Chapter Nineteen #2
They closed the door behind them and erupted into laughter. A strike of lightning nearby made her jump.
“Are you kids okay?” Pedora came bounding through, wiping her hands on her apron. “Angels are up there moving furniture,” she looked up and said a whispered prayer.
The scent of yeast and mint filled the air.
“We’re fine. Sorry. We didn’t get very far on the barn.” Then it struck her. “Oh no, I forgot to close the lid on the paint.” She’d been so wrapped up in the kiss that she’d forgotten everything.
“Don’t worry. I placed the lid on the can. Mother nature’s rinsing out the brushes.” Bear winked. Then he leaned in and said next to her ear, “The forecast wasn’t calling for a chance of a storm. Must have been that kiss.”
Aasia’s toes curled in her boots. The kiss had been amazing. One of a kind.
“The barn’s not going anywhere. You two come into the kitchen. I’ll make you some hot cocoa,” Pedora said as she hustled back into the kitchen.
“I guess we should go into the kitchen so we don’t disappoint her.” Aasia looked up into Bear’s grin.
He wound a damp tendril of her hair around his knuckle. “There’ll come a time when we’re not interrupted. Think you can handle things getting heated?” His eyes sparked.
“I guess we’ll just have to find out when that time comes, won’t we?’
Apple hung in the air of the kitchen from the freshly cut up slices in a bowl. They were covered in cinnamon, and glops of butter and sugar. Aasia used to love sitting nearby watching Pedora cook and testing everything.
“The apple trees overdid themselves this year. I’ve made applesauce. Apple tarts. Apple jam. If you name it, I’ve made it.” Pedora took down a glass jar of her homemade cocoa powder. Whenever there was trouble or bad weather Pedora would make her famous hot cocoa with a sprinkle of fresh mint.
The petite woman moved slowly, her joints cracking and protesting. She’d decided to allow her hair to go natural so her dark color was threaded with thick stripes of silver. She always wore loose fitting jeans and flannels that were buttoned to her throat and worn work boots.
She put water in a beaten and tarnished pot then went to finish peeling an apple. She did it with such ease that the red skin came off in one long, thin strip that could probably win her a contest at a country festival.
“I wanted to thank you two for starting on the barn. That old thing hasn’t been painted since ninety-nine.
That happened to be a memorable year. The snow had come here in Texas like never before.
” She gave a small laugh. “Texans thought the end of the world had come. I’ve never seen the likes of it.
The shelves in the stores were wiped out.
Gas tanks were emptied. Everything closed.
My barn took a beating, so it had to be painted.
Didn’t get a goldarned flower come up that spring. ” She shook her head in despair.
The rolling boil of the water made her lay the apple and knife aside and tend to pouring the chipped cups full.
When Pedora set the cup in front of Bear her gaze narrowed and her mouth twisted. “I’m as blind as an old bat but you look different, young man. I think I know what it is.”
“What’s that?” Bear asked.
“You’re not carrying the weight of the world in those eyes of yours.”
“Nice to see you again, Pedora,” he said in a low rumble.
“You’re always a sight for sore eyes.” Her thin lips swirled into a grin.
“I think we need some music.” She went to the battered radio sitting in the kitchen window and turned on a hymn, barely audible with the storm outside.
Pedora’s grey eyes were as sharp as a hawk’s as she gathered up the apple peel and threw it in a container to throw out into the field later.
“We don’t get much company like we used to.
Just the storms. The dust. And the tax man. ”
“When was the last time the tax man visited?” Aasia hid her smile. She felt a soft caress on her leg. The kitten looked up at her as if wanting to be a part of all the chatter. Swiping him up he gave her a meow in greeting.
With a hollow snort, Pedora shrugged. “Beats me. Anyway, I have enough apples to see me through for years. I’ve got a cellar full of canned beans and tomatoes.” She continued. “A person doesn’t really need much more. Sally’s been laying eggs again after her dry spell.”
Aasia glanced over at Bear who seemed to be listening intently to Pedora.
“You two make a charming couple,” Pedora said with a sly smile.
“Oh…we’re not a couple,” Aasia blurted, but felt some resistant in her gut. What was she and Bear exactly?
With curious grey eyes, Pedora didn’t seem convinced. “Could have fooled me.” One corner of her mouth hitched.
“The storm is passing. I noticed that the latch on the gate out front is sticking. How about I go fix it?” Bear was already off the stool and placing his hat on his head.
“You don’t have to do that,” Aasia said.
“Let the boy do his thing,” Pedora interrupted. “That’ll give us some time to chat.”
