“You can start anytime, Miss Shannah,” Gabe said.
At that remark, Shannah’s eyes narrowed.
Maysie poked her. “Uh, oh,” she told Rachael. “That’s a slam. Shannah told me once that an instructor is only called ‘sir’ or ‘miss’ when he or she possesses less than a Fourth-degree Black Belt. So he’s technically correct. Shannah can only be called ‘Miss,’ not ‘Master.’ But he’s really playing mind games with her…trying to push her buttons.”
“I’m out of uniform, Shannah. You find me at a disadvantage,” Gabe said.
Just then Shannah landed a Round Kick to his side.
Gabe quickly countered with a Side Kick to her chest, hitting her square in her chest guard.
Shannah hit Gabe with a Front Snap Kick, followed by a Midsection Punch to Gabe’s solar plexus.
Gabe faked a High Punch to Shannah’s nose and then followed with a real Round Kick, catching her square in her solar plexus.
With that kick, Gabe sent Shannah to the mat. With concern in his expression, he raced to kneel beside her. “I didn’t mean to kick you so hard.”
That’s when Shannah hit him with a Low Punch, striking him in the groin. “No, me neither.”
Gabe rolled on the ground.
Maysie jumped up to check on both of them. “Are you both okay?”
“Never better,” Shannah said through gritted teeth.
“Feelin’ great,” Gabe said in a deep, guttural voice.
“Come on, Maysie.” Rachael took her by the arm. “Let’s leave these two to kill each other in peace.”
Rachael and Maysie headed toward the door and paused for a moment to cool off, slumping against the barn door.
“So what are you?” Rachael heard Shannah ask Gabe.
“Third-degree Black. Can we call it a truce?” Gabe managed.
“No, I want a rematch.” Shannah sneered.
“Well, I want a kiss.”
Rachael poked her head around the corner. Before Shannah could protest, Gabe leaned over and kissed her. Rachael grinned, jabbed Maysie with her elbow, and the two of them tiptoed away from the barn.
Once in the house, they delayed a bit over ice-cold Cokes, then grabbed one for each of their friends. Back at the barn, they stepped in and then stood, watching and grinning.
“Well,” Maysie announced sweetly in her Southern drawl, “it’s about time y’all start going out.”
“I haven’t said yes yet,” Shannah proclaimed.
“Oh, but she will.” Gabe winked and kissed her again. Then he got slowly to his feet and said, “Sorry, ladies. It was fun, but I gotta run….uh, make that, just get to my car. Shannah, I’ll call you later.” And with that he was gone.
The girls sat around for the next few hours chatting. Maysie suggested they continue training tomorrow, when Shannah wasn’t so worn out. They grabbed lunch and headed back to Rachael’s house to pick up Michael and drop him at Levi’s house.
Michael was so excited to get to go to a friend’s house that he was ready to go as soon as they got there. They dropped him at Levi’s house on Baxter Ranch and continued down the long ranch road to the main house.
And what a house it was. The Baxter Family ranch house was a mansion. It was a large, sprawling pale blue board house with white shutters, and deep wrap-around porches on three sides. A grand, wide staircase made of stone led up to the front porch. The porch rails and stair handrails were all painted white. Huge, oversized white wicker furniture as well as rocking chairs rested on the porch. Rachael decided she’d have to hear the story about this house.
In the distance was a horse barn that probably held twenty or more horses, as well as a round pen and several paddocks behind the barn. Seeing the horses grazing in the paddocks, Rachael wished she knew how to ride.
To the right of the house Rachael could see the exercise area. There was an enormous pool, basketball court, and tennis courts. This house and its outside areas reminded her of something she would have seen back home, except it sat on several thousand acres rather than a tenth of an acre.
“Rachael, are you coming?” Maysie asked.
“Yes. Sorry. This just reminded me of home.”
“The ranch?” Shannah asked.
“No. The tennis and basketball courts. It made me miss home.”
“Don’t be sad. You’ll be going home for a visit again soon, I’m sure,” Maysie consoled.
