And in time... (3 page)

“Thanks, I do appreciate the offer, but I’m booked on Friday. Nice to see you again, though.” She smiled and pushed her cart around his.

“Ouch,” Cory said with his hand covering his heart. Alexis smiled over her shoulder, flipping her ponytail to her face.
Ouch.
The tips of her hair struck right to the center of her eye. She sucked at flirting. 

“Okay. Fine, have it your way. We’ll just get to know each other here in the grocery store,” Cory suggested while his hand waved around the market.

Alexis laughed but continued to shop.

“So what is it you book appointments for?”  

“I’m a photographer.”

“Well, that is just great. I have been looking for one of those.”

“Really?” she mused doubtfully with a slanted smile and a frown.

“Yup, what do you photograph?”

Alexis answered with her own question through a laugh. “What is it you need photographed?”

“I don’t know, you haven’t told me what you photograph yet.”

“Dogs.”

“Hmm, I’ve been meaning to get one of those, too.”

“I photograph people. Kids, babies, families, and football teams—God hates me today.”

“Excuse me?”

That’s when she froze. Alexis took a deep breath and collected herself, bracing for the impending embarrassment.
No, not Bernie. Anyone but Bernie.

Cory frowned and looked to Bernie while Alexis mentally prepared to be mortified. Bernie erased the distance between them with a smirk and narrowed eyes, moving from Cory to Alexis.

“I thought you said Travis was coming home,” Alexis questioned. She wanted to make this short and sweet, hoping Bernie didn’t say anything to humiliate her. She appeared to be doing a good job of that on her own.

“He is,” Bernie answered slyly. “Just wanted to pick him up some beer.” She eyed the handsome stranger inquisitively. Alexis had been hiding something. Who was this guy? “Hello, I’m Bernie, Alexis’s best friend since the age of three.” Bernie took it upon herself to handle the introductions, offering her hand to Cory.

“Cory Baker. Nice to meet you, Alexis’s best friend since the age of three.”

“Charming too,” Bernie admitted as her eyes turned to Alexis with a knowing expression—one that expressed her frustration about her nice-looking secret.

“Bernie here is sort of our town mouth. She wasn’t born with filters,” Alexis tattled while her fingers kneaded the tension in the back of her neck. She took a deep breath and exhaled, wishing Bernie away with magic she didn’t have.

Cory slid one hand into the pocket of his jeans and leaned an elbow on his cart. Amusingly, he quizzed Alexis. “Worse than Aunt Rosaline?”

“Way worse,” Alexis assured him with the flirtatious smile again, trying like hell to keep her eyes on Bernie and off of those jeans.

“Hey, I’m right here, and I am not. Nobody is as bad as—hey, how do you know Aunt Rosaline?” Bernie rephrased. How long had her best friend been hiding him from her? They were going to have a talk about this unacceptable behavior. Best friend. Pfft. 

Alexis turned her cart and moved for a man, trying to get to the Mayonnaise. “I’ll see you tomorrow, Bernie.” She could tell Bernie was about to open her big mouth and wanted her to leave.

“It was a pleasure meeting you. Maybe I’ll see you around.” Bernie smiled at Cory. They exchanged a trivial goodbye and Bernie was off. Thank God. “You call me!” she demanded behind Cory’s back. Her straight finger pointed toward Alexis with an order. Like that was threatening. Hardly.

Cory jumped right back in where he’d left off before Bernie interrupted. “So, about that appointment.”

“The dinner or the photographs?”

“Which one do I have the best chance at?”

“I’m flattered, Mr. Baker. And thank you very much for lunch today and the invitation, but I’m afraid I am going to have to pass.”

“Pass on which one?”

“Both.”

“That’s okay. I like hard to get.” Cory ran his hand over his firm pecks, trying to be coy. He failed and Alexis read right through him. She wasn’t impressed. She hated arrogance, and didn’t care for the cockiness permeating his natural personality all of a sudden. And that’s why she was better off without men.

“Good day, Mr. Baker,” she coldly replied, turned, and stepped into the empty checkout lane.

Asshole.

Cory knew for whatever reason he’d just struck a nerve and decided to back off. He politely told her to have a good evening and continued his shopping.

