The Last Kiss

by Verna Clay

  Smiling widely, the counselor replied, "Most definitely. There's also a sealed envelope that I'm supposed to give you."

  By the time Phoenix left Mrs. Duarte's office her head was whirling. She hurried to her car for privacy and stared at the envelope. Her hands shook when she tore it open.

  Phoenix,

  Although we parted on sad terms, I want you to know that I admire your tenacity and courage to pursue what you believe. And because of that, I want to gift you with the funds to achieve your dreams. This past summer was the best of my life and this gift is minuscule by comparison. Don't even think about rejecting it or paying it back.

  Justin.

  Chapter 26: Laramie

  About fifteen miles southwest of Big Spring, Texas, Harris took the off ramp and stretched his aching back. He'd been driving for ten hours. His decision to visit his birthfather had been made on a whim, and although he occasionally talked with Larry on the phone, he hadn't seen him since Lucinda's tabloid article in The Seattle Daily had come out. But now, months later, he had an overwhelming desire to visit the man who had become his friend.

  Within an hour of leaving the highway following the directions on his GPS, he reached the gate of Texas T-Bone Ranch. Driving his truck through the entrance he was impressed by the spread, and the farther he followed the winding gravel road through vast acreage, the more impressed he became. The fencing wasn't in need of mending, nor were the holding pens or feed troughs. The operation was obviously well managed and it brought to mind the ranch he wanted to purchase in Colorado; which also brought to mind the woman who would have been co-owner with him.

  It had been three weeks since he'd castigated Lucinda for her deviousness, and he'd stubbornly refused to tell his family the reason for the breakup. The fierceness of his anger surprised even him. He would not forgive Lucinda again. Two weeks earlier his mother had informed him that she'd left Paxtonville.

  He reached a huge barn and saw the two story main house beyond that. Pulling to the front of the barn, he jumped from his truck, stretched the kinks out of his back and legs, and then walked toward a lanky cowboy exiting the barn. The middle-aged, leather-faced man called out, "Howdy. How can I help you?"

  "I'm looking for Laramie Walker." Saying his birthfather's real name, which Larry had returned to using after the raucous created by Lucinda, felt strange.

  The cowboy replied, "Oh, heck, you're Harris Brightman." He thrust out his hand. "It's an honor meeting you. I did a little rodeoing back in the day, and I think you're an amazing rider."

  "Thanks."

  "By the way, my name is Chuck Waters."

  Harris shook the man's hand. "Nice to meet you Chuck. Call me Harris."

  "My pleasure, sir." He motioned toward the barn. "Last I saw of Larry he was repairing saddles. Come on, I'll take you to him."

  As Harris followed Chuck through the barn to the tack room, he was again impressed by the operation. The tack room was near the rear exit and Chuck entered first. "Hey, Larry, you got a visitor."

  Harris stepped into the small room as Larry glanced up from sewing a saddle. His birthfather grinned and set his needle aside before jumping to his feet and hurrying over to hug Harris. Harris returned his hug and suddenly felt choked up. He'd really missed Larry.

  Larry stepped back and blinked a couple of times, "It's good to see you, Harris." He shifted his gaze to Chuck. "Another day and the saddles will be in working order, boss."

  "Thanks, Larry." Chuck glanced between the men. "Ah, well, I'll leave ya'll to catch up. And if you need some time off, Larry, don't worry about it. You do the work of two men." He tipped his hat and left the room.

  Harris walked to the saddle that Larry was repairing, gave it a once over, and said, "You do good work."

  "Thanks, Harris."

  Harris could feel Larry studying him and was grateful when he said, "Hey, let's saddle up and I'll take you on a tour of the ranch."

  That idea appealed to Harris more so than dancing around words. He wanted to spill his guts, but not yet.

  The day was only slightly cool with the few trees on the property morphing into their fall colors of orange and red beneath white clouds skimming a blue sky. Their horses were strong and able as they sometimes walked, occasionally cantered, and finally raced them across wide grassy fields that were now brown. Eventually, Larry led Harris to a river of whitecaps and they dismounted. Larry picked up a small stone and tossed it into the raging current before saying, "This is my favorite hangout. I come here whenever I need to clear my head."

