For Keeps (Aggie's Inheritance) (83 page)

“
You could play traffic cop.
”

“
Huh?
”
Her eyes met his, but she didn’t step out of his arms.

“
If, or more likely when, I do that again, you could hold your hand up like a cop stopping traffic. I did that to Aggie once and she almost killed me for it.
”

“
I would have.
”
Her face lit up into a smile as he grinned down at her.

“
I bet you would.
”

Friday, October 31
^st

“
Want to watch another L’Amour with me?
”

Luke’s expression was priceless.
“
As long as there’s nothing about pink tights…
”

“
This one is
The Quick and the Dead
. It’s supposed to be about a family moving west from Pennsylvania.
”

“
Sounds better than the last one already.
”
Luke stood.
“
I’ll make the popcorn.
”

“
Nope.
”
Aggie pulled him back to the couch and handed him the remote.
“
You man the machine. I bought junk food. If the kids are going to come home hyped up on sugar, I’m going to be ready for them.
”

A veritable smorgasbord of snack items appeared on the coffee table. Several brands of chips, salsa, bowls of ice cream, pumpkin-butterscotch cookies, and a huge basket of mixed candy were flanked by glasses of water and bottles of root beer.
“
If you expect me to eat all that…
”

“
Nope. Just whatever you want. I made sure I didn’t leave anything out. I even have pizza on redial in case we get hungry.
”

“
When will Tina and Mom be back with the kids?
”

“
They promised to have them in the door by nine o’clock, so I figure nine fifteen.
”

The opening scene of the movie sent a sigh of relief over Aggie.
“
That reminds me of
Little House on the Prairie
--
even the music feels similar.
”

“
It’s a good start anyway.
”

Laughing, Aggie shoved a salsa-laden chip at him and pointed to the screen.
“
You’re expecting a repeat of the last one, aren’t you?
You’re
the one who told me L’Amour was safe.
”

“
The
books
!
”
Luke’s eyes were full of laughter.

Their enjoyment and jocularity fizzled quickly. The men in the town were rough and coarse. Comments about dibs on the wife nearly sent Luke into cardiac arrest. Aggie blanched.
“
This isn’t looking good, Luke.
”

His murmur of agreement dissolved into shocked protest when the so-called hero kissed the wife of the other main male character.
“
That’s it. I can’t take it. I don’t care how they redeem it, I can’t watch this. It makes me livid.
”

“
So, I take it you won’t go for me making out with other men?
”

Luke’s eyes answered for him.
“
Got any more movies of torture to weed through, or should we put on something we trust.
”

“
I only have one more.
Shalako
. If it’s no good, we can dig out
His Girl Friday
or
Christmas in Connecticut
. Those are safe enough.
”

“
You like the oldies, don’t you?
”

She frowned.
“
Well, before this run of bad westerns, I used to say they were ‘safe,’ but this is anything but safe.
”

The movie swap was accomplished in seconds, and the next movie began. Almost instantly, there was a dual sigh of relief. They both sensed the difference immediately. For once, the heroine wasn’t a married or attached woman who was immediately drawn away by the leading man. A plot, a genuine interesting plot, surfaced and as they relaxed, Luke found himself with his arm around Aggie curled beside him as if the most natural thing in the world.

“
I could get used to this, Luke. I could so get used to it.
”

“
You’d better. I plan to have a lifetime of nights like this
--
sans the junk food. I can’t even look at it anymore.
”

“
You’re
supposed
to be watching the movie,
”
she teased.

Remembering her mother’s admonition to give her a cherished time of
“
courtship,
”
Luke set aside his natural reticence and cleared his throat.
“
I’d rather watch you watch it.
”
Aggie’s blush told him it was the right thing to say.
“
That’s a lovely shade of pink you’re wearing tonight, Mibs.
”

“
Oh, be quiet and watch the movie.
”

“
I told you…
”

Aggie glanced up at him, ready to fire another comeback, but the look in his eyes stopped her. She swallowed hard.
“
Luke… you’re making me wish I’d never made a certain vow.
”

“
Good.
”

“
Good! Why good?
”

Luke’s cheek pressed against her head for a moment.
“
It tells me that you’re closer to caring for me than I thought you were.
”

“
I cared about you before you ever
--”

“
Ok, loving me then.
”
He shook his head and tried to focus on the TV screen.
“
It’s hard for a guy to use words like love when you haven’t, ok?
”

“
Luke, I
--”

“
Do you mind if we talk about it later? I don’t want to be interrupted by the children and it’s getting closer and closer to nine.
”

Frustrated, Aggie nodded.
“
M’kay.
”

His arm squeezed her shoulder once more.
“
You make me very happy, Mibs. I just want the chance to make you happy too.
”

“
You assume that you don’t.
”

Luke’s reply was cut short by an intense scene springing at them from the Arizona desert. A coach fled from the Apaches who were determined to drive them from the reservation. Aggie buried her face in his side as the coach rolled and the Indians attacked. Just as they relaxed, the self-centered woman they’d despised from the beginning twitched. The following scene sent a shudder through Aggie.
“
I expected a different horror. I can’t decide which is worse!
”

“
I
--”
Luke swallowed.
“
No, there’s just no response.
”

As the movie came to a close, Aggie shook her head.
“
I can’t decide whether it’s ok for now or not. I mean, I think the unfaithful wife part would probably go over his head, but even if it didn’t, they don’t glorify it in any way. It might be good to show the pain something like that can cause. She earned her fate.
”

“
Why not just put it away until you’re confident?
”

Aggie gave him a sly look.
“
Or, I’ll just wait until it’s your decision to make instead of mine
--
the books too.
I don’t want to deal with pre-reading the books, and now I’m nervous about them.
”

“
I’ll make a note to have Tavish start pestering you about that movie tomorrow.
”

Aggie says:
Mom?

Martha says:
How are you? Did the kids have fun at the church festival?

Aggie says:
Yep. They’re all loaded with enough sugar to last them a lifetime.

Martha says:
Allie always scheduled dental visits in November for that reason. Geraldine loaded them with sugar on Halloween.

Aggie says:
I thought they didn’t
“
do
”
Halloween. We never did.

Martha says:
They didn’t. Allie didn’t even do the festival at their church. Geraldine thought it was horrible and cruel, so she more than made up for it.

Aggie says:
She didn’t? I thought she must have. Laird said they did.

Martha says:
Do you remember exactly what he said? From what I know of the boy, he won’t lie, but he’ll arrange the truth to his purposes.

Aggie says:
Like restitution for the broken window. Yeah. Um… *Aggie thinks hard* Oh, yeah. You’re right. He said,
“
Who is going to take us to the Harvest Festival?
”
as if it was just a foregone conclusion. I just assumed…

Martha says:
As he wanted you to.

Aggie says:
OY. I don’t have time for these games. I had all kinds of fun stuff planned that I set aside for November 5 instead.