Alexis had barely sat in her jeep when her cell phone sang, “I like big butts.”

“Oh my God. Stop touching my phone. What do you want, nosy pants?”

“Who the hell was that?”

“I have no clue. His name is Cory, that’s all I know.”

“Was that the first time you met him?”

“No. I had lunch with him today at April’s, but only because I was trying to hide from Aunt Rosaline.”

“You had lunch with him?! And you didn’t tell me?”

“Kind of, but it’s not what you think.”

“Oh, Alexis, he is freaking hot. Who is he?”

“He moved here from Chicago, but I have no clue why. He was dressed in business clothes, so I’m guessing he’s taking over for Pete.”

“A banker. Sweet,” Bernie dramatically said with a long draw, dragging out the word “sweet” a little too long. She always did that with that word. It was so annoying. “Is he married?”

“I doubt it. He asked me out, and he doesn’t wear a ring if he is.” She recalled him holding up his empty ring finger at the diner and internally smiled. She couldn’t help it. His smile was more contagious than Floyd’s, only different. Way different.

Bernie just about wrecked her car with excitement. “Holy hell! You said yes… Please tell me you said yes.”

“I said no. What did you think I was going to say?”

“Dear, dear, Alexis, you do not say no to a man that looks like that, let alone the president of a freaking bank!” Bernie yelled in the phone, quite disturbed with her friend. Alexis was coming up fast on the thirty mark. What was she thinking?

“Dear, dear, Bernie,” Alexis mocked in the exact same tone. “I don’t have time for men, I don’t want to make the time, nor am I the least bit interested. You should know by now that I don’t care what you think.”

“Alexis, come on. This has been going on for what, eight years now? Get over it already. You’re a beautiful girl, inside and out. You deserve to be happy. Why won’t you just give it a chance?”

“Why can’t you give it a rest? You would think after me telling you to mind your own business at least, what, Bernie? I don’t know, a thousand times or more?” Alexis asked with disgust. “One would think you would figure it out. I don’t need your help in finding Mr. Perfect because I don’t want Mr. Perfect. Get it? I’ll see you tomorrow.”

Bernie looked down at her blinking phone and let out a loud growl. Alexis was so hardheaded. What the hell was that girl thinking?

Alexis twisted the knob on the radio and tapped her fingers on the steering wheel to Adam Levine wanting one more night. She turned down the township road and then to her long lane, lined with full pine trees on both sides. Alexis opened her door, ready to be greeted by her four-legged best friend, wagging his tail and jumping in excitement.

Alexis showed him the needed attention, rubbing his neck and patting his side. “Hi, buddy! Watch out,” she coaxed while she moved him with her legs. He didn’t move, knowing what was in the bag. After digging through the grocery sack, she pulled out a big juicy bone. He took it and happily walked back to his favorite spot on the porch, plopped down, and began the task at hand.

“Are you coming in?” Alexis asked with an arm full of groceries, holding the door open with the toe of her shoe. Mr. Dog looked up and thought about it, but then turned his attention back to his delectable bone.

Alexis mixed the casserole she’d been so hungry for and grabbed a quick shower. The scent of her supper reached her nostrils as soon as she descended the stairs. After a quick peck at her evening meal and a glance to the timer, she grabbed one of the beers and headed to the front porch. Her feet pushed lightly, swinging her back and forth while she gazed out to her country piece of heaven.

“Why would I ever want to change any of this for a man?” she asked Mr. Dog. He looked up with sagging jaws and big eyes, but only for a second. He was busy and had one scrumptious bone on his mind and that was it. An ambient, peaceful calm appeared with the aqueous steady rain. Drops fell to the tin roof, skated to the gutters, and created a serene sound.

Just beyond the trees was the very seldom traveled, dirt road. Her parents lived on the same road about four miles in. To the left of the yard was a field with ready to harvest corn. In the back corner, was a kidney shaped pond. A yard on the other side of the house blanketed more grass, butting up against a field of soybeans, also soon to be harvested. The U-shaped porch accented as landscaping behind the meticulously planted flowers, in all shapes and colors. Well, not much color. The once-alive and blossoming flowers were parting with the warm summer. Alexis sighed and pursed her lips, swallowing the last drink of beer.

