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Her father owned Larson’s Feed, and she helped out after school. The last time he was in town, he’d casually mentioned that he’d be back on Tuesday and hoped to see her. He wanted to ask her out on a date but didn’t have any way of getting into Red Springs without borrowing Lonny’s truck and he was reluctant to ask. Lonny had already done plenty for him, and it didn’t seem right to take advantage of his generosity.
“Lonny had to pick up his niece after school,” Tom added.
“Oh.”
Michelle didn’t appear to be much of a conversationalist, which could be a problem because he wasn’t, either.
“I was hoping, you know…” She let the rest fade. Then, all at once, she blurted out, “There’s a dance the last day of school. It’s a pretty big deal. The whole town throws a festival and the high school has this big dance and I was wondering if you’d go with me.”
She said it all so fast, she couldn’t possibly have taken a breath. After she finished speaking, it took Tom a few seconds to realize what she’d asked him. He felt an immediate surge of regret.
The silence seemed endless as he struggled with what to tell her. In the end, he told the simple truth. “I can’t.”
“Why not?”
Tom didn’t want to get into that. “I just…can’t.” He hated to disappoint her, but there was nothing more he could say.
“I shouldn’t have asked…I wouldn’t have, but—Oh, never mind. I’m sorry….” With that, she hung up as if she couldn’t get off the line fast enough.
Tom felt wretched. He didn’t have the clothes necessary for any dance; in fact, he’d never attended a dance in his life, even in high school. Those kinds of social events were for other kids. He was sorry to refuse Michelle, sorrier than she’d ever know, but there wasn’t any alternative.
As he returned to his room, Tom lay back on the hard mattress and tucked his hands behind his head, staring up at the ceiling. It would’ve been nice, that school dance with Michelle. All they’d done so far was talk a few times. The thought of holding her in his arms imbued him with a sense of joy—a joy that was unfamiliar to him.
Tom gave himself a mental shake. He might as well forget about the dance right then and there, because it wasn’t going to happen. His joy quickly disappeared.
JUST BACK FROM SCHOOL, Joy was still furious over her confrontation with Lonny Ellison. The man had his nerve. In an effort to forget that unfortunate episode, Joy tried to grade the spelling-test papers, but she soon discovered she couldn’t concentrate. The only thing she seemed able to do with all this pent-up anger was pace her living room until she’d practically worn a pattern in the carpet.
When the phone rang, Joy nearly jumped out of her skin. Her heart still hadn’t stopped hammering when she picked up the portable telephone on the kitchen counter.
“Joy, it’s Letty. Lonny dropped Cricket off and he’s beside himself. What happened?”
“Your brother,” Joy answered from between gritted teeth, “is the most egotistical, unpleasant, arrogant man I’ve ever met.” Then she proceeded to describe the entire scene, which was burned in her memory.
“You mean to say you didn’t really come after him with a pitchfork?” Letty asked.
“Is that what he said?” Joy asked. She wouldn’t put it past Lonny to fabricate such a ridiculous story.
“No, no, I was just teasing,” Letty assured her. “But I will say his version of events is only vaguely similar to yours.”
“He’s exaggerating, of course.”
“I apologize,” Letty said, sounding genuinely contrite. “I wish I knew what’s gotten into my brother. My guess is that he’s attracted to you and isn’t sure how to deal with it. What happened with you two, anyway?”
“I don’t know, and furthermore, I don’t care.” That wasn’t completely true. She did care and, despite her annoyance with his current attitude, wished the situation between them was different.
Letty hesitated briefly before she continued. “I have no idea how else to explain my brother’s behavior. All I can tell you is that this just isn’t like Lonny.”
“In other words, it’s me he dislikes.” Her heart sank with this.
“No,” Letty said. “Just the opposite. I think this is his nutty way of getting back together with you. Like I said, he’s attracted to you. There’s no question in my mind about that.”
Her ego would like to believe it, but she’d seen the look in Lonny’s eyes and it wasn’t admiration or attraction.
“Lonny can be a little stubborn but—”
“A little?” Joy broke in. “A little?”
“I apologize on his behalf,” Letty said. “I’m just hoping you’ll be able to look past his perverse behavior and recognize the reason for it. Be gentle with him, okay? I’m fairly certain my brother is smitten.”
“He’s what?”
“Smitten,” Letty repeated. “It’s an old-fashioned word, one my mother would’ve used. It means—well, you know what it means. The sad part is, Lonny isn’t smart enough to figure this out.”
“Then I hope he never does, because any spark of interest I might’ve felt toward him is dead. No one’s ever made me so mad!” Joy felt her anger gain momentum and crowd out her other feelings for Lonny.
“You’re sure you’re not interested in my brother?”
“Positive. I don’t want to see him again as long as I live. Every time I do, my blood pressure rises until I feel like my head’s going to explode. I’ve never met a more irritating man in my life.”
Letty’s regretful sigh drifted through the phone line. “I was afraid of that.”
