Summer In Iron Springs Page 14

  “Let’s go have some fun,” Billy suggested.

  Phoebe used Billy’s cell phone to call her dad and let him know she’d be gone for the rest of day.

  “Where are we going? Phoebe asked when the truck entered the highway heading out of town.

  “It’s a surprise,” Billy grinned slyly. “You’ll find out when we get there.”

  An hour long drive later, Billy pulled into the parking lot of The Iron Flower Lodge.

  “What are we doing here?” Phoebe asked. She glanced around at the beautiful mountains that surrounded several large resorts.

  “You’ll see,” Billy said.

  Billy led Phoebe from the parking lot to a large courtyard area and Billy pointed to the steep slide that was carved into the side of the mountain.

  “I’m not getting on that thing,” Phoebe said while shaking her head.

  “Oh yes you are,” Billy laughed. “And that too,” he pointed to the zip line overhead.

  “Uh-uh. No way am I doing that.”

  Billy gave her a flirty smile. “Yes you are; but first, let’s eat. I’m starved.”

  They found a shady area under a pavilion to eat the barbecued ribs that Billy swore were the best in the world. Phoebe had just dug her teeth into her first rib when a group of teenagers walked up and stood before them.

  “Hey, Billy,” a tall kid with dark hair said. He glanced from Billy to Phoebe. “How’s it going?”

  “Hey you guys! What are you doing here?” While Billy talked to the boy, Phoebe hurriedly tore open one of the wet wipes that had accompanied their order and cleaned her hands and face. Billy was right about the ribs; they were delicious but they were also messy.

  “What have you been up to?” the boy asked, glancing again at Phoebe.

  Before Billy could answer, one of the girls in the group moved closer to them. “Where’s Sarah?” she asked. She directed her question to Billy and then turned to give Phoebe a sideways glance. “I haven’t seen her much this summer.”

  Phoebe watched the flush rise in Billy’s cheeks as she wondered who, exactly, Sarah was. She studied Billy’s face. He had set his plate on the grass beside him and was wiping his hands with a wet wipe. “She already left.” Billy said, laying the wet wipe on the ground. “I guess she wanted to get settled in before classes start in the fall.”

  The girl nodded her head slowly. “I’m Francine,” she said, glancing at Phoebe and making a half-hearted attempt at smiling.

  “Oh, uh . . . yeah,” Billy cleared his throat and stood up. He held out a hand and helped Phoebe to her feet. “These are my friends. This is Jeff, Porter, Amber and Christine. And Francine, you already met. Everyone, this is Phoebe. She’s staying with Anna Walker for the summer.”

  “Oh, so you’re Phoebe.” Francine said, sarcastically. She glanced at Jeff with raised eyebrows. Then, returning her attention to Phoebe she said, “I had heard you were coming.”

  What the heck? Phoebe had no idea what to make of Francine’s response. It wasn’t just that Francine knew Phoebe was coming. The way she spoke sounded like she had a problem with Phoebe being in Iron Springs, like she hated her without even knowing her. Phoebe felt the same way she had at the diner when the waitress found out who she was. “Oh, really?” Phoebe tried to sound casual. “How did you know I was coming to Iron Springs?”

  Francine gave a chuckle while glancing over her shoulder at the others in her group. “Word gets around in a small town.”

  “Alright, Francine. Enough of that.” Jeff said, shifting his weight nervously from one foot to the other. “Let’s get going.” Jeff looked at Billy. “Nice seeing you. Let’s hang out soon.”

  “For sure,” Billy said, still sounding nervous. “I’ll call you.”

  As the group of teenagers walked away, Billy and Phoebe sat back down. “That was weird,” Phoebe said, hoping her words would open up a conversation where Billy would explain why people in Iron Springs treated her with such contempt. And, an explanation of who Sarah was would be nice too.

  “Yeah, it was,” Billy said. “Francine’s an interesting one, that’s for sure.”

  “Any idea why she was acting that way?” Phoebe prodded. She watched Billy’s face. There was something going on, she could see it in his eyes and she wasn’t going to pretend it wasn’t there. “I mean, she seemed pretty annoyed that I was here in Iron Springs . . . with you.”

