Chapter 20
20
Jewel
The atmosphere at the barbecue was definitely more somber after Jewel’s parents made their hasty departure. Her dad’s cruel accusation of Miguel poisoning the food had cast a definite shadow over the party. Ashamed by her dad’s lack of social graces, Jewel had tried to smooth things over, but the guests still seemed a little ill at ease. As she fought back her own anger toward Dad, she made apologies, explaining that it was simply part of his condition. Not that it made anyone feel better.
Maybe she should just call it a night too. Her poor mom could probably use some help managing Dad tonight. As Jewel considered excusing herself to run to her parents’ rescue, she glanced around the backyard. Small clusters of guests milled about, talking in hushed tones, probably about her crazy family. Miguel was by himself, still minding the grill, a serious expression on his face. She’d already apologized to him, and he’d told her to forget about it. But she still felt her family had spoiled his evening.
“They’ll be okay, Mom,” Cooper whispered in her ear.
Jewel spun around and stared at her daughter in surprise. “You really think so?”
“Yeah. Grandma said not to worry if they left early. Remember?”
Jewel nodded. “But your grandpa was so upset and angry.”
“And he’s probably forgotten the whole thing by now.”
Jewel sighed. “You’re right.”
“I bet he’s in his recliner watching True Grit and eating a peanut butter and honey sandwich.”
“Or sleeping.” Jewel smiled. Cooper had him pegged. And, besides, her parents might like having a quiet house to themselves tonight.
Cooper patted her back in a consolatory way, then rejoined Anna and a couple of other teen girls who’d just shown up. Jewel tried to be discreet as she watched her daughter interact with the small group. Really, it was amazing to be at the same party as her daughter with both of them having a good time. Well, Jewel had been having a good time. Up until Dad’s unfortunate hissy fit.
Jewel got herself a drink and then ventured back to the grill to see if Miguel needed any more help. She wouldn’t keep apologizing to him, but she would do what she could to make him feel better.
“Yum,” she said as she watched him set some juicy-looking burgers on a platter. “Those smell delicious.” A piece of meat tumbled off a burger and she nabbed it, popping it into her mouth, then loudly smacking her lips.
“Best poison burgers I ever tasted,” she proclaimed loudly enough for others to hear. “At least I’ll die happy now.” To her relief, several people started to chuckle. Then a few more jests were made, some perhaps at her dad’s expense, but not untrue. Suddenly people were laughing and the party was back on good footing. She and Miguel continued to cook burgers as guests began to fill their plates. Finally, with the last burger off the grill, she and Miguel got their own food.
“I’m glad you stuck around,” he told her after they found an unoccupied corner of the patio where they could sit and eat. “I was worried you were about to vamoose too.”
“I felt a little guilty. You know, in case Mom needed my help. But then I realized she’d feel bad if she thought she’d ruined my evening too.”
“Your mom is so good at dealing with your dad.” Miguel picked up his burger and took a big bite.
“I guess she’s had more practice with him.” Jewel forked into her potato salad. “Dad puts her through the wringer over something or other almost every single day. I can’t believe how patient she is with him. I should be taking lessons.”
He nodded as he chewed then swallowed. “She’s definitely patient, but it’s more than just that. It’s obvious how much she loves your dad. You know, despite everything. That’s pretty remarkable.”
“Yeah. Sometimes I want to knock Dad’s block off.” She laughed. “To be fair, Mom gets pretty annoyed occasionally. In fact, I was worried she might lay into him after tonight’s little scene.” She took a bite of her burger.
“I hope not. Like you said, he can’t really help it.”
“I know that in my head. And I kept telling myself that tonight. But sometimes I forget. I can get caught up in what I’m doing, and Dad can seem almost normal at times. I want to respect him as my father, but then he’ll do something so out-of-the-blue weird that, well, it’s like he pulls the rug right out from under me.”
“Yeah, I know what that’s like.” He shook his head as he dipped a tortilla chip into guacamole.
“I bet you do.”
“I don’t even mind getting the worst of it,” he admitted. “If that helps him not to go off on someone else.”
“That’s sweet, Miguel, but I really don’t think it works like that,” she said. “Like earlier today. I’ve been trying to get my art studio all arranged in the barn, but Dad keeps sneaking in there and changing it all around.”
“He probably thinks the barn is his space.”
“I guess so. But he doesn’t use it for anything. Just stores a bunch of random, useless junk in there. Stuff he never uses. But he likes to move everything around all the time for no rational reason. Mom calls him the Lone Rearranger.”
Miguel laughed.
“But it was beyond just rearranging today. I mean, some things were moved, but some things were just plain gone. I still can’t find a tin of paint tubes. And I haven’t found my favorite easel. For all I know, he’s chopped it up into firewood.”
