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Neighbours : A Contemporary Christian Romance - Season 1

By Tracy Krauss

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Late summer. The air was warm, but not oppressive. A slight breeze sent a shiver through the poplar trees lining the boulevard. Light and shadow danced together on the sidewalk as the sun’s rays filtered down through the leaves. The ‘whish’ of passing traffic a few streets over underscored the relative silence on the quiet street, marked only by the melodic offerings of a songbird high up in the trees.
Honk! Honk! “Hey! You’re blocking the driveway! Get that rust bucket outta the way!”
The tranquility was shattered. The impatient driver of the new BMW laid on the horn and craned his head around before jamming it into gear and backing up with a screech. Cranking the wheel, he swung past the offending blue pickup and U-haul trailer, coming dangerously close to clipping the front fender of the truck. The parting expletive and accompanying hand signal was not lost on the occupants of the rig.
“What’s your rush?” Lester leaned out the window of the dusty truck and shook his fist at the retreating silver sports coupe. With a disgusted grunt he pulled his head back into the cab.
“We are blocking the street,” Patsi noted, watching the now minuscule BMW. “I mean, couldn’t we pull around closer to the front doors or something?” She surveyed her brother for a moment and then flopped back against the rather unforgiving bench seat with a sigh. “I forgot. You have everything under control.”
Lester Ray Tibbett gave his young sister a withering look. “As a matter of fact, I do. No room to turn around. I don’t know how they expect folks to move in and out of these blasted apartments with no room to maneuver a trailer.”
The apartment block to which the brother and sister were relocating was a square, four-story structure situated on a narrow tree lined street in an older section of Calgary – if you could call any part of the city ‘old’. The prairie city had boomed to such a degree in recent years that it was a miracle they’d found an apartment at all.
Lester inched the vehicle back a few more millimetres then pressed his foot against the brake. He put the truck in park while simultaneously engaging the emergency brake. He slammed out of the vehicle, keys in hand, leaving the tinny reverberations of the door to echo in his sister’s ears. “Come on. We haven’t got all day,” he called over his shoulder.
Lester blocked up the U-haul’s tires and unlocked the safety latch on the back doors. With a creak, he swung the doors wide, revealing the contents within. Placing hands on hips, he surveyed the stacks of boxes and furniture. He took off his cowboy hat and wiped his brow with the back of his checkered sleeve. His closely cropped brown hair was stuck to his head in a flattened ring where the hat had been, curling up at odd angles everywhere else. A day’s growth of stubble darkened his jaw line until it merged with well-defined sideburns.
Patsi stood next to her brother and groaned. “This is going to take forever.”
“No complaining. The longer we stand around the longer it’ll take.”
Patsi let out a dramatic sigh, but extended her arms to receive the first box. Lester piled two more on top before nodding his head for her to get a move on. He watched her for a few seconds as she strode to the building’s entrance. Her blonde braid swung in time to her steps, mimicking the sway of her hips in the too-short jean shorts she insisted on wearing that day. She’d grown up right before his eyes, taking on a womanly shape that had him worried. His role as her guardian was sure to get more complicated once she started college. She was a good kid. Contentious as any teenage girl, but a hard worker. Both he and his sister were used to manual labor. Despite her petite figure and pretty face, she was tough as nails from doing chores and could hold her own.
Lester hoisted his own set of boxes and followed his sister. Several trips later they were both puffing from exertion. Lester had worked on the farm all his life and had the muscles to prove it, but so many trips up and down two flights of stairs was taking its toll.
“I need to take a break.” Patsi bent over, hands on her thighs as she tried to catch her breath. “Any water in the truck?” Tendrils of hair were coming loose, framing her face with heat induced curls. The siblings had the same naturally curly hair, but Patsi’s was a shade lighter than his. ‘Dirty blonde’ she called it while Lester’s was a light brown. He, of course, kept his cropped short, but Patsi insisted on keeping hers long and tried to straighten it each day. It was a chore that made no sense to him, but girls would be girls.
“I think there’s some in the cab.” Lester strode to the driver’s side of the truck and opened the door with a jerk. He rummaged around behind the seat until he came up with two bottles of water. He tossed one to Patsi on his way around the vehicle and she caught it with the quickness of an infielder.
“It’s warm,” she protested.
“Beggars can’t be choosers.” Lester downed the whole thing then wiped his mouth with the back of his hand before crushing the bottle in his fist and tossing it into the box of the truck among the other contents. “Okay, let’s get this trunk out of here next.” Lester jumped into the half empty U-haul trailer and tugged a large trunk toward the doors.
“It’s too heavy for me.” Patsi recapped her water and set it on the bumper of the trailer.
Lester shot her a frown. “Come on Princess. It’s not going to move itself, and I don’t see anybody else around, do you?”
