10. Chapter Ten
Chapter Ten
Clay
I paid the bill at Smokehouse Q KC and asked for a receipt for Justin in case I saw him again. He’d mentioned it could be a write-off on his expense account which seemed important to him.
His abrupt departure stunned me, but maybe it was a reaction to me asking him for a date? Hell, I wasn’t sure what to do when it came to Justin.
Maybe he was a little short of normal but so amazingly cute and smart and charmingly shy I couldn’t stop thinking about him? I could deal with that. I didn’t even care at that point. The guy had my head spinning...in a very good way.
The drive to Country Club Plaza wasn’t bad. I parked in a nearby garage so I could find Vera Wells’ shop, The Artists’ Corner. I took the stairs down to the ground floor and outside into the open-air shopping plaza.
Years ago, Mama, Pop, and I took the drive into Kansas City to go Christmas shopping at Country Club Plaza so we could see the spectacular Christmas light display.
I hadn’t been back in quite a while, but Hunter and I had discussed getting married at one of the hotels in the area after Thanksgiving because the plaza was so beautiful when everything was lit up.
The way the buildings were decorated with different colored lights, it almost looked like a mythical city. The Spanish architecture of the fifteen-block area was breathtaking, especially during a light snowfall at Christmas.
I found a directory and pinpointed The Artists’ Corner on the map, feeling grateful I’d parked in the right parking garage. Hopefully, Miss Wells had a cart I could use to load the pottery boxes for transport instead of having to carry ten boxes, one at a time.
The silver bell over the door gave a happy jingle to notify that someone had entered. A woman about my mother’s age appeared from a doorway and smiled. “Hello. Is there something I can help you find?”
“Hello. Are you Vera Wells?” I asked.
“Yes. Yes I am. Do I know you?”
I gave her a friendly smile. “I’m Clay Fines. My mother, Pansy Acres-Fines, sent me with a bunch of pottery. I believe you two spoke a couple of days ago.”
“Oh, Mr. Fines. It’s a pleasure to meet you. Yes, Pansy and I had a wonderful conversation. She said she’s sending me roughly twenty pieces for consignment. Do you have them with you?”
We chatted for a moment and she showed me where the large merchandise cart was located.
I took it with me to load the boxes. As much as I hated to see any of the pieces leave the pottery shed, I knew Mama was pleased that they’d go to folks who would love them, rather than just sit on a shelf collecting dust.
Does Justin like pottery? Maybe, if we get together next week, I could have Mama make a vase or mug for me to give him? Nothing like putting the cart before the horse.
Once I was done unloading the truck, I said goodbye to Miss Wells, who had started unpacking the bowls, pitchers, and platters from the boxes.
Miss Wells admired each piece and gently placed it in a fancy glass cabinet.
I took out my phone and snapped a picture for Mama to see how the pottery was being displayed.
I was sure she’d love to see the place for herself sometime when I brought more pots to the store.
After leaving the parking garage, I started to make a left to get on the highway to go home when a thought popped into my head.
I really wanted to talk to Justin to see what happened that caused him to bolt for the second time.
For many reasons, I wasn’t ready to give up on him, so the sooner we discussed his quick exit, the better.
After making the right, I headed toward the office building where Korr Financial Services was located. I wasn’t sure what I was going to say or if I’d even find him, but it felt too important to address the matter immediately.
In my mind, I could hear Hunter cheering me on, though I knew he wasn’t there. Knowing in my heart that the man I’d planned to spend the rest of my life with would like the guy I was getting to know gave me some peace.
I parked in a garage nearby because my truck was too big for the small spots in Justin’s garage, and as I walked back to the building, I ran into Eve Murray, Justin’s colleague who’d sat in on our meeting.
“Hi Eve. How are you?”
She was with a pretty blonde woman, and they had cups of ice cream. “Hey, Clay! Is Justin playing hooky with you?” Eve smiled for a moment until she took in my expression, which was one of confusion, I was sure.
“Uh, no. We had lunch together, and before he was finished eating, he hopped up and raced out of the restaurant.” I reached into the pocket of my jeans. “I got the receipt for him because he said he could get reimbursed.”
Eve stared at me before she took the receipt and turned to her companion. “Uh, Cass, I’ll be up in a little bit. I need to talk to my friend. Tell Viv to let me know if she gets a call from Justin with an update.”
