High Stakes

by Bonnie Bryant

  And let’s not kid ourselves here, Lisa thought, tucking the sweatshirt under her arm and heading for the cashier. It’s for Callie, whether he admits it or not. No doubt about that. The only question remaining is, do I warn her, or do I mind my own business?

  She was still trying to decide what to do when she left the tack shop a few minutes later, her carefully wrapped gifts in a large shopping bag printed with the store logo. The dry, overheated mall air was making her thirsty, so she decided to grab a soda before she continued her shopping. She had almost reached the food court, which was just as crowded as the rest of the mall, when she heard someone calling her name. Turning, she saw A.J. McDonnell heading toward her, waving.

  “Hey!” Lisa called, a little surprised to see him. Like Phil Marsten, A.J. lived in Cross County, about ten miles away. It was unusual to see anyone from Cross County at the Willow Creek Mall unless they were meeting someone there, since there was a much nicer mall on the other side of Cross County in a town called Berryville. “What are you doing here?”

  A.J. shrugged and didn’t answer for a moment. Then he seemed to change his mind. “I just had a session. The office is in the business park on the other side of the parking lot, so I thought I’d stop in here and grab something to eat.”

  “Oh.” Lisa didn’t ask any more questions. She knew that A.J. had been seeing someone to work through his problems—the adoption, the drinking—and figure out how to deal with them. She just hoped it was doing some good. She missed the old, happy-go-lucky A.J. “I was just about to get a soda myself. Want to join me?”

  “Sure.”

  The two of them headed to the nearest counter, a hot dog place, and bought drinks and an order of curly fries to share. By a stroke of sheer luck, they managed to snag a small table when a pair of elderly women got up to leave, and soon they were seated across from each other, munching on their snack.

  Lisa noticed that A.J. didn’t seem to have much to say. In fact, he kept staring into his soda with a little frown, stirring it with his straw but not really drinking it. “Is something wrong?” Lisa asked at last. “Is your soda okay?”

  A.J. looked up at her and blinked. “What?”

  “I said, are you all right?” Lisa was starting to think that there might be more to her friend’s unhappy expression than soda. A.J.’s lightly freckled face wore the same distracted, closed expression that it had taken on soon after he’d found out about his adoption, when he had stopped communicating with just about everyone.

  To her surprise, he sighed and answered. “Now that you mention it, no, I’m not all right. Julianna and I broke up today.”

  “What?” Lisa was startled. “Oh, A.J., I’m sorry. What happened?” She tried to keep her voice calm, though inside she was seething. She’d always worried about how deeply A.J. adored Julianna. She was fun-loving and outgoing and very, very pretty. In Lisa’s opinion, she was also a tad shallow and self-centered. Though Lisa didn’t mind having Julianna around, she’d always been a bit cautious about really befriending her, fearing that the flirtatious redhead would hurt A.J. someday—dump him for a better-looking or more popular guy, or maybe just because she’d become bored. But Lisa hadn’t thought that anyone—even someone like Julianna—would kick a guy when he was already so low.

  “We’d made plans to hang out for a while before my session,” A.J. explained, picking at a clod of dried mustard on the table. “That’s when I told her I couldn’t see her anymore.”

  Lisa was startled. “You broke up with her? Why?” A.J. had dumped Julianna once before, back when he’d been in the midst of the most painful feelings about his family and thought he just couldn’t handle a girlfriend at the same time. But that had been a while ago, and Lisa thought he’d come past that stage.

  A.J. shrugged and stirred his soda again. “She’s still drinking,” he said quietly. “She brought a bottle of tequila along today—and that was the last straw.”

  “Oh.” Lisa did her best to take that in. She knew that Julianna had done some drinking right along with A.J., but she had assumed she had only done it to stay close to him. She never would have dreamed that Julianna’s drinking would have continued after A.J.’s had stopped.

  “I can’t be around that right now,” A.J. continued, looking anxious. He ran one hand over his reddish brown hair and glanced around the food court. “It’s hard enough just—well, you know. Without dealing with someone else’s issues, too.”

