“And you’re telling me to be careful? What about you?”
“I’ve been taking care of me for a long time. I have good, loyal people working for me. I’ve seen a truckload of Chets in my lifetime, and I’ll deal with him when the time comes. Plus, I know how to drive one of those eighteen-wheelers so I can take my avocados to market myself if I have to.”
“You are worried, I can see it on your face—and I think you just frightened me. Not so much for myself, but for the others who depend on Able Body for their livelihood.”
“Not worried, concerned. I have Chet’s M.O. down pat. He’s not going to do anything right away. He bides his time, sponges off other truckers, and then when he thinks things have quieted down, he strikes. He’s like a rattlesnake. How do you like this deep-fried ice cream?”
“It’s delicious. I’m partial to coconut ice cream. It’s my favorite.”
“Mine, too. Imagine that!”
“I’m stuffed,” Ariel said, pushing back her chair. “I never eat this much for lunch.”
“I don’t either. I was trying to impress you.”
“Why?”
“Because I find myself liking you. I want you to like me. I like being up front.”
“That’s a very nice compliment.” She felt shy suddenly, out of her depth. Was he expecting her to say something? She clamped her lips shut.
“Did I embarrass you? If I did, it wasn’t my intention.”
“No. No, not at all.” She’d never felt this flustered in her life. Her fingers automatically went to her cheek. When she realized what she was doing, she stuffed her hands in her pockets. “I’m ready whenever you are. If we’re lucky we might be able to get the bikes here by the time the kids get out of school.”
“Should we take two vehicles or just one?”
“One. You can pay for delivery. Hey, I own a trucking company, remember? I can have Dolly send up a truck if I call now.” She looked at him expectantly. He grinned and nodded, pointing to the phone on the wall.
“We’re in luck. Dolly says there’s one on the way down from Rancho California. What’s the name of the store?”
“Maynards. They sell all kinds of toys, the kind you say we need.”
“Maynards, Dolly. Of course you send Mr. Sanders a bill.” She winked at Lex, who winked back. “Wait till you see what I’m bringing home. Probably around seven, maybe a little later. I’m having a very nice time. Uh-huh. Oh, yes. Certainly. I’ll ask him. Now? Wait a minute. Dolly wants to know if you know a nice man around sixty or so who has his own money. He has to have a sense of humor, his own car, and his clothes have to match.” She waited for Lex’s answer.
“Not offhand, but I can check around.” He was laughing, the sound so reminiscent of . . . of . . .
“Yes, I’ll see you later.”
“Is something wrong? You looked . . . strange, there for a minute.”
“For a second you reminded me of someone. When you laughed. It was the sound. You should laugh more often, too. My acting coach told me once that it takes twenty-one facial muscles to frown and only nineteen to smile. An actress has to be aware of things like that.” She was giggling like a schoolgirl, and Lex Sanders was flirting with her, and she was flirting with him.
Oh, life was good.
Six
Lex didn’t know who was more excited, Ariel or himself. Everything was lined up in a row—forty-seven two-wheel bicycles, four with training wheels, eight three-wheelers, fourteen red wagons with collapsible sides, roller skates and roller blades, their boxes stacked neatly inside the red wagons, tennis rackets, cartons of tennis balls, and a wild assortment of inflatable pool toys. Doll babies in gingham outfits, doll buggies, swings, and beds waited for young hands to embrace them.
“Here comes the school bus. I hear the little ones singing. They always sing on their way home. Jesus, I haven’t been this excited since I got a new shirt for Christmas when I was a kid. I had this girlfriend and I couldn’t wait to show it off. She knew it was new and she said it was lovely and that I looked handsome in it. Do you have memories like that?” Lex asked.
“All the time,” Ariel said softly. “Here they come. Are you going to give a speech or something?”
“Speech?”
“Yeah, you know, I got these things for you because . . . They’re going to wonder what it’s all about. I think you need to say something.”
“Guess you’re right. Hey, kids, c’mere. I’ve got a surprise for you. This is all for you. Look for your name.” He rattled off something in rapid fire Spanish that Ariel couldn’t grasp.
