We Can Laugh Together Too (Walnut Grove Trilogy) (2 page)

Matt climbed out of the driver’s side of the vehicle and a
slightly built Mexican with an apprehensive expression appeared from the
passenger side.

Matt greeted Livi warmly, and formally introduced her to
Isidoro Garcia as Mrs. Leonard. The two shook hands gravely, the diminutive
Mexican looking as nervous as Livi. Matt explained that he had tracked Isidoro
down quite literally in the nick of time. His wife, Rosa, had already taken
their daughter to Southern California to stay with a cousin, while Isidoro
remained where they had been living, still looking for work.

Livi liked him immediately. He seemed serious and respectful
and he impressed her by the way he squatted down on his heels to fondle her two
dogs. They accepted him immediately and pranced around him in tongue-lolling
welcome. Nevertheless, she needed to see how he handled the horses. “Let’s
finish fetching them in,” she suggested.

It was like old times, the three of them leading in the
horses; first, the remaining three yearlings, followed by the four mares with
their bouncing, playful foals. Matt led in Ultimate Event and paused to take a
quick look at her foal’s leg, which he pronounced as ‘fine.’

Livi already had the evening feeds mixed. These were quickly
distributed, and then the three of them repaired to the big kitchen, the two
dogs trotting along with them, filling the place with their black and white
coats and waving tails. Chrissy hastily cleared her schoolbooks from the table,
and assumed the role of hostess, offering everyone refreshments.

 Matt accepted a beer, and sat down, instinctively making a
fuss of the dogs, but Isidoro insisted upon nothing stronger than a 7-Up. Livi
sipped a peppermint tea.

Isidoro’s eagerness for the job meant there was virtually nothing
to discuss. He was so grateful that he’d almost certainly found employment plus
a home for his family, he would very likely have accepted the position on almost
any terms. But Livi was determined to be fair and offered him the same wage as
Jose had received. She then searched through a drawer for a bunch of keys, and
asked Matt if he would mind showing him the house.

Matt regarded her shrewdly for a moment; he appeared to
understand exactly why she couldn’t face doing so herself.

They finalized everything in under an hour. Isidoro loved
the house and undertook to move in there and then; quick to point out that he
was, after all, beholden to no-one else. In fact, he volunteered to spend that
night there and report for work the next morning. Livi simply could not believe
her sudden reversal in fortunes.

She walked back outside with Isidoro and explained how he
could follow a dirt track between the paddocks to and from his new home without
needing to use the main road, and after thanking both of them effusively, he
set off with a jaunty spring to his step and a huge smile on his face.

Livi followed Matt back to his truck outside the barn. “I
don’t know how to thank you,” she confessed. “I was beginning to despair, but
with one act of kindness, you’ve turned everything completely around. Not only
have you given me a lifeline, you’ve helped Isidoro and his family too.”

He gave her a crooked grin and for the first time she noticed
the direct blue of his eyes. “All part of the service ma’am. Actually, my
motives are completely selfish. Now you’re not so busy, maybe you’d like to
have dinner with me one evening.”

Alarm bells rang and Livi took a quick, jerky breath. “I
don’t know Matt, I . . .”

He interrupted her gently before she could say any more.
“Just dinner, that’s all. I’m a stranger here, when I finish work, all I’ve got
is a little bedsit above the practice. I’d just like some adult company for an
evening. Remember the other morning when you asked me in for coffee . . ?”

His surprising insightfulness startled her. “You’re very
perceptive Matt. Okay, I’d love to have dinner with you next week. Just give me
a couple of days to get re-acclimatized to staying awake during the evening.”

He chuckled. “It’s a deal. I’ll call you as soon as I know
my schedule for the week.” Then he gave her arm a lingering squeeze, jumped
into his truck, and was gone.

♠  
♠   ♠

The next morning, Saturday, Isidoro was waiting at the barn
door at seven sharp. Livi was concerned to see he was still clad in the smart
clothes he had worn to meet her the evening before. When she mentioned this, he
explained all his possessions were temporarily stored in a friend’s shed in a
town close to where he had been working. She urged him to get everything moved
down as quickly as possible, and Isidoro smiled shyly.

