My Blue River (7 page)

I find him amusing
.

“How gracious of you,” I replied.

He smiled back at me which made my heart flutter. I chastised myself—
Addy, you can’t fall for this farmer boy. You have a plan.
I indeed had a plan to go to college, meet a guy who is preferably from California, get married, establish myself in a career, and consider children. If I one day had children, I would hire a nanny.

“So what about you, Jack? What’s your story?” I asked.

He launched into the story of his life. He had been born and raised in Blue River.
No surprise there
. He was an only child in fact, his mother nearly died giving birth to him and those complications made it impossible for her to have any more children. He loved it here and couldn’t imagine a life anywhere else.
Again, no surprise
. He helped with the family farm, but thought his dad should take advantage of the demand for land in Montana. The price of land was soaring and his family could use the money. He reminded me again of how many Californians were relocating here. He then threw out a few famous names. Now was the time to capitalize on their desire for a piece of Montana. It was like Jack had a hidden “business sense”. He thought it was time for his dad not to work so hard and enjoy life more. He thought a good work ethic was important. He liked to hunt, fish, and ride the rodeo. He loved music and writing poetry.
Now that’s a surprise
. Family was really important and he looked forward to the having his own someday.

I thought it was amazing how incredibly different our futures were going to be, but I enjoyed the conversation. He seemed much older than seventeen. I smiled as I realized that by some miracle, he had gotten me out of my bad mood. He even managed to make the work we were performing seem less painful. I looked back to where I began scraping the house and was shocked to find we were almost done.
Jack is a wonderful distraction.

We took a much needed lemonade break, talked some more and somehow ended up in a garden hose water fight.

Don’t fall for him, Addy, DO NOT fall for Jack. You are not staying in Blue River—ever.

We fell down laughing on the grass. Jack caught his breath first and asked, “Hey, want to go out tomorrow?”

“Out? Like on a date?”

“Uh, I mean like friends. Just friends.”

I actually felt a bit dejected, but responded with a pretend tone of relief.

“Oh! Good! I mean you’re nice and everything, but I don’t plan to date while I live in One Horse.” I thought I recovered nicely from my disappointment.

He arched his eyebrows. “One Horse?” he asked.

“Oh, yeah that—that’s my little nickname for Blue River, and you must admit, it fits the bill.

He chuckled and nodded his head in agreement. “Yeah, I’ve heard that before. I thought after we got the second stop light that image would go away. Guess I was wrong.”

I laughed. He had such a way of making me do that. I realized that if Jack and I were just friends, that would be good a thing. That was how it should be.
It can’t hurt to be his friend, right?
I wouldn’t be staying in Montana after graduation, but I would enjoy as much of his friendship as I could before my departure. I knew he would make my year in Montana bearable.

“So, what did you have in mind?” I inquired.
 

“Actually, I was wondering if both you and Aaron would like to go to a place called The Red Barn. A lot of people just call it The Barn. It’s pretty much where everyone hangs out—the town’s
youth
, I mean. I thought maybe you would like to meet more people before school starts. Sound good?”

He either covered nicely or was just truly thoughtful in considering both me and Aaron.
Why am I so concerned with the dynamics of the whole situation?

“I just need to ask Aaron if he wants to go, and of course ask my parents if we can go, and I’m sure they’ll both say yes, so sure. Sounds good,” I responded.

“Great. I’ll pick you up tomorrow around six o’clock. We’ll eat there.”

“Jack? It isn’t
really
a
barn
, right?”

He threw his head back in laughter.

********

Jack’s Journal

Thursday, July 8

I worked at the Davis family’s house today. Mr. Davis put Addy to work helping me scrape paint from the house. I secretly hoped he would. I about passed out when she came around the corner of the house in her work clothes. I didn’t know anyone could look so completely stunning first thing in the morning. Everything about her makes my brain go numb. I feel like my tongue gets thick when I’m around her. I hope she can’t tell. It’s shocking that I can manage a complete sentence then again, she thinks I’m a hillbilly so I’m sure she’s surprised I can complete a sentence, too.