Of course neither Maysie nor Shannah knew why Rachael had moved in the first place. She would tell them in time, but not today.
“So tell us about your boyfriend,” Shannah prompted.
The girls walked inside and plopped down in the sitting room at the front of the house.
“Colten gave me some good news yesterday,” Rachael announced.
“What is it?” Maysie sat up straighter, her eyes sparkling.
“He’s coming to see me next week. I can’t wait. It will be two weeks since I said good-bye to him.”
“Wow. Bet he’s excited too,” Shannah added. “So what day is he coming? Can we meet him?”
“Monday. I’d love for you to meet him. I’m not sure how long we’ll be apart. The good news is, his parents did give him permission to come see me one weekend every month. That’s something to look forward to.”
“If you don’t mind me asking, why did you move here anyhow? Palm Beach is so nice and has a lot more shopping and restaurants,” Maysie stated.
“A lot more of everything.” Shannah sighed.
Well, I hadn’t planned to share all of this today, but there’s no time like the present. So here goes.
Rachael shared everything. It was much harder repeating the story than she thought it would be. It made her work through underlying emotions she hadn’t even realized she was feeling. She cried when she told them about her father and the fact he could even go to prison. She told them that, while she missed Colten and her friends terribly, she missed her father the most. When she finished, both girls were teary eyed and hugged her.
“That’s awful,” Maysie sobbed.
“What’s awful?” came Travis’s voice from the foyer.
“Oh, nothing,” Maysie said swiftly. “They’re closing my favorite store at the mall, and I’m devastated. Absolutely devastated.”
“So devastated it made all three of you cry?” Travis asked.
“Yes. It’s awful. Plain awful,” Shannah said with exaggerated sadness.
“You girls and your shopping. I’ll never understand women.” Travis turned to Rachael. “Hey, Rachael, Aunt Gwin called and said your brother is ready to go home. I guess Levi is going to your house to sleep over tonight. I’m taking them both to your house now. Would you like to catch a ride?”
“Sure. I’m tired. Maysie, Shannah, would you mind terribly if I go now?” After the deep conversation she was emotionally drained.
“Of course not. See you soon,” Maysie said.
“See ya, girl.” Shannah waved bye.
Travis walked her out to his truck and opened the door for her. She got in, and he closed it. He came around and climbed in the front seat. Before starting the engine, he pivoted toward Rachael. “Are you okay?”
“Yes. I am. Just a little tired.”
“Okay.”
Rachael knew Travis had figured out she was not okay, but he was not going to pry further. They rode, not talking, to pick up her brother and Levi. At least the boys were happy. The two thirteen-year-olds chatted nonstop all the way to the house. That made Rachael smile. At least she could feel good about that today. She had accomplished her goal of getting a friend for her brother.
When Travis dropped them off, Rachael leaped out and practically ran inside without waiting for him to open her door. She’d never been so relieved to be home. She’d had a good day. She was just worn out and needed some rest. She talked to her mom and Aunt Margaret briefly, ate an early dinner, then read another message from Colten on her picture frame.
My next visit is right around the co
rner.
7
RACHAEL WOKE UP TO THE CROWING ROOSTER, again, sometime way before dawn.
Darn that rooster! I think chicken for dinner sounds like a good idea. Maybe fried. Rachael covered her head with the pillow in an attempt to drown out the insistent crowing. Okay! Enough. I’m up.
Rachael crawled out of bed. She’d never been much of a coffee drinker, but with this rooster getting her up so early every day and all, she was going to have to start. She couldn’t make it through her day—getting up at five o’clock. She was turning into her grandma! Up before dawn and in bed at seven o’clock. What was happening to her? Country life was aging her prematurely.
She ran over to the mirror to take a closer look. Nope. Still the same youthful face. I just feel old is all.
Rachael scurried toward the kitchen to grab a cup of coffee. When she got there, she could smell coffee already brewing. Who else would choose to get up this early?
Her mother was sitting at the long bar in the kitchen. “Rooster?”
“Rooster.”