The children beelined for the row of bikes. Pink and purple for the girls, blue and red for the boys. Metal baskets on the backs of the boys’ bikes, white wicker on the front of the girls’. All of the bikes, even the trikes, had either a bell or a horn. The sound was suddenly deafening. But, it was the dark-eyed wonder in the children’s eyes that tugged at Ariel’s heart.
“You did good, Mr. Sanders,” she said, poking his arm. “Don’t tell me you don’t have a good feeling about what you’ve just done. Sometimes you have to give back for your good fortune. Otherwise good fortune means nothing. Here come the mothers and their faces are full of questions. This might be a good time to tell them about the washers and dryers.”
“I hope they don’t take this the wrong way. They can be funny sometimes about accepting gifts. Charity, stuff like that. However, they themselves are big givers, usually things they make with their hands. Oh, shit, I knew they would think these things were going on their bills at the store.” Using his hands, he gestured wildly and kept shaking his head—no, no, no. “Gifts. From my heart.” He thumped his chest, his voice quivering until Ariel heard the words, washers and dryers. Then he pointed to her, his arm reaching for hers.
“Ah, sí. Sí, señor.” They smiled as one, the children laughed, and Lex heaved a sigh of relief.
“What did you tell them?” Ariel asked suspiciously.
“That we were getting married. Someday. I didn’t say right away. I said it was your idea.”
“You didn’t! How could you do that? I don’t even know you. Tell them you were joking. Lex!”
“I’m going to let you get to know me. I told you, I didn’t say right away. Someday covers a lot of territory. I can’t tell them I was joking. What kind of boss will that make me? I’m only as good as my word. Oh, Jesus, they want to see your ring.”
“Let me see you get out of that one, Mr. Smart Ass,” Ariel hissed.
Lex mopped at his forehead. He babbled on for five minutes, then mopped at his brow again.
“Ah, si, Señor Lex.”
“What’d you say?” Ariel demanded.
“I said you were skinny, as they can see, and the ring was too big so we had to send it away to get sized.”
“What are they saying?”
“They want to know how big the wedding is going to be.” Lex guffawed.
“Boy, are they going to be surprised when you’re standing at the altar all alone,” Ariel jibed. “I’m not saying anything right now because I understand that bit about losing face in front of your people, but I’m not marrying you. I just met you today.”
“Let’s go for a walk so you can get to know me. I’m pretty much an open book. Ask me anything. After all, you just spent close to five thousand dollars of my money and I have yet to get the bill for transport. So, what do you want to know?” He reached for her hand.
Ariel felt pleased. She wanted to be angry with this man, but she couldn’t work up one ounce of anger. He was simply too nice a person. They walked along, their hands and arms swinging freely.
“Why don’t you stay for dinner? Frankie won’t get here till six or so. You could spend the night and go back early in the morning.”
“No, I can’t do that. Perhaps another time.”
“When?”
Ariel smiled. “Whenever you ask me. You know, a date. You ring my doorbell, Dolly answers it, she grills, you, tells you to h
ave me home by midnight. A date.”
“How about Saturday?
“Saturday’s fine. Pick me up at seven.”
“Great. Do you ride?”
“Yes. Rather well, as a matter of fact. I had to learn for a role. It took some getting used to. My backside was sore for a year. I like to ride at least once a month.”
“Is there anything you can’t do?” Lex marveled.
“Yes. I can’t cook. I don’t plan to learn, either.”
Lex threw his head back and roared with laughter.
Ariel’s heart skipped a beat at the sound.
“You said you were poor as a child. How did you get all this?” she asked, waving her arm about.
“My family worked the avocado groves for the owner. He took a liking to me and sent me off to agricultural school. When I graduated from college I came back here to oversee the groves and work off my education. The owner died and left me the ranch. It was a little over eleven acres and there was another parcel of three or four. I busted my hump, saved all my money, bought up land a little at a time. I also have property in Mexico where I raise avocados. It was a hard life for a long time, and then things started to go right. Several of the other ranches fell on hard times and I bought them up at auction. I own about a hundred thousand acres. I did all the work on the house myself. It was just five rooms when I got it. It took me ten years to get it to where it is now. There were times when I didn’t think I would ever finish. I was going to hire a contractor a couple of times, but decided against it. I wanted to do it.”
