The Last Kiss

by Verna Clay

  "Okay. I'll be right there after I stow my briefcase." Walking around the counter and past Mrs. Sniper's desk, Lucinda’s hesitant smile was met with a frown. She sighed and continued to the office assigned to her when she'd arrived on Friday and that, thankfully, was the farthest from Gertrude.

  Two minutes later she knocked lightly on the pane of Ward's door. He gazed up from the computer on his credenza and motioned her in. She sat on an orange plastic chair in front of a desk overflowing with heaps of paper and folders and wondered how he found anything.

  "Well, Lucy, I read the apology article you emailed and I really like it. Other than a couple of suggestions that we'll talk about later, I think it’s ready for the next edition."

  Lucinda almost corrected him for calling her Lucy, but decided to forgo anything that could be deemed chastisement. She needed to be on the best of terms with Ward and everyone else in town if she wanted to return to Harris’ good graces. Perhaps if the town liked her, she could change his opinion, too. "That's wonderful," she responded.

  Ward settled back in his cracked leather chair that squeaked with the effort and reached for a large brown coffee mug that said "Editors do it Write" and gulped a mouthful of tar black liquid; he gulped again and asked, "Now that we got the apology out of the way, are you ready for your first assignment?"

  Lucinda's heart jumped. "Yes, sir. I am."

  "Good. Because Tanner Veterinary Clinic has expanded their hospital and there's a grand opening today that I want you to attend. Take some photos, interview the owners Toby and Preston Tanner, and get the reaction of the townspeople. And be sure to photograph some of the animals. People love animals. Maybe you could even get the story behind one of their rescues. Also, I'm sure Dovie, married to Toby, and Freckles, married to Preston, will be there. Maybe get their reactions, too."

  "You got it, sir."

  Ward leaned forward and said quietly, "Don't worry about Gertrude; she'll come around after she reads your apology."

  Lucinda nodded and stood. When she started to leave, Ward winked and said, "Good to have you on board from such a prestigious paper as The Seattle Daily." Inwardly, she cringed. She knew the main reason she'd been hired by Ward was because he'd been promised a byline in that "prestigious" paper that she was going to quit as soon as her stint in Paxtonville was over.

  Since the ribbon cutting ceremony wasn't until ten, she returned to her office to tidy her desk by rearranging pens and pencils, straightening notepads, and tossing scribbled notes left by the previous occupant. Then she opened her laptop and called up the Tanner Veterinary Clinic website. The home page had a group picture of the employees and close-ups of the Tanner twins. She followed the link on Preston to read his bio and then returned to the home page to follow the link on Toby. Except for their haircuts, with Preston's being longish and Toby's shorter, the men were identical in looks and very handsome. And from the investigation she'd done about the townspeople before arriving in Paxtonville, she knew they were the sons of Sage and Sarah Tanner, Sage being a former world class model, and Sarah a best selling romance novelist. Lucinda was curious about how they'd met. Had it been love at first sight or had they grown into love? She did know, however, that Sage had been a widower with a teenage daughter when they married.

  She returned to the home page and followed other links. The site was professional and yet down-to-earth, and the entire staff's love for animals apparent.

  As for the wives of Toby and Preston, she didn't know anything about them and hoped they would give her interviews at the ceremony.

  At 9:30 Lucinda drove to the parking lot of the animal clinic. She placed her camera strap around her neck, gathered her briefcase with her voice recorder, notepad, cell phone and iPad, and with her heart in her throat headed toward the entrance. The receptionist counter was empty as she stepped inside an average size waiting room. On the wall next to the counter was a huge bulletin board pinned with dozens of photos of animals, cards, and handwritten notes. She perused the board and read some of the heartfelt thank-you notes, then turned and smiled at a really old woman holding an overweight Chihuahua. The dog yipped and the little lady said, "This is Chica. I'm Lulu Fitzpatrick. Do you have a pet?"

  "Ah, no. I'm working for The Paxtonville Weekly and I'm here to cover the ribbon cutting for the hospital expansion."

  The woman reared backward. "Are you that gal who wrote all that garbage about Harris?"

