Counting on Starlight

by Lynette Sowell

  Liann pondered her disappointments for a moment. “Still, the tow truck guy is good friends with my uncle and didn’t charge me, and the coach I met told me I should send Trixie to his friend who owns an auto repair shop and won’t overcharge me.”

  “You know you could have moved in with me. I don’t mind having a roommate, considering you’d broken your lease.”

  “I know, and I appreciate it. But Matt—”

  “Matt’s going to survive.”

  “I know he will. But he never listened to me and I doubt he’d start now. Which is why Starlight seemed a better option. I need the distance.”

  Beth filled her in on everything she’d missed in the five days since she’d left La Vida, California. She’d returned the last of the gifts that Liann had received at the bridal shower, and Liann didn’t have to face any of the unspoken questions about why she’d made her big decision. Life had gone on without her. Even Beth hurried off the phone with a promise to keep in touch.

  #

  “We had registration today,” Madelynn Tucker announced at supper that evening. She glanced at Jake then down at her dinner plate.

  Jake looked up from his notepad next to his plate of chicken fried steak. Sixteen-year-old Maddie sure could cook, but comfort food during the week in the summertime meant something was up. “I thought you were already registered for classes.”

  “Well, um, I am.” Maddie stepped into the kitchen. “Want some more sweet tea? I’m almost out.”

  “No, I’m good.” If it wasn’t because of Dad’s health problems, Mom and Dad would still be here in Starlight. The idea of watching over his sister for her last three years of high school when his parents moved to Colorado last year had been easy to agree to. Maddie was smart, a good kid, generally listened to him and Billy, and they kept in touch with their parents via weekly Skype meetings. Ever since his younger brother Billy had married Justine Campbell in June, they’d been busy setting up house, working on the new buildings for the soldiers’ retreat on the Tucker farm, and well, being newlyweds.

  Jake didn’t mind keeping an eye on Maddie. She didn’t even turn the other way when they saw each other in the halls, and she wore her brother’s football coach status as her own badge of honor.

  Maddie returned with a plastic pitcher and poured herself a fresh glass of tea. “Today was the last day to make schedule changes before school starts, so I did.”

  “Ah, I see. You talked to Mom and Dad, I assume?”

  “Yup. They said it was fine, once I explained.”

  “Well, we’re going to start the new practice schedule soon. You ready?”

  “Um, here’s the thing.... I’m not going to be a trainer anymore.” Maddie straightened her posture. “I changed my schedule, like I said.”

  “What are you talking about?” Jake shook his head. “You’ve got a great resumé built up. If you’re going to UT for pre-med it’ll look good that you’ve got four years as trainer.”

  Maddie shrugged. “I don’t think want to do pre-med anymore. That’s a lot of school. I know I’m a junior, but I’ve made my mind up.”

  “You sure you talked to Mom and Dad?” Unbelievable. All she’d talked about since junior high was one day becoming a physician. She wanted to treat families and open a practice here in Starlight after she finished her residency.

  “Yes. They said it was fine. I don’t see why this is a big deal.” She took a sip of her tea.

  Of course she didn’t. She was sixteen and was already an expert on life. Jake frowned. “So what are you planning to do now?”

  “I dunno. I decided to take home ec, for one thing. I like cooking, a lot. And I need another PE credit, so I signed up for color guard since they had plenty of room in that class.” Now her shoulders drooped. “You’re mad.”

  “No, I’m not mad.” Jake paused a moment. Teenagers’ emotions flared up one moment then deflated the next. He needed to choose his words carefully. “I’m shocked, for one thing, that you didn’t tell me sooner. And I’m disappointed. I really enjoyed having you along with the team when we traveled.”

  “That’s why I didn’t say anything.” Maddie sighed. “I knew you’d be upset. I didn’t do it to hurt your feelings. I’m real proud that you’re my brother, but I wanted to do something...different.”

  “I’ll say. Color guard is miles away from being a trainer.” Plus, he didn’t dare add that Maddie had the coordination of a rhinoceros trying to roller skate. “Now, cooking. That I can see you excelling in.”

