Chapter 9

I stopped by Martha’s and went straight to the back gate. I opened it and expected to see her, but she was gone again. I looked under the deck and it was dry ... dry enough to dig and re-set posts. I looked at her screen door and the note with my card was still there.

I got my short handled shovel and dug the pipe up with the leaky coupling. I cut it with my hacksaw and got a new coupling and a short piece of ½ inch PVC pipe from my scrap box. When I had the pipe and fitting the right length, I pulled it back apart and glued it, then slipped the ends back together.

I dug around the four posts that had leaned when the ground had become saturated.

When I had them opened up so I could get the dry mix around them, I brought two bags of redi-mix around and after a few small moves, got the two heavy bags under the deck to where I needed them. I filled the holes to overflowing with the dry mix, then went to my truck and got my cable come-a-long, with my 20 foot 3/8 inch chain. I tied one end around a small tree with an old shirt of mine around the tree to keep from pulling the bark off and hooked the come-a-long to it.

I tightened the chain and made a few more strokes on the handle. When I looked under the deck again I knew this was going to work. I pulled the posts straight and took some short 2X4’s and braced them four ways. When I loosened the tension, the posts were perfectly straight and plumb.

I was pleased with the way the deck looked after I’d pulled it back straight. I’d come back the next time I’m by here and turn the water on.

I left a note on the door again that the job was finished and that I was ready for a swim.

I was excited that I had finished another job and would have more money coming in. My business is really picking up. I decided to put a small ad in the paper next week and maybe I could really get busy.

I was passing Mooreland’s and out of habit I turned in the drive. Oh well, since I’m here, I can get the twenty five, 16 foot deck boards I need for Ms. Carson’s deck. Carol said she was putting it on an open ticket anyway.

I went in and they were busy with an after work rush with people getting things to take home for last minute jobs. There were three sales people besides Carol and I stepped up to her.

“Marion will you enter this order, we have an open ticket on it for Ms. Mildred Carson.” she said handing the man the note I had figured my materials on. Carol walked over to me and grabbed me by the arm, pulling me away from the sales desk.

“This has gone on long enough! Come with me!” she said and pulled my arm until I followed. I had no idea what had happened ... I was afraid I had messed up someone’s job or had put some materials on the wrong ticket. Hell I was scared.

We turned the corner and went all the way to the back where she shoved me into a break room where the most beautiful girl in the world was sitting. I looked at her as she looked up at me and jumped up from the table ... spilling her glass of water on her crackers and cheese. Her face was blood red and her eyes were wide and full of tears. I turned to leave and Carol slammed the door and locked it. Damn, she locked it.

Carol grabbed a dish towel from the sink and wiped the water up just before it ran off into the floor. She threw the cloth back to the sink and looked at Kasey.

“Kasey Mooreland, this is Billy Sherman.

“Billy meet the best friend I have ever had in my whole life. I love her as much as I love my sister ... but this has gone on long enough! Kasey, I want you to meet the handsomest, sexiest, most likable young man who has ever come in this store.

He is scared to death of you, simply because he thinks you deserve better than him.

“Billy – Kasey is shaking in her Rockies right now because she’s afraid that she isn’t pretty enough for a good looking man like you. A man who makes her stomach turn somersaults, with just a smile and a little wave like you did yesterday.

“Now you two sit down at this table, across from one another and I want to hear a legible conversation from you or you’ll not leave this room if I have to stay here all night,” Carol sounded mad and I thought she was. I sure hated that she’s so mad at me ... I mean, I wanted to meet Kasey, but I guess I did bug her about it and told her I wasn’t good enough for someone like Kasey.

“Billy – sit down,” Carol said.

“Kasey, I love you ... but you need to talk to this man. He needs your help ... and if you don’t help him, some girl, woman, or alien from another planet is going to snatch him from you and break your heart.”

“Carol...” Kasey said and stopped, then she walked back to the table and sat down. I sat down too and looked at her...

GOD in HEAVEN, she is beautiful.

“Billy talk to Kasey about your business.

“Kasey listen to him and tell him how he can do even better than he is now. Kasey, Honey ... please do this ... for the rest of your life, you’ll never regret it.”

“Uh Kasey, I apologize for causing your friend to do this ... I guess I’m to blame. I keep coming in here and seeing you and asking about you and wanting to meet you, but I’m scared to at the same time, afraid I won’t be what you thought I was. Carol and I have gotten to know each other and I hardly ever let anyone else wait on me. Hoping she will talk about you. Which she does all the time.

“I even went to talk to the Morrissey’s yesterday about a job and Ms. Morrissey, I mean Candace, told me she’s your friend and asked if I knew you and she just went on about you and how she had classes with you and she wanted me to meet you. I mean a total stranger to me, asked me to meet you.

