Betting on Love (7 page)

Drew nodded to Melody as he walked past her to the car. She held a dessert in one hand, probably Renee’s homemade blackberry cobbler, and a bowl of coleslaw in the other. He grabbed the eggs from the car and shut the door.

Roy nudged Drew with his elbow. “She’s awful pretty all dolled up like that, ain’t she?”

Drew lifted his eyebrows. “She sure is.”

He followed Roy into the house and placed the eggs on the table. Sitting beside his new brother-in-law, Nick, in the great room, he tried to watch the baseball game on television, but his gaze kept wandering to the women gathered around the kitchen counters.

He believed Melody even had a shade of pink lipstick or lip gloss or whatever it was called on her lips. He noticed how full they were. Though he’d inwardly criticized them at the wedding, he could tell they were just the perfect shape and size for a kiss.

He wrinkled his nose at the thought as Nick’s elbow landed hard into his ribs. He frowned at his lifelong friend. “What was that for?”

Nick raised his eyebrows and nodded toward the women. “You gonna be next to fall? Mike gonna win the bet?”

Drew huffed. “I thought the bet was off.”

Nick shrugged. “Technically, it is. Addy would string me by my neck if she thought it wasn’t.” He twisted until he could stare full into Drew’s face. “I’m just wondering if you’re gonna be next to fall.”

Drew shifted on the couch as he lifted his left foot to his right knee. He brushed the hem of his blue jeans with his hand. “I don’t know why you’d think that.”

“‘Cause you got a thing for my cousin.”

Drew whispered to his friend, “First of all, I don’t have a thing for your cousin. Second of all, your cousin is fighting God something fierce. She’s not even an option for me to have a thing for.”

Nick’s expression sobered. “I know. My family keeps praying for her. She’s going to church with them every week, and God’s Word never comes back void.” He sighed. “But it’s still her decision to accept Him, and so far she hasn’t.”

The women laughed, and Drew turned his attention back to them. He felt an urgency for Melody to accept Christ into her life. Seeing her dressed as a woman, noting how tiny she truly was, Drew felt an overwhelming need to protect her from all harm. He realized he truly cared about her.

“All right, guys”—Drew’s mother waved at the men—“come get your plates.”

Drew loaded his plate with the best straight-from-scratch foods in River Run. Coleslaw and potato salad; baked beans and deviled eggs; pickled beets and sweet tea. Even the hamburgers came from one of his dad’s best Anguses. He spied Renee’s blackberry cobbler over on the kitchen counter, and his mouth already salivated at the thought of biting into the dessert.

If it weren’t for the fact that he, his dad, Nick, and Roy all had to work hard on their family farms, all four of them would be big as barns from the good cooking these women whipped up. Roy actually had put on a few pounds since he’d had to retire early, but the Wii game Renee bought him had helped him keep the weight under control.

After saying grace, Drew scooped up a forkful of coleslaw and shoveled it into his mouth. Surprised by the sour taste, he gagged and spit the food back onto his plate. He covered his mouth and looked at the peering eyes of his family and friends around the table. His face warmed, as he knew his mother would reprimand him for being so rude. But he hadn’t meant to. He loved Renee’s coleslaw. If he was unsure about the taste of a dish, he’d take a small bite first. But he knew hers was the best in the county, and he’d scooped the mouthful in. With the bitter taste—well, it just popped right out.

“Drew!” His mother’s voice sounded tense.

“I’m sorry. I got too big of a bite.” He averted his gaze from Renee. He didn’t want her to think he didn’t like her cooking.

“It’s okay, Drew,” Renee said. He looked at her as she took a small bite of the coleslaw. Her face scrunched up as if she’d just bitten into a lemon. She wiped her mouth. “It’s not your fault. I must have forgotten the sugar.”

“
You
didn’t forget the sugar.” Melody growled as her face flamed the brightest red Drew had ever seen. “
I
forgot the sugar.” She smacked her napkin on the table, and tears welled in her eyes as she stared at Addy, Renee, and his mom. “I’m never going to be like you.” She pushed away from the table and walked down the hall and into the bathroom.

“I’m sorry.” Drew felt like a complete and total heel. Melody must have made the coleslaw and forgot a main ingredient. He glanced at Renee. “You know I love your coleslaw. I just took a big ol’ bite, and when it hit my tongue, it just came right back out.”