  "Umm…yes…but I've come to Paxtonville to make amends. I really regret–"

  The lady interrupted, "Fannie Levinworth told me that Ward had lost his mind by hiring–"

  The front door opened and two laughing women entered. The elderly woman with the dog said loudly, "Dovie and Freckles, this here is that gal who wrote that awful piece on Harris, and she says she's here to cover the grand opening. What do you have to say about that?"

  The young ladies moved their gazes from Chica's owner to Lucinda. There was a moment of silence before the woman with red hair and zillions of freckles said, "I heard something about you being hired by our local newspaper, but I thought it was only a rumor." She narrowed her gaze. "If you don't mind me asking, why are you here? Haven't you caused enough trouble for the Brightman family?"

  The other lady who walked with the aid of a cane said, "Yes, why are you here? It doesn't make much sense."

  Lucinda garnered what little courage she had and replied, "You may not believe this, but I regret that my story was published and even tried to prevent it, so the reason I'm here is to make amends. I've written a piece that will come out in the next edition of the paper and I hope it makes up for some of the trouble I've caused."

  The expressions of all three women registered surprise but before anyone could respond, the interior waiting room door opened and a man that Lucinda recognized as one of the twins emerged. He seemed oblivious to the friction in the room and said, "Hi honey," as he walked over to the woman with freckles and bent to kiss her cheek. He then leaned down to pet Chica and said to her owner. "Hello Lulu. You're two hours early for your appointment."

  "Hi, Preston. I didn't want to miss the ceremony."

  "Well, thanks for coming, and I'll make sure you're in the front row."

  He moved his gaze to the woman with the cane. "Toby is stringing the ribbon right now and Ward said he's sending a reporter over to cover the cutting."

  The freckled woman motioned toward Lucinda. "And here she is."

  The vet smiled. "Hello. You must be new to Paxtonville. I'm Preston Tanner." He held out his hand.

  Lucinda shook his hand. "Lucinda Bergamot."

  A questioning expression replaced his welcoming one as Lucinda watched him visibly shift puzzle pieces in his mind.

  Freckles said, "Yes, she's the one who wrote that article about Harris."

  Preston glanced from Lucinda to his wife, and back.

  Hastily, Lucinda said, "As I just explained, I'm here to make amends for that article. Before it was published I tried to get it retracted, but…" She shrugged because everyone knew what had happened.

  Preston said, "Does Harris know you're here?"

  "Yes, he does."

  Preston's twin, Toby, walked into the room and the entire scenario was repeated yet again. And then townspeople began showing up and Lucinda could feel animosity being directed toward her as her identity became known. She moved to a corner of the room and hid behind her camera while she snapped pictures of animals with their owners. A young woman called out from behind the reception counter, "Welcome everyone! Sorry I wasn't here sooner. I've been helping get things ready."

  Several people called greetings.

  "Hi, Maudie."

  "Hello Mauds."

  "Hi, girl. Looks like working here agrees with you."

  Maudie acknowledged her greeters with a little wave and said, "Yeah, I like working for my uncles. Are ya'll ready to go outside to the new emergency entrance of our expanded hospital?"

  "Yes!" several people affirmed at the same time.


  Lucinda followed the group to the far end of the building where a crowd had already gathered. Toby and Preston, their wives, and an older couple that Lucinda immediately recognized as Sage and Sarah Tanner, the parents of the twins, stood behind a ribbon stretched across the hospital entrance that had "EMERGENCY" spelled out in red lights above the lintel. Lucinda noticed the parents glance in her direction, study her for a moment, and then return their attention to the ceremony.

  Toby welcomed everyone and introduced Mayor Quigley, who gave a short speech praising the work of Tanner Veterinary Clinic, and then honored the business with a framed certificate proclaiming their excellence in caring for domestic and farm animals. Next, Sage Tanner was called upon to speak and he gave a short address about how his boys had tried to doctor even the mice in the barn while growing up. He got a little choked up when he expressed how proud he was of his sons. Lucinda watched Sarah Tanner dab her eyes.

