by Ann Minnett
She parked on the street and took a short-cut through snow to reach the post office’s loading dock. Jenean's legs dangled off the edge. Always a dreamer, she gazed at the clear blue sky with a smile on her chubby face. Oh-oh. Jenean had cut her own bangs again—thick and chopped off cleanly an inch above her eyebrows.
"Hey, there." Lark's boots crunched crusted snow in the shadows.
"Hi, Lark." Jenean tugged at her unfortunate bangs and closed the journal resting on her lap.
"What are you writing?"
"A gratitude list." Jenean opened the book toward Lark briefly. "Huffington Post had an article about the health benefits of living in gratitude."
"What are you grateful for today? Mind me asking?"
"Not at all." Jenean let the journal pages fall open on her lap. "Today I'm grateful for the azure, cloudless sky, Jim's coming home tonight after three weeks in the Bakkan oil fields, and let's see…" She tapped a Whitefish Credit Union pen on her lower lip. "… good company."
"Good one, and thanks." Lark needed to spend more time around optimistic people like Jenean.
"What's up?" Jenean asked.
Lark scooted in beside her old high school buddy. "Do you happen to recall someone sending me a padded mailer a few days ago? He or she would have gone to the counter to mail it because the postage came to ninety-eight cents." Lark rummaged in her bag for a cigarette and lit it.
"No, not a few days ago, but funny you should mention it. A man sent a padded mailer to you just this morning."
"You have got to be kidding. Who?"
"I don't know. Is it important?"
"Yes!" Lark waved smoke away from Jenean's face. "What did he look like?"
"Oh, good grief. I just remember it was a man I didn't recognize—not local. You know how busy it gets during ski season."
"Think. When did he come in?"
"Soon after we opened. Eight-thirty. A line of people already waited, so Val and I both worked the registers."
Lark nudged Jenean gently, urging her to remember more.
"Let's see. Okay, I noticed the Whitefish address on the mailer. That always makes me look twice because why don't people drop off their letters and bills in town? Do you know that all our mail ships to Missoula for sorting and then back again?"
"Oh, for gods sakes, Jenean. What did he look like?"
"Oh, right." Jenean squinted with the effort to remember. "I did look at him and had to stare up, so he was sort of tall. Dark. A beard. I don't think I heard him speak. He wore a camo cap. I think."
"Well, that could describe any man in Flathead County."
"Honestly, Lark, I'm not even sure about the beard. I see hundreds of people every day. They all kind of blur together. Sorry."
Lark threw her arm around Jenean's shoulders. "Thanks anyway. If you see him again, call me."
"What's in the envelope?" Jenean asked guilelessly. "None of my business."
"Apparently, a stranger is sending me little presents anonymously." Lark’s conscience twinged at the white lie to an old friend.
"Truly odd." Jenean hoisted herself up. "A shy admirer?"
"Ha! No way." Lark field stripped the cigarette butt. "Thanks for spending your break with me. Hey, now that Jim will be back, join us at McCord’s. We're there most evenings for an hour or two."
Jenean grinned. "Give us a couple of days," she said and went inside.
Lark retraced her path through crusted snow toward busy Baker Avenue where she had parked. She froze her butt off waiting for a Hummer to troll past so she could cross—Alberta rear license plate, of course. By then a string of dirty vehicles made their way south, swishing winter breezes up her skirt. She raised her chin and howled in frustration at her life—starting with all the damn traffic in this tourist town. She darted across and plopped her freezing rear end into the Subaru and started the engine.
What the hell? Another envelope is on its way. Lark sat in her car and mentally scanned the men she knew who matched Jenean’s vague description. She came up short. Giving up, she drove south toward Subway and ordered sandwiches for a pre-arranged lunch with Patty and Sky.
Her brother had already arrived at Patty's when she entered with the food. Patty covered her grooming table with a clean towel and set a cup of water for each. She hugged her daughter with a dismissive flourish as she had undoubtedly hugged her son.
"You ought to stop your foot-long sandwich nonsense, Sky." Lark handed it over when he sat down. "That's a lot of pepperoni and crap going right to your heart."