Roy lifted his hand. “It’s all right, Drew. You didn’t aim to hurt Melody’s feelings.”

Renee added, “Let’s just not make a big deal about this. It’s best we just go ahead and act normal. She’ll feel better when she comes out if we’re all acting normal.”

Drew tried to eat the rest of his food. It all tasted the same—bland. He didn’t overly like Melody, but he didn’t want to hurt her feelings or embarrass her, either. She never came out of the bathroom. He could hear Addy trying to talk to her, and he considered trying to go back to the bathroom and apologize, but he was afraid it would make her more upset. With a sigh of frustration, he decided he should go outside with the other men.

They started a game of cornhole. Drew and his dad against Roy and Nick. It would be an easy game, as it always was. He and his dad could whip up on Roy and Nick even if they gave them a five-point lead from the beginning.

Drew turned when the back screen door smacked against the doorjamb. Addy and Melody walked toward two foldable chairs under the oversized oak tree. Melody had pulled her hair back in a ponytail, and Drew could tell she’d cleaned the makeup off her face. She still looked pretty, and Drew wished he could think of a way to apologize to her about the coleslaw.

“Drew, you entering the tractor pull?” Roy asked.

Drew scoffed as he looked back at the men. “You know I am. There ain’t nobody got a tractor as sweet as mine.” Drew gawked at Nick. “You gonna try to take me on this Fourth of July?”

Nick chortled and took a few steps back. “Oh no. Now that I’m hitched, I haven’t had time to work on souping up a tractor.”

“Excuse me, Nick Martin?” Drew turned toward his sister and Melody. Addy had her hands on her hips. “Are you begrudging being hitched?”

Nick raced to his new wife, wrapped his arms around her, lifted her off the ground, and spun her around. “Not in the slightest. I love my little ball and chain.”

“Nick Martin!” Addy teasingly swatted his shoulders until Nick planted a long kiss on her lips.

Disgusted and yet feeling the oddest nudging of jealousy, Drew rolled his eyes and looked back at Roy. “Guess the only competition I’ve ever had won’t be showing up.”

“I’ll be there.” Melody walked toward them, her arms crossed in front of her chest.

“What?” Drew frowned.

“I’ll be competing in the tractor pull.”

Drew laughed. “I’m serious.”

Drew widened his stance and placed his hands on his hips. He let out a long breath. “I’m sure you are serious, but you have no business competing in the tractor pull.”

“Why?” She cocked her head and squinted at him. “Because I’m a just a little, wimpy woman?”

There she went with the “little, wimpy” comments again. He had never suggested she was wimpy; however, she was little—tiny in height and frame.

Drew spread his arms out. “Why do you have to be so competitive? Why do you have to prove yourself all the time?”

“Why do you have to be the best of everything all the time? Why can’t you lose?”

Drew ground his teeth. He intertwined his fingers and lifted his hands to his lips. Inwardly, he counted to ten, willing himself not to explode and say something to her that he’d later regret. He swallowed and nodded his head. “Okay, Melody. I’ll see you there.”

He turned and stomped toward the house. He’d had about all he could take of Melody Markwell. Girl or no girl, at that tractor pull he was going to knock that little spitfire off her high horse.

Drew checked the Continental AV1790 tank engine he’d put in the tractor. He liked this particular one because it was an American engine used to pilot heavy tanks. He hopped onto the seat of the tractor and started her up. She roared to life, just as he expected.

He smiled at the power he could feel beneath him. He wouldn’t have any trouble pulling the sled. It wouldn’t matter that the weights pushed forward on the sled’s axles, making the front of it push into the ground. His engine would rip right through the dirt and keep pulling at a good, strong pace the full one hundred meters.

Everyone he knew came out for the annual Independence Day event that took place in the town’s fairgrounds. The fact that the town allowed vending stands to start setting up last year made the tractor pull quite an event. They’d sell funnel cakes and popcorn, hot dogs and hamburgers. He’d heard someone was setting up a blooming onion stand. His mouth watered at the thought of the fried vegetable dipped in that delicious pinkish-colored sauce. After winning, he’d be sure to get him one of those.

Once the truck and tractor pull finished and it started to get dark, the sheriff’s department would set off fireworks. For a small town, Drew had been impressed by the good show they’d been able to put on, but then the sheriff’s son-in-law had a brother in Tennessee who sold them fireworks at a discounted rate.

