The Summer of Our Discontent (25 page)

“I told you before I don’t do casual,” Rachel said breathlessly. “I’m crazy about you, but I’m not gonna be played and made a mockery of again.” She turned and walked back toward the house.

“Oh, no, you don’t.” Faith grabbed her arm and spun her around. “You don’t kiss me like that and walk away. Are you ashamed of me?”

Rachel looked confused. “What?”

“You’ve seen the picture that’s going around town, haven’t you? Is that why you’re so pissed?”

Rachel ran a hand through her disheveled hair. “No. I mean, I’ve seen it. I don’t want to be compared to Amber Chamblee. I know that’s who you’ve been seeing.” She looked away. “I know I’m not being fair or making sense. The time at camp—you did something to me. I was afraid to admit it, and now we’re home. I’d hoped that you felt the same, but there’s Amber. She makes a fucking Barbie doll look ugly. How am I gonna compete with that?”

“You’re beautiful, and I’m not in love with Amber.” Faith tugged on Rachel’s wrist, drawing her a little closer. “I
am
in love with you, though.”

Rachel looked at her in shock. “Okay, that was a little quick,” she said numbly.

“Not really, we’ve always been together in a sense. When I got to know the other side of you, it was just so easy. I came home, and I broke it off with Amber because I couldn’t be with her like that again. Rachel, I know who I want.”

Rachel licked her lips. “I move a bit slower. I’m in very deep like with you, but I—”

Faith pulled her close and kissed her again, slowly pouring everything she felt into that sweet union, then trailed light kisses across Rachel’s face. She held her tightly and buried her face in Rachel’s hair. “I’m very patient. I can get a U-Haul anytime. I have a connection at the fire department.” Rachel’s body felt so good in her arms as she laughed. “I was so afraid that I was alone in this,” Faith said seriously.

“I was, too,” Rachel said with a sigh. She wound her arms tighter around Faith. “You feel wonderful. I’ve held you in my arms before, but you were punching and kicking then.”

“It’s certainly not the same. I hate to let you go, but I know I have to. I have a reputation to live down with you. The only way I know how to prove to you that what I feel is true is to give this a little time. Because when we take it to the next level, it’s for keeps.”

Rachel held on tighter. “I understand what you’re saying and I appreciate it, but just give me a few more minutes like this. It still doesn’t feel real. I’m afraid that I’m gonna wake up.”

Faith smiled as she smoothed Rachel’s hair from her face. “I’ll pinch you on the ass if you want me to.”

Rachel kissed her. “This is better. And for the record, pinching or smacking my ass during intimate moments will get you kicked out of my bed.”

“Noted. Now let me go,” Faith said with a sigh.

Rachel released her and took a step back. “As bad as this hurts me to say, please run. I can’t be trusted right now.”

“Good night, Rachel, I hate you.”

“Oh, I hate you, too,” Rachel breathed out.

Chapter Twenty-nine

Faith expected a little ribbing when she arrived at the fire station the next morning. Andy Walker and Paul Gilchrest were pretty much their usual grumpy selves. Neither of them said anything about Rachel or the photo. It was smooth sailing until Alvin arrived and the shifts were swapped out.

“What’s that on your wrist, Leblanc?” he asked as they did their morning equipment inspection.

“We did a lot of crafts,” Faith said with a shrug. “It’s a camp thing.”

“Have fun?”

“It wasn’t all that bad. Sophie had a blast.” Faith made a notation on her report and walked to the back of the rescue unit with Alvin on her heels.

“I bet you have some great stories to tell about all the shit you did to Chauvin. I know she was there, too.”

“There were also a lot of kids around, so we were on our best behavior.”

“Did they have basket weaving?”

Faith shook her head and kept her eye on the inspection list.

“That’s funny, I thought I saw a picture of you weaving something, and you sure looked like you were enjoying it.”

“Like I said, we were being nice. I was just fixing her hair for her.”

Alvin sidled up next to her. “How nice? Did you give her a backrub? Did you see her naked at any time?” He moved directly in front of her. “You look so guilty.”

“Okay,” Faith said with a smile, “you caught me. I painted her toenails and plucked her eyebrows. It was awesome.”

Alvin spit a sunflower seed hull onto the inspection sheet when Faith turned her attention back to the clipboard in her hand.

“You nasty bastard. Wipe it off.”

He spit another one, but this time, it landed on her shirt. Faith dropped the clipboard and slapped both of his cheeks. Seeds and hulls shot out of his mouth like a fountain. The ensuing wrestling match was friendly but messy. Faith took the seeds from her shirt and was rubbing them into Alvin’s hair when the captain walked in.

“What the hell?” he barked out, and Alvin and Faith froze.

Marion Calumet, known affectionately as Duke, because of his love for John Wayne movies and his size, towered over them with aggravation written all over his face. “I’ve been wondering who was spitting sunflower hulls all over the parking lot, now I know. Congratulations, you both are going to scrub this station and all the vehicles top to bottom today.”

*******

The fire department table at Tibby’s remained empty while Rachel and Chance ate breakfast. Rachel monitored the fire frequency, but it was silent. “Quit looking for her, it makes you look desperate.”