“The poor guy needs something to do.” Miguel wiped his mouth with a napkin. “Think about it, Jewel. He was a farmer for years. A farmer is always doing something. Now he’s at loose ends. That could drive a healthy guy nuts.”
“We try to find things for him to do. And sometimes he’ll stick to a task for a while. But it doesn’t take long before he gets distracted. Like Mom asked him to rake around her garden, and the next thing we knew, he was digging a huge hole. A hole that no one wanted and just had to be filled back in. And he was so worn out, he could barely walk into the house.” She took another bite of her burger. “I mean, at least she had something to occupy him the next day. But it just goes on and on like that.”
Miguel looked amused. “If he enjoys doing something, maybe it doesn’t matter so much what he’s doing as long as it doesn’t hurt anyone.”
She set down her burger, wiped her fingers, and looked into his eyes. Miguel was so sincere and kind, such a stand-up sort of guy. The word guileless came to mind as she nodded. “You’re right. I’ll try to remember that.”
“So ... how are his bees doing? Making lots of honey?”
“As far as I can tell, they’re doing okay. But I have to say, as much as he loves his little buzzy-bodies, he does forget them at times. If Cooper wasn’t helping, I think there would be real problems.”
His dark brows arched. “She likes the bees, then?”
“She adores them.” Jewel wrinkled her nose. “Me, not so much. But you should see her out there with the hives, so calm and collected. She claims the sound of the bees makes her feel at peace, if you can believe that. Although Mom told me Dad used to say the same thing.”
“I have a friend who keeps bees, and he said that too.”
“Coop even learned how to get into the protective suit and empty the honeycombs. She claims she’ll be able to do it by herself next time.”
“That’s great.”
“I guess. The whole business made me pretty nervous at first. I was so worried she’d get attacked and stung. You know, like Winnie the Pooh when he steals the honey.”
He laughed. “I remember seeing that video when I was a kid.”
“Me too. And to be honest, I’ve never liked bees,” Jewel confessed. “I’ve read that they sense fear in people, so I give them their space and hope they’ll leave me alone.”
He nodded toward the small group of teens gathered at the far end of the yard, laughing loudly at something. “It’s nice to see how Cooper seems to be fitting in here. Even with the country kids. Anna can’t seem to get enough of her.”
“I know Coop’s here a lot. I just hope she doesn’t wear out her welcome.” Jewel sighed. “To be honest, her settling in here feels nothing short of miraculous.”
“Yeah, I remember you telling me she was a problem child.” He chuckled. “I think she’s pretty cool.”
“She is pretty cool. And doing far better here than she was in California.”
“So do you think you’ll be staying, then?” His espresso-colored eyes searched hers. “You weren’t too sure about all this when you first arrived, if I recall.”
“I can’t deny I’ve had moments when I wanted to pick up and run.” She shrugged. “But with Mom and Dad’s new house coming next week, and the plans for the B&B, well, I guess I have to stay long enough to see how it goes.” Her voice trailed off with uncertainty. She wished she was as confident as she was trying to sound, but what if her grandiose plans all flopped? There were so many ways it could all go wrong.
“So ... if it doesn’t go?” He continued to study her with intensity.
“I don’t know, Miguel. I mean, I’ve sunk all my funds into this wild dream of mine. Sometimes I wake up in the middle of the night with suffocating doubts. I’ve even had a couple of nightmares about it. It’s possible I did bite off more than I can chew. That’s what Mom always used to tell me. And to be honest, my dad really scares me sometimes. He’s so unpredictable. Like he could totally balk at the idea of living in the new house. He could blow up at me for even doing all this. What then?”
Miguel pursed his lips. “He never seemed to be the kind of guy who liked change.”
“I know. Well, unless he’s rearranging things.”
Miguel smiled. “That’s true.”
“But you’re right. I used to think he was a real stick in the mud. Every time Mom wanted to do something different, Dad would dig in his heels.”
“So what’s your plan if he refuses to live in the new house?” Miguel asked.
“Well, I suppose Cooper and I could live there. And, really, that would be okay. But there goes the whole B&B idea. No way could I have guests in the house with my dad living there. And I was hoping that would help to pay back my investment. Plus, it sounded like fun. I could make it look so cool, so inviting. I imagined it like an artist’s retreat where I’d host small groups and even have a gallery in the barn.” She sighed to imagine the dream she’d nurtured. In a perfect world, it could be so good. But theirs was not a perfect world. Not by any means.
“It does sound like a good idea, Jewel. In theory.”
“In theory?” Even though she knew he was right, she didn’t want to hear it.
