Montana Fever

The town, too, had done some changing during her extended absence—several housing developments along its outskirts, new businesses, stoplights at intersections that had always been dangerous, and a modernized theater showing the latest movies, to name a few. Growth and progress had reached her hometown, and now she and her store were part of it. She liked that.

When Friday was upon her, however, she became a little uncertain again. All day, in between customers and busywork, she thought about the date and Duke and how they would get along. She also wondered what to wear for the evening—something casual, of course, but how casual?

She closed at six, as usual, hurried through the after-hours routines—balancing the register, securing the cash in the safe and putting away the sales slips for later attention—and drove home with a knot in her stomach she couldn’t dispel with the commonsense arguments she had relied on since agreeing to this date. Okay, she finally admitted, so she was nervous about the evening ahead. No big deal. But when had she ever been nervous about a date? If it had happened before, she couldn’t remember it.

Dinner was broiled fish filets and a green salad. She and Charlie discussed the day, as had become a nightly routine, then, together, they did the dishes and straightened the kitchen. Charlie headed for the front part of the house, his business space, to do some sweeping and such, and Lola went to her room to get ready. Time was getting short, and she rushed through a shower and shampoo. After donning fresh lingerie, she grabbed a dress from the closet and put it on. Her hair was easy, just a few minutes with the blow dryer and a styling brush. Makeup took another few minutes, and she was ready with ten minutes to spare.

Good, she thought, stopping to catch her breath. After switching purses, choosing one that matched her dress and flat-heeled shoes, she brought the purse to the kitchen and set it on the table. It was five minutes to eight.

Hearing a vehicle pulling into the driveway, she peeked out the window and saw a black four-wheeler. It was a large expensive model with four doors, and as clean and shiny as a freshly polished mirror. Duke got out. Lola’s breath caught in her throat. He was wearing blue-gray Western pants and shirt, and black boots, appearing so handsome in the day’s waning light that she felt choked just looking at him.

“Whoa,” she mumbled to herself, not particularly thrilled that the mere sight of a man would cause her so much turmoil.

She let him knock twice on the kitchen door, which really had become the front door ever since Charlie had turned the front of the house into a business. Finally, calmly, she walked to the door and opened it.

“Hello,” she said with a smile.

“Hello.” Duke’s gaze glided over her pretty, dusky rose dress and slippers, then up to her face. She was every bit as appealing as he remembered, even more so in that dress.

“I’m ready,” Lola said, stepping away from the door to pick up her purse.

“We’ve got a few minutes before the movie starts. I’d like to say hello to Charlie, if it’s all right with you.”

“Well, yes, of course. He’s in the front.” Leading the way, she called, “Charlie?”

They entered the big room with its tables and chairs, display shelves containing books and magazines, and its wonderful smell of rich coffee beans. Charlie set aside his broom.

Duke slipped around Lola and offered his hand. “Hello, Charlie.”

“Duke.” They shook hands.

“Been awhile since I’ve been in here,” Duke said with a glance around. “Nice place.”

“It’ll never make me a rich man, but it gives me something to do,” Charlie said with a small chuckle. “Never could abide sitting around and doing nothing.”

“We’ve got that in common,” Duke said. “I’ve never figured out if that kind of drive is a curse or a blessing, though. Have you?”

Charlie rubbed his jaw. “Can’t say that I have. Most of my customers are older folks, and a goodly percent of them are completely content with retirement. Me, now, I was going a little stir crazy after retirement till I hit on the idea of opening this place.”

“Well, you’ve done a good job with it.” Duke glanced at his watch. “Guess we’d better be going if we’re going to see the start of the movie. Nice talking to you, Charlie.”

“Nice of you to say hello, Duke. Stop in anytime.”

Knowing her uncle so well, Lola caught the respect in his voice and demeanor. Maybe it was only good manners for Duke to say hello to Charlie, but she couldn’t help suspecting an ulterior motive. Like, maybe, his playing up to her uncle would influence her opinion of him?

They left by the kitchen door and walked to Duke’s vehicle, where he opened the front passenger door for her to get in.