  Billy set his plate to the side and turned to face Phoebe. “Francine is from a very wealthy family—she’s a spoiled, gossipy snob. She thinks we’re friends because our parents are friends. But, I can’t stand her. She probably heard we were dating and felt snubbed because I hadn’t told her.”

  “Why would you tell her we were dating if you two aren’t friends?”

  “That’s a good question.” Billy opened another wet wipe and wiped his hands with it. “It’s kinda complicated because her mom, my mom and this girl, Sarah’s mom are friends and our dads are all golfing buddies. We’re just expected to be friends. So, in a superficial way, I guess we are sort of friends—but not really.”

  “Why was she being so nasty? I mean, I don’t even know her and she was acting really horrid toward me.”

  Billy took Phoebe’s hand in his. “I probably should have told you this sooner but that girl Sarah, the one Francine was asking about . . .” Billy blew out a breath before going on. “Before you got to Iron Springs—right before you got here—Sarah, she’s Francine’s best friend, and I broke up. I’m sure Francine was surprised to see me with someone new.”

  Phoebe thought about Francine’s behavior. There was more to the story than Billy was letting on. “That doesn’t make sense,” she said, repositioning herself to face Billy. “First of all, if you and Sarah broke up, why would Francine assume you would know where Sarah was? And, if they’re really best friends, wouldn’t Francine know Sarah had gone away to school?”

  Billy gave Phoebe’s hand a squeeze. “Francine knows that Sarah’s gone to school. She only asked about her because I’m with you—she was trying to make me uncomfortable.” Billy paused for a moment and then went on. “When I broke up with Sarah, she was really upset about it. Sarah’s not the kind of girl who gets dumped. She’s the kind of girl who does the dumping. She refused to accept that I did not want to date her anymore. She still refuses to accept it.”

  “So, she thinks you two are still together?” Phoebe asked.

  “No. She knows we’re not. But, she wants to get back together, and she’s not one to take no for an answer.” Billy looked Phoebe in the eyes. “Feebs, don’t worry about Sarah. She’s out of my life. And Francine is just a busy body with nothing else to do but stick her nose into other people’s private business.”

  Phoebe could probably have let the issue go if Francine had been the only one in Iron Springs who seemed to despise her without even knowing her. But, there were two men in the gallery—they despised her without even speaking to her. And then there was the waitress. She clearly had a problem with Phoebe. “What about that waitress—you know, Kate—at the diner? Why was she acting so weird? You didn’t break up with her best friend did you?”

  Billy shook his head and chuckled. “No—not at all. It’s probably just a small town thing but when something big happens in Iron Springs—and before you ask, yes, breaking up with Sarah was huge; everyone knows about it—word gets around.”

  Phoebe shook her head. “Wait a minute. Are you telling me that the waitress in the diner was being snotty with me because you broke up with Sarah?” Phoebe shook her head. “Isn’t that a little petty. I mean, doesn’t she have better things to do than worry about who’s dating who?”

  Billy laughed. “Normally that would probably be the case but Sarah’s father is the mayor of Iron Springs—not to mention one of the most loaded guys around. So, I guess that makes the subject of who his only daughter dates big news.”

  Phoebe picked at her lunch while she tried to absorb everything she’d just learned about Billy. He u
sed to date Sarah. Sarah was the mayor’s daughter, which apparently made her pretty important in Iron Springs. Sarah was friends with Francine, who clearly hated Phoebe because she was dating Billy. And although Billy had ended the relationship with Sarah; Phoebe got the feeling things were far from over between the two of them—at least as far as Sarah was concerned. The only good news was that Sarah was away at college which made running into her a fairly unlikely probability.

  “Hello? Are you in there?” Billy waved a hand in front of Phoebe’s face.

  “Huh?” Phoebe said. She shook her head to flush out the thoughts of Sarah and Francine.

  “I was asking if you’re ready to go check out the rides.”

  Phoebe glanced at the zip line that zoomed down the mountain side. “I guess so.”

