, her eyes were open again and she was tiptoeing to Felicia’s room. She closed the door behind her. She couldn’t afford to wake her mom.

  Making her way across the room, she bent over her sister’s bed, tapping Felicia’s shoulder gently.

  “Huh? What’s wrong?” Her sister bolted upright and grabbed at Hailey’s arm.

  “Nothing,” she whispered her assurance. “I have to ask you something.”

  Felicia stared through the dark, obviously trying to focus on the shadow of her oldest sister’s face. “You woke me up to ask me something? I find you staring at yourself in the mirror earlier. There’s definitely something wrong.”

  Hailey lowered herself softly to sit on the side of the bed. She leaned closer to her sister but hesitated with the words she wanted to say.

  “Tell me before you drive me crazy.”

  “You can’t even tell Mom. Or Lindsey.”

  Felicia let out an exasperated sigh. “I promise. Now just tell me!”

  Hailey took in a big gulp of air. “You know that silly little makeover you’re always wanting to do on me?”

  “Grrrrrr.” Felicia plopped back on her pillow with a groan. “You woke me up to tell me never ever to mention that dumb makeover to you again?”

  Hailey reached for Felicia’s shoulders and tried to pull her back up to face her. “No,” she whispered. “Listen. Let’s do it.”

  The silence between them hung like a thick black curtain in the dark room. It seemed to take a few moments for the impact of Hailey’s words to sink in, but when they finally did, Felicia shot up and did a little bounce on her bed, squealing.

  Hailey clapped a hand over her sister’s mouth. “Shhhhhh!” She suddenly felt silly. “Listen, kiddo. Never mind. Bad idea. Forget you saw me. In fact, you didn’t see me. This was all a dream.” She stood, continuing to hold her hand over Felicia’s mouth, and pushing her sister back gently until her dark pony tail touched the pillow. “Now lay down. Close your eyes. And don’t say one word.”

  She removed her hand and started away from Felicia’s bed.

  Before she reached the door, a quiet voice whispered into the darkness. “We really wouldn’t have to do much to your hair. Maybe just some barrettes or something. But you definitely need some plum eye shadow in the creases of your eyelids. That would really bring out your gorgeous blue eyes.”

  Hailey turned back, once again settling on the edge of the bed next to her sister. “You think?”

  “Sure.” Felicia stretched and stuffed the extra pillow beside her behind her head. “We could fix you up like when you went to the prom with Bradley. On second thought, let’s fix you up better! Hey, I saw Bradley in town at the bank a few weeks ago.”

  Hailey was pleased. “Bradley’s a good guy. He was always a good friend. Were Kaitlin and the kids with him?”

  “Yep, their kids are so cute. Why didn’t you and Bradley ever, you know, like like each other?”

  She shrugged. “We were just buds. There wasn’t anything else there.” He wasn’t the one.

  “I’d like to have a boyfriend.”

  “Felicia,” Hailey shook her head. “Don’t just have a boyfriend because you think it’s the cool thing to do.”

  “I might wait until I go to college. All the guys here are like brothers or cousins. We grew up together.”

  Hailey understood. “Don’t rush it or force it. That’s been my motto.”

  “Exactly,” Felicia let out an exasperated breath. “You’re in a slump. Have you even been out with a guy since high school? No. You’ve been buried in airplanes and flying and books and everything but finding time for a relationship. Now you’re talking about a guy you just met like he’s something special. It’s so out of the blue. It’s weird.”

  Hailey let out a deep sigh and sto
od up, making her way back to the door. She reached for the doorknob and without turning around, whispered back to her sister. “Do you want to do this or not?”

  “Are you kidding? I’m all over it!”

  “Okay, well. Quick. Before I come to my senses.”

  “Tomorrow after lunch? As soon as Mom leaves for her Garden Club meeting.”

  “Okay, okay. Don’t make some big deal about this.”

  “I won’t. Good night, Hailey.”

  Hailey could hear the smile in her little sister’s voice. “Good night, Diva.”

  She tread softly back to her room, muttering to herself. “Why in the world now, of all times, did a guy like Jack Stinson have to show up?” Reality snapped her brain. “Oh yeah. I invited him.”

  CHAPTER NINE

  Hailey checked her watch for the tenth time. One seventeen. Just three minutes later than the last time she checked it.

  She dug another chocolate kiss from her pocket, unwrapped it, and popped it into her mouth. Any minute now.

  The sound of Felicia’s tennis shoes slapping against the concrete made her heart leap. She sucked in a deep breath.

  Fleeting fragments of peace eluded Hailey’s grasp and she felt her insides consumed by a strange sensation. Could this be … No. It couldn’t be what other people experienced as panic. That feeling wasn’t allowed in her range of emotions.

  The makeover hadn’t even begun, and it was already provoking a drastic personality change.

  Felicia motioned to her sister. “Hi, Hailey. Hi, Jack,” she called louder than usual.

  Jack waved his hello from the cockpit and continued working.

  Hailey made her way casually from the door to stand beside the aircraft. “Hey, Jack. I have some things to take care of. So I won’t be around for a couple of hours.”

  He looked away from the odometer he was working on and grinned down at her from the cockpit. “Alright.”

  She stood looking up at him, fully conscious of the ticking clock that decreed her immediate departure. Digging for another chocolate kiss, she came up with a handful of empty wrappers instead.