Twenty-One
The next day Frederick placed the last bottled drink in his plane’s cooler and closed the door. He picked up a scrap of paper lying beside one of the seats and crumpled it. Jim was using the portable vacuum, which hummed from the back of the plane. The guy had accidentally spilled half a box of carpet deodorizer, and the smell was strong enough to choke a Tyrannosaurus Rex. At least the mini cleanup endeavor had given Jim something to do.
He’d been nothing but a listless piece of humanity last night. Frederick had even stayed awake until he was certain Jim was asleep. After his bout with Robert Frost, Frederick hadn’t trusted Jim not to try something desperate. Thankfully he hadn’t.
Frederick yawned and stretched and planned another dose of caffeine via Coca-Cola. After waiting on Jim to go to sleep, Frederick had awakened periodically through the night to check on the guy. Then he had to get up by six to catch the shuttle flight to Charlotte to fly the Beechcraft to Atlanta. Frederick’s body was now reminding him he needed a nap.
The afternoon sunshine splashed through the open passenger door, which ushered in the inviting spring breeze. Frederick walked toward the doorway, gripped both sides, leaned out, and looked toward the cloudless sky. He gulped the clean air. The day couldn’t be more perfect. Neither could Frederick’s expectations. Despite the sleep deprivation, his restless anticipation brought new meaning to spring fever. He had it and had it bad. Either that or he was lovesick.
Maybe both, he thought and strained against the sunbeams for any sign of Allie’s Mercedes or the Groves’ Lincoln. Jim had driven to Atlanta this morning and taken their luggage back to his townhouse. The rest of the group was supposed to meet them here at this small county airport.
The place reminded Frederick of the one back home. It was simple, functional, and not highly trafficked. Exactly the kind of setup Frederick enjoyed. There were six other planes parked near the runway, ten in the hangar, and only minimal employees taking care of business. A lazy lowing reverberated from the pasture of cattle grazing near a pond. And Frederick was tempted to bring his fishing gear the next time he came and ask permission to fish. The pond screamed of trophy bass.
He checked his watch and counted the minutes until Allie would arrive. Per his trusty Timex, she should be here in five. According to Frederick’s plan, everyone else should be gone within three hours. After the flight, the group would go to dinner together. Then they’d go home . . . everyone except Allie.
That’s when she’d be all his. They’d talk. He’d explain everything; tell her he’d never stopped loving her. She’d say the same. He’d kiss her like there was no tomorrow. Then he’d ask her to marry him. The very thought sent Frederick into a heady tailspin. He never even questioned she’d say yes. And this time, they’d immediately elope—maybe go crazy and fly to Las Vegas tonight. They could buy a change of clothing and some toiletries once they got there. No one in her family would have to know until after they’d said “I do.”
Louise was probably going to need therapy though. But even after his guilt trip last night, Frederick was too hyped to let the Louise business get him down. He glanced toward Jim and decided maybe he and Louise could get together after all. But try as he might, Frederick couldn’t seem to get Jim to say he’d even noticed Louise. Frederick prayed today would change all that.
The young doctor turned off the vacuum and peered around him. “Looks good,” he declared with more spunk than Frederick expected. “I think I got all the carpet cleaner up.”
“Whew! Smells like a perfume factory,” Frederick joked and straightened from the door.
“Yeah.” Jim put his hands on his hips and shook his head. “Sorry ’bout that.”
Frederick chuckled. “No prob,” he replied and was tempted to slap himself. I’m starting to sound like Louise, he thought.
“I guess I should stick to treating patients and forget the housekeeping scene. I’m no good.” Jim rubbed his hand along the front of the faded green scrub shirt he wore with a pair of baggy jeans and thick-soled sandals. Frederick had started calling Jim’s present clothing his uniform. The doctor had two sets of scrubs leftover from med school, a couple pairs of favorite jeans, and a closet full of clothes Frederick now thought of as his “prefuneral” clothes. After Felicity’s death, Jim had simply stopped caring.
At least he did wear something else yesterday and Saturday, Frederick remembered, and his uniform is clean and ironed today.
He glanced down at his own blue jeans. The things were worn in all the right places, frayed around the pockets and hem. And Frederick was as committed to them as Jim was his scrubs. The three-year-old cowboy boots and faded cotton shirt were no exception.
The distant hum of a car’s engine ended Frederick’s musings about his and Jim’s lack of fashion savvy.
“I’ll put the vacuum up,” Jim said. “That’s probably them coming now.”
