“A lot of these kids help around the ranch,” she explained. “Families are important here. Tradition, too.”
Josh’s parents had split up and both had remarried by the time he started junior high. Fractured households seemed natural to him, and a community like this, with its emphasis on strong families, would seem an anomaly in his world.
“Everyone’s thrilled about the carnival rides,” Joy said. “This is the first year we’re doing that.” The children’s excitement at such a modest pleasure wasn’t something Josh would understand or appreciate, so Joy didn’t bother to explain it further.
For the next few minutes until their lunches arrived, they chatted about Red Springs and her role in the community. Miguel delivered their orders with his usual fanfare, and Joy sensed that Josh was restraining a sarcastic smile. Her tostada salad was exactly the way she liked it, but she noticed that he just stared at his enchiladas.
“A high school dance,” he repeated when she reminded him that he’d agreed to chaperone with her. Clearly he was amused.
“Come on, it’ll be fun.”
“I’m sure it will.” His eyes twinkled as he took the first bite of his enchiladas.
“Tell me about your job,” she said, wanting to turn the subject away from herself.
Josh had always been easy to talk to, and she was soon immersed in their conversation. He liked working for the investment firm, where he seemed to be advancing quickly. He’d purchased a home in Kirkland, outside Seattle. This she knew from the e-mails they’d exchanged. He described in some detail what it meant to be a home owner.
As he spoke, Joy realized that, despite her earlier decision, she couldn’t imagine living in Seattle again. Josh was proud of his home and she was happy for him, yet she knew that living in Red Springs had changed her. His kind of neighborhood, with its expensive homes and anonymity, was no longer what she wanted. Neither was his social life—company functions and cocktail parties at which barbed remarks passed for wit.
“What if you have to move?” she asked. His company was well-known; with his ambition and energy Josh might be asked to relocate to a different city.
“I like living in Seattle. However, if the firm asked me to change offices, and it came with a big promotion, I’d definitely consider it,” he said.
Joy nodded.
“What about you?”
“Me? You mean, would I move if the opportunity arose?”
He seemed intensely interested in her answer. With his elbows propped on the table and his fork dangling over his food, he awaited her response.
“From Red Springs?” She swallowed. “I don’t know…. I’ve settled in nicely and I feel like I’m part of the community.” She’d be viewed as a newcomer for the next sixty years, but that didn’t bother her.
“If a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity came up, how would you feel?”
“That would depend on the opportunity,” she said, sidestepping the question.
The restaurant door opened and sunlight shot into the darkened room. Joy didn’t pay much attention until Lonny strolled directly to her table.
“Hello, Joy,” he said.
She nearly dropped her fork. Fortunately, she hadn’t taken a sip of her water or she could’ve been in serious danger of choking.
“Lonny.” His name was more breath than sound.
“Would you introduce me to your friend?” he asked, staring down at Josh.
“Uh…”
Josh slid out of the booth and stood. “Josh Howell,” he said, extending his hand. “And you are?”
Lonny grinned as the two men exchanged handshakes. “Lonny Ellison. I’m the man who’s in love with Joy.”
Nineteen
L onny nearly burst out laughing at the look on Joy’s face.
“And how does Joy feel about you?” Josh asked coolly, before she managed to speak.
“She loves me, too, only she’s not ready to admit it.”
“Lonny!” Her fork fell to the table with a loud clang.
Lonny sent a glance at Josh and winked. “See what I mean?” The other man seemed to be somewhat taken aback but not angry, which boded well.
“What are you doing here?” Joy asked when it became apparent that he had no intention of leaving.
“Actually, Betty Sanders sent me to look for you,” he told her. “She needs you for something, and Myrtle Jameson said she saw you come in here. There’s a carnival that has to be set up, you know.”
“I can see word spreads quickly in this town,” Josh said, “if people are keeping track of your whereabouts.”
Joy grabbed her purse and scrambled out of the booth. “I’ll be right back.”
As soon as she vacated the seat, Lonny replaced her.