I started a water fight with the garden hose. I flicked a tiny bit of water on her and suddenly she was super competitive and took the hose from me. I barely struggled with her take over and once she was armed with the garden hose, she sprayed me full on in the face. It was easy to take back the hose and I sprayed her right in the chest, and then I felt a little guilty because her white t-shirt clung to her body and she looked hot. It was hard not to notice.

Once I recovered, I asked her to go to The Barn. The first look on her face told me she thought it was a date and I wanted it to be, but then I couldn’t read if she was disgusted or pleased, so I quickly invited her brother, Aaron, and clarified that I was inviting her just as a friend. Her brother seems like a twerp—but a good twerp who needs some serious help. It was a good cover, I think. Dang, I really wanted it to be a date.

I’m very curious to see how everyone responds to Addy. I’m more curious to see her response to the locals. I don’t understand why she has such an attitude about small towns. Actually, I pray everyone makes a good impression. Maybe we can all turn her into a fan of small towns and small town people.

All she can talk about is leaving. I guess I shouldn’t get attached. Maybe she’ll change her mind I mean, come on! Montana has colleges, too. You just never know what the future holds.

5. Barnyard Animals

Jack arrived promptly at six o’clock. We said our goodbyes to Mom and Dad and when we reached Jack’s Jeep, Aaron called out, “Shot gun!”

“I hardly think so, twerp. Hit the back,” I demanded as I shoved him forward.

I caught Jack smirking as I glanced at him. I couldn’t help but wonder what he was thinking. A mere ten minutes later, we arrived at The Red Barn, or The Barn, as the locals called it. The Barn had pool tables, an arcade, dart boards, air hockey, and on the weekends, karaoke. It had recently been remodeled since in its former life it had been a bar. It still smelled of new industrial carpeting and paint with faint remnants of cigarette smoke. The Barn was attached to another business called The Sugar Shack. The Sugar Shack offered just about anything deep fried along with pizza, ice cream, and soda—in other words, everything that I had spent years avoiding.

Jack quickly got to the introductions. In fact, it seemed important to him. He paid careful attention, making sure both Aaron and I met people he thought we might forge lasting relationships with but it really seemed pointless. I was only here temporarily and making friendships really didn’t matter to me. Besides, I wouldn’t meet anyone I could carry a conversation with, but Jack kept working the room like a rock star.

Most of the guys called him “Coop.” I chuckled to myself. I had actually imagined he had a nickname and sure enough, he did. I didn’t care for it and immediately knew I would never call him “Coop.”

For Jack’s sake, I tried to be interested in his friends. The first person to stand out to me was a girl named Claire. She wasn’t Clairisa, Clarabelle, or ClaraLou…she was simply Claire. I could tell we would get along the moment she said she couldn’t wait to graduate and leave this “pathetic little town,” and those were her words not mine. She asked how in the world I could handle leaving California for Montana. I told her I couldn’t and to watch out for the spontaneous combustion that might occur at any moment. She got a good laugh at that and seemed to appreciate my sarcastic humor.

Claire was pretty short, shorter than my five foot, seven inches and like me, she was slender. Her hair was long, ash blond, with soft light blond highlights. Her eyes were hazel with sparks of gold. She was as tan as if she had been hanging out on a beach with me in California. She wore very little makeup which made sense since she had the most stunning natural beauty I had ever seen.

Another girl who caught my attention was a girl named Sallie. She had the most interesting color of hair and eyes I had ever seen. Her hair was long and two shades deeper than a pumpkin. Her hair looked naturally wavy, like what I called beach hair. Her tan skin looked like it had just been kissed by the sun. Like Claire, she wore very little makeup nor did she need to. Her beauty was natural. Her pale green eyes sparkled with excitement, as if she loved life. She was dressed as if she were off to a rodeo. Her giggle was infectious, and I didn’t know how anyone couldn’t help but smile when she was in the room. She seemed like a sweet little girl trapped in a maturing body, a body most guys were very much noticing. She was humble and didn’t have a clue as to the depth of her beauty. She was funny and I couldn’t help but like her if not envy her.