  Billy looked at Phoebe and chuckled. “Wait a sec,” he said, opening another wet wipe. He wiped her cheek and then her chin. “Hold still,” he said. “You sure are a messy eater.”

  “Come on Billy, you’re just messing with me,” Phoebe said once she was sure Billy had removed the sauce, her makeup, and anything else that might possibly be on her face.

  “You got this stuff all over yourself,” Billy joked.

  “Not on my forehead,” she gave his arm a playful shove.

  Billy leaned in and gave her a kiss on her lips. “I think I got it all now. Let’s go.”

  He took Phoebe by the hand and led her to the ticket window.

  “Two all-day passes, please,” Billy slid his debit card beneath the glass partition and she passed two bright red bracelets out to him.

  “Where should we start?” Billy glanced around at the several attractions. “There’s the slide, the zip line, the bungee trampoline, the rock climbing wall and a mechanical bull.”

  “Ummm . . .” Phoebe looked around. “Which one is the least scary?”

  “Come with me,” Billy said, taking her hand. “I’ll take care of you, I promise.” He led her to the line for the mountain slide. She held her stomach as she watched the people flying down the mountain. “Maybe we should have waited to eat.”

  Billy gave her hand a little squeeze. “You’ll have a blast, you’ll see. Just listen to those screams.”

  “They sound like screams of terror to me,” Phoebe said. She considered begging her way out of getting on the ride but after a boy who couldn’t have been eight years old flew past them, she resisted.

  “Now watch me,” Billy said. “You control your speed with this lever. So, if you want to go slow, go slow. But it’s a lot more fun to go fast.”

  “Okay,” Phoebe said reluctantly. She sat down in the sled and snapped her seat belt around her waist.

  “I’ll be right behind you,” Billy gave Phoebe’s sled a little shove and it began to creep its way forward. She kept her foot pressed on the brake as she descended the first of several hills. When others whirred past her on separate tracks, she began to feel silly inching her way along. Slowly, she took her foot off the brake, pushed the lever forward and in seconds, she was plunging down the mountain. Soon, her car was moving at full speed, her hair was whipping in the wind and a piercing scream escaped her mouth.

  “Let’s go again!” she said after they’d finished their first run.

  “What happened to my scared little girl?” He joked.

  “It wasn’t scary at all!” she shrieked.

  After several trips down the mountain, Billy talked Phoebe into trying the zip line. Then he coaxed her to the top of the rock climbing wall and sweet-talked her into the harness at the bungee trampoline.

  By evening, the sun had set and the temperature started to drop; the warmness that replaced the scorching heat was a welcome relief.

  They ate dinner at a small outdoor café and spent some time walking through the various shops that were situated throughout the large patio area.

  “What do you want to do now?” Billy asked as the sun dropped behind the mountain.

  “Do you think they sell fudge around here?” Phoebe asked.

  Billy stared at her for a long while without speaking; his eyes examined her from head to toe.

  “Why are you staring at me like that?” Phoebe asked.

  “Just wondering where you put it all,” he said playfully.

  They found an ice cream shop that sold fudge and Billy encouraged Phoebe to pick out her favorite flavors. They ate some of each type and then had the rest boxed up to take home.

  “Thanks for today, Billy,” Phoebe said as they drove toward Anna’s house. “It was a lot of fun.”

  “You’re welcome,” Billy said. He leaned over and softly kissed her lips. “Thanks for coming with me.”

  The drive home was quiet. Phoebe rested her tired head on Billy’s shoulder and enjoyed the time alone with him.

  “Can I ask you a question?” Phoebe said, as soon as Billy had stopped the truck in front of Anna’s house.

  “Sure. Anything”

  “You never talk about your family. I mean, you know practically everything about my family and I know nothing about yours.” The discussion about Sarah and Francine and how their parents were all friends with each other had gotten Phoebe to thinking about Billy’s family. She realized that she knew nothing about Billy—other than that he didn’t get along with his dad and that he worked in the orchard.

  Billy’s face was tight. “I don’t get along with my dad.”

  “I know that already. But, what else . . . I mean, that’s not your whole life story is it?”

  “What do you want to know?”

