“Rule 10: Be wary of mating displays. For men it’s flashy clothes, Mohawk hairdos and gold chains, accompanied by gifts of flowers or baubles. For women add revealing clothes, red claws and painted lips. Both use cologne, tattoos and piercings to show how brave and conformist they are.” — SMFA and SWFW
She was almost finished repairing scratched and dented plaster walls at Sue’s when her friend appeared from the bedroom in what she guessed was a new dress. At least Kelly had never seen it before. It was red, which wasn’t all that shocking until Kelly saw the matching nails and lipstick. Sue was on the hunt and Kelly was guessing she was going to be staying in her own house from now on.
“Yikes,” she said as she took a step back, looking Sue up and down. “Hot date with a vampire?”
“Devin is taking me out to dinner tonight. Just me without the kids. He says there’s something he needs to tell me. Please say you can watch them.”
Kelly glanced toward the children who had now collapsed in front of the TV. “They’ve been busy all day actually helping me sand the rough spots, so I imagine they will hit the sack early tonight. I’ll take them back to my house in case you two, well, you know.” Kelly almost flipped a spatter of plaster onto Sue’s outfit with her gesture.
Sue retreated. “I think Devin could be THE one.”
“He seems so nice, besides that black belt in karate. For sure none of your ex-boyfriends will mess with you if Devin stays around. Pity about the tattoo. But he has only one and I think it has some actual significance to him.”
Sue tilted her head wistfully, but wistful didn’t come off, considering her war paint. “I love the tattoo. I’m actually thinking of getting one.”
Kelly could hardly recognize Sue behind the artificial claws and the red mouth. She couldn’t imagine her at all with a tat. Much as she wanted to advise against it she kept her mouth shut. She’d always thought red nails and lips made women look dangerous. So why did it attract men? Oh, yes, men liked to live dangerously. Somehow she didn’t think Devin was one of those men. He seemed too controlled for that.
Sue picked up her purse and stilt walked to the door on her new red heels. “Wish me luck.”
Break a leg was on the tip of Kelly’s tongue but she really didn’t want anything bad to happen to her best friend. “All the best,” was what Kelly said.
“That’s what both of us want, all the best. It’s funny, but every good memory I have of my life is tainted with something bad happening that day…because of a man.”
Kelly thought back over her own good memories and realized it was a short list, but the taint was usually her mother, not a man. She cleared her throat. “No one gets to pick and choose, Sue. If you want to have only happy memories you have to edit out too much. Ha, I’d have nothing left except you and the kids.”
Sue came back and hugged her. Kelly did not recoil because she could see the insecurity behind the scary clothes and makeup.
“Tonight is real important to me,” Sue said. “I don’t want anything to go wrong.”
“Pretend you’re a teen again, that nothing bad has ever happened to you, that he’s your first.”
“Yeah, right. Thanks again. I’ll pick the kids up in the morning.”
Quinn pulled in just as Sue was sliding into her car. She even waved to him. He smiled as Kelly loaded the kids and tools into the Jeep.
“Who was that borrowing Sue’s car? She sort of scared me.”
“You didn’t recognize her either.”
“Not Sue. She didn’t scare the children?”
“They must have seen her like that before, but they didn’t give her a hug. What’s worse, she may scare Devin off with that blatant display of red.”
Quinn squinted in the direction of Sue’s retreating car. “I bet if there’s a rule attached to this, it’s for women.”
“Both men and women. Of course Devin has a tat so maybe Sue won’t scare him away.”
“Good point.”
“What I appreciate is clean, and soap is like perfume to me. Besides I’m allergic to cologne.”
Quinn waited for her to lock up, then get the kids into the car. He drove them slowly to Kelly’s house wondering what to say to her. He pulled down her driveway and sat still as the kids unbuckled and hopped out into the yard.
“You also appreciate being treated equally, and in my clumsy way I offended you by seeming surprised at your competence.”
Kelly chuckled. “Even though you are.”
He grinned. “Let’s not visit that topic again just now. Jason is grilling and he wants to know how many for dinner.” Quinn looked toward his son, who was manning the portable grill and volleying question from the kids.