Frederick leaned against the door and gazed toward the two-lane road that led to the airport. Sure enough, a Lincoln Town Car slowed at the airport’s drive. A pale blue Mercedes followed; behind the Mercedes, a red Corvette. Frederick’s attention settled upon the Mercedes. So did his heart. The very fact that Allie had driven her own vehicle alone said a resounding yes to everything he wanted to ask her.
“Yes!” Frederick hollered and thrust his fists upward.
“What’s the deal, man?” Jim asked and looked at Frederick like he’d gone bonkers.
High on adrenaline, Frederick lifted both hands and moved toward Jim, who halfheartedly met his friend in a double high-five.
“Yes!” Frederick repeated like a football enthusiast whose team just won. All drowsiness vanished.
Ignoring Jim’s question, Frederick hustled back to the plane’s doorway. His palms began to ooze perspiration. His heart in his throat, he grabbed the stair’s support cable and descended. Frederick waved at the approaching vehicles until they drove toward the parking area that serviced this section of airport.
Soon the whole Grove clan was bustling toward Frederick with Allie following at a distance, her head bent. The shy tilt of her head coupled with her flowing skirt and blouse increased her feminine appeal. Frederick’s adrenaline kicked up a notch and stimulated his masculine desire to protect Allie . . . for life.
He wished for the engagement ring he’d bought ten years ago. But the diamond was at his place in Charlotte in the safe. His desire to keep the ring all these years now made perfect sense. Even if he didn’t give the diamond to Allie tonight, he would definitely surprise her with it soon. She was so sweet-spirited he knew she would be thrilled even if she received it following their marriage.
After a distracted welcome for the rest of the group and a brief handshake with Charlie Grove, he was in the middle of sidestepping Helena and Louise when Louise grabbed his arm.
“I get to ride up front with you today. Don’t forget.” She wagged her index finger back and forth and smiled as if they had a secret agreement and their conversation last night had never happened.
“No, not this time,” Frederick said with what he hoped was an apologetic grin.
“But I thought you said I could!” she huffed and crossed her arms. For once she was dressed decently in a pair of cotton capris and a shirt that actually covered her stomach.
“Are you sure?” he gently questioned and offered a fatherly smile. “Because I don’t remember that.”
She pouted. “Well, this was my idea, so I just thought—”
“Yes, but the front seat is kinda reserved already.” Frederick shrugged and glanced toward Allie again. He hoped she would accept the invitation and Louise would take the hint.
“If it’s up for grabs, I’m all over it!” Helena declared and bounced into the conversation with no warning.
“No, I was just saying it isn’t up for grabs,” Frederick explained.
He eyed Louise’s redheaded counterpart. She’d been less focused on Frederick all day yesterday because Craig had been present. But with his absence today, it appeared that Helena was resuming her leech status. She grabbed Frederick’s arm and gushed a smile up at him.
“Bummer!” she exclaimed. “You’re looking awfully handsome today.”
“I’m sure Craig would probably agree,” Frederick teased, but hoped Helena read between the lines. He was getting to be a near pro at well-aimed hints these days.
“Craig? Who’s he?” she countered.
“You know. Tall guy. The one who’s falling all over himself in love with you.” Frederick disentangled himself from Helena.
“Oh, him. Don’t know if he’s the right one, if you know what I mean,” she chattered and placed her hand on her miniskirt-clad hip. “When we first met, I thought he was going to play pro basketball. Scouts were even looking at him. But now with his knee injury, it looks like he’s going to have to resort to just coaching.”
“Really?” Louise questioned and eyed her sister like a feline guarding her territory. “Last I heard, he thought the injury wasn’t going to stop him.”
“Well, that’s the latest,” Helena replied. “He just told me last night. Now . . . I don’t know about him and me. He has mentioned marriage, but being married to a pro basketball star is one thing. Marrying a high school coach is something else.” She pulled her petite handbag off her shoulder and began scratching through it.
“If you really love him, does any of that matter?” Frederick queried and couldn’t believe he was urging an immature nineteen-year-old to consider marriage. But anything was better than Helena and Louise fighting over him like a couple of hens after the same beetle.
Helena, busy unwrapping a stick of gum, looked up and said, “Did you say something?” She popped the gum into her mouth and chewed, her bronze-tinted lips puckering with every chomp.
“Never mind,” Frederick said and backed away. “I’ll talk to you later, okay?”
“No, wait!” Louise caught up with him and gripped his arm.
Frederick faced her. Given the stubborn set of her mouth, he began to think he was going to have to use a more direct approach in getting some space.
