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Keeping Up With the Joneses Part Three
In
our last chapters, Jonesy had dinner with the Fraynes, and against his better
judgment, he’s falling for the pretty widow. Katie is a basket of nerves, worrying
about Jim, the finances, and being alone. Jim, obedient son that he is, is
hiding his concerns about Jonesy from his mother. Chapter
Seven Jonesy pulled up to the
Frayne home early Saturday morning. Before he got out of the truck, he looked
in the rearview mirror and appraised his appearance. He had carefully shaved
that morning and slicked back his dark hair. It was still thick, and there
wasn’t any sign of gray. He dressed in a nice short-sleeved shirt, although
he knew he would be working on a vehicle. Jonesy stared at his reflection and
practiced his most charming smile. He hated the fact that his teeth were
stained yellow from years of smoking. He had tried to quit repeatedly, but
any time he experienced stress, he started back again. Maybe
I’ll be able to quit this time, for Katie, he thought. She doesn’t seem to be the type who
appreciates cigarette smoke. Jonesy had seen a picture of
Katie’s husband. Win, he thought
with a snort. What kind of name is
that? He knew from the photograph that Win was one of those men that the
ladies liked. He had a full head of dark red hair and had a nice face. One
of them rugged types, he leered, remembering Win’s strong set
jaw and chiseled features. Win Frayne resembled a
redheaded young Robert Redford. Jonesy looked in the mirror again. Jonesy
knew he wasn’t the rugged type; the
only Hollywood star that he looked like was a young Jack Nicholson. He even
had that same crazy look in his eyes. Jonesy hauled a large trailer
behind his pickup truck. He had acquired the proper fan belt to fix the
truck, as well as a case of oil. This time he brought his own toolbox, so he
wouldn’t need to use Win’s. He had another item in his truck. During their
dinner conversation, Katie had mentioned how she hated leaving her prized
rose bushes when she sold the house. So, for the first time in all his 34
years, Jonesy bought a large bouquet of roses to give to a woman. Jonesy hopped out of his
truck and, with the roses in his hand, knocked on the front door. When Katie
answered, she took his breath away. She had on a blue sundress that matched
her eyes, and her hair was pulled away from her face. She looked like an
angel. “Good morning!” she greeted.
Then she spied the large vase of red roses. “Oh, my! What lovely flowers!” Jonesy nervously studied his
feet and handed her the bouquet. “You mentioned having to leave your rose
bushes when you sell the house. I thought these might make you feel better.”
He anxiously wrung his hands as he waited for her response. “Thank you so much,” Katie
stammered. “That was very sweet of you, but you really shouldn’t have. I
mean, I barely know you, and I’m sure they were expensive, and…” “I just thought you might
need some cheering up,” he explained nervously. “You looked a little down
during dinner that night. And don’t worry about the money. With the truck
farm doing so well, I have more money than I know what to do with.” Instantly, he was filled with
apprehension. What if she thinks I’m
moving too fast? he wondered. It was time to backtrack. “I didn’t mean to
offend you any. I just wanted to…” “These are lovely,” Katie
told him earnestly. “They do cheer
me up. It’s been a long time since I’ve gotten flowers, especially roses. My
husband always bought me white orchids.” She stepped away from the door, not
seeing Jonesy roll his eyes at the mention of Win. “Why don’t you come in for
a moment while I put these in the house?” Jonesy went into the living
room and anxiously looked around for Jim. “Where’s your boy?” he asked,
trying to sound concerned. “Jim’s out in the barn. He
wants to take his horse out for a ride later on.” Katie placed the flowers on
the shelf above the fireplace. “He’s planning to go after he helps you with
loading the plow. He knew you were coming early this morning and didn’t want
to keep you waiting.” Just
wants to get rid of me, is more like it! Jonesy thought
bitterly. “That’s real helpful of him,” he said as obligingly as possible. The phone rang before Katie
could reply. “While I get that, maybe you could go out and get Jim.” Jonesy gave her a quick nod
of assent and went outside. He stayed out of sight on the porch and
eavesdropped to see who was calling Katie. “Hello…Yes, Mr. Butler…So
