Betting on Love (11 page)

Wyatt cackled and grabbed for the strands of her hair that had fallen out of her ponytail. Pushing them behind her ear, she Eskimo kissed him. “This boy only loves me for my hair.”

“I don’t know about that.” Gracie patted his diaper-padded bottom. “The boy knows when he’s got someone hooked.”

Melody tickled his neck. “That’s because you’re a smart boy, aren’t you?”

Gracie motioned toward the back door. “Come inside. Let’s get a glass of sweet tea.”

Melody followed her then sat on the couch in the great room. She plopped Wyatt on her lap so that he was facing her. He reached for the buttons on her shirt, and Melody picked up his oversized key ring off the end table and handed it to him.

“How’s Roy doing?” Gracie walked into the room, handed her a glass, then sat on the love seat.

“He’s doing remarkably well. He should make a full recovery.” She grinned. “He’s even planning to go to the tractor pull.”

“Praise God!” Gracie practically shouted through the room. Little Wyatt looked at his mother as if she’d lost her mind. She grabbed his arm and lifted it in the air. “Say ‘Praise God,’ my little man.”

Today, Gracie’s outburst didn’t upset Melody. She was too overwhelmed to be aggravated. Wyatt cackled, and Melody spied something in his mouth. “Uh-oh, buddy, what’s in your mouth?”

Gracie squealed. “Did you see it?” She pulled down on Wyatt’s lower lip. “A tooth!”

“What!” Wyatt shook his head to get his mother’s finger away from his lip. Melody put her finger on his mouth to try to get another look. He bit down, and she felt the small, hard tooth. “Wyatt Jr.” She lifted the baby in the air. “You’re not allowed to get teeth.” She gently twisted him back and forth. “You’re supposed to stay a baby.” He cooed, and slobber oozed out of his mouth and hit Melody on the forehead.

She brought him down back to her lap, and Gracie howled. She handed Melody a cloth diaper. “Well, that’s what he thinks about that.”

Melody wiped her forehead. “I guess so.” She handed the toy keys back to Wyatt, and he shoved them into his mouth. Melody frowned. “Seriously though, he’s growing up so fast.”

Gracie sighed. “Believe me, I know it.” She swatted Melody’s arm. “Don’t worry. I’m sure you’ll have plenty of babies of your own.”

Melody snorted. “I doubt that.”

“Why? Don’t you think you’ll get married?”

Melody scrunched her nose. She’d always thought she’d never in a million years want to get married, but having watched her aunt take care of her uncle since his stroke and watching him respond to her—something had changed inside her. Uncle Roy and Aunt Renee, Drew’s parents, Wyatt and Gracie—since moving to River Run, Melody had witnessed some good marriages. From everything she’d seen between Addy and Nick, they would be very happy as well. If she could have a marriage like that, then maybe she wouldn’t mind so much.

The feel of Drew’s strong arms around her flooded her mind and rushed through her. She’d felt protected and cared for. When he’d kissed her head, though she knew it was in innocence, for a moment, she’d wondered what it would be like to feel his lips against hers. The idea of it scared her, and she pushed the thought away.

She looked at her friend, who still waited for her to answer. She shook her head. “No. I’ve never thought I would get married.”

Drew inhaled the sweet aroma of diesel engine smoke and grease and even a dabbling of sweat. Nearly the whole town had come out for the tractor pull and fireworks. In addition to the vending machines, the women’s auxiliary had set up several portable, inflatable games. There were two with slides, one made like a cage for the kids to jump in, and another that was an obstacle course. The high school cheerleaders had set up a face-painting tent. They even had several people who’d set up tents to sell all kinds of crafts—fancy pillows and quilts, knickknacks, and belt buckles. There was even a Christmas decorations tent—on the Fourth of July! The tractor pull was becoming a town festival of its own.

With his tractor already pulled up to the starting line, he looked around for Melody and her tractor. As luck would have it, she was one of the final two tractors, and he’d have to race her.

