Christmas With Hover Hill (21 page)

While they were drinking punch during a break, it
occurred to Elizabeth to ask, “How did you know that buying that
Cinderella coach would be right for how I'd be dressed? Maybe I'd
have bought a Goldilocks or a witch costume.”

Bud grimaced. “I wish you hadn't thought about asking
me. I'm never sure telling you the truth is a good idea, but here
goes. I set you up.”

“
How?”

Bud explained, “You have really pretty clothes of
your own so any gown you wore would have worked. A witch dress
wouldn't have been too cool, but I doubt you own one of those.

I talked Susie into going with you to the store if
you asked her for help. A month ago when I helped plan the dance, I
suggested the fairy tale theme. Right away I asked Holly to lay
back the gown you have on. If you didn't come for it, I'd pay the
rent for it anyway. One way or the other, Holly wasn't going to be
out anything. Susie and Holly were supposed to steer you in the
right direction. Looks like they did a fine job of it.”

“
Oh, you are so clever,” Elizabeth
bantered.

“
I thought so, but it hinged on you looking for
a fairy tale dress. I wanted to make sure the gown matched my
coach. I just lucked out is all,” he said, smiling at
her.

Elizabeth paused a moment. She gave him a meaningful
look. “Actually, this fairy tale wouldn't have come true if you
hadn't helped it along, now would it?”

Bud was undeterred. “No matter what happens in life,
you have to help the fairy tale come out the way you want it. I
told you that before. That's the way I feel, and that's what I did.
Now that the band's ready, let's go dance, Cinderella.”

Later that night, Elizabeth and Bud rode home under
the cover of a full moon that lit the landscape in a fanciful
glow.

“
You lucked out tonight, Bud,” Elizabeth
said.

“
That's the way I feel, dating a beautiful
woman like you and having a fun evening,” Bud said softly. She
frowned at him. “All right, I'll ask. How am I lucky?”

“
This is the second time you've had me out in a
conveyance without lights. Look at that gorgeous full moon helping
you see the road.”

Bud chuckled. “That moon is a humdinger all
right.”

Only small girls had a right to dream about a ride in
a Cinderella coach. How had she been so lucky to experience an
evening like this? She glanced over at the good looking man's dark
profile beside her and knew the answer was Bud.

He let her out by the house and drove on to the barn
to unharness the horses. Elizabeth went inside. She debated about
waiting for Bud to come in. If she did, she was fairly sure after
such a romantic evening what would happen next.

No! As much as she'd like this dreamy evening to end
that way, she couldn't end up in Bud's bed until she was sure she
wanted to remain there for the rest of her life. It wouldn't be
fair to Bud or herself. If she made the wrong choice now and hurt
Bud later, she wouldn't be any better person than Steven Mitchell
was. She went to her room before he returned.

Monday morning, Bud had some errands to run. He
wanted to take the coach back to the salebarn to get it in line for
the Wednesday sale. He'd be gone all day.

Elizabeth was too antsy to work on her book.
“Hover, want to ride into Wickenburg with me while I do some
shopping? I need to return the Cinderella gown and Bud's costume.
Maybe we could stop by the
Maidrite Diner for lunch.”

“
Aren't
you afraid of being seen?”

“
At the Maidrite? That is one place my father
wouldn't eat in. Not fancy enough for him,” said Elizabeth.
“Besides, I'm not in hiding anymore. I don't mind talking to him if
we meet while he's here. After all, I do want to ask him if I can
live in his house after he leaves.”

“
I meant about being seen with me,” Hover
corrected.

Elizabeth giggled. “Um, I think that ship has sailed
by now, too. You're the most well known robot in town I'm sure. I'd
say it's time everyone gets to see how likable you can be. At
least, that's what I'm going to tell them so please don't make a
liar out of me in front of anyone.”

“
Polite was programmed into me. For some
reason, that mode of servility does not come out of my mouth when I
am putting up with you,” Hover droned.