  Lisa nodded slowly, a little surprised by A.J.’s resolve but proud, too. It wouldn’t do him or Julianna any good if he tried to help her and ended up in even deeper trouble himself instead. “I understand,” she told him sincerely. “And if Julianna’s acting that way, it was probably the smartest thing to do.”

  A.J. smiled, looking relieved. Lisa wondered if he’d been having doubts about his decision. She wondered if he blamed himself for Julianna’s drinking and felt guilty about it. “Thanks,” he said. “But listen. Don’t tell anyone, okay?” He gazed at her beseechingly. “I only told you because, well, I thought you’d understand. You know?”

  Lisa guessed that meant he’d heard about her new arrangement with Alex. “I’ll keep quiet if you want me to. But are you sure you don’t want anyone else to know?” she asked gently. “It’s not like you can keep this a secret forever.”

  A.J. frowned briefly, then relaxed and shrugged. “I guess you’re right,” he muttered. “They’ll probably find out soon anyway. Julianna isn’t exactly the most discreet person in the world.”

  That was true enough. Lisa thought briefly about the vivacious girl and wondered what was going on with her. But she didn’t spend long worrying about it. That was a problem for Julianna’s family and friends. Lisa’s first concern was A.J., and she wanted him to know that she supported him. She also wished she knew a way to make him feel better. His pain was evident on his face. “I have an idea,” she said suddenly. “Did Phil tell you about the CARL thing this Friday?”

  A.J. shrugged. “Maybe. Is that the party he’s going to with Stevie?”

  Lisa nodded and filled him in on the details. “The tickets are kind of steep, but it’s for a great cause,” she finished. “And we’re all going—Carole and I were planning to go together, since we don’t have dates.” She willed herself to keep smiling as said it. “Want to come along with us?”

  A.J. hesitated, and for a moment Lisa was sure he was going to say no. But finally he nodded. “Maybe,” he said. “I’ll think about it. I’m sure my folks would spring for the ticket.” He smiled, though his expression was strangely sad. “There’s not much they wouldn’t do for me these days if I asked.”

  Carole was still feeling rather light-headed when Cam called for a stop. They had reached one of Carole’s favorite picnic spots, a pretty, sunny clearing overlooking a natural pool formed by a bend in the creek. For the first time, Carole remembered that Cam had tied a cantle pack onto his saddle as they’d started out. She’d asked what it was, but he had merely winked and said she’d see when the time was right. Despite his cryptic response, the scent of cookies drifting up from the pack had answered the question clearly enough. Now, Carole’s stomach grumbled eagerly as she hopped down from the saddle.

  “How did you remember this place was here?” she asked shyly, realizing that Cam had guided their path without her quite noticing that he was doing it. She had planned for them to ride up the hilly trail to the scenic overlook at the edge of the state forest, and yet somehow, here they were, miles from that overlook, in the perfect place for a private picnic.

  Cam glanced over his shoulder as he dismounted. “I never forget a beautiful spot where I spent time with a beautiful woman,” he replied.

  Carole wasn’t sure which flustered her more—being called beautiful again or being referred to as a woman. She still thought of herself as very much a girl. Still, if Cam wants to call me a beautiful woman, I guess I shouldn’t object, she thought as she led Starlight to a patch of still-green grass nearby.


  Soon both horses were munching contentedly and Cam was carefully spreading a checkered wool blanket on the ground near the creek. Once again, Carole had the weird feeling that she was a character in a movie, taking part in some picture-perfect romance. The feeling made her a little uncomfortable, but she was also starting to like it. Removing her hard hat, she shook out her hair and wished she’d remembered to stick some lip gloss in her pocket. Wetting her lips with her tongue, she shifted her weight from one foot to the other, wondering what she was supposed to do now.

  “Have a seat,” Cam said as if reading her mind, patting a spot on the blanket as he turned to rustle through his pack. “I’ll have everything ready in just a sec.”