“Thank you.” Her words were rather clipped and unfriendly. Even she noticed it. But she wasn’t going to be railroaded into anything by Duke, who already seemed to have gained the upper hand simply by saying a few words to Charlie. She thought about those few minutes with the three of them together while Duke strode to the driver’s door. Charlie’s respect had been so obvious—to her, anyway—and since Charlie Fanon, to her knowledge, had never been impressed by material possessions, his respect had to have been focused strictly on Duke himself. It seemed a little odd when Charlie had told her that he knew Duke only well enough to say hello to.

Duke got in and started the motor. Laying his arm along the top of the seat, he turned and used the rear window to back out of the driveway. On the street, he pointed the vehicle in the direction of the movie theater and got under way.

Setting her purse on the seat between them, Lola pulled down her seat belt and fastened it. Duke sent her a teasing glance. “Worried about my running into something?”

She didn’t think seat belts were anything to laugh about. “If my parents had been wearing seat belts, they might not have been killed in that car accident,” she said evenly, staring straight ahead while she spoke.

There was a moment of silence from Duke, then he said a subdued “Sorry” and hooked his own seat belt. She made no comment.

Duke cleared his throat. “Um…nice evening.” For some reason they weren’t off to a great start.

“Yes, it is,” Lola agreed. “It’s supposed to rain this weekend, though.”

“Yes, I heard the weather report on the news. Had the radio on in my bedroom while I was getting ready. It’s to be expected, though. In fact, we’ve had a three-week dry spell, a little out of the ordinary for spring in these parts.”

“We’ve had a lovely spring. I don’t mind rain, as long as it doesn’t drag on for weeks.”

The theater came into view. Lola stared. “Good Lord, what’s going on there tonight?” There were dozens of teenagers milling around in front of the theater.

Duke frowned. “I have no idea. Wait a minute.” He’d noticed the marquee. “That’s not the movie that was on the marquee yesterday.”

“No, it’s not.” In bold letters on the marquee, the title of a prehistoric monster movie was spelled out. “I don’t want to see that.”

“Neither do I. In fact, I saw it years ago. It’s a kids’ movie. I’m going to park and talk to someone.” After pulling to the curb, he asked, “Want to wait here or come with me?”

“I’ll wait here.”

The young people on the sidewalk were talking, laughing and cutting up as teenagers do, and Lola found herself smiling with old memories of herself at that age. Everything had seemed funny during those years, and she and her friends had giggled their way through high school. Until the middle of her junior year, she remembered, when suddenly—so it seemed—she grew up and began thinking seriously of the future.

She was still deep in her own past when she spotted Bud Hawkins in the crowd. Bud was one of the teenagers who worked part-time in the store. Rolling down the window, she called, “Bud?”

He glanced over, saw her and ambled to the car. Bending down, he peered through the window. “Hi, Miss Fanon.”

“Hi, Bud. What’s going on here tonight?”

“They started showing special movies a couple of Friday nights a month to get the kids off the streets,” Bud said matter of factly. “You haven’t heard about it?”

“No, I haven’t.”

“Well, there’s not much for kids to do in Rocky Ford, so I guess a bunch of people got together and came up with this idea. Mr. Jules, the theater owner, went along with it, so here we are. Guess it’s working. It’s someplace to go, anyway. The Eagles Lodge holds dances when there isn’t something going on at school, too. Between the high school, Mr. Jules and the Eagles, there’s always somewhere to go on Friday nights now.”

“Sounds terrific, Bud.” Lola bit her lip for a moment. She had been remiss about getting involved in town politics and problems. As a business owner, she really should join the Chamber of Commerce and the other organizations that worked for the betterment of the community.

“Anyone can go see the movie, though,” Bud continued. “It’s not strictly confined to kids, but the tickets are half price to anyone under eighteen, and Mr. Jules sells the popcorn and sodas at a lower price than he usually does.”

“Sounds to me like Mr. Jules is doing his part to help the young people of Rocky Ford.”

“Guess so.” Bud grinned. “But so are you, Miss Fanon. My job in your store is the best thing that’s ever happened to me.”

“That’s good to hear, Bud. I hadn’t realized…” Duke was suddenly at the window, too. “Oh, Bud, do you know Mr. Sheridan?”

