Chapter 6 Tate
tate
The punch of awareness in my chest set me back a full step.
I’d noticed the woman in the short skirt and knee high orange tights.
I’d always had a thing for Velma from Scooby Doo.
There was something about the way she puzzled out mysteries in my formative years.
I’d gone out with enough Daphnes in my time as a quarterback.
Now, I realized the brainy ones were the far more interesting ones.
The fact that Amber was under that fuzzy sweater and dark wig left me off-balance. Without the glasses, her unforgettable face couldn’t be denied even in the dim, foggy corner of the maze. Those famous gray eyes graced billboards and photos splashed across the internet.
The same gray eyes that had given me a few moments when we were teens.
I cleared my throat and wiped a hand over my splattered costume.
Amber Dalton had not been on my list to find in here.
“Is that you, Tate?” She tipped her chin up and squinted at me.
“Matt Murdock to you.” I’d impulsively pulled on my Dare Devil costume from last year to play in the maze for a bit. Scaring the teenagers in the maze was hilarious. I’d gotten at least five with a jump scare with my good buddy Frank the ROUS.
She frowned.
I laughed. “Never mind. It’s my costume.”
“Oh.” She grinned. “Sorry, I’m not up on my superheroes, I guess.”
“Antihero, but you’re forgiven.”
“Since when were you anything other than a hero, Tate Reynolds? Especially with what I’ve heard about you lately.”
I wasn’t feeling very heroic right now. Amber’s long legs in that skirt were giving me far too many bad thoughts. I pulled at the neck of the costume. “Do I want to know what you’ve heard?”
“Guess I’m not the only millionaire from Haven these days.”
I laughed. “Nope, there’re a few of us now.”
She put the glasses back on as a group of kids burst into the area.
Instinctively, I pulled her out of the way. She stumbled into me and even behind the tinted lenses, I saw her eyes go wide.
“That’s not padding under that suit,” she muttered.
“No, it’s not.”
Her face went red. “Sorry.”
“No need to be sorry. I may not be a farm boy anymore, but I do a lot of heavy lifting around here.”
“So, I see. You did all this yourself?”
“Definitely not. I have a whole team.” I pushed away a flap in the maze. “Need a break from the ROUS and fog?”
“Yes, please.”
I flicked down the canvas panel and cool, crisp air hit us. We were at the back of the farm near the fence line to my dad’s place. Fat Edison bulbs hung from the fence lighting the rapidly falling darkness.
She pushed her glasses to the top of her head. “Whew. Thanks.”
“No problem. I can’t believe you’re here.”
She tilted her head. “Are those horns?”
I laughed. “Yes.” I pulled off the half mask, my hair a sweaty mess of curls.
“Damn, Tate. You grew up.”
“It hasn’t been that long since you’ve seen me.”
“I think the last time was at the tree lighting at least four years ago.”
“More like six years.” I raked my fingers through my hair to try and get it into some semblance of order. “It was just after you had that big Christmas song.”
“Oh. Yeah.” Her face fell. “Lots of stuff changed after that.”
“For the good, right?”
“Sure.” She put on a fake smile.
“Don’t have to lie to me. I won’t tell.”
She huffed out a laugh. “It did amazing things. I just haven’t had a break in...a long time.”
Under the costume, I noticed that she was definitely a bit on the thin side. Not the fit kind of thin. There was a bit of paleness to her cheeks under the carefully applied makeup and her high cheekbones were even more hollow.
I had the strangest urge to gather her into a hug.
We’d known each other a long time, but it was more neighborly waves and surface conversations when we ran into one another.
Except that one night.
“I heard you had a big tour.”
“I did. It just ended actually. That’s why I’m home. Mom and Dad decided I was coming home for the holidays.”
“Oh, so you’ll be here for a while?”
“Yep. Guess we’re neighbors again.” She leaned back on the fence and propped one heel on the lower rung.
I tried not to notice her legs, but the wind kept kicking up making that distracting skirt ruffle each time. “I’m not mad about it.”
“Is that right?”
“People will be talking about you instead of me for a while.”
She laughed, the throaty sound making me sorry my costume was so damn tight.
“Pretty sure you still trump me on the gossip end. I hear you’re changing lives all over town.”
It was my turn to blush. I could feel the heat on my neck. “Just giving a hand up to people who need it.”
“Most people would take their millions and run out of here.”
“I’m not most people. This town just needed a little nudge. It’s starting to thrive again.”
“Your mom would be proud.”
“Thanks,” I said quietly. “I hope so.”
“She was always helping everyone else. I’m pretty sure she gave away more at your farm stand than she sold.”
