Just when Matt was about to tell Hal to get out, Hal grinned again and said, “Okay.”
Matt continued to wait knowing that Hal would have the last word whatever Matt might say.
Finally, Hal blew out a sigh. “I’ve been out on a call this morning.” He gestured to his uniform. “And I didn’t get a chance to go to church but Judy and I have been invited to your parents’ house for dinner.”
Matt was still processing that when Hal went on. “Judy’s already there. So you can ride with me if you want. I just need to stop by my place to change but it won’t take but a minute.”
Matt was almost sure that now that the smug grin was gone there was just a trace of warmth in the smile on Hal’s face. That just about knocked Matt off the couch.
He frowned. “Yeah, I guess. I am kinda hungry.”
A little more than half an hour later, Hal and Matt were going in through his parents’ front door. This time, Hal had pulled Matt’s crutches from the backseat and helped Matt out of the car and up to the door. Matt was shocked.
He was also very pleased when Grace answered the door to Hal’s knock and more so when he could see Betty Sue standing directly behind her with a big smile on her face.
Yes! He could certainly get used to that smile.
Once Matt had maneuvered inside with his crutches, Grace started to lead him over to a couch but then she turned to Betty Sue with a smile on her face. He could see that there was also shock in Betty Sue’s eyes which had to be due to his new look and that pleased him more than he was willing to admit right then.
“Why don’t you help Matt get settled in here Betty Sue? I think I’ll go see what Mom still needs done in the kitchen.”
Hal had gone on through the house to the family room where Matt could hear the sounds of a football game on the TV. He turned to look at Betty Sue now and was surprised to see her blushing.
That was it. He was going to tell her that he was going to change for her. He had to tell her now.
He was surprised when Betty Sue led him to a couch, waited for him to sit, and then arranged his casted leg on an ottoman that she pulled over. Then she sat next to him, but not too close. That made his smile ever bigger.
He’d kept his eyes down all that time but now, he looked into her eyes and said, “Betty Sue I want you to know that I have changed since I met you.”
She giggled and waved a hand toward his head. “Oh yes, I can see a huge change.”
He laughed with her but sobered up quickly. “Betty Sue. That’s only on the outside. I’m working at changing the rest too.”
He watched her face closely for any indication of what she was thinking. Finally, a huge smile broke out on her face.
“I’m happy for you Matt.”
* * *
Betty Sue had truly been surprised when Matt had come through the door clean shaven and with his hair cut almost short. But she couldn’t believe the look that he was giving her now. She could see what surely looked like love shining in his eyes. But that couldn’t be . . . could it? They’d only known each other for less than two weeks. And besides that, the only things he knew about her was what she’d told all of them about her past.
She was just getting over the shock of seeing a neat and trim Matt with no beard when he had proudly announced that he was going to change. And she certainly wasn’t prepared for that look he was giving her now.
Then he looked directly into her eyes again and said, “Betty Sue.” When she looked up and nodded, he continued, “I’m changing because of you. I want a chance with you.”
Now she didn’t know what to think and certainly didn’t know what to say but something came out anyway. “Oh Matt, but what about that woman who says you’re her baby’s father?”
Well, that sure wasn’t what she’d meant to say. But it was out there now and she’d really like to see how he dealt with it.
Matt’s eyes clouded for a moment and she thought he was going to turn away from her but he surprised her when he kept eye contact and said, “I’m taking care of that, Betty Sue. I should know for sure by the end of the week. But I’m sure I’m not the father.” He pounded his chest. “I just know it in here.”
Betty Sue didn’t know what to say now but she nodded her head slightly and attempted a smile. “Okay, but we still need to wait until after that.” She thought for a second. “But what will you do if you are the father?”
He snorted. “If I am the father, then I will take care of my responsibilities the best I can. Don’t ask me what that will mean yet. I don’t even want to think about any details until I have to . . . if I have to, that is.”
Neither spoke for a moment then Matt said, “Betty Sue?” She brought her eyes back to his again. “I’ve decided that I do want to go to that school that you were talking about the other day.”
“Oh Matt, that’s so wonderful. I know you won’t regret it for a minute.”
He laughed dryly. “As soon as I get that walking cast on, I’m going down to that school and see what it takes to get started.”
Betty Sue was still digesting all that when she realized that Matt’s dad was now standing behind Matt’s chair.
“I know you won’t be able to ride your motorcycle for quite some time. Do you think you’re ready to drive a car with automatic transmission yet?”
Betty Sue watched Matt’s face go through several expressions as his father spoke, from anger at first, to relief, and then surely it was gratitude. Wonderful.
He looked up at his dad and said, “Yeah, since it’s my left leg in the cast, I should be able to drive an automatic.”
Henry leaned down a little farther. “You can take the old Cherokee then. I’m not using it right now.”
Matt must have noticed the questioning expression on Betty Sue’s face for he said, “He just uses it for fishing, and it’s sitting out behind the garage.”
“Oh Matt, that would be wonderful. Then you would be able to get around and not get so bored there at your little apartment.”
