“She can go with Maggie and Brady.”
“That’s okay. Have her come with us.”
Her attention fixed on a spot behind Zane. A smile spread across her mouth. “Are you ready to leave, Dad?”
Zane stepped to the side as Keith joined them. “It’s nice to see you at church, sir.”
“It’s been a while.” Kim’s father swiveled toward her. “Ruth and I are going out to eat at the café to talk campaign strategies.”
“Good. I’ll see you later at home then for dinner.”
“Maybe. Her opponent is running a negative campaign. We need to work out how to address his innuendoes.”
“I hadn’t heard.”
Her father frowned. “Just started yesterday in an interview he gave Mrs. Calvin for her blog. She posted it last night. Not flattering at all. I’ll see you when I see you.” Keith weaved his way through the crowd to Ruth. Putting his hand at the small of her back, he escorted her from the hall.
“Gideon said your dad went over to Ruth’s a couple of afternoons this week.”
“Yeah, I didn’t even have to orchestrate that. He took it upon himself.” Kim’s attention turned to Zane. “I never thought I would hear the word blog in my dad’s vocabulary. When it comes to technology, he’s gone kicking and screaming into the twenty-first century.”
“I’ve heard about Mrs. Calvin’s blog. She talks about the stuff that happens around the town. Dad has told me she has a humorous outlook on life.”
“I’ll have to check it out. I haven’t known Mrs. Calvin to take sides in something like this.”
“If it was an interview, then it wasn’t necessarily her opinion. But my curiosity has been piqued.” He caught sight of Anna waving toward Kim. “Is she staying for the youth group?”
“Yes, and Brady, too.”
“Good. I see Gideon leaving. We’re going to the park with the kids to play basketball. I think he’s determined to teach me or humiliate me in the process.”
“I’ll warn you. Anna is good. Get on her team.”
“Will do.”
As he strode toward the double doors into the hall, he tried to stamp out his disappointment they weren’t going to the Mardi Gras party as a couple. But it was her choice and probably for the best.
* * *
In the full-length mirror on her closet door, Kim surveyed herself in the yellow taffeta hoop gown, her hair done up in a coiffure of curls that cascaded down her back. It was a far cry from how she’d looked when she’d returned home late last night after painting at the school for hours. She’d always thought of herself as neat and meticulous, but one look at herself in this very mirror last night—with paint everywhere—she’d had to revamp that assessment. But Zane had needed all the assistance he could get in order for the Mardi Gras party to take place this evening.
“You’ve still got some paint on the back of your arm.” Maggie pointed at Kim’s left one.
Kim rotated until she could see it in the mirror. Laughter sprinkled the air. “Good catch. If I’m going to dress up as a Southern belle, then I need to look the part. Paint on my arm sorta kills the vision of a life of leisure.” Kim traipsed to the bathroom to wet a washcloth and scrubbed off the pale blue paint before returning to the bedroom. “Is it all gone?”
“Yes. Now you have a red blotch where you rubbed it off.”
“That’s going to be the least of my worries. How are we going to sit in these hoop skirts? For that matter, walk through a doorway?”
“Delicately.”
“Or we’ll be the sensations of the party.”
“I heard the upstairs doorbell. That must be Zane. Where’s Anna?”
“Letting Zane inside right about now. She wanted to show him her milkmaid costume.”
Maggie headed for the hallway. “I’m rounding up Brady and Uncle Keith. After we pick up Ruth, we’ll be at the school.”
Having to go sideways through the doorway, Kim made her way to the game room where she found her daughter sitting on a stool pretending to milk a cow. Her giggles echoed through the air. But it was Zane who demanded Kim’s attention. Dressed as a pirate with a black patch over one eye, he looked like a handsome rogue, who was not her date, she reminded herself. They were going as friends. But for days that thought had left her disappointed, wanting more.
“Where did you learn how to milk a cow?” he asked Anna though his gaze brushed down Kim’s length in a leisurely survey before returning to her face.
“Papa Keith. He did it when he was a little boy back a looong time ago. I’m glad I don’t hafta milk a cow to get my milk for my cereal every morning. I might never get to school.” Anna saw Kim and hopped to her feet, her white mob cap sitting lopsided on her head.
Glancing away from Zane, Kim approached her daughter and straightened the cap. “Now you look like a proper maid.”
“Maid? Just so you know, I don’t do windows.” Anna covered her mouth and more giggles spilled out between her fingers.
“Silly. You know it means a young woman.” Kim felt the scorch of Zane’s eyes and shifted from side to side, resting her hands on her full skirt of yellow taffeta as it rocked with her movements.
“Y’all both look wonderful as young maids.” Zane’s husky Southern drawl nipped at the tight control she had on her emotions. Friends only, she reminded herself.
Kim finally locked gazes with Zane. Her throat grew dry, and her pulse began to pound against her veins, throb in her head. “You look interesting. Where’s the parrot that should be on your shoulder?”
“I knew I left something at home. I guess it’s just me tonight.”