They spoke for a few more minutes and then Joy replaced the receiver. She felt better after talking to Letty—only she wasn’t sure why. Maybe venting her aggression with someone who understood both her and Lonny had helped. It would be nice, flattering really, if all this craziness was indeed related to Lonny’s overpowering attraction, as Letty seemed to think, but Joy wasn’t foolish enough to believe it.
Joy hadn’t been on a date in so long that she was actually considering one of those on-line dating services. School would be out in a couple of weeks; this summer, when she had some free time, Joy planned to develop a social life. She didn’t have a strategy yet, beyond the vague possibilities offered by the Internet, nor did she have much romantic experience. Her only serious romance had been with Josh Howell in her last year of college. Their relationship was relegated to casual friends status after she’d accepted this teaching job in Wyoming. They kept in touch and occasionally e-mailed each other. Since she’d moved away, he’d been involved in an increasingly serious relationship. She hadn’t heard from him in more than two months, and Joy surmised that his current girlfriend was soon to become his wife.
Josh lived in Seattle, where he worked for an investment firm. He went on—in detail—about the woman he was seeing every time he e-mailed her. Lori Something-or-Other was apparently blond, beautiful and a power to be reckoned with in the investment industry. Or maybe it was insurance…In any case, Joy sometimes wondered why he kept in touch with her at all when he was so enamored of someone else.
Joy microwaved a frozen entrée for dinner, ate while watching the national news, corrected her spelling test papers and then logged on to the Internet. She immediately noticed Josh’s e-mail. How ironic that she’d get this message when she’d just been thinking about him.
From: Josh Howell
Sent: May 16
To: Joy Fuller
Subject: I’m going to be in your area!
Hi, Joy,
We haven’t exchanged e-mails in a while, and I was wondering what you’ve been up to lately. The company’s sending me on a business trip to Salt Lake City, which I’m combining with a few vacation days. When I looked at the map, I noticed that Red Springs isn’t too far away. I’d love to stop by and catch up with you. After the conference, I’ll rent a car, and I should be in your area the first or second of June. Would that work for you?
Looking forward to hearing from you! I’ve missed your e-mails.
Love,
Josh
P.S. Did I mention that Lori and I broke up?
With her hand pressed to her mouth to contain her surprise and happiness, Joy read the e-mail twice. Josh wasn’t seeing Lori anymore! Interesting that he’d mentioned it in a postscript, as if he’d almost forgotten the fact. This made her wonder. Had she misinterpreted the extent of his feelings for the other woman? Did he still consider Joy more than just a friend? Was he suggesting they might want to pick up the relationship where they’d left off? She was certainly open to the possibility. Josh was a man who knew how to treat a woman. He could teach Lonny Ellison a thing or two.
Another interesting fact—Josh had said he’d be in the area, but Red Springs was a little out of his way. Like about two hundred miles…Not that she was complaining. What she suspected, what she wanted to believe, was that he’d go a lot out of his way in order to see her.
Joy quickly e-mailed Josh back. In the space of a single evening, her emotions had veered from fury to eager anticipation. Earlier she’d had to resist the urge to burst into tears, and now she was bubbling with delight.
Just before hitting Send, Joy paused. Maybe she should phone Josh instead. It wouldn’t hurt. Calling him meant he’d know without a doubt how pleased she was to hear from him.
She hesitated, suddenly worried that she might seem too eager. But she was. In fact, she was thrilled….
Her mind made up, she reached for the phone. If he didn’t answer, she could always send the e-mail she’d already composed. Receiver in hand, Joy realized she no longer remembered his number. She’d written it down, but had no idea exactly where. Still, she found it easily enough, at the very back of her personal phone directory. In pencil, which implied that she’d expected to erase it….
Josh answered right away.
“Josh, it’s Joy. I just opened your e-mail.”
“Joy!” She could hear the smile in his voice.
“I’d love it if you came to Red Springs, but I need to warn you we’re in the middle of nowhere. Well, not really…There are other towns, but they’re few and far between.” She was chattering, but it felt so good to talk to him. “One of my teaching friends said we may not be at the end of the world, but you can see it from here.”
Josh responded with a husky laugh. “How are you?”
“Great, just great.” Especially now that she’d heard from him.
“Do those dates work for you?” he asked.
Joy had been so excited, she hadn’t even checked the calendar. A glance at the one on her desk showed her that June first fell on a Thursday and the second…
“June second is the last day of school,” she told him, her hopes deflating.
“That’s fine. I’ll take you out to dinner and we can celebrate.”
“There’s a problem. On the evening of the last day, we have a big carnival. The whole town shows up. It’s sort of a big deal, and this year they’ve even managed to get a real carnival company to set up rides. Everyone’s looking forward to it.”
“So we’ll attend the carnival.”
That sounded good, except for one thing. “I’m working the cotton candy machine.” She’d taken that task the year before, too. While it’d been a lot of fun, she’d worn as much of the sugary pink sweetness as she’d managed to get onto the paper tubes.
“Not to worry, I’ll find something to occupy myself while you’re busy. If the school needs another volunteer, sign me up. I’m game for just about anything.”
