Chapter 6
CHAPTER SIX
F lora opened the door as Aurora approached the next day, inviting her inside.
“How do you like your coffee?”
Aurora shook her head. “You don’t need to get me coffee. Just show me where it is, and I can get it.”
“Tomorrow you can get your own.” A huge grin burst across Flora’s face. “Today I’m bringing it to you. I heard what you did. Stewart and McKenna have been at odds with each other since they were little. Not that this was a simple tussle. But don’t you worry, McKenna is going to get a piece of my mind, even if I have to hunt him down. Now, as for you, no more heroics. That gun could have gone off accidentally. Sugar? Cream?”
“Cream, thank you.”
Flora made a beeline for the kitchen, while Aurora went to her office and settled in behind her desk.
Throughout the night, she had questioned her own sanity. Who jumped in front of a gun? Who worked for a man her stepfather had swindled? Only a crazy person.
“Oh, good you’re here,” Stewart said from the doorway to his office.
Startled, she jumped.
“Sorry, I thought you heard me come in,” he said softly. “I wanted to let you know I’m taking you to the community center in about an hour.”
“If I’m not going to be here?—”
A smile slid across his face. “I’d still like to show you around.”
Flora interrupted. “Of course, you’ll be around.” She set a big mug of coffee in front of Aurora.
Stewart looked at the oversized mug. “Where’s mine?”
“I don’t bring you coffee,” Flora told him.
“You could have brought me a cup while you were bringing Aurora one.”
“Next time you step in front of a gun to save your employer, I’d be happy to.” A wide smile adorned Flora’s face just before she exited the room.
“I guess that means never.” Stewart laughed.
She hadn’t realized she had joined in until they stopped. It felt good to laugh. Laughter had been in short supply recently.
“I’ll just drink my coffee before we go.” Their gazes collided. He’d been watching her. She was aware of his warm stare. Immediately, she stared down at her coffee. No attraction happening here. Not at all.
She stood at the passenger side door, looking up at the pickup truck. How was she supposed to climb up there? Pushing up her skirt’s hem was out of the question.
“Need a lift?” Stewart asked.
“Yes please, I’ve never ridden in a pickup before.”
His brow furrowed. “Never?”
“Never.”
He lifted her up as though she weighed nothing. He waited until she was situated before he closed the door for her.
From this vantage point, everything looked different. She could certainly see farther.
Stewart climbed behind the wheel, and off they went.
“Are you sure you can see the road? I mean of course you can see the road, but where to drive? I can’t see what’s in front of the truck. I’m not sure this is legal.” She winced, she was babbling nervously.
Stewart erupted in laughter.
She waited impatiently for him to stop, feeling undignified.
“I can see just fine. I’m much taller than you, so I can see over the dashboard.” He laughed again.
“That solves that mystery.” Time to change the subject. “What should I expect to see at the center?”
He smiled. “We provide daycare and after-school activities. We have movies every Friday night. Holiday parties. Halloween, especially. It’s too far to go from ranch to ranch to get candy. There’s a library and we’re hoping to expand our senior citizen program. And of course there’s a food pantry…”
Wrinkling her brow, she stared at him. What on earth was he talking about?
He glanced her way. “You don’t know what a food pantry is, do you? I noticed the confusion on your face.”
“Please pay attention to the road, not to me!” she exclaimed. “And no, I have no clue what you’re referring to. I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be sorry, and yes, I’m watching the road when I drive.” He shrugged and went on to explain, “A food pantry is for those in the community who can’t afford food for one reason or another. My family makes sure it’s stocked. The fortunes of farming and ranching can fluctuate, with good years followed by bad. We’ve had our share of both.”
He’d lost a lot of their cushion against the bad years. If something happened to the ranch, if they could not help the community, it would all be his fault.
“Are you okay?” she asked softly. “You look, I don’t know, kind of defeated or something.”
“There’s the center.” He gestured as he pulled into the parking lot. Talking about his failure was the last thing he wanted.
Thankfully, she took the hint. “This is big! I’m surprised I didn’t see it before. Not that I’ve been here long enough to see anything except for The Morning Glory Café, a couple of other local shops, and, of course, your house.”
He circled the hood to the passenger side. Her expression of pure dismay was a sight to behold, and he worked to suppress a grin. He lifted her down. “You know, you can wear pants if you’d like. Skirts aren’t very useful on a ranch.”
“Thank you. I’ll have to see what I have.” She stood very straight, almost regal.
And it dawned on him. She probably hadn’t brought any pants. In the few days he’d seen her, she had only worn high-end designer clothes. The price of her shoes and Birkin bag could feed a family for a couple of months. Thus the mystery of Aurora deepened.
They walked up the brick walkway. He opened the door, and stepped aside so she went in first.
The receptionist glanced up and smiled at him. “Mr. McKeegan, it’s wonderful to see you here.”
“Joanne Sumpter, this is Aurora. She’ll be working on the fundraiser this year.”
“It’s very nice to meet you, Aurora. You must be new in town,” Joanne said.
Redness flooded her cheeks. “Yes, I am.”
“Feel free to ask if you have any questions,” offered Joanne. “I know just about everything to know about the town.”
“Well, hello, Stewart. Joanne, why didn’t you inform me that Mr. McKeegan is here?” Ethel Holmes said as she gave them a smooth smile.
“It’s nice to see you, Ethel,” he greeted with a nod. “We just got here. This is Aurora. She’s assisting with the fundraiser, and I thought I’d give her a tour.”
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Aurora. I anticipate we’ll cross paths frequently,” Ethel remarked, tilting her head, and staring intently. “Your face is familiar. Do I know you?”
“She worked at The Morning Glory for a while. Perhaps you saw her there or around town. It was good to see you, Ethel.” He smiled at Aurora, who had gone sickly pale. “Shall we proceed?” With his hand on the small of her back, he steered her towards the daycare.
They stopped in front of the big windows offering a view into the rooms.
“You’re shaking,” he said, reaching for her hand.
“It was Ethel’s remark about knowing me. It unsettled me. It’s just as well I’m leaving soon.” Her voice was flat.
He continued their tour, though her words unsettled him some. “It’s common for both parents to have to work. Some of the children are here every day, and others are here during the busy times on farms. The entire fee charged goes directly to the daycare.”
“Don’t the workers get paid?” She released his hand.
He nodded. “They are on my payroll. Joanne keeps track of the hours and sends the file to my accountant. Joanne provides a monthly statement detailing deposits to the Community Center’s account. She also keeps track of how much each part of the center takes in. Most things have a small fee. Like overdue book fees. She tracks everything. Impressive really.”
“What does Ethel do?” she asked.
“Not much of anything, but her family was the founding family of the center. She makes the rounds each day. She makes notes of all complaints, which are few, and Joanne handles them. Before you say it, I know Joanne deserves her own office, but she refused my offer. She enjoys interacting with people.”
He guided her along a different corridor. “This is where the after-school program is. They do a lot of art projects and there is a playground just outside the windows. There’s plenty of supervision. I also provide a tutor to help children who need it. Last year I had to hire two. Would you like to see the library?”
She nodded. Her face had regained its color.
He held the door open for her, and she entered, coming to an abrupt halt.
“I expected a small library for a town this size.”
He chuckled. “Winters are long and harsh. We offer a large collection of both ebooks and audiobooks.”
“Let me guess, you pay the librarian.”