He was a bit hungry himself and selected a tortilla chip, dipping it in the salsa. “Take your time,” he said nonchalantly. “I’ll keep your friend company.”
“I…I—” She was sputtering again. “I’ll be back in five minutes,” she promised Josh, and then returned to the table and kissed his cheek.
That, Lonny thought, was completely unnecessary; it was more as if she had a point to prove. He looked away before she could see how deeply that small display of affection for another man had affected him.
“Nice to meet you, Josh,” Lonny said when Joy was gone, “but I can’t stay long. My sister’s got me helping, too. My hired hand and I are assembling the beanbag toss. You’d think two grown men could put this silly contraption together, wouldn’t you? The problem is, the instructions are in Chinese.” He left the booth a moment later and started to walk out of the restaurant.
“Do you need help with that?” Josh called after him.
“Thanks, but I think we’ve got it. A couple of others could use a hand, though.”
Josh nodded. “I’ll settle up here and be out soon.”
“Thanks,” Lonny said. Despite the fact that Josh was here to reconnect with the woman he loved, Lonny decided he rather liked him. He seemed to be a decent guy.
When he stepped outside, Lonny saw Joy trotting down the sidewalk, toward the restaurant. She ignored him and kept moving.
“Did you find her?” Tom asked, when Lonny got back to the carnival site. The beanbag toss apparatus was up but balanced precariously, leaning to one side. They had to find a way to stabilize it.
“Cricket and I finished with the Go Fish booth,”
Chase announced triumphantly, carrying the little girl on his shoulders and joining Lonny and Tom.
Cricket smiled down at them from her perch. “We did a good job, too.”
“Cricket,” Letty cried, rushing toward them, hands on her hips. “Chase, put her down right this minute.”
Lonny was grateful to see his sister. “I saw Joy,” he said, striving to sound unconcerned.
Letty lifted her brows in question.
“She was with Josh Howell,” Lonny added.
“He said he was her boyfriend,” Cricket muttered indignantly. “He isn’t, is he?” The question was directed at her uncle.
“No way,” Lonny assured the little girl.
“Then how come he said that?”
The kid had a point. “He just doesn’t know it yet,” Lonny explained, not meeting Letty’s eyes.
“Ms. Fuller will tell him, won’t she?”
“She will soon enough,” Lonny said.
“However,” Letty cut in, “Ms. Fuller is the one making the decisions, not your uncle Lonny.”
Cricket waited for Lonny to agree or disagree. Lonny shrugged. His sister wasn’t wrong, but the situation was more complicated than that.
Letty was frowning. “Listen, we don’t have time to stand around discussing Joy’s love life. The carnival’s about to start.”
“All right, all right.” Lonny picked up the beanbag toss instructions again. He studied the drawing, turned it around and took another look. Ah, that made more sense….
* * *
By five o’clock, the streets of Red Sp
rings were filled to capacity. This was the one time of year when the town got a taste of big-city living, complete with traffic jams. Parking slots were at a premium. Many streets were closed off and teeming with kids and adults alike, all enjoying themselves.
Chase and Lonny took a shift together, grilling hamburgers and serving them as quickly as they were cooked. While he was flipping burgers, Lonny caught a glimpse of Joy out of the corner of his eye. She was strolling through the grounds with Josh, sharing a bag of popcorn and sipping lemonade. He pretended not to notice but his gut tightened, and almost immediately the doubts began chasing each other, around and around. Maybe Josh would convince her, after all. Just as fast, a sense of well-being returned. Joy had as much pride as he did, but she wasn’t stupid. She loved him. Lonny believed that…and yet there were a lot of factors he hadn’t considered before. Such as the fact that Josh was so likable and that Joy had family and friends in Seattle. Josh could offer her a privileged life. All the reasons marriage to Josh might seem appealing presented themselves to his fevered mind.