“You’d do that?” This was better than Joy would have dreamed. “Thanks! Oh, Josh, I can’t tell you how glad I am to hear from you.”
“I feel the same way.”
“I’m sorry about you and Lori,” she said, carefully broaching the subject.
His hesitation was only slight; still, Joy noticed. “Yeah,” he said. “Too bad it didn’t work out.”
He didn’t supply any details and Joy didn’t feel it would be right to question him. Later, when they were able to meet and talk face-to-face, he’d probably be more comfortable discussing the circumstances of their parting.
“How’s life in cowboy town?” Josh asked, changing the subject. When she’d been offered the teaching position, he’d discouraged her from accepting it. Josh had told her she shouldn’t take the first job offered. He was convinced that if she waited, there’d be an opening in the Seattle area. He couldn’t understand why Joy had wanted to get away from the big city and live in a small town.
The truth was, she loved her job and Red Springs. This was the second year of a two-year contract and, so far, she’d enjoyed every minute. That didn’t mean, however, that she wouldn’t be willing to move if the opportunity arose—such as renewing a promising relationship, with the hope of a marriage proposal in the not-so-distant future.
“They seem to grow cowboys by the bushel here,” she said with a laugh. “Most of the kids are comfortable in the saddle by the time they’re in kindergarten. I like Red Springs, but I’m sure that to outsiders, the town isn’t too impressive. There are a couple of nice restaurants, the Mexican Fiesta and Uncle Dave’s Café, but that’s about it.”
He murmured a noncommittal response.
“The town seemed rather bleak when I first arrived.” She didn’t mention the disappointing relationship with Lonny Ellison—then or now. “That didn’t last long, though. It’s the people here who are so wonderful.” With one exception, she mused. “We’ve got a motel—I’ll make a reservation—a couple of bars, a great church, a theater and—”
“Do you still play the church organ?”
“I do.” She was surprised he’d remembered that.
“Anything else I should know about Red Springs?”
“Not really. I’ll be happy to give you the grand tour.” The offer was sincere. She’d love showing off the town and introducing him to the friends she’d made. “Maybe we can visit a real working ranch—my friend Letty’s, for example. We could even do that on horseback.”
“Don’t tell me you’re riding horses yourself?”
“I have,” she answered, smiling. “But I don’t make a habit of it.” Getting onto the back of a horse had been daunting the first time, but Joy discovered she rather enjoyed it. Well…she didn’t hate it. Her muscles had been sore afterward and she hadn’t felt the urge to try it again for quite a while. She’d gone out riding with friends three times in the last nine months, and that was enough for her.
“I don’t suppose any of those cowpokes have caught your interest,” Josh said casually.
Lonny Ellison instantly flashed across her mind. She squeezed her eyes shut, unnerved by the vividness of his image.
“So there is someone else,” Josh said when she didn’t immediately respond.
“No.” She nearly swallowed her tongue in her eagerness to deny it. “Not at all.”
“Good,” Josh said. It seemed he’d decided to accept her denial at face value, much to Joy’s relief. She wasn’t interested in Lonny Ellison, so she hadn’t lied. Annoyed by him, yes. Interested? No, no, no! “I’ll be in touch again soon,” he was saying.
“I’ll see you in a couple of weeks.” Joy could hardly wait.
Chapter Five
Saturday morning, Lonny woke in a surprisingly good mood. For some reason, he’d dreamed about Joy Fuller, although it’d been several days since he’d run into her. He was reluctant to admit it, but he hadn’t been as annoyed by their confrontation as he’d let her believe.
He frowned at the thought. Could it be that Letty was right and he was still attracted to Joy? Nah. Still, the possibility stayed in his mind. One thing was certain; he’d felt invigorated by their verbal exchanges and he seemed to think of her all too frequently.
He poured his first cup of coffee and stepped outside, taking a moment to appreciate the early-morning sunlight that greeted him. A rooster’s crowing accentuated the feeling of peace and contentment. This was his world, the only place he wanted to be.
The one thing that troubled him on what should’ve been a perfect spring day was the way Joy Fuller lingered in his mind. He couldn’t stop remembering how pretty she was and how animated she got when she was all riled up. He shouldn’t be thinking about her at all, though. He had chores to do, places to be and, most importantly, cattle to worm. But with Tom’s help, they’d make fast work of it. Chase had already done some of the herd the day before.
It was unfortunate that he and Joy had gotten off on the wrong foot, he thought as he scattered grain for the chickens. He discovered a dozen eggs waiting for him, and that made him smile.
But he was irritated when he found himself continuing to smile—smiling for no real reason. Well, there was a reason and her name was Joy Fuller and that was even worse. He was a little unnerved by his own amusement at her reaction to his outrageous comments. He’d never had any intention of contacting his insurance company or hers. In the light of day, he realized how irrational he’d sounded, and even if he knew he wasn’t following through with that threat, she didn’t.
He nearly laughed out loud at the image of her sputtering and gesticulating the day of their accident. Okay, incident. She wasn’t likely to forgive him for making such a fuss over that fender-bender.