  "It's beautiful, Larry."

  Larry sat on a boulder and tossed another stone. "So, Harris, you look like you need to clear your head. What's up?"

  Harris squatted and sifted water through his fingers. It was muddy like his heart. Finally, staring into the rapids he said, "Lucinda and I got back together, but she betrayed me again and I told her to get out of my life forever." He then delved into the events of the past summer, and by the time he'd finished, he had moved to sit on a fallen tree. "And that's where I am now."

  There was a moment of silence and then Larry responded, "So, have you come to seek my advice?"

  Although Harris could have taken umbrage at Larry's bluntness, he knew it was part and parcel of the man's personality, so he just shrugged. "I don't know exactly why I came. Partly, it's because I miss you. Partly, because I needed to get away." He shifted his gaze from the river to Larry.

  Larry nodded, slightly smiled, and responded, "I've missed you, too, Harris. But I think the main reason you're here is for my advice. I also think you know what that advice will be."

  Harris frowned. "How would I know that?"

  "Come on, Harris, you're in love with Lucinda and you want me to tell you to go after her and get to the bottom of this misunderstanding."

  "What do you mean misunderstanding? She misled me again in order to get access to Paxtonville's famous residents. And I played right into her game. Who knows what she's going to reveal in her next exposé."

  "Have you seen anything in print?"

  "No, but–"

  "You said she told you she was quitting the Seattle newspaper."

  "Another lie."

  "How do you know? Have you called them?"

  "No. But even if she did quit, it doesn't negate the issue of her fraudulent behavior."

  "Sure it does. It proves her innocence. It proves that she really did come to Paxtonville to apologize and make amends. But you're so wrapped up in your anger and hurt that you can't see the truth, even when it's staring you in the face."

  Harris felt his temper flare. Lucinda had betrayed him. Period.

  Larry reached into his vest pocket and retrieved his cell phone.

  "What are you doing?"

  "Looking up the number for The Seattle Daily."

  "Why?"

  Larry gave Harris a look that conveyed how dense he considered him to be, and said, "Get your cell phone and call this number."

  Harris worked his jaw but reached for his phone. He dialed the number Larry called out and blew a breath when it started to ring. After going through the automated answering system, a real person came on the line and Harris said, "You have a reporter named Lucinda Bergamot working for you. I'd like to speak with her."

  "Lucinda no longer works here. Can I direct you to someone else?"

  Harris stared at his boots. "I'd like to speak with the editor-in-chief. Please tell him Harris Brightman is calling."

  The man must have recognized Harris' name because he didn't argue. "Yes, sir. Just a moment."

  Harris dug the heel of his boot into the soft soil of the riverbank, refusing to look at Larry. Finally, a raspy voice said loudly, "Harris Brightman, this is Barry Lombard, editor-in-chief. To what do I owe this call?"

  "I understand Lucinda Bergamot no longer works for you."

  "That's right. Why do you ask?"

  "Because I'm wondering why she's no longer employed by your prestigious paper," he replied with con
tempt dripping from the question.

  "She no longer works here because I fired her ass!"

  Harris chose his words carefully. "Don't you mean she quit after refusing to complete her last assignment?"

  There was silence and then a snort. "I wonder why you want to know. Hmm?" He gave another snort. "If the two of you had a fling, now that would go a long ways in explaining things." He paused. "Is there something you want to admit to?"

  Harris had heard enough. "The only thing I'll admit to is that your paper is fake news–"

  Barry Lombard interrupted, "But we sell papers–"

  "At the expense of others."

  "Casualties of war."

  "What war? Are you waging a war against innocent people?"

  The editor chuckled. "We're waging war against twitter, facebook, YouTube, and all the fly-by-night sites populating the internet; against the fucking idiots who think they're journalists because they suddenly have a platform."

  Harris was stunned. "Are you telling me that's why you've forsaken journalism?"

  "Truth is in the eye of the beholder."

  "That's ridiculous. A newspaper shouldn't report falsehoods for the sake of popularity."