They both shared a knowing smile.
“How are things going, honey?” her mother asked.
“Great. It’s only been a few days, but I feel like I’ve made great friends in Shannah and Maysie. They’re so real and sincere.” She paused. “More real than a lot of the girls I know back home.”
“Good. I’m glad. Your brother seems to have made a great friend in Levi. I think they were up pretty late last night…maybe two or three in the morning! They were in your brother’s ‘game lounge,’ as he calls it. I’m glad that thing is sound-proofed.”
“Me too.” Rachael sighed. “I didn’t hear a thing. I slept really hard. Even with the rooster and all, I feel much better.”
“Good. I got a call from Lonnie last night after you were asleep.”
“Oh. How is she?” Rachael walked to the coffee pot. Pouring herself a cup, she added two teaspoons of sugar. Okay, maybe I’ll need three. She added another and then lots of milk. Rachael took a deep sip. Perfect.
Lonnie was her mother’s nearest, dearest friend back home in Palm Beach. She and her mother were part of the Women’s League and had worked together to organize many charity events and fundraisers for the women’s shelter and soup kitchen. Lonnie was trustworthy and kind. Rachael had always really liked her.
She walked back to a barstool and sat down.
“Lonnie wanted me to know the news of our family’s business concerns had finally made the front page of the paper.”
“Oh. Great.”
“She said the article was slanted and went for the shock effect, painting your father in a less than good light. This is the scandal part of it all I was waiting for. I guess now we’ll see who our true friends are.”
Rachael eyed her mother. While not exactly happy, her mother didn’t seem all that stressed by this news, either. But, remembering the conversation she’d had with her father on the drive to the coffee shop on the morning she left, Rachael decided to not let outward appearances fool her. She needed to dig a little deeper. “How do you feel about all of this, Mom?”
“I’m okay.” Then, as if she wanted to convince Rachael, she added, “Really. It’s your father I’m more concerned with. We all have each other, and we’re here, where no one but your aunt knows of our unfortunate situation. He is there. Alone. That’s my biggest concern. I called him last night. He sounded really down.”
Rachael thought for a moment. “I have an idea, Mom. Why don’t you go spend the week with Dad? Michael and I are in good hands with Aunt Margaret. She wouldn’t let anything happen to us. Besides, once we start school, there won’t be an opportunity for a while. This may be the last week you can go. You and Dad need some alone time. Just the two of you. We’ll be fine. I promise.”
“You’re so wise, honey. I think that’s a great idea.”
Rachael knew her mother probably had thought of the idea herself earlier but wouldn’t have gone without Rachael’s suggestion. “By the way, I got good news from Colten. He’s coming to visit next week.”
“That’s great news! How long is he staying?”
“Not sure. I didn’t ask. Even if it’s only for one day, it will be worth it. I miss him.”
“Good. I’m going to pack an overnight bag. I’ll probably go for the week as long as your aunt is okay with it.”
“I’m sure she will be.”
After her mother left the room, Rachael took her coffee to her room and checked emails. There were a bunch of new messages on her Facebook wall.
So sorry to hear about your family’s major bad news.—Jessica
Bummed out over your move.—Monica
Thinking of you!—Ellery
Need anything, just call.—LeighAnn
This sucks!!!!—TJ
Hang in there.—Mark
Have fun and buy lots of stuff in Sarasota!—Brittany
Rachael laughed. There was Brittany and her one-track mind—as long as a girl had shopping, she could survive anything.
She sat back in surprise. It wasn’t what she had expected. An overwhelming show of support from all of her friends. Maybe things wouldn’t be so bad after all. She had over two hundred friends on her page, and most had posted small notes. Rachael continued reading for over the next hour.
Then she realized. That’s strange. No note from Colten.
She shook her head. She was probably reading too much into it. After all, she’d spoken with him almost every day since her move, and he probably just didn’t see any need to post something on her page when he got to talk to her person-to-person over the phone each day.