He patted his stomach. "I'm showing a ranch on Rhodes Draw at two, and we'll hike all over hell and yonder. I'll work it off."
"Your hat, Sky," Patty reminded, ever the mom. He removed the broad-brimmed hat wordlessly, and they ate in silence for a minute. “Have you told Lark your news?”
Lark asked, “A big commission?”
Sky smiled but shook his head. “Melanie suggested counseling. We might have a chance.”
“Oh, that’s wonderful,” Lark said. Although she and Melanie had never been close, Sky had been miserable throughout their separation. She wondered if he was ready to change from working day and night—the supposed reason Melanie had asked him to leave in the first place. Hard to imagine.
Patty interrupted her thoughts with a flurry of questions about Lark's hand, Zane's scars, and her new jobs.
"Everything's great." Lark knew better than to make eye contact.
Sky frowned and lifted an eyebrow as he popped jalapeño potato chips into his mouth.
"No really,” Lark said. “I'm making almost what I made before the Hensen fiasco went down. By the way, you owe me for lunch." She took a big bite of six-inch veggie with avocado as an excuse not to talk.
"Good for you." Patty shook her wrist, jangling multiple bracelets.
"And Zane?" Sky could bore right through her defenses. "What about court?"
"Alice has been just wonderful. I don't know how I'll ever repay her." The thought of what she owed Alice made her momentarily lose her appetite. "She's allowing me to pay fifty dollars a month." She did not add, forever. "Say, can you think of anyone the family might know… a man with black hair and beard… maybe new to town?"
Sky poked Lark's arm. "Your next victim? I mean boyfriend."
Lark kicked him under the table. "I know what you meant." She had a reputation for being independent, if not bossy. Of course, that meant bitchy for most of the men in the valley.
The three couldn't think of a soul who matched the description other than men Jenean would have known as well.
CHAPTER 9
The sun came out for five straight days in late January. The wondrous lull in dreary gray skies also brought a third packet of money from the anonymous philanthropist. Although no responsible party stepped forward, Lark figured it out.
Lulu's new boyfriend (when she and Jordy were fighting) kept popping up in town at odd times and in odd places. If Lark didn't know better, she'd think the dark, bearded guy was following her.
Then Jenean called with news of the man mailing another padded envelope to Lark. He had walked up to Val's register and said, "Ninety-eight cents, I believe." Jenean had recognized him immediately and shouted, "Hi there."
"Did he say anything to you?"
"No, sorry." Jenean paused. "I must have spooked the guy because he hurried outside—to his truck, a huge black one. I checked. A big black dog inside hopped over the seat and into his lap."
"Aha!"
"Does that help?"
"Nailed him. Thanks, Jenean."
Now Lark had to figure out why him? And why her? She couldn't remember his name, so she called Lulu. The second her sister answered, Lark asked, "What's your new boyfriend's name?"
"Who?"
"The new guy with black hair. The beard?"
"You mean Rob?"
"That’s it, Rob. What's his last name?"
"Wayne? Waylon? Something like that, but he's not my boyfriend. We're just friends."
&nb
sp; "Oh, come off it."
"Well, you know."
"Where does he live?"
Lulu stayed silent on the other end.
"I'm not judging. I don't care who you see." Lark lit her cigarette, blowing smoke in more ways than one.
"He's not my boyfriend, but he lives almost at the end of Star Meadow Road."
"Up near Axel?" Everyone knew Axel.
"Rob's is the gate on the right before Axel's. Why do you want to know?"
"I need to get some things straight with him, that's all."
Lulu hung up saying, "Nobody ever tells me anything."
* * *
"That one." Lark jabbed her ringed index finger at the windshield. Sky maneuvered his long-bed truck through the farm gate. "Aha! A black truck."
"Calm down." Sky had told her to relax three or four times on the half-hour drive to Rob’s place. Her brother annoyed her.
"I am calm." She pushed back cuticles with her nails until they hurt, cleared her phlegmy throat, and ran the jacket zipper up, down, up. Her hands had a life of their own.
Smoke curled from the stove pipe of the rustic cabin. A porch spanned the front of the log structure, and under other circumstances, she would have called it quaint.
