Bait

by Mia Carson

  “I know. We’re going into Abilene for dinner.”

  I looked down and rubbed my mouth to hide my smile as the girl backed away and glanced at Ella with big eyes. I hated gossip, but damned if I didn’t want to hear this.

  Ella ignored me for the next ten minutes. At 2:59, I stood and waited until she appeared. I thought about swooping her into my arms and kissing her good but decided that was going a bit too far. I’d save that for later when I was ready to make another statement.

  “What are you doing here?” she asked as we stepped out onto the sidewalk.

  “Picking my girl up for a date.”

  “I’m not your girl, not yet anyway, and I thought you were meeting me at my house.” I shrugged as I offered her a small smile. “You look nice though,” she said, returning my smile.

  “Thanks. How do you want to do this? Want me to leave my truck here?”

  “Just follow me home. Why didn’t you just meet me there?”

  “Because nobody would see me picking you up for a date.”

  She looked at me in that way she had when she was wise to something I was doing. “You did this on purpose just to start rumors.”

  I grinned. “Yep. I’m not going to pussyfoot around this; I’m not going to act like I’m ashamed or hiding it, and I want all the tongue wagging out of the way right up front.”

  She glared at me a moment before she softened, her face lighting with another small smile. “Go big or go home, I guess.”

  “That’s the right attitude! May I walk you to your car?” I asked, throwing out an elbow.

  She stepped in close and slid her arm through mine, and I walked to the back of the building where her car was parked. I returned to my truck and followed her home. I wanted to follow her into her bedroom, watch her undress and shower, and see her in all her womanly glory again, but I stayed in the living room of her trailer until she appeared.

  She was wearing dark blue denim pants with a wide brown belt, the legs tucked into her matching dress boots, a black and light grey plaid shirt unbuttoned just enough to show the swell of her breasts, and a thin, peach-colored cardigan she’d left unbuttoned. It was a simple but stunningly effective look for her, and I began to harden at the sight of her.

  “You look un-fucking-believable,” I breathed. I wanted to ravish her, but I stepped forward and kissed her innocently on the lips instead.

  She looked down as if embarrassed. “It feels good to dress up a little,” she murmured.

  “You should do it more often.”

  She smiled at me. “Maybe I will.”

  We drove to her parents’ house. I was still nervous about seeing them, but I marched in with Ella like I didn’t have a care in the world. Abby was dressed in a knee-length cream dress with long sleeves and a turtleneck, with a matching belt holding a darker cream apron with red, black, and white stripes forming a tartan plaid. Like her mother, Abby was beautiful, and she would be a real heartbreaker when she grew up. I offered to pick her up, but she wanted Ella, and I didn’t insist.

  “Thanks for getting her ready,” Ella said.

  Helen smiled. “I hope you three have a good time.”

  “I’m sure we will,” Ella replied.

  “Levi? Can I talk to you a second?” Helen asked as we turned to go.

  “I’ll be out in a second,” I said when Ella hesitated. I didn’t want her to leave me alone with her mom, but I’d told her I didn’t care what people thought about me taking her on a date. I had to walk the talk.

  “Thank you,” Helen said as soon as the door closed behind Ella.

  I thought Helen was going to threaten to cut off my nuts if I hurt her daughter again, or something similar, so I was caught a little off-guard. “You’re welcome. For what?”

  “For taking Ella and Abby someplace. She works so hard, and hardly ever does anything, and not every guy wants a four-year-old tagging along on a date.”

  I didn’t know what to say. “I’m just sorry I can’t do more,” I finally said.

  “You’re doing enough,” she said as she patted me on the arm. “I haven’t seen Ella this happy in a long time.”

  I didn’t know what to say to that either, so I flashed her a smile and nodded. “I should go. I don’t want to keep the ladies waiting,” I said as I backed out the door.

  That had been totally unexpected. I was actively trying to work my way back into the Johnsons’ good graces, but Helen seemed, if not delighted, at least pleased that Ella and I were dating again. I smiled to myself as I walked to Ella’s car, wishing my own family were as forgiving.

