CHAPTER 10
After checking her appearance in the makeup mirror, Mindy left her bedroom and crept to the stairs, peering into the entryway while listening intently.
She could hear a television in another room.
Her dad was alone, her mother out on a date.
She felt a pang of sympathy for him, but then, he was free to see other people too.
He hadn’t been downtrodden when they ate dinner together, Mindy only picking at her plate to save her appetite. In fact, her father had seemed upbeat.
“Valentine’s Day was always stressful for me. It’s nice not having to worry about it. Especially when I get to spend the evening with my beautiful daughter.”
That’s when she had told him she had a project due that required Silvia’s help.
Which was a lie, of course. He didn’t seem at all suspicious.
Probably because she had gone on a date with Gavin the night before—an inspired tactic on her part.
Valentine’s Day fell on a school night this year, so a lot of people had opted to celebrate on Sunday instead.
That left her free to see Vonn, who would show up soon.
Mindy didn’t want him knocking on the door.
She hurried down the stairs and shouted, “Silvia is here! I’ll be back in a few hours!”
“Okay, pumpkin!” her father called. “Have fun!”
She never would have gotten away with this if her mom was home. Mindy slipped outside. Vonn’s pickup truck had just pulled into the driveway. She climbed inside before he could hop out, gave him a quick smooch, and said, “Let’s get out of here!”
Vonn hesitated. “I don’t need to shake your father’s hand or anything cordial?”
“Nope!” she said, tempted to reach over and shift into reverse for him. “My parents are both out on dates.”
The lies came so easily once they began.
“All right,” Vonn said, placing an arm on the seatback behind her and twisting to look out the rear window. Except the truck remained in park. She found out why a second later when his hand reappeared, holding a single red rose. “Happy Valentine’s Day.”
“Aww!” she cooed when taking it from him. The stem was wrapped in green tissue paper bound with pink ribbon. “That’s so sweet!” The tender moment would be ruined if her dad appeared at the front door. “Let’s get out of here. I’m starving!”
Vonn chuckled. Then he finally shifted gears. Mindy breathed out in relief when they pulled away from the house.
“You look nice,” he said, glancing over at her as a wave of orange streetlight passed through the cab.
“So do you,” Mindy replied, finally taking the time to check him out.
He was wearing a thin goldenrod sweater that was tight against his muscular torso, a brown leather jacket over it that was seventies chic.
She was dressed in an emerald green blouse with a rust-colored cardigan.
Both of them wore blue jeans. They would match nicely, especially if they ended up on a dance floor somewhere.
She stifled a gleeful giggle at the visual image. “Where are you taking me?”
“You’ll find out soon enough,” he said enticingly. Vonn stole another glance. “I’ve been thinking about you all day.”
“I’ve been thinking about you all week,” Mindy said, upping the ante.
He chuckled again. “Yeah, me too. Longer than that. Ever since…” His smile was subtle. She thought for sure he was about to bring up what they’d done in his bedroom. “Let me put it this way, even though I know I shouldn’t: The pigs always make me think of you now.”
Mindy stared. Then she laughed. The pig pen is where they’d kissed for the first time. She adored the depth of his compassion. That had cemented her attraction to him. Sure, Vonn was handsome, but so were a lot of guys.
“Easily the most romantic thing anyone has ever said to me.”
He grinned. “I thought you’d like that.”
She clutched her hands in front of her chest theatrically. “I must confess, my heart swells whenever I catch a hint of manure on the wind.”
“Then you’re with the right man.”
In reality he smelled good. Mindy hoped he appreciated her perfume as much as she liked his musky cologne. She wanted their scents to intermingle. And maybe their sweat!
After entertaining a few fantasies, she realized that they had already reached their destination.
Vonn parked the truck along Main Street.
Then he got out and hustled around to open the door for her.
Mindy wanted desperately for someone from their school to witness this moment.
As long as it didn’t get back to Galen. They might be free to date other people, but she wouldn’t want to hurt his feelings by flaunting the details.
No matter how good her intent, the need to be dishonest didn’t sit right with her.
She was keeping the full truth from a lot of people—Galen, Keisha, her parents—although she did feel she could be more open with Vonn.
Mindy left the rose on the passenger seat and followed him to a familiar restaurant. The Garden of Eatin’.