  The editor chuckled again. "So why are you complaining? Lucinda never reported falsehoods…" His voice trailed and then he returned with the punch line, "Even when it was about you."

  Harris didn't respond.

  The editor said in his harsh, thug voice, "It's obvious you care about her, so why don't you just go find the girl, marry her, have a bunch of kids, and live happily-ever-after. And since you're both so worried about journalistic integrity, start your own newspaper." The jerk laughed uproariously and ended the call.

  Harris pocketed his phone.

  "What? What?" Larry questioned.

  Shaking his head, Harris said, "That was one of the weirdest calls I've ever been on." He adjusted his Stetson. "I've got to find Lucinda."

  Chapter 27: Mom's Place

  Harris pulled his vintage truck to the front of the small cottage belonging to Lucinda’s mother and calmed his rapid breathing. He prayed she was there. The previous day, after leaving Larry, he’d called her phone number, but gotten a disconnected recording with no forwarding number. After that he’d called his brother Eli and asked him to find Lucinda’s address and emergency contact info. He’d then called the manager of her apartment complex in Seattle and learned that she’d sublet her place. His next option was to contact her mother from the information on her emergency card, but rather than do so, he'd stayed the night in Big Spring and risen before dawn to drive to Albuquerque, New Mexico. If she was there, his chance for redemption—or downfall—was at hand.

  Lucinda was making her bed when there was a knock on her door and her mother called, "Can I come in?"

  "Of course, Mom."

  "Are you dressed?"

  It was a strange question coming from her mother. "Yes. Why do you ask?" She reached to fluff her pillows and heard the door open. When her mother didn’t respond, Lucinda was baffled. Straightening, she turned around to see what the heck was going on.

  "Hello, Lucinda," said Harris, standing behind her mother.

  She gasped and took a step backward, bumping into the bed.

  "May I come in?"

  She glanced at her mother and wanted to scream, Why didn’t you warn me?

  Her mom said rapidly, "I was just on my way out to do some shopping. I’ll be back in an hour."

  Helpless, Lucinda watched her mother's retreat and couldn’t bring herself to meet Harris's gaze.

  "I have something I need to say to you," he said in a voice that cracked.

  She shifted her gaze to his. "We’ve already said everything. There’s no way to put this genie back in the bottle. I betrayed you twice and you have every right to hate me. So, whatever you have to say, it’s useless."

  Harris studied her face for so long that she glanced away, but then he said something that caused her to jerk her eyes back to his.

  "I love you, Lucinda. And I’m asking you to forgive me. I’ve acted like a tyrant and bullied you when I should have listened to you. You’re a woman with amazing character. You tried to stop the printing of the first article, and when that failed, you came to Paxtonville despite my anger and the town's anger, and asked for forgiveness. You also defied your editor in Seattle and quit." He took a step into the bedroom. "And if you don’t give me another chance, I’ll die of a broken heart."

  Lucinda’s eyes clouded and she had to remove her glasses because of tears. "I don’t deserve you, Harris," she choked out.

  In an instant Harris was standing in front of her and said without touching her, "You’re the best thing that's ever happened to me. Please give me another chance. I promise I won't let you down."

  Gazing up into his sorrowful chestnut eyes was more than Lucinda could bear and her heart must have shown through her eyes, because Harris heaved a long sigh and slowly pulled her into his arms. He kissed the top of her head and breathed, "Thank you." Then he was kissing her tears away.

  Chapter 28: Grad Day

  The president of the university said into the microphone, "Phoenix Phillips," and she started across the outdoor platform to receive her diploma. Smiling, she shook hands with the president and continued offstage to sit in the section reserved for graduates. Her heart thumped as she scanned the crowd. She knew her family wasn't there because they were arriving that weekend to congratulate her, but was Justin in the audience? She’d sent him an invitation with an RSVP and he’d returned it indicating he wouldn't miss the event. She didn’t see him. She did, however, spot Harris and Lucinda Brightman sitting near the front. Lucinda waved and Phoenix waved back. Because of school finals she'd been unable to attend their May wedding at the ranch that would soon be theirs, but she'd splurged on a wedding gift of several expensive photo frames for their wedding pictures. And although Phoenix wasn’t a rodeo fan, she’d kept track of Harris’ comeback. According to the sportswriters, he was performing well, although not at the same level as before his accident. However, his fans didn’t seem to care. He was one of the most popular cowboys on the circuit and spokesperson for a famous western clothing line. He was also a coveted keynote speaker for a variety of events, including fairs, festivals, and community gatherings, and judging by Lucinda's emails, the newlyweds' happiness was off the charts.

