Pretend Mom (8 page)

She started to call out, but quickly
shut her mouth when a tall black shadow loomed in front of her,
coming nearer.

"Lost already?" came the slow drawl she
was becoming accustomed to.

It was Mike. Grabbing at her chest, and
exhaling the caught breath she held, she sighed aloud with
relief.

"I didn't mean to scare you." He
stretched out a hand to her—a warm, big hand that completely
covered hers.

More disturbed by his tingling touch
than being lost, she tried to explain why she was suddenly lost in
familiar territory.

"No, it's just I couldn't see my way in
the dark. I think my light went out. I thought I knew my way out
here so well," she said. "I guess it's been too long."

"It certainly has." Mike's voice
sounded husky.

His headlamp wasn't even on, and she
was thankful for the darkness.

"Why don't you lead the way?" she
asked, her voice softening.

"Sure, just stay close and follow me."
He cleared his throat and turned his lamp on. He hadn't let go of
her hand. Instead, he pulled her behind him.

If her hand perspired, she would
die!

"You weren't really lost," he said
quietly. "We just take a detour now. We've quit using this end of
the creek. Up until a few days ago it was too dry to do any good.
But, after that rain we had the other night, I imagine it's filling
up nicely. It's probably flooded south of here."

"That explains it. Dad was always going
to build a levee—he just never got around to it."

It got very quiet again. Dixie was too
busy watching her step to talk. During the middle of July, snakes
were prevalent in the wooded areas, and she still had that little
girl fear of them. With snakes on her mind, it wasn't surprising
that she shrieked when she stepped on a sharp object under her
still tender foot. Despite being so careful, she had tripped
herself. Her hands flew out and against a wall of chest.. A fast
heartbeat that drummed loudly against her fingertips made her
increasingly aware of Mike Dalton Clumsy little fool, she
admonished silently.

Every nerve in her body sprang to life,
as though the dreaded snake she feared had actually bitten her.
This was no snake, though; this was Mike, and probably a lot more
dangerous. Because she had a feeling that Mike could toy with her
affections if she let him.

She should move away, but she didn't
want to move just yet. "My foot," she finally murmured through the
darkness, her hands grasping onto him as he bent to check it
out.

"A rock," he soon answered bringing it
up between them. "You have this connection with rocks, don't you?
You better be careful. If you hurt that ankle again you'll be in
trouble. You want me to carry you?"

She glanced at the rock and let out a
breath. "I thought it was a snake. No, I don't want you to carry
me. I'm not helpless, just clumsy." She laughed a little. "Dad used
to scare the living daylights out of me when he brought me out
here. He said snakes came out of those rocks and I'd better watch
my step. I've been terrified of them ever since."

He shined his light into her face. One
of her hands—trembling now—still rested at his waist. Obviously he
felt that tremble, as he straightened and stared down at her. A
callused finger gently reached to stroke her cheek as she stared
into his light, wondering what he saw, what he thought. If she gave
in to the urge to snuggle into him, what might happen?

She only saw the edge of a smile, the
glimmer of his eyes. In the darkness, in his arms she felt safe,
protected, warmed. It was as though the darkness allowed their
closeness. Permitted it, encouraged it. If he only bent his head
the slight distance, he could kiss her if he wanted to. Did
he?

Her mouth opened just a bit, her mind
began to blank away, waiting for him. Her eyes began to close, but
then he was gently shaking her.

"It'd be too easy to take the advantage
right now. But I won't play your game, Dixie. I won't be toyed
with, seduced if you will. You can't hate me in the daylight, and
love me at night. And I won't be a substitute for Kevin. One of the
real reasons you're here is to find out how you feel about him. So,
find out."

Her eyes shot open and tears were close
to falling. His voice sounded cold and removed from the emotions
swamping her.

What was wrong with her, it was Kevin
she had come home to find out about, not Mike. Had she forgotten
that?

"Where's Amanda?" she asked, changing
the subject fast.

"With Tom and Will. I can't keep her
away from them."

His eyes seemed to be searching hers.
How could a little kiss hurt anything? she wondered. She wanted
it—didn't he?

Judging from his reaction, he didn't
want any part of her. And why should he? He only wanted to keep her
away from Kevin. She had to remember that. There was nothing
between her and Mike, so why was she reacting to him like
this?

She jerked herself out of his reach,
held her head high and walked away. She didn't need him or his
kisses.

She felt an immediate coldness surround
her that had nothing to do with the weather. Thinking about it
rationally she realized how she must seem to him. All he'd ever
witnessed from her was her blind one sided love for
Kevin.

Silly girl, she thought. A man like
Mike could never really be interested in her. He had a girl—a
little one. And he had a dead wife, a memory. Everything she didn't
have.

Suddenly, Mike was acting as though his
life depended on them reaching their destination, as he jerked her
by the hand, and led them to the same side of the creek where her
brothers and Amanda waited.

Dixie had to get hold of herself. This
wasn't the time for an emotional outburst. Besides, what could she
say? She'd been guilty tonight. She wanted to act out a romance,
and she almost had. Perhaps she'd been reading too many romance
novels, lately.

Crickets chirped their merry tune and
grasshoppers flew and buzzed about their legs as they padded
through the tall grass. It wasn't long before she heard the
familiar croaking of frogs along the banks and knew they were in
the right spot.

Will and Tom wasted no time; they were
already scuttling the banks. Amanda kept close to her father
now.

Will motioned for Dixie to come see his
prize. He waved her up the creek banks, informing her there was a
thick patch of frogs to her left.

Quietly, Dixie began working her way
along the edge of the water, toward the weeded area where Will
pointed. Tom waved, but didn't say a word.

