In bloom, p.21
In Bloom, page 21
“Maybe because your grandpa liked it,” Monica offered.
“Could be,” he agreed. “From the pictures I’ve seen of the big ranch house they had, the walls were paneled with cedar. Sometimes, I wish I’d grown up on the ranch,” he said.
“Not me.” Monica shook her head. “This is as country as I want to get.”
“I should be taking my runaway cat home,” he said. “See you tomorrow?”
“Probably.” She nodded. “I plan to check on Nana every day while I’m on vacation.”
“Given any thought to that job offer?” he asked.
“A little. It’s almost too good to pass up,” she answered.
“If I’m the problem, then I promise to stay out of your way,” he offered.
“You’re not the issue with the job.” For the second time that day, she crossed her fingers behind her back. Even though it wasn’t the whole truth and nothing but the truth, it wasn’t entirely a lie, either. The trouble with Tyler wasn’t really working in the same huge building with him; she could be professional in that environment. It had more to do with the flutters in her heart every time they were alone together.
CHAPTER THREE
Monica had made the decision to paint all the walls the same color and had narrowed down her selection to either the palest blue that she could find or the light yellow. She was still undecided when she got to the hardware store. The blue reminded her of her favorite color on Tyler and all the good times they’d had when they both spent time with their grandmothers. It was a wonder the gate between the two properties hadn’t needed a new set of hinges by the time they were grown.
Tyler had said that he was painting his walls yellow so the house would be light and sunny. That color reminded her of the shirt Tyler was wearing the night she caught him in the garage with Raylene Carter. Monica had kissed him just minutes before that, and then her world had fallen.
“No yellow for me. Every time I looked at the walls, I’d think of Raylene kissing him,” she muttered.
“Well, hello,” Tyler said.
He was standing so close to her that she could feel the warmth of his breath on her neck. She braced herself for the shivers that always chased down her spine when he was near and hoped he hadn’t heard her mumbling about that night. There was no use in beating that dead horse anymore. She felt as if she had already dug it up on a yearly basis and kicked it multiple times.
“Hey,” she said, nodding.
“Decided on a color yet?” he asked.
“I’ve narrowed it down to these. I want blue, but I can’t decide if I want it to be as pale as the top swatch or maybe with a little more color like this one.” She held up two pieces of paper.
“My mind was made up to use yellow when I came in here, but”—he rubbed his chin—“that blue reminds me of a summer sky, and all the fun we had back when we were kids.”
“Me, too, so I’m leaning toward it. What does the yellow remind you of?” she asked.
“I can’t put my finger on it, but it’s not a good thing,” he answered. “I don’t guess I should paint a whole house in a color that makes me kind of sad, even though I don’t know why, should I?”
“Your house. Your decision,” Monica answered and then realized how curt that sounded. A good neighbor would be a little softer, both in words and tone. “I think I’ll go with the palest blue on this chart. Like you say, it brings back happy memories, and it’s a soothing color.”
“Is it going to upset you if I decide to use the same color?” Tyler asked.
“Not at all. We can probably save some money by buying our paint all at one time. That way, we might not wind up with two partial gallons of paint when we’re done.” Monica got a whiff of his cologne, and a picture of him after the first time he shaved flashed through her mind. She’d shaved her legs for the first time the same day. She had little bits of tissue stuck to several places around her knees and ankles. He had the same on his face and angular jawline.
“Great idea.” He nodded. “I think five gallons will do my house.”
“That’s what I figured for Nana’s place, but I bet we can buy nine and get both jobs done,” she agreed. “I still can’t call it my house.”
“I’m three months ahead of you. It gets easier with time.” Tyler picked up two gallons of paint in each hand and carried them to the counter. “If you want, we could patch holes in your walls tonight and start painting. Once we get them all patched, the first ones should be dry enough, we can begin rolling on paint. You planning on doing the ceilings?” he asked.
Monica shook her head. “Probably not.”
“Me, either.”
In one sense, it seemed strange to talk to Tyler—even about paint—after all these years. But in another, it was a warm, comfortable feeling to have him back in her life, even if it was just as a neighbor.
Neighbor, my butt! Dotty’s voice was clear in her head. You can’t ever be just a neighbor with Tyler. There’s too much history.
Watch me, Monica argued. I’m just as bullheaded as you are.
She picked up a bucket of paint in each hand and followed Tyler. “I’ll need five gallons in this color,” she told the guy behind the counter as she laid the color card on the top of one of the cans.
“Four for me,” Tyler said. “I’ll owe you for half of that gallon, or I’ll buy you dinner one evening for my part.”
“Give me about twenty minutes, and I’ll have them done for you,” the guy said.
“Thanks,” Monica said. “I’ll go find a roller and pan and some drop cloths while you get that done.”
“Me, too,” Tyler said.
Bells was a small town where rumors were the bread of life for some folks. Monica could have put money on a bet that Nana would call her before she even got home, asking if she and Tyler had made up, and if it was time to get her blue dress pressed and ready for the wedding.
* * *
Sure enough, Dotty got the phone call while the last buckets of paint were on the shaking machine and rushed over to Winnie’s apartment to tell her.
