Blue Ribbon Summer (The Baltimore Banners Book 3) (4 page)

"Please Uncle Ian?"

Kayli turned to see both girls jumping up and down in front of their uncle, their wild curls bouncing around identical faces as they looked up at him with pleading eyes. Ian looked from one upturned face to the other, bewilderment clear in his eyes.

"Can you what?"

"Can we go?"

"Lori said she'd take us!"

Kayli turned toward her niece, her own eyes silently questioning the young girl. Lori shrugged, still laughing.

"I just asked if they wanted to go down to the pond and feed the ducks, that's all. I didn't think they'd go all nuts about it."

Kayli bit back the smile she felt trying to break free. Feeding ducks wouldn't have been at the top of her list for excitement, but she wasn't a seven-year-old girl who didn't get to see ducks very often. She glanced over at the trio, at the girls still silently pleading with their uncle, then at Ian, who looked so lost that he had no idea what to say or do.

No, she didn't want to invite him to stay, not when his presence did nothing but throw her off-track and make her skittish and uncomfortable and a bunch of other different things she didn't want to acknowledge. But that was her problem, nobody else's, and it wasn't fair to disappoint the two young girls just because their uncle made her feel uncomfortable.

Besides, she could find plenty of errands to do that would keep her away from Ian Donovan.

"It's no big deal. You guys can stay if you want. Lori can take all of you down to look." She turned back to her niece. "Why don't you grab something to drink and a few snacks to take down with you, and the four of you can have a quick picnic and watch the ducks. I have to run to Lineboro to pick up some feed, anyway."

"Oh, Uncle Ian can't come."

"Nope, he can't. That'll ruin it."

Kayli's hopes for a clean escape were dashed by the solemn looks on the girls' faces, and by Lori's smothered laughter. She gave her niece a questioning look.

"Um, we were going to look for frogs while we were down there."

"To find Prince Charming."

"So we can be princesses."

Kayli closed her eyes and silently counted to ten while her mind worked to come up with alternate plans. Just because the girls didn't want Ian to go with them didn't mean he couldn't.

She opened her eyes to say as much but her mouth snapped closed. The twins were staring at their uncle with wide moist eyes, looking their hearts would be broken if he said they couldn't go without him.

Ian was looking back at them with such a lost, bewildered expression that Kayli knew, probably even before he did, that he was going to give in without even the smallest of fights. And as much as she didn't want it to, her heart melted the tiniest bit when she realized that he was a complete and total push-over when it came to his nieces.

The offer came tumbling out of her mouth before she could stop and think about what she was doing.

"Well then, I guess Uncle Ian can come with me to the feed store."

Ian shifted again on the hard bench seat, knowing that the chances of him getting comfortable had flown out the open window of the beat up Ford as soon as they pulled out of the driveway. But he wasn't shifting to get comfortable; he was shifting so he could watch Kayli out of the corner of his eye.

She sat in the driver's seat, guiding the pick-up along narrow country roads as if she could do it with her eyes closed. A few strands of her long hair whipped around her face, pulled free from her pony tail by work and the wind. Her left arm rested carelessly on the doorframe, her fingers tapping out the beat of the country music that filled the cab while her right hand curled loosely around the steering wheel. 

She hadn't changed before they left, and was still wearing what he had dubbed her work clothes: worn denim cut-offs, a short-sleeve shirt opened over a gray tank shirt, and dusty work boots. He wondered if she ever wore anything else, wondered what she would look like with her hair down, dressed in a slinky black dress. He'd bet a year's salary that four-inch heels would catapult her tanned, toned legs straight beyond the killer category.

Then he wondered what she would look like wearing nothing
but
those four-inch heels, and nearly groaned out loud. He had to do something to keep his mind from wondering things that would only get him into trouble, but conversation was definitely out. He had already tried, and failed miserably.

Where is it we're going?

The feed store.

Have you lived here your whole life?

Yeah.

So, what do you in your spare time?

Sleep.

How far is it?

Not far.

Are we still in Maryland?

That one had gotten him such a look of amused disbelief that he actually leaned over and turned the radio up so he wouldn't ask anymore stupid questions. Because yes, apparently they were still in Maryland and what kind of idiot was he that he wouldn't know that?

Apparently an idiot of the worst kind. But how was he supposed to know? Unlike Kayli, he hadn't grown up here. Yes, he knew Baltimore. And if he stretched it, he could pretend to be familiar with some of the outskirts of Baltimore, but that was about it.

He searched his mind for something to say, but came up blank. Unless he decided to ask her point-blank why she didn't like him. He had picked up on that pretty quickly when she had made the comment about him getting dirty.

