Whenever You Come Around (11 page)

Real life never worked out that way.

Cocoa put her front paws on the sofa and licked Charity’s tear-salted cheek. It made her want to smile, despite the sadness knotting her insides.

The telephone rang again. She listened to the message.
But this time, after the beep, she heard her sister’s voice. “Charity, are you there? Pick up, will you?”

She reached for the portable handset. “Hi, Terri.”

“What’s wrong? You sound like you’ve been crying.”

“No.” Charity sat up. “I fell asleep on the couch.” The lie came easily to her lips. Terri was the most observant member of the family, and Charity had to be extra careful whenever they talked and especially when they were together. “What’s up?”

“I heard about Sara. I was told you and Buck went to Boise to be with Ken at the hospital.”

Small-town news rides a fast horse
.

“What more can you tell me?” Terri continued.

“Not a lot. Sara’s fine, Ken said. They have a son. He’s premature and will be in the hospital for a while, but Ken indicated the prognosis is good. Sara and Ken are staying there with the baby. Not sure for how long.”

Terri released a deep breath and whispered, “Thank You, Jesus.”

Charity felt the threat of tears again and swallowed hard.

“I’m glad you were able to drive Buck so he could be there for his brother. It would’ve driven him crazy to be far away from his family in a crisis. He’s such a stand-up guy.”

Strange, wasn’t it? That Charity was the one who’d had a crush on Buck back in school, but her sister was the one who knew him well. Although, come to think of it, in high school all Charity had cared about was how cute he was and how all the other girls seemed to like him too.

Having that kind of shallow attraction toward a boy was what had gotten her into trouble.

“Charity, are you listening?”

“Sorry. I got distracted.” Not a lie. “Let me turn off the TV.” Okay, that was sort of a lie. She grabbed the remote and pressed the Off button so it wouldn’t be. “What did you say?”

“Ashley Holloway called me. She’s trying to get commitments for the reunion this summer. She said you’re going. Is that right? Because if you are, Rick and I will definitely be there.”

Charity felt her heart sink. “I thought you were going to be on vacation that weekend.”

“We were, but we can move things around on the calendar. Be there, sis. It’ll be good for you to see all of your old friends. Generations of friends. Really. You’ll have a good time.”

“I don’t want you to change your vacation.”

“No. Listen. I’ve made up our minds.” Terri laughed, and Charity could imagine how she smiled at her husband right then. “We’re coming and we’ll all go to the reunion together. We’ll bring Frankie and stay with you that weekend, and then we’ll take off on our vacation when the reunion is over. It’s settled. Mark your calendar. No writing while we’re there.”

“Yes, ma’am.” She saluted, even though she couldn’t be seen.

Her sister laughed again.

Maybe Terri was right. Maybe it would be good for her to see all of her former classmates and their siblings, parents, spouses, and kids. Maybe isolation from everything and everyone in Kings Meadow hadn’t done her any favors through the years.

“Okay, Toot-sweet. You win. It’s on my calendar.”

“Wonderful.” Terri said something to Rick, her voice muffled, likely by a hand over the mouthpiece. Then she
came back. “Guess I’ll let you get back to your snooze on the couch. Take care, Pipsqueak. Love you.”

“Love you too.”

Charity ended the call, a sigh slipping through her lips. It wouldn’t be as easy as it sounded. How was she to control the unwanted memories? Look what had happened to her today. She needed to overcome, and it was obvious that in order to do so she would need something beyond the self-help books she’d read over the past years. She needed more.

“Come on, Cocoa. Let’s take you outside so we can go to bed.” She stood. “I’ll pretend I’m Scarlett.” She feigned her best Southern belle accent. “After all, ‘tomorrow is another day.’ ”

For the first time in hours, she smiled.

Chapter 10

B
UCK DIDN
’
T HAVE ANY REAL OPPORTUNITIES OVER
the next week to break through Charity’s defenses. Every day, when she came over to exercise one or two of the horses, she asked if he needed her to do anything for him. He tried to think of what that might be, but the truth was he was getting along well. He’d mastered the art of garbage bags over his casts and washing while half in and half out of the shower. He’d become somewhat adept with his left hand. He’d even figured out a way to get outside to the patio on his own, although he hadn’t put it into practice yet.

His opportunities to talk seriously with Charity were further diminished by his nieces and nephew. They had come to stay with him so their dad could remain in Boise with their mom and baby brother. Jake played video games on the TV for too many hours each day. The girls spent most of their time talking on the phone with friends or whispering to each other while sitting on the bed in the guest bedroom. But still,
their presence in his home was a deterrent. He needed to be alone with Charity if he ever hoped to learn the cause of the pain she obviously wanted to hide from him and everyone.

More casseroles arrived, thanks to the women’s ministry at the church. Nobody was starving to death. All the same, Buck wasn’t going to buy pasta anytime too soon. He’d had his fill of macaroni in all its different forms.

Ken and Sara returned to Kings Meadow in the evening on the third of July with little Edward James Faulkner Malone—Eddy for short—in his mother’s arms. Buck got to give the little guy a kiss on his forehead, but there was no way he was going to hold a baby that tiny. Not with a bum arm. What if he accidentally hit Eddy in the head with his cast? Or worse, dropped him. No, he would wait a couple of months at least. Maybe when Eddy was double his current weight.

Instead, he sat back and watched his brother dote on his wife and new son.

After Ken left with his family, Buck expected to feel a rush of pleasure at the solitude. It didn’t happen. In its place came a heightened awareness of a bad case of cabin fever. A trek to the patio, with or without assistance, wasn’t going to make it better. He needed a real-live outing, and he knew just where he could find it.

The next day Grant Nichols picked up Buck half an hour before the parade was due to begin. They were on their way in minutes.

