Amateur Hour

It was a very quiet ride, back to the house. Will knew what was occupying Lisa’s thoughts, and he wished it wasn’t. She was still beating herself up for the comment about Toni. She had spoken out of frustration, which was forgivable. If she weren’t fretting about it, still, he’d have already forgotten it.

What Pa was stewing about, he couldn’t guess. Well, he could guess—some revelation or other from the Judge, seemed like a possible reason. If that were the case, Tuck probably wouldn’t talk about it, until they were all together, in one place, so as not to leave Toni out.

“Would you two shut up, already? I can’t hear myself think,” Will said when they were halfway home.

“Sorry, son. I was just wondering whether or not we need to box Noah up, at all. Maybe we should just put him in the hole I dug, and call it good.”

“No,” Lisa surprised them. “A deal’s a deal.”

“Deal? You said you’d bury him next to Beatrice—no more, no less,” Tuck scowled at her. “He’s out of the box, the hole is dug—I say we turn around, right now and drop him in it, with all of his remaining worldly goods, and call it a day.”

“You really think he’ll be gone, after being disrespected, like that? I want him gone.”

“We gave Gerald a Cadillac of a funeral, by comparison, and he’s still hanging around.”

“That’s because of the church, and you know it. Or should I raze that to the ground, and sow the property with salt, too?”

“Women. Professional victims.”

“That’s ugly, Pa. Stop it.”

“Just because you like being walked on—“

Will slowed the truck and pulled over, onto the shoulder.

“Speaking of walking, get out.”

If he hadn’t been perturbed himself, Will might have laughed at the look of shock on the faces of both his passengers.

“You wouldn’t make Lisa walk—“

“No, sir. Just you. The sooner you get out, the sooner we all get home, because I’m not driving you any farther.”

Without further argument, Tuck gave him a curt nod, opened the door, and got out. He didn’t so much as slam the door.

“Will—“ Lisa began, even as he pulled back out onto the road.

“Let him cool off a little. It’s only about a mile and a half to the front door. Not much more than a long stroll.”

“What did he say that ticked you off, so much?”

“Nothing. Except, he didn’t sound right. Tuck Rawlings doesn’t disparage women, as a group. I’ve never heard him do it even once, in the ten years I’ve known him. He’ll be fine, Lisa. Don’t worry.”

*****************************************

He was fine, when he showed up half an hour later. In fact, he seemed very nearly cheerful, when he came in, swept off his hat and placed himself before them, in front of the fireplace.

“I have completed my walk of shame, sir, and now I humbly beg your pardon for my atrocious behavior,” he announced, addressing Will with laughter in his eyes despite his grave face.

“On my behalf, you have it, sir,” Will grinned. “Lisa? Do you pardon the reprobate?”

Lisa pretended to think, for a moment. “This once,” she replied. “Sit, Tuck, and I’ll get you something hot to drink.”

“Thanks, Darlin’,” he smiled, shrugging out of his jacket and hanging up his hat. “Do I still have a daughter?” he asked Will.

“Somewhere. She got next day delivery on her computer and monitor for the security system. Last seen scoping out locations for placement of said items. You should warn Lisa—she was joking about using your room, and doubling the two of you up.”

“She was such a good girl, until she married you. Now, she’s wicked.”

“She didn’t say that!” Lisa protested, coming in, with Tuck’s cup.

“She didn’t,” Will confessed. “I think she’d like to use her Mom’s old sewing room, but she’d have to move a few things.”

“If they’re heavy, you’ll be moving them. Thanks, honey.” Tuck smiled at Lisa and accepted the coffee.

“She was afraid you might mind.” Will gave him a questioning look.

“No. Not at all. It’s a good place; out of the way and close to the router. But, who’s going to man the thing?”

“It doesn’t have to be manned, Pa. It’ll record, and of course there’ll be sensors to set off alarms, if anyone is poking around, or if there’s a fire, God forbid.”

“Sprinklers—something else to put on the list. If there were a list.”

“Oh, you can bet Toni’s got a list. I’ll tell her to add it, if she hasn’t already thought of it, herself.”

“You’d be lost without her, wouldn’t you?” Lisa smiled.

“Completely,” Tuck replied. “Toni runs everything, around here. We tell her what we need, and she handles it, in the way of ordering supplies, and scheduling repairs; shopping, making appointments, the household bookkeeping…”

“I don’t suppose you pay her,” Lisa teased.

“I suppose I do. Not as much as she’d make, working an outside job, but it’s all hers. It’s called symbiosis, Lisa.”

“I’m sorry. You’re right, and it’s none of my business.”

“I didn’t say that. I’m glad you care. But, I don’t want you thinking I’m an ogre, eating my own children.”

“Am I going to have to send you both to bed without supper?” Toni asked, from behind them.