I crossed my arms, the mask dangling from my fingertips. “Noticed that, did you?”
She shrugged. “She may have snuck me some strawberries so I could make my mom a special birthday cake. I was sorry to hear you lost her.”
“We got the flowers you sent us. You’re the only one who remembered she loved gerbera daisies.”
“She’s the one who taught me how to arrange flowers. How could I forget?”
My gut burned. “A lot of people forgot.”
She reached over and touched my arm. “I’m sorry, Tate.”
“It’s okay. My dad drove most people away when she was sick. He was angry. Still is, to be honest.” I nodded to the little cabin past the fence. “He won’t stay at the main house anymore, so I built him this place.”
“Likes to be out here with his horses?”
I nodded. “After the Halloween maze is pulled down we’ll be setting up the trail of lights. People can either take our carriage or a ride on one of the horses.”
“Great way to use the farm.”
“Thanks. I hope so. I have big plans for this place.”
“Why?”
“Because I love Haven. Moving to Buffalo for school made me realize that. It wasn’t that hard for me to leave when Mom needed me to come home and help out. Then when I lost the farm.”
“I’m sorry.”
I shrugged. “Takes money to make money. I wish it wasn’t so, but watching farm after farm around here inch toward bankruptcy just like we did made me realize things needed to change.
Haven was going to turn into one more ghost town torn apart by drugs if we didn’t get our shit together.
When I won the lottery, it seemed like a sign. ”
“As I said, most people wouldn’t do what you did.”
Uncomfortable, I sighed. “I could have gotten bitter like my dad, but I knew people just needed a chance. I’m not a complete softie. I do have a financial adviser. I’m pretty sure I’ve given him an ulcer and possibly a dependency on antacids.”
She laughed. “I have a few of those types. My manager, Stevie, has a stress ball with my face on it.”
“Wow.”
“I gave it to her.” Her lips curved into a sly smile that made my mouth dry.
“So, you know you’re a pain in the ass.”
“Well aware.” She dropped her foot and pushed off the fence. “I’m probably keeping you from working.”
“Yeah, I should check on my team.”
“Guess, I’ll see you around, Tate. Or...” Her gaze drifted down my costume. “Matt Murdock, was it?”
I laughed. “Yeah. Dare Devil.”
“Hmm. I guess I’ll have to check it out if he looks half as good as you do in that suit.” She trailed her fingers over my arm as she went by then headed down the hill toward the lights of the game tents. The swish of her skirt dragged my gaze down and I slammed my eyes shut and tipped my head back.
Had she been flirting with me?
Definitely not the Amber I remembered.
The distinct crackle of one of my walkie talkies, then Molly’s voice looking for me, dragged me back into my current reality. I hurried back to the maze and unhooked it from the back panel.
“Yeah?”
“The Villain tent collapsed. We could use some help.”
“Be right there.” I put my mask back on and ran down the hill.
Part of me wondered where Amber had disappeared to so fast, but then I spotted her ducking under the fence where there was a path between our houses.
Damn, those legs were going to kill me.
“Tate!”
I ran over to where Molly and Dylan were struggling with the tent poles. A crying toddler was sitting in the grass with a large pumpkin shaped bucket full of candy between his legs. The mother was trying to console him, and the father was trying to help Molly.
“I’m so sorry, Tate.” Molly was wearing a Ghostbusters jumpsuit and the other props for her costume were dumped into a pile a few feet from the toddler.
“No problem.” I tossed aside my mask and grabbed the biggest pole that was bent under the extra weight. “Dylan can you grab the other side?”
“Got it, boss.”
Between the two of us and the helpful father, we managed to get the tent up enough that we could pull the tables of candy and prizes out before the whole thing collapsed. I turned around to make sure the kids were out of the way, but thankfully Pete, one of my staff, had cleared everyone out.
“What happened?” I leaned down to pick up my mask.
Molly unzipped her jumpsuit, an old Haven High shirt underneath. “Couple of kids rough housing.”
“I suppose it was bound to happen. Did you kick them out?”
“Yeah. That damn Richmond kid,” Molly said with disgust.
Ethan Richmond was a pain in my ass. He’d been a jerk before my windfall, but after he’d been even more annoying. His older brother was just as much of an ass, just in a different font. James Richmond III had been pissed that I hadn’t used his firm for my financial planning after I won the lottery.
I didn’t want to use anyone from the town.
That kind of money needed someone who knew what to do with a major portfolio without fucking me over. I hadn’t trusted James on the field when I played football, I sure as shit wasn’t entrusting him with my money.