The Last Kiss

by Verna Clay

  "Ah, well… Okay, let me try the jalapeño since it's the favorite."

  Samantha picked the candy up with tongs, tucked it into a wrapper and handed it to Lucinda. Then she rang up the sale. Lucinda stepped aside and waited for her strawberry iced tea to be made by a woman she had seen before, but hadn't met. When the barista called out her name, Lucinda smiled and said as she reached for it, "Like the cup says, my name is Lucinda. I'm new in town."

  The young woman grinned. "I'm new myself. Only been here a couple of weeks." And although she wore a nameplate, she said, "I'm Phoenix Phillips. Nice to meet you."

  "Likewise." Lucinda started to turn away, but paused. "Maybe we could get together sometime."

  "Sure."

  Again, she started to walk away but turned when Phoenix said, "Hey, my shift is over in five minutes. If you're still here, I'll buy you a scone."

  Lucinda considered the offer and accepted. It would be refreshing to talk to someone who didn't know her background, unless, of course, she'd heard the rumors or read the paper. "You know, that sounds nice. But you don't have to buy me anything." She lifted her candy bag. "I've garnered my courage to try a Jalapeño ChocoDrop."

  Phoenix chuckled. "I finally did, too. And they're really tasty. I've tried all of them except for the rhubarb one."

  "Would you like to sit outside?" asked Lucinda.

  "Yeah. I'll see you in a few minutes."

  When Phoenix joined her she was carrying a cup and two scones. She set one in front of Lucinda and said, "I love black coffee with pastries, and these peach scones are fabulous."

  Lucinda grinned. "Everything I've tried here has been wonderful. Thanks for the scone. I'll save my ChocoDrop for later."

  Phoenix settled into her chair, sipped her coffee, and nibbled her pastry before saying. "I'm from California and I'll be working in Paxtonville until the end of August."

  "I moved here from Seattle when I got a job with the local newspaper," Lucinda offered.

  Phoenix then described her vehicle debacle and how the coffeehouse manager had miraculously helped her. She ended by saying, "And I don't know how he did it, but Justin, sweetheart that he is, got Burley to release the car to me as long as I stay in Paxtonville until it's paid off. So, after that, I'll be returning to Fresno and school."

  Lucinda debated with herself, but finally decided to confide her own story and finished with, "I'm hoping to make amends for my terrible mistake."

  After swallowing a bite of pastry, Phoenix said, "Wow! I'd say that's going above and beyond the call of duty. Shouldn't rodeo stars know they're fair game?"

  Lucinda frowned. "I suppose that may be true for the tabloids, but my story shouldn't have dipped into tabloid territory. It was classless of me."

  Phoenix shrugged. "I guess it could be construed that way." Both women finished their drinks and Phoenix asked, "Were you offered a promotion because of your investigative work?"

  "Sort of, but I refused it, of course." Lucinda didn't want to explain more and changed the subject. "I heard there's a new movie with Matthew McConaughey coming out Friday. I was planning to see it; would you like to join me?"

  "I'd love to. I can't go on Friday or Saturday, but I'm free on Sunday." Phoenix reached into her pocket for her cell phone. "Let's exchange phone numbers."

  Chapter 11: Chick Flick

  Lucinda asked Phoenix where she wanted to sit and her new friend said, "I usually sit in the top row, but wherever you want is fine."

  "I like the top row, too."

  With Phoenix carrying a large popcorn and Lucinda large cokes, they settled into their seats five minutes before show time. Setting their drinks in the cup holders, it was decided that Phoenix would keep the shared popcorn on her lap. Lucinda reached into her purse and pulled out a small sack. "I'm hooked on the ChocoDrops. I got one for each of us. Would you like carrot or kale?"

  "I love the carrot ones."

  Placing the sack in the empty drink holder between them, Lucinda said, "Help yourself when you're ready." She glanced around the theater. "Considering the number of moviegoers, either the movie is a dud or people aren't into romance stories."

  "I love great romance movies," Phoenix confided as she munched on popcorn, and then changed the subject. "Justin, the guy I'm staying with, is really a riddle. He's like this super smart man and gets these physics journals in the mail, but he says he's perfectly happy being a barista. He's over thirty and it boggles my mind that he doesn't want more from life."