“Anything but that,” Tuck laughed. “I’m starving.” He picked up Lisa’s hand, and kissed it.

“That’s better. It’s Salisbury steak, tonight. Lisa, could I draft you to help me peel potatoes?”

“Of course.”

******

“I was all in your business,” Lisa said, when they sat down at the table to peel. “I’m sorry.”

“No worries. That’s what we do around here—mind each other’s business,” Toni chuckled. “Besides, I’m getting ready to get all up in yours, now.”

“Oh?”

“Yep.” They each picked up a spud, and began to whittle away with peelers, onto the sheet of newspaper that was between them. “I’d like to know just how weird Dad is, these nights.”

Lisa was relieved by the question. She had been sure it would be worse.

“He’s fine, really. I haven’t seen anything remotely like what happened yesterday, in the cellar. Nothing today, either, when I was with him. He stayed out of the house.”

“Will didn’t like his attitude, in the truck.”

“I don’t know if that was anything. He’s very tired, from digging. I think Liam was right about distance from the house. At the motel, you’d never guess anything was different.”

Toni looked at her, saying nothing.

“Okay, that’s Tuck’s I’m-not-buying-it look,” Lisa acknowledged.

“Did he tell you he called me, last night?”

Lisa thought. Had he?

“No…” And, she hadn’t thought to wonder how he had been so on target, about Will.

“He did. He was very interested in Will’s whereabouts. Of course, I know now where he was, but I didn’t know then. It didn’t matter. I’m very happy for you, by the way.”

“Thank you.”

Toni nodded. “But, back to last night— I trust Will. And, up until now, I thought Dad did, too. So, the third degree was very odd. Now I realize, it wasn’t so much about Will as it was about you.”

“Maybe he picked up on something?”

“Maybe. But, it’s not like Dad, to fish when it comes to family. It’s more like him to openly ask, if he wants to know. You see what I mean? If it were just him, giving you space, he wouldn’t investigate, behind your back. I’m not convinced that Noah isn’t influencing him.”

“Well… It turned out all right.”

“I can tell, by the way you’re frowning.”

Lisa stopped peeling.

“What am I supposed to do, Toni? He’s better there than at the rectory. To get any farther away, we’d have to drive another half hour or so.”

“All I’m saying is that you might want to sleep with one eye open.”

“What?” Lisa yelped.

“Figure of speech, unless there’s something I don’t know.” Toni smiled. “Just be careful. I don’t like having the family split, but you know that. Maybe you should take Nickie with you.”

“Nickie is Tuck’s dog. Mine is the brown one, with the IQ of this spud.”

“That’s the point. She’s Dad’s dog, not Noah Lovejoy’s. Take them both. You miss Gillie, don’t you?”

“Him?” Lisa nudged Gil with the foot he wasn’t lying on, and he rolled over to let her rub his chest with it. “Not really,” she grinned down at him. “No,” she said regretfully. “They’re both better off here. Gil might be okay, but Nickie’s a border collie. They need to run and ramble. I’ll be careful, Toni. I promise.”

Tuck sipped at his second cup of black coffee, watching Lisa’s steam. Beside him was a box with half a dozen donuts from a bakery, which he had picked up, in her car.

It was an amazing bucket of bolts—amazing because it was still running. It was a 2007 Subaru SUV, that had probably been a great car, when it was new. Tuck grinned to himself. That would have been twelve years and 210,000 miles ago.

He had rattled into town in it, grateful that the heater still worked, and the brakes. He had been rattling back to the motel, when he got pulled over; for the brake light. He began to chuckle now. He should have given her a written warning, the day he pulled her over to invite her to go to Ken’s for the first time.

He couldn’t wait for her to come breezing in. The wait wasn’t long, and Tuck ironed out his face, at the soft click of the lock being released.

“Did they still have any chocolate cake donuts?” Lisa asked. She tossed her jacket onto the bed, having walked from next door without bothering to put it on.

“They did. Have one, while we talk about your car, Darlin’,” he purred.

“Uh-oh.” Lisa made a face, and sat down. “Blowout?”

“What? No! Are your tires that bad?” he demanded, incredulous.

“One is,” she shrugged, helping herself from the box. “What happened, then?”

Tuck massaged his temples with his thumb and middle finger.

“I got a ticket,” he said, after a moment.

“How is that my car’s fault?”

“It’s not. It’s your fault. Do you remember being pulled over by an off duty Decatur County Deputy, for a malfunctioning brake light?” He gave her an ironic smile.

It took her a minute, to remember.

“Ah—!” she groaned. “I’m sorry, Tuck. It slipped my mind. Of course, I’ll pay the fine.”

“To the tune of fifty dollars. I also had to do some explaining as why I was driving someone else’s car. My friends all know what I normally drive, you see.”