He glanced over at her, noticed how relaxed and at-ease she seemed, and he wondered if she had forgotten about him sitting here. That thought made him uncomfortable and irritated enough that he leaned over and turned the radio down once more, which earned him another slightly amused look from Kayli.

"Did I do something for you not to like me, or do you just not like me on general principle?"

Kayli raised one perfect eyebrow at him then turned her attention back to the winding road. "I never said I didn't like you."

"Not in so many words, no."

"Not in any words."

He opened his mouth to say something, then quickly shut it when he realized he had nothing to say back. How was he supposed to reply to that without sounding like an idiot--again? Well, no, you didn't say it, but I have this feeling you don't like me.

Yeah, that would work real well--if he was thirteen-year-old girl.

Ian turned to look back out the window and noticed they were entering a quaint little neighborhood. Or maybe it was a village. Whatever it was called, it looked like something straight out of a fifties television sitcom, provided someone had forgotten to give the set a fresh coat of paint. His teeth jarred when the truck bounced into a rutted lot and came to a stop in front of a rundown building with a dusty loading dock off to one side. Kayli turned the truck around then backed it up to the dock in an expertly smooth move that actually impressed him. He was going to compliment her on her driving skills but she opened the door and jumped down so quickly that he barely heard her muttered command, "Stay here."

And he did. For about thirty seconds before he realized what he was doing. Ian shook his head, not believing he had just been ordered to stay put, then climbed out of the truck and walked toward the door he had seen Kayli disappear into.

The inside of the shop wasn't much better than the outside. The front room was maybe eight feet wide, and five feet deep. A long counter ran along the back, and two glass-front refrigerators stood side-by-side along the outside wall. Racks with chips and jerky and who knew what else hung along the inside wall, and a bulletin board overflowing with notices and fliers of all kinds took up the back wall behind the counter.

Kayli was leaning against the counter, talking to an older man and smiling at something he said. Ian's gaze dipped appreciatively to take in her denim-clad bottom, until he noticed the odd silence surrounding him. His gaze jerked back up and he saw that both Kayli and the older man were staring at him. From the look on the older man's weathered face, Ian knew he had been caught--and found guilty of an unforgivable crime.

Ian cleared his throat and was getting ready to apologize when Kayli turned back around, effectively dismissing him. She was rattling off a verbal list that made no sense to him, but apparently did to the older man because he nodded and made some kind of marks on a worn sheet of paper. Ian watched as the man tallied everything up then wrote up a bill of sale and passed it to Kayli. She glanced at it, scrawled her name on the bottom, then took the copy the man had given her.

"I'll have Billy start pulling it for you."

"Thanks Mr. Johnson." Kayli folded the sheet of paper and tucked it into her back pocket, then turned and walked past Ian without so much as a glance. He stayed where he was, momentarily rooted to the spot, then quickly turned and walked out.

Kayli was already back at the truck, and he watched as she lowered the tailgate then climbed in with a small bounce and jump. She continued ignoring him, so he walked over just as some guy wheeled a pallet of large bags out onto the dock. The guy looked at him with the same expression as the old man had, and Ian wondered what was so wrong with him that everyone glared at him with distrust in their eyes.

"Hey Kayli, how's it going?"

"Same as always, Billy. How's your pop? He looked a little pale when I saw him inside but I didn't want to say anything."

"You know Pop." Billy shrugged, a gesture that could have meant anything but that Kayli obviously understood. She nodded and reached for the bag that Billy held out to her, carelessly tossing it over her shoulder and moving it to the front of the truck bed. Ian watched as she went to reach for the second bag, but Billy held it away from her, his gaze now fixed steadily on Ian.

"Your friend gonna help you with these?"

The question may have been directed at Kayli, but there was no mistaking the accusation aimed at Ian. And wasn't he an idiot for standing here watching instead of offering to help? He moved forward, intent on helping, but stopped short at Kayli's next words.

"Nah, he just came to keep me company on the ride. And he's not really dressed for working." She laughed when she said it, a small musical sound that did nothing to lessen the sting of her words. Ian gritted his teeth and closed the distance between the truck and him, then quickly jumped into the back, his foot sliding only the smallest bit against the dirt and straw and whatever other loose stuff was strewn across the dirty bed. He gave Kayli a short impatient look then reached for the bag that Billy was still holding out.

And promptly dropped it when Billy released his hold on it. Holy shit, the thing was heavier than it looked. Not so heavy that he should have dropped it, but he hadn't expected the weight. He leaned down to pick it back up, impatiently shoving Kayli's hands away when she reached for it.