Bud stood up. “Hi, Duke.”

“Hello, Bud. How’s it going?”

“Pretty well.”

“How’s your dad?”

“Doing all right. The doc says he can go back to work in about two more weeks.”

“That’s great.”

“Yeah, it is. Well, everyone’s going in. Guess I’d better join the troops. See ya.” He dipped his head to speak to Lola. “See ya next week, Miss Fanon.”

Lola nodded. “On Monday afternoon. Bye, Bud.”

Duke walked around the car and got in. “You got the scoop from Bud, I’ll bet.”

“Yes, he explained. Sounds like the whole town is cooperating to give the young people sensible entertainment. When I was in high school, Friday night was date night and most of the time there wasn’t anything to do.”

“Same here.” Duke was looking at her. “So, the kids have something to do and we don’t. Any suggestions?”

There were the taverns, of course. Some of them provided live music on weekends for their patrons, but Lola wasn’t particularly fond of saloons.

She heaved a sigh. “Not really.”

“Then I have one. Do you remember the Lockland Grange? It’s been there for a hundred years, so you might remember it. If you ever went there, that is.”

“I do remember it. Why?”

“There’s a dance there tonight.”

A dance at the Lockland Grange. Pleasant memories bombarded Lola. “Do they still play the old-time music?”

“Piano, guitar and fiddle,” Duke confirmed. “Other than an occasional coat of paint, the Grange never changes.”

Lockland Grange was thirty miles away, in a rural community whose inhabitants farmed rather than ranched. Lola smiled nostalgically. “When we were teenagers, Charlie took us kids to two or three of those dances. Gosh, that seems like a long time ago.” Thinking of her chat with Bud, she looked at Duke. “Don’t the kids go out there anymore?”

“Not much. Probably because of the music. They’ve got their own style of music, Lola, much more so than our generation did.”

Lola nodded. “You’re probably right, but I remember liking all kinds of music.”

A moment of silence ensued. Duke gave her a look. “Well, how about it? Want to go?”

She thought for a second. Did she want to dance with Duke? On the other hand, the Grange was not a place of low lights and romantic music. The band played polkas and waltzes and two-steps. Even some old-time schottisches. And she had learned the Virginia reel out there many years ago. If they still played those old songs and rhythms, she could dance with anyone without worrying about intimacy.

“Yes,” she said with conviction. “It sounds like fun.”

“Great.” Duke got the car moving.

“Did something happen to Bud’s father?” Lola asked when they were on their way. The boy hadn’t mentioned his father to her.

“Jake Hawkins works for a building contractor. He fell from a roof rafter and broke both legs about two months back. I was glad to hear Bud say he’s doing all right.”

Lola turned her head to look at Duke. “You know everyone in the area, don’t you?”

“Just about.” Duke took his eyes from the road to return her look. “Don’t you? You grew up here, too.”

“Yes, but I’ve been gone for so long…since high school graduation, really. After that it was college, then—”

“Where’d you go to college?” Duke asked.

“I started in Bozeman, then transferred to Tempe, Arizona.”

“Wanderlust had already set in?”

“I think I was born with wanderlust,” Lola said with a small laugh.

“But you came home. Where’s all that wanderlust now?”

“Gone. I guess I used it up.”

“Are you as sure of that as you sound?”

“Positive. I’m right where I want to be, where I plan to stay.”

“So there really is no place like home?”

“Exactly,” Lola murmured. “For me, anyway.” It had happened rather suddenly, she recalled. One day she was content living thousands of miles from Montana and home, and the next day she wasn’t. It had taken some time for the loneliness to really settle in, but when it did, she sold everything she possessed except for her clothes and bought a plane ticket.

“Why did you go into business?” Duke asked.

“Why?” she echoed. “That’s a strange question. I wanted something to do, of course.”

“But you could have gotten a job. Why take on the headaches of operating a business?”

She turned in the seat, enough to give him a good long look. “You’re just full of questions, aren’t you?”

His eyes left the road to slide in her direction. “I don’t know any way to get answers other than to ask questions, do you?”

“And you’re looking for answers? Why, Duke?”