Lark hopped down from Sky's running board before he fully stopped. The closer she came to the plank steps, the clearer she understood the cabin was anything but rustic. Heavy timber finishes gave it a solid, cozy ambiance. Stop it, she told herself. She was pissed and in no mood to approve of anything that concerned this Rob Wayne or whatever his name was.
She knocked sharply.
Both he and his dog answered the door. He blinked, saying, “This is a surprise.”
Bacon and toast odors wafted out the open door. In her excitement, Lark had forgotten to eat breakfast. A quick check behind her made sure Sky had followed and now waited on the porch steps. "Why are you sending me money?" The jacket, zipped to her chin, constricted a swallow. Her crazy ear-flapped cap threatened to slide over her eyes. She adjusted it off her forehead.
Rob glanced down at his insulated underwear shirt, jeans, and socks.
"Well?" she said.
Sky slowly mounted the steps and made an impression in cowboy hat and shearling jacket. His ubiquitous cowboy boots made him taller, and sunglasses hid his eyes. "What's going on, man?"
"I'll handle this, Sky." Lark kept her eyes on Rob. "Well?" The dog wiggled onto the porch to sniff first her knees then Sky's boots. He petted her head, but Lark avoided the distraction. "Aren't you going to say anything?" Her palms lifted in a universal gesture of I'm waiting…
"Come in,” Rob said and stepped back. His dog led the way in. Sky gently pushed Lark inside. Neither made any move to indicate they would stay. Rob grabbed a denim shirt from the back of a rocker and hastily put it on.
"Well? Why are you sending me money? Two thousand dollars to be exact."
"I don't know what you're talking about." He gestured toward his table. "Here. Sit down and have a cup of coffee." He moved his laptop and a spiral notebook to a kitchen counter. Sky ambled over, unbuttoned his immense coat, and removed his hat.
Traitor brother, she thought and remained ramrod straight by the door.
"Cream and sugar for me." Sky motioned for her to join them.
Reluctantly, she perched on a chair, one hand clasped around the bandaged other.
"And you?" Rob extended the pot and a cup toward her.
She shook her head. He replenished his own and set a cup in front of Sky.
Lark relaxed a little. "Look, I know you've sent me cash through the mail, but I don't know why."
"No, really—"
"Cut the crap,” she said too loudly. “I don't know you, didn't ask for it. Why?"
"Busted, man," Sky said, stirring sugar into his coffee.
Rob motioned for them to stop. "Hold on." He bit his lower lip and faced Sky. "Listen, I never meant anything by this."
"Talk to me." She yanked off her cap, hearing static electricity crackle her hair.
"Now, sis."
Again, Rob looked surprised. "Sister? I thought you were her boyfriend."
"Good one." Sky laughed out loud.
"You and Lark and Lulu are siblings?" Rob appeared to have forgotten Lark in the room.
"Are you kidding me?” she said. “I’m over here. Talk to me."
Rob spidered his hands over his stomach and took a deep breath. "If I scared you, I apologize."
"I'm not scared," she said. "Why would you, a stranger, send me money?" She gripped her hat and rummaged for her mittens in the left-side pocket of her zipped jacket.
"When I heard what happened… how you lost customers and income… your hand… I, uh…" He spoke to the floor. He sounded crazy, cowed even. His discomfort made Lark stronger, so she unzipped her jacket. Her hands would not sit still.
"You took it upon yourself to send me cash." She crossed her arms across her chest.
Rob cleared his throat. "Well, yes. That's right."
"Money for nothing?" Even Sky sounded dubious.
"Look." Rob stood. "It isn't a hardship for me to share what I have. In fact, I donate money anonymously all the time to people who will never know who I am."
"Bullshit," she said.
Rob flinched at her comment. Sky leaned back in his chair, scowling and silent.
Rob persisted. "I heard you were in trouble and wanted to help. Thought you needed it."
"Really?"
Rob shrugged. "If you don't want the money, give it to charity." He flashed a bright smile, an attitude totally foreign to his stiff posture and narrowing eyes.
"I might do just that," she said.