“I’m sitting up front with you, and that’s all there is to it!” She darted a hostile glance toward Allie. “Don’t think I don’t see what’s going on,” Louise snarled, her voice barely audible. She doubled her fist and leaned closer. “And I’m not going to let my man go without a fight. You either let me ride up front or there’s going to be a really nasty scene.” She shifted back, crossed her arms, and lifted her chin.
Up until now, Louise’s antics had amused him at best and irritated him at worst. But this move sent a flash of heat through his gut. Frederick hadn’t ever allowed himself to be manipulated or controlled, and he wasn’t about to start now. Apparently Louise really was going to have to have the direct approach. Whatever it took, Frederick was feeling more cornered by the minute and was ready for some freedom.
“And I mean it,” she whispered, her blue eyes hard. “You’re mine, and you’d better get that into your head and keep it in your head!” Her eyes slid toward Allie again.
Frederick clenched his jaw and ground his teeth together. His spine went rigid while heat crept up his face. He checked out the rest of the group to validate they didn’t have an audience and decided to make himself so clear Louise would know exactly where she stood.
“Louise, it’s time we get something straight,” he said and moved his face closer to hers. “I am not your man,” he jabbed his index finger against his chest, “nor have I ever been. I told you the day you invited me to your place that I was a family friend, and that’s all. That’s still all I am and nothing more. You have no claims on me.”
Her face grew pale, but Frederick took no chances on being misunderstood. “You need to find a boyfriend your own age,” he stated. “And I’m not him. End of discussion!” He lifted his hands for emphasis.
“You’re dumping me for her!” she accused. Her ashen face flushing red, Louise stomped her foot and pointed toward Allie.
“I’m not dumping you, Louise,” Frederick insisted. “We never were a couple. How can you dump someone you never dated in the first place?”
“What do you mean we never dated?” Louise raged. “You’ve courted me for weeks—been at my house all the time. We’ve gone to dinner. We’ve—”
“Yes,” Frederick nodded, “with your family and friends all around us. Think about it, Louise. I’ve never even kissed you.”
“Well, if you haven’t been there for me, then why have you been there?” she demanded.
Frederick looked down and wondered how to get around that question. Even though Louise had angered him, he still hated to tell her he’d been after Allie and used her to get to Allie. The longer the seconds stretched, the more he felt like a cad. But then, Louise had said that Frederick was her “catch of the day” and that she changed boyfriends like some changed socks. If he’d known Louise was going to get so serious about him, Frederick would have certainly devised a more honorable plan.
“Louise, you told me when we met that you changed boyfriends like some people change socks. I had no idea you were going to get so serious here. If I had . . .” He shrugged and tried to appear remorseful enough to communicate genuine regret without her thinking he wanted to kiss and make up.
He glanced back toward the group. Thankfully they were mesmerized with the plane, and it appeared that Jim was doing a good job of answering their questions.
“Oh my word . . .” Louise breathed.
Frederick snapped his attention back to her. She was glaring bullets toward Allie.
“You were after her the whole time, weren’t you?” she accused.
“Louise, I—”
“Yes, you were!” She pointed her finger at his nose. “That’s why you were at that roadside park in the first place and why you told me to tell everyone you and I just bumped into each other. You didn’t want anyone to know you were chasing her.”
“Now listen! I never—”
“Don’t lie to me, Frederick Wently,” she challenged.
“Who says I’m lying?” He stepped back and placed his hands on his hips. “I might be a lot of things, but I am not a liar!”
“That’s right. You are a lot of things!” She stepped forward. “You’re a woman user, that’s what you are. And you’ve used me!”
Frederick’s face went cold. Never did he imagine Louise would be sophisticated enough to detect his plan or verbalize the accusations he’d hurled at himself.
“No one uses me and gets away with it,” she whispered, her lips stiff. “And you’ll either let me have my place beside you today—and for the rest of your life—or I’ll make you so miserable you’ll wish you were dead.”
The flames eating at Frederick’s gut roared to an inferno. His control snapped, and he uttered the first thing that came to his mind: “I am not going to marry you! You can’t force me to. I’m not afraid of you, Louise, not even a little bit. I don’t care what you do. You can crawl through the escape hatch, tap dance on top of the plane, scream to the world about me, then fall off and break your neck, and it’s not going to make one shred of difference in my final decision. Listen to me and listen closely. We are not together. We have never been together. And we are not going to be together. Got it?”
Her eye twitched. Her lips trembled. She lifted her hand to slap him, and Frederick stopped her mid-swing.
“Uuuuhhh!” Louise growled, then pulled her hand from his grasp and stomped toward the plane.