“Only because I’m interested, Lola, very interested. I haven’t told you how beautiful you look in that dress, but you do. You’re an especially beautiful woman in any case, but the color of that dress is perfect for you.”

“That’s what the saleslady said when I tried it on in a little backstreet shop in Paris. She was trying to sell me the dress, Duke. What are you trying to sell me?”

He sent her a grin. “You have a suspicious nature, sweetheart.”

She lifted her chin. “You’re flirting again, like you did the day you came into the store. Do you know something, Duke? You’re more than one person.”

“I’m what?” he asked with a laugh.

“Who were you with Charlie and Bud? You were very different with them than you are with me.”

“Well, I would hope so,” he said with a snort of laughter. “I have absolutely no desire to date either one of them.”

She put on a saccharine smile. “Very funny.”

“If I’m so funny, how come you’re not laughing?”

“I was being sarcastic. As if you didn’t know.”

Duke made a right turn from the highway onto another road. “You’re fighting this, aren’t you?”

“Fighting what?”

“What’s happening between us. I have to ask myself why you’d do that. You see, with you being the self-confident, independent woman you are, I don’t think you’d be in this car with me right now if you’d rather be somewhere else. Which leads me to believe that you like me. Stop me if I’m wrong,” he said, sending her a quick glance, before asking point-blank, “do you like me?”

She gave an incredulous laugh. “We barely know each other. What on earth are you hoping I’ll say?”

“Just the truth, honey. Just the plain old truth.”

“The unvarnished truth, Duke Sheridan, is that you’re making me very uncomfortable.”

“Ah, a clue to your inner feelings.”

“Clue, my left foot! I wish you’d stop trying to figure me out.”

“Aren’t you trying to figure me out?”

“Absolutely not. I thought we were going to see a movie. Going to a movie with a man doesn’t call for an analysis of his psyche. At least I never thought it did.”

“I have a totally different opinion on that subject,” Duke said calmly. “When a man and woman meet for the first time and the air all but sizzles around them, I think they start delving into each other’s personality right from the get-go.”

She arched an eyebrow. “Oh, really?” But she didn’t refute his remark about “sizzling air,” though it was certainly an exaggeration of their first meeting. Still, denying that she had felt something uniquely exciting that day would be a lie, and she suspected that he would be only too willing to debate the point. It was a discussion she preferred avoiding, even though she usually spoke her mind without wondering if she should. A disturbing thought came to her. If Duke was a different person with her, so was she with him. What should she make of that?

“Almost there,” Duke remarked, making another turn. “Getting back to personalities—”

She cut in, “Let’s not.”

“Do you usually avoid controversial conversations?”

“No, I do not. But I think you’re making far too much of a first date.”

Duke took one hand from the wheel and snapped his fingers. “I got it now. You’re more willing to talk about meaningful relationships on a second date.”

Giving him a startled look, she saw the humorous waggling of his eyebrows in the dash lights.

“You are having far too good a time at my expense,” she accused.

He laughed. “I am having a good time, honey. But that’s only because I’m with you. You’re not mad at me for teasing you a little, are you?”

He was too damned cute, but her annoyance melted away until she gave a small laugh. “No, I’m not mad at you.”

“That’s good. It’s hard dancing with someone who’s mad at you.”

“I’m sure you’ve had the experience,” she said dryly.

“There’s another topic you probably won’t talk about on a first date.”

She looked at him quizzically. “What topic?”

“Experience. I’m sure you must have met some interesting people during your travels.”

“Yes, of course.”

Duke cleared his throat. “Interesting men?”

She tilted her head to see him. “By any chance, are you asking about my experience with men?”

“Well, I am curious.”

“Would you like me to tell you what you can do with your curiosity, Mr. Sheridan?” she asked sweetly.

“Uh, probably not.” He chuckled after a moment. “We sure do get along, don’t we?”

Lola merely shook her head in amazement, though in truth she had been enjoying their repartee. Duke was fun to be with, flagrantly nosy but fun. Scratch “boring,” she thought, recalling her thoughts about what kind of evening they might have together.

“There’s the Grange,” Duke announced.