As she thought about it, she realized that his newfound mobility just might backfire if he used it to get back into drugs.
She realized that Matt was staring intently at her face. Oops. Her expression had probably given away everything she was thinking.
Matt frowned. “I won’t be using the Cherokee to go get drugs, if that’s what you’re thinking Betty Sue.”
She blushed so brightly that her face felt hot. “I’m so sorry Matt. I will try to have more faith in you from now on.”
He smiled at that but she was sure she’d hurt him somehow with her doubting.
She hadn’t realized his dad was still standing there until he spoke again. “Well, Matt, you can’t blame anyone for doubting you. You’ll need to do a lot more than stay clean for a few days, you know.”
Matt gave his dad a hard look, which softened under the warm smile that his dad was giving him. And Betty Sue was praising the Lord that father and son could possibly be starting to get along. Fantastic!
When Matt’s dad walked away, Matt turned to her and said, “I can’t believe he’s actually helping me now.”
Betty Sue felt the need to defend the pastor. “Oh Matt, don’t you think he would have helped you long ago if only you’d made any kind of effort toward straightening out your life?”
He looked straight into her eyes for so long that she didn’t think he was going to answer her. Finally, he snorted again and said, “I guess I’ll never know, will I?”
She didn’t know what to say to that and was relieved when Grace appeared and called them into the dining room for dinner.
Once they were seated at the large table, Betty Sue simply looked from one face to another of these wonderful people seated around her. Matt was on her right and Brianna was next then Matt’s mom and then his dad. Hal and his wife were next then Trish with Grace on Betty Sue’s left.
She had to smile at the little girl who was talking rapidly with her head swinging from her grandma on one
side to her uncle on the other. Betty Sue could see how much Brianna worshiped her uncle. If she didn’t already know that there was a lot more to Matt Livingston than met the eye, then Brianna was telling her in her own way right then.
She took one more look around the room and smiled to herself. These people were so very much like family to her that she felt the tears coming again. She quickly pulled a tissue out of her purse and dabbed at her eyes.
Grace must have noticed and placed her hand on Betty Sue’s arm and gave her a big smile that warmed her heart so much she almost burst into tears for sure then.
* * *
Matt was enjoying listening to his niece chatter while watching Betty Sue out of the corner of his eye at the same time. She seemed to be looking around the room at each person and thinking about them as she did. He wondered what she was thinking about these people. No, most of all, he was really wondering what she thought about him now. Was she beginning to like him as much as he liked her? He sure hoped so. He’d certainly done enough changing for her and now she knew it too.
He hadn’t really been listening too closely to what Brianna had been saying until she mentioned Betty Sue’s name. Then he listened as Brianna told him how Betty Sue had gone to the front in the church service that morning with her.
That was when he turned his full attention to Betty Sue who was smiling at him again. That smile almost made him forget what he wanted to ask her.
“What is she talking about Betty Sue?”
Betty Sue blushed and turned away from him and looked at Grace who was sitting on her other side. Grace said something softly and Betty Sue turned back to face Matt.
“I went forward this morning to rededicate my life to the Lord and to ask for membership in the church.”
She said this so strongly and almost defiantly that Matt had to look down at his plate to keep from grinning at the determined look she was now giving him. That was when he realized that every other eye in the room was now on him. He knew they were waiting to see how he might react to Betty Sue’s announcement.
He knew he had to think quick or lose everything he’d gained with her to this point. He took a deep breath, let it out slowly, and said, “That’s great Betty Sue. I’m happy for you.”
Everyone at the table should have heard him since he intentionally said it loud enough. Then he leaned over toward Betty Sue to say the rest, which he only wanted her to hear.
“I will even do that if that’s what you want me to do Betty Sue.”
She blushed again and looked down at her hands in her lap. “Oh Matt, it won’t be any good if you do anything because of me or for me. If you don’t do it for the right reason, then you shouldn’t be doing it at all. You have to do it because you want to do it and you feel inside that it’s the right thing for you to be doing.”
With that, she turned toward Grace effectively cutting off any response he may have given to her startling statement. But, in a way, he was glad she did. He didn’t have a clue as to what he could say to what she had just said. He wasn’t even sure he knew exactly what it all meant. He’d have to do some major thinking about all that stuff first.
Later, as Matt got into his dad’s old Cherokee, he was glad that no one, including Betty Sue or worse Grace, had mentioned any more about what Betty Sue had done in church that morning. Better yet, they hadn’t asked him what he was going to do next.
He snorted. He couldn’t have given them an answer anyway since he didn’t even know himself yet.
He was deep in thought as he drove the paved country road from his parents’ gated community into the main part of Strawberry. He usually enjoyed the hills and curves especially on his Hog, but today, he barely registered them as he drove along deep in thought.
Suddenly, an old pickup came up on his rear too fast and before Matt could react, the pickup had rammed the Cherokee from the rear pushing him off the road just at as he was rounding a curve with a guardrail and a twenty foot drop off below.
Matt struggled to make the Cherokee hit the guardrail at an angle so that it slid along the rail for twenty or thirty feet before coming to a complete stop. The pickup roared off down the road.