Bear offered Aasia a smile. “Take your time.”
“He certainly is much nicer than Bartley,” Pedora said with a grunt.
“Bentley. And Bear and I are only friends.”
Pedora’s spoon clicked rapidly in the pan as she whipped eggs, joining the symphony of the hymn on the radio.
Her eyes, magnified by the thick glasses, flicked up to Aasia.
“If you say so. I’m only saying that it’s good to see you with someone who’s not some snooty politician who is stuck to his mama’s tit. ”
“Pedora!” Aasia nearly blew her hot cocoa out of her mouth.
“Like you haven’t thought it too.”
“Are you saying you don’t like Bentley?”
A smirk played on Pedora’s lips. “I’ve been saying that for months.”
“Well, you don’t have to worry. Bentley and I broke up. For good.”
The spoon stopped dinging against the metal pan. “Then I was right. There is more between you and the cowboy.” Pedora jutted her chin toward the door.
“You’re imagining things.” Aasia feigned innocence.
“Don’t play coy. I saw the way you two looked at each other. What’s there not to like? Tall, kind eyes, smelled like the outdoors after a fresh rain. And a proper gentleman.”
“You don’t know him.”
Making a sweeping gesture with the utensil, Pedora said, “The man has been here less than an hour and is being helpful. That gate could have knocked Bentley in his ass on the way out and he wouldn’t have given it a second thought.
That look, young lady. I saw it. Bear has it bad for you. Mark my words.”
“I don’t know what look you’re talking about.”
“Nonsense. And you offered him that smile.”
“And what smile is that?”
“You know, that ‘I know what you look like under all that flannel and denim’.”
“You are in a sassy mood today, aren’t you?” Aasia felt warmth crawl up her neck. “You should worry about your own romantic life and not mine,” she said gently.
“I’m seventy, honey. If I could flirt with a man that looks as good as Bear I would in a heartbeat.” Pedora leaned in conspiratorially. “He has excellent bone structure. Very nice jawline. And did you see the tattoos on his biceps.” She gave a dramatic shimmy.
Aasia giggled. “Since when are you into tattooed men?”
“Since I watched that show…oh hell, what’s the name? Sons of Disaster? Sons of Ancestors?.”
“You watched Sons of Anarchy?”
“I did and I loved it.” She dipped a brush into the egg mixture and used it over the apple pie.
“I’ll admit, Bear is a nice guy, if you can wade through all that mystery.” She thoughtfully looked over her shoulder toward the door.
“Nice is for dogs, sweetheart. He’s engaging.
You can tell a lot about how a man wears his cowboy hat.
” There was a nostalgic look in her aged eyes.
“He sort of reminds me of Dalton Cox, back in my youth. He had a jawline that could cut glass and eyes that could take my clothes off with one glance.”
“Dalton? Why am I just now hearing about this?” Aasia asked.
“Every Saturday there was a community dance and we met there. My sister and I loved getting all dolled up and heading to the town-hall to dance the night away like two stars.” She gave a little sway to her slender hips.
“Dalton asked me to waltz, and I jumped at the chance. Mm. That boy knew how to rock those hips.”
Aasia always loved Pedora’s stories. Just when Aasia thought she’d heard every single one Pedora surprised her. “What happened to Dalton?”
Some of the smile left Pedora’s weathered features. “He stayed with family for the summer and then he left. We stayed in touch for a while. Wrote letters…you know paper and pen? You’re generation wouldn’t have a clue about that.” Her laugh was weak. “The letters dwindled. Life moved on.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Nah. What’s meant to be will happen.” She stuck the pie into the preheated oven. She turned back, her smile returned. “This cowboy, Bear, he has potential.”
“I’m glad you have all that confidence.”
“You deserve someone, honey. Someone who has your best interests at heart.” Pedora’s eyes were kind. “Good men are hard to find. Don’t let the moment pass because you got burnt by a man like Bentley.”
“Don’t worry. I’m over him. Is something bothering you today, Pedora?”
“Why do you ask?”
“Because you only make cocoa and bake all day when you have something on your mind.”
She braced her elbows on the counter. “Well, I guess you should know. I heard from your sister. She’s planning to visit.”
“Phoebe is coming home? When? Why?”
Pedora held up her gnarled hand. “Whoa. I don’t know. In her usual fashion she’ll get here when she shows up. I just wanted you to know.”
Aasia chewed on the corner of her mouth. She felt both anxious and concerned that Phoebe had decided to return. It could go two ways. Good or very bad.