  Phoenix scanned the crowd again before taking her seat. Where is he? The ceremony was long and she squirmed in her chair, occasionally turning to search for Justin. Finally, the keynote speaker finished her address and the long observance was over. Rushing toward Lucinda and Harris, she greeted them with hugs, exclaiming, "Congratulations! You both look so happy! I wish I could have been at the wedding."

  Lucinda beamed. "We missed you, but congratulations to you, too!"

  "Thank you." Phoenix's gaze strayed toward the crowd. "Have you seen Justin? He said he was coming."

  "No. We haven’t seen him," Harris responded.

  "Oh, well, I guess something came up." She tried to hide her disappointment.

  Harris said, "What are your plans? Can we treat you to a celebration dinner?"

  Stifling tears, she replied, "I don’t have any plans, so I’d love to have dinner with you?"

  "Can we drive you to your apartment?" asked Harris.

  "With this crowd that would probably be best. You can bring me back to my car after we eat." She forced a grin and locked elbows with Lucinda as they walked. "And I can't wait to hear all about your wedding."

  "Thank you for the photo frames," said Lucinda and began describing her wedding. "We said our vows in the lovely backyard of the ranch because Willa Montgomery has the most amazing green thumb. Spring flowers were in full bloom and–"

  Harris interrupted, "Well, look over there!"

  Phoenix glanced in the direction he indicated and saw a man leaning against a light post in the parking lot. Her heart slammed her chest—Justin. He lifted away from the post, started
toward them, and his smile did crazy things to her heart. Vaguely, she was aware of Lucinda making a suggestion. "How about Harris and I meet up with you later. That way you and Justin can spend time together? We'll call you."

  Phoenix couldn’t remove her gaze from Justin’s face. "Okay," she replied absentmindedly.

  Harris called out, "Howdy, Justin."

  Justin reached them. "Howdy, Harris, Lucinda. Hi, Phoenix. Sorry I'm late. My plane was delayed and then the rental car company's computer went down." The men shook hands and Justin bent to kiss Lucinda’s cheek. Then he returned his gaze to Phoenix.

  Breathless, she said, "I’m just happy you're here."

  He flashed his gorgeous smile and Phoenix lost her breath. His smile widened and he said, "I’m so proud of you."

  Harris said, "Why don't you and Lucinda spend some time together and we'll all meet up later for dinner?"

  Justin shifted his gaze away from Phoenix. "That sounds great."

  From the corner of her eye, Phoenix saw Lucinda tug Harris' hand. "Come on, honey, let’s check out Fresno. I’ve never been here before."

  Harris grinned at his wife. "Anything for my beautiful bride."

  The newlyweds bid them goodbye and finally Phoenix was alone with Justin. Now she just needed to convince him that she’d found a way for them to be together…and hope he agreed.

  Chapter 29: Yes or No?

  "Would you like to see my apartment?" Phoenix asked as she and Justin watched Lucinda and Harris walk away.

  "I’d love too," he replied in his sexy voice that made her want to jump into his arms.

  "Great. Where's your car parked?"

  He motioned. "Just over there."

  "Why don’t we take your car and then you can bring me back to mine later?"

  "Good idea."

  Because of the traffic it took longer leaving the parking lot than driving to Phoenix’s apartment, so they passed the time by catching up on her senior year and the happenings in Paxtonville. By the time they pulled into her parking stall, she was frazzled with worry about how Justin would react to her plan. He followed her upstairs to the second floor and when she tried to unlock her door, she dropped her keychain because her hands were trembling. Justin quickly retrieved it. "I’ll open the door."