“Don’t worry Mrs. Leonard. My friend has a big truck. I will
phone him later and he will bring all my stuff tomorrow.”

They turned the horses out, Livi showed Isidoro around,
explained the farm’s routine, and then left him cheerfully humming to himself
as he tackled the dirty stalls.

She was hardly back inside the kitchen when the phone rang.

“Good morning boss lady. How’s your staff settling in?”

Livi laughed, indisputably pleased to hear his voice. “Good
morning Matt. Just fine, thanks for asking.” As she spoke, she walked through into
the sitting room and dropped into a chair. “He said he’s going to get his
friend to drive all his belongings down for him tomorrow. I didn’t ask him
about his family, how are they going to get here?”

“They’ll find a way,” Matt assured her. “Hispanics tend to
have wide reaching networks. They’ll be there in a few days, I guarantee.”

And he was right. Rosa and her fifteen-year-old daughter,
Katia, arrived at Walnut Grove late on Monday. Rosa tut-tutted about the state
of the house and immediately set about cleaning it from top to bottom. It was
still full of Jose’s furniture and possessions, so Livi told her to box up
anything they didn’t want and Isidoro could store it in a corner of the hay
barn.

The little family had no transport so Livi added Isidoro to
the farm’s insurance and loaned him an elderly but reliable pickup truck to
drive.

All her immediate troubles seemed, at last, to be resolved.

♠  
♠   ♠

Matt phoned again on Tuesday and suggested dinner the
following evening. He arranged to pick Livi up at seven thirty.

Seven o’clock found her in front of the mirror, trying to
decide what to wear. She had pinned up her honey blond hair in a simple French
knot and applied a little lipstick, but the choice of clothing wasn’t so easy.
She stared at her reflection whilst holding up a print dress for consideration;
it was her favorite, but tonight she discarded it, it wasn’t right. Her face in
the mirror looked tired and drawn, with dark shadows beneath her eyes.
Something simpler, she decided.

Matt arrived on time driving a silver Ford Edge – the pickup
truck he had used earlier belonged to the practice, he explained. His attire
was casual: jeans and a crisp blue shirt which appeared to Livi to be brand
new. She was glad she had foreseen how he would dress and in the end chosen
just slacks and cowl-neck silk top for herself.

They drove to an Indian restaurant in a small town on the
coast, about fifteen miles away. They were seated at a quiet corner table, and
discussed the menu, their faces lit by candlelight. Matt ordered a shrimp vindaloo,
while Livi opted for chicken korma. After further debate, they settled upon a
bottle of Californian Pinot Grigio.

“I love spicy Indian food,” Matt confessed, a trifle self-consciously.
“Shades of my misspent youth I’m afraid. After graduating from high school a
buddy and I bummed off around the world, and one place where we stayed for a
while was Goa; we virtually lived on the beach for a few months. Vindaloo is
practically a staple there. We were two years traveling before eventually settling
down and going to university.”

Livi was fascinated. “What a wonderful experience,” she exclaimed.
“It sounds as if you were a bit of a rebel.”

“Oh, I was. As soon as I finished high school I just wanted
to get away from books and studying, and do my own thing for a while. My family
was none too pleased, I’m afraid being a beach bum didn’t figure especially
high in their expectations. Thinking back though, it was the right decision. I
got it all out of my system, and then settled back down to five solid years at
college. I really don’t think I could have stuck it out without that two-year
break.

“My parents were teachers – they’re retired now -- and they
had high hopes of my following in their footsteps, but I’m afraid an academic
life wasn’t on the cards for me. Throughout my childhood I collected pets and
read travel books; my mind was made up by the time I was about ten: I was
either going to become a vet or a photographer taking pictures of exotic
animals for National Geographic. I suppose it was a no-brainer when eventually they
gave up and encouraged me along the veterinary path.”

Livi was unable to suppress a laugh. “Oh I don’t know, I can
see you on the Serengeti plains taking pictures of lions and cheetahs and
leopards.” She hesitated before putting into words, a question which had been
bugging her. “Do you mind if I ask why you’re a locum and not in practice for
yourself. Surely you don’t still have a wanderlust at . . ?”