“Just us and the kids.”
“Where’s your mom? Not on a date or something?”
“I’m not sure, but Bea went to Pittsburgh.”
“Huh, I could have given her a ride.”
“I doubt you were going to the same area.”
After they had fed the kids and sent them to bed, Kelly turned to Quinn and Jason. “I’m going to have to ask one of you to stand watch since I’m in charge of the children tonight.”
“I’ll do it,” Jason said. “I like camping out in the old house. I found a box of books in the attic.”
“Thanks, I owe you one,” Kelly said.
“You shouldn’t have to guard my house at all,” Quinn said. Did he sound too possessive? Should he have said the house not my house?
“He’s right, you know.” Jason wrapped up the leftover burgers and carried them inside.
“And you shouldn’t have to help me rescue my friends,” Kelly replied. “But I guess that’s what knights are for.”
“Wish I could aspire that that office, but I’m just an average guy.” Quinn would love to be an average guy. Right now with all the problems hanging over him, he felt below par.
Kelly smiled at him, flipped the cooler open and got out a small bottle of wine. She unsealed it and poured half in her glass.
Quinn reached for the bottle. It was a good Chardonnay but not hugely expensive. “I didn’t know you drank.”
“Never enough to get drunk. Funny that Jason would load this into the cooler. Do you think he’s trying to tell us something?” Quinn poured the rest of the wine into his own glass. Was his son playing Cupid? If so it was premature since nothing could happen for a long time yet. He had better let Kelly know just how long their future might have to wait.
She sat on the heavy swing and started it moving.
“Rough day?” he asked. “What am I saying? They’re all rough days.” He downed the wine for courage and rehearsed. I love you but I’m going to have to put you on hold for six months or a year. That didn’t sound very affectionate.
“Just trying to get past something in my life I don’t think I can get over.” She paused the swing, he got on and she resumed the pendulum movement.
Quinn stared at her, trying to fathom what kind of crisis Kelly could have that he didn’t know about. “What’s happened? Is Bea okay?”
“Bea is fine, wherever she is. Odd how nothing ever seems to happen to her. At least as far as I know, she’s never been in danger, but I doubt that she’d tell me if she was.”
“Then what’s wrong?”He reached for her hand but she wasn’t ready for that.
“She told me my dad is not a cowboy.”
He wrinkled his brow. “I didn’t know he was supposed to be. Is that a cowboy in the real sense or in the fooling around sense?”
“She made him up, and when I was five I liked cowboys, so she said he was a cowboy.”
Quinn leaned back in the swing with a sigh. “So…who is he?”
“She isn’t really sure. That’s why she named me after Kelly’s Bar.”
Quinn gaped, then he burst out laughing. When he got control of himself he glanced at her and she looked like she wanted to dump him off the swing except he outweighed her. She tossed back the wine in her glass and waited for him to get control of himself.
“So glad you think it’s funny.” Her voice was brittle, not mellowed at all by the alcohol.
“Kelly, we all find out things about ourselves that surprise us, but that doesn’t mean you’ve lived a lie. Who your father is doesn’t matter. It’s who you are that counts.”
“It probably means that I’ve been the laughingstock in this town my whole life without knowing it. Look at your reaction.”
“Is that what this is all about, your reputation?” He took her hand finally. “Everyone in this town thinks well of you. That’s why they sent me to you.”
She licked the last drop of wine from her glass and tossed it onto the soft grass. “I don’t know. I just need to numb my brain a little today.”
“The problem, if it is a problem, will be there tomorrow. Believe me, I’ve tried numbing my brain and it just delays the inevitable.” He pulled her to him and hugged her.
“I guess so.” She sighed and leaned against him.
“Besides you’re babysitting tonight. You have to be alert.” Quinn didn’t know what else to say to her but he didn’t want her to keep drinking.
“Sue has a hot date. The kids are played out and should sleep the night. Mom went to Pittsburgh, and I have no idea when she may come back. So I have my house back, but as usual I feel like I’ve been hit by a tornado.”
