by Galli, Lynn
“I could put you in something other than cargo shorts.”
“I have jeans.”
“And cargo pants. Let’s get you into something that doesn’t have useless extra pockets.”
“Shoulda left your ass at home,” Molly muttered, turning back and catching my grin. She slid her hand over and grasped mine.
“You would have left that first store with two pairs of pants and three shirts that didn’t fit if I weren’t here,” Dwight told her.
I watched his slim face break into a smile that wasn’t at all smug when he saw Molly’s hand in mine. I was overjoyed that none of her friends objected to us together. I thought protective Vivian might have a slight issue or maybe Dwight. They both liked me, but Molly was their good friend and I was an ex-felon. Even her parents, whom she’d made me talk to on the phone, seemed thrilled about me. When they said they were coming up for Molly’s birthday in November and wanted to get to know me, I nearly threw up. It wasn’t the fact that her birthday was still months away, it was meeting her parents. I’d dated my ex for more than a year before she had me meet her parents, and that was only once I’d upgraded to a condo lease and let her furnish it. Molly just wanted me to meet the two most important people in her life because we were together.
“They would have fit fine,” Molly assured him of the clothes she’d picked.
“They were a size too big, and I’m still waiting for you to thank me for making you try them on.”
And the bickering continued. Neither seemed to mind that I couldn’t stop chuckling after almost everything they said.
I pulled the truck to a stop in front of the western store that scared Dwight. I didn’t make a habit of going to western stores either, but it was the only place I could find that had both a wide selection of work clothes and work boots in the same place.
“God, please make this stop,” Dwight moaned before sliding out of the backseat. “I swear, woman, if you try to get a sleeveless western shirt with snaps, I’m storming out of here.”
“Hey, good idea,” Molly teased as she slipped her arm around my waist.
I had to agree with Dwight on this one. I much preferred her formfitting tshirts, sleeveless polos, and short sleeve button-downs to a western shirt. “We’ll keep her in sight at all times, Dwight.”
Molly shot me a surprised look but smiled when she saw that I was kidding to keep the peace. “Drop your guard, D. We’re here for Falyn.”
And almost everyone on my crew. When they heard where I was heading this afternoon, they each gave me a boot order and cash to cover it. No place in town sold work boots, and the shipping costs online were too expensive. They took advantage of anyone running out to Glenwood Springs.
We pushed through the door. I went straight for the work boots section. Dwight lingered by the rack just inside the door. Molly came with me until she spotted the kind of shirts he’d kidded her about and made a beeline for the rack. Jeez, those two.
“Can I help you?” A tall, beefy guy in complete western garb came up to me.
I waited for him to ask if I was shopping for my husband because a lady like me couldn’t possibly need work boots. That happened often enough in the past. When it didn’t come, I relaxed and started in on my list. His eyes widened. I needed boots for everyone on the crew except Miguel, whose wife had picked some up on her last trip.
“How-dee, Cowboy.” Dwight joined me as the guy retreated to the back room with my list. “Maybe this place isn’t so bad.” He looked around and spotted Molly pulling shirts from a rack and holding them to her chest. “Oh, no. No!”
She grinned and slipped into the dressing room before he could reach her.
“Is something wrong?” The cowboy was back with a stack of boot boxes in his arms.
Dwight’s attention split between him and the atrocity Molly was trying on. “Not anymore. How are you this fine day?”
I thought the cowboy would give him a suspicious look and step back when he figured out that Dwight was flirting, but instead, he just smiled. “Doing well, thanks. How about you? Something I can help you find?”
“I’m just here for support.” Dwight gestured to me then glared over at the dressing room. He noticed the numerous boxes of shoes the man had put down and looked back at me. “Didn’t know you loved shoes so much.”
“I don’t. The guys on the crew asked me to pick up new boots for them while I was here.”
He looked surprised. “You’re too nice to them, Falyn.”