Rachael jumped when she heard the doorbell. Still dressed in boxers and a tank top, she decided to answer the door. As far as she knew she was still the only one up, other than her mother, who was probably busy packing. Her brother and Levi were certainly still sleeping, and she hadn’t seen or heard her Aunt Margaret up yet either. She sprinted down the hall to answer the door before the person decided to ring it yet again.
When she opened the door, a man the likes of whom she’d never seen was standing there! He wasn’t exactly clean-cut. He was shirtless, sporting a huge beer gut, and had on a pair of worn camouflage shorts that hung way too low in the front. She was afraid to see the backside. His bare feet were absolutely filthy, covered in mud, grass, and other debris. He had a large chunk of something in his lower lip that she could only assume was dip or chewing tobacco and at least a two- or three-day growth of beard. Obviously he shaved on occasion, but not regularly. Finally Rachael noticed he was covered in a white dust from head to toe. Maybe he was into carpentry—drywall, masonry, or something like that.
Rachael was torn between slamming the door or being intrigued by this new character.
Just then he spoke. “Mornin’, ma’am. You must be Miss Rachael. I am JJ. Nice to meet ya. Is yur aunt here?”
“She’s still sleeping, sir. Would you like me to wake her?”
“No, that’s all right. It’s jus ole’ lonesome George has gotten into my Millet and Bahia field again. He’s eatin’ it all up, and I won’t have enough seed top for my dove and quail.”
Okay. Am I stupid or something? It’s like this guy is speaking a foreign language. “Ole’ lonesome George?” Rachael asked.
“Yes, ma’am. I put a lead rope on ’im. If you would be willin’ to come lead ’im home, I’d appreciate it. He just doesn’t take to me…or most men in general.”
“Who is ole’ lonesome George?” Rachael asked again.
“Yur aunt’s pet.”
“Sure,” Rachael said, but she wasn’t exactly sure what she was getting herself into. “Let me grab some shoes.”
Rachael went down to her bedroom and put on her sneakers. She wasn’t certain how far of a walk this would be, so wanted to make sure she was comfortable. Then she knocked on her mother’s door and explained the situation.
“Oh. Tell JJ I said hello,” her mother said and went back to packing.
Another misconception about country people corrected. Don’t let appearances be your guide. He may appear rough and tough, but deep down he’s probably a big teddy bear. Rachael smiled to herself once again.
When Rachael appeared back at the front door, JJ was waiting patiently outside by his truck. At the sight of his truck Rachael stopped dead in her tracks. It was painted perhaps red…or that could have been all of the rust. Rachael couldn’t tell. It had a flatbed on the back with a large, metal-framed dog cage with four dog compartments, each holding a dog. The dogs, all Beagles, were barking very loudly as Rachael began to walk up.
“Don’t pay ’em no mind, Miss Rachael. They’re just talkin’.”
As Rachael approached the vehicle she saw a large bench seat on top of the dog box and assumed it was used for hunting or sightseeing. The writing on the side of the truck said Honcho. Whether Honcho was JJ’s nickname, the truck’s name (since guys always named their cars, trucks, and boats), or the make of the truck (as in Chevy, Ford, Honcho?) was a mystery to her.
As JJ opened Rachael’s door he said, “Mind my cans of snuff and excuse the mess, Miss Rachael.”
Rachael tried not to stare, but she had never seen so much stuff in a vehicle before. Mason jars, empty soda cans, and five small, round canisters—some sort of chewing tobacco product, she guessed—were strewn all over the floor. The real kicker was the five rifles propped against the seat with their barrels pointing down.
Rachael had never been around firearms before. I hope none of those go off and hit me in the foot.
Just then JJ fired up the Honcho and they were off—not exactly flying down the driveway…more like a crawl. When they reached the main road, Rachael got out, opened the gate, then closed it behind them.
When she got back in, JJ said, “I live jus roun’ the corner here.”
Rachael soon became aware that just around the corner meant about five miles around the corner! She certainly was thankful she had put on sneakers. Just then they passed Travis’s truck on the road. JJ waved and so did Travis.
Redneck Debutante Page 7