  Reaching for some popcorn, Lucinda replied, "If he's happy, what difference does it make?"

  "I guess it doesn't really make a difference to him, but it drives me crazy. Since childhood I've wanted to better myself…you know, reach for the stars, and all that. Maybe I'm an overachiever, but it seems to me that he could do more with his life." She sighed and said, "I wish I knew more about him, but he always changes the subject whenever I ask specifics about his past."

  The theater lights dimmed and Lucinda whispered, "Maybe he's hiding something." She'd said the words in jest, but Phoenix replied, "I didn't think about that…hmm."

  As it turned out several late arrivers showed up and the movie was excellent. Both Lucinda and Phoenix were dabbing tears when it ended. Phoenix sniffed and said, "Wouldn't it be amazing to find a love so eternal that you'd give up everything for that person."

  A vision of Harris popped into Lucinda's mind and she dabbed more tears. "Yes, it would."

  After the movie Phoenix bid Lucinda goodbye and returned to Justin's apartment. Pulling under a covered parking stall she scanned the lot for his car. It wasn't there, which was surprising, since he was such a homebody when he wasn't working. It was only ten to ten, and she wondered if he was on a date. After moving into his apartment she'd met some of his friends, but he didn't seem to have a girlfriend. For reasons she refused to examine she didn't like the thought of him being in a relationship.

  She unlocked the apartment and headed for her bedroom to change into pajamas. Stretching across her bed she reached for a magazine on the nightstand. Soon, however, she became restless and hungry and decided to raid the kitchen. Because Justin really liked raw vegetables, as did she, she loaded a bowl with baby carrots, broccoli, celery, and grape tomatoes. Into another bowl she spooned humus.

  On her way back to her room she spotted one of Justin's egghead journals, Theoretical Science, and shook her head. But on a whim she lifted it and took it with her. Settling back on her bed with her goodies, she tossed aside Cosmopolitan and opened the journal. The contents were clearly written for intellectuals and she huffed a breath. After scanning a few pages, she decided Cosmopolitan was much more interesting and pitched the journal to the foot of her bed, but when she did, a paper slipped out. Retrieving the folded page she started to slip it back inside the journal, but paused and opened it.

  Justin,

  As always, I find your equations to be quite brilliant and I have earmarked a page of this journal for your perusal. What do you think about Dr. Statterhouse's conclusions? I will reserve my own conclusions until I hear yours.

  Ben

  Phoenix moved her gaze to the paper's letterhead.

  PROFESSOR BENJAMIN CHOW

  HEAD OF THEORETICAL PHYSICS, MIT

  Phoenix reread the note and then turned to the "earmarked" page. It was titled Nonlinear Equations for the Big Bang. Her eyes widened as she began reading the technical language. It was way over her head.

  She jumped when she heard a car door slam. Was Justin home? Running to the living room she returned the journal to where she'd found it and rushed back to her room.

  Just in time, she softly closed her door as Justin opened the front door. Leaning against the frame her heart pounded not only because she'd almost been caught being nosey, but because Justin was hiding something. Why else would he correspond with the head of theoretical physics at such a prestigious university, yet pretend he was just a barista?

  She returned to bed and reached for her cell ph
one. It was time for some investigation. She called up Google and entered Professor Benjamin Chow's name. As it turned out, the professor was 74 years old and considered to be one of the most brilliant men in his field. Next, she typed Justin's name into the search engine and found nothing.

  Lying back against her pillows she mused, Who are you Justin Blake?

  Chapter 12: More Friends?

  Harris chopped the last of the firewood at Eli's place, stacked it, tidied the shed when he put the axe away, and decided it was time to return home. He'd spent several days at his brother and sister-in-law's cabin and often thought how nice it would be to have someone to share his life with. Before long he'd turn thirty. He hadn't had much of a hankering to settle down, but seeing how happy his brother was with Angel and the happiness of his married friends, he'd started feeling lonely.