glad to hear from you…Yes, we want to sell if they are still interested…” Satisfied that the caller was
not a rival for Katie’s attentions, Jonesy strutted to the barn in search of
Jim. He went inside and found the boy carefully grooming his horse. “Gonna take a ride on old Dog
Food?” His comment coupled with the
tone had the desired effect on Jim. The boy jumped in surprise at Jonesy’s
gruff voice. Jim glared at Jonesy with an angry look on his freckled face. He
recovered quickly, however, and continued brushing his horse. “Don’t talk much, do ya,
boy?” Jim went right on currying,
not bothering to look up. “Don’t have much to say.” “I thought yer daddy taught
you to respect yer elders.” “He did, but he also taught
me that respect should be earned, not expected.” Jim calmly ran his brush
over the gelding’s back. Jonesy’s eyes darkened with
rage. “Why, you little… What are you sayin’? That I don’t deserve yer respect?” Jim innocently shrugged his
shoulders. “You were the one who brought up my father’s lessons; I just
happened to remember that particular one and thought I’d mention it.” He put
away his grooming supplies and patted his horse on its flanks. He looked up
and stared the older man in the eye. Jonesy may have caught him off guard,
but Jim was determined not to act afraid of the offensive creature before
him. Jonesy stared right back at
the boy, trying to convey every malicious thought in his wicked brain. If he
weren’t trying so hard to pursue Katie, he would earn that brat’s respect, all right. He’d take that whip down from
the wall and show that kid who was boss. Suddenly, Katie Frayne
appeared at the barn door. “Oh, good. You found each other.” She smiled at
them both, unaware of the tension that filled the air. “Jimmy, why don’t you
help Mr. Jones with that plow, and then you can go on your ride?” “Are you sure you don’t want
me to stay here with you instead?” Jim glanced suspiciously at Jonesy. “No, son. You should ride as
much as possible while you have the chance. I heard from Mr. Butler, and he
told me that the farm has been sold.” She hesitated a moment before adding,
“He said the family that’s buying it might want to buy your horse, as well.” Jim’s heart sank. “Well, I
guess that’s for the best,” he said glumly. “At least old Blackie here won’t
have to move.” “You know that my friend is
always willing to take yer horse off your hands.” Jonesy’s friendly tone
belied his cruel taunt. Katie smiled at Jonesy, thinking he was trying to
comfort her son. Jim angrily set his jaw. “I
think it’s best for Blackie to stay here. And I think it’s best for me to
wait until after dinner to go on my ride.” He eyed Jonesy, his gaze critical.
“Mom, you might need me to look after things here.” Katie laughed. “Now, Jim,
I’ll be fine. You take too much responsibility upon yourself. I think I can
stay here and cook lunch without setting the house on fire or electrocuting
myself.” “Don’t worry, kid. I’ll be
here to keep an eye on yer Ma,” Jonesy needled. He couldn’t help but smirk at
the alarm on Jim’s face. “That’s right, Jimmy. If anything
goes wrong here, Mr. Jones will be here to take care of it,” Katie said,
unaware of the strain between the two. “You go on your ride. I’ll be fine
here. Now let’s see how difficult this equipment will be to load.” Katie followed Jim and Jonesy
outside. Grudgingly, they worked together to load the plow onto the trailer.
With Katie in hearing distance, Jonesy made sure to watch his temper and not
say anything he might regret. He patiently instructed the young man as any
dutiful father would. Jim, knowing his mother was close by, dutifully
followed instructions. Soon the task was accomplished. In an attempt to impress
Katie, Jonesy amicably slapped Jim on the back. “That’s a fine worker you
got, Katie. He’s mighty strong for his age, and he’s not one to slack.” Obviously fond of her son,
Katie beamed with pleasure at Jonesy’s praise for Jim. Jim, however, wasn’t
so easily deceived. The thought of being touched by Jonesy made his skin
scrawl, but he didn’t say a word, although he did flinch when he felt the
bony hand on his body. “Jimmy, you’d better get
Blackie saddled up if you want to be back by lunchtime,” Katie advised. Jim futilely tried to protest
once again but was interrupted by his mom. “No, it’s been settled. Go
ride your horse. Get dirty. Fall in the pond. Catch frogs. Enjoy being a
ten-almost-eleven-year-old boy!” She playfully patted him on the backside.
