Six

 

 

 

 

 

Colt held out a bouquet of flowers, a dozen huge sunflowers surrounded by miniature buttercream daisies nestled among baby’s breath and long-stem ferns.

“These are gorgeous!” Naomi squealed. “I thought Drea ran out of sunflowers.”

Colt grinned. “She did but I got these directly from The Plant Habitat. The owner arranged them herself.”

Naomi stuck her face into the spray and inhaled the fragrance. “Thank you. I love getting flowers and these scream fall.”

“I was thinking they scream Nebraska.”

“Oh, you’re right. We have sunflower fields back home that always grow big in Gage County. They’re gorgeous in the summertime, but really peak in September.”

“They couldn’t be as gorgeous as you are tonight,” Colt said, and got a kick out of the way she blushed. “And when did you have time to get rid of those ugly highlights?” He noted her hair was back to the color of summer wheat with a tinge of rust at the tips. His eyes moved slowly down her body. “Great legs, by the way.”

“You’ve seen my legs every morning you’ve worked here.”

“Yeah, but I didn’t mention how beautiful they were, now did I?”

“I guess not,” Naomi stated, clearing her throat. “Let me put these in water before we go.”

“You don’t have a kitchen sink,” he reminded her as she reversed course and headed into the hall bathroom. “Zach and I are remedying that in the morning when we install your cabinets. Your brand-new oversized sink arrived this afternoon.”

That got a better reaction out of her than the bunch of posies.

“I’m getting my sink?” Naomi asked as she fussed over arranging the flowers into a colorful turquoise vase.

“Yep. First thing tomorrow. But the question is, what are you in the mood for tonight…foodwise?”

“Pizza?”

“Really? In that outfit? You had pizza last night. I was thinking more along the lines of a table with a view, sitting beachside at The Pointe while we wait for our platter of shrimp or maybe Dungeness crab as we sip our cocktails.”

“Do we have a chance of getting a table like that on a Friday night?”

He leaned in with a grin. “Probably not. That’s why I made reservations. You need a jacket. It’s chilly out there.”

She reached into the hall closet and grabbed her coat. “I’ll bring it just in case.”

Outside a mass of stars twinkled above like icy white diamonds lacing the sky with their brilliance.

She sniffed the air. “Brent stopped me for speeding earlier. He says to expect rain tonight.”

“You were speeding?” he asked while opening the passenger side door of his truck. He took her hand and watched as she hiked up her short skirt to scoot inside.

“You have an odd choice of pickups,” Naomi remarked as she studied the old-time gauges and radio. She noted the inside was remarkably clean and tidy for such a vintage truck. “I like it. I like old things.”

He skirted the hood and climbed behind the wheel. “I learned the hard way it’s a lot simpler to work on these kinds of vehicles if something goes haywire with the engine or the fuel line.” He lovingly ran a hand over the dashboard as he backed out of her driveway. “I know every spark plug in this baby. Makes a difference in how I keep her running.”

“Where did you find time to do all that when you were deployed?”

“I earned a few weeks off now and again, which is how I spent my time, tinkering with engines and sanding out rusted metal.” He told her about his other classic cars. “Believe it or not, they were in worse shape than this little truck. But now they shine like new.”

“You’re a marvel working your magic on old things like this. It takes patience to bring something old back to life. I know. I’ve tried. Maybe that’s why you see the potential in my house.”

At that moment, everything clicked together. He went over everything he knew. And then it dawned on him. The remote location of her fixer-upper must be a lot like the place where she’d grown up. All the old record albums she kept on hand were reminders of her parents. It all added up. She was trying to recapture another time and place, maybe some memory from when she was a kid. It might even be a certain snapshot from her childhood, something special that brought to mind an idyllic chunk of good memories instead of the bad.

“Don’t you mean farmhouse? That’s what you eventually want it to look like, right? You must have a blueprint in your head of what you want inside and out, photos you’ve memorized.”

She shifted on the bench seat to stare at him and shook her head. “No photos. They were all destroyed in the fire. How did you know what I was trying to accomplish?”

He lifted a shoulder. “It makes sense. It’s what I might do if I’d had your experiences as a child. For some reason you didn’t get to do it while you were living in Nebraska. You move thousands of miles away and stumble on a piece of property that has potential. You want to see that vision become a reality.”