  For a moment he envisioned carrying a bride over the threshold of the ranch he intended to purchase; that is, if he could make enough of a rodeo comeback to earn the remainder of the down payment through endorsements. Of course his father had offered to give him the money, but he'd wanted to pay his own way in life and earn this ranch through his own labor. The land was everything he'd dreamed of with almost two thousand acres of meadows, forests, and large pastures for the livestock he would raise. The residence was a rambling 1960s ranch style farmhouse with four bedrooms that had been modernized five years earlier. It was the kind of home a gal would fall in love with—after she'd fallen in love with him, of course.

  Images of Lucinda flashed across his mind and he balled his fists. He'd been crazy about her while she traveled the rodeo circuit with him, ostensibly writing a nice article about one of rodeo's finest. But her betrayal of his family, more so than him, had put her on his "hate" list—a list with only her name on it.

  Ascending the stairs to the massive deck of the cabin, he paused long enough to enjoy the incredible vista of pines and mountain peaks, and then entered the cabin to gather his things. It was time to return to reality.

  Lucinda entered Dixie's Cuppa Joe and still couldn't believe she was meeting Tooty and her friends. She was so nervous her body was shaking.

  The previous evening Tooty had called and said that she and her girlfriends got together a couple of times a month at Dixie's Cuppa Joe, and wanted to know if Lucinda would join them. Lucinda had been shocked speechless and Tooty had said, "Lucinda, are you there?"

  "Ah, yes. Yes, ma'am. This is just so unexpected after what I did to you."

  Tooty chuckled. "Honey, there's this little thing called forgiveness, and when appropriate, I exercise it. So, do you want to join us?"

  A weight had lifted off Lucinda's heart and she'd replied, "Yes. Very much."

  "Good. I'll see you at ten."

  Now, with her heart in her throat, Lucinda spotted the group of women and felt even more nervous. She counted ten ladies, ranging from young to mature, and recognized some of them.

  Tooty saw her and waved.

  Lucinda inhaled deeply and walked over to three tables that had been pushed together. Cecelia was sitting with the group and said, "Drinks are on the house. What would you like?"

  "Thank you. A house coffee would be great?"

  Cecelia grinned. "Seems that I remember you like our Mocha Madness. How about one of those?"

  "Oh. Okay."

  Cecelia called out to the barista, "Justin, one Mocha Madness."

  He grinned at his boss. "You got it."

  Lucinda scanned the counter and didn't see Phoenix. She had enjoyed forming a friendship with the young woman and looked forward to getting together again.

  Two of the women at the table scooted their chairs over to make room for Lucinda, and as soon as she sat down, Tooty began making introductions. She pointed to each woman in turn. "Of course, you know Cecelia, but I'm not sure if you know her daughter, Goldie."

  A woman with pale blond hair, pale skin and strikingly pale blue eyes, who was either in her late teens or early twenties, nodded and smiled at Lucinda. Lucinda had seen her in the coffee shop before and knew she walked with leg braces, but she hadn't known she was Cecelia's daughter.

  Tooty then continued around the table introducing Sarah Tanner, Ann Martinez, Monica Branigan, Freckles Tanner, Julie Hackstetter, Dovie Tanner, and to Lucinda's shock, songwriter Tessa Barfield. Tessa and her husband had co-written several hit songs that Lucinda loved.

  In her mind, she began piecing the group together. Freckles and Dovie, who had given her a cool reception at the ribbon cutting ceremony, were married to Preston and Toby Tanner; Julie was Sarah's stepdaughter and married to Ann's son, Jacob Hackstetter. Tessa was Monica's stepdaughter and married to Cecelia's famous stepson, Sean Barfield. After that her mind went into overload.

  With the introductions made, the conversation turned to the upcoming Annual Fourth of July Community Celebration that had been a local event for decades and Tooty asked, "Lucinda, will you be covering the celebration for the newspaper? There are bake sales, a parade, live bands, crafters, and lots of activities for the children. It's a favorite holiday that most of the town turns out for."

  "Yes. Ward asked me if I would and I'm really looking forward to it."