“Now, go on with you!” Jim dejectedly trudged to the
barn. He didn’t like the thought of leaving his mother alone with that man.
For some reason, she had bought into his good-guy act, hook, line, and
sinker. However, as young as he was, Jim had already seen through the facade
and knew it was all a gimmick to ensnare his mom. Only she couldn’t see it. Reluctantly, Jim obeyed his
mother and bridled and saddled his horse. As he led Blackie out of the barn,
he noticed that his mother had returned to the house and that Jonesy had
begun repairing the truck. Feeling a little better, he gently kicked
Blackie’s flanks and trotted off. He would
go on his ride, but he made a mental note to not be long. He didn’t trust Mr. Jones one little bit. Chapter
Eight Jonesy worked for over an hour repairing
the truck’s fan belt. Once he finished
that, he changed the oil. He was sure that task hadn’t been performed for
quite some time, judging by the dark, black goop that seeped from the oil
pan. After he finished with the truck, he went into the barn to wash his
hands. Earlier, Katie had brought him a large
glass of ice water. She stayed momentarily to check on the progress of the
work and then proceeded to hang freshly-washed sheets on the clothesline out
back. As Jonesy left the barn, he watched her, fascinated by her beauty. The
breeze played with her blonde waves, causing them to blow around her face.
Her hair shimmered in the sunlight, and Jonesy could see the many highlights.
Her cheeks were flushed from her work, which made her even more attractive.
She was having a difficult time hanging a large sheet on the line. One corner
refused to stay in the clothespin and kept fluttering to the ground. Jonesy smiled and made his way to the
clothesline. “It looks like you could use a little help,” he said, picking up
the transgressing corner and fastening it to the line. Katie looked up at him, startled by his
sudden appearance. “Don’t worry,” he
teased. “I don’t think yer clean sheets will mess up my dirty hands too bad.”
He was even more amused at how quickly Katie’s eyes darted to his hands and
the look of relief that passed over her pretty face when she saw that he’d
scrubbed away the grease. “You’re as bad a tease as my husband,” she
gently scolded. Jonesy gave a hearty chuckle. “If you
weren’t so pretty when you get mad, it wouldn’t be so much fun.” Katie smiled. “That’s just what Win used
to say.” Both Katie and
Jonesy were suddenly uncomfortable. It was clear that Jonesy’s interest in
Katie was more than platonic, and since she was a happily married woman a
year ago, the single scene was unfamiliar to Katie. It was a strange world
that she wasn’t sure she wanted to enter. After being doted on by Win for all
those years, she had missed having a man’s attention. It feels kind of nice, Katie admitted
to herself. The unbidden thought caused her to blush guiltily; although Win
was dead, she suddenly felt unfaithful to him because she was enjoying
another man’s company. She cleared her
throat. “Are you finished with the truck?” “Yes, ma’am. I fixed that belt like new.
Should run like a top now. I did notice it was in need of an oil change.” Katie’s face
filled with worry. “Don’t worry,”
he was quick to assure her. “I thought it might, so I brought a case of oil
with me and already took care of it. I’m awful glad I did. By the looks of
the oil that came out, it hadn’t been done for a good bit. You wouldn’t want
your motor to burn up.” Jonesy was rewarded for his hard work by
a huge smile from Katie. “Thank you so
much!” she gushed. “I never would’ve thought of changing the oil. That was
more Win’s department, although he didn’t do a very good job of it.” Her
smile turned rueful. “He hated working on the truck. He usually had it
serviced in town, but I’m sure it hadn’t been done for some time. Now, what
do I owe you for all your work?” Jonesy shook his head. “Not a thing. Call
it a good deed.” “Surely I can give you something in
exchange for all your work. I don’t like to be beholden to any person.” Jonesy thought for a minute. He’d like to
ask for a kiss but knew that would be rushing her. Instead, he said, “How
about if I’m ever in the area, I can drop by for one of yer delicious
home-cooked meals?” Katie laughed. “It’s a deal, although I
fear you’re getting the short end of the stick. You are staying for lunch, aren’t you?” “I wouldn’t miss it.” “I’m finished here. Why don’t you sit on
the front porch? After I check on
lunch, I’ll join you outside.” She started to pick up the laundry basket, but
Jonesy beat her to it. He followed her into the laundry room, set down the
basket, and went to the porch. He sat
on the swing, hoping Katie might join him. A few minutes later, she joined
him. However, instead of sitting on the swing like he’d hoped, she chose the
rocking chair. “Dinner should be ready soon,” she said.