“I know I’m making a fool of myself, I knew I would if I ever met you, but I have no choice now but to talk to you. I’ve wanted to since the day I first saw you, then I learned your last name was Mooreland and I stopped in my tracks. My mind didn’t though, and I thought about you a lot, even when I tried not to ... I thought about you.”

I looked up at Carol, “Carol, I really appreciate you trying to help me in my business. I guess I’ve messed all that up now. I wouldn’t feel right about coming in here now ... knowing I’ve made a fool of myself like this.”

“Billy,” Carol started to say something and Kasey stopped her. I just knew this was it, as for me trying to have a handy-man business, they were the only lumber supply store in the whole county.

“Carol ... let me talk ... please,” Kasey said and I looked at her, her eyes were still filled with tears and I hurt for her, I remembered the times when I was a kid and felt trapped in my own messes I had made.

Then she looked across at me, “Billy, I’m glad Carol got pissed off at me. She isn’t mad at you and your business isn’t in any jeopardy either. Please bear with me, this isn’t easy for me, but I have to do this or I know I will lose the chance to meet a special person, and make a special friend.

“I have literally, bugged the shit out of Carol about you. She has been very patient with me and asked, no begged me to let her introduce us. I kept telling her, ‘next time he comes in’ and she would let it go. About an hour ago, I asked if you had been in today and she said yes, you were in earlier, and I felt sick at my stomach ... I wanted to see you at least.”

“Kasey, you don’t have to... , “ I started and she held her hand up.

“No – Billy, I DO NEED TO! Please let me talk to you, let me tell you about me and how I feel,” she said, I nodded and didn’t speak.

“I don’t know where I got my complex from, or why it took over my mind the way it has, but I know it has made my life and the lives of my parents and yes I even made life miserable for my best friend in the world. I never dated in school except double dating with Carol and the only dates I had in college was with her and her date ... I owe her my life, Billy ... and I’m ready to make some changes in my own life now. Because of you and all the people who have talk about you, and asked about you, because of the way you are ... JUST YOU. You never act like the big macho man ... though you sure as hell are ... and don’t have to act. You are a woman’s dream to look at ... and I’ve had so many daydreams about you, that I could fill a diary in a week.

“I even asked Carol to find out if you were living with someone or dating ... she even went with me to your apartment and watched you come and go at different times so I would know. Everywhere I go I see your fliers or your cards and when people come in here, they ask for Billy Sherman’s number because their friend or neighbor told them about you.”

“Even my Daddy saw you and asked me who you were. I told him you were Billy Sherman and he smiled. ‘So he’s the one everyone’s talking about’, He floored me with that statement and I had to run and hide. He asked me if I had met you, that he’d heard so many good things about you that he’d like to see me meet you.

“My own Daddy likes you and has never even met you, Billy. What have you got... ? what is it that makes people like you as soon as they meet you? AND makes me, the shyest girl on God’s earth, want to meet you? Want to get to know you so bad that I’m sitting here about to pee in my pants I’m so scared? But I’m even more scared that if I don’t talk to you, don’t tell you about me, I’ll miss a chance to have something ... SOMEONE ... who is important in my life?

“Do you wish now that you’d never heard of Moorelands? Do you hate Carol for having a scared little shit of a friend that can’t speak for herself? Do you think I’m some schizophrenic weirdo bitch who’s afraid of a normal relationship with a handsome man?” she stopped and looked at me.

“No, I don’t. I do think I know now why I wanted to meet you though. I wanted a woman just like you, one who’s smart as a college professor, beautiful as a model, and sexy as hell. As for your family money, I could care less ... I’m broke on my ass, but I still like myself. My parents still like me too. I really think that if you gave me a chance, you’d like me too, Kasey.

“I’m not going to tell you that I’m the best thing for you. I’m probably the last thing you need in your life. I’m not the man you think I am. I have doubts about ME as a person and about my ability to make it in this world. I’ve met a lot of good friends since I started my little handy-man business. I started it because I lost my job, my home, and my truck, then I borrowed Dad’s carpentry tools and started this to survive.

“I’ve made some mistakes and I’ve let some things happen that I shouldn’t have, but I’m still standing, and until they bury me, I’ll continue to stand up and try. You scare the hell out of me Kasey, and you make my heart beat like a drum when I see you ... I’m not talking about because you’re sexy as hell, I’m talking about wishing I could meet a girl like you.”

Kasey’s looking right at me, smiling, I had to grin because she’s smiling.

Carol stood up and I started to stand too. She put her hand on my shoulder.