The intensity in his regard robbed her of a coherent reply. She observed his mouth moving as he said something to her daughter, but the words didn’t register in her brain. This man before her, within arm’s reach, was anything but a pirate. He was caring and giving to others. There had been hints of that when they had dated as teenagers, but she liked very much what she saw now—a compassionate person who gave away a lot of the money he made.
She became aware of her surroundings slowly as she realized Anna was waving her hand in front of Kim’s face. “I want to go. I’m meeting my friends, Mom.”
Kim blinked, inhaled a deep breath and smiled, the corners of her mouth quivering. “Don’t you know a lady is supposed to keep people waiting?”
Anna pointed at herself. “Not this lady. Let’s go.” She charged for the door, flung it open and headed down the stairs, the sound of her footfalls loud.
“I guess she wants to go,” Kim said with a chuckle and trailed after her daughter.
Behind her, Zane said, “You probably should ride in back by yourself. I’m not sure your gown will fit in the front with me.”
Tossing a glance over her shoulder, she hiked her dress up a little as she carefully maneuvered the steps sideways. “That’s fine by me. I always wanted to be chauffeured.”
On the ground level, he swept his arm across his body. “At your service.” Then he moved to the back door of his truck and opened it. “Not exactly a limousine but it will have to do.”
As Kim settled onto her seat, fighting to keep the material of her dress down, Anna’s giggles erupted yet again. “We traded places, Mom. Like that movie I love to watch.”
Kim gave her hoop skirt a shove down and laid her arms across it. “When we get to the party, I want you to stay in the gym unless you let me know where you’re going.”
Zane slipped in behind the steering wheel, flipped up his black patch so he could see and winked at Anna. “Aye, matey. Ready to take this wench to our ship?”
“Ship? You’re silly.”
“Hey, I have a sailboat. We could skip this shindig and go sailing.”
“At night?”
Anna grinned from ear to ear.
The whole way to the school Zane and Anna continued to carry on as if Kim wasn’t even there, discussing where they would go if they sailed away. Listening to their conversation made her wonder if Zane had ever wanted to be a father. When they had been young, they had talked about starting a family in the future—the distant future. Why hadn’t Zane ever married? Had those children?
At the school, her daughter spied Polly with Lily, Anna’s cousin on Scott’s side of the family. “Polly’s been hanging with Lily more and more. I gotta go.”
“Be nice, Anna.”
“Well, Lily needs to be.” Anna jumped from the cab and ran to catch up with her friend, leaving Kim to try and make a graceful exit from the truck.
Zane opened her door and offered her a hand. She fit hers in his and with the other held down her gown as she turned to the side and stepped down onto the running board.
“If I wore glass slippers, I would feel like I’m Cinderella—” she paused for several heartbeats “—meeting the pirate of the Caribbean.”
“I guess we should have coordinated our costumes,” Zane commented to her when they entered the gym and noticed half the couples were dressed in outfits that complemented each other.
“I like Gideon’s dragon costume that goes with Kathleen’s fair damsel in distress.”
Zane bent close. “Look. The mayor and his wife are Hansel and Gretel.”
“Oh, there are my neighbors dressed as Romeo and Juliet. That’s romantic.”
“She must have picked that costume out.”
Kim chuckled. “You don’t think Bob is romantic?”
“Not the Bob I went to school with. Not one ounce.”
“You’re right. She must have.”
“Would y’all move out of the way? I’m here to look for my Rhett Butler and need to make a grand entrance.” Going straight forward, Maggie wrestled with her sweeping hoop gown and popped through the doorway. “I’m gonna end up embarrassed tonight. This is the last time I let you talk me into wearing something so ridiculous. How our ancestors put up with this is beyond me.”
Kim barely got out of the way before Maggie plowed into the gym because right behind her came Kim’s father escorting Ruth costumed as the Mad Hatter and the Queen of Hearts. “I knew Dad was going to pick up Ruth, but I didn’t know they planned to come as a couple.”
“Gideon told me your dad is really taking the job as campaign manager seriously. Remember those neighborhood sweeps? He’s scheduled them for Saturday in two weeks. They want teams of two to cover different streets. Ready to go house to house?”
“The area around the school is one of the most damaged in Hope. This will give me a chance to see my students in their homes without them thinking I’m checking up on them. There are a few I’m concerned about.”
“Who? Maybe there’s something I can do to help them.”
“There’s one family especially. The father is proud. Barely made ends meet before the hurricane and wouldn’t accept any charity. After Naomi, they lost their home. The foundation was all that was left. They lived in a shelter until they could move back to their property. They have a trailer in the driveway. That must be where they live now. I don’t know that they will be able to rebuild.”
“Where?”
She gave him the address on Decatur Street.
“With the school finished, I have a little breathing room. That’ll free up my largest team. A few of them I’m putting on your house. Do you still want us to start next week?”
“Yes. Dad is gone more and more lately.”
“Great, because my father can’t wait to get back to your house. He said the place has character, and he wants to bring it out.” Zane offered Kim his arm. “Ready to go have fun?”
“Absolutely.” As they moved farther into the gym, Kim glimpsed a big banner strung across the stage at one end of the gym/auditorium. “Look. There’s a picture of you and me up there.”