“Come on, boy,” she coaxed with a heavy sigh. Where the hell was this mood coming from? It wasn’t even time for her period. She shook it off and beckoned Mr. Dog to follow again.

Mr. Dog was tired of chewing the bone, and after looking at her and back to the bone, he decided to leave it for the next day and followed her inside. She sat on the couch and enjoyed her Chicken Divine while watching lions hunt for prey on the Animal Planet. Mr. Dog chilled on the rug in front of the stagnant fireplace—the one that would soon house a cozy fire. That’s probably what was up with the mood. Alexis hated the thought of the cold, the snow, and being stuck inside. She detested it with a passion.

Alexis woke to Jake and Liv from WARC in the morning. She rolled over and sleepily shut off the noise, cutting Jake off in the middle of the morning weather. The rain had stopped, that’s all she cared about. She pulled herself to the side of the bed and rubbed her eyes with a yawn and a stretch. The old wood floor creaked as her bare feet hit the aging boards and continued across the hall to the only bathroom on the second floor. 

She slipped on sweats after her morning routine and headed for the outdoors. Mr. Dog walked out first with his nose to the ground, making his way to the pond and his favorite oak tree. Alexis sat on the porch step and yawned, sliding her foot into her socks and sneakers.

“Do you want to go?” she called while her body twisted from one side to the other in a stretch. She asked the same question every morning, knowing the answer was no. Mr. Dog used to love to run along the river. Unfortunately, his running days were over. His hips and ancient bones wouldn’t corporate anymore.

Once through the woods, Alexis ran alongside the river to a well-beaten path. Years of her morning runs and neighboring four wheelers kept it a permanent dirt road. The tranquil path was the best place to find peace, except on days like this. She had to sprint across puddles and run in the grass just to stay out of the mud. Alexis noticed the leaves starting to fade from their summer greens to reds, yellows, and oranges. As much as she hated the thought of what came after fall, she admired the beauty once the trees found their fall foliage.

She slowed her pace and caught her breath with her arms above her head when she saw her dad moving closer from across the field. Dressed in carpenter jeans and his usual checkered flannel shirt—a red one this morning—Walt greeted his youngest child with a smile. Walt always had that smile, he had a lot of things to smile about, and Alexis was one of them. Walt McKinley was a happy man. Even with seven kids, he’d been the type of man that no matter how hard you tried, you couldn’t make him mad.

Alexis waved a hand in the air to her dad and lifted the barbed wire. She squatted at the knees and climbed under the bottom two wires. “Good morning, Dad.”

“Morning, Sputter Bug.”

The four-wheeler came to a stop and Alexis jumped on the back. Walt drove across the cow pasture, talking about a barn fire one of the neighbors had a few months back. The Hiller’s finally got their insurance money and planned to have it rebuilt by spring. He assured her of his intentions to help, calling over his shoulder. Alexis pointed across the field to monster buck. He wouldn’t be helping build a barn, but Alexis wasn’t going there with him. That argument could wait until the rebuild. Time spent talking about the deer her brothers would be hunting soon was the safer alternative to Walt’s barn building. Those days were over, just like Mr. Dog’s running days.

“I’ll bet you he doesn’t make it out of bow season. One of your brothers will have him mounted on their wall. You mark my words,” Walt whispered with great confidence. Alexis tapped him on the shoulder and pointed to the heard of doe, following a safe distance behind the buck—thirteen altogether.

“We better get going. Mom’s going to have our hide.” Alexis decided while her feet searched for the foot-pegs and she shifted her butt. Great. A wet ass.  

“Mm mm,” Alexis hummed as her nose caught the scent of freshly fried bacon and eggs. She leaned over and kissed her already-seated mother on the cheek, and then noticed her disapproving look. “It’s Dad’s fault,” she accused, sliding to her habitual chair by the window—the same one she had used as a little girl.

Lola frowned at her daughter’s fib and complained about her cold eggs. Had it not been for her curling shoulders and graying hair, Alexis’s mother could have easily passed for ten years younger than she was. She had the smoothest, creamiest skin and her wisdom was in her eyes, not her wrinkle-free skin.

