Love Inspired April 2021--Box Set 1 of 2, page 42
He cast his line into the water again, wondering whether he should tell his dad about the situation. He’d prefer to handle the problems on his own and keep Dad out of it, but if things got any worse, he’d have to fill him in. He had a right to know.
Leaning back in the yard chair, Clay laid his fishing pole on the ground beside him and stretched out his legs, tilting his face to the sun.
“I don’t think you’ll catch many fish with your rod in the grass.”
Clay recognized the amused voice. Melody. He sat up and looked at her, a warm appreciation filling his veins. She looked fresh and lovely in the morning sunlight. Her shorter hairstyle moved in the breeze. An old memory started to form. He squelched it. “You’re up early.”
“I’m always up early. I don’t sleep well these days.”
He started to ask why, but she turned away as if regretting having shared that information. Her canine companion put its paws on his shoe, looking for attention. He reached down and scratched the puppy’s ears. “Looks like Barney is a happy guy. How’s that working out?”
“Wonderfully. It’s nice to have a little friend.”
Clay’s conscience pricked. He hadn’t been much of a friend to Melody since she’d shown up in Blessing. And he’d even thought about that, just a day or two ago. He gestured toward the other yard chair. “Have a seat.”
“Thanks.” She sat down and smiled at him. “I see you out here every morning. You always look so relaxed and peaceful.”
“It’s a peaceful place.” He wasn’t sure how he felt about her watching him.
“So what’s wrong this morning? Something is clearly bothering you.”
“Why do you say that?”
She smiled. “Because you’ve done that thumb thing twice since I’ve been here.”
“What thumb thing?”
“You know, the way you drag your thumbnail across your eyebrow when you’re worried or stressed.”
Clay glanced at his hand. She was right. It was one of his nervous habits. Had she remembered that?
“What’s going on, Clay? Can I help? We used to tell each other everything, remember?”
He looked into her eyes. Oh, he remembered. All too well. Still, maybe it would help to run his concerns past an objective person. He broke eye contact when his pulse started to hiccup.
“It’s a business thing. I’ll work it out.”
“What kind of thing?”
He stifled a smile. Once Melody had questions, there was no putting her off. He remembered that, too. He might as well tell her—she’d nag him until he did.
“You remember the man I stepped away to talk to at the crawl when you were sitting in the park?” She nodded. “He was one of our customers. He’s decided since then that he’ll be doing business with Delta Ag from now on. They’re charging twenty percent less than our company. I can’t meet that price.”
“I’m sorry.”
He inhaled. “It gets worse. Greg Zachary, our part-time pilot, gave notice this morning. He’s going to work for Delta. The pay is better. That leaves us shorthanded just as the busy season is gearing up.”
“Can you hire another pilot?”
Clay started to rub his eyebrow, then lowered his hand. He didn’t like that Melody knew him so well.
“It’s not that easy. Ag pilots are highly skilled and in great demand. There’s not enough to fill the need.”
“Can you train one yourself?”
He smiled. “If only. No. There are only three ag-training schools in the country. The closest one to us is Dallas. Jared and I will have to take up the slack.”
“I had no idea crop dusting was so complicated.”
“Agricultural application.”
She nodded. “Right. Sorry. Does your offer to show me the business still stand? I need to do some research on your family and the company for the history book anyway. Would now be a good time?”
He had a thousand things to do this morning, but the idea of showing off his family business to Melody was more appealing.
“Sure.” He stood and picked up his pole and carried it to the porch, hanging it in the rack with the other rods. “We’ll take the truck to the airfield. Hop in while I tell Dad where we’re going. You might want to leave the dog in the garage while we’re gone.”
Melody was settled in the passenger seat when he returned. He’d made a quick exit before Dad could bombard him with questions about the book lady and nag him again to tell her the truth about Eli.
Clay slid behind the wheel, noticing Melody had her iPad open on her lap. “Going to document the tour?”
“Of course. It’s my job.”
Clay drove the short distance to the private airstrip on the property, pulling to a stop near the three yellow planes painted with the Dusty Birds logo. He really should be firing up the Ag Cat and heading to Fisher’s farm, but he’d rather show Melody around. He needed to do it sooner rather than later anyway.
Melody strolled toward the planes lined up perfectly near the small metal hangar. “They’re beautiful. But I was expecting them to look like biplanes, with the wings on top.”
“That’s old-school. Planes today have the wings on the bottom of the fuselage with the spray bars mounted below that.”
“Why are they all different?”
“Different planes for different applications. The Pawnee Brave, the one with the blue stripe, is the oldest. It’s going to need a new engine soon. The Thrush Commander with the green stripe is a two-seater. It has a top speed of one hundred and twenty-two knots and, fully loaded, can carry a total capacity of six thousand pounds of product.”
He walked to the last plane in the row. “But the Air Tractor is our workhorse. With a payload of over nine thousand pounds and an eight-hundred-gallon hopper, this baby is the best. With its power, speed and payload, we can stay longer over the field and complete more jobs in a single load.”