Zane slowed his step and averted his gaze. “Uh, I forgot to tell you they picked me to be king of the Mardi Gras party and asked me to pick my queen. Your name came to mind.”
“And you’re just now getting around to telling me?”
“Yeah, I told you I forgot.”
“How can you forget something like that? They must have photoshopped a crown on my head.”
“Mine, too. I don’t go around wearing one.”
“This is going to be a long evening, Zane Davidson.”
* * *
Two hours later, Kim stood up on the stage next to Zane, her cheeks burning with embarrassment as the principal set a paper crown on her head. A cheer went up as the man declared Zane and her the king and queen of the Mardi Gras party. A few wolf whistles sounded above the clapping. Her blush deepened.
Gideon cupped his mouth and shouted from the front row. “Kiss. Kiss.”
The rest of the audience took up the chant. She hadn’t thought it possible to be any more humiliated than she already was. She found out she could be.
Zane looked at her and shrugged. He slid closer to her and turned toward her. The audience roared. After cradling her head between his hands, he slipped his fingers into her curls, nudging her nearer. A hush fell over the crowd. Inch by agonizingly slow inch, he leaned down, his lips slightly parted. A hint of peppermint laced his breath.
Anticipation tingled through her. She didn’t care that hundreds of people were watching. She wanted the kiss, and yet a small part of her feared its effect on her. His mouth whispered against hers. She melted into him.
His hands glided down her back as his lips settled over hers, coaxing them apart. They melded together as one, bodies pressed against each other. Somewhere in the distance clapping began again and rose to a crescendo. Suddenly she was thrust back into the present—one where she stood in front of a crowd on the school stage.
Zane pulled back slightly and gave her a goofy grin. “First time I’ve kissed someone in front of an audience.”
“Me, too.” She scanned the sea of people and honed in on her dad at the back, turned away talking to Ruth. His body stance relaxed, he gestured with his hands, deep into the conversation.
“I think it’s time to make our exit.” With his hand at the small of her back, Zane guided her offstage and excused himself.
As he started to leave, Kim caught his arm and halted his escape. “You have some explaining to do about all of this.”
His grin grew as a mob of female students surrounded Kim. When Anna and Polly fought their way to the front of the group, Kim’s hand slipped to her side, and Zane hurried away. Some of the girls in her class bombarded her with questions about who the man was.
“He’s Mr. Davidson,” Anna answered for her before Kim could open her mouth. “He’s fixing our home. I get to help him.”
“Yeah, and he’s our youth-group leader,” Polly added.
Several of the kids nodded.
Over the heads of the children, Kim spied Zane taking off his paper crown, then his shoes before stepping up to be in the charity dunking tank. She cackled as she plotted her revenge.
* * *
Zane wondered what in the world had made him agree to take his turn being in the dunking tank. The money raised would go to the school, but he’d already done his share of helping the school. Still, he had to open his big mouth and say yes to his secretary, who coordinated the different booths. Now he saw Kim shaking herself loose from the mob of girls and stalking toward him with mischievous intent in her eyes.
Then Zane glimpsed Kathleen’s son Jared, who had declared at the last youth-group meeting that he was going to be the first one to cream Zane. Across the room, the boy zeroed in on him, too. But Kim managed to scoot into line in front of Jared by using her hoop ski
rt to block him.
Zane’s gut tightened. He was gonna get wet, and if Kim had a say, it was going to be by her. She took the tennis ball and tossed it in the air, a playful smile on her face. She’d probably come back more than once. But he deserved it. He should have warned her of their royal titles before she’d come to the party.
She threw the ball straight up in the air again and snatched it to her when it came down. “I used to play on a girls’ softball team,” she called out to Zane. “Did I ever tell you that?”
“No. But that was years ago. If you don’t use a skill, you lose it.” He knew better than to taunt her, but he might as well get some enjoyment out of this.
She hurled the ball toward the bull’s-eye plate that would send him plunging into the cold water, missing it by an inch. “Just so you know. I didn’t aim to hit the target—yet. I have three more balls. One of them will find its mark. That’s a promise. What I want to know is why.”
“Why, what?” He knew she was wondering why he’d chosen her.
She pitched the ball toward him, this time a couple of feet off the target but inches from his body. “Wrong answer. You’re an intelligent man. You know what I mean.”
“Okay. The biggest contributor to the school fund was to be named either king or queen of the carnival. I was that person. They told me I needed a queen to go with my king.”
“Who?”
“Me, cuz.”
Kim slanted her glance toward Maggie, who had approached. “You knew about this? Of course, you did. You probably made the banner without saying a word to me.”
“I thought it would be a nice surprise. You and Zane will be featured in the newspaper tomorrow.”
“Oh, I can hardly wait.” She shifted her attention back to Zane. “Why me?”
He grinned. “Why not? I thought I would give you your fifteen minutes of fame.”
“Wrong answer.” She drilled the ball at the bull’s-eye plate, striking it dead on. The bottom fell out of the platform Zane sat on, and he dropped into water that must have been chilled with ice cubes.
A Love Rekindled Page 12