  She nodded. “I can’t wait. Plus, I signed up for the dual credit option with the college, the intro to culinary arts course. Dad faxed the permission slip to the counselor.”

  Wow. They’d been cooking this one up for some time—no pun intended—and he’d missed it. “I guess you’ve got it all figured out.”

  “Yup.” Maddie grinned as she scooped up a bite of mashed potatoes with her fork. “Thanks for understanding, Jake. You’re the best.”

  “Please, Maddie. I know I’m not our dad, but if you’re ever having a hard time making a decision, come talk to me. That’s what I’m here for.” He wondered how long she would last in color guard. The marching band worked just as hard at their drills as the football team did, with mirroring the all-day practice schedules during the first week of August. Mom and Dad were far away, and they had no idea that Maddie was actually lowering her potential. Color guard, on a pre-med student’s application? She might be accepted to the college because of her grades, but that didn’t mean she’d be accepted into the pre-med program.

  Of course, he’d just met the new color guard instructor in the parking lot today. He knew just where to find her, too. If Maddie started to crash and burn with this latest change of plans, he’d go straight to the new teacher and see if she could persuade Maddie to change her classes back to her old schedule.

  He wouldn’t mind seeing that teacher again. He liked her spunk, her drive. She needed a truckload of it to take on the faltering color guard team. He spent halftimes in the locker room, but even there, the dismal tales of the marching band’s color guard squad filtered back to him and the rest of the coaching staff. Her brave smile told him she was up to the challenge. He had a feeling she might be able to handle the changing whims of a teenager just fine.

  #

  Liann felt like she was breathing through a collapsed straw. Heat prickled down her back and along both of her arms, covered in long sleeves and leather-palmed gloves that went up to her forearms. She thought she’d get her mind out of today’s doldrums by helping her aunt with the bees. She tried to tamp down her fears. Her efforts weren’t working so well—the perspiration all over her body wasn’t only from the blistering sun. She cleared her throat to hide the tremor in her voice. “How—how many bees did you say were in this hive?”

  “Fifty thousand.” Aunt Chin Mae lifted the top box from the beehive. “Here. Smoke the bottom again.”

  Liann pressed the tiny bellows on the smoker, and puffs of smoke came from the spout, swirling down to the box. “I can’t believe I’m doing this.”

  “We move slow and take our time. Today, I clean the brood boxes and you fill the feeders.” She removed the next hive. “So, you have a bad day?”

  “Oh, Aunt Chin Mae...” Liann squeezed the bellows again. “I’m so happy you and Uncle Bert are letting me stay here, but...it’s been a hard day.”

  “God has a plan, Li.”

  “It’s not that simple.”

  “So when things are going your way, you can see His plan? Does His plan mean we always get our way, like a two year old?” Aunt Chin Mae straightened, propping one hand on her hip.

  “No. But I’m not acting like a two year old.”

  “You made a big decision to leave California, all because you do not know your own mind.”

  Liann hung her head. “I couldn’t marry Matt. I couldn’t. I should have—”

  “I know. You should have called it off before you sent out the invitations.” Her
aunt hissed, shaking her head. “All that money you spent...and you did not know you didn’t love him?”

  “I did care for him, loved him. The wedding got so...big. I don’t know.” She watched Aunt Chin Mae lift the top from the box. “I couldn’t think, I couldn’t breathe....” Like now. Thousands of honeybees swirled and pulsed on the frames inside the hive, turning themselves into a mass that thought and moved as one.

  “You ran away.” Her aunt waved her closer. “Empty the feeder and refill it.”

  Liann turned away and lugged the five-gallon bucket full of honeybee food closer to the hive. “I didn’t run away. I called off the wedding and figured I needed a fresh start.” She pulled out the plastic feeder and dumped the leftover liquid along with a few dead bees at the foot of the nearest oak tree. When she returned, she filled the feeder with fresh food and returned it to the hive.

  “You are a runaway bride.” Aunt Chin Mae shrugged. “It happens. You take a timeout and see what God wants for you.”