“Well, we have dreams, but we never know what will happen in real life. I’m not saying don’t dream.” He waved his hand. “After all, it wasn’t that long ago this place was all a dream.” He sipped his drink. “But the truth is it hasn’t turned out the way I’d hoped.” He gazed out across the fields with a sad expression, and she suddenly remembered how he lost his wife and his father. That must’ve ruined some of his dreams.
“No, you’re right. I guess nothing ever really does turn out exactly how we dream and plan. Not really.” She felt slightly deflated now. Maybe the whole B&B plan was just an unrealistic pipe dream. Maybe she was a fool to entertain such expensive fantasies.
“I didn’t mean to rain on your parade.” Miguel’s tone lightened. “You said the new manufactured home will be put in place by next week? That’ll be exciting.”
She brightened a little. “Yes. But I’ll warn you, the house’s exterior paint color is atrocious, and it’ll be clearly visible from your property. But I promise that the first thing I’ll do is paint it.”
He shrugged. “Don’t worry. It can’t be that bad.”
“Oh, yes, it can. It’s this horrible bright yellow, about the same color as the stripes on the highway. For all I know, it might glow in the dark too.”
He laughed.
She smiled. “But that’s one reason I got such a good deal on it.”
“Uh-huh?” His eyes had a knowing look. “And is the other reason Aaron Hanford?”
She felt her cheeks warm. “Well, maybe so. Aaron is an old friend. We went to school together.”
“And you’re on pretty good terms with him.” It was part statement, part question.
“I guess. I mean, he’s been very helpful. And he’s really gotten things moving ... as far as getting the house set up. He delivers what he promises. Very professional.” Okay, “very professional” was a stretch, and she felt the sting of embarrassment for being so defensive of Aaron, especially since she knew Miguel had issues with his estranged brother-in-law. She wished there was a way to help the two men smooth things over. For everyone’s sake. But she had no idea where to start. And now, for some unexplainable reason, she wanted to convince Miguel that Aaron meant nothing to her.
“Well, it’s none of my business, but I thought maybe you and Aaron might be, uh, involved on a personal level.” He toyed with the plastic cup in his hand. “Anna and I noticed you and Aaron in town last week, and she was certain you were on a date.” He held up his hand as if to stop any response. “But, like I said, it’s none of my business. And it’s not Anna’s either.”
She didn’t know what to say now. To deny it had been a date would sound insincere. To claim Aaron meant nothing would sound like she was protesting too much. Besides, why should she defend herself? Miguel was right. It was none of his business. Still, sitting there silently felt awkward. Suddenly male voices were calling out for Miguel, insisting their host join the party and come play cornhole with them.
Jewel wasn’t sure if she felt relieved or disappointed as she picked up her plate and stood. “Looks like they need you.”
“Eric’s creaming us,” a lanky guy in a straw cowboy hat told Miguel.
“Miguel’s the champion,” a female voice yelled from where the game was set up. “Let’s make him defend his title.”
Miguel excused himself as Jewel collected their empty plates, as well as a few others, busying herself by scraping the uneaten food into the trash can. She considered joining the lively cornhole crowd but decided to see if Marta needed any help in the kitchen instead.
“No, no.” Marta paused from rinsing a serving dish after Jewel offered her help. “You go out. Enjoy .”
Jewel smiled at her. “What if I enjoy being in here with you?”
Marta tipped her head to one side. “Then you stay.” She handed her a dish towel. “And you dry.”
As they washed and dried, Marta asked about Jewel’s parents, expressing concern that Jewel’s dad might someday become too difficult for them to care for. “Your poor mama. She will wear out. And your papa ... he is a handful.”
“I’ve had the same concern,” Jewel admitted. “But Cooper and I are trying to lighten Mom’s load. And like she keeps saying, we can only live one day at a time.”
“Sí, sí. That is what the good Lord says too. One day is enough.”
More than enough today , Jewel thought. Although tonight hadn’t turned out as badly as it might have, it still felt like a letdown. She wasn’t sure what she’d hoped for exactly, but the way her conversation with Miguel had ended on a sour note was disheartening. She hated to leave him thinking she was romantically involved with Aaron. But it was out of her hands ... at least for now.
“Well, I think I’ll head home to check on my parents,” she told Marta as they finished up. “But thank you for everything. It was a lovely party.” She winced. “Well, except for my dad’s contribution. Sorry about that.”
“Over and done.” Marta kissed Jewel’s cheek. “Forget about it.”
“I’ll try.” Jewel hugged her. But as she walked across the field, now illuminated by the light of a half-moon, as much as she wanted to accept Marta’s advice and simply “forget about it,” like so many other things in life, it was easier said than done.