“Forty one,” Matt finished for her. “No, I’m not a locum
because I have itchy feet. It’s through circumstances, unfortunately. For more
than ten years I was a partner in an equine practice in Florida, close to
Calder and Hialeah and a lot of the breeding farms. For the last two I was in a
close relationship with another partner which ended, shall we say,
acrimoniously, more than two years ago when, I discovered she was having an
affair behind my back with a trainer; a married trainer at that.”

He toyed with his napkin. “I flipped and I’m ashamed to
admit I just upped-sticks and left — walked out on everyone and everything, and
behavior like that doesn’t look too good on my résumé. Unreliable, volatile, unpredictable.
Ten years for zilch.” He swallowed some water and smiled wryly.

“Since then I’ve applied for partnerships all over the place,
but no-one’s interested. On the other hand, signing up with an agency as a
locum was easy. They figure I’m good for stints of a few weeks; two or three
months even.”

A waiter interrupted by arriving with their wine, and for a
few minutes they sipped and lapsed into silence. Finally Livi said, “Doc Blair
is well into his sixties, his practice will need new blood when he eventually retires.
Doc Massey certainly won’t be able to cope on his own.”

“I confess I’d already thought of that. I really like the
area, and the clients are especially nice.” He chuckled, and Livi blushed.
“When my contract here finishes, I’ll definitely sound them out. We shall see.”
He clapped his hands together. “But enough about my troubles and misfortunes,
that’s not why we’re having dinner; we’re supposed to be celebrating an end to
your
problems. How’s Isidoro working out?”

“Beautifully,” Livi responded warmly. “He’s a natural with
the horses. All I’m doing now is helping him turn out in the morning and fetch
in in the afternoon. He’s even willing to check around last thing at night, but
I’ve convinced him it’s no inconvenience for me, after all I’m only a couple of
minutes from the barn. It’s nice to know I can depend upon him should I need
him though.”

Their food arrived and they both tucked in. It was
delicious. Matt refilled their wineglasses. “Their daughter might work out as a
friend for Chrissy too; they appear to be about the same age.”

“She seems a nice girl,” Livi agreed. “Her name’s Katia.
Next week I plan to resume the school run in the car so I’ve offered to take
her as well, and Chrissy seems happy with the arrangement. Living as we do,
outside of town, she’s never had a friend close at hand, so your recommendation
could result in yet another success.”

Matt fixed her with his cornflower blue eyes and gave her a
roguish smile. “Glad to hear it.” Then he suddenly became serious again. “But
thank
you. . .”

“What for?” she asked, surprised.

“For coming out with me this evening. It’s so refreshing to
spend some time with an intelligent, pretty lady.”

Livi opened her mouth to speak, but he raised his hand to
stop her. “No, let me finish. I’m not trying to come on to you, I know you’ve recently
lost your husband, but I like you, I like you a lot. I admire your tenacity, and
I really appreciate your company and, hopefully, your friendship. No strings
attached, I give you my word.”

Livi didn’t answer immediately, so he reached across the
table and touched her hand. “Please, say something.” His eyes held her gaze,
and for a fleeting moment, it was if she could see into his soul.

Not for the first time, she felt an unmistakable tug of
attraction towards him. She realized just how lonely Matt was, how lonely she
was too. She needed a friend, someone who knew and accepted her circumstances, and
someone she could just
talk
to. Something about the man sitting opposite
her made her resolution waver. She sensed both their pain.

She smiled. “Of course we can be friends, we are already
aren’t we?”

The meal finished, Matt drove Livi back to the farm. The
roads were quiet and throughout the journey they chatted comfortably together. He
parked outside the house and they stepped out into the warm late evening to
wander slowly across to the barn to check on the horses.

Before the accident, Will had built a garden complete with
fountain in front of the house, but six months ago, following his death, Livi
had turned the water feature off. Earlier that day, she had turned it back on,
and now the chuckle and murmur of water was alluring. Tears briefly stung her
eyes.

The horses were fine. They retraced their steps to the house
and Livi opened the kitchen door for the dogs to come outside, then they sat on
a wooden bench and watched as the final vestiges of evening faded into night, the
western sky still showing a fast diminishing swirl of violet. A mocking bird called
sweetly to his mate from a nearby tree. Livi was startled by a thought that
everything seemed just right.