Ariel’s voice was curious. “Why?”
“Remember that girlfriend I told you I wanted to impress with my new shirt? Well, I promised her the moon and the stars and a big house. The moon and the stars are bigger and brighter here than any place I’ve ever seen. Sometimes I think I can reach up and pluck them right out of the sky. I’ve got the house, but the girl got away.”
Ariel thought she’d never heard a sadder voice in her life. “What happened to her? Never mind, that’s none of my business. I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have asked.”
“That’s all right. I don’t know what happened to her.”
Ariel looked at her watch. “I think we should start back. Is that a van pulling into your driveway?”
“That’s Frankie. She’s early. C’mon, I’ll race you to the barn.
“A real gentleman would have let me win,” Ariel said five minutes later.
“You should have said you wanted me to cheat.”
“I didn’t say you should cheat. How would you like it if I beat you at, say, tennis?”
“If you’re a better player, that’s good. I could handle it.”
“I like to win.”
“So do I,” Lex said.
“Hey, you two, come here. I’ve got someone sitting here who wants to meet you. See how nice she sits with her seat belt. She’s one smart dog, Miss Hart. Okay, girl, out. Time to meet your new owner. Let her come to you. She loves Fig Newtons. Put this in your pocket. When she warms up to you, give it to her. If you tell her she’s a good girl she’ll lick you to death. This dog has so much love it constantly amazes me. She needs to get your scent.”
“Oh, my God. How much does she weigh?” Ariel gasped.
“Ninety-six pounds and not an ounce of fat on her.”
“She’s gorgeous. And huge. Do you think she will . . . you know, protect me? If she’s gentle and shy, how will that work?”
“It’s instinct. If she thinks you’re being threatened, she’ll do whatever has to be done. She’ll realize you’re her mistress when you start to feed her and give her treats. Praise her often. She needs to belong to someone. Let her sleep in your room with you at night. For some reason dogs get very territorial when their master is asleep. You’re at your most vulnerable then and they know it. I have a dog, too, and when I take a shower, he lies outside the door until I’m finished. He’s my eyes and ears at that time. It took me a while to catch on.”
The shepherd started to circle Ariel, sniffing her pant legs and boots. She let out a soft woof and then a second. Ariel withdrew the Fig Newton from her pocket and held it out. The huge dog took it daintily. When she finished the cookie, Ariel scratched behind her ears.
Dropping to her haunches, Ariel put her face close to the dog’s face and whispered, “I think we’re going to get along just fine. On my way home I’m going to stock up on Fig Newtons.” Snookie lowered her huge body and rolled over on her back, a sign that she wanted her belly rubbed. Ariel obliged. “I wonder if I can teach her to scratch my back,” she giggled.
“I wouldn’t be surprised. She likes you,” Frankie said. “Well, I have to leave you now. I want to check on Cleo and her baby. It was nice meeting you, Miss Hart. Thanks for taking Snookie. I feel so much better knowing she’s going to a good home.”
“Thank you. Do you have a business card? I’ll bring her to you for her checkups.”
Frankie handed over a card. Ariel pocketed it.
“Well, I should be going if I’m stopping for Snookie’s cookies. It was a nice day, Lex. Thanks for inviting me. I guess I’ll see you on Saturday.”
“It was nice, wasn’t it? I hope we have lots of nice days together. Like Frankie, I feel better knowing you have a dog. Drive carefully.” He shut the door and watched as Snookie pawed at the seat belt, waiting for Ariel to snap it shut.
Lex watched the Rover until he heard the iron gates squeal shut. He squelched the urge to run after her. He wanted to be with her when she walked into her house with the German shepherd. He wanted to be part of her life. He shook his head to clear his thoughts. Why this woman, after all this time? What was so special about Ariel Hart? Finding no answers to his silent questions, he headed for the barn to the other female in his life.
