He's Got Her Goat (31 page)

THE OFFICE AND ADJOINING BATHROOM
were definitely a male domain. Sterling tried to ignore the active spider webs in the corner of the unused shower as he lathered up and was out in record time. After yanking on new jeans and a fresh shirt, he went to look for the CD Misty said she'd dropped by while he was gone. In the office he found his dad had the same Holstein hide chair that he remembered as a schoolboy. The desk was piled high with bills and notices.

Though it would kill his dad to know he did it, he sorted through them. They told an all too common story. The taxes on the property were equivalent to a mortgage. He found installment payments his father was still making on dairy equipment he’d lost. Anyone else would go to court to declare bankruptcy and have these obligations removed, but he knew his dad would never do such a thing. It was a matter of honor with him. If he signed an agreement, he’d hold to it, even if it took the last ounce of his life’s blood.

Sterling’s eyes lifted. On the front edge of the desk was a carved frame. Inside sat a picture he had forgotten about. It was taken Sterling’s junior year, right before Darryl got sick. His mom and dad stood all smiles, arm in arm, surrounded by the three of them, Linda, Sterling and Darryl. Everyone was so happy, so innocent of what would tear them apart in the next few months. Under the frame sat the CD. Sterling shook his head, wondering if his dad had put it there intentionally, so he’d see the picture.

If he could fix things, he would, but Darryl would never talk to him again. He knew that. Sterling had just been young and stupid, and it was twelve years ago. Maybe Linda and the boys could talk some sense into his brother-in-law.

The sound of the pickup rolling into the driveway got him to his feet. Sterling hurried to the door and met Paige leaving the kitchen. Her hair was pulled up in a ribbon and tawny ringlets framed her face. They strolled arm in arm to the pickup as the boys leapt from the back of the truck with overloaded ice cream cones.

Sterling rubbed the top of Josh’s head. “I see you went to the drugstore. Best ice cream ever.”

His dad approached him, his expression serious. “Bob Newell says you’re planning to make a visit there later.”

“I’m just bringing back the key I borrowed. It’s nothing, Dad.”

His dad seemed to grow old before his eyes. “That man is no friend of yours. When we parted ways, my anger was turned the wrong direction. He may not have done it, but he fueled it. You stay clear of him. Ya’ hear?” His brows were lifted as high as they’d go and his mouth formed a little slit.

It broke Sterling’s heart that he’d caused his dad such pain. It wasn’t the coach’s fault. It was his and his alone. Wherever a person went, they could find people like the coach who loved to pit people against each other and watch the fireworks. The key was not to play. He was so blind then.

He hugged his father. “I love you, Dad.” As he pulled away, Sterling smiled. “Can I take your truck?”

His father returned the smile, struggling to keep the moisture in his eyes where it belonged. “Go on then,” he said gruffly.

Sterling opened the passenger door first for Paige and then trotted around the square front of the full-size pickup to take his place behind the wheel. The bench seat allowed her to snuggle right up next to him. As he pulled onto the highway, Sterling felt at peace. There was something about the rumble of a diesel engine that made him feel he could conquer anything.

Though the high school was less than half a mile down the road, the gymnasium was tucked in the far corner of the parking lot and shaded by a copse of trees. They let themselves in the huge square room lined with bleachers. Sterling opened a door to a room partitioned off with glass and put a CD into a slot on the wall. Soon the sounds of “Cotton-Eyed Joe” were blaring over the PA system.

He turned down the volume and took Paige’s hand. “Have you ever done this before?”

“What are you talking about? Dance alone in a school gym with the football captain or learn the steps to this song?” Sterling began to answer, but she lifted her hands. “It doesn’t matter because the answer to both is no. This is entirely new territory for me.”

“Me too,” he said, taking her in his arms. If it weren’t for Paige, he may never have come home. He’d never have met his nephews or hugged his dad. His arms tightened around her. “Thank you. You don’t even know how you’ve changed my life.”

“That’s truer than you know,” she whispered.

He held her by the shoulders and looked into her eyes. The music changed to a slow ballad. “These past few days have been crazy, and it doesn’t look like it’s stopping anytime soon, but for right now, can we just dance?”

“For now.” Her ringlets jiggled with her nod.

They rocked back and forth to the music as one. He relished being with her, feeling free of the anger he’d been holding onto for years. It was through her he was healed, and he would do anything he could to repay her. He somehow knew from the minute he walked into her living room two weeks ago that step by step she’d bring him home. He thought back to when the goats were taken, and he found her in the meadow with Petunia. She had asked him two things of him. He never answered back. It was time.

“Paige, do you remember when I held you in the meadow behind your house?”

“Mm-hmm.” Her eyes were closed as she nuzzled against his chest.

“You asked me then if I’d ever lied to you.”

She opened her eyes. “Yes?” Now he had her attention.

“Well, I didn’t, but I didn’t tell you everything either. You’ve wondered over and over why I left here. I told you that my dad and I got in a fight, but I never told you what it was about.”

Paige kissed his hand which was right beside her cheek. “Linda told me about Darryl. What I want to know is what would you do if you saw him again?”

“I’d tell him I was wrong. I was a jerk back then, and I’ve been one for years since. You were right about the second thing, too. I do push people into things, and I’ll never do that to you. I’ll respect it when you tell me to stop or back away.”

She grinned. “Well, you’re lucky because I don’t remember saying no to you for quite some time.”

