Love Is a Battlefield (6 page)

When Kristy got home from work, she threw together a sandwich and took it, along with the day's mail, out on her back deck. Delighted to have an audience, Sam played chase the bird, bee, butterfly, and whatever else caught his eye. Kristy laughed at his antics as she kicked off the solid brown, standard-issue shoes and propped her feet up on the deck rail. For a moment, she leaned her head backward and enjoyed the sun on her face. The peace she'd felt on her early morning walk to the visitor center crept back, and she kept her eyes closed, soaking it in.

A bark from Sam jolted her upright. He sat still as a statue, watching a squirrel running along the fence. As the squirrel got close to the spot where he stood, he pounced.

She grinned. “Silly pup. That squirrel is way out of your reach.” she picked up her sandwich, and as she ate, she absently flipped through the mail. A white envelope tucked between a Chadwick's catalog and a JC Penney bill caught her eye, and she squealed.

Sam came bounding over, and she waved it at him. “We got a letter from Ainsley, Sammy.”

Unimpressed, he barked once as if to scold her for making such a big deal out of something inedible and bounded back over to confront the squirrel.

Kristy tore into the envelope. Her friend Ainsley Davis was the only person she knew who still wrote letters. Even her grandmother e-mailed these days. But Ainsley said letter writing was a lost art she intended to keep alive. She tolerated e-mailing and texting and talked to Kristy on the phone at least once a week, but even so, Kristy could still count on a snail-mail letter or card every few weeks.

The summers Kristy had worked with Ainsley and Vickie at Shiloh as a seasonal held some of her fondest memories from her college years. They'd lived together in park housing, and there hadn't been a dull moment. The three of them were still close, despite the distance that separated them.

Now a park ranger at Grand Canyon national Park, Ainsley had always been interested in biology and science, so her job was perfect for her. She'd been a bit bored with all the history at Shiloh and struggled through the historical programs she'd been required to learn. She and Brad, her firefighter husband, loved living at the Grand Canyon and were always trying to get Kristy to come for a visit.

Kristy spent the next couple of days pondering Ainsley's advice. She wanted to call her and whine,
But I don't want to get back out there. It's scary out there. And I haven't been on a date with anyone but Mark in years.

Not that dates with Mark were much fun, especially for the past year. Kristy could refer to her handy list for a reminder of that. Number eight on the list of why he wasn't right for her:
He refused to go out to any new places for dinner.
If she hadn't wanted to eat at the Waffle House, El Toro Mexican Restaurant, or Cracker barrel, she'd been out of luck. So maybe a date with someone who wanted to go to a new place would be nice.

But she was nervous. Not the silly, giddy nervous of a teenager going on a date. But a different kind of nervous. She'd been willing to walk down the aisle with Mark. A man who was so obviously wrong for her that she now had a list a mile long of reasons that made her glad they were no longer together. And in some ways, that bothered her more than being publicly humiliated.

By Friday, Kristy had finally come to terms with her impending dive back into the dating pool. It wouldn't be that bad. Robert was a perfectly nice guy. Besides, it would have been bad manners to call and back out. And as Vickie pointed out, just because they went out to dinner didn't mean they were locked in to anything. But the fact that her heart still felt like it was busted into a million pieces made it hard to get excited about a date with someone new.

No need to panic. Yet. Kristy's bathroom clock showed that she still had an hour left to complete the transformation from park ranger to regular girl. An hour should've been plenty of time.

In a perfect world.

But in “Kristy World,” there was always a little glitch. This time, the glitch was Sam. Since he'd been banished to the fenced-in yard while Kristy got ready for her date, she hadn't been surprised by his nonstop barking. But now all she heard was silence.

And that was never a good sign.

She stopped plucking her eyebrows and peeked out the window. Sure enough, he was up to no good. Sam loved his backyard but was a natural-born explorer. And he had apparently decided the grass was greener elsewhere. His little tail end was all she could see as he dug his way out. In a few seconds, he'd be running loose.

Now it was time to panic.

She reached for some pants but remembered the spray tan still glistening on her legs. No pants yet. Not unless she wanted Robert to wonder if she were part zebra. Instead, she grabbed her long, oversized robe and cinched it tight as she hobbled down the hall, toes held apart by separators. She hoped their fresh fire engine red polish only said “first date” and not “desperate.” Vickie and Ainsley made her promise to look her best tonight, despite her initial declaration that she was going on the date in her ranger uniform and ponytail.