The other woman, Cass, nodded and hurried inside. Eve then turned to me. “Tell me what happened.”
We went to a bench in a small courtyard and sat down.
“Uh, we went to Smokehouse Q KC for lunch after I signed a letter of engagement. I talked Justin into handling my portfolio after I spoke with Steve about it. Justin seemed fine when we sat down. We chatted while we waited for our food, and when it was delivered, we dug in. All of a sudden, he jumped up, put money on the table and said he had to leave. He kissed my cheek and he was out of there like a rocket. I was going to call to be sure he’s okay, but I was on my way home, and I thought I’d just stop by to check on him instead. ”
Eve’s face showed concern. “That’s strange.”
“This is the second time he’s just left a meal we’re sharing for no apparent reason. I thought maybe the first time he was embarrassed because he asked me out, but this time I asked him out for next week. He said yes, then he just got up and left. Has he said anything to you about any of this?”
Eve didn’t need to know about Justin suggesting we go back to his place for. It still seemed atypical of him, based on what I’d learned about his personality in the brief occasions we’d spent together. I didn’t want to embarrass him anymore than he’d already been.
“He did this today? At lunch?”
I nodded. “Yes. It was almost like he remembered something important and had to leave in a hurry. I was worried about him.”
“Here. Put your number in. I’ll find him and let you know he’s okay.” She handed me her phone.
Later than night, I got a text from Eve, telling me Justin had gone to St. Louis to see his parents. But I knew for a fact that his parents were buried at Willow Creek Cemetery in Kansas City, not too far from where my Hunter had been laid to rest.
What the hell was going on?
The rain came exactly as predicted on Monday morning.
A slow, steady shower that lasted all day was what we needed in Sterling City, which put my plans in motion for staying in Kansas City on Tuesday night.
I went into the house after I finished checking the combine so it was ready to go on Thursday morning after the dew burned off.
“Mama?”
“I’m out here, Clay. Take off those muddy boots. I just mopped the kitchen.”
I did what Mama said—just like always—and hung my damp John Deere cap on the back porch coat tree where I left my boots. I stopped in the kitchen and grabbed a cup of coffee before I went out on the front porch where Mama was sitting, watching the gentle shower.
“I packed the boxes you brought me. Can you get the other boxes back from Vera so I can load those next?”
I glanced across the road to see something in the woods, but I couldn’t figure out what it was, so I turned to Mama. “Sure. Do you care if I stay in Kansas City tomorrow night? I’m having dinner with a friend and I plan to have a few drinks.”
Not surprisingly, Mama turned in her rocking chair and smiled. “Do I know this friend?”
As a thirty-three-year-old man, it was funny my mother still thought she should know everyone I knew. “No, Mama, you don’t know him. He works for Steve. We’re getting to know each other.”
“Well, now, that’s nice. Do you think I’ll get to meet him?”
I could tell she was hesitant to ask many questions about it for fear of triggering my grief reflex that had developed after losing Hunter, but I had the feeling if I talked about Hunter more, she’d see I was doing better. Hell, just having a date with Justin spoke volumes to my healing.
“Maybe. If things go well with our date, I might invite him to come out for a weekend. We’re still getting to know each other, but I’d like him to see the place.
He’s helping with the financial plan for the farm, and I’m hoping if he sees the place he’ll get a better feel for what I’m trying to do here so he can make some smart investments for us. ”
I took a sip of coffee and studied the woods across the road.
It looked as though there was a bear hiding there in the trees, and while I’d heard some folks say they’d seen black bears in the area, I didn’t think there were too many of them.
I seriously doubted they were in the woods across the road.
“So, this young fella works for Steve? Is it wise to date your financial planner?” Mama gave me a crooked smile. She knew I’d already stewed over the prudence of mixing business and pleasure.
“It’s just a business dinner, really.”
“Right now. Is there the possibility of it becoming more?” The woman was shrewd—or maybe I wasn’t good at hiding how excited I was at the possibility of something more.
I sighed. “I don’t know yet. He’s a little nervous and I’m not sure why. We need to talk more.”
Mama stood up and stepped over to the rocker where I was sitting that used to be Pop’s. “Take your time, Clay. You’re a good man, and you deserve a good man to love you.” She took my empty coffee cup and went inside, leaving me alone with my thoughts.