Lola looked ahead and saw the lights of the old building. Dozens of cars and pickup trucks were parked around the place.

“Looks like a good turnout,” she remarked.

Duke pulled into the parking lot and found an empty space. He turned off the ignition. The second the motor was silent, they could hear music coming from the building. Lola smiled: it was the same type of old-time music she remembered. She reached for the door handle to get out, and felt Duke’s hand on her arm.

She turned to look at him. “What?”

“If you’ll wait a minute, I’ll be a gentleman and open your door for you.”

She laughed. “That’s not necessary. I’m perfectly capable of opening the door for myself.”

“Lola, sit,” he said firmly, and bounded from the car to hurry around the front of his car.

“You silly man,” she whispered. But there was something alive and happy within her. She could have easily and honestly given Duke an answer to his question Do you like me? She did like him. Very much.

But it was that very affection that had her guard up. Never before had she so quickly developed positive feelings for a man. To her way of thinking, that in itself was reason enough to keep their relationship in the sane and sensible category, especially when she suspected that, given an opening, Duke would make a move on her with the impact of a speeding bullet.

He opened her door. She looked at the hand he extended in invitation for a moment before taking it and heard Duke laugh softly.

Okay, maybe she was being a little too cautious. Gingerly she placed her hand in his and got out of the car. The next thing she knew she was pressed against Duke, thigh to thigh, chest to chest. Startled, she lifted her chin to look into his eyes. His arms were around her, holding her firmly in place.

“Don’t do this, Duke,” she said in a voice that was suddenly husky with rampaging emotions.

“You don’t kiss on a first date?” There was a teasing quality to his voice, even though his eyes were dark and sober. “I want to kiss you, Lola,” he whispered. “I’ve hardly thought of anything else since we met.”

She saw his head slowly coming down. Her own heartbeat was nearly choking her.

But she wasn’t ready for this move. Placing her hands on his chest, she shoved hard and took a backward step at the same time.

“Cool it, sport,” she mumbled thickly. “I won’t be rushed.”

Duke stared at her, then laughed. “Guess I forgot that. Come on, let’s go in.”

Lola frowned as they wound through vehicles to reach the Grange. He’d taken rejection well. This time. What concerned her was that the next time he made a pass—and she had no doubt that he would try again—she might not say no.

She could get in very deep, very fast with Duke Sheridan. A heavy but silent sigh lifted her shoulders. After little more than an hour together, things were already getting complicated.

Was she falling for Duke? Maybe she was, though an even more disturbing question was what he really thought of her. If he was looking for nothing more than sex, he was barking up the wrong tree.

But how would she know? More than one woman had fallen for a charming, handsome man, given him everything including her heart, and then been dropped like a hot potato when another challenging woman appeared on the scene.

Why did she suspect Duke of being that type of guy? No one had said anything to lead her to believe that about him. It was more of a gut instinct than anything else.

A final thought just before they reached the door of the Grange weakened her knees. Was it possible that she was merely devising arguments against falling in love and would do the same with any man who expressed a serious interest in her?

Four

A blue sedan was parked in the dark shadow of a huge cottonwood tree, directly across the street from Charlie’s Place. The woman inside the car sat rigid as a rock, staring intently at the lighted windows of the Fanon residence. A man was in and out of sight, appearing to be doing some cleaning. She couldn’t see his features clearly and wished she had binoculars with her. Even the vague picture he presented, however, made her heart beat faster. Charles Albert Fanon. Instinctively she knew it was him. This was her chance. She should take it…now!

Her muscles became even stiffer than they’d been and her thoughts began stumbling over one another. Panic rose in her throat, and it took several minutes to even partially calm herself.

She knew the name of the dark-haired young woman living with Charles…Lola Fanon. She had visited the Men’s Western Wear store, going in when the two female clerks were busy with customers. Browsing, she had managed to get close enough to read Lola’s courtesy tag on her blouse. The Fanon name had dealt her a blow. Who was she to Charles? The rent-a-room theory was out; Lola Fanon had to be closely related, probably a daughter.

Then, earlier tonight, she had seen Lola leave with a man in a black vehicle. Ever since, she had been watching Charles through the windows of his house and business.