“Billy Sherman ... if Kasey wasn’t sitting here, I’d tackle your ass myself. I love the way you express yourself. Oh to hell with it,” she said and grabbed me and kissed me on the mouth, sucking my tongue into her mouth. Then she stood up grinned at me and turned to Kasey.

“Kasey I am so happy that I was here to hear you talk ... to hear you open up tell someone your feelings with no regard as to being hurt or ridiculed. If Billy weren’t here, I’d kiss you just like I did him.”

“Fuck it!” she said and grabbed Kasey.

They kissed as long as we did, then Carol pulled back and looked at her friend.

“I love you Kasey ... I honestly think you’re going to make it now. I hope and pray to God that you and Billy make it together ... BUT, if you don’t, I hope each of you make it. You are both special people. I need to go, I have a husband who’s going to be home in a few days and I need to clean house. He’s been gone for three years, and he’s going to get the shit fucked out of his ass and he doesn’t even know it yet,” she said, and before I even realized she was leaving, she was gone and the door was closed.

Here I am now, having told this beautiful young woman how I feel and who I am and ... now I’m scared again ... I’m right back where I was before Carol dragged me in here, scared of Kasey Mooreland.

She looked at me with her big brown eyes and I nearly cried, I was so happy just to have met her.

“Want to go get some ice cream?” I asked, my heart in my throat and my face so red I felt like I had a fever.

“I love black walnut ... do you?” she asked.

“My favorite,” I said and we both laughed.

When we walked out of the break room and back up front. They were already locking up for the day. I opened the door for her and she smiled as she walked past me.

“I guess we better take your vehicle, mine’s kind of junked up,” I said knowing my seat was full of everything, including my tool belt.

“Sure, over here,” she said and walked over to a new GMC Sierra pickup ... nice ride.

“Nice ride Kasey,” I said as I stood on her side and waited until she clicked the door lock with her clicker. I opened the door for her and she looked at me and smiled. I really thought for a second she was going to kiss me, then she got in and I closed the door and walked around to get in.

“Daddy bought me this when I went to work here fulltime. He said it would look better to the customers – image he called it – I love it though. I drive it more than the car Mom bought me for graduation from Mizzou. I guess that makes me sound like a spoiled little rich brat, but I’m really not.”

“I graduated from Mizzou too. Rolla, class of 2000.”

“Rolla, class of 2006,” she said.

Kasey drove to the Baskin Robbins ice cream shop at the strip mall down the street and parked.

Both of us got a double-dip of black walnut on a sugar cone. We sat at a small table in the corner and talked as we licked and ate our ice cream.

“Billy, I’m so happy that Carol got pissed-off and frustrated with me. I’m not sure that I would have ever gotten the courage to speak to you otherwise. Now that we’ve already talked just a short time, I feel as if a big load is off me and even though I’m still a nervous wreck, I’m absolutely thrilled to be here with you. Thanks for asking me to come here and get ice cream with you.”

“I feel good about our meeting too, Kasey. I wanted to meet you, but I was afraid that that I wouldn’t measure up and I’d be let down even more. I guess I was thinking that it was better to have you as a daydream, than to meet you and not even make an impression on you. I’m still nervous too, I’m scared also. But I feel good sitting here with you. I hope we can be friends, now that we’ve been officially introduced, even if Carol did have to get pissed at BOTH of us before it happened.”

“Carol is the best friend I could ever have. She knows all about me, and still loves me. Her husband is on his way home from Afghanistan ... he’s served two tours now, and she’s thrilled that he’s coming home safe. I’m proud for her too. I know they want to start a family now, even though he’ll be in active reserve for a few years yet.”

“I hope everything works out for them, she seems like a person who has her head on straight,” I said, then noticed the look on her face.

“I wish I did too Billy ... but I’m getting there ... believe me I am. Please be my friend and I’ll find a way to get my head on straight too ... you’ll see.”

“I didn’t mean that I thought you didn’t, I mean ... I didn’t mean that I thought there was something wrong with you. We have the same feelings haunting us, in a way. I was never popular in school and Mom and Dad helped me a lot to get over being so shy around girls. By the time I was a senior, I had more friends who were girls than boys. I was fine as long as we were in a group or just hanging out together, but I was still too shy to have many dates. The ones I did have, the girl asked me out and I couldn’t refuse.”

“Billy, I really think that was the reason I was attracted to you in the first place ... well, maybe the second place ... I like your looks and you’re so tall and you were always so polite to the sales people in the store. But anyway, you just seemed to be yourself when you came ... in and even the married girls like Carol and the secretaries in back that saw you, they all thought you were just the perfect man.”

“Me? They thought that about me?”

“Yes, and I was jealous when I hears them, but I never told anyone but Carol that I thought you were handsome and that I hoped we’d meet some day.”