“I’ll give Jim time to make it home and get cleaned up.” “Is he ridin’ close by?” “Yes, there are several lovely trails on
our property.” “It sure is pretty around here. I bet
you’ll miss it when you have to move.” Katie sighed. “We will miss it. It’s the only home Jim has ever known. Win and I
moved here a year after we were married. This place has so many memories. I
hate to leave it.” “You sure do have a lot of stuff to pack
up. I saw some things in the garage that Jim said belonged to yer husband.” “Yes, Win was always busy doing
something; he couldn’t sit still for long. He was a naturalist and kept many
things he needed for his studies. He also did a lot of teaching. And of
course, there are also his woodworking materials. Win had many talents. Why,
he even made this rocking chair I’m sitting on. I just...” “Yer boy told me his dad was good at a
lot of stuff,” Jonesy interrupted. He found it irritating to constantly hear
about this wonderful Win. I get rid of
one perfect man and have to compete with another, he thought bitterly.
The wounds caused by never being able to measure up to his brother were still
fresh. Jonesy noticed the look of hurt that passed Katie’s face. If I’m gonna sweep her off her feet, I
better let her talk about Mr. Perfect, no matter how sick it makes me! “I saw that
shelf he was workin’ on,” he commented. “Looked professional. Did he ever
sell any of his stuff?” Katie smiled and shook her head. “No, Win
simply enjoyed it as a hobby, although I tried to persuade him to open his
own shop. He was afraid it might take too much time away from me and Jim.” “From what Jim tells me, yer man sure was
a good dad. That’s nice the kid had someone to look up to. Not every boy has
that.” Cocking her head to one side in a pensive
manner, Katie intently studied Jonesy. “Were you and your father close?” she
asked. Jonesy shifted in the swing and looked
uncomfortable. “No, ma’am, we weren’t. Pop fed me and clothed me and put a
roof over my head, but that was about it. He didn’t have much to do with me.
He was always much fonder of my older brother. I couldn’t ever compete.” “I’m so sorry,” Katie said softly. A wave
of compassion passed over her for this man. She could tell that Jonesy hadn’t
been blessed with the same kind of upbringing that she and Win had. As one
who felt it natural to comfort others, she reached over and comfortingly placed
her hand on his arm. Genuinely moved by her sympathy, Jonesy’s
heart, once as cold as ice, warmed at her touch. Of course, these newfound
feelings didn’t keep him from trying some of the tricks he’d employed in the
past. He wasn’t above milking her compassion for all that it was worth. “I just wish I
could be a good role model for some kid,” he said. “I’d like to have a son
someday to teach stuff to and spend time with.” He sneaked a glance at Katie.
Is she buying this? To his
surprise, the look of pity on Katie’s face turned into admiration. “I think that’s wonderful,” she answered.
“I know Jim needs a good role model, now that his father is gone.” “Those would be two big shoes to fill.”
Jonesy’s voice dripped with earnestness, but in truth, he was sickened by his
own words. Whatever it takes, he
reminded himself. “Yes, it would take a special man to be a
stepfather,” Katie observed quietly. “A good
one, that is.” Their conversation was interrupted by the
sight of Jim riding up the driveway on Blackie. Jonesy noticed the look of
pride on Katie’s face when she saw her son. Nobody had ever looked that
pleased with him. “Jim sure does know how to ride,” Jonesy
remarked. “Rides almost as good as any grown man does.” Katie nodded. “He’s like his father. Win
could ride as well as any horse trainer or jockey. He had a natural gift with
animals.” Jonesy gritted his teeth. So, we’re back to Win, are we? All roads
lead back to Mr. Perfect. Why ride a horse when you can just walk on water? Out
loud he said, “Well, his boy sure does take after him.” Katie stood up from her chair, smoothing
the skirt of her sundress. “I need to finish making lunch since Jim is home.