“I already know,” Winnie said with a grin when Dotty pushed the door open. “Bertie went to the hardware store to get paint to redo an old antique cradle she found at an auction, and she saw them together.”
“Gracie called me. She works at the checkout counter. She said one of them bought five gallons, and the other one got four gallons of the same color paint,” Dotty said. “That has to mean they’re going to work together to get our houses redone.”
“Pale blue,” Winnie added. “Looks like they aren’t going to need our help in getting things ironed out between them.”
“That’s where you’re wrong. They’ll go way too slow if we leave it totally up to them. I saw a commercial this morning, and there was a limo in it. I think you and I should go to the alumni banquet on Friday night. I’ll hire us a limo to pick us up, and then we can go by our old places and get the kids,” Dotty said.
“And they’ll go in together.” Winnie clapped her hands. “That will make everyone think they’re back together.”
“And the rumors will have it that they’re dating,” Dotty added with a big grin on her face.
“Think that will give them a little more of a push?” Winnie eased down on the sofa and motioned to the bowl of chocolates that she gave out to the staff and visitors.
Dotty took a Kit Kat and unwrapped it. “We got to do what we can to help this along. They need to kiss and get over what happened ten years ago. They’ll think we just want to get all the use out of the limo that we can.”
“You could wear your blue dress to the banquet,” Winnie suggested. “The alumni banquet and dance is a dress-up affair.”
Dotty popped the candy bar in her mouth and shook her head. “Gladys will be there. She always goes, and she never wears the same dress two years in a row. I want something new and all blinged out, as the kids say these days.”
“Don’t talk with food in your mouth,” Winnie said. “What does it matter if Gladys is there?”
“I can’t wear my dress to the alumni banquet and then to the Mother’s Day party, too. She’ll make a snide remark if I do, and I’d just have to slap her if she did,” Dotty answered.
“And that would get you thrown out of Pecan Valley.” Winnie sighed. “Which would mean I’d have to take up for you and wind up getting kicked to the curb, too. So, I guess we’ll wear the matching black pantsuits we’ve worn for the past five years.”
Dotty shook her head again. “I vote we make Monica take us shopping tomorrow for new outfits. I’ll offer to buy her something sexy if she’ll drive us and go with us.”
“Did you bring your girdle when you moved in here?” Winnie asked.
“Hell, no! I burned it along with all the pantyhose and thigh-highs in my underwear drawer and felt downright liberated,” Dotty answered. “I’m going to shop for something with an elastic waist and flowing top. That should cover up a multitude of fat cells.”
“Sounds good to me,” Winnie agreed. “When are you calling Monica?”
Dotty grabbed two more candy bars and pulled her phone out of her pocket. “Right now. You call Tyler and tell him that he’s going to his ten-year class reunion.”
“What if he says he doesn’t want to go?” Winnie asked.
“Tell him that Monica will be there,” Dotty answered.
“What if she says no?” Winnie picked up her phone and scrolled down through her contacts.
“Quit being negative. Together, we could sell a coffin to a dead man. This is a piece of cake.” Dotty touched the right name on the phone screen and hit the button to make the call.
“Hello, Nana, is everything all right?” Monica asked.
“Where are you?” Dotty asked. “I hear road noises.”
“On my way home from the hardware store. I bought paint to redo the walls,” she answered, “but I bet you already knew that didn’t you?”
“Yes, I did. You couldn’t sneeze in Bells or Luella, Texas without everyone in town wondering if you’ve been in a dusty old barn making out with Tyler.” Dotty laughed.
“Nana!” Monica gasped.
“Well, it’s the gospel truth. Did you just buy the same color paint with him, or did you sneeze a few times?” Dotty asked.
“Paint only,” Monica answered.
“Y’all goin’ to work on the houses tonight?” Dotty asked.
“Yes, we are. Are you disappointed that I’m changing the color of the walls?” Monica asked.
“I don’t care if you paint them turtle-crap green. It’s your house now.” Dotty smiled at her own joke. “I called to tell you that me and Winnie need you to pick us up tomorrow morning. We let the alumni banquet and dance sneak up on us, and we need to go shopping for new outfits. We’ll have lunch while we’re out, and I’ll even spring for a new dress for you.”
“I hadn’t planned on going,” Monica said. “When is it?”
“Friday night, and it’s your ten-year reunion, and that’s a big thing,” Dotty told her. “Raylene is going to be there. Are you going to let her ruin another night for you?”
“How do you know Raylene is going?” Monica asked.
Dotty unwrapped one of the small candy bars while she talked. “Honey, I know everything, except why Eve ate that apple. I could strangle her for that. Ain’t no snake, four-legged or two-legged or even no-legged, could talk me into goin’ against what God told me not to do.”
“I don’t doubt that for a minute, Nana. I’m at the house now. What time do you want me to be there?” Monica asked.
Dotty smiled. “Nine o’clock, and you will go with us to the banquet, right?”
“Yes, but if Raylene gets all up in my face . . .” Monica paused.
“I’ll knock her on her ass if she does.” Dotty finished the sentence. “I’m old, so they won’t put me in jail, and besides, it would be fun. What’s that song I hear in the background?”