Different places raced different ways. Mostly people simply timed each tractor, and the winner took all, but Drew liked the way River Run did it.

Tractors raced against time the first round. They’d take turns driving the one hundred meters to see which two tractors could pull their sled the fastest. At the end, the top two tractors would race each other for the ultimate prize: a big ol’ trophy, a $250 gift certificate to Wyatt’s Hardware Store, and bragging rights for a year.

Granted, he’d seen many a fellow make it to the finals with a good time in the first round but then have to drop out because their engine blew or something else broke on his tractor. But if a guy built his tractor tough enough, as Drew always did, it would be able to withstand the challenge. Melody’s had come through looking pretty good as well.

And tonight, she would come out the overall victor.

It was still hard on his pride to think about it, and in his mind, he knew that his losing wasn’t going to make Melody see the need to give her feigned control of her life over to God. But maybe if she saw him lose and handle it the way he should, the way Mike always handled loss, then maybe she’d see that Drew didn’t have to win at everything. She needed to see there were more important things in his life than taking home the prize.

Mike walked up to him and grabbed his hand in a firm handshake. “I still can’t believe it’s going to be you against Melody for the championship.”

“I know. It’s crazy, isn’t it?”

Mike raised his eyebrows. “I’ll tell you what it is. That woman’s your match.” He extended his arms. “Never in my wildest dreams would I have ever imagined a person, let alone a girl, would be able to get the best of Drew Wilson.” He pointed to a stream of smoke. “And yet, here she comes.”

Drew saw Melody driving around the tractor of a guy from another county. She’d fixed up Roy’s old John Deere just as Drew expected. Even from a distance he could tell she’d done a lot of work to the old girl.

A slow smile bowed his lips. Melody had done a good job. She truly was quite the mechanic. In a way he couldn’t quite explain, Drew was kind of proud of her.

“Just so you know, and it’s no offense”—Mike patted Drew’s shoulder—“but I’m betting on Melody.”

Drew noted the gleam in Mike’s eye, and he knew his friend was only trying to mess around with him. But for the slightest moment, Drew’s competitive pride reared up within him, and he felt the urge to jump on his tractor seat and blow Roy’s old tractor out of the fairgrounds. Shaking off the feeling, he returned the pat on Mike’s shoulder, only a little firmer than Mike must have expected, because he flinched under the pat. “She’s exactly who’d I’d put my money on.”

Mike frowned, but Drew nodded to his friend then turned his attention to Melody. She pulled up to the starting line and stepped down from the seat. He nodded to his friend. “Excuse me, Mike. I’m going to go wish my rival good luck. In a matter of speaking, anyway.”

Drew walked toward Melody. He didn’t believe in luck, and he never uttered the words to his opponents, but he wanted to be able to say something to Melody before their race.

She had the helmet stuck under her arm as she looked over the outside of her tractor. He grinned as he couldn’t help but admit she looked kind of cute in Nick’s much-too-big-for-her racing garb. He extended his hand to her. “Hey. I just wanted to wish you luck.”

She pursed her lips and glared up at him. “I didn’t think you’d believe in luck.”

Caught off guard, he stepped back and dropped his hand. “You’re right. I don’t. But I wanted to—”

Fire lit her eyes, and she moved toward him like a rabid dog about to attack. “Look, Drew. Don’t try to be nice to me so you can knock me off my game and win this championship.” She poked him in the chest with her finger. “You’re just going to have to take being beaten by a girl.”

With a huff, she walked away from him and stuck her helmet on her head.

Aggravation streamed through him. The woman never gave him a break. Never. She always thought the worst of him. No matter what he did. He’d tried over and over to be kind to that headstrong, two-bit polecat, but she simply would not have it.

He strode toward his own tractor. Grabbing his helmet, he stared at his nemesis. He shoved it on his head and tapped the top to be sure it was in place.
Little lady, you’re going to eat my dust.