He glanced at Melody and found her smiling, her brown eyes twinkling. “What?”
“You really love your work, don’t you? I can hear the enthusiasm in your voice and see the joy on your face.”
His cheeks warmed and he looked away. “Yeah, I guess I do.”
“I’m glad to see you happy. You deserve to be.”
A lump lodged in his throat. He didn’t deserve to be happy, not as long as he was harboring his cruel secret. He met her gaze. “You deserve to be happy, too, Melody. Are you?” He could see his comment caught her off guard.
“Yes, I suppose. As happy as I can be. I love my job, I’m enjoying being here in Blessing and—” she took a breath “—I’m enjoying seeing you again.”
Their eyes locked, and he swallowed hard. He wanted to admit that he was glad to see her again, but the words stuck in his throat. Melody looked away first, clearly uncomfortable with the conversation.
She pointed to the other side of the hangar. “What’s that one over there?”
“My private plane. A Cessna. It’s for pleasure more than work.”
“Do you fly it often?”
“Whenever I have the time. I’m teaching Eli to fly.”
Her eyes widened. “Really? Maybe you could teach me, too. I’ve always wanted to learn to fly.”
He swallowed again against the lump in his throat. The idea of him and Melody close together in the small cockpit was far too appealing. “I’m not sure you’ll be here long enough.”
She blushed and turned back to the row of planes. “Can I see inside one?”
“Sure.” He held out his hand to help her up onto the wing, then opened the door, forgetting how close she would have to stand to see the cockpit. He breathed in a citrus scent mingled with the fresh air of morning. “You can sit in the seat if you want.”
“Oh, no. I’d be afraid I’d mess something up. This looks like the controls to a spaceship.”
Clay chuckled, relieved to be on comfortable footing again. “It’s not that bad, but there’s a lot to keep your eyes on.”
“Is that a computer?”
Clay did a quick explanation of the dials and gauges and how the computerized information helped him start and stop the spray. Melody hung on his every word. That surprised him. He’d expected her to pay polite attention, then be eager to leave.
“This is amazing.” She met his gaze. “I always knew you were smart, but I never realized how skilled you are. I also never expected crop dusting—uh, agricultural application—to be so specialized.”
“It is these days.”
She fell silent a long moment. “This is a dangerous job, isn’t it?”
Her question touched him. “It can be. You have to be aware every minute. There’s a lot to keep track of. You have to know when to start and stop the application to prevent overspray on homes and other crops. You don’t want pesticide to drift over onto a field that needs fungicide. That could be disastrous for the farmer.”
Melody studied him, then looked back to the cockpit. “I can see why you would need a computer.”
He nodded. “Wind plays a big factor, as well. If it changes even a degree, it can force you to recalibrate everything.”
Clay jumped down from the wing and reached up to help Melody down. She rested her hands on his shoulders as he lowered her to the ground. He was surprised at how light she was and how thin. A stiff breeze could blow her away. He started to ask her about her health, then thought better of it. No need to rock the boat.
“Thank you, Clay. I have a whole new respect for what you do. I may have more questions later, if that’s all right.”
“Anytime.” He looked into her golden-brown eyes and forgot to breathe. Memories of their times together rushed through his mind with torrential force, bringing an awareness that he didn’t want to acknowledge. He searched for something to say to break the awkward moment.
“Um, so how’s the book coming?”
“Good. I’ve started writing the first chapter. I’d like you to take a look at it when you have time.”
“Not sure I’d be a good judge. My job was to help you gather information, not edit the content.” He started back to the truck.
“I know. But you’re a resident of Blessing, and I’d like to know how the opening seems to you. Does it sound stuffy, interesting or just plain dull?”
“I doubt anything you do would be dull.” Heat rushed into his cheeks, and he turned away. What had come over him?
“That’s kind of you. I’d better get back. I have an appointment with Keisha Monroe. She’s been collecting the African American history of Blessing for years. It’ll be invaluable to the book. I don’t want to be late meeting her.”
“Okay. I’ll drop you at the garage so you can pick up Barney.”
They rode in silence back to the house. Melody opened the door the moment he stopped the truck. She smiled, thanked him again, then hurried off. He wondered briefly if she was hurrying because of her appointment or because she wanted away from him.
He hoped it was the former.
* * *
Rain was falling steadily, as it had for the last two days. Perfect weather for writing. She’d written rough drafts of chapters two and three and organized information for the next. This afternoon she planned to tackle the photos. There were so many wonderful images, it would be difficult to cull them down to the ones she could use in the book. She needed an assistant who could copy all the photos and keep them organized so she could return them to their owners when she was finished. Eli would be the perfect choice. He was such a sweet young boy. She hadn’t spent much time around children. Never thought she had anything in common with them, but from the moment she met Eli she’d felt an affinity, probably because he was Clay’s son. The Reynolds charm was hard to resist.
Barney barked and ran to the front door. Melody glanced out the window and saw Eli. She pulled the door open with a smile. “I was just thinking about you. Come in.”