The music swelled into a second chorus. As they danced, Sterling remembered another vow he’d made to himself that he was fulfilling. “You know,” he whispered in her ear, “I thought we’d dance in Dallas together with you in that sapphire dress, but it’s even nicer here.”

Paige agreed. “That was a beautiful dress. I’m sad I left it behind.”

“It’s in the trunk of my Lexus right now.” Sterling twirled her with the last note. “When you left Dallas, I determined that things would work out between us.”

Folding her arms, Paige gave him a censuring look. “Really.”

“But if you had said no, I would have respected that.”

She laughed and hugged him.

Chapter Thirty-Nine

P
AIGE BIT HER THUMBNAIL
and peered out the truck window. One last errand, and it would be over. They pulled in front of a white brick building with a large front porch and two empty rockers. Above the porch a painted sign read Mike’s Drugstore. The place looked quaint, except for the sheriff’s car parked out front.

“He’s still here. Come on, Paige, this shouldn’t take long,” Sterling said.

“I’ll wait in the car.” They’d been gone two hours, and Paige worried Darryl was already there. She could imagine Linda waiting for them and wanted to hurry. Paige hadn’t told Sterling he was coming, but somehow felt it would be better if he didn’t know they had sort of arranged it. Besides, with his current attitude, it had to work out well. And if Darryl wasn’t open to forgiving Sterling, at least no one in the family could hold it against him. Rifts would be repaired, and Paige knew she could live with that.

Sterling opened her car door. “Please come. Coach Newell said he wanted to meet you. It will only be a second.”

“Fine.” Paige agreed against her will. She hadn’t actually refused but somehow knew she didn’t want to. As she drew closer to the drugstore, it wasn’t quite what it seemed. It had a sour smell to it, and the front door was banged up rather badly. Inside, there was a rack of yellowed greeting cards that looked as though they hadn’t been touched in years and a shelf of aspirin and personal items common to any gas station seemed equally ignored. On the far wall a counter ran the length of the store lined with padded stools. Behind the counter was an antique soda dispenser and a chest freezer with ice cream where a teenage girl talked on her cellphone.

A group of older men sat in folding chairs at a card table in the corner with cups of coffee in front of them. Rather than the happy Jimmy Stewart type of old men, these were the grumpy Walter Matthau kind. Paige didn’t want to have anything to do with them.

Sterling held out the key to the leader of the bunch, who wore a tan police officer’s uniform. “Thanks, Coach.”

The hardened man leered at her and winked at Sterling. “Hope you made good use of it.”

Sterling seemed oblivious to his innuendo. “Yes, sir. Paige is ready for the Pit tonight. We practiced all the best dances.”

“What about the mattress mambo?” one of the men said.

They all burst into harsh laughter, and Paige reddened.

Sterling seemed not to notice or care. “So, Coach, we’ll see you tonight.” He touched Paige’s arm ready to go, and she was grateful he was cutting the visit short.

The coach got to his feet. “Not so fast, son. We want to catch up. Take a seat.” He held out his chair for him.

“Sterling,” she whispered. “I think we should go.”

The garbled crackle of a police radio sounded through the room with an announcement. “10-91J that’s a 10-91J. Assistance required.” Newel reached into the center of the table and turned down the volume of his scanner.

“Don’t you need to get that?” Sterling asked.

Newell took him by the shoulder. “You’re more important, son. Now sit.”

Paige blew out a breath to calm herself. He promised not ten minutes ago that he’d listen to her. Now she felt invisible. It wasn’t that she wanted to control him, but she had a bad feeling about this guy. The fact that Mr. Newell caught up with Sterling by sharing news about divorces, job losses and suicides explained a lot. If he was the athletic coach when Sterling had all his problems, no wonder he was in such a competitive and angry place back then. And if Sterling was really over it, why would he even want to converse with someone who had added to the problem? All the confidence and safety that Paige felt in Sterling’s arms in the gym was rinsing away bit by bit.

Another explosion of laughter over a new teacher quitting after being hazed by the football team, and Paige had had enough. “I’m going to the car.”

Sterling didn’t even look her direction. “I’ll be there soon.”

HALF AN HOUR LATER HE MADE HIS WAY BACK
to the pickup, a broad grin plastered across his face. He sat in the driver’s seat and started the engine. “Sorry about that.”

“Are you?” Paige said and bit her tongue. She wasn’t going to lecture him, though she wanted to. Her Uncle Bill would have told him that when you lie down with dogs, you wake up with fleas.

“You know, you could get further away from me if you sit in the back of the truck,” Sterling said as they pulled onto the road.

She was pressed against the passenger side door and hadn’t noticed. Moving a little closer, as much as her seatbelt would permit, she swiveled to face him. “Fine, but I don’t ever want to be around that man again.”

“Paige, he was a big part of my life,” Sterling said.

“Which part?” Paige tried to see things his way but couldn’t. “Think about it.”

“You don’t understand.”

“I don’t understand?” Paige faced him. “It’s you, Sterling, who doesn’t get it. That man is not who you think he is. He’s just like Elaine, a bully, and every minute you spend with him makes you a worse person. He was part of the reason your family was almost destroyed. Why can’t you see that?” She folded her arms and stared forward.

Sterling didn’t reply. He was staring forward, too.

In the distance she could see a large cattle hauler and several police cars with their lights flashing in front of the Keller home. Her stomach lurched. Two more days, and they would have been in the clear. How could this have happened?

As Sterling pulled up to the curb in front of the house, Paige leapt out of the vehicle before it had even come to a stop.