“What did you tell them?” She swallowed a bite of her donut and took a sip from her cup.

“I told them it was my fiancee’s vehicle, and that it was absolutely critical that I deliver these donuts to her.”

“So, you lied to the cops.”

“I exaggerated.” Tuck reached into the top pocket of his shirt and pulled out a yellow slip of paper, wrapped loosely around something else, and placed it in front of her.

Lisa plucked at the paper, to look at it, and a small, hard box tumbled onto the table.

“What’s this?”

“I hate lying to fellow officers, even though I’m almost officially retired. Open it.”

She did, hands shaking a little, and stared at the modest diamond solitaire. It took her a while to find her voice.

“Are you asking me to cover for you?” she managed, at last.

“Will you?”

Lisa handed him the box, then extended her left hand. “Just this once,” she said.

Tuck felt like the top part of his head might fall off, as a result of the size of his own grin. He slid out of his chair to kneel before her, slipping the ring onto her finger. It was a perfect fit. He kissed the hand, then kissed her lips. Then he kissed her, some more.

By the time he drew back, she was laughing, but her eyes were wet.

“When…How…?”

“I’d pretty much made up my mind to ask, the first night we were here. The ring was my father’s mother’s. I pulled it out of my safe, yesterday.”

“It wasn’t…” She trailed off feeling awful for even asking.

“No—Toni has her mother’s engagement ring. Patty wanted her to have it, though she was buried with her wedding ring. You don’t mind that it’s not brand new?”

“No! Of course not. It’s that much more special.”

“I figured you’d see it, that way,” Tuck smiled, resuming his seat.

“What? No more kissing?”

“Later,” he laughed. “Maybe after you pay that fine.”

“I suppose we’re in cahoots, now.”

“I suppose we are. Love does that.”

“Yes, it does.”

“I meant to ask you later, today. I thought it might be fun and kind of romantic to have a ride out to the old Lovejoy house. Maybe find a picturesque spot, and ask you, out there. But gift wrap like that, doesn’t come along every day,” he nodded toward the citation on the table.

“Too bad we can’t give it to Toni for framing. I’m assuming it has to be mailed in, with the check?”

“I have connections,” he winked. “I’m sure I can work something out.”

“I’d still like to go for that ride.”

“So would I. We’ll do that, then. I have some stuff, to tell you.”

Lisa fell quiet, nibbling at her donut, without much appetite; sipping her coffee.

“What is it?” he asked.

“Thinking about the kids. How and when are we going to tell them?”

“They know. Well, they know that if you show up with the ring, you said ‘yes’, at any rate.”

“Is Toni—“

“Stop worrying about Toni. Really—just stop. She’s fine with the idea. I’d tell you she’s happy about it, but I doubt you’d believe me. As for Will, I thought he would explode, at dinner, he was so tickled.”

*******************************

Lisa abdicated the driving to Tuck, on the way to the house, while she sat in the passenger seat, pondering what she had gotten herself into. What had she been thinking? Oh, there was no question that Tuck would support her in her aim to open her business. That was a given. But, what would it mean, to move into his house? More choppy water to navigate with Toni, she imagined.

Toni was a wonderful person. There was no doubt about it. She was kind and helpful, and Lisa didn’t ever want to get on her bad side. Toni made Tuck’s house a home, and the last thing she wanted to do was to disrupt it. But, it was Toni’s house. Lisa wondered if she could give up her own home. It wasn’t much, but it was hers.

She did love the man sitting next to her. Just when had that happened, anyway, she wondered. The first time he’d made her laugh? The first time she’d wanted to slap him? The first time he’d kissed her? She didn’t know.

“You’re having a mighty hard think, over there,” Tuck remarked, as they passed the last little bit of ‘town’, and headed into the more rural part of the area. “Should I be scared?”

“I think I’m scared enough, for the both of us.”

“What about? Do you think I’m going to take away your shoes and your car keys?”

“Not quite,” Lisa smiled. “It has occurred to me that I won’t be living in the rectory, much longer.”

“Office space, storage space for your inventory. Or, maybe you could rent it out, for some passive income. Maybe to someone who’ll help with the upkeep of the cemetery. Or, my property is big—we could have a home of our own, on it. We could even build something onto the main house, that would be ours, but still connected, if you don’t feel like you could be comfortable living with the kids. I can be flexible, honey. I really should be near the horses and the stable, if I’m going to make a business of it, but I want you to be happy, too.”

“Well, we don’t have to solve everything, today.”

“No, we don’t—but I’m always open to discussion.”

“I could never manage things for you, the way Toni does.”

“I don’t expect you to. That’s her job. You’ve got enough to manage. Things will be pretty much like they are, right now, except more casual. You’ll see.”