  Carole obeyed, sinking to the ground and watching as he unpacked cheese and crackers, a small basket of juicy red strawberries, cookies, a bottle of mineral water, and even a stout scented candle, which he lit with a flourish. “There,” he said with satisfaction. “I think that’s everything—no, wait. There’s something missing.” He scratched his head, pretending to be confused, though Carole thought she detected a twinkle in his eye. Suddenly he said, “Aha!” and grabbed his bag again. Reaching inside, he pulled out a single red rose and presented it to her. “For you.”

  Carole gasped. She couldn’t believe her eyes. Nobody had ever made such a romantic gesture for her before. Her fingers trembled slightly as she accepted the flower. “Thank you,” she said, though the words seemed inadequate. “Cam, this is all so wonderful. I—”

  “No need to thank me,” he interrupted, scooting a little closer on the blanket. “Your presence is thanks enough.”

  Until that moment, Carole hadn’t really known what people meant when they said they swooned. But she was starting to understand the feeling. Is this really happening? she wondered. Maybe it’s a dream. It certainly feels like a dream. A wonderful, magical, unbelievable dream that makes me never want to wake up.

  Carole had always thought that Cam was really special. He had always treated her well and been a good, caring friend. But not like this. This went above and beyond anything she might have expected. Anything she had ever known before.

  Before, I was never even quite sure if we were boyfriend and girlfriend, she thought, selecting a strawberry from the basket Cam was holding up to her. We didn’t really have time to figure that out before his family moved away. But now …

  Despite her earlier worries, Carole had to admit that there wasn’t much doubt remaining in her mind. Cam wanted to pick up where they’d left off, and then some. He was treating her like the most desirable girl—no, woman—in the world, and he wasn’t shy about showing how he felt.

  “Carole,” Cam said, glancing up from pouring her some mineral water. He’d brought along plastic goblets that looked sort of like wine glasses. “I have something important I want to ask you.”

  What now? Carole wondered rather giddily as she accepted the plastic goblet and took a sip. Is he about to propose? Sweep me off to a honeymoon in Paris to top things off?

  She did her best to hold back a giggle at the thought. “Yes, Cam?” she said instead. “What is it?”

  “I just need to know,” Cam said seriously. “Are you seeing anyone else? Other guys, I mean.” He cleared his throat and shrugged. “I—I just want to know if I have any competition I need to worry about.”

  That swoony feeling was overtaking Carole again. She had the nagging feeling that she should say something witty or clever or coy here. Something flirtatious that would let Cam know that she was sophisticated and sly and a little bit mysterious …

  But that just wasn’t her. Even if she could have thought of some perfect comeback, Carole didn’t want to act that way. She didn’t want to play games. She just wanted to let Cam know how much she appreciated how sweet he was being. “No,” she said simply, holding his gaze steadily. “I’m not seeing anyone at all.”

  As Cam smiled, looking pleased, the image of Ben Marlow flashed through Carole’s mind. She ignored it. She wasn’t dating Ben—that was a laugh. Just because he’d kissed her once …

  All thoughts of Ben fled from her mind as Cam reached out and gently pulled the rose from her hand. Moving a little closer, he brushed back the hair above her ear and carefully, slowly tucked the flower into her thick curly hair. “There,” he said, kissing her forehead softly, then moving away to gaze at her with obvious pleasure. “Perfect.”

  Now Carole was sure that this had to be some kind of silver-screen romance. And the best part was that Cam didn’t even seem to notice or mind that she didn’t know any of her lines. He was taking care of everything.

  The next few minutes passed in a blur. They ate and drank and talked and somehow, somewhere along the way, Cam moved closer and they held hands. Then Cam’s arm found its way around her waist. After that, it seemed almost inevitable that he would pause in midsentence, lock his eyes on hers, and then lean toward her for another kiss.

  Carole was slightly startled when he pulled away this time after only a few seconds. “What?” she gasped, worried that the dream had been too good to last. “What’s wrong?”

  “Nothing,” Cam said huskily, reaching out to straighten the rose, which had slipped partway out of Carole’s hair. “I—I just want to say, I don’t usually do this. Move this fast, I mean.”

  “Oh!” Carole hadn’t really thought about it that way. Were they moving too fast? Should she be doing something different, trying to slow things down?