“Have you ever tried this place?” he asked. “Everything is meatless. I hope that’s okay.”
“I don’t mind at all!” Mindy said, pleased when he held open the door for her. “And yes, I have been here before. On a date.”
His face registered surprise, but he didn’t have a chance to comment, since the greeter wanted to know if they had a reservation.
Vonn was well-prepared. They didn’t have to wait, despite the restaurant being packed.
Soon they were seated near a wall lush with living foliage.
The interior was usually bright and cheerful, but the lights had been lowered for the special occasion, a cluster of tea candles on each table.
“Have you tried the baba ghanoush?” she asked, her mouth twitching with mischief as they consulted the menus.
“I haven’t,” he admitted. “Is it any good?”
“Not really. I just like saying the name.”
He considered her a moment. “I hope this wasn’t a special place for you and uh… Your ex?”
“We never made it that far,” she said, shaking her head dismissively. “He has a boyfriend now.”
“Oh! That’s cool.”
“You don’t have a problem with gay guys?” Mindy asked.
“I wouldn’t be a very good brother if I did,” Vonn replied smoothly.
That was welcome news. She knew that he accepted Keisha, but some people made a distinction for one gender and not the other.
Men might enjoy the thought of two women being together, while treating the love between two men with disdain.
She was glad Vonn wasn’t that way, despite not having a direct reason.
Unless there was something she didn’t know.
“Are any of your brothers…”
“Gay?” he finished for her before shaking his head. “Not that I know of, but I’d love them just the same. Now if they weren’t all over-achievers, that would make me happy.”
“What do you mean?”
She had to wait until the server had come and gone to hear his answer.
“When you have seven siblings, it takes a lot to stand out. Our parents, as loving as they are, only have so much attention they can give to each of us, so there’s always been competition.”
“I know the feeling,” Mindy replied with a sigh. “My sister was the breathtakingly beautiful captain of the cheerleaders.”
“Jessica Beaumont,” Vonn breathed with some reverence.
“That’s right, you’re the same age! And were in the same grade. Ugh!” She gestured between them. “Please tell me that’s not what this is about.”
“She always scared the hell out of me,” he replied with a wry grin. “Besides, she doesn’t strike me as the kind of person who would help me feed pigs.”
“Definitely not!” Mindy said. “I can imagine her nostrils flaring. It wouldn’t have been attractive.”
He laughed. “To be fair, I care just as little for cheerleading. I never felt any chemistry for Jessica. Not like I do with you.”
That was flattering. Except… “Then where have you been for the past month?” she challenged.
“Ah.” He had the decency to look sheepish.
“I’ve been busy trying to get my life in order.
I can’t just mooch off my parents. I’ve gotta make something of myself.
That’s what I was talking about earlier.
My older siblings have each paved their own path.
Before long, Keisha will too. There’s no stopping that girl.
So I finally got off my ass and came up with a plan. ”
“Really?” She flashed a smile at the server as their drinks were delivered. “What are you going to do?”
“Well, some years back, my parents bought the neighboring farm. The land has been sitting there unused ever since. I want to make something of it. Instead of trying to convince existing farms to treat their animals humanely, I’ll lead by example.
That won’t be easy. Calves are often taken away from their mothers to maximize milk revenue, so how do you make a living when you’re also paying for feed and vet bills?
There’s a lot to figure out, but I wanna move from theory into practice.
To do that, I’ll need startup capital, so I got a job and have been working full-time. ”
“Oh really? Doing what?”
“I’m a kennel tech over at Purrs and Pooches.”
“The vet’s office?” Mindy asked, already impressed. “What’s a kennel tech?”
Vonn grimaced. “I clean out cages. But I also get to interact with the pets. Make sure they’re fed and watered, administer their meds, and help handle them during the trickier exams. That way I gain some practical experience on the medical side of things, which will be useful in the future.
I probably sound like a broken record with all this animal stuff, but that’s how I was raised.
My parents taught us to choose something we’re truly passionate about when planning our careers, so that our working lives will be as enjoyable as possible.
I never cared much about agriculture, but the livestock…
” He shrugged. “So anyway, that’s why I’ve been so busy lately.
Working full-time has been a big adjustment. ”