For Keeps (Aggie's Inheritance) (69 page)

The crunch of tires on the driveway followed a sweep of headlights through the living room.
“
I think I’ll go to my room now.
”

“
You don’t have to, Tina. We’re not going to run you off.
”

“
Do you really think I’m going to watch a movie with a name like that?
”
One eyebrow rose.
“
With you and your non-boyfriend boyfriend? I don’t think so.
”

Luke entered just as Tina headed down the hallway, but Tina kept walking as she called,
“
G’night, Luke,
”
over her shoulder.

“
Don’t you want to
--”

“
Nope. You’ll see why when you hear the title.
”

His eyes traveled to Aggie’s.
“
Should I be concerned?
”

Aggie passed him the movie.
“
I thought I should preview it.
”

“
Heller in Pink Tights
?
”
He stared at her, stunned.
“
This is a western
--
for your son?
”

“
I thought it was odd, but do you know how hard it is to find Louis L’Amour movies?
”

Shaking his head and muttering,
“
In pink tights…
”
Luke ambled into the kitchen.
“
I’ll make popcorn; you get the
--”
he choked,
“
movie going.
”

As she unwrapped the box and put the movie in the tray, Aggie heard him muttering in the kitchen and smiled. This was going to be good.
“
Hey, don’t forget the Parmesan!
”

When Luke returned, he handed her a bowl and hesitated.
“
Oh, I forgot napkins. Do you want something to drink?
”

“
I think I saw root beer in there. That’d be great.
”
As she waited, Aggie thought. When he returned, she gestured at the opposite corner of the couch.
“
Make yourself comfortable. This could be a long movie.
”

The man’s face visibly relaxed. He settled into the couch, gave Aggie one more look that said,
“
I think you’re nuts,
”
and then uncapped the bottle.
“
Let ‘er rip.
”

“
I think that’s illegal.
”

Luke frowned, confused.
“
Illegal?
”

“
Ripping DVDs. Isn’t that illegal? Piracy and all that stuff?
”

He reached across the couch and took the remote from her hand. Punching it, he tossed it back to her and waited for the credits to roll. Seconds later, he glanced her way again.
“
Ok, Grecian looking gals on a western movie board?
”

“
I don’t know!
”

The leading lady’s high-
jinks were bad enough, but when she unknowingly separated a sketch of an unclothed woman as she opened a sliding window, Aggie and Luke both gasped.
“
I thought you said L’Amour was clean!
”

“
I’ve never read anything that described something like that! My guess is Hollywood license. What year was this made?
”

Aggie grabbed the case from the table and searched for a year on it. When that failed, she reached under the couch for her laptop and pulled it out. Thanks to Google, she had answers in seconds.
“
Well, it’s ‘adapted’ from the book
Heller with a Gun.
That’s probably a big part of it. The year is nineteen sixty. I don’t quite get that. Mom always said nineteen sixty-three was kind of the cut-off. Before sixty-three, Mom says most movies are pretty safe.
”

“
Well this one sure isn’t.
”
Luke frowned looking uncomfortable.

Aggie started to offer to turn it off when the theater owner spoke a line that brought cheers from both of them.
No sir! You can’t get away with makin’ fun out of marriage in Cheyenne!
“
Ok, maybe it got the cheap thrills out of it at the beginning,
”
Aggie conceded.

“
We can hope.
”

Her suggestion proved correct. Aside from a few carefully worded propositions, the rest of the movie was not only free from undressed pictures but actually developed a plot. However, as soon as it ended, Aggie ejected it, returned the disk to its case, and tossed it in the kitchen garbage can.
“
Tavish isn’t watching that, and I’ve seen enough for a lifetime.
”

~*~*~*~

From Luke’s perspective, Tina’s words as she disappeared behind her bedroom door made him nervous, but the sight of the movie box was worse.
Pink tights?
Luke forced himself not to give an honest opinion of any
“
western
”
that included pink or tights in the title. It sounded like a revisionist, politically correct,
“
alternative lifestyle
”
version of Robin Hood and his
“
merry band of men
”--
something he’d rather avoid wherever possible. To help keep his remarks internal, he volunteered to tackle popcorn duty.

As he plugged in the air popper, measured out a generous number of kernels, and popped a stick of butter in the microwave for melting, Luke’s mind whirled. He needed to try to treat her as someone special to him
--
not quite as a fiancée, but more than a buddy. Deciding how to do that was harder than he’d anticipated. It was easier to make gestures like leaving a note
--
His mind froze. Notes. He could do that. Luke forced himself back to the topic up for debate in his exhausted gray matter.

Did he sit next to her? What would the point be? Any physical contact would be awkward at best. If he sat in his usual spot, it might look like he was distancing himself
--
not the impression he hoped to make When she gestured for him to sit near, but not right next to her, a tidal wave of relief washed over him.
You’re making this too complicated,
Lucas
!

The cheesy credit boards, combined with Grecian ladies in a western movie nearly sent him over the edge. Sophia Loren had always been a favorite of his Aunt Martha’s, but Luke didn’t care for her. An hour and a half of Sophia Loren was almost torture, but Aggie was worth it. He smiled to himself as the thought danced across his mind. Yes, Aggie was definitely worth it
--
particularly considering that he wasn’t going to be able to concentrate on the movie anyway.

Long before Aggie could have seen it had she looked, he felt the heat of embarrassment creep up his neck and burn his ears. As if transfixed by the scratched knuckles, he stared at his right hand until Aggie threw his previous words back at him
--
taunting him, almost accusing him, of misleading her about the safety of L’Amour’s works.
“
I’ve never read anything that described something like that!
”
He knew he sounded defensive; he was, but Luke couldn’t stand the idea that she thought he’d read something so risqué.

After the marriage comment, Luke lost track of the movie for a while, his mind wondering what would happen to the country if more people took such a strong stand in favor of marriage. Aggie’s laugh at something captured his attention once more. Slowly, his interest returned.
“
I can’t decide if she’s that fickle or if she’s playing Mabry.
”

“
She’s playing him. No woman would see him as a better choice than Tom.
”

That comment intrigued him.
“
Why? He’s younger, better looking, more exciting… Why would she want a man who is so… so… boring?
”

“
The guy is a killer! Who wants to trust their heart and life to a man who gets paid to murder?
”

“
But,
”
Luke continued, almost needing to hear her reassurances,
“
wasn’t that something people were accustomed to?
”

“
I don’t think she was, anyway. She recoils at the idea.
”

Luke shook his head.
“
But Tom comes off as weak
--
almost effeminate.
”

“
No, Tom comes off as a man strong enough to stand behind his code of values and ethics
--
as warped as they are in some ways
--
and won’t violate that code. Mabry has no code but to save himself.
”
She shrugged.
“
I just think she’s like most women. She wants a little security instead of a lot of uncertainty.
”

Her words soothed him. Though not insecure, Luke had wondered if a more assertive man might not be more attractive than his quieter nature. Hearing that she valued security buoyed his spirits immensely.
“
I can see that. I think I’ve seen too many ‘girl goes for the bad boy’ old movies where she thinks she’ll reform him or something.
”

“
Yeah,
”
she agreed, unaware of how comforting her words were,
“
this was the era for those bad boy/good girl movies, wasn’t it?
”
Aggie shook her head.
“
I never got that. I mean,
Guys and Dolls
is like that. Sky Masterson makes a big deal about how no guy wants to feel like he’s got to become someone else to get the girl, and then turns around and marries a girl who definitely wants to change him!
”