Once Upon a Misty Bluegrass Hill (25 page)

Jolene had worked so hard in her classes
these last years and time had flown by
. 
She was
almost
finished
and
if all
continued to go
well she would graduate with honors.
 
She
religiously
read
La-La-Chick
M
agazine
with Natasha for her beauty tips and how to win over a man.  She even started painting her fingernails and putting
on
just a dab of mascara and lip gloss that
they had bought at the makeup counter
.

Words
like
"
ain
'
t
"
were no longer part of her
personal dictionary
.

Natasha and Helen had fortified her with flirting techniques for visit
s
home
.  It was time to see if they were right that
Patrick
did care about her in
that
kind of way. 

Each summer
since
she started
school
Patrick
had sent her with Natasha and Helen to Europe for three months.  The summer after their first year they went to Natasha
'
s home where they rode the train
all over the
United Kingdom.  They did not, however, go to Ireland. 
Patrick
wanted to take her to meet his family someday and he wanted to show
her
Ireland
.

The
summer
before
her junior year th
e
girls
traveled to Italy and spent
half the time with Natasha
'
s mother and half the time with Helen
'
s father as chaperones.  All the while Jolene had just wanted to go home to see
Patrick
, Big Storm and Bernie. 
Patrick
would hear none of it.  She spent her holidays at home just a few weeks here and a few weeks there.  Never enough time and it was too cold to do much riding
when she was there for the holidays because it had been a cold winter
. 

Patrick
looked her over intently when they got into the SUV. 
"
What
'
s that stuff on your eyes? And all over your lips?
"

In the face of her efforts, his words stung. 
"
Patrick
!  It is mascara and lip gloss.
"

He laughed as he turned the engine key. 
"
Makes you look like a grown up woman.
"

He swung his arm across the back of the seat and
brushed
her shoulder sending delicious hot shivers through her.

Jolene batted her eyes playfully and pulled down the visor so she could see herself in the mirror. 
"
Does it really make me look grown up?
"

"
Too grown up by half.
"

"
Good, then you can treat me like a grown up this time.
"

"
Y
er
will still be
Little
Red
.
"

"
No! 
Patrick
no! I don
'
t want you to think of me like
Little
Red
or even Red
anymore. 
And
please
do not call me that in front of people….it is weird. 
How are your parents by the way and when are you taking me to Ireland to
meet
them?  Remember you promised the year I graduate you would take me.
"

"
I saw them last summer when you were in Italy and then again just after Christmas.
"

"
I can
'
t wait to meet them.
"

Patrick
chuckled. 
"
Well, I have someone else I want you to meet.
"

"
Really?  Who?  Storm has a new colt on the way.
"

"
He always has a new colt or filly on the way…I have a person I want you to meet.
  But it is a surprise that yer have to wait till yer home.
"

Jolene watched the passing scenery and got caught up on everything while the back of her mind worked on who
Patrick
might have for her to meet.  He had two sisters
and a brother
, perhaps one of them had come for a visit. 

Jolene
'
s heart always stopped when she turned down the long driveway to
her old home and
Patrick
'
s newer home
.  She always
went back to her parent
'
s house to stay when she was here but took meals and spent a great deal of time at
Patrick
'
s house.
Patrick
had hired someone
in addition to his mowing team
to maintain the roses and flowers that Jolene planted
in her mother's rose garden
the
first spring back after
Big Storm had
w
on the Triple Crown. 

She had finally gotten over
Patrick
not letting her ride
in
those races.  When she outgrew her young girl
'
s notions she had to concede that it was very dangerous and she was not skilled enough to tempt fate more than the one time she had ridden Storm in the Derby.

The Derby
had been enough. 

And at least she had seen the other two races before being hauled off to school.

But she was back now, nearly finished with school and a full grown woman with manners and lip gloss.