Elizabeth gave him a stern look and then burst out
laughing. “You're telling me!”

The Maidrite Diner was crowded. Hal and Hover sat
down in the one remaining empty booth. Susie rushed over and
greeted them. “Hello. It's good to see you two out and about.”

“
It feels good to get out. I've been cooped up
way too long except for the Memorial Day dance” Elizabeth
answered.

Susie asked, “Where's Bud today?”

“
Taking that coach back to the salebarn to get
rid of it while I'm returning the costumes,” Elizabeth
said.

“
That brother of mine is sure full of
surprises. I didn't dream he had it in him to pull this far fetch
scheme of his off. You're good for him. You know that?”

Elizabeth felt herself blushing. “Ah, I don't know
about that, but I do enjoy his company and his surprises. However,
I heard he had a little help from you, pulling this latest scheme
off successfully.”

“
Aw, he told you,” Susie scoffed. “Honestly,
Bud doesn't know when to keep his mouth shut.”

“
No problem. I had a delightful evening thanks
to the two of you. I'm certainly grateful Bud has let Hover and me
stay with him for a while, too. Today, I decided to give Hover a
kitchen break and eat out.”

Susie fished her order book out of her apron pocket.
“What you having?”

Hal ordered, “A maidrite with everything on it,
French fries and a cup of coffee.”

“
Hover, can I get you anything?” Susie said,
grinning.

“
Afraid not even if I could consume food. Your
greasy, cholesterol filled food would be bad for clogging up my
transmitters,” Hover said honestly.

“
Hover! Correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't we
have a discussion before we left home about you being polite to
people if you came with me?” Elizabeth scolded.

Hover droned a deep, “My sincere apologies, maidrite
woman.”

“
That's fine. I'm willing to consider where the
criticism came from and forgive you,” Susie said earnestly, trying
not to smile.

“
It's just that you shouldn't say such things
in front of Susie's customers,” scolded Elizabeth
softly.

“
Yeah, on second thought Elizabeth is right,
Hover. Don't bad mouth my food in front of the customer unless
you've tried it. You won't win any popularity contest with me with
talk like that if you lose me business,” Susie bantered back and
winked at Hover. “Order for one coming right up.”

Susie flitted behind
the counter and handed the lunch cook the order. She started a
conversation with a highway patrolman who was in the middle of
eating his greasy fix. This diner was a second generation business
in Wickenburg. With the economy the way it was, the Maidrite was
the cheapest place to eat in town. That day it looked like half the
town was taking advantage of a lunch break at the diner. Elizabeth
was fairly sure no one dared to bad mouth the Maidrite Diner and
get away with it.

Soon she was so busy
eating her maidrite she didn't notice the man coming at her until
he loomed over her table. “Hello Elizabeth.”

That deep
voice always had a way of unsettling her. She just never knew what
to expect out of these rare encounters. Slowly, she laid her half
eaten sandwich down and looked up at the tall, gray haired man. She
braced herself for what she would see and hear from him.
“Hello, Father.”

“
Well, it's good to see you have
survived and surfaced. You had many people quite worried these past
months with your disappearance act, including myself,” Martin
Winston said coolly.

Elizabeth shrugged. “Sorry if I upset anyone. I just
wanted some time by myself. Frankly, I didn't think anyone would
worry that much about me.”

“
Apparently, you didn't think at all, and who
would think of looking in my summer house. Certainly not me. You
never cared for the place before as I remember,” Martin said
dryly.

“
That was exactly why I chose it,” Elizabeth
said bluntly. “I knew it was the one place I'd be able to get some
peace and quiet without being bothered by Steven Mitchell and
Scott.”

“
It's good to see you looking so well. I
thought perhaps you had moved on since I've been here or went back
to Cedar Falls. I take it you've found another place to stay,”
Martin said.