Lonny’s gut remained in knots until he saw Tom and Michelle stroll past, holding hands. His mood instantly lightened. This was probably Tom’s first real date. Tom kept his emotions in check about most things, but he hadn’t been able to squelch his enthusiasm for the carnival and the high school dance that was to follow. The kid had his chores finished before the sun was even up. He was ready to leave for town by ten that morning. Lonny had to assign him some extra work to keep him busy and distracted from his nervousness about Michelle. By two o’clock, though, he was dressed and waiting.
Apparently Michelle had informed him it wasn’t necessary to wear a suit to the dance, so Tom had given it back to Lonny. The kid’s eyes had lit up like Christmas morning when Lonny assured him he didn’t need it anymore. He told Tom to keep the suit because he might be able to use it someday. Tom had purchased a new shirt and jeans for the dance and he’d even had his hair cut and he’d polished his black boots to a shine they’d likely never seen before.
Michelle had been good for Tom. She’d talked to him about college, reinforcing Lonny’s suggestions, and encouraged him to apply for scholarships. Together Tom and Lonny had worked on completing the on-line application forms. Lonny felt pleased that Tom was looking beyond his past and toward the future.
In the same way Michelle had helped Tom, Joy had been good for Lonny. While it was true that they’d argued frequently, Joy had taught Lonny some important things about himself. Not the least of which was that he wanted marriage and a family. That was a new aspiration for him.
The moment he and Chase finished their shift, he planned to seek her out. He couldn’t stand by and do nothing while Josh escorted her about town.
Caught up in his own anxiety, he automatically followed Chase and Cricket to the long line of kids waiting for cotton candy. But after a few minutes he realized his sister was the one stirring up the sugary pink confection.
When Letty saw Lonny, she motioned for him to come to the front of the line.
“Don’t do it,” she said, looking at him sternly. Her mouth was pinched and she resembled their mother more than he’d thought possible.
“Do what?” he asked, playing innocent.
“Don’t play games with me, big brother. I know you.” All the while she was speaking, Letty rotated the paper cone along the outside of the circular barrel as it produced the cotton candy. “Stay away from Joy.” Smiling, she took two tickets from the waiting youngster and handed her the fluffy pink bouquet.
“But—”
“Chase, don’t you dare let him go near Joy while she’s with Josh.”
Chase frowned. “I’m not his babysitter.”
“Stay with him. You can do that, can’t you?”
Chase obviously wasn’t happy about it. “I suppose.”
“Good.”
“Here, sweetie,” she said, giving Cricket a tube of cotton candy. She turned to Lonny again. “Stay out of trouble, okay?”
Feeling like a kid who’d just been reprimanded, Lonny mumbled, “I took your advice earlier. I suppose I can again.” He hoped Letty recognized how difficult this was going to be.
His sister narrowed her eyes. “Listen to me, Lonny,” she insisted. “You’ve got to let Joy make up her own mind.”
“But…”
“If you push her, you’ll lose her. Understand?”
Lonny sighed. What choice did he have?
Chase took Cricket to all the kids’ rides and Lonny felt like a third wheel walking around with them. Every now and then, he unexpectedly caught a glimpse of Joy and Josh. Once he saw them deep in conversation, their heads close together as they shared a bag of popcorn. Josh fed Joy a kernel and she smiled up at him as she accepted it.
Lonny’s stomach convulsed at the sight. It came to him then that Josh might actually have the upper hand. He’d been so certain earlier, convinced to the core that Joy Fuller loved him. Now he wasn’t as sure.
Confronted with Joy and Josh looking so comfortable, so intimate, was a rude awakening. Letty seemed to think doing nothing was the best response. It was killing him, but so far he’d managed. Barely.
“You okay?” Chase asked at one point.
“No,” Lonny admitted from between clenched teeth. It began to seem that every time he turned a corner, there was Joy with her college boyfriend. When he saw them holding hands, he involuntarily started toward her. Chase grabbed his elbow, stopping him.
“Remember what Letty said,” his friend muttered.
“How would you feel?” Lonny snapped, glaring at him.
“If I saw Letty holding hands with another man, you mean?” Chase asked. He shook his head. “Same way you’re feeling now.”
“That’s what I thought.”