“I was already going to be here, and Nat let me off early with her truck so we could fit in your armoire and Viv’s chairs. Remember?”
“Yeah.” He rolled his eyes at the cowboy and got a lingering smile in response.
“What do you think?” Molly stepped out of the dressing room in a red, black, silver, brown, and green patterned sleeveless western shirt with shiny chrome buttons. Gold piping darted everywhere. Other than the wonderful flash of her amazing arms, it was probably the most hideous shirt she could find.
“Lord, help me now.” Dwight pushed a hand through his cropped brown hair in exasperation.
Molly came toward us to model off the shirt. “Looks hot, right?”
Even the cowboy, whose only job it was to sell these kinds of things, couldn’t help but join in our amusement at how awful the shirt looked. “Perhaps another color.”
“Another color won’t make him this uptight,” Molly declared.
“Ha!” Dwight exclaimed.
“Help me decide between these three styles, Dwight,” I encouraged him to look at the boots the cowboy had unpacked before he could go into Round Twenty with Molly.
“Those, definitely those,” Dwight said with one glance, pointing to the six inch brown pair with a steel toe and good electrical rating. “And tell Luis that they didn’t have these in his size.” He held up the standard tan work boot that Luis preferred. He pointed to the black steel toe that Tyler liked. “Would you grab those in his size?” He looked at the cowboy.
“Dwight, he specifically asked for the tan ones,” I protested.
“He’ll thank me later. Those others are more comfortable anyway. He’s just being stubborn.” Since they were cheaper and he had mentioned he liked Tyler’s boots once, I figured I’d let Dwight take the blame if he got angry.
Molly came over as the cowboy went to get the other boots. “Beefy Cowboy’s checking you out, D.”
He smiled and gave her a fist bump. I thought I’d seen the look, but I was a little out of practice. These two probably spent many hours in bars together and knew what to look for. “He’ll be mine before we leave this place.”
Yep, these two were definitely friends.
“You need workpants, too, Falyn?” she asked as she headed back toward the dressing room to change out of the shirt. “I’ll check the racks for you.”
My heart warmed. She was so attentive, even when we’d just been friends. It was such a change from my other relationships. I was always the attentive one. To have that for myself was pretty incredible. And to have it appreciated so much by her was prize worthy.
“I’m happy for you,” Dwight said in a low voice, squeezing an arm around my waist. He tipped his head at the dressing room. “Happy for her, too. She’s needed someone like you, and the stubborn numbskull couldn’t see it.”
I should probably have some witty retort for him since that was how he and Molly communicated, but I couldn’t come up with anything other than honesty. “Thanks. I’ve needed the same and was just as unconvinced about it.”
“Lesbians,” he sighed and shook his head but perked up immediately as Cowboy came back with the other boots for Luis. “Those will be perfect. Now, we’ve got to put her in workpants that don’t look like they were made for a man. Help me save her style, will you?”
The cowboy laughed with me as they went to the women’s section, leaving me to try on the boots that Dwight liked best. My foot slipped into one and felt like it was being massaged. Okay, maybe not
massaged but so much better than the cheap boots I’d been wearing all summer. That I could afford them now and had a reason to get them tightened my throat.
Molly appeared beside me and sat down, bringing a hand up to rub my back. She smiled sweetly at me as if she could read my mind. She probably knew how much being able to buy boots for a job I loved at a place forty miles from home meant to me. Four months ago, I wouldn’t have been able to afford them, let alone be allowed to leave the area to make this trip.
“They look good. Feel good?”
I nodded, still a little choked up that this was my life now. Great job, good friends, and amazing girlfriend.
“I’m glad we did this, even if we had to bring Dwight along.” She gave me a squeeze. “Happy?”
I glanced over at her. My heart swelled. “Happy.”
“Me, too.” She leaned in for a swift peck that had both a calming and sexy effect.
“I leave you two for a second,” Dwight interrupted with a mock sigh. Several pairs of pants draped over his arm on hangers. “Try these.”
