7
Lenore didn’t know what to do with the woman in her house.
Arizona Rhinehart was probably fifteen or sixteen years older than Lenore. It was very apparent that she was used to being in charge. Or, at the very least, she didn’t mind taking charge and telling other people what to do.
Lenore remembered from her conversation with Brandon at lunch last Saturday that Arizona had four children and was married to one of Brandon’s brothers. They both had names that started with D—Duke and Dawson—and in that moment, Lenore couldn’t remember which one Arizona was married to.
The woman straightened from the fridge, her smile pretty, though she wore no makeup. Lenore couldn’t believe the fridge was actually cold right now, as it was old and only worked half the time. She used a cooler instead, but she wasn’t going to say anything to Arizona about it right now.
“All right,” she said. “That should do for a while. This is actually really great, because I don’t think Brandon’s place has electricity.” She tilted her head ever so slightly, as if asking Lenore a question, though her voice hadn’t pitched up at the end of the sentence. “But you seem to have electricity.”
Lenore indicated the shoe racks she’d butted up against each other. They ran the length of the front wall under the windows, and she hated the sight of them. “I run on a battery system right now,” she said, actually surprised that Arizona hadn’t seen the ugly array of batteries the moment she’d walked into the cabin.
Her eyes moved to them now, and a gasp filled her throat. She quickly cleared it and said, “Wow,” as she walked toward the display of batteries. “Is this safe?” She turned toward Lenore with genuine concern on her face. “Don’t they get hot?”
Lenore wasn’t sure if she felt like crying or screaming. Probably a combination of both. It had a name—humiliation—and it ran hotly through her blood. Lenore wished the cabin would catch on fire right then and blaze into an inferno that would eliminate this feeling as it brought her lower and lower.
“They get a little warm,” she said, her voice barely a whisper. “I don’t notice it much unless it’s summertime.”
Then, the batteries were downrighthot,and so was every square inch of her cabin. In the winter, she actually really liked it, as they lent a little bit of warmth to the otherwise drafty dwelling.
Arizona looked like she might have more to say. She even opened her mouth, but nothing came out.
She’d been in Lenore’s cabin for about a half-hour. First, just chatting in the doorway, and then somehow, she’d gotten inside the cabin and unpacked the enormous picnic basket she’d brought for Brandon.
She hadn’tsaidshe brought it for Brandon, and Arizona claimed that she’d brought the food for Lenore. But Lenore knew better. This woman didn’t even know her. Why would she be bringing her a few week’s worth of groceries?
Out of pity, she thought, as Arizona’s gaze swept around the living room once more.
Lenore wasn’t the neatest person on the planet to begin with, and trying to run the homestead had only exacerbated the clutter and mess inside the cabin. She’d thankfully found the source of the rotten smell, so at least her cabin smelled faintly fresh.
Arizona’s eyes came back to hers, now filled with concern. Before she could say anything, a heavy knock sounded on the door, and a man called, “Zona? Are you in there?”
“That’s my husband,” Zona said, rushing toward the door.
Relief flowed through Lenore as Zona opened it wide and stepped back, as if welcoming them all inside toherhouse.
“Howdy,” she said. “I was just unpacking the food we brought for Lenore.”
The man who stood on the front porch had to be Arizona’s husband. He frowned mightily at her and then switched his gaze to Lenore.
“This is my husband, Duke,” Zona said. “Duke, this is Lenore. She owns the homestead and will be working here with Brandon.”
Duke’s eyes hooked into hers, and Lenore did her best to put a smile on her face and go to shake the man’s hand. She met one of Zona’s daughters—April—and then Brandon’s brother, Dawson.
And then finally, Brandon framed himself neatly in the doorway, half in the cabin and half out.
“Hey, sorry about her,” he said in a low voice, the words a rumble that came from his chest rather than his mouth.
Lenore gave her head a quick shake—once, twice—and kept the smile hitched to her face out of sheer determination.
Brandon finally took a step into the cabin and said, “Hey, thank you, guys. I really appreciate you driving all this way to help me, but I think we’re done now.”
His family’s eyes came to his, and Dawson moved forward to pull Brandon into a hug. “You let me know if you need anything out here,” he said. “Anything at all.”
“I will, Daws. Come on, guys,” Brandon said. He led the way outside. Thankfully, they all left with him, and while Lenore wanted to slam the door behind them and escape to her bedroom, she didn’t. Instead, she followed them out onto the porch.
They all went down the steps, while she migrated to the corner and leaned against the pillar there.