Alexis sat with her plate of scrambled eggs, bacon, and wheat toast, her favorite. Ninety percent of the time, Lola made it without asking. There was no need—the answer had been the same since she was three. Walt talked about how good the corn crop was that year, the horse, Bella, who would give birth in the spring, the upcoming football game, and the birthday party that weekend. Two of the grandchildren were celebrating their birthdays, and her Aunt Rose would be sixty-seven on Saturday. And, of course, her mother had to go and ask about her new boyfriend—the banker. Fabulous.

“I swear,” Alexis exclaimed. “That woman is the busiest body on the face of this earth. And he is
not
my boyfriend. I sat with him on the spur of the moment, trying to hide from her. Her name should be Aunt Busybody, not Aunt Rosaline.”

Walt sopped up egg yolk with his toast. “I told you it wasn’t true,” he chimed nonchalantly, keeping his eyes on his plate.

“Don’t swear, Alexis,” Lola pleaded. She patted her daughter’s hand and stood to pour fresh coffee. “It wouldn’t be so bad, would it? I need a grandbaby.”

“No you don’t. You have a thousand of those. I’ve got to go. You ready, Dad?” Nope, she wasn’t going to have this conversation again, either. Alexis stood and waited for her dad.

Walt took the last bite of his toast and gulped his coffee before standing.

***

Alexis stayed detained in her office at the studio for the biggest part of the morning, looking over the portraits from the last two days from Bernice and some from her niece, Paige. She sorted through the different families and babies, picking the best ones to submit for printing.

“Hey,” Bernie said a little louder than needed.

“Oh, Jesus. You scared the hell out of me. Look at this, Bernie,” Alexis urged after jumping from Bernie’s unexpected entrance. Alexis just heard her cuss in the next room a second before, engaged in Paige’s work.

The two of them studied the screen with intent and awe. “Wow, she’s going to take after you. That’s absolutely beautiful.”

They observed a little girl, blond hair, bright blue eyes, maybe three years old or so. The little girl looked up to the right with eyes of wonder. A blue light had been cast just over the close up of her face, no smile, just a look of innocence.

“She’s getting really good. Did you help her with this?” Alexis asked with an astounded glance over her shoulder at Bernie. She knew Paige was a natural, but wow. This took talent. This was art. Alexis already knew she’d ask Zoe’s mother if she could use it for a display in the lobby. It was that good and Alexis knew how much it would mean to Paige to have it on show.

“No,” Bernie answered with a soft expression, still in awe. “I couldn’t try something like that and have it turn out that beautiful.”

Alexis looked to the right corner of her computer screen. 1:27 pm. “Let’s get lunch,” she said as she stood and walked around her desk. They generally closed the store between one thirty and two thirty every day for lunch, unless it was the busy season, and then they would just go in shifts.

“Travis is bringing me lunch,” Bernie apologetically explained. “But…he’s not here yet, so you have time to tell me about your banker friend,” she pryingly requested.

Alexis rolled her eyes. “There’s nothing to tell, and I do not have a banker friend. Excuse me, I’m going to April’s.” Alexis sidestepped her obnoxious friend and walked out of her office.

Bernie followed with determination. “Lex…for God’s sake, there is something seriously wrong with you. You go over to that bank right now and accept that invitation,” she demanded while holding the front door open, yelling to the street after her. Yes. Bernie was that friend. Overbearing was an understatement sometimes.

Alexis didn’t reply. She kept walking, refusing to encourage her.

She looked around the busy diner and took a seat on one of the red vinyl barstools. April, the owner, stood behind the counter, taking care of the orders when she smiled at Alexis and yelled back to the cook. “I need Alexis’s lunch,” she called while she continued with her rush hour. Alexis spun on the stool, looking around for Mr. Baker unconsciously, feeling disappointed that he wasn’t there.

Good. She didn’t want him to be there. He wasn’t there the next day, either, or the next, but that was great. Alexis hadn’t really hoped he’d be there. Not really. Was she?

Alexis was back to normal, forgetting all about the new city slicker banker within a couple days. Bernie had finally decided to let it go, too. She enjoyed Saturday night with all of her family, except nosy Aunt Rosaline, who she tried very hard to avoid. They sat around a fire and drank beer, laughed, and had a good time—standard for the McKinley clan.