  “How often do you see them? I don’t think you’ve visited them since I’ve been here have you?”

  “That’s because I’ve been pretty preoccupied,” Billy said. He removed his seatbelt and turned to face Phoebe.

  Phoebe smiled but didn’t let him off the hook that easily. “Seriously Billy, when do you see them?”

  “I saw them last week. They live close—only about an hour away. I don’t mind visiting because I can leave whenever I want. But being stuck there listening to my dad tell me how bad I’ve disappointed him is just too much. This is a better arrangement for us all.”

  “What about your mom? You haven’t really told me anything about her.”

  Billy smiled. “My mom is a great lady. We get along well.”

  “Is your dad good to her?”

  Billy nodded. “Yes, he loves her. He just likes getting his way—and she makes sure he does. I wasn’t willing to live the life he had planned out for me, so I left, and I’ve lived here at the ranch ever since.”

  “Do you have brothers or sisters?”

  Billy nodded. “One brother. His name is Scott—he’s a lot like my dad so the two of them get along really well. I guess I’m just the black sheep.”

  Phoebe didn’t want to end the night on a serious note so, despite her curiosity, she refrained from asking more questions. “What was your favorite part of today?” she asked.

  Billy glanced at her, put his arm around her shoulder, and pulled her close to him. “Being with you,” he said pressing his lips to her forehead.

  Phoebe grinned. “Mine too. Well, I mean, being with you, not with me . . .”

  “I know what you mean,” Billy said, laughing.

  Billy stepped out of the truck and walked around to open the passenger door. He reached up, put his hands around Phoebe’s waist, and lifted her to the ground. In the light of the full moon, she stared up at him through hazy eyes. He leaned in and kissed her softly on the lips. As they kissed, Billy brought a hand to her cheek and touched it lightly with his fingers. When the kiss was over, he pulled her close and wrapped her up in an embrace.

  “Now it’s my turn to ask you something,” Billy whispered when the kiss was over.

  “Okay.”

  “Don’t worry, Feebs. It’s nothing bad.”

  “What is it?”

  “I was wondering if you would come to church with me tomorrow.”

  Phoebe thought for a moment before r
esponding. She had never gone to church in her life. She had gotten it in her mind that some people were religious and others weren’t, and she was one of the ones who wasn’t. “I don’t know Billy, I—”

  “Feebs . . .” Billy’s studied her face. “. . . It’s just one Sunday. You don’t have to get all religious just because you go to church one time. Please just say you’ll come with me.”

  “Will you show me what to do?”

  Billy laughed and wrapped his arms around Phoebe in a giant bear hug.

  “What’s so funny?”

  He lifted her off the ground and twirled her in a circle. “Nothing’s funny. You’re just so cute. You won’t have to do anything, I promise. You just listen and learn.”

  “I can do that.”

  “I’ll pick you up at eight thirty, okay?”

  “Okay.”

  Billy leaned over, kissed her once more, and then watched her until she was inside the house.

  ***

  Going to church was a lot different than Phoebe had imagined it would be. She thought it would be stuffy and uncomfortable. But, instead, it was very comfortable and everyone welcomed her and seemed sincerely happy that she was there.

  As they walked through the church parking lot toward Billy’s truck, Billy leaned over and gave Phoebe a kiss on the cheek.

  “What was that for?”

  “For coming with me even though I know you didn’t really want to.”

  “Well, I’m glad I did. It was nice. Not at all like I thought it would be.”

  “How did you think it would be?” Billy asked, smiling.

  “I thought it would be all churchy and dry and weird. But, it wasn’t like that at all. The people were nice to me, and they seemed happy I was there.”

  “They were. But, none of them were as happy as me.” Billy opened the passenger side door for Phoebe and helped her into the cab of his truck.

  “Can I ask you a question about something I heard at church?” she asked when they were heading to Anna’s for lunch.

  “Of course you can. You can ask me anything about anything.”

  Phoebe pulled her hair into a pony tail and thought of the best way to phrase her question. “Well, that guy who was teaching the Sunday school lesson said something about how we don’t stop living when we die. Do you believe that?”