“Not even Drea got it when I showed her the house for the first time.  In fact, she did everything but stand on her head to try and talk me out of signing the papers.”

He squeezed her hand. “The heart wants what the heart wants. And you want a reasonable facsimile of the farmhouse where you grew up.”

“Am I crazy trying to start over here by recreating what I lost as a child?”

“No, not at all.”

He pulled up in front of the restaurant with its long green and white awning where a valet waited to park the truck.

Together they walked down a sidewalk where the hostess, a perky Jolene Sanders, met them at the door. “How are you folks doing tonight?”

“Wonderful,” Naomi replied. “Starving.”

“That’s what we like to hear,” Jolene said with a bubbly smile, reaching for two gigantic menus. She led the way past a man who sat at a magnificent grand piano playing Bach and then to where the owner, Perry Altman, stood waiting to seat them.

“Brand new customers,” Jolene whispered into Perry’s ear as a reminder.

The owner, wearing a white tux, beamed at the couple. His chocolate eyes twinkled when he took the menus from Jolene. “I love showing off for new clientele. This might be our only chance to show you what we can do that will bring you back in on a regular basis. If something isn’t right tonight, you let me know.”

Colt placed a hand on Naomi’s back and followed Perry to a table next to a massive fireplace where a roaring fire provided plenty of warmth and ambiance. “This is our best…”

He felt Naomi tense up before she even spoke. “I’d rather sit at another table, if you don’t mind, one that’s away from the fireplace.”

Colt looked imploringly at the owner.

Perry seemed confused at her turning down the best location in the house, but obliged. “No problem. Let’s keep moving down the side here.”

They passed several diners Colt recognized before Perry stopped at the very last table that was unoccupied…near the kitchen. “This isn’t as nice, but you still have the ocean view.”

“This is fine,” Naomi said quickly, relieved the owner hadn’t made a fuss about it.

Perry handed them the menus. “How about something to drink to get this evening started off with a bang?”

Colt waited for Naomi to go first. “I’ll have a glass of white wine.”

He wasn’t much of a wine drinker, but he decided to make the best of it. “We’ll take a bottle. I think we know what we want to eat, the seafood platter with plenty of shrimp and crab and all the trimmings that come with it.”

“You got it. Anything else, you signal the maître d.”

“Will do.”

After Perry headed off to get their order started, Naomi leaned across the table. “I hope you don’t mind not sitting near the fire…but…”

“You don’t have to explain anything. You hate fire. I could tell the minute you saw where Perry was headed. Your body froze up.”

“It happens every time I get within ten feet of any kind of open flame. It doesn’t matter if I see logs burning around a campfire or in a fireplace. It just isn’t anything I can handle. That’s why I made sure Troy ripped out the fireplace in the living room and replaced it with lots of built-in shelving.”

“My first day on the job I was given the task of finishing that up.”

She tilted her head to study him. “How is it you’re such a good carpenter?”

“We had this woodshop in one of the outbuildings at the orphanage. When I was around thirteen they put me to work learning how to handle a miter saw, cutting small pieces of wood and making them into picture frames that they sold in town at the marketplace. After that, I graduated to bigger jobs using a table saw. I was always big for my age, stopped growing though around sixteen.”

“Who was ‘they’?”

“The old minister, a real SOB, who ran the place and his secretary. They like to push us kids around and used us as nothing more than free labor.”

Across the table, she took his hand. “You’re still angry about it.”

“I guess I am.”

Their drinks arrived, served by a smartly dressed man who looked like a butler, wearing a fancy black tux similar to Perry’s getup.

She sipped a hearty Chablis from the crystal and whispered in awe, “I’m pretty sure this is French. This is the best tasting stuff I’ve ever had. I feel like I’m at a really swanky party, the kind you see on TV with all the celebrities in attendance.”

Colt’s brow furrowed in concern. “Does that sort of stuff impress you?”

“Usually not. But then I haven’t been on a date for a long time.” She looked up to see the waiter carrying an oversized tray above his head. “And look, our food’s already here. That was fast service.”

She watched as the waiter rearranged the centerpiece on the table to make room for two gold-rimmed dinner plates before sliding a huge tray of steaming shrimp and clams in the middle within easy reach for both to share. “This could feed five people.”