I shared a look with Molly before following his order. Unlike her, I found it was best just to follow his suggestions rather than fight him every second. Molly rather enjoyed the arguing, which was funny because she didn’t argue with Vivian or me at all. She must expend it all on Dwight.
“That furniture place closes in an hour, Dwight. Don’t make her try on every pair in the store.”
He checked his watch as I slipped out of the boots and grabbed the hangers he was holding. “We’ll make it. They like me there. They won’t mind waiting an extra few minutes for us.”
After trying on the pants both Dwight and the cowboy had picked out, I chose enough to make it a full week without having to do laundry. At the register, the price for my stuff would have alarmed me just months ago. Before I went to prison, I would have handed over a credit card without even checking the receipt. I wasn’t at that stage yet, and planned never to be there again, but I was happy that I could fork over the cash without having a seizure.
Outside, Molly and I piled the bags into Natalie’s locking toolbox in the bed of her truck as Dwight ran into the coffee shop next door to get us some beverages for the rest of our trip. We were just about to get into the truck when a familiar voice stopped us.
“Look who it is!”
We twirled to see Joanna and Brandy getting out of a car. Molly groaned beside me. Dwight came out of the coffee shop with a panicked look when he spotted them, afraid we wouldn’t make it to the furniture store in time.
“What a small world,” Brandy exclaimed, coming closer. “We were just on our way back for a long weekend and here we run into you so far from home. Are you world travelers now?”
“Hey, guys.” Molly received hugs from both.
They did the same to me and Dwight before focusing on me. “We were going to call you, sexy thing. Spend Saturday night with us. We’ll hit a bar or two and have some fun.”
My eyebrows rose. It wasn’t a blatant come on, but still. “I’m busy.” I stepped closer to Molly.
“But we’re only here till Sunday. Don’t make us wait till the slopes open,” Joanna ordered.
I shook my head with conviction. “I’m busy for the winter, too.” This time I slid my arm around Molly’s waist.
She grinned and slipped an arm around me. She looked pretty proud, and it felt wonderful. Especially when their jaws dropped.
“You two?”
“Yep,” Molly stated. What I liked best was that she didn’t feel the need to make the point further. No extra squeeze, no kiss on the head, no slipping around me to make out in front of them.
“You said to give her space. Look what space did,’” Brandy accused Joanna.
“Don’t blame me,” Joanna cried.
Dwight sighed loudly and tapped his watch. “Great support, ladies. Why don’t we take this up another time?” He opened the back door of the truck, prompting Molly to leave my side and head to the passenger door.
“Who would have known?” Brandy asked Joanna but looked at me as if I’d explain.
I didn’t need to explain. Molly turned out to be the best type of woman for me, and I wasn’t about to question it. I shrugged, waved goodbye, and got into the truck with my ideal girlfriend and her bickering friend. We had an armoire to rescue.
32
Ramón and I moved the sofa two inches back per Vivian’s instructions. Installation day at her house and it was the first time she hesitated on any decision. We’d repositioned the couch three times now.
She looked at the couch and over to the fireplace and back at our position. “Good. Curtis, move to your left.”
I turned to see Curtis heft one of the beautiful chairs Vivian had chosen for the great room. Luis followed his move with another chair. Miguel and Cole were maneuvering a mattress up the staircase for the guestroom. Natalie and Tyler were right behind them with the tempered glass tabletop for Vivian’s studio worktable.
The huge smiles Vivian and Natalie wore were the best part of the day. Miguel and Luis warned me that install day was the only time we’d see Vivian’s temper flare onsite. They laughed about it, having endured what they’d described as a bipolar boss for years before joining Natalie’s company. Vivian’s temper was like a pillow fight compared to an MMA match, they said. No one’s temper had shown yet today.
I followed Ramón out to the furniture truck. There wasn’t a lot left to bring in. Mostly it would be arranging to make sure everything was placed where Vivian envisioned. In a few hours, what she’d been calling her dream home would be put together. I could feel the excitement rolling off her in waves.