"So what's the problem?" His smile dropped away. In fact, the disconnect between his body and words seemed sinister, like scary clowns approaching little children.
"I don't know you from Adam," she said. “Surely, you understand how odd it is.”
"You've seen me around and obviously know where I live." One side of his upper lip curled. His whole demeanor pivoted from agitated to calm. “I know your sister.”
"Listen, if you think because you slept with Lulu that you're special, you…"
"Hey, sis. Take it easy."
"You don't even know me is what I'm saying." She stood up and assumed her power stance.
"I thought I did know you." Rob stood, too. He hitched up his jeans and settled a penetrating gaze on Lark.
His vibe made Sky stand as well. "Since when do you know her?"
"Back at Mizzou." Rob stroked his black beard and worked his mouth the way men do when they're buying time or needing attention.
She squinted, imagining his face without all that hair. "I didn't know you back then. This doesn't make sense." She tugged at Sky's sleeve. "Let's go."
Sky hesitated. "You went to Missouri?"
"Sky, c'mon." Lark mashed her hat over her head and threw open the door. Raven followed her outside.
Sky left the door open on his way out and said, "Leave her alone, man."
"It's a little late for that." Rob leaned against the door jamb, arms crossed. "Another package should arrive today."
"What did you say?" But Lark heard his admission and simply shook her head in disbelief.
Sky scooted close to Rob. "No more. You're scaring her. Is that what you want?"
Rob shook his head, no.
The brim of Sky's hat brushed Rob's brow. "What are you up to? Some move on my sisters?" No mistaking Sky's clenched fists at his side, his unusually controlled confrontation.
"C'mon, Sky. Forget it."
Rob kept shaking his head until Sky backed away. His sneer proved that the man had no interest in her. Her benefactor took indifference to the level of contempt which only deepened the mystery and made the donations creepier.
They slammed the doors to Sky's truck. "So give the money back to him if it pisses you off so much." He maneuvered in reverse all the way to the gate before Lark made a sound.
"Hell n
o, I'm keeping it."
"Then what's the problem?"
"Why would a stranger give me money unless he was trying to pay a debt, or he felt guilty, or—"
"Get into your pants." Sky flinched when she punched his arm. "Seriously."
"He isn’t interested in me,” she said. “Maybe he’s trying to make things right or trying to humiliate me."
"Humiliate you? Nah, but the crazy bastard is up to something." He turned up the heat. "Are you sure you don't know him from college?"
"I don't remember him. Maybe without the beard he'd be familiar, but no. I'd remember the ridiculous unibrow."
Sky’s eyes cut her way. “You really are pissed, aren’t you?”
“I’ve become a supreme bitch.”
He nodded. "Anyone back then you did favors for? Loaned money to?"
"No. This is too creepy for words." She remembered he mentioned her tattoo rather than a class they attended or a shared friend.
"You need to warn Lulu off from this guy." Sky drove slower than any man Lark knew.
"Like that's going to happen." Her hands flopped into her lap in exasperation. "I already tried."
"Did he give her money, too?"
Lark wanted a cigarette. Badly. "She says he didn't."
"What's he up to?"
Lark shrugged.
"Tell you what." Sky pooched his lips, thinking. "He sent you more money."
"I heard."
"He wants something from you, Lark. Favors? You and Lulu—a threesome?"
She slapped his arm harder. "Cut it out."
"Maybe he's trying to buy your favor, your forgiveness, like you said."
"Well, I'm keeping the money. To hell with him."
Sky flipped on the local oldies station. "I'll talk to her."
"You're a sweet brother, but Lulu's going to do what she wants."
"Maybe." He set his square jaw. Now her handsome, hot-headed, brother was involved and concerned for both his sisters.
Mizzou.
Lark’s family knew the suitable-for-framing story of why she dropped out of the University of Missouri after freshman year and refused to return. A waste of time and money. (Wrong.) She lost interest in journalism (not true) and would therefore lose her scholarship to the J School. She missed her family, missed Montana. (All true.) Hated the bugs and humidity in central Missouri. (Yes.) She was tired. (College will do that.) What had she been thinking, attending college? She had said it out loud time and again, but never meant it.