  "Excellent," said Monica and then laughed. "My first summer in Paxtonville I was hired as a nanny for Tessa and housekeeper for her father, Dirk; and being a native of New York, I'd never attended anything like it." She grinned. "And Dirk, whom I would later marry, was the King of the parade." She reached a hand and patted Tessa's. "Tessa was only ten and had to help me find cowgirl attire because I'd never worn anything cowgirl in my life."

  Tessa smiled at her stepmother. "And you were the prettiest cowgirl there."

  The affection between Tessa and Monica was obvious and it warmed Lucinda's heart. It also made her miss her own mother. Although they talked on the phone every week, they only saw each other at Christmas now that her mom lived in New Mexico.

  Ann said to the group, "Molly sends her love." Then she explained to Lucinda, "Molly is my grandmother and she's 101. She usually meets with us, but she's a member of a bingo club that's bused to Las Vegas every year for the championships. She'll be back in a few days."

  For the next hour Lucinda politely answered questions about herself and listened to the women discuss their own lives. Freckles had a toddler named Gus and was expecting another child in December. Dovie had a baby named Faith, and Julie explained that her daughter, Missy, was babysitting the children so Dovie and Freckles could catch a break.

  Sarah got everyone's attention when she said Sage received a call from Livingston Fashions to do some runway modeling in Paris. "Can you believe it? He's sixty-six and still in demand."

  "Is he going to do it?" asked Monica.

  "He wasn't. But I finally convinced him that he should. I told him, 'If you've still got it, then flaunt it'." She became introspective. "Most people only see a handsome man and don't realize how caring and generous he is. He could look like a toad and it wouldn't change how I feel about him. I love that man and we've had a wonderful life." She lifted a finger to dab her eye. "And it makes me so happy that my children have the same love with their spouses." Julie, sitting next to Sarah, gave her stepmother a quick hug, and Dovie and Freckles told her how much they loved her.

  Julie turned to Lucinda. "I don't know if you know this, but my sister Hannah met an English doctor while working in a third world country and married him. And he's actually the Earl of Alderbury. So Hannah is now a Lady of nobility."

  Lucinda replied, "While traveling the circuit, I remember Harris flying from Albuquerque to attend their wedding."

  Tooty, who had been quiet during most of the visit, suddenly smiled. "Speaking of Harris, look who just arrived."

  Lucinda had her back to the door and wanted to melt into the floor. She wasn't ready to see Harris again. Tooty waved and called out, "Hi, son. I see you got my text message to join us."

  Lucinda heard footsteps behind her and then a deep voice that was always a
little scratchy. "Hi, Mom. Ladies."

  "Pull a chair over and sit for awhile," said Cecelia. She called out, "Tilly, bring Harris a coffee, please."

  A chair scraped and Harris came into Lucinda's line of vision. Julie scooted over so he could sit beside his mother. "I can only stay a few minutes," he said and turned his gaze on Lucinda.

  "How was the cabin?" asked Tooty.

  "As beautiful as ever." He was still staring at Lucinda when he said, "But you know how looks can deceive. Eli's got some issues with the cabin he'll need to take care of." He returned his gaze to his mother. "But I chopped enough wood to last through two winters."

  Tilly set a tall coffee in front of Harris and he thanked her. He then politely inquired about happenings in the ladies lives.

  Monica said, "Rumor has it that Rhonda Lavinsky may be chosen Queen of the Fourth of July parade this year."

  Tooty said, "Harris, wouldn't it be nice if your ex-girlfriend was chosen? Maybe you should give her a call. She's always asking about you."

  Harris shifted his gaze from his mother to Lucinda. "Maybe I will. She's a faithful friend."

  Obviously, his response wasn't what Tooty had expected because she frowned. Then she smiled and said, "You never know what life has in store, isn't that right Lucinda. Would you have ever believed that you'd be working for our local newspaper?"

  "No. Never."

  Tooty gazed at Harris. "Just when you have your life planned perfectly, things can drastically change. You may even fall in love with the person you least expect." She grinned. "Of course, I'm talking about me and Miles. We reached a point that any relationship seemed impossible, but look at us now. We have five children and hopefully many grandchildren in our future."