“Do you feel like a different person than you were yesterday?” Quinn asked, sorry that he had not paid more attention in psychology class. Here he was, setting out to be a teacher and he had no idea how to counsel people. That wasn’t really true. He knew how to help Jason, so maybe he wasn’t as inept as he feared.
A laugh escaped her. “I feel stupider.”
“But you could still wire in a light in five minutes or plumb a sink by yourself.” What other examples could he use?
“Sure.”
“Then you are the same person, and from what I hear, people in this town respect you. When I stopped at the hardware store to ask about contractors, yours was the only name that was mentioned.”
“They feel sorry for me. They’re just surprised I survived.”
Quinn lifted her chin with one hand and looked into her eyes. “That isn’t surprise I see on Sue’s face when you rescue her or on Earl’s face when he comes to pick up the people you set up for him. It’s admiration.”
Kelly smiled. “Earl is special. I wish he had been my dad.”
“Maybe he is.”
Kelly snorted a laugh and sat up. “Earl has always been too smart for Bea although she has tried to ensnare him.”
“I think he would have liked to have been your dad.” Quinn’s arms kept their embrace on her and she leaned into them again.
The revelation from her mother was nothing to the epiphany Kelly now found. It had all happened such a long time ago, she needed to let go of it, to forgive her mother for not being perfect even though her mother never asked for forgiveness. As soon as she realized what she had to do she felt light, like she could fly and it wasn’t just the wine. Just let the past stay in the past where it belonged. It didn’t matter who her father was. It only mattered who she was.
She finally let go of Quinn and laughed. “So the possibilities are limitless. My dad might be the president or a movie star or a great athlete.”
“Or even a cowboy. What I do know is that you are a quality person through and through. No matter how you got to be who you are, you’re very important, especially to me and Jason, not to mention Sue’s family.”
She nodded and stood up, keeping hold of the chain.
“Feel any better?”
“Yes, but I’m afraid logic will set in by tomorrow when the wine wears off.”
He walked her to the house. “You make your own reality. And you are one of the few people who give me hope rather than take it away.”
At the risk of losing her balance, she looked up at him and he was gazing at her in more than a friendly way. She now thought that time was the only thing standing between her and Quinn having a relationship. She could never be like her mother, never be the other woman even if Quinn was getting a divorce.
“Jason and I talked. I think he’s smarter than me and my lawyer. He thinks I should sell you the house for half what I paid for it, then if his mom gets half my money she’ll only get a quarter of the value of the house, and we’ll still have some left to work on the place.”
“He is a smart kid and should have some input into your future. Later I can sell your house back to you for the same amount plus my work.”
“By then I should be able to get a mortgage.”
“The plan is flawless except for one thing.” She leaned against the door and waited for him to say what he needed to say.
“I’m trusting you with my—our entire future. I know that and so does Jason.”
“I’m honored.”
“When I said our, I meant you as well.”
He came and kissed her. It felt like a promise, like the kind of kiss you hoped for on your wedding day. And she realized she was the other woman whether she liked it or not.
“Thank you, Quinn.”
“How soon can you get the paperwork started?”
Kelly cleared her throat. “Tomorrow. The appraisal won’t be a problem because you bid for it at a tax sale, right?”
“Right, so it was already undervalued. I didn’t realize you were one of the other bidders.”
Kelly shrugged. “It’s how I make my living.”
“Not babysitting amateur carpenters through their first remodeling effort?”
She smiled. “But I’ve actually enjoyed working with you. If only you weren’t a teacher, we could go into business together.”
“I’ve had some thoughts about that myself. As a teacher I have the whole summer off.”
“Quinn, thank you for trusting me. I won’t let you down.”
“I know that. I’d better get some sleep.”
“Me too. Good night, Quinn.” She waited at the door to enjoy the sight of him walking away. She would never tire of that.
Only one thing worried her. If she and Quinn married, the sale of the house was academic. They would share it without money changing hands. Did Quinn’s need for the transaction mean he wasn’t sure they were going to be able to marry? At least not soon. Kelly shook her head. She had finally resolved her problems with the past and here she was worrying about the future. She had better learn to live in the present and enjoy it for what it was. The future was totally out of their hands.