“I’m just curious as to where they’re at. They always eat breakfast here, unless they’re on a call.”

“Listen to your big brother for a second. You need to think long and hard about this Leblanc thing. She might’ve been all friendly at the camp, but think about what you’ve seen here. She gets more action than a whore on dollar day. Except for the two weeks you’ve just spent with her, she’s been an asshole all her life. Most importantly, you deserve the best. I don’t think Leblanc fits that bill.”

Cliché rebuttals popped into Rachel’s head. You don’t know her like I do. She’s a really good person. Chance wouldn’t buy them, and she didn’t have the guts to admit she already had. So she didn’t tell him about the conversation they had the night before.

“I hated to burst your bubble yesterday when I told you about Amber. I have no idea if it’s serious or not, but knowing Leblanc, it probably isn’t. She’s like a frat boy that’s out there grabbing for every piece of tail to be found. She probably has more lines under her belt than my eighteen-year-old son. That boy professes his love to every girl he dates until he manages to get lucky, then it’s on to the next.” Chance shook his head. “He takes after Corey’s side of the family. Don’t look at me like that.”

“I read you loud and clear. Thanks for helping me keep my feet on the ground. I’m gonna get moving, but I’ll think on all that you’ve told me.”

*******

Rachel spent most of her day driving the streets of Michaud with Chance’s words burning into her brain. Two weeks before, she would’ve wholeheartedly agreed with everything he said, but now it just tore her apart. Reasonable as she was, she could not accept that Faith would play her like that just for a conquest. Unless Faith was a brilliant actress, Chance had her all wrong, but he’d cast a sliver of doubt in Rachel’s mind.

She sank low in her seat and watched the heavy foot traffic. Pedestrians foolishly darted out from behind parked cars to cross the road. If they cited everyone who jaywalked, there’d be a riot, so Chief asked his officers to deter speeders. Rachel decided to spend the rest of her shift doing that.

A late model Impala shot past her like a silver bullet. She kicked on her lights, and it took her a few miles to finally gain on the car that pulled over and stopped on the shoulder so abruptly that it sent a billowing cloud of dust in the air. Rachel called the temporary tag on the back glass into dispatch and stepped out of her car. Spinner rims still twirled, dark tint obscured the driver. There was a sticker on the back glass that said,
I’ll rock you hard
.

Dispatch came back with the owner’s information just as the driver’s side window slid open, revealing a puff of white hair. Small brown eyes glared at her just above the door frame. “You have got to be kidding me,” Rachel said stunned.

“Why’re you just standing there like that? And why did you pull me over, Rachel Chauvin?”

“Wilda, have you forgotten about the accident you had recently?”

“Well, I ain’t that old, of course I remember. That’s why I had to get this baby. Got her for a song, the former owner’s in prison. His wife was a motivated seller. How’s your mom?”

“I clocked you at sixty in a twenty-five-mile-an-hour speed zone.”

“Yes!” Wilda pumped her tiny fist. “I was putting her through the paces, seeing what she could do. I’m late for my bridge game, gotta roll.”

“Have you lost your mind? Don’t you dare put that car in drive, Wilda Scott!”

Wilda’s
jaw sagged. “Well now, Rachel, you’ve done gone and got too big for your britches. I don’t care if you’re the mayor of this town, you’ll not speak to me in that tone. When I get home, I’m calling your mother. How is she, by the way?”

“This street is full of pedestrians. You could’ve killed someone.”

“I don’t give a rat’s rumpus about Presbyterians on the street. That’s what sidewalks are for. Dear God, it’s hot.” Wilda reached over to turn up the air and turned up the radio instead. Bass boomed and rattled every piece of metal on the car, including the spinner rims. She seemed not to notice, her little mouth was going ninety miles an hour, and Rachel stood for a moment watching in awe before she reached into the car and turned the noise down.

“You
cannot
put your
hoopty
through the paces again on Main Street or any other. I can’t believe you.”

Wilda scrunched up her face. “You’re a little young for menopause. Do you have PMS or something? Your face is all red, and you’re
yellin
’ like a crazy woman. Primrose oil is what you need, that’ll even you right on out.”

Rachel took a calming breath. “I don’t want to write you a ticket.”

“Don’t then. Can I go?”

Rachel rubbed the back of her neck. She got through to Kaycee easier. “Drive the speed limit.”

Wilda pulled off the shoulder and pelted Rachel with dust and gravel.

Chapter Thirty

“Oh, bad day,” Bev said when Rachel walked into the kitchen with a scowl and a filthy uniform. “Did you tangle with Lottie again?”

Rachel shook her head. “Wilda.”

Bev’s jaw sagged. “Wilda beat on you, baby?”

Rachel ran her tongue over her teeth and felt grit. It was in her nose and eyes, as well. “No, she’s bought herself a new car with a big engine, and she thinks she’s
Danica
Patrick.”

Kaycee and Sophie are in the tree house. Do you want me to hang around while you shower?”

“No, ma’am, but thank you.”

Bev avoided kissing Rachel’s cheek and patted her face instead. “We didn’t get to talk this morning. Did you have a nice time at camp?”

Rachel smiled weakly. “It was okay.”

“You don’t appear to have any bruises. I guess you and Faith managed to maintain your truce.”