“Maybe. But I’m pretty hungry,” Colt stated, rubbing his hands together. “Want to start with the breaded shrimp or…?”

“It’s all yours. I’m sticking with the shrimp cocktail and crab meat, no bread, but look at that plump baked potato. I love potatoes. They’re a weakness of mine.”

“Who doesn’t love French fries?”

“Oh, I could eat potatoes as a meal. I’ve done it lots of times in college. How about you?”

“Nah, not me. That’s all I ate growing up. They dished out a lot of starches to us but never had much meat on hand, at least not for the kids.”

“I ate lots of PB&J sandwiches.”

“That too.”

“What did you do with your puppy tonight?”

Colt scowled, annoyance settling in his gut. “How’d you know about Deke?”

“Nick mentioned it.”

“How’d Nick…? Never mind. Cord. This place is like a twenty-four/seven bulletin board. Not sure they even need the Internet to get information out to the public in such record time.”

“Did you leave Deke at home?”

“Well, I couldn’t bring him with me. The little guy was tuckered out after spending the day hanging your drywall. I thought you’d make it home in time for me to introduce you.”

She swept back her long bangs to the side. “That’s when I got my hair done. I barely made it home in time to change out of my work clothes before you got there. But I’d like to meet your puppy. I love animals. I should adopt one.”

“Trust me, Cord and Keegan would be your best friends forever.”

“I should probably curb my enthusiasm. I’m not sure what I’d do with a dog while I’m at work. Although it sure would be nice to come home to something other than an empty house.”

“Huh? I never considered that upside. But then I’ve only had the little guy for…” He glanced at his wrist watch. “A little more than twelve hours. I have to say coming home to an empty house sucks. Maybe that’s a lot of pressure to put on a little dog, though.”

She picked up her wine glass, sipped, and closed her eyes, enjoying the flavor. It was several long seconds before she opened her eyes and added, “I’m having the best time eating out with you. I’ll be honest, I thought we’d end up at the pizza place. You’re just full of surprises, Mr. Del Rio.”

“Nothing wrong with pizza. But a first date ought to be special, memorable.”

She studied him as he nursed his glass of vino. “You don’t seem to have a drinking problem.”

“That’s because you didn’t know me before. I suppose I had too much time on my hands. There wasn’t a lot of work in De La Cruz, or Albuquerque, for that matter. So I’d usually wake up and start drinking, a beer here, a beer there. It all added up at the end of the day.”

“I’m glad you’re here now,” Naomi said softly, looking into his deep brown eyes. “You’re the reason I’m out and about tonight.”

“You’d be sitting at home otherwise, really?”

“I would, probably already wearing my jammies and listening to music on my stereo.”

“The old albums? You have quite the collection of 60s’ artists—Johnny Mathis, Mel Tormé, Sinatra, Perry Como, Dean Martin—your parents’ favorites, maybe?”

“I’ve gone to great lengths to find those. I remember late at night when my mom and dad would put Sinatra on, and then slow-dance around the room when they thought us kids were in bed. It’s one of my best memories. And at Christmastime they’d listen to Como’s Yuletide album while we decorated the tree.”

“All that sounds like a Disney movie to a kid who grew up in a sterile, institutional environment. It’s a shame it had to come to an end for you like it did.”

“Not just that, but after I went to live with my aunt and uncle, all I had left were those memories. My relatives weren’t demonstrative, no dancing, no laughing, no having any fun at all. So, believe it or not, I have an inkling as to how you must’ve felt growing up in that awful place, a place without hugs or any kind of warmth from the grownups. The state should’ve shut that place down.”

Her indignation made Colt smile as he drained the rest of the wine from the bottle into her glass. “I’m glad they didn’t. Think about it. Who knows what kind of monsters I would’ve ended up with then? Your aunt and uncle probably had dozens of clones scattered all over New Mexico.”

She made a face. “That’s so horrible I don’t even want to think about it. Just because people claim to be nice, doesn’t mean they really are.”

The wine only helped loosen her tongue. “Behind closed doors there are all kinds of monsters lurking in the shadows. They might look like Sunday school teachers on the outside but what they really are is…is…”

“Monsters?” Colt provided. Looking at her lovely face, he got an uncomfortable feeling. “Did your uncle ever…you know…touch you…?”