Charles Zemeckis went by the name “Zeek.” He was a stout, chubby guy, with a baby face. He made everyone laugh because he was always either telling a joke or playing a practical joke on someone. It seemed he was either truly the life of the party, or wanted to be. Either way he was well received by everyone around him. His hair was banana blond and his eyes were robin egg blue. He had a small gap in his two front teeth. When he laughed, it was more like a roar. I overheard something about Zeek and football—
the center?
I liked him, too. He was all eyes for Sallie but she didn’t seem to notice.

And then there was Mimi. Mimi—I
did not
like. Mimi’s real name was Martha. I had no idea why she went by Mimi. Martha was a far better name. Mimi prattled on about anything and everything. If her face matched how smokin’ hot her body was, every guy in the room would have dropped to their knees. She was blond, but not in the natural way that I was. It was a poor woman’s version of salon highlights. Her roots were super dark. She wore so much eye makeup that I didn’t even notice what color her eyes were. There was no missing her lips though, as they were lacquered with dark burgundy lipstick. She loved being the center of attention. She thought she was the most intelligent person in town, but as I listened, I knew she really didn’t know what she was talking about. No one else noticed her lack of intelligence; but then again, they weren’t actually listening.

Lastly, I met Andrew McKenzie—known as “Mac.” Mac was the football team’s quarterback. I had to admit, he rivaled Jack’s good looks. His coal black hair was wavy hair and his eyes sky blue. He was about Jack’s height and build. I wondered if their personalities were similar as well. He was confident and worked the room like he was a celebrity. I had to assume a quarterback in a town this small was probably a big deal.

I braced myself as he approached. I was already dealing with my crush on Jack and knew I couldn’t handle another one.

“So you’re from California,” he said. It was more of a statement than a question, as if he’d done his homework before approaching me to make a strong impression.

He was the type of guy who exuded confidence, but somehow not in the same way Jack did. This guy came across as arrogant. He came so close into my personal space that I had to take one step back.

“I’m Mac. You may have heard of me.” He offered his hand to me in the small space that remained between us.

“Um…actually, no. I haven’t heard of you. I’m Addy.” I took a step back as I shook his hand.

“Well, I’ve heard of you and I’d love to hear about California. I’ve never been there.” He was attractive, but he didn’t make me feel giddy and flustered the way that Jack did.

I got the vague impression he didn’t care one thing about California and yet I was glad he asked about one of my favorite topics. I chattered about my life in California until his ears nearly bled. After exhausting all there was to possibly tell him about my world, an uncomfortable silence ensued so I excused myself to the restroom.

I pushed through the restroom door and there stood Claire, crying and trying to catch each tear with a tissue.

“Claire? Are you okay?” I asked.

“Oh, yeah, just the usual. My boyfriend and I are arguing. We’re always on again—off again. Apparently tonight, we’re off.” She continued to dab her eyes with tissue.

“So what’s this boyfriend’s name?”

“Ethan.”

“I’m so sorry. Boys suck.”

She offered a weak laugh. “They sure do. I wish the guys around here acted like men, but they’re stupid little boys.”

I laughed so hard that I snorted, which made her laugh more.

I put my arm around her shoulders. “So what can I do to help?” I asked as we left the restroom.

“Oh, thanks for the offer, but there’s nothing you can do. We go through this all the time. In a week he’ll be asking me to come back to him.” She let out a heavy sigh of resignation. “And like an idiot, I probably will.” She stopped, seeming reluctant to join the crowd.

“So if he doesn’t treat you right, why do you stay with him?”

“I don’t know, lack of options I guess.”

I was about to say something I never dreamed possible. “It’s not
that
small here.” I couldn’t believe those words escaped my lips, but it was true. There was a larger population than I believed possible in Blue River and frankly, no matter how small a town was and no matter how limited the dating options were, no one deserved to be treated like crap. I looked over at Jack. It hit me that I had gotten to know him enough to realize he was a completely wonderful and beautiful person. For half a second, I wondered why Claire wasn’t dating Jack and just as quickly as I questioned it, I knew I was glad she wasn’t.

