“Cute.” He was oblivious to her frustration. “So I’m wondering, suppose you can clean your farm girl self up for something fun this evening?”
She grimaced, biting her tongue to keep from saying something she’d regret. After all, he was helping her with this house. She pursed her lips. “Thisevening?”
“Yeah. I got two tickets to a fundraiser over at the Stockton Ranch. Good food and drinks and old-fashioned square dancing. Thought you’d like to come with me.” He reached for her hand. “Do a little do-si-do in the barn.”
“That actually does sound fun, but I already made plans for tonight.” She pulled her hand away. “I’m sorry.” Okay, she realized she wasn’t as sorry as she sounded. Mostly she was relieved to have a valid excuse.
“Plans?” He frowned. “Can’t you cancel ’em?”
“No, it’s with the whole family. We were all counting on it.”
“So what’s so special you can’t get out of it?”
She resented his pushy attitude but maintained her pleasant expression. “Well, it’s not that special, but I already accepted the invitation and hate to back out. Just a neighborhood barbecue. No big deal.”
Aaron’s countenance darkened as he glanced over to the Orosco house. “Not that many neighbors out this way.”
“Which is why it’s so important to maintain good relationships with the ones we have.”
He was clearly disappointed, perhaps even irritated, but he smiled stiffly. “Well, okay, but you’re missing out on a great time, Jewelie Girl. There’ll probably be lots of folks you know there. Good way to get back in the swing of things in Sweet Springs.”
“I’m sure you’re right.” She feigned disappointment. “Maybe another time.”
“Yeah.” His brow creased as he adjusted his ball cap. “Better get back to the lot. Thisisa good day for selling houses. June’s always a record month. Gotta make hay while the sun shines.”
“Good luck,” she called out as he got into his pickup. She knew he was disappointed in her response, but what could she do? She wanted to keep their relationship on good footing. At least until they wrapped up the new house project. The sooner that was all done, the better for everyone.
Jewel returned to weeding for a bit. Then, hot and thirsty, she went inside to see if Mom needed any help with the potato salad she was making for tonight. The huge bag of potatoes on the kitchen table suggested Mom planned to feed half the county. But seeing Cooper standing at the sink, up to her elbows in potato peels, Jewel pivoted her focus and asked about her dad as she filled her water bottle.
“Last I saw, he was asleep in his chair with MeTV blaring outThe Rifleman,” Mom told her. “But you know how that can go.”
“I’ll check on him.”
Of course, his chair was empty and the TV was blasting an obnoxious pharmaceutical commercial. Jewel called out and made sure Dad wasn’t inside before heading out to look. She wasn’t terribly worried since he couldn’t have been gone long, but when she couldn’t find him in the barn or other outbuildings, and he didn’t appear to be out in a field, she grew a little concerned. She called out for him again and then walked over to the fence line between their property and the Oroscos’. Hopefully he wasn’t over there creating havoc for them.
As she strolled the fence line, looking all directions, she spotted Miguel pounding in a loose fencepost alongside his cow pasture. “Have you seen my dad?” she yelled to him.
He came over, using a bandanna to wipe his brow. “I noticed him walking down your driveway earlier. I assumed he was getting mail, then I got busy here and lost track.” He pointed to where he’d installed a gate and grinned. “What do you think?”
“Nice,” she said absently. “But I better go find Dad. I already got the mail. Not that it would stop him. He enjoys the walk back and forth. Thanks.”
“You all still coming tonight?” he asked brightly.
“That’s our plan. Mom’s making a mega potato salad. Ofcourse, you never know about Dad.” She sighed. “He might not want to come.”
“Well, be assured if he does come, we’ll do all we can to make him comfortable here. Mama really wants to patch things up between us. More now than ever since Anna and Cooper have become friends.” He grinned. “Anna thinks Cooper is the greatest thing since sliced bread.”
Jewel smiled. “That’s an expression my dad used to use.”
“I think I picked it up from a southern sergeant in boot camp.”
“Well, I better go find Dad. Thanks for the tip.”
“Good luck.”
As she went down the driveway toward the main road, her nerves bristled, especially when she didn’t see him anywhere. What if Dad had decided to wander farther than the mailbox? Where would that even be, and how long would his wobbly legs hold out? She paused at the road, looking both ways, before she extracted her phone from her jeans pocket, called her mother, and quickly explained her AWOL dad. “Do you think he’d go anywhere down this road?” she asked.
“I don’t know, but he was in a snit this morning before he fell asleep.”