Why don’t you go out to the barn? Maybe you two can visit for a few minutes
while I get the food on the table.” Might
as well. I’ve heard just about enough of Mr. Perfect. “I’d enjoy a talk with the boy,” he lied. That’s not a total fib, he thought. I do enjoy torturing the kid… Jonesy sauntered out to the barn. Jim had
already removed Blackie’s saddle and bridle and was carefully grooming the
animal after their long ride. “Have fun on yer ride, kid?” Jim looked up briefly, grimaced, and then
nodded. “Guess so.” “Well, I sure had a fun time with yer
ma.” If it were
possible, Jim’s eyes would have burned holes in Jonesy’s head. Jonesy chortled,
amused that he had gotten under Jim’s skin. “Don’t you worry, kid. I was a
good boy while you was gone. Me an’ yer Ma just talked.” Jim didn’t respond. He silently brushed
his horse, keeping his eyes on his work. His silence bugged Jonesy. “You don’t like me much, do
ya kid?” Jonesy asked, studying the young man through his slanted eyes. “No, I don’t,” Jim answered honestly,
never taking his eyes off Blackie. “We’re even then, kid, because I don’t
like you neither,” Jonesy countered. “Gee, I couldn’t tell,” Jim muttered as
he turned around to lead Blackie to his stall. “How ‘bout we make us a deal?” Jonesy
called in a conciliatory tone. Jim paused in
his tracks. “What kind of deal?” “We may not think much of each other,
but we both care for yer ma.” “You care for my mother?” Jim scoffed. “You
hardly know her.” “That’s true,”
Jonesy began, “but you gotta admit that yer ma’s the kinda lady that’s easy
to fall for. I’ve been around, kid, and let me tell you, they don’t make many
like her. It’s easy to care for a woman like that.” Jim couldn’t find any fault with that,
so he didn’t say anything. “You’ve taken
care of yer ma for a while now, haven’t you?” Jim gave a
faint nod. “I know you
don’t want someone replacing yer old man, but somebody needs to help yer ma
out.” “My father told me to take care of my mom,” Jim stormed. Jonesy assumed a kindly tone. “I know
yer tryin’, kid, and yer doin’ a good job. But you can’t do everything.
There’s gonna be some things come up that you can’t take care of. Like the
truck.” Jim lowered
his head and nodded again. He might not like this man, but he knew Jonesy had
a point. “My only interest is helpin’ out yer
ma,” Jonesy said. “I like her a lot, and I’m not planning on hurtin’ her.
There’s a lot around here that needs to be done before you move. So let’s try
an’ get along as best we can, for yer ma’s sake.” He stuck out his hand to
Jim. “Is it a deal?” Jim thought about it for a moment. He
hesitated briefly, and then clasped Jonesy’s hand. “It’s a deal,” he said
quietly. Gotcha!
Jonesy thought, all the while keeping a benevolent smile on his face. You’ve just made a deal with the devil,
Jimmy boy.
Thank you so much to my editors! Lori, you are the
grammar queen! Thank you for all your help, especially with those stupid
commas. KayRenee, you always know just how to word something. Thanks for your
input! And Kaye, you always notice those little things that are very vital to
the story. You’ve saved my backside several times. Thank you so much! A big thank you to my dear husband for all his
technical advice about fan belts and oil and junk. I’m not exactly known for
my prowess under the hood of a vehicle. You are the bestest! *kees, kees*
This is April’s husband, and I wanted to write and say
“Thank you” for acknowledging us husbands with your dh support group. We do the best we can at coping with
hearing about “Jix” and “Uni’s” and “MB’s” and “PM’s” and “dh’s” etc., etc…
The previous note is a good example of why I felt it
was essential to learn how to design my own pages and load them onto the
internet myself. J I had no idea this was in here until I did
a little revamping a couple of years later. I only leave it in because it
amused me so. For those who may be curious, my darling husband was referring
to the concept of a support group for the spouses/significant others who may
be feeling neglected because their partner spends too much time at the
Jixemitri Message Board. Now that I’m an administrator of Jix, I should form
that support group and make sure my dh joins. :-p
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