“
Just while you're in town. I've been meaning
to stop by and talk to you about that. I'm not quite ready to leave
town yet. I wondered if you would let me use the house again after
you leave,” Elizabeth said.

Martin's eyes narrowed, sizing her up. “Let me think
about it. I'll let you know my decision. Don't you have to go back
to your teaching position soon?”

Elizabeth shrugged. “I can if I choose to teach
again. I might want to try another line of work.”

“
Like what?” Her father actually sounded
concerned.

She wasn't about to confide in a man who spent most
of his life being her father in name only. “I haven't decided that
yet.”

“
I see. What is the plan for him?” Martin
asked, nodding slightly at Hover.

Elizabeth voice was purposely cool. “He stays with
me.”

“
Mr. Winston,” called Susie from behind the
counter.

Her father looked over his shoulder at the Styrofoam
boxes Susie placed in front of her. “My lunch is ready to go. I'll
let you get back to yours before your maidrite gets cold. Enjoy
your lunch.” As her father walked away, Elizabeth realized just how
old he'd gotten. It had been some time since she'd last seen him.
She wasn't prepared to see how much he'd aged.

“
Well, so much for not running into your
father. You said he wouldn't dine here,” Hover rubbed in
softly.

“
Hey, I was right about him not dining in here.
He ordered take out. Look at that black B&W in the parking lot.
See the redhead in the front seat. My father is taking the
maidrites back to his house and sharing them with her.”

“
I see with 20 20 vision,” Hover
droned.

Like clock work, Martin Winston left town the last
day of June. Elizabeth knew that information because Susie called
her. “Your father just brought the key for the house back to me. He
said I was to let you know that the house was empty again if you
want to move back in.”

“
That's great. I think Bud might be pleased to
get back to his bachelor life style and have his house to himself
again,” Elizabeth joked.

“
Don't be so sure of that. The few times I've
talked to Bud lately that isn't the way he feels about your living
with him at all,” Susie ensured her.

Elizabeth had trouble finding an answer for that
statement.

Susie said, “Are you still there?”

“
Yes, I am, and every word was duly noted. I'm
coming in right away to pick up the key. I'll have to get groceries
to stock the cupboards again,” Elizabeth said, ignoring what Susie
said.

That afternoon as Elizabeth walked through the Carter
house living room with her grocery sacks, it felt as if her father
had never been there. No signs at all of his ever being present in
this house. In fact just like he hadn't been present in her and
Scott's lives when they was growing up. The first thing, out of
place, that caught her attention in the kitchen was a piece of
paper on the table.

The moment she picked it up she recognized her
father's scrawling handwriting.

Dear Elizabeth,

I've given your living in my house some thought. I
don't think it would be in your best interest to remain here
permanently. You're welcome to move in until you find something
suitable of your own. As much as I want you to have a roof over
your head, I feel that no longer than a month from now should be
sufficient enough time to make up your mind.

It is my advice that the best thing for you would be
to come back to Cedar Falls before you lose your job. You put many
years into being a very good teacher. It would be a shame to give
up all that you worked so hard to accomplish.

That would be my advice, but when did you ever listen
to me? I'm just your father.

Martin Winston

Elizabeth felt hot tears sliding down her face as she
saw he had signed his name as if she was someone he had business
dealings with.

She laid her head down on the table and let the tears
flow. As always Martin Winston intended to make life hard for her.
She didn't have any intention of showing the note to Bud. He
expected her to move back here. That's what she'd do. She'd have to
make up her mind about what was to come later in her future.
Hopefully, she could do that before the month was up.

The phone rang, bringing her upright. She wiped her
face on her blouse sleeves as she wondered who would be calling.
The phone kept ringing. She might as well answer it.

“
Hello,” she said tentatively.

“
Sis, it's Scott.”

Elizabeth gasped in surprise.

“
Wait! Don't hang up on me. I called to tell
you how sorry I am for helping Steven trick you. I know you're mad
at me. I hope some day you can see your way clear to forgive
me.”