“Not that. But he was mean and abusive in other ways. He liked to slap me around if I didn’t move fast enough after one of his directives. Or sometimes he’d lock me in my room as punishment. I couldn’t wait to get out of there.”

“Now see, you don’t have to grow up in an orphanage to know hell up close and personal.”

“Or in a war zone? After your experiences as a kid, the Army must’ve been a piece of cake for you.”

He grinned. “I wouldn’t exactly go that far. Eventually it became a different kind of hell, though.”

She wondered if that hell included Heidi’s CIA theory. “I get it now. That’s why you left before your twenty years were up. It all became too much, almost like the orphanage did when you walked away at eighteen.”

His defenses kicked in and he shifted in his chair. Uncomfortable, he realized he didn’t want to sit here and be psychoanalyzed, not even casually. “Maybe this is one topic that should be off limits for both of us. After all, our childhoods are gone. We’re no longer at the mercy of those same adults who wore us down all those years ago. Unless you really want to go back to that timeframe and talk about your miserable aunt and uncle, I don’t see the point.”

Realizing she’d hit a nerve, she chewed her lip. “No, I guess not. I spent lots of time in therapy covering that time in my life. I don’t need to ruin a date to go there again.”

He signaled the waiter for the bill. “No chance of that. But I’m ready to get out of here. How about you?”

“Sure. I could use some fresh air. Too much wine. You let me drink that entire bottle practically by myself.”

“I’m not a fan of Chablis,” he admitted, handing off his credit card to the waiter.

“Why didn’t you say something?”

“I liked seeing how you let your hair down, even a little bit.”

“I let my hair down all the time. I went to college, for God’s sake.”

He cracked a grin. “A real wild woman, huh?”

“Well, that actually came later,” she admitted, eyeballing the way he signed for the bill with his left hand. “I could pay half.”

“Come on, don’t insult me like that. Ready to go?”

“Sure. Go where?”

“I hear Harry Met Sally is playing at the Driftwood.” When she scrunched up her face at that, he playfully added, “Not a fan of Meg Ryan and Billy Crystal, are we?”

“Maybe the first twelve times I saw it. The Driftwood needs to get some new movies for the holidays.”

Outside, they waited for the valet to bring the pickup around from the back. A light rain had moved in and spit out a chilly drizzle. The awning provided some protection. But as they stood there, Colt put his arm around her shoulder. He could smell her hair and the fragrance she’d worn.

When he spotted the truck, he turned her in his arms. It seemed the natural thing to do so he lowered his mouth to hers.

Pure pleasure rolled over them, a ribbon that hummed like a jolt of electric current. The sound of the pickup’s brakes squealing to a stop had them pulling apart.

Her lips were still tingling as Colt opened the passenger door and lifted her up, sliding her onto the seat.

Her hands roamed up his chest. “I really think we should pass on the movie. If it’s okay with you, I’d rather meet Deke.”

“You got it.” He skirted the hood and climbed behind the wheel, threw the pickup into gear, and took off down Ocean Street. “What’s the worst movie you’ve ever had to sit through?”

She leaned her head back and closed her eyes. “You mean like on a date?”

“Doesn’t have to be. You pick.”

“I really didn’t like The Waterboy with Adam Sandler. I thought it was stupid. And I don’t care for the X-Men stuff or for all the ones that come after. I loved all three Lord of the Rings, though. Colt?”

“What?”

“I think I had way too much wine at dinner. Would you mind just taking me home? I don’t feel so good.”

“Not at all. Deke will be around in the morning. And you do look sleepy.” He made a U-turn to reverse his direction and headed north.

“You kiss really well. Maybe we could do it again when you drop me off.”

Colt smiled. “Wow. That might be the best twofold dismissal I’ve ever heard, a compliment to start off and then finish up with a clear message, ‘Hey, buddy, hit the road after I get my goodnight kiss at the door.’”

She let out a tired sigh. “I never sleep with anyone on the first date. It’s a rule I live by. Should I have mentioned that?”

He lifted a shoulder. “Up to you. So, you haven’t broken many rules in your lifetime, is that what I’m hearing? Hard to believe.”

“I get it. Sarcasm. You worked that in very well.”