"No, I've got it."

"But I don't want you to hurt yourself."

He threw the bag over his shoulder, ignoring the pull in his upper back, and shot her a glare. "I said, I've got it."

She stepped back, her hands held in front of her in a surrendering gesture, and laughed. "If you say so." And then, as if her words and the laughter weren't bad enough for his suddenly bruised ego, she leaned forward and grabbed another bag, tossing it over her shoulder as if it weighed nothing before carrying it to the front of the truck and tossing it down. "Just don't blame me when you ruin your clothes and hurt yourself."

#

Ian couldn't move. He was certain that if he tried, if he concentrated really hard and tried, he could get some part of his body to work.

He didn't want to try.

The mere
thought
of trying hurt.

But the sheer embarrassment of this afternoon hurt worse, so he forced himself to roll over and pushed himself up to a sitting position. Or mostly sitting.

He blew out a deep breath and glanced over at the twins. They were curled up next to each other, sound asleep in his bed. And he really, really needed to wake them up and get them to take a bath, because they were filthy.

And they stank.

Or maybe he was the one who stunk. He looked down at his own clothes and sniffed. It was hard to say, considering all three of them were dirty.

The twins were covered in dried mud, their outfits stiff with dry pond water. They had successfully fed the ducks and searched for frogs--by climbing into the pond and digging along its muddy banks.

He, on the other hand, was covered in dried sweat. Feed dust and dirt and he didn't want to think what else caked his skin and covered his clothes, and he reeked of...eau de farm. And it wasn't a pleasant outdoor smell, either.

He pushed himself to a full sitting position and groaned as a spasm twitched in his back. Just a little one, nothing a quick massage wouldn't fix. Unfortunately for him, there was no chance of a massage in his immediate future. A soak in the Jacuzzi would work, too--if he could find the energy to drag his ass out of the bed and get moving.

He compiled a mental list: wake up the twins and get them cleaned and into bed.

Burn their clothes.

Get himself in the shower then into the Jacuzzi.

Burn his clothes.

He glanced over at the sleeping she-devils and winced at the dirt and mud spread on his sheets.

Put new sheets on the bed and burn the dirty ones.

And his car. He allowed himself a whimper of distress when he remembered the mud and pond water and dirt and dust and...yeah, all that other assorted pleasant farm stuff that now covered the interior of his car.

Add getting the Beemer detailed to his list. Yeah, so it could get just as filthy in two days when they went back to the country. No way.

He fell back onto the bed with another groan. His poor Beemer couldn't handle much more. So fine, he thought, letting his eyes close for just a second. He wouldn't take the Beemer.

He added one more thing to his list: go buy a truck. A heavy-duty pick up that could handle the abuse.

There, his list was done.

And he would start on it right away--as soon as he let his eyes rest for a minute.

Just one...minute.

#

"Hey Kayli, come here!"

Kayli topped off her glass of iced tea and put the pitcher back in the refrigerator, then tossed some chips onto the plate next to her sandwich. "What is it? I'm trying to eat."

"Just come here. You've got to see this."

Kayli muttered her opinions about big brothers under her breath then walked through the house to the front door. She opened the screen door and poked her head out, eyeing Jake with all the impatience she could muster. "What?"

He pointed across the lawn, a big grin on his face, and she turned to see what had him smiling so broadly. A huge, brand new pick up was making its way up the drive, the rumble of its smooth diesel engine drowning out the birdsong. Kayli leaned against the door frame, holding the screen open with her foot as she glared at Jake.

"You called me out here to see one of your buddies in their new truck?"

"It's not one of my buddies."

"Then who is it?"

"Look."

Kayli stepped out onto the porch and watched as the truck pulled to a stop in the shade of the trees. The passenger door flew open and two girls jumped out, screaming their hellos as they bounded across the yard and into the field, heading for the show barn.

It was the twins. Which meant...

Sure enough, the driver door swung open and Ian climbed down. Her eyes widened when she saw he was wearing a pair of faded jeans that hugged his lean hips and muscular thighs. The gray t-shirt was so worn out she could barely read the "Property of Baltimore Banners" printed on the front. The loose fitting shirt should have hidden his build; instead, it only worked to accent his broad chest and well-muscled biceps and forearms. Kayli tried to get her tongue to stop sticking to the roof of her mouth long enough to swallow, but her mouth was so dry she couldn't.

"Nice truck. Did you just get it?" Jake asked, instantly bonding over a set of four rugged tires and a Cummins.