  “But it’s different with you,” Cam went on before she could figure it out. He took both her hands in his as they sat there on the blanket facing each other. “I feel different with you. You’re special, Carole. I—I know I should probably just play it cool, hide my feelings—I don’t want to scare you off.”

  “I’m not scared,” Carole whispered breathlessly.

  Cam smiled. “Good,” he replied. “Because I just can’t help myself. You’re just as beautiful and wonderful and sweet as I remembered, and more. That’s why I want to ask …” He paused and took a deep breath. “Carole, will you go steady with me? Please?”

  Carole gasped, stunned. But for once, she actually knew the right thing to say. “Yes!” she blurted out, so loudly that Starlight lifted his head and snorted. “Yes, I will!”

  Cam laughed in delight. Then he threw his arms around her and hugged her tight. “Great,” he said. “That’s great!”

  Carole laughed, too. She was still laughing when Cam loosened his grip just enough to find her lips again with his own. This time the kiss didn’t seem likely to end anytime soon, and Carole for one was happy about that.

  Yes, she thought as she sank into a state of sheer bliss, this is definitely a date!

  SIX

  “Lisa! Wait up!”

  Lisa turned and peered down the crowded school hallway. Carole was racing toward her, her face flushed and happy and papers and books threatening to spill out of her arms at any moment. “Hi,” Lisa greeted her friend with a smile. “You look happy. Does this mean the ride yesterday went well?”

  “Do horses eat hay?” Carole replied with a grin. “It was fantastic!” She paused and glanced around at the hordes of people in the hall, then grabbed Lisa’s arm and dragged her to the relative privacy of the nook beyond the end of the locker row. “Get this,” she whispered, her dark eyes shining. “He asked me to go steady!”

  Lisa gasped. Wow, she thought. Cam doesn’t waste any time!

  She immediately felt a little guilty for the thought. After all, it wasn’t as if Carole and Cam were getting to know each other for the first time. They were just getting reacquainted. And apparently they both liked what they were relearning about each other.

  Besides, she reminded herself, it’s great that Carole’s finally getting some male attention. How many times have Stevie and I asked each other why guys aren’t falling all over such a beautiful, kind, talented person? She deserves a little romance in her life. A girl can’t live on horses alone, after all. Not even Carole.

 
“Congratulations!” she told Carole sincerely, grabbing her friend in a hug and almost knocking her books out of her grip. “That’s wonderful. You said yes, I take it?”

  “Uh-huh.” Carole giggled, hugging her back and then pulling away to straighten her books. “This is so amazing! Now I know how you guys felt when you first got together with your—oops.” Her face fell and she gave Lisa an apologetic look. “Sorry, I wasn’t thinking.”

  Lisa forced herself to maintain a cheerful expression. “Don’t be silly,” she said. “So tell me all about it. How did he ask you?”

  Carole launched into the story. Lisa listened, trying not to feel too wistful. Once upon a time, Alex and I made each other feel that way, she thought. So what happened to us? Why can’t people just fall in love and then stay like that forever—happy and giddy and floating on air?

  “… and by the time we remembered the time and headed back, it was getting late,” Carole continued excitedly. “It was already growing dark, and I was due home in, like, fifteen minutes. So Cam”—she paused and let out a contented sigh at his name—“Cam insisted on cooling down and untacking both our horses. He said he didn’t want me to miss my curfew, otherwise Dad might not let us go out again, and he couldn’t stand that.”

  “Wow,” Lisa said. “Sounds serious.”

  “I know.” Carole clutched her books tighter to her chest. “I feel like I’ve finally figured out what this thing called romance is all about.”

  “That’s great,” Lisa said, trying to sound light-hearted. But something in her voice or expression must have given her away, because Carole sobered immediately.

  “I’m sorry, Lisa,” she said again. “Here I am going on and on about my date when you—well, anyway, I’m sorry.

  “Don’t be,” Lisa said. “Alex and I will get through this one way or another.”

  Carole nodded, looking unconvinced. “Anyway,” she said tentatively. “Um, I was thinking. About what Stevie was saying the other day.” She gazed at Lisa expectantly.