  “What was that all about?” Ella asked as I opened the door and slid behind the wheel.

  “Nothing.”

  “Was Mom giving you trouble?” she asked, her tone firm, and I wondered if she was having problems with her family too.

  “No. Far from it. She thanked me for inviting Abby to go with us.”

  Ella grunted. “I dated a little while you were gone, but this is the first time I’ve been on a first date with Abby in the backseat.”

  I started the car. “Is that a problem?”

  “No. I’m glad you wanted her along. I just hope you know what you’re getting yourself into.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “You ever been to dinner and a movie with a four-year-old?”

  “Can’t say that I have.”

  “Oh boy, you’re in for a treat, then,” Ella said with a grin.

  The forty-five-minute drive to Abilene was uneventful. Ella and I talked softly, trying to gain an understanding of where we stood with each other, occasionally including Abby in the conversation. Even though we’d known each other our entire lives, had dated for years, slept together, and planned to be married, it felt very much like a first date. We were being careful with our words, not wanting to inflict additional pain or snuff out embers of love past that were beginning to glow between us.

  That’s how I felt, a strange and uncomfortable feeling. I remembered what we once had and how the love we had for each other made me soar, but at the same time, I wondered if we’d ever be able to capture that feeling again. I wanted to hold her in my arms and kiss away the pain and make long, slow, gentle love to her, but I feared I’d hurt her so badly she’d never accept or trust me again. I wanted to rush headlong back to what we had, but I knew we had to take it slow and rebuild the foundation of our relationship.

  We returned to Lytle Land & Cattle Company, where we’d had dinner the night we first made love. It was an intentional choice on my part, and she glanced at me as we turned into the parking lot. They were busy though not packed. I wanted to hold Abby to give Ella a break, and because she was simply adorable in her little dress. She didn’t appear to be afraid of me, as she had the first time I met her, but she wasn’t as willing to have me hold her as she had that night at her grandparents’ house.

  As dinner progressed, we began to loosen up around each other and the awkwardness began to fade. I found it amusing that Ella had implied that having Abby along was going to be irksome or a problem. Other than being more interested in looking around and talking than eating her chicken fingers and French fries, she was no bother.

  “Hurry and eat,” Ella encouraged again, tapping a finger on the table by Abby’s plate.

  Abby ignored her and pointed to an elderly man being rolled past in a wheelchair. “What’s that?”

  “It’s a wheelchair, Abby. Don’t point. Eat!” She looked at me with an exasperated smile.

  “What’s it do?”

  “It helps the man move around because he can’t walk,” I explained.

  “Why can’t he walk?”

  “His legs don’t work right because he’s old or sick.” I picked up a French fry and held it up to her. “If you want to go to a movie, you’re going to have to hurry up and eat, or we’re going to miss it.”

  “I’m done.”

  I glanced at Ella. Abby had eaten part of one chicken finger and a few fries. The fingers
were sized for an adult, and I had no idea if what she’d eaten was the proper amount. Ella cut the finger in half and pushed the gnawed-on half, along with a half dozen fries, into a small pile.

  “Okay, but if you don’t eat that much, no popcorn at the movie.”

  I had to look away to hide my smile as Abby glared at her mother before she picked up the piece of chicken and took a bite out of it. She was her mother’s daughter all right. Abby continued to look around, watching the bustle of the wait staff and the other customers as she ate the chicken and all but two of the fries before she declared she was finished.

  Ella seemed satisfied, so I paid. I guess Abby must have still been annoyed with Ella for making her eat because she held her hands out for me to pick her up and carry her. I caught Ella’s gaze as I picked Abby up, her soft and approving smile warming me.

  We hustled across town to where Coco, a kid’s movie about the Land of the Dead was playing. Having no experience with kids, I was more than a little worried about the subject matter, along with its PG rating, but Ella didn’t seem concerned.