Kristy dashed out the back door, but Sam had already made his escape. Why did he have a knack for channeling Houdini whenever she had somewhere important to go? On second thought, maybe he was trying to get her back for forgetting to feed him earlier in the week.

“Sam!” she hurried as fast as she could down the driveway, weight on her heels as she did the wet-toenails shuffle. Running barefoot in her fleecy robe wasn't exactly her idea of ladylike behavior. At least she didn't have a full set of rollers in her hair. Just one big Velcro roller at the crown of her head. But that was bad enough.

Even minus the full set of rollers, she had a feeling she looked like a person interviewed on the news after a tornado.
“When I saw Myrtle's lawn mower fly by, I knew we were in trouble. All I got out with was this robe and my autographed picture of Elvis.”
Hopefully there wouldn't be any storms or news cameras along her way.

“Sammy, you'd better come back here now!” she hadn't even had a chance to put on deodorant yet and was practically running a marathon. If she ever caught up with him, the dog might not see a bone for a week as punishment.

Kristy finally spotted Sam as she got near the visitor center. With any luck, all the park visitors had gone home for the day. She didn't want anyone to recognize her as “the nice park ranger lady who gave us a map.” Living and working at a national park had some perks, but the possibility of running into visitors who expected to have their questions answered long after the park had closed for the day was definitely not one of them.

Sam was sniffing around between a cannon and a plaque declaring that “one of the decisive battles of the Civil War” had been fought right here. Kristy wondered if this identical plaque was on battlefields all over the south. Every one she'd ever visited seemed to think its particular battle was a decisive one.

She sneaked over to the historic spot and tried to coax Sam to her. “Come here, sweet baby.” she bent down and held out a hand. “Let's go get a treat for my boy.” Sam regarded her with suspicion. He knew she didn't coo at him unless something he wouldn't like was about to happen. “Does my Sammy want a belly rub?” The instant the words left her mouth, the back door to the visitor center opened. Kristy froze. Maybe they'd think she was a cannon. A very eccentric barefoot cannon in a purple robe.

“Kristy? What are you doing?”

Forget about me being a cannon. Just shoot me out of one. Now.

She stood and brushed a wisp of hair from her eyes, inwardly cringing as she remembered the lone Velcro roller sitting on top of her head. “Hello, Ace.”

She pulled the robe tighter and prayed that the yards of material had all her parts covered. And that she seemed casual and confident. “Sam got out of the fence, and I'm just trying to get him to come to me.”

Ace's gaze took in the Velcro roller, the robe, and finally her toes. A slow smile spread across his perfectly chiseled face. “Big plans tonight?”

She felt the heat as her face turned red. “Not really. Just going out to dinner.” she turned her attention back to the dog and willed him to come to her.

Sam, the traitor, trotted right over to Ace and sat at his feet.

Now it's no bones for two weeks, mister.

“Come on, Sam, let's go home.” Kristy made a move toward him. He darted behind Ace's legs and peered up at her. If she hadn't known better, she would've thought it was a mischievous expression that stared back.

We've really got to start obedience school.

“I'm heading down that way.” Ace motioned toward the residential area of the park. “Why don't you and Sam hop in my truck, and I'll give you a ride?” He took another peek at her bare feet. “I don't imagine running barefoot is too comfortable.”

Kristy decided then and there it was all her mother's fault. She was the one who had always harped on good manners. And it seemed as though ever since Kristy's life had imploded, those manners had been getting her into one situation after another. She should've just hung up when Robert called to ask her out. But no, she had to politely accept. She should've called him later and told him that she couldn't go, but again, she knew how rude it was to cancel a date at the last minute. And now she couldn't think of a way to say no to Ace's offer without being completely boorish. “Thank you,” she mumbled.

When Ace opened his truck door, Sam hopped right in. Kristy climbed in behind him, and he jumped onto her lap and pushed his head out the window.

Ace put the truck into gear and snickered softly.

She whipped her head around.

He grinned and motioned toward the dog. “It looks like he's decided he likes you again.”