  They restacked the hive and moved on to the next hive under a nearby tree. This was crazy. She was inches away from groups of bees who could swarm around her, crawl under the cuffs of her sleeves, and... No wonder she ran from California. “How do I know what God wants for me? I hardly know what I want for myself.”

  “You young people think too hard. You go off and do things without listening.”

  “Listening?”

  “You have elders in your life. God gives elders to help you. Your father, he did not want you to marry Matt. Said you were leaping too soon, too excited. You are in love with love.” Her aunt repeated the process at this hive.

  “I’m twenty-six, Aunt Chin Mae. I’m not a baby. I know how to make decisions.” Her own words rang in her ears. She’d just said she didn’t know what she wanted for herself. “Dad never said anything to me about him not really wanting me to marry Matt.” Not really. Although Liann had to admit she never quite asked. She simply did what she thought was best at the time.

  “Your father tried to talk to you, but you don’t know how to listen. A wise person listens to counselors. A fool ignores good advice.”

  “That sounds like something out of Proverbs.” She couldn’t help but smile at her aunt’s intensity and her own fumbling.

  “It is.” Aunt Chin Mae waited as Liann filled the bee feeder. “There. And see, God has been taking care of you. He provided a way home for you today. Your car is taken care of. Good thing Jake Tucker saw you having trouble.”

  “True, but if he hadn’t come, I would have gone back into the school.”

  “Yes, but God presented your solution before you even had a problem.”

  Liann sighed. It couldn’t be that simple. She didn’t believe in just letting things happen to you. If people thought that, then people would never step out, take chances.

  Jake Tucker. He reminded her of why she left California, left Matt. He was confident, take-charge, sure of himself in a way that was nothing short of charming...things that had drawn her to Matt in the first place. One easy decision for her, though. She wouldn’t get herself entangled while here in Starlight. She didn’t need the complication, didn’t know how long she’d be here. Plus, she wouldn’t let herself get sucked into more ideas with someone with a strong personality.

  Chapter 3

  The winding road had a generous amount of shoulder as Liann jogged along, enjoying the morning breeze. Another scorcher coming, but she was determined to beat the heat and get her three miles in. She didn’t want last night’s blue mood to follow her into a new day.

  This morning she’d read in Proverbs, the book of wisdom. She needed wisdom not to make the same mistakes twice. Plus, last night she’d checked her e-mail. Matt had sent three in the last week, the most recent one from yesterday. Ironically, it arrived around the same time she’d been stranded at the school.

  Li, I don’t understand what it is that I’ve done wrong. Call me. We can work it out. Even if all we do is go to a justice of the peace, I still want to marry you. Our plane tickets are still good for Wyoming, and we can still reserve a cabin.

  He really thought she’d change her mind if he held on long enough. He just didn’t get it. It didn’t come down to the wedding, even though the menu only had one thing on it that she liked, even though the guest list had mushroomed to nearly two hundred. She almost stopped short on the road.

  She didn’t want to go camping at Yellowstone for her honeymoon, not even in a cabin with electricity and running water. She really wanted to go to the Caribbean, find a quiet patch of beach, and watch the sun rise every morning. And go horseback riding, snorkeling, maybe investigate the culture of the island.

  Then why hadn’t she ever told Matt? Why not, indeed? Poor Matt, she knew people were saying back home. She hadn’t lied to him, ever. But she’d buried herself and gone along with him.

  Liann quickened her pace, dug in to climb the slight incline, and let herself grin when she reached the top. These Texas roads were steeper than they looked and could fool a runner until they were already heading up the grade. She refused to let her burning legs make her stop.

  Sweat burned her eyes. Next time, she’d bring a headband or something to keep herself from running off the road while wiping her eyes. Another figure, a man, was jogging in her direction. Something about his shoulders and posture told her she’d seen him before. Jake, the football coach.

  He snapped to attention and looked straight in her direction. He waved first then crossed over the road to meet her.

  “G’morning.” His arms bore a sheen of sweat, as did his face and neck.