  After Sage spoke, some of the townspeople gave short remembrances about their beloved pets being treated by the twins, and finally, Toby thanked everyone for their support over the years, and Preston reiterated his words, but also explained some of the additional medical equipment now available in the emergency room and hospital.

  Toby returned to the microphone. "Now it's time for our beautiful wives and mother to cut the ribbon. Dovie, Freckles and Mom, you’re the stars!"

  The women grinned widely as they moved forward and Freckles was handed a huge pair of scissors.

  Lucinda approached the front of the onlookers and positioned her camera. As she did so, she noticed Harris standing off to the side with his parents. Her heart skittered and her hands shook. Toby was speaking again and she knew that if she couldn't get it together, she'd ruin her first assignment with a blurry picture. She inhaled deeply, steadied her hands, reminded herself that she was a reporter who could handle anything, waited for the shot, and took it when the three women stepped to the ribbon, with Freckles actually cutting it. It fell away and she snapped several pictures in succession, but as soon as she'd completed the task she returned to the back of the crowd. Ward had wanted her to interview the twins and their wives, but with the reception she'd received, she decided to forego interviews for now and telephone later asking to speak with the twins.

  For several minutes she watched people congratulate Toby and Preston and their wives, and felt a stab of envy for their obvious happiness and acceptance by the community. Then she moved her gaze to the many animals on leashes that either obeyed their masters or happily disobeyed them. Wonderful chaos and comradery abounded everywhere. She snapped photos of the animals with their owners and purposefully kept her gaze away from Harris and his family. Seeing them made her feel worse than she already did. She snapped a final photo of Chica and wondered if she could get on Mrs. Fitzpatrick's good side if she telephoned her later and asked for a story to write about her dog. It was worth a try.

  When some of the crowd began pointing toward her, she headed for her car. Realistically, she didn't want more confrontations until her apology was printed. She slowed her pace, however, when she saw Harris leaning against her door, and stopped a few feet away from him. Her heart hammered while she waited for him to speak.

  His dark brown eyes darkened even more when he said, "You know, don't you, that you've got some nerve coming to our town with your phony apology. Why are you really here?"

  "I told you before that I want to make amends and whether you believe me or not, I'm here to do just that. Now would you move aside so I can leave?"

  Harris lifted from the car and she stepped to her door, but when she grasped the handle, his hand shot out to cover hers. Electricity, at least for her, traveled from her hand to her heart, and she barely held back a whimper.

  He said, "When your tabloid came out, I was about to leave for Seattle to beg your forgiveness."

  Lucinda's heart jumped and she said while staring at his hand over hers, "Forgiveness for what?"

  "For coming on too strong and scaring you away. But it appears that wasn't the case at all. You disappeared because you had big fish to fry—me and my family."

  Lucinda's eyes watered as she lifted them to Harris' and sadly asserted, "Before I leave Paxtonville, I'll prove to you that I truly am sorry." For an instant, the same as at her duplex, she thought his expression softened, but then it was gone, replaced by disdain.

  "I think not," he replied and walked away.

  Chapter 7: Payments

  Two days after hearing Justin's solution, Phoenix found herself standing beside him in the barista section of the coffee shop and learning the drink specialties.

  He instructed, "And the secret to the Razzle-Dazzle is butter rum flavoring and sweet cream, but Peggy Suzette always wants nonfat milk. He finished the drink and called out, "Peggy Suzette!" After the middle-aged lady with a 1960s bouffant hairstyle picked up her drink, he said, "Here's another order for the same, but with sweet cream. Are you ready to take the reins?"

  Take the reins? "Okay." Phoenix followed his instructions as he walked her through the process and within minutes had created a perfect Razzle-Dazzle for Peggy Suzette's friend.

  Justin smiled. "You're a natural."

  Although his words were meant as a compliment, they grated on her nerves. She didn't want to be a "natural" barista. She wanted to be a "natural" successful business woman.

  Justin said, "Why don't you take a break?"

  "Okay. The day is so beautiful, I'll sit outside."

  He added, "Drinks are free to employees, so don't be shy about ordering something."