  I’d heard of Pixar, of course, but I’d never seen one of their movies. Being a typical guy, I gravitated toward movies with gun fights, fiery explosions, car chases, fisticuffs, and scantily clad women. We settled into our seats, a tub of popcorn in hand, only minutes before the lights went down. I hated coming into a movie after it started, and we’d cut it close. I didn’t care because this was for Abby and Ella, and I wasn’t interested in the movie anyway. When Abby abandoned her seat between us and crawled into my lap so she could see better, Ella moved into her seat and placed her hand on the armrest between us, covering my hand and arm with her own.

  I was prepared to take one for the team and be bored out of my mind, but I was flummoxed by how much I enjoyed the movie. It was vibrant, full of life, and engaging. Abby sat, leaning back into my chest with Theodore tucked under her arm, in rapt stillness as Miguel searched for his great-grandfather.

  On the way home, I wanted to talk to Ella and tell her how much I had enjoyed the evening and her company, but I couldn’t get a word in edgewise as Abby chattered away in the backseat. Ten minutes into the trip I gave up and joined in the conversation. I’d call her later, after Abby was asleep.

  Typical of my luck, Abby began to doze just as we arrived in Hamlinton so I didn’t have enough time to tell Ella everything I wanted to.

  “I had a good time,” I said, keeping it short.

  She sighed and smiled at me. “So did I.”

  “Maybe do it again sometime?”

  “I think I’d like that.”

  “It’s going to get busy pretty soon and—”

  “I know. Don’t worry about it,” she interrupted, laying her hand on my leg in the way she used to. “There’ll be plenty of time after harvest.”

  I pulled to a stop in her drive and switched off her car. I didn’t open my door, and neither did she. She was watching me as if waiting for something. I decided to go for broke. I placed a hand behind her head and gently pulled her to me. She came willingly, and our lips met in a slow, easy kiss. There was heat there, but I didn’t allow it to take me, and she seemed content as our lips slowly parted.

  “That was nice,” she said softly as she drew back.

  “Very,” I agreed.

  “Do you think we can…”

  I drew a finger across her lips when she faltered. “I don’t know. We’ll take it slow and see what happens, okay?”

  “I had a lovely time, Levi,” she murmured after a long pause.

  “So did I. Abby is a delight.”

  Ella smiled and looked down. “She was on her best behavior tonight. I think you still intimidate her a little, and she wanted to go to the movie. Wait until she’s more used to you and you may see a different side of her, but she’s a good girl.”

  “So she’s spirited like her mother?”

  Ella’s gaze returned to mine. “Is that a good thing?”

  “A very good thing.”

  I could sit there for hours, like we once did, but she had Abby to think about. “I should go so you can get someone to bed.” She looked disappointed, but nodded in agreement. Before she could open her door, I pulled her into another quick kiss. “I had a good time, and I’ll call you.”

  She smiled. “So did I, and I hope so.”

  We exited the car, and while Ella unlocked her door, I gently lifted Abby from the car and carried her inside. Inside her trailer, I handed her over to Ella, and while her hands were full, I took the opportunity to steal another quick kiss.

  “I’ll see you around,” I said as I stepped out and shut the door.

  I walked to my truck, my feet barely touching the ground. We were going to have to take it slow, but this was going to work, I could feel it. I could feel Ella’s pull as I once had, that certain something that told you the person you were with was right for you. I hadn’t felt that since I left home. I’d lost her once, but now that I’d found her again, I was going to grab onto her with both hands and never let her go.

  When I reached the outskirts of Hamlinton, I put my foot down, not in anger, but in joy and excitement. It was as if something I didn’t even know I was missing, some piece of me, had been found. I roared through the night, alive like I hadn’t felt in years. I buried the throttle just so I could hear the truck downshift and claw for speed, before lifting with a grin. Goddamn it felt good to be alive again!

  Ella

  I was humming to myself as I pulled parts for the service techs. It was raining again, and all the farmers who came in for parts were nervous. If the rain didn’t let up, and soon, it was going to be too wet to get into the fields to harvest their crops.