“Addy, all I can say is, when you get the chance, run from here. Run as fast as your legs will carry you.”

“Oh, don’t worry. I plan to. Just watch me.” I squeezed her shoulder. “Now let’s go have some fun. There’s a lot of animals in the barnyard tonight!”

She giggled and corrected me, “The Barn, Addy, it’s just
The Barn
.”

When we returned to the crowd, my eyes scanned the room in search of Aaron. I caught a glimpse of Jack, which momentarily distracted me. I couldn’t help but watch him talking to Zeek. He was smiling and laughing at whatever Zeek was saying. Jack had such an amazing smile. I could swim in his dimples. I let out a sigh then refocused because I needed to find Aaron. I knew it wouldn’t be long before he found trouble or trouble found him.

I walked over to interrupt Zeek and Jack’s conversation. Jack must have caught me in his peripheral vision because he was already turning to face me before I ever reached his location.

“Hey, sorry to interrupt. Have you seen Aaron?” I asked.

“He’s over there playing pool with some kids his age. I introduced him to as many non-lethal guys as I could. Don’t worry. After what you told me, I’m keeping an eye on him.”

How sweet is this guy? He barely knows Aaron but cares enough to watch out for him
. Anyone else probably could not have cared less. I found myself liking Jack entirely too much, but it was simply impossible not to.

“Thanks. I appreciate your help.”

“Hey, I consider it part of my job. I can’t have you guys leaving town or I’ll be jobless.”

He tried to play off his kindness, but I didn’t buy it. I could tell as I looked into his eyes he was a caring and compassionate person. I almost felt ashamed of how much of a polar opposite I was from him.

“Well, we can’t have you topless, JOBLESS, I mean, jobless.” I flushed cherry red.

Hey tongue! How could you betray me like that?

Being the gracious person he was he didn’t retort a single comment. He simply smiled as I left to find Claire as fast as my legs could carry me. I found her talking to Sallie. As I approached, they gave me warm smiles and patted the empty chair, indicating I should join them. I took a seat. I hated to admit that I felt comfortable with them. Despite the comfort, I didn’t really fit into the conversation. I didn’t know anyone they were talking about and I sure didn’t know what they meant by “barrel racing.” Although they tried to include me, I didn’t have anything to contribute to the conversation so I merely smiled and occasionally nodded.

I unconsciously blocked their voices from my ears and started to observe the people in the room. I noticed several people had their own unique style and someone in western apparel was talking to a girl dressed in Goth.
Okay, first, can we really revive Goth?
Second,
those two people would never be having a conversation if this was my home town
.
Third, this is weird. It’s like you can be yourself and still be accepted and it feels unnatural
. It wasn’t at all the clique environment of my former high school—at least not at the same level. I suspected Aaron would fall into the “stoner” category but still hang with a guy like Jack. As long as he was alive, I didn’t care what category he fell into.

“Right, Addy?” Claire asked.

I tried to refocus, but I had no clue what she was talking about. “Huh? I’m sorry, Claire. I was lost in thought. What were you saying?”

She smiled and nodded in understanding that I didn’t quite fit in yet and their conversation probably didn’t grab my attention. She didn’t seem offended. “I said Jack is working for your mom and dad, right?”

“Oh, yeah, Jack the handyman. Yeah, he is.”

Sallie put her hand on her chest and sucked in a breath. “You are so lucky. I’d do anything to get to look at Jack every day.” Her eyes glazed over as if she were thinking of a fantasy she had about Jack which was confirmed when she blushed and looked away. She shook her head to snap from the reverie.

I stifled a giggle at Sallie’s gush over Jack then tried to downplay what I thought of him. “Jack? Um, yeah, I guess he’s an attractive guy. He’s pretty nice and fairly entertaining. The conversation is somewhat stimulating.” I was looking at him as I falsely described him. Jack was very attractive, very nice, very entertaining and extremely stimulating. I cocked my head to consider my next words. I couldn’t think of anything else to say or at least, anything that wouldn’t give me away. I looked at Claire who was shaking her head in disbelief.