“I really appreciate this,” Buck said for the second time as Grant turned his Jeep out of the driveway.

“Glad to help out. Wish I could hang around for the fun, but there’s a big do out at the Leonard Ranch tomorrow. I’ve a lot of preparation to take care of before then.”

“How do you like cooking for their guests?”

“I like it. I don’t have to stick to a limited menu the way I do at the restaurant. Chet’s given me lots of freedom. We try to feed the guests as if they were staying at a five-star hotel.”

Buck gave his head a shake. “The whole idea sounded cockeyed crazy when I first heard about it last summer.
Glamping
. But from the looks of it, I was wrong.”

“You know, you ought to talk to Chet about leading excursions into the mountains for Ultimate Adventures. They’re booked solid through the rest of the summer and into fall, and the guests are partial to trail riding. Bet you could pick up a bunch of work. I’d work for them full-time if I could, but the glamping business is seasonal. Just like your outfitting work. What a life, huh?” He gave a short laugh. “Anyway, Chet’s going to need more help soon. Denny Haskins has taken a job in Colorado.”

Ordinarily Buck wouldn’t give much thought to Grant’s suggestion. He liked the independence of working for himself. But this wasn’t an ordinary year. He’d kept his clients happy by finding replacement guides for all of the trips booked through July, but he’d still lost momentum. It would take effort to get it back. Chet Leonard’s new enterprise might be the right short-term solution to help with his bottom line.

Grant stopped his Jeep near the town park. Crutch, camp chair, cooler, and umbrella marked Buck’s spot a short distance away from the sidewalk. The grass was cut short, and he
maneuvered the scooter across the hard ground without any problem.

“Anything else I can do to help?” Grant asked.

“Nope. I’m good for the day. Tom Butler said he’ll take me home when I’ve had enough.”

Grant tapped index finger to forehead, then returned to his vehicle and drove away.

Buck wasn’t ready to sit in the camp chair. He’d had his fill of sitting. He wanted to move around, get some fresh air and a modicum of exercise. So he returned the scooter to the sidewalk and rolled to where a crowd was gathering at the opposite end of the park. Waiting for the parade, no doubt. He joined them.

“Hey, look who’s here.” Madeline Shaver gave her head a shake, her gaze on the scooter and ankle cast. “Boy, does that bring back memories.”

Buck remembered that Madeline, the mother of one of his friends, had broken her leg awhile back. Only hers had required surgery and a much lengthier recovery than his own.

“How much longer have you got?” she asked as if reading his thoughts.

“Not sure, but my last X-ray looked good. Maybe two to three weeks. Won’t be any too soon for me.”

The woman laughed softly. “I remember feeling the same way.”

Sounds of the school’s marching band reached their ears and all eyes turned west. Another minute or two and a couple of kids carrying flags rode horses into view. Their mounts pranced in time to the music—or at least it appeared that way. One of the horses was obviously unhappy with the
parade duty. It tossed its head and strained against the bit. But the young rider, a girl, remained in control. For some reason the girl made him think of Charity.

For someone who said she hadn’t ridden in ages, Charity sat a horse well. Buck knew because he’d watched her whenever she came over to ride. One day she hadn’t bothered to saddle a horse. Hadn’t bothered with a bridle either. She’d swung up on the horse’s bare back, held on to a clump of mane, and cantered the gelding in a wide circle around the acreage. She’d looked happier and more free that day than he’d ever seen.

Made him wish he’d been the cause of that happiness.

I
miss
spending time with her
.

Strange, wasn’t it? Added up, they hadn’t spent all that many hours together. And yet he missed her company, missed the talks they’d had, missed learning something new about her. There was far more to learn about her than the pain she tried to hide, and he’d like to learn it all.

As if summoned by his thoughts, Charity stepped into view on the opposite side of the street. She wore a loose-fitting white top with spaghetti straps, bright-pink shorts, and flip-flops. Her blond hair was high on her head in a ponytail, and she wore large, dark glasses. She looked adorable, especially when she smiled.

But who was that guy beside her, the one she was talking to? Was he the reason for her smiling appearance? Buck didn’t recognize him. He also didn’t recognize that tight sensation in his gut. As if he
did
know the guy and didn’t like him. Made no sense. Maybe he needed to eat something. It had been awhile since his breakfast of cold cereal.

Half an hour later, the tail end of the parade passed Buck’s
location, and he turned with the rest of the crowd toward the park and the beginning of the barbecue. He decided to wait until people thinned out over near the grills before he attempted to get a hamburger or hot dog. It might be tricky, maneuvering the scooter down the incline and across that wide stretch of grass.

He rolled on down the sidewalk to where his camp chair awaited him. Once settled, he popped open the top of the small cooler and pulled out a Diet Dr. Pepper. Without the utility of his right hand, he used his teeth to unscrew the top of the plastic bottle. When he looked up, prepared to take his first long drink, he saw Charity walking toward him with a paper plate in hand. That same guy she’d been with earlier kept pace at her side.

“Hi, Buck,” she said when she got close enough not to have to shout. “You didn’t tell me you were coming. I would have given you a ride into town.”

“I didn’t decide until last night. A friend came and got me.”

“Are your nieces and nephew around?”

“Nope. They went home with their parents last night.”

Her smile slipped a little. “With the baby?”

“With the baby. He’s putting on weight and doing great.”

The smile returned, and she held out the paper plate, complete with hamburger, potato salad, and coleslaw. “I brought you some food. Might be a little hard for you to get to the grills and back on your own. I didn’t put the works on the burger. This way it won’t be quite as messy, one-handed.”

“Thanks.” He took the plate. “Aren’t you eating?”

“Roger and I are going back for ours now. I saw you were alone so thought I’d bring yours over first.”

Roger who?
He glanced toward the stranger, who had stopped a few steps back.