After pulling into her driveway, he put the car in Park and turned to face her. “We can take this as slow as you want to go. But know this. I didn’t pay for dinner tonight because I thought you’d sleep with me. I’m new in town and so are you. I asked you out because I’m attracted to you and thought you were to me. That doesn’t mean I’m ready to jump in the sack. Thanks, but I’ll get a raincheck on the goodnight kiss.”

He leaned over and popped the door handle so it would open. “I’ll see you in the morning when I install your cabinets.”

Naomi didn’t budge. “I just thought you guys usually expect…”

“You guys? Look, don’t lump me into a category. I don’t like it. I’ve always been my own person, marched to my own drummer. I’m not comfortable stuck in a…category.”

“So noted. I’ll see you first thing tomorrow.” With that, she hopped out of the truck.

He watched her walk up to the door, put her key in the lock, and disappear inside. He shook his head. “Women.”

He was about to back up when he heard a scream coming from inside the house. Jumping out onto the pavement, he raced toward the shrieks. “What’s wrong?”

Naomi stood in the living room, dancing in place, with a terrified look on her face and pointing toward the kitchen. “There’s someone in there. I heard definite rustling.”

Colt heard the same thing. He looked around the bare room for a weapon and settled on a broom used earlier by the crew to clean up their mess. Instinctively he shoved her behind him and made his way toward the noise. He felt her latch on to a fistful of his shirt in a death grip as together they headed into the kitchen.

Right before he reached for the light switch, the swishing sound became even louder. In the dark it might as well have been a foreboding clap of thunder, but when the room was flooded with bright light, he stared at the culprit, a nervous, wide-eyed raccoon that didn’t seem to mind the intrusion as the animal went about trying to gnaw his way into a box of granola.

“There’s your hungry little monster.”

“Aw, he’s so cute.”

Colt rolled his eyes. “Yeah, once you get past the razor nails and sharp teeth.”

“Those would be a problem. How do we get him out of here?”

“Lure him out with food. Then we’ll have to figure out how he got in.”

“I have a bag of peanuts in the pantry. The only problem is our furry friend is blocking the path to it.”

To get him to move, Colt threatened the little fella by waving the broom at him. The raccoon was unimpressed.

“He’s not budging,” Naomi muttered and tried a different tack. “Shoo! Shoo! Get out of here!”

But the raccoon remained determined to eat his supper out of that cardboard box.

“What now?”

Colt circled the animal as it fidgeted with the cellophane protecting the cereal, and threw open the back door. Using the broom, he swept the little guy, cereal and all, closer to the opening. “Get those peanuts.”

Seeing her chance, Naomi complied by sliding toward the pantry, scooping up the bag and tossing it to Colt, who caught it before the raccoon could evade and change direction.

Using the peanuts to get the animal’s attention, he began dropping them on the concrete floor hoping the little fella would take the bait.

After sniffing out the nuts to make sure they were real, the raccoon’s little paws snatched up the first one, then a second, and then another until he’d worked his way to the back door.

Colt took the rest of the bag and threw it outside. The raccoon followed the food and scurried out into the night.

“Whew. Thanks. How do you think he got in?”

“I’m guessing the attic. I remember Troy mentioning something about a hole there. The roof probably needs a patch job. You should probably call him about it first thing in the morning. Maybe he can order the supplies and get started on it Monday or Tuesday.”

Her body slumped up against the drywall. Her eyes filled with tears. “This is too much. I knew I shouldn’t have bought this house. What was I thinking? I get one thing figured out and something else pops up. A new roof? How much will that cost?”

Colt took her by the shoulders. “Stop it. A patch job is not a brand-new roof. You need to get some sleep. You’re tired and worried about money. I get it. But it’s not the end of the world. You’re a smart woman. You’ll figure it out. And if you need to take out another loan for more improvements, I’m almost certain your boss will extend it to you. Now get to bed. I’ll see you in the morning. I need some shuteye if I’m going to finish out your kitchen.”

As he turned to leave, she grabbed his hand. “I’m sorry about earlier. I didn’t mean to make you mad.”

“Apology accepted. But for the record I wasn’t angry. I just don’t like being lumped in with whoever else you dated in the past that might’ve treated you like crap.”

“No, you aren’t like anyone I’ve ever known before. I won’t make that mistake again.”

“Then we’re good. Now goodnight. Get some sleep.”