In the back of his mind, he still wondered about Melody’s tractor and engine. He’d learned the hard way he couldn’t take that gal for granted. She was a talented mechanic; he couldn’t deny it. But if she had to work with what Nick and Roy had to offer with their tractor, then Drew shouldn’t have any trouble showing her who was the boss of the tractor pull.

He turned off the tractor and jumped down. He’d planned to work on finishing up the foundation of his house today, but he had to make sure the tractor was ready first. The tractor pull was in a little over a week, and he’d never be able to show his face in town again if Melody beat him.

He spotted Mike’s truck driving along the dirt road leading to the barn. He waved at his friend, and Mike parked and stuck his arm out the window. “Whatcha doin?”

Drew patted the tractor. “Getting ready for the pull. Did you hear Melody’s planning to race?”

“I heard.” Mike patted the side of the truck. “The woman’s just itching to prove herself.”

“She sure is.”

“Sounds like someone else I know.” Drew squinted at Mike. “Now, what’s that supposed to mean?”

“Not supposed to mean anything.” He motioned for Drew to get in the truck. “Come on. It’s lunchtime, and I’m heading to the diner.”

Drew’s stomach growled when Mike mentioned food. He hadn’t realized it had gotten so late. Noting the sun high in the sky, he realized he’d been out working on the tractor longer than he thought. If he didn’t watch it, he was going to get behind on his farmwork. “Sounds good. Take me by the house to clean up a bit.”

He got in the truck, and Mike drove to the house. Drew hurried into the bathroom and washed his face and hands and changed his shirt. Most everyone went to the diner just as they were after a hard morning’s work on the farm, but Drew’s mom would have his hide if he didn’t at least clean up enough that he wasn’t covered in dirt and smell of cows and sweat. After running a brush through his hair, he went back outside and got in the truck with Mike.

As they headed to the diner, Drew’s thoughts jumbled with all he needed to do for the house and the farm, and yet now he was worried about not having his tractor fixed up enough. When he thought rationally, he knew his competitiveness with Melody was ridiculous. Normally, he’d never even consider going against a girl in a tractor pull.

It was her attitude. He just couldn’t get past how the woman thought she needed to beat a man, him in particular, at everything. He bet if he had his mom show him how to stitch a quilt, that fool-brained woman would try to make one that looked better.

He should challenge her to a cooking duel. She’d proven she wasn’t any count in the kitchen. Drew sighed at his mean thought. She’d been so embarrassed over the coleslaw, and he’d felt lower than the gum stuck to the bottom of a shoe that he’d been the one to inadvertently call her out on it. Mike and Wyatt both warned him that he and Melody were a lot alike when it came to their competitive nature. When Drew was honest, he knew it was true.

Mike pulled into a parking space, and the two got out of the truck and headed inside. Drew watched as Lacy’s eyes widened when Mike walked toward her. She smiled and blushed when she led them to their usual booth.

Drew shook his head at Mike as the man tried to act as if Lacy’s obvious attraction didn’t affect him. “I think I may try something different today,” Mike said, staring at the menu.

Drew chuckled. “You’re not going to try anything different. You’re just avoiding eye contact with me, as you do every time we come here and you get a first look at Lacy.”

Mike narrowed his eyes. “I am not.”

Drew folded his arms on top of the table. “Oh really. What are you going to have different, Mike? You’re not going to have meat loaf and mashed potatoes? You and I both know how much you love the meat loaf and mashed potatoes.”

“No. I’m not. I’m going to have the Salisbury steak today, or maybe I’ll have the country ham.” Mike folded the menu and smacked it against the table.

“I don’t know why you don’t just ask the woman out on a date. You two have been making goo-goo eyes at each other for two years. It’s ridiculous. The bet is off. Addy made us call it off.”

“Oh really.” Mike grabbed the utensils rolled in a paper napkin between his fingers and pointed them at Drew. “So, why don’t you go on a date?”

Drew huffed. “There’s no one I like.”

Mike leaned back against the padded booth. “Really. If you weren’t so mule headed, you’d see there is a woman you like. And you like her a lot.”

Drew’s ire rose, as he knew exactly who his friend was about to say. Wyatt mentioned her, as did Nick, but all three of them seemed to have lost their senses. Melody Markwell was his number-one nemesis, not someone he’d be interested in. “And who would that be?”