Squatting, she adjusted her headlamp
until it flickered on, and aimed it in the right direction. If Mike
saw that, he'd swear she lied about the headlamp. But it had gone
out—she thought. The frogs were mesmerized by the light, allowing
Dixie and Will time enough to bring the gig closer before the
actual strike.

It was apparent that some of the older,
bigger frogs were wise to their actions, for as the light centered
on them, they sank underwater and swam away. Still, some of the
bigger frogs could be gigged if they followed until they surfaced.
Teaming up, Dixie flashed her light in pursuit, and Will followed,
wading through the shallow waters until the frogs
surfaced.

"Remember what I taught you," Mike said
as he hoisted Amanda onto his shoulders and worked his way to the
shoreline. Dixie watched and listened.

Dixie saw Amanda put her finger to her
lips.

"Shush daddy, the frogs will hear
us."

With a rather large prize dangling at
the end of her gig, Dixie whistled for the sack. Mike brought it
up, a serious look on his face until he saw the frog, then even he
smiled. "Not bad!"

"For a tomboy?" she queried with a soft
chuckle.

"She's good, huh Daddy?" Amanda
chuckled in a hushed tone. "I like her better than Janet, don't you
Daddy? She's pretty don't you think?"

"She's very pretty,
pumpkin."

It was nearly half an hour later when
Dixie began to tire and found a comfortable ridge to sit on while
she watched through the darkness for her brothers. She turned her
lamp off and lay back against the hard warm earth. Her ankle ached
and she knew she probably overdid it.

It was a lovely summer night, with a
sky full of stars and a not-so-brilliant half moon. Still, it was
heaven to her. It had been too long since she'd allowed herself any
kind of relaxation like this. The closest she'd come to relaxing at
home was in her tub.

She searched idly for the Big Dipper,
with an occasional whisper to Will as to what direction she should
look. Will, an enthusiastic astronomer, knew everything about the
stars.

Dixie hadn't been laying there more
than a couple of minutes before she suddenly began to scratch. At
first it was here and there, but the longer she sat still, the
worse it became. The itch intensified down her legs and into the
seat of her britches. Her constant squirming and little yelps
brought Will's attention to her and he flashed his light on
her.

"Hey, sis, you need to be
quiet."

It didn't take long to size up the
situation. She'd been sitting in the middle of an
anthill.

Flailing her arms and legs at the same
time, she dashed for the creek. She ran kicking and screaming,
slapping angrily at her bottom. She knew she probably looked like
something out of an old Buster Keaton movie, but at the moment she
just didn't care.

Wet, and still flogging herself, she
suddenly stared up into a bright light that was shining directly
above her. It was Mike's light, and to her consternation, he was
breaking up with laughter. He let Amanda down so she could chase
some of the baby frogs that Tom and Will found for her to play
with.

Dixie stood up in knee-deep water,
sopping wet, her hair plastered limply against her neck and
shoulders, her clothes clinging. "I'm glad you find it so
amusing."

He roared with laughter. "In more ways
than one, sweetheart. I see your light's working now." He glanced
down at the shirt that clung to her like glue. "You've got to
admit, it isn't every day Dixie Rose Kincaid gets caught looking
like a wet tuna."

"Very funny." She grimaced. How could
he reject her one minute, and call her sweetheart the next?
Innocent flirting.

He obviously enjoyed her discomfiture.
"Since you've been home, you've been more wet, than dry, I'd
say."

"And I'm so glad you think it's funny.
Why don't you try it yourself?" she shouted and then, without
thinking, she jerked him off balance and into the creek.

Amanda giggled, running toward her
daddy to help him out of the water. "That was funny
Daddy."

"I'm glad you enjoyed it, pumpkin,"
Mike called in a good-natured way.

At least he was a good sport, Dixie
concluded with a smile.

She heard the boys snicker as they
moved up the creek bed, assured she was all right and merely
clowning around.

Mike didn't help her out of the water,
and she didn't help him either—he simply stepped aside. He hollered
at the boys. "Let's pack it in, boys. Dixie and I need to get out
of these wet clothes."

Tom and Will and packed up their
gear.

"Half of these are yours, Mike," Tom
said, catching up to them.

Mike glanced at the silent Dixie, and
then smiled at Tom. "Tell you what, sport. Invite us to supper
tomorrow night, and have your mom cook the whole bunch. How's
that?"

"Done," said Will, coming up behind
them.

Dixie wished she could jump up and say
no, but that would have been childish. She would endure his company
again tomorrow night. She sighed as they traipsed home with hushed
voices. Her life seemed centered around Mike Dalton these days, and
he didn't seem to like it any more than she did. So why did he keep
coming over—inviting himself over?

***

The ant bites were driving her wild,
she needed to doctor herself before she went to bed, she quickly
decided as she took a shower and found no relief.

What Mike had said to her on the creek
bed worried her. It was Kevin she needed to see, and yet the urge
to see him nettled.

But what puzzled her most was the way
she felt such a let down when Mike barely said goodnight to her,
and the sweet gesture of his daughter kissing her on the cheek so
unexpectedly. What a little doll. "Methinks my biological clock is
ticking!" She laughed at herself.

The phone rang in the middle of the
night, and Dixie grabbed it before it woke the others. She laid
stretched across her bed.

"Dixie, love, it's good to hear your
voice. I've missed you terribly. I can hardly wait to see you. How
are things on your end? Getting any rest?" Ed asked
throatily.

"Maybe not rest, but at least I'm
relaxing," Dixie answered. "Actually, tonight I've been out frog
gigging with my brothers." She left out the fact that Mike and
Amanda had been with them. No use stirring more flies into the
ointment. "We had a great time."