"
How does it look Jolene?
"

Flowers bloomed everywhere and the pastures were lush and green.  Horses sprinkled over the vast sea of
chartreuse
.
The daffodils danced along the wood fence line. 
"
It looks so beautiful
.  Spring always has that sparkle.
"

Patrick
laughed. 
"
It does at that
.
"

"
I am going to cook
for you this summer
.  I have
some new recipes
that I got off of the internet.
"
 

They pulled into
Patrick
'
s garage. 
"
You want to go h
ome first
? 
I
forgot
to ask yer.
"

Jolene pulled the door open and stepped out. 
"
Oh no, I
'
ll enjoy the walk over later, we have so much to talk about.
"

Patrick
went to the back of the truck and pulled out her big red hard shell bag and set it near the door.

Jolene flew through the door
that led from the garage to the massive kitchen
to find
Mata
.
Behind her
Patrick
laughed.  The sound shivered across her skin.
"
Wait up
for
me Jolene
.
"

Mata
was stirring thoughtfully when Jolene opened the door.  She looked up and broke into a grin and her arms flew wide for a hug. 
"
Oh I have missed you Jolene…so much changing here.
"

Jolene squeezed
Mata
hard. 
"
Oh I have missed you so much too.  I have some new recipes for us to try and just think, I will be home for good come
next spring! 
Patrick
is going to take me to Ireland to meet his family.
"

Patrick
shut the door behind him. 
"
Yer can be certain I am going to take you to meet my family and I
have a new friend that will be a
coming
with us to keep yer company…girl company.
"

"
What do you mean
Patrick
?  I thought it was just you and me going to Ireland.
"

Patrick
laughed and his eyes moved past her, through the kitchen alcove to something in the large family room. 
"
Come on in here Leona and meet my Jolene.
"

Jolene turned sharply to find a stunning willowy blonde
with perfectly cut hair and a husky laugh
moving into the kitchen.  She
closed in on
Patrick
and he put his arm around her. 

Then
Patrick
kissed
the blonde
. 
"
Patrick
, you didn
'
t tell me that Jolene was so grown up.  She is not a
Little
Red
…she is a grown woman.
  We need to step up efforts to find her a husband
….after all, what will people say about her living here with you
?
"

Jolene felt her world melt into a horrible fog.

She swayed on her feet and
Mata
moved up next to her and put her arm around her while Jolene
'
s head exploded with terrifying questions
that she was certain she didn
'
t want to know an answer to
.  
"
Patrick
, you should have told Jolene before she got here, she is in a bit of a shoc
k I am afraid, because I have never seen her speechless.
"

Patrick
hugged the Leona-woman closer to him. 
"
Leona and
I
are engaged, we plan to
go to
Ireland the summer you graduate
…
and you will be
coming
with us.
"

Chapter
15

The melodies, harmonies and instrumentation of bluegrass music are influenced by traditional European folk music as well as the African-American jazz and blues styles. These influences were carried into the hills of the rural south by the farmers and workers who settled the land, and intermingled to form the country and "mountain" music sound from which bluegrass springs. Bluegrass lyrics reflect the rural life experiences of these musicians.

"
Look!  My basket is full!
"
  Lacy raced toward Jolene while blackberries danced out of her basket
to be
left scattered on the ground.

Bea pointed and laughed. 
"
Lacy you are dropping all your blackberries.
"

Lacy stopped looking very cross
and
jamm
ed
he
r hand on her hip. 
"
I am not.  You
are just jealous that I got more
berries
than you!
"

Bea held out her basket that was full of berries. 
Lacy looked from Bea
'
s basket to her own. 
With sagging lips Lacy marched back
to the dispelled blackberries
, trampling some while gathering up
a few t
hat had dropped.
  Oliver and Finnegan were already licking up the lost berries. 
Lacy abandoned her basket to chase after them
, not considering the
diminished
value of dog-chewed berries
.

It was a long hot summer by anyone
'
s standards.
  Jolene smiled to herself as she watched Bea move over to Lacy
'
s basket and grab a handful to put into her own basket.

"
Hey!  Stop that Bea!
"
  Lacy
ran back tripping over her too-
long flowered dress.