Melody stepped up and into the seat of the John Deere. She had no idea why she had been mean to Drew. Just edgy. The last few days had her in a whirlwind of frustration. She was confused about everything in life. But she shouldn’t have snapped at him like that.

He had been so kind to her the day he brought her home from the hospital. She knew then that he had a good heart. Truthfully, deep in her gut, she’d known it long before then. His need to always come out on top had just struck a chord somewhere down deep inside, and she’d done everything she could to show him up.

She looked toward the bleachers. Uncle Roy had insisted on coming to the tractor pull. He still didn’t have all his strength in his hand, and his face still fell ever so slightly on the left side. His speech slurred, but she could understand everything he said. Since his right hand hadn’t been affected, he still played his Wii, which made Melody chuckle. He didn’t play it quite as much, as he needed rest, and Aunt Renee made him rest. But Melody knew as soon as he could he’d drive them crazy with the video game once again.

Fearing he’d not be able to sit without back support the whole time, Aunt Renee brought two folding chairs for them to sit in. She’d set them up close to the bleachers, as Uncle Roy loved to chat with everyone who passed his way.

Tonight he didn’t have any trouble finding people to talk to him. Melody watched as one person after another stopped to shake his hand or give him a hug. First, it was Cindy and Tricia. Melody thought of them as the Bobbsey twins. Everywhere they went, they went together.

Then it was Lana. Then another lady. Melody tried to remember her name. The woman’s husband wore a long beard, white as snow, and he drove an old historical train for tourists. He was the most welcoming man she’d ever met in her life, practically squealing, “Well hello, Melody!” each time he saw her. She snapped her fingers.
Sue.
That was the woman’s name.

Melody’s attention was diverted as Drew hopped onto his tractor seat. She wanted him to look over at her. She needed to apologize, but he kept his gaze straight ahead. He looked tense and furious. She couldn’t be sure, but she imagined that if he took off that helmet the veins in his neck and forehead would be bulging with fury.

The track was ready. She knew they were about to start, and she needed to get her mind off Uncle Roy and off Drew Wilson and onto the race. She looked at the finish line. Surprisingly, she didn’t care much about this race. She just wanted to be done with it.

AJ signaled for her to let him know if she was ready.

After giving a thumbs-up, she glanced once more back at Uncle Roy. Another woman from the church, Rhonda, was bent over, giving him a hug.

Rhonda had confused Melody since the first time she met her. Ten years before, Rhonda lost her sixteen-year-old daughter to a heart defect. It was sudden and unexpected, and when Rhonda talked of the girl it was obvious she had been a pride and joy to her and her husband.

What Melody didn’t understand was that despite the loss, Rhonda was filled with joy. She headed up the kitchen ministry at Uncle Roy and Aunt Renee’s church, organizing the meals that were taken to families in the church who were in crisis, organizing Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners for families in the community in need, even cooking dinner every Wednesday evening before church services.

Melody simply didn’t understand the woman. Gracie’s little boy, Wyatt, wasn’t even Melody’s son, but if God took him, she would be devastated. Rhonda had the right to be devastated.

“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

The scripture the preacher had spoken about filtered through her mind. She’d gone home and searched in her aunt’s Bible for that scripture, memorizing it because it bothered her so much.

Old English lessons washed through her thoughts. She’d taken many an extra lesson as she’d struggled so badly with reading in school. Sentences ending in a period were a statement or a declaration.
“In this world you will have trouble,”
and
“I have overcome the world.”
They were declarations made by Jesus.
“But take heart!”
It was written with an exclamation point. Jesus was exclaiming or shouting to the people,
“Take heart!” Don’t give up. Don’t give in.”

I’m not supposed to give up. Not supposed to give in.

But why do so many bad things happen? Horrible things? Why doesn’t God stop them? Why don’t You stop them, God?

She peered at Rhonda. Tears welled in her eyes as the woman reached down to hug her aunt. Rhonda had lost her daughter. Her child. It didn’t seem fair. Didn’t seem right. Why? Because bad things happen. But Rhonda didn’t give up. She didn’t give in.