“It’s a beautiful evening, Snookie,” Ariel said as she unsnapped the dog’s seat belt. The shepherd waited patiently until Ariel exited the car and walked around to open the passenger side of the Rover. She leaped down gracefully, waiting again for a command. Instead, Ariel gave her a cookie which she munched happily. “This is your new home, girl. Let’s take a walk so you can sniff everything. Feel free to lift your leg. Ooops, I forgot—you’re a girl, you squat.” Snookie took that moment to do just that. Ariel remembered Frankie’s words—praise her often. “Good girl, Snookie. C’mon, let’s meander down the garden path.” The huge dog walked obediently at her side. She stopped several times, for bare seconds, to sniff a bush or shrub, and immediately increased her gait to keep up with Ariel. “Sometimes, back in L.A., I used to think I could smell orange blossoms. But, the scent I like best is that woodsy smell. Fresh earth, lush green plants. It’s so pungent. They even make a cologne for men that smells sort of like it. Not really, though.” She was talking to this dog, expecting her to understand. “They call it Wood Glen,” Ariel said, not feeling stupid at all. The shepherd tilted her head, listening to every word.
“C’mon, I’ll race you to the back door.” The dog looked at her expectantly, not understanding if it was a command or not. “Run, Snookie,” Ariel said as she sprinted ahead of the dog. “This is a fun thing,” she called over her shoulder. The shepherd zipped past her like a streak of lightning and was sitting on the brick steps waiting when Ariel careened around the corner, gasping for breath. “We’ll have to find other fun things to do.” She handed out another cookie from the grocery bag on the steps. “We’re going to meet Dolly now. She’s going to love you. Trust me.”
Ariel opened the door to the mud room, then she stepped aside as Snookie walked past her. Dolly’s feet left the floor when she saw the huge black dog in her kitchen. “What is it?” she squeaked.
“This is Snookie. Lex Sanders’ vet gave her to me. She was too playful for the Seeing Eye Program. She’s completely trained and she’s all mine. I want you to cook up something special for her. Steak, potatoes, hamburger, something wonderful. Maybe some vegetables. She came with a bag of dog food that looks like rabbit poop. What are we
having to eat? She loves Fig Newtons so we can’t run out. Always put them on the list. Her name is Snookie. Isn’t she gorgeous? She weighs ninety-six pounds and doesn’t have an ounce of fat. Boy, you should see her run! Say something, Dolly.”
“She’s pretty, Ariel. I like the way her ears are at attention. We’re having pot roast and mashed potatoes. Can she eat a little of that with her dog food?”
“If it’s good enough for us, it’s good enough for Snookie,” Ariel said smartly. “This dog is going to protect us, Dolly. I feel better already. You will, too, once you get the hang of having an animal in the house. We’re going to take her with us to the office when we start going in every day. She’ll be our mascot. What kind of vegetables are we having?”
“Fresh baby carrots and fresh snow peas.”
“That’s good. We’ll cut them up in her mashed potatoes. I’m going to take a shower. Come along, Snookie, I’ll show you the house. Do you think I should get her a bed? They make them, you know,” she called over her shoulder.
“Make sure you get her a satin comforter from Bullocks and maybe some 320-thread sheets,” Dolly shouted.
“Okay,” Ariel shouted back.
Dolly burst out laughing. It was wonderful to see Ariel so happy, and it wasn’t just the dog. Lex Sanders had something to do with the light in her friend’s eyes. She started to set the table, her thoughts on the good-looking man who had just entered Ariel’s life. She looked at the three places she’d set at the table. “No way, the dog eats on the floor.” She removed the third plate and set it on a place mat next to Ariel’s chair.
With Snookie’s arrival life settled into more of a routine for the two women. The dog had needs that needed to be taken care of. Lex Sanders invaded their life with a gusto that neither woman had ever experienced. The days passed swiftly and literally leaped into weeks that soon led into months.
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