“Are you coming to the housewarming party on Saturday night?” Ramón asked.
I grabbed the other end of a custom ottoman as he started backing out of the truck. “Planned on it.”
“Bringing a date?”
I chuckled. The guys on the crew liked ribbing each other about their dates. Only Miguel and Owen were married. They’d been guessing about my status for weeks. Even Cole and Curtis weren’t quite sure what was going on with Molly since we stayed over at her place a couple nights a week and didn’t show a lot of affection in front of them. Not because we were embarrassed but because neither of us was a big displayer of affection. Yet another perk of dating someone like me instead of the usual femme, lovey-dovey type.
“My date’s already invited.”
“Oh, really?” He grinned as he set the ottoman down, looking over at Vivian for her nod. “Do we know her?”
“You’ll see her on Saturday.”
“C’mon, Fos, give me a hint. More importantly, does she have a hot friend that she can set me up with?”
I laughed. Molly did have quite a few friends. “Can’t get a date?”
“Everyone else is bringing someone.” He glanced over at Vivian. “You’re inviting single chicas to your party, right?”
She motioned with her hand for us to move the ottoman back a little. “You’ll be happy, Ramón.”
“Oh, yeah, guapo is getting lucky.”
“I’ve got a hundy says he strikes out all night,” Tyler called down from the balcony overlooking the great room.
“Your nickname for yourself is ‘handsome’ and you think women are going to be okay with that?” I asked incredulously.
“It’s one of many,” Miguel shared as he passed by. “There’s no shortage of ego with this one.”
Ramón went into a long conversation in Spanish with Miguel, only half of which I caught. I’d been picking up Spanish a bit at a time all summer, but it was mostly job related conversation. This was all over the place, and I didn’t have a hope of following it. Natalie spoke up in flawless Spanish, telling them to get back to work. Or I assumed that’s what she said because we all started back out to the truck again.
By the end of the afternoon, the home was almost entirely put together. Now it was just the personal items that Vivian and Natalie would have to unpack to make
the home theirs. When I got into Curtis’s van, I had the impression that Natalie was going to do something special on their first night in the new house. I smiled, thinking about what I’d do for Molly on our first night in our new place. Then I smiled harder thinking about how I’d just had that thought.
I had the boys drop me off at the supermarket. I wanted to make Molly dinner at her place to celebrate finishing the project. Seeing the look on Natalie’s face made me want to have my own private celebration with my special someone.
“Meet me outside,” a voice I hadn’t heard in eight years said from behind me in the produce section.
I turned to watch a man walk past a stand of apples and out through the automatic doors at the front of the store. I didn’t recognize the white hair, but I’d followed that gait many times into and out of a home we’d broken into.
My heart rate spiked. Sweat bloomed under my arms. The basket in my hand grew heavier and the muscles in my arms seized. This couldn’t be happening. I’d left that life behind. I’d survived the hopelessness of prison and frustration of parole. I was on the other side of the gloominess, and in the space of one sentence, I plunged back into the darkness.
I looked around. Everyone else was going about their shopping like their lives hadn’t just been jolted. Like grocery shopping was the only task at hand instead of facing something terrifying from their pasts.
I found a place to set my basket down. I couldn’t ignore Brock. I didn’t know how he’d found me, but I would bet he’d been in town for a while. I’d bet even more that he was the source of my feeling of being watched over the past few weeks.
When I cleared the doors, Brock wasn’t around. For a moment my heart lifted at the prospect that I’d again imagined it. Then I saw him at the far edge of the parking lot. He waited until I saw him then disappeared behind the building next door. I had no choice but to follow him.
“Missed ya, Shaw.” Brock leaned casually against the brick building as if I’d seen him every day for the last decade. His face looked the same but with wrinkles. Prison hadn’t been as kind to him. No trace of his brown hair was left. He’d gone all white, despite being only a year older than I was.