  "Great. Maybe I'll try a Razzle-Dazzle with all the calories."

  Giving her one of his gorgeous smiles, he replied, "I'll bring it to you."

  "Thanks." Phoenix slipped off her apron, smiled at Tilly who was running the cash register, and walked into the main room of scattered tables and several klatches of patrons of every age. A table of teen boys and girls were laughing and planning a day at the lake, and a group of white-haired ladies were giggling at something one of them was reading aloud. A couple of cowboys waited in line and three old men dressed in coveralls entered the coffee shop as she stepped outside into a gorgeous sunny day. It was the perfect day for traveling and sightseeing, something she wouldn't be doing anytime soon. She sighed and sat at the table farthest from the door, inhaled the fragrant aroma of coffee wafting from a table of ladies, and was surprised at how easily she was adapting to this sudden change in her life.

  When Justin had offered a solution to her crisis, he'd outlined something crazy, but workable. He'd suggested that if she made her down payment of $1,200 on the Toyota, she could basically put it on layaway and pay it out in payments earned from working at Dixie's Cuppa Joe. He'd said that since they were hiring summer help and she was experienced, he could offer her a job, and by the end of summer her car would be paid off. But when she'd expressed concern about Burley agreeing to something like that, he'd grinned and said, "I can talk him into it."

  Everything Justin had said sounded reasonable, but that didn’t solve her housing dilemma. Renting a place would take most, if not all, of what she earned, so paying the car off would be impossible. When she'd mentioned as much, he'd said, "I have a solution for that too."

  Frowning, she'd asked, "What's that?"

  "I have an extra bedroom in my apartment that you can use, and if you help with the household chores and pay the electric bill, which is minimal, I won't charge you rent."

  Phoenix's first thought had been, Help with the chores? Who talks like that? Then she'd remembered he was from Texas. Her next thought was, Is he suggesting something inappropriate? Her expression must have conveyed her unease because he'd lifted his hands in the air and declared, "Look, I just want to help you. I'm not suggesting any hanky panky. You seem like a nice person who needs a break. And I can give you all the character references you want."

  Hanky panky? Seriously? Phoenix had then studied the guy's expression; especially his dreamy s
ky blue eyes, and believed him. However, she'd replied, "Let me think about it?"

  Justin had nodded, grinned, and said, "I better get back to work, and just so you know, I leave in two hours and I won't be back until tomorrow."

  After that, Phoenix had left the coffee shop pulling her suitcase behind her and continued toward the bus stop, mulling over his offer. He appeared to be a nice guy and he'd been well liked by Grady and Burley. He'd told the truth about his job, and the employees obviously liked him, as did the customers. And he'd said he would give her references.

  After an hour at the bus stop with continual glances at her watch, she'd decided that if she wanted the job, she had just enough time to return to Dixie's Cuppa Joe before he left. She'd weighed her options once again and the best solution had been, well, Justin's solution. Making her final decision, she'd clasped the handle of her suitcase and hurried back to the coffee shop.

  When she'd entered, Justin had been delivering a drink to a table and looked up. His heartwarming smile had lodged in her heart, but she'd shelved her attraction to a guy who seemed to have no desire to better himself. She refused to be attracted to losers—nice or not.

  Now, musing over her good fortune and enjoying the sunshine warming her closed eyes, Phoenix was so lost in thought that she was startled when Justin set her drink on the table and said, "Enjoy," before hurrying back to work.

  Phoenix sipped her Razzle-Dazzle and moaned. It was the best coffee drink she'd ever tasted. It was smooth and icy cold, sweet with a burst of butter rum. She took another sip and listened to the conversation of a group of ladies one table over.

  A plump woman who was probably in her late sixties or early seventies said, "I saw her at the ribbon cutting ceremony and she actually looked like a very nice person. Rumor has it that she's writing an apology that will appear in the next edition of our newspaper. And if you ask me, it takes guts to face a whole town after that stunt she pulled on Harris."

  Another lady in the group, probably in her fifties and really pretty said, "Sarah, did you see Harris at the ceremony?"