“Josh will be on his way back to Seattle in a day, maybe two, and that’ll be the end of it.”
With all his heart, Lonny wanted to believe Joy would stay. “But what if she decides to go with him?” he asked. The possibility seemed very real at the moment.
“If she does, then it was meant to be.”
Chase sounded so casual about it. So offhand. Apparently the love Lonny had for Joy didn’t figure into this. Not according to his friend, anyway. Lonny didn’t know how he was supposed to keep his mouth shut and pretend Chase was right. Like hell she’d leave with Josh What’s-his-name! He’d fight for Joy, make her understand how deep his feelings ran. He wasn’t a man who gave his heart easily. He wasn’t going to stand idly by and watch Josh walk off with her. Not in this lifetime. Not ever.
“You can’t force her to marry you,” Chase said, his hold tightening on Lonny’s elbow.
“Sure I can,” Lonny argued, for argument’s sake.
Chase’s reaction was to laugh.
“All right, all right,” Lonny reluctantly agreed. He had to let this play out the way it would. The decision was up to her, and Lonny tried to believe that her good sense—and true feelings—would prevail.
“The dance is in an hour,” Chase reminded him.
“Thank God for that.” At least there he wouldn’t be exposed to the sight of Joy and Josh holding hands and whispering to each other. He’d be able to concentrate on the kids and forget that his life was on the verge of imploding.
The dance was held in the high school gymnasium. Lonny got there early to avoid the risk of seeing Joy with Josh again. There was a limit to how much he could take.
The high school kids had done an admirable job of decorating the basketball court. The student body obviously had enough funds to hire a real band—well, a live band, anyway. They were tuning up, and discordant sounds spilled out the open doors. Groaning, Lonny had to resist plugging his ears. He only hoped Tom appreciated his sacrifice. Actually, he should be the one thanking Tom for an excuse to leave that blasted carnival. No telling how long those festivities would last.
Couples were slowly drifting in. While the guys were dressed in jeans and Western shirts, the girls all
seemed to be wearing fancy dresses and strappy high-heeled shoes. If there’d been a dance like this while he was in school, Lonny didn’t remember it. As he sat at the back of the gymnasium, guarding the punch bowl, he saw Tom and Michelle arrive.
Charley Larson’s daughter was lovely. She wore a corsage on her wrist, and Lonny knew Tom had worried plenty about that white rose. But all his anguish and fretting seemed worth it now. They exuded such innocent happiness, Lonny found himself smiling.
Then, just when he’d started to relax, he saw Joy. He froze with a cup of punch halfway to his mouth. Sure enough, Josh tagged along behind her, one hand on her waist. Lonny felt as if someone had stuck a knife in his back. This dance was supposed to be his escape. Instead, it was fast becoming the scene of his emotional downfall. He didn’t know how he’d manage to stand by and do nothing when Josh took Joy in his arms. Joy, the woman Lonny loved and hoped to marry.
The music began in earnest then. The lead singer stepped up to the microphone and announced the first dance.
Lonny set aside his punch and marched across the room.
When Joy saw him she scowled fiercely. “What are you doing here?” she demanded. She seemed to be asking that a lot today.
“I’m a chaperone. And you?”
“We’re chaperoning, as well,” Josh answered on her behalf.
Couples surged onto the dance floor all around them. “I believe this dance is mine,” Lonny said and held out his hand to Joy.
She met his gaze without flinching, but didn’t respond. She glanced at Josh, as if to ask his permission.
“Would you mind if I danced this number with Joy?” Lonny kept his voice as free of emotion as possible.
“Go ahead.”
Lonny half expected Joy to argue with him and was pleasantly surprised when she simply followed him onto the floor. Since this was the first such event Lonny had chaperoned, he didn’t know if the adults were allowed to dance. That, however, didn’t concern him. If they wanted to fire him, they could. He didn’t care. All that mattered was having Joy in his arms again.
He took her hand and she moved reluctantly into his arms. To his relief, this was a slow dance. Closing his eyes, Lonny brought her against him and noticed how stiff she was.