“Well, I hope you’re not disappointed. I’m just me and I don’t know how to be anything else. I wouldn’t want to be if I could. I told you I was down and just about out when I started my handy-man business. I’m not ashamed of that either, I know I can pick myself up and make a good living doing this. I sure appreciate the help your people up front too have given me ... they take numbers and give them to me, especially Carol.”

“I want you to meet my Daddy sometime, you’ll like him and I know he’ll like you for your hard work and determination.”

“I know he’s a busy man and I’d just be someone you dragged in to meet him ... maybe sometime he’ll be in the store and we’ll meet.”

“That will work too,” she said and we got up to leave.

“I hate to take you back to your truck now. Will you promise that you’ll come speak to me when you come in again? I know I’ll be doubting myself by the time you’re out of sight. I’m sorry that I’m that way, please bear with me ... I really do like you.”

“I wish we had more time too, but I’m glad we met and I really enjoyed sitting and having ice cream with you. A friend told me once that if I ever wanted to just talk to a girl, ask her to go have ice cream, so I did,” I said and we both laughed.

When we got back to my truck I thought about the materials I had come to pick up, I looked up at my top rack and saw the boards I had ordered.

“They loaded my truck!” I said.

“That’s Carol for you.”

“Thanks Kasey, I enjoyed it. I’ll see you soon I hope. I’m going out early tomorrow and finish a fence at Ms. Winters ... then finish a deck at Ms. Carson’s, and a shop building at Hoppy Cassidy’s next week. I’ll be back before the weekend and get some more supplies though.”

“You really are getting busy ... Thanks Billy, I had fun. See you soon,” she said and put her hand out to shake. I took her hand and we just sat and looked at each other.

“I had fun too Kasey, I hope you’ll have ice cream with me again sometime,” I said, not knowing what to say, wanting to say a lot of things, but scared to because it may not come out right.

I got out and went to my truck as she backed out and waved, I smiled and waved and she smiled really big and left.

I saw my load ticket and smiled, these folks are really the best.

I had a lot of thinking to do and wanted to be by myself ... it was early yet and I felt like I was loafing when I went home. I took a hot shower, since I was home early and no one had used all the hot water. I put a load of clothes in the washer and started it, then lay down on my bed.

When I heard the washer click off, I took that load out and put another one in. I started the old dryer and went back to lie down and relax and try to sort out my thoughts. I kept thinking of Kasey and what all we’d talked about. I really do like her, even more than I ever thought I would. I know we’ll never be more than friends ... what with her being the daughter of one of the richest men in Meade Junction.

We can still be friends though ... damn, she is really a beautiful young woman. If I could have ordered a woman from my dreams, I would have ordered her. As I lay there half asleep, I heard the dryer buzzer go off. I took a pair of boxers out first, put them on, then folded the rest of my clothes. I put my jeans in next and set the dryer again. My washer and dryer are ancient, but knock on wood; they are still running smoothly and get the job done.

I was just about asleep again when the dryer buzzer went off. I got up, still groggy and went to get my jeans out. I plugged my iron up by the kitchen sink and set my ironing board up. I straightened the legs of my four pair of jeans and folded them back tight while they were still warm.

I use a lot of starch in my rinse water in the washer and then all I have to do is sprinkle water on my jeans and iron them with a hot iron, like Mom showed me years ago and I had some really, nicely ironed jeans to wear.

I used to take them to the cleaners and have them done with heavy starch, but times are hard now and I do it all myself. When I had them ironed and hung over the round hangers, I unplugged the iron and went straight to bed. I set the clock and was asleep in no time.

I woke up before the alarm went off, still having slept over eight hours for the first time in a long time. I dressed and left. I almost stopped at the Waffle House, but drove to a convenience store and got a sausage and biscuit and a cup of coffee.

I was out at Charlotte’s really early and took two of my cordless drills out and my new 25 pound plastic pail of screws. I finally got all my stuff together back at the fence and filled the large big pouches on my tool belt with screws. After carrying two armloads of fence boards to where I was starting, I made my mark on the board where I wanted it to be on the 2X4 stringers.

I was ready. It took me a few boards to get in the routine, but it wasn’t long before I was putting them up as fast as I could get them in place. I would put one screw in the top stringer and one on the opposite side at the bottom, spacing the boards with a small spacer I had made way back when Dad and I did this.

I already had three, 8 foot sections of fence up when I saw Charlotte walk out with two cups of coffee and head my way. She was wearing her pajama bottoms and a tee shirt and she’s barefoot as she walked across the grass wet with dew.

“Hi handsome ... Want a quick cup of coffee?” she said as she stretched up to kiss my lips.

“Sure, and thanks,” I said and took the coffee, looking back down the fence that was finished to check the alignment.