24
Fumigation
ONCE SHE’D PARKED IN the church lot, Livia grabbed Kyle’s phone and scrolled through the contacts, looking for her number so she could call Blake. She wasn’t listed in the Ls—or under S for sister. Livia gave up and punched in her own number. Kyle’s phone proudly reported that she’d dialed “Whore-a-saurus” as the line began to ring.
Livia rolled her eyes. She had her sister labeled neatly as “Kyle” in her phone and even had her in a red font to designate an emergency contact. Livia watched the church doors with the phone to her ear. She held her breath as it stopped ringing and connected.
“Hello, beautiful Livia,” Blake answered.
“How did you know it was me?” Livia saw her wide smile in the rear view mirror.
“The phone looked sexier when it rang.”
She could hear a matching smile in his voice and sighed. Livia hugged herself with her free arm. Just the sound of him made her skin beg to be touched.
“Is there a cloud going in front of the sun where you are, Livia?”
She leaned forward and peeked out the windshield. A fluffy white cloud defied the sun and tiptoed into its perfect circle.
“I see it, Blake.” Livia put her hand against the glass.
“Does it have a shape for you?” he asked.
Livia ran her hand up to her neck, feeling his buttery voice everywhere. “Um…It looks like a—oh! It looks like a bunny. Aww, that’s so stinking cute.”
The sun melted the cloud a bit, like cotton candy in the heat. Eventually, the cloud finished its dance with the sun and escaped as a circular blob.
Livia bit her lip. “Well, that went from a romantic moment to horrifying bunny torture.”
Blake laughed, and she wanted to put her head on his chest and feel it rumble through him like a happy earthquake.
“Where are you now?”
“Well, we’re at the car place, but I’m in Mouse’s car. I guess it’s considered a car—it’s actually a hearse with flames painted on it. I have a feeling it might even be bulletproof.”
“Wow. You’d think I would’ve seen that bad boy rolling around town.”
“I get the impression it’s a new purchase,” Blake said. “It’s pretty crazy. He’s got all this yarn lined up, like this is his storage closet. He has about three works in progress. The colors are amazing. This yarn in the passenger seat has perfect browns. It reminds me of your hair.”
Livia touched her tresses, wishing they were tangled in his hands. “So is the mask up or down?” Livia wanted to know how to picture him in her head.
“Well, fortunately for me, Mouse’s windows are tinted far beyond the legal limit. It’s like sitting inside a giant pair of sunglasses. I’m wearing the mask as a hat instead.”
“You’re being courageous,” she said. “I think you’re noble.” She felt her heart fill with the picture of his victory in the sun.
“I feel very noble talking on a pink phone.” He gave a self-deprecating chuckle.
Sensing movement, Livia glanced in the rear view mirror. A slow-moving posse of women headed to the church. Livia gritted her teeth and saw that the church doors still stood open.
“Oh, no! The ladies from next door are headed to the church where Cole and Kyle are. What should I do?”
“Assuming they’re being…amorous right now, I would highly suggest a diversion.” Blake sounded amused.
“Hang on.” Livia set the phone down carefully on the passenger seat. She hopped out and approached the ladies. She noticed Bea in her wheelchair.
“Bea! Ladies, it’s so wonderful to run into you today.” Livia smiled anxiously from one woman to the next, using friendliness to block their way.
A ripple of greetings ran through the crowd, but Bea was the spokeswoman.
“Livia, what a wonderful surprise. Look at her—isn’t she just gorgeous? I swear her figure is fantastic.”
Livia felt her color change to pink. “Thank you. Cole actually asked me to make sure no one went in the church for a little while.” Livia clasped her hands behind her back to stop their wringing.
“Oh, well, we come every Saturday. We’re the Pew Crew,” Bea explained. “We have to keep the church fresh and clean.” Bea and her friends nodded in tandem.
Oh crap. “He told me about that. But, ah, he’s fumigating. For bugs. He needs to fumigate.”
Do they even fumigate churches? Is there some sort of special mass that’s said before they do something like that?
“Is it those pesky ants again? I do declare, if you leave one crumb of food on the floor the ants flock to it,” said Bea. “We can’t have the ants again.”
Relief washed over Livia. “That’s it. Ants. You got it. Hit the nail on the head. Can I help you ladies get back home?” Livia stepped behind Bea to turn her in the opposite direction.