In spite of her embarrassment, her own lips couldn't resist turning upward. In less than a minute, they were in front of her house. She glanced over at Ace and considered apologizing for her appearance. But she was pretty sure it was one of those situations where the less said, the better. “Thanks for the lift. My feet appreciate it.”

“Not a problem.” With that smile, he could've easily starred in a toothpaste commercial. Or any commercial for that matter. But no matter how he looked, she couldn't forget that he had
her
job. And no matter how immature it was, she planned to hold it against him.

Kristy hoisted Sam from the seat and attempted to walk with dignity up her front path. Not an easy feat, all things considered. Once on the porch
,
she turned and waved good-bye to Ace.

“Have fun on your date!”

Kristy was pretty sure she saw a wink as he pulled away.

She closed the door behind her and leaned against it. One look at the living room clock and she jerked upright. Only thirty minutes to finish getting ready. Sam scampered to his favorite perch on the back of the couch where he could look out the window.

Just as she walked into the bedroom to find an outfit, the phone rang. She hit the speaker button and made her way over to the closet.

“Hello.” Kristy flipped through her overstuffed closet in search of a perfect first date outfit. It had been so long since her last first date, she wasn't sure what to choose. For the millionth time, she wished there were a way out of it.

“Hey girl.” Vickie's voice filled the room. “Are you ready for tonight?”

“Actually, no. I had a little mishap, but I'm back on track now.” she pulled out her favorite dark denim skirt and wiggled into it.

“A mishap?” Vickie laughed. “That's
so
unlike you.”

Kristy was known in her circle of friends for being the one “things happened to.” They found it very funny and often told “Kristy stories” to people who didn't even know her. There was nothing worse than meeting a friend of a friend and having her say, “Oh!
Kristy.
Aren't you the one who...?” Fill in the blank.

“What do you think about my dark denim skirt?” She changed the subject. Fashion had always been one of Vickie's strong points, and Kristy desperately missed living with her and getting her stamp of approval before setting foot out of the house.

“Sounds good. And maybe strappy sandals. Try those metallic ones from Ann Taylor Loft that you bought the last time I was there.”

Good idea.
Kristy pulled the shoes out of the closet and slipped them on. Perfect. Her red toes were a good contrast to the metallic of the shoe, and the spray tan looked pretty natural. And only streaky in a couple of places. Not bad considering the unscheduled marathon.

“I was thinking of short sleeves, but I'll take something to wear over it in case the restaurant is cold. Maybe a cardigan?” Kristy picked up a black cardigan out of her closet and threw it on the bed.

“No, Grandma. Not a cardigan. Take your brown leather jacket. And definitely wear a blue top. It will bring out your eyes.”

She grabbed a light blue top with capped sleeves and a square neckline. Perfect. Hopefully no one could tell she didn't have to pick out “real” clothes to wear very often. She spent most of her time in a green and gray polyester uniform and sometimes wondered if her fashion sense was a little skewed as a result. “Hey. You're off speaker now, and I'm officially dressed. I just have to fix my hair and I'm all set with time to spare.” Kristy click-clacked down the hallway to the bathroom, which was still in disarray thanks to her rapid departure earlier. She hoped Robert wouldn't need to use the facilities.

“Okay. I'm sure it will go fine. Don't worry.” Vickie hesitated, and Kristy sensed a pep talk coming on. “You're smart, funny, and beautiful. You are moving on with your life. Leaving the past behind. Your future starts today.”

Vickie meant well, but she sounded a bit like one of those motivational speakers who speaks to high school assemblies.

Kristy grimaced. “Thanks for that daily affirmation.”

Vickie laughed. “Well, all those things are true, and it doesn't hurt for someone to say them out loud to you.”

“I appreciate it. And thanks for talking me through the fashion portion of my date. I'll call you later.”

Good-byes said, Kristy faced the mirror. Once the Velcro roller was out of her hair, she turned her head upside down for a quick brush. The roller gave the top layer of her blonde hair instant body, and with just a touch of spray, it was done. Her hair looked pretty good, but not like she tried too hard. Just the effect she'd been going for.

“Vickie is right. You will be fine. It's time to move on.” Kristy hoped talking to herself in the mirror didn't constitute some kind of crazy. A glance at her watch told her it was almost time. She took a deep breath and tried to calm her nerves.