Alexis left early on Monday, leaving the studio all to Paige to finish up the last three shoots and close up. “I’ll pick you up from school tomorrow. I already told your mom we were going shopping.”

“But, am I going to have to get undressed and do the whole examination thing?” Paige asked nervously.

Alexis smiled warmly. “Yes. More than likely you will, but the first time is always the worst. After that, you won’t think anything of it. You’ll be fine. And I’ll be right there with you, well, maybe right outside the door with you.” Both laughs sounded more like an opened bottle of nerves. If her brother found out about this, Alexis would be dead and Paige would be locked in the basement for all of eternity.

Alexis cut out early to tackle her last outdoor project for the year. That didn’t make her happy. Why couldn’t she have been born in Florida? Pennsylvania winters sucked. She worked diligently sanding the wood post of her porch, hoping to get one more task behind her before snowfall.

Once she finished sanding the floorboards, Alexis cleaned up the dust, wanting it to be ready to start painting the next day. As soon as she’d come back from discreetly taking Paige to the out-of-town doctor, she planned on tackling the painting part of her last outdoor project. She cleaned up the mess, and had a full conversation with her dog. Mr. Dog pouted from the yard, pissed that Alexis disrupted his routine. His favorite rug had been missing from his claimed spot on the left side of the porch, and he didn’t like all the dust.

“I think we’ll paint the spindles and the posts tomorrow and get that part out of the way,” she explained while her eyes glanced around at the work at hand. Dust flew into the air when she slapped her hands together, and then coughed when dust entered her lungs. 

Satisfied with what she had accomplished, Alexis sat on the step with a bottle of beer. The air was growing cooler and cooler with every passing day. Nobody hated the thought of that more than Alexis. She hated being stuck in the house away from her flowers, yard work, and vegetable garden all winter.

“I think I’ll start on that family room off the living room after this, Mr. Dog,” she explained. “I have all of those beautiful bookshelves in there and nothing on them.” The room actually had nothing in it but an old Victorian style couch, an antique oak desk that had seen its better days, and an old wooden chair that was left by the previous owner.

***

Alexis was instantly irritated when she woke the following morning. It rained again and there would be no painting that day, nor would she be able to run to her breakfast along the river. Stupid rain.

After a quick stop for an egg sandwich from April’s, she spent her morning at the studio until Bernie got there in the afternoon. 

“Do you think I’m doing the right thing?” Alexis asked with a glazed look, doubting her decision.

“Yes, Lex. I do.” Bernie reassured her. “She has too much potential to get stuck in this town, married with a baby.”

Alexis agreed. She did feel like she didn’t have a choice. The last thing she wanted was for Paige to end up like her. She didn’t want her to make the same mistakes. The blank stare into space was a dreadful, reminding moment of her own first love, her mistakes, and the pain. Yeah. She wasn’t going there again.

“It’ll be fine. It’s better for you to support her and help her with this than for her to go through the consequences later, right?” Bernie persuaded with her hand on Alexis’s arm, pulling her from the thoughts swirling around in her head.

“Yes,” Alexis agreed, snapping out of it. “It is. I probably won’t be back today. Are you okay to close tonight?”

“Of course. My husband is in Timbuktu and my son is with his sperm donor until Thursday, so yes. And then I’m going to the County Line and getting wasted—you should come with me.”

Alexis laughed at the sperm donor remark but declined the offer for the bar. “I’m going to clean that room next to my living room tonight. I want to turn it into an office so I can work from home some in the evenings and when I’m snowed in this winter.”

“Come on! Let’s go get inebriated and be stupid giddy girls,” Bernie begged.

“Who does that on a Tuesday? And besides, one of us needs to be able to open this place up in the morning.”

“One beer, come and have just one beer with me.”

“I’ll call you.”

“No you won’t, you’re just saying that to shut me up.”

Alexis laughed. “Is it working?”

“Hell no!”

Amusingly, Alexis shook her head and grabbed her purse from behind the counter.

“Lex, you are twenty-eight, not fifty. Let’s go have some fun,” Bernie begged with a pout, trying one more time.

“I’m going to have fun with a hand sander and my dog. I might come over and eat a burger and drink one beer. Now quit your whining. Are you sure you can handle the McNeal family? There’s going to be nine of them.”