The other ladies began animated swapping of bug-infestation stories. Bea kept insisting her wheelchair’s brake was on. Then after Livia determined it was not, Bea complained she was going too fast.
Livia slowed to a snail’s pace, and the Pew Crew was far ahead when Bea began her sly comments. “Fumigating can really hold things up. I can clearly remember fumigating with Aaron.” Bea turned her head and smiled. “Some days I still miss fumigating. I did get three beautiful children from the process. Fumigation can be wonderful.” She settled back into her wheelchair.
Livia jumped around to kneel in front of her. “Oh, please don’t say anything to anyone. It’s my sister in there with him. I bet he feels so guilty about it.”
Bea gave a delighted cackle. “I’m sure guilty isn’t exactly the right description of Mr. Cole right now.” Her eyes softened. “Sweet Livia, young people can only learn with time, but maybe you can get a leg up. There’s no shame in true love. And if Mr. Cole thinks he has some big secret, he’s wrong. At my age, you can spot a man in love from a mile away. My friends and I probably knew before he did.”
Bea’s eyes got a little misty, and Livia reached for her hand. “Speaking of love, how’s your beau?” Bea asked, brightening.
Livia’s heart filled with joy. “He’s great. He’s doing great.”
“That’s wonderful news. You’re a nice girl. Hold your head high. Now, Livia, I’m getting a bit of a chill.” Bea rubbed her arms.
Livia popped up and wheeled her to the door of the retirement center.
As Livia parked her in the lobby, Bea offered a suggestion with her gentle hug. “You might want to go back and close those church doors. Fumigating is best done in private.”
Livia nodded as she waved to the rest of the ladies and sprinted back to the church doors. At first, there was no hint of her sister. After her eyes adjusted to the dim lighting, Livia noticed Kyle’s romantical white trench coat discarded like a crumpled dove. She said a silent prayer for Cole and Kyle as she secured the big doors, dividing the church from the world.
By the time she got back to her open phone, she knew Blake had probably hung up. Distracting the ladies had taken so long. But when she picked it up the screen showed she was still connected to Whore-a-saurus.
“Blake?” Livia closed one eye while she waited.
“Livia.” He was still there.
“You waited,” Livia whispered.
“Of course. I’ll always wait.”
Livia smiled wider than she thought possible.
“Maybe I could come to you?” Blake suggested. “Mouse looks like he’s finishing up with the body shop gentleman.”
Livia heard what sounded like a gunshot in the background.
“Oh, Blake!”
“I’m fine. That was a car backfiring. I’m fine. Here’s Mouse now.” Blake spoke to the man getting into the passenger seat. “Did that go well?”
Mouse’s squeaky voice sounded even more comical over the phone. “Yeah, Pete’s pushing the car up to the front of the line. I told them to work through the night. He’ll give me a call when it’s ready. Might be a few days.”
“Well, Kyle will probably stomp around about that,” Livia told Blake. “Please tell Mouse thank you from the McHughs.”
After some manly discussion about the car, the damage, and ridiculous Ford F-250s, Blake politely requested a trip to Livia’s car at the church. Mouse insisted Blake continue to drive the flaming hearse. Livia was almost positive Mouse was just trying to prevent Blake from having to step into the sun when they changed drivers.
Blake set the phone down, but left the line open for his entire ride. Livia listened to the car noises and eventually heard the clicking of Mouse’s knitting needles.
When the hearse pulled into the church parking lot, Livia felt an inappropriate giggle bubble up as she looked from the flame-adorned car to the church to the retirement community.
Livia finally closed Kyle’s phone when she saw Blake step out of the car. With the pink phone to his now wool-covered ear, he looked a little absurd. Mouse nodded in Livia’s direction and folded himself into the driver’s seat. He left the parking lot as quickly as possible.
Thank you, Mouse.
Blake climbed in her passenger seat and pushed his mask up to reveal his face—even with the sun out! Livia kissed him and kissed him and kissed him. When she started her car, she was sure her cheeks would crack from smiling so much.
“Do you think Cole will give Kyle a ride?” Livia asked as she pulled back onto the road. She contemplated making Blake drive. She couldn’t keep her eyes on the asphalt.
“Absolutely.” Blake reached for her hand and softly kissed it.
“I think I need to get home and talk to my dad. He’ll be worried if he doesn’t see us. Would you like to meet him?”
“I’d be honored,” Blake said with a nod.