  I, on the other hand, couldn’t have been happier. Levi had called me each of the past four nights, just like clockwork, and we’d talked for hours. I hadn’t seen him since our date Saturday, but nevertheless, we were bonding again. It felt wonderful. Our history was still there, buried under years, distance, and mistakes, but we were uncovering it a little at a time. With every bit we uncovered, I would feel better about myself and our chances of getting back what we’d almost lost.

  Not only were we reconnecting, but I wholeheartedly approved of how he treated Abby. I didn’t date a lot, but I’d been out a few times, and sometimes Abby went with us. All the guys were polite to her, but I could tell they were doing so to win my approval. They were being nice to her because they knew they had to be, but there was no warmth from them. Clearly, if given a choice, they’d prefer she wasn’t around. I could understand that, but we were a package deal. They couldn’t have me without her. But Levi was different. He had suggested Abby join us, not reluctantly accepted it, but more than that, he engaged with her. He hadn’t acted like she was a bother. I’d noticed, so had Mom, and apparently, so had Abby.

  Abby had warmed up to him faster than any other guy she’d met. When she’d crawled into his lap at the theater and sat the entire time, his hand on her tiny body as if to protect her, I’d felt a sense of calmness come over me. For the next two hours, I enjoyed watching the movie without worrying about Abby. I knew right where she was, knew she was safe and comfortable, and I didn’t feel guilty for leaving her with Mom and Dad.

  The town gossips were atwitter about our date, and Diane was positively swooning on my behalf. She was spinning a fairytale of how the gallant knight, Sir McCormick, had ridden back into town on his noble steed, a beautifully restored 1969 Chevy pickup, to win back the hand of his beloved, Lady Johnson, and restore her honor. I smiled as I pulled a belt from the shelf and added it to the tote that contained the other parts the tech had requested. It was just a story, but I liked it.

  Having Levi on my side and firmly declaring his support had been like soup to a starving man, or in my case, woman. Every time I talked to him, I gathered strength. I’d done nothing wrong and didn’t deserve to be shamed like I had been. I knew it, my family knew it, and now Levi knew it, and he was the most important person of all.
So let the town gossip; I no longer cared.

  I found it funny that once I no longer cared if people were whispering about me behind by back, all the whispers were generally positive. Everyone liked a good fairytale, and Levi and his family had always been held in high regard about town. Having him come back and stake his claim on me had raised a few eyebrows, but maybe it also made people think. If he was willing to forgive me, or believe me, depending on which set of rumors you listened to, then maybe some of the townspeople were reevaluating their initial assumptions about me.

  I never heard any of the gossip directly. I didn’t before, and I didn’t this time, but now I had source. Diane delighted in keeping me up to date on what was being said, so this time I knew what people were thinking when I caught them casting furtive glances my way. While I didn’t share secrets with her, in exchange for her keeping me in the loop, I’d confirm or deny tidbits of information she had, and she positively relished in having the inside track. It also helped keep the rumors in check. For example, she’d been there when he’d arrived to pick me up at Dolly’s, but I corrected the assumption that Abby hadn’t gone with us and denied we’d slept together.

  She was turning into a trusted ally, and I appreciated the fact she didn’t pry. She’d tell me what she heard, I’d correct bits here and there, and she’d leave it at that. I found it endlessly delightful that even though she only worked on weekends, she’d pop into Dolly’s twice just for a visit and give me a heads up on the gossip. She was turning into the little sister I never had.

  I finished pulling parts, lugged the tote to my computer, and began entering them on the repair ticket. I was returning from delivering the parts to the shop when I heard the counter bell ring. I quickened my step.

  “Hey, Dad.”

  “Morning, punkin. How’re you doing?”

  “Pretty good. What can I do you for?”

  He smiled at my intentionally mangled syntax. “Nothing. I came in to talk to Roger. I got a weird noise coming from the back of the threshing unit. It just started, but if it’s going to be a problem, I want to get it taken care of before I get in the fields.”