“It’s Miranda Lambert singing ‘Storms Never Last.’ I made a playlist of songs I like to listen to on the commute to work,” Monica answered.
“She sang that at the Opry,” Dotty said. “You need to pay attention to it, girl.”
“Yes, ma’am,” Monica said. “Anything else?”
“Nope,” Dotty said. “Just be here at nine, and we’ll tell the staff that we won’t be back until after lunch. Bye, now.”
“See you tomorrow,” Monica said and ended the call.
* * *
Monica sat still and listened to the last half of the song that talked about storms not lasting forever. Then she turned off the engine and swung the car door open. As an afterthought, she pulled the CD with her playlist on it out of the dash and tucked it into her purse. If things got awkward tonight, music just might help. At the very least, it would give her and Tyler something to talk about.
With one hand, she grabbed the bag with the painting supplies from the back seat and picked up a can of paint with the other one. A gentle breeze wafted the scent of either Tyler’s cologne or shaving lotion over to her, and just the fact that she recognized it said there was still a lot of chemistry between them.
Whatever happened to “out of sight, out of mind”? she wondered as she led the way into the house.
“I’ll take two more cans inside and come back for the rest,” Tyler said, “and then I should go over to my place and get changed into painting clothes.”
Monica looked down at her khaki shorts. “I should do the same.”
“Hey, are you hungry?” Tyler asked on his way across the living room. “I can have a pizza delivered, and I’ve got beer at my house I could bring over.”
It’s not a date. He’s just being neighborly, Monica thought.
“You bring the beer. I’ll order the pizza. Meat Lovers with extra black olives, right?” she asked.
“You remembered.” He smiled. “Yes, that’s great.”
See, it’s not a date. I’m paying for the pizza. We’re just neighbors.
He brought in the rest of the paint, set it on the floor, and headed back out the door. “See you in a few minutes. I’ve got half a cheesecake in the fridge. I’ll bring it over for dessert.”
Monica did love cheesecake, but how did they get so friendly in such a short time? She’d avoided him for ten years, and now, they were just about where they had been when they were in junior high school—friends who did everything together. She wasn’t sure she was ready for even that much but didn’t know how to reverse things.
You went through all the stages of grief when Raylene caused that problem, the niggling voice in her head reminded her, except acceptance.
“Maybe being close to him is what I need to jump over that last hurdle and move on with my life. We’ve both changed in the past decade,” she whispered as she went to her bedroom and changed into a pair of cutoff bibbed overalls with frayed hems and a faded orange tank top. She pulled her dark brown hair up into a ponytail and was on her way back to the living room when she heard a soft knock.
“Come on in,” she called out.
Tyler pushed open the door, took a covered container of cheesecake and a six pack of beer to the kitchen table, and then turned around. A broad grin covered his face, and his blue eyes twinkled. “You wore that same outfit in high school the day we decorated this house for our graduation party. I thought you looked adorable then, and you still do.”
“Thank you.” She bit back a nasty remark about remembering the yellow shirt he had worn, and the skimpy dress Raylene had on the next night. “Pizza will be here in twenty minutes. We can probably patch the bedrooms while we’re waiting.”
“Or we could have a cold beer while we wait and catch our breath,” he suggested.
Monica could hold her liquor fairly well, but the way Tyler jacked up her pulse, she didn’t trust herself with even one beer on an empty stomach. “I’m saving my beer to have with my pizza. We’ve probably got time to stretch the plastic drop cloths onto the floors, right?”
“Probably so,” Tyler said as he dug into the bag on the table, brought out what they needed, and headed to the master bedroom. “I figured this one would be empty, because Granny’s is. We could patch in here, and in the living room, then paint this bedroom tonight, and move the furniture from the other bedroom over here tomorrow night. That would fix it so we don’t have to work around furniture.”
“Sounds good to me.” Monica took one of the drop cloths from him and unfolded it.
Working together, they had it taped down on the floor by the time the pizza delivery guy arrived. Monica paid him and took the box to the table, where Tyler was already seated.
See, it’s not a date. If it was, he would have hopped up and held my chair for me.
She opened the box, took a beer out of the rings holding them together, and sat down across from him. As luck would have it, his bare knee touched hers under the table and sent a whole new wave of heat through her body.
Methinks the lady protests too damn much. There was no doubting that Nana’s voice was in her head.
Tyler waited until she got a slice of pizza, and then he took one. “I’ve got a confession. I’ve kept up with you and your career and your dating history through my granny.”
“I suppose neither of us had much choice about that, since they’re like twin sisters, and they love gossip.” Monica bit the end off her slice and took a sip of beer. “I love pizza and beer together.”
“Me, too.” He took a long sip of his beer. “Remember the first time we had beer?”
“Eighth grade, and we swiped it out of Nana’s refrigerator and took it up to the barn on the old ranch place,” she said.
“We thought we were drunk on half a beer.” He chuckled. “I was terrified I’d wake up with a hangover the next morning.”
“I was terrified that Nana would smell it on my breath. I wouldn’t even hug her good night,” Monica said. “She had to have known we took one of her beers, but she never said a word.”