Matt just sat there behind the wheel assessing the damage for a long moment. He didn’t think he’d been injured in any way but he was sure the Cherokee’s passenger side was at least scuffed up pretty bad from scraping against the guardrail.
He was about to get out and take a look at it when a car pulled up behind him. He wasn’t surprised to see Hal Wallace get out and walk up to his window. After all, they’d both been at his parents’ house.
“You okay Matt?”
“I didn’t do anything Hal. And you know I haven’t been on anything.”
Hal laughed. “Take it easy Son. I was just concerned about you, that’s all. And I know you’re clean. What happened?”
Matt let out a huge sigh. “I was just coming into this curve when an old pickup came up out of nowhere and hit me from behind trying to push me off the curve.” He looked over at the drop off. “Over that.”
Hal groaned and walked around to the other side of the vehicle. Matt maneuvered his crutches and his leg out so he could hobble over to where Hal was inspecting the damage.
“Not too bad. Looks like you were able to steer it to where you only hit the guardrail at a glance. Lucky for you. It could have been bad if you’d gone through and over the edge here.”
When Matt only grunted Hal said, “You get a description or plate number?”
Matt shook his head. “No. It happened so quick and I was too busy trying to keep from going through that guardrail. All I know is that it was a rusty old Chevy pickup and it used to be white. That’s about it.”
Hal shook his head as he pulled out his cell phone to call it in. When he finished, he said, “I put this out anyway. But there probably won’t anything come from it. Not enough to go on.”
Hal seemed to think about it for a minute then he turned to Matt and said, “My guess is that it was that Hamilton guy. What do you think?”
Matt nodded and started hobbling back to the driver’s side of the vehicle. Once there, he leaned against the door and looked down at Hal.
“Hal, you’d better catch that guy before I get my hands on him. Even if he wasn’t trying to mess with me, I’d sure want to rough him up a little for what he’s done to Betty Sue in the past.”
Hal surprised Matt by placing a hand on his shoulder. “I understand where you’re coming from Son, but don’t get yourself in trouble with the law because of that skunk. He ain’t worth it.”
After Hal drove off, Matt put the Cherokee back on the road, and headed for his apartment. The damage had been minimal but he wasn’t sure what his dad would say about it.
Well, as soon as he got situated on his couch, he had his answer when his dad called.
“Matt, Hal called me and told me what happened. I don’t want you to worry about the Jeep. The insurance will take care of it. They’ll probably want to see it tomorrow sometime.”
He didn’t know what to think about the way his dad was taking this. Maybe things were truly beginning to change between them after all. And he knew it was all due to a sweet new woman in his life.
“I was planning to go down to that tech school tomorrow afternoon to see what kind of programs they have.”
There was a long pause and Matt braced himself for an explosion that never came.
“That’s okay Son. If they come before that, I’ll make sure they give you a loaner so you can still go.”
Then as if as an afterthought his dad added, “I’m glad you’re looking into school Matt.”
With that, the line went dead and Matt sat there wondering what in the world was going on.
Chapter Ten
Betty Sue felt sensational on Monday morning. She simply floated through getting dressed and the drive to the diner. Trish seemed to notice but only grinned to herself as she drove.
When they had the diner ready to open, th
e first person through the door was Mike, the owner, and he had a stack of papers for Trish to look over.
Betty Sue thought that this might be her best opportunity to approach Mike about training her some on running the motel so she went up to him where he was sitting at a table waiting for Trish to look at the papers he’d brought in.
“Mike?”
When he looked up, she almost turned tail and ran, for his expression was not pleasant. But she forced herself to ask anyway.
“Trish wants me to manage the motel after she buys it. Could you stay around long enough to teach me some of the things I’ll need to know to run it?”
She held her breath as several emotions seemed to pass over his face in rapid succession.
When he took so long in answering, Trish spoke up. “If you don’t, I’m not sure I’ll sign these papers until you agree.”
Betty Sue could plainly see the anger in Mike’s face now. But he gritted his teeth for a few seconds then said, “Okay, but it’ll have to be tonight and tomorrow night or not at all.”
Betty Sue could see that Trish was about to argue some more but she spoke first. “That will be fine Mike. I should be able to learn enough in two nights to get me going.”
Betty Sue watched his face for a moment and finally Mike nodded and said, “It’ll be all yours after that.”
Trish grinned and returned to the papers in front of her.
Betty Sue let out the breath she’d been holding and hurried back to the kitchen before Mike could change his mind.
She continued to hide out in the kitchen until she saw Mike leave a few minutes later. Trish came straight back to her and said, “Mike said to be there at six tonight and plan on staying until ten. Is that okay with you Dear?”
Betty Sue smiled at Trish. “Oh yes, Trish, that’ll be perfect.”
“In that case you can stay in bed an extra hour in the morning and drive the truck in. You’ll still be here in time for the breakfast rush. I can get all the prep work done by myself. I did before you came.”
Walking Straight (The Walking Together Series Book 1) Page 14