  “Hey there. Trying to beat the heat?” she asked.

  “Yes. I don’t think it worked.” He fell into step beside her. “Mind if I run with you for a few minutes?”

  Part of her wanted to turn round and run home. But a car drove by, and its driver honked and waved.

  “Hey, Coach,” a teenage boy called out the driver’s window. “Getting your miles in early?”

  “Yes, trying to,” said Jake. “See you at nine?”

  “Sure thing.” With that, the young man sped off.

  “That's Tim. He's a good kid. He’ll likely make starting quarterback.” Jake glanced at her. “You okay? This heat can sure sap your energy and dry you out quickly.”

  “I’m managing. I thought I came out early enough before the heat was bad, but I guess not.” She tried not to puff as she jogged along. Jake had to shorten his stride for her to keep up with him. He could probably beat her in sprints, no problem.

  “So, how’s Trixie?”

  “I dunno. Biff never called. Either he was busy, or whatever’s broken is worse than we thought.”

  “He’ll call. He's thorough.” They continued along, stride for stride. “So, Trixie’s owner. What’s your real name?”

  “Liann Rivers.”

  “You know Bert and Chin Mae?”

  “My aunt and uncle.”

  “We’re almost neighbors.” He nodded down the road. “Tucker Ranch.”

  “Ah, okay.” She tried not to glance to the side. Jake Tucker had the physique of a running back and plenty of speed. He didn’t run with his feet slapping the pavement, and he carried his weight well.

  “Race me to the gate?”

  “No, you’ll beat me.” She kept jogging, refusing to let him see any sign that her legs were in flames and the stitch in her side threatened to make her gasp.

  “Are you so sure?”

  “Of course. You’re at least eight inches taller than me, for one thing.” She glanced up at him. He had to be teasing her. “Plus you’re holding back with your stride. And you can talk just fine. Me, on the other hand...” She tried not to pant and run at the same time.

  “I could let you win.” He chuckled.

  Good grief. She hoped he could fit through the ranch gate ahead with the size of his head. She jogged a few more strides before speaking. “I don’t need anyone to let me win.”

  “No, I guess
you don’t.” He lengthened his stride. “Catch me if you can.”

  “Not today. See you around, Jake Tucker.” She tried not to roll her eyes as the distance increased between them and he headed to the gate for Tucker Ranch. She did, however, stop along the side of the road after he passed through the gate. She leaned over, bent at the waist with her hands resting on her knees, gasping for air.

  She might as well have been sitting in a sauna for half an hour, the way sweat poured from her arms and legs and ran down her back. Her pulse roared in her head. She sucked in a breath. Walk it out. She needed to walk it out. She fought to keep her feet moving, even plodding along, but they felt like she had bricks strapped to them.

  “Hey, are you all right?” Jake stopped just inside the gate. He tilted to one side. Or maybe that was her.

  “Just…need…to catch my breath.” She tried to gulp more air. “I have a stitch.” She sank onto the grassy roadside, hearing Jake call her name, sounding like he was at the end of a long tin can. Please, no snakes next to the road, or in the tall dry grass just this side of the barbed-wire fence. Aunt Chin Mae told her never to go barefoot outside and to always watch out for snakes in the field.

  Strong arms helped lift her up. “C’mon, you need to get cooled off.”

  “I’m fine, really. Just felt a little lightheaded for a minute.” Liann tried to pull away, but part of her didn’t mind leaning on him as he helped her along the driveway. A long ranch house lay catty-corner to the end of the drive, and a small stone building lay at the other side of the driveway with a barn and a few other outbuildings behind them. This was how she’d gone through life, letting people and things pull her along. She’d given up her voice. Not anymore. She tried to pull away and stand on her own.

  At that moment, she also realized the potential trap she’d stepped into. Jogging, alone, in an unfamiliar place. So what if Starlight wasn’t the big city? She was letting a man she’d only met once—albeit as a good Samaritan—take her down his driveway, to his home. She stopped her stumbling gait along the driveway.