Eli pulled off his poncho and boots and left them on the porch. “I finished my homework, and Dad said I could come visit. I wish he’d let me help you, but he says he’s still thinking about it.”
Melody took a seat on the sofa and motioned Eli to have a seat. “I’ll talk to him again and see if I can convince him.”
“What would I do? Would I get to use the cameras?”
“Definitely. I need help with all the photos I have. A lot of them are in books or belong to the people who live here. Since I can’t keep them, I need to make copies.”
“Like on a copy machine? I’ve used the one at the hangar.”
“That’s good to know, but I’m taking photos with my camera. It makes an image that can be uploaded to my computer. I was hoping you’d take charge of that for me.”
Eli smiled. “That’d be so cool.” Barney put his paws on Eli’s shins, wagging his tail.
Eli reached down and petted him. “He’s getting big. We gave the last of the litter to Mr. Cooper today. I wanted to keep one of the pups for myself, but Dad said no. He thinks Lady is enough.”
Melody smiled. “Well, Barney will be here for you to play with. In fact, I could use someone who knows about dogs. I have no clue. Maybe, when I go home, I could leave Barney with you. If it’s okay with your dad.”
“You won’t take him with you?”
“I doubt it. I don’t know where I’ll be after the book is finished.” The realization of that fact left a dull ache in her chest.
“You could stay here.”
“I’d like that, but I’d have to find a job.”
“We have jobs here,” Eli pointed out.
Melody smiled and touched his shoulder, resisting the urge to hug him. “Why don’t I show you what you’d be doing if your dad agrees?”
Eli nodded and followed her to the office she’d set up in the second bedroom. She was in the process of showing him how to tag the photos when her cell rang. Clay’s name was displayed. She answered, glancing at Eli as his dad asked her to send him home.
“Time to go home, Eli.”
He rolled his eyes. “That was my dad, huh?”
She nodded. “Afraid so. But I’ll talk to him again soon, so keep your fingers crossed.”
Out on the porch, Melody saw the rain had stopped. “I think I’ll sit out here awhile. I’m really grateful for this porch.”
Eli frowned. “But you don’t have a chair out here.”
She smiled. “I’m going to get a rocker as soon as I have a free moment. In the meantime, I just use a kitchen chair.”
They waved goodbye, and she watched him run through the puddles as he hurried home. She enjoyed his company. She hoped Clay would relent and let his son help her out.
There was something special about the boy. She couldn’t explain it, but she was drawn to him. Maybe she was simply feeling her age and realizing she’d never have a child of her own.
* * *
Melody stepped into the Reynoldses’ small library and smiled. Every wall was covered with books. Dave had given her permission to look through them all, and she was eager to get started. Over the last few weeks, she’d gained a solid overall picture of Blessing’s history and had outlined a possible sequence for the book. Now it was down to the details and balancing which events were to be included. The Reynolds family was one of the last founding families for her to research.
She also had yet to meet with the owner of the old plantation. She’d been warned that the reclusive man wasn’t likely to agree to a meeting and her best bet would be to meet with his assistant or local historian Jeffrey Hollis, who knew more about the original owners than anyone else.
She set up her laptop, then started perusing the rows of books. The family history was conveniently arranged right near the desk. She pulled out two and settled in. Two hours later she stretched and rubbed her eyes. The Reynolds family background was going to take up more space than she’d first thought. Clay came from a long line of hardworking, civic-minded people. They’d been merchants and farmers when Blessing was a fledgling community. Later they’d become successful in the logging industry before going into politics. Two former mayors were Reynolds men before Dave took office. The crop-dusting business had grown steadily and provided a good living for the family.
Clay’s concerns about Dusty Birds came to mind. She’d prayed that the loss of his part-time pilot wouldn’t put the company in trouble. She didn’t like the thought of Clay stressed over his family business. She wished there were something she could do.
“How’s it going, Miss Melody?”
Melody smiled as Dave entered the library. “Good afternoon. It’s going great. I’m learning so much about your family. They made a huge contribution to Blessing. You must be very proud.”
“I am. But I’m more proud of my son and grandson.”
Melody smiled. “Of course. And you should be. They’re special people.”
“Clay is a good man. I’d like him to find a good woman someday.”
She wasn’t sure how to respond to that. Was Dave fishing for her opinion of Clay, or did he have matchmaking on his mind? What would he say if she told him she and Clay had a past?
“I’m sure he will.”
“I hope.” He grinned and tugged on his ear. “It won’t be easy to find the right woman. She’d have to be smart, loving, strong and devoted. Not an easy combination to find these days. Most women are focused on their careers, not family.”
Melody dropped her gaze to the computer screen. He was talking about her, the old her. Her heart clenched. What should she say? “Sometimes people have to work at their careers before they discover that other things are more important.”
“I suppose you’re right.” He slipped his hands into his pockets. “I won’t keep you. I mainly stopped by to invite you to dinner tonight. We’re having a family favorite. Chicken and noodles.”