Patsi sighed heavily and moved to take her place at the other end of the trunk. Lester took a hold of one of the corners and lifted, trying to shimmy the heavy burden so that Patsi could better grasp it by the handles. Suddenly the trunk slipped, jamming his finger between it and the open doorway of the trailer. With a yelp he snatched his finger away and squeezed it with his other hand. A few choice words escaped.
“I told you it was too heavy.” Patsi cocked her head to one side in an ‘I told you so’ manner and raised her brows.
“Need a hand?”
Lester looked up sharply. A man was standing on his third floor balcony, overlooking the operation. He was tall and broad and was wearing a worn T-shirt and a dirty ball cap.
“Um… yeah. That would be great,” Lester called back.
“Be right down.” The man waved and disappeared through his sliding glass doors.
“My lucky day.” Patsi beamed up at her brother. “Your new friend can take over from here.”
“There’s still plenty of small stuff,” Lester said.
Patsi rolled her eyes. “I was joking.”
Lester sighed. Sometimes his sister acted so immature. Okay, she was only seventeen, but she needed to start acting more grown up. He wasn’t much older when he’d been thrown into more responsibility than most guys his age had ever dreamed of.
“Hi!”
Lester glanced back up at the building. Two small boys were watching from their own balcony two stories up. One had chocolate brown skin, while the other had straight black hair and an olive complexion. He just waved. Those little kids probably had nothing better to do, so let them watch if they wanted. He noticed the curtains moving in another window on the second floor. It was hard to remain anonymous in a place like this. Where everyone was all squished together like sardines in a can. Oh well. It was the best he could do.
The helpful neighbour was approaching so Lester turned his attention back to the matter at hand. “Thanks again for offering to help. Name’s Lester Ray Tibbett.” Lester stretched out his hand.
“Jed Malloy.” Jed had a firm grip and his hand almost dwarfed Lester’s.
“Good to meet you. Me and my sister are just moving in,” Lester said.
Patsi rolled her eyes. “Obviously. Duh.”
Lester pointed a thumb back at Patsi. “My sister Patsi Mae.”
“Just Pat,” Patsi mumbled, looking down.
Jed smiled. “Pleased to meet ya. I got a couple a sisters of my own back ‘ome. You’re mighty lucky to get the place. Ol’ Tucker was ‘ardly even cold when the place was advertised. A real ‘ousing shortage these days.”
“You from out east?” Lester asked. Jed’s short clipped words, extended ‘r’ and lack of ‘h’ quickly betrayed his background.
“Yeah. Newfoundland.”
Lester nodded. “Thought so. The accent kind of gives you away.”
“I ain’t the one with the accent. I keeps tellin’ you westerners, but youse don’t listen too well.” They all laughed. “Well, we’d better get you moved in.” Jed clapped Lester soundly on the back and then went straight for the trunk. “Where’s this beast going?”
With a grunt the two men hoisted the heavy trunk and started lumbering for the entrance.
Jed was taller than Lester by several inches and at six feet Lester wasn’t exactly short. Jed also looked to be broader and very muscular. Lester’s own muscles were hardened by hard work and fine-tuned by riding broncos – one of his hobbies - but he wouldn’t want to meet the other man in a fight. He just might lose.
The threesome had the remainder of the truck and trailer unloaded and into the apartment within half an hour.
“Thanks man,” Lester puffed, winded from the last trek up the stairs with a particularly heavy chest of drawers. “I don’t know how I would have managed with only Patsi for help.”
“Hey, I’m no sissy,” Patsi protested. “I could have managed.”
Lester shook his head and snorted his doubts.
“I could have! Mostly…”
“No problem. That’s what neighbours are for. I was glad to ‘elp. I could use a cold one, though. As a thank you.” Jed winked. He pulled off his ball cap to reveal a shock of dark hair that stood out at odd angles.
“Sorry,” Lester apologized. “We haven’t got anything to offer just yet. We could make coffee if we could find the coffee maker.”
“Why don’t you come over to my place?” Jed offered. “My fridge is always stocked with the essentials. Like beer, that is.” He chuckled.
“Sounds good to me. I should move that rig out of the way first, though. I’ll just be a minute.”
“Sure. I’ll just ‘elp your sister move some of these boxes around.”
Lester left Patsi and Jed to rearrange the boxes into their respective rooms while he moved the truck and trailer to a better location down the street. He returned in a few minutes to find them already waiting in the hall.
“A beer sounds pretty good about now,” Lester said. “Got anything for my sister?”
Patsi stuck her chin out. “I can have a beer if I want. I’m not a baby.”
Lester just raised a brow. “Only if I say so.”
“It’s not like I haven’t had a beer before. Besides, I’ll be legal in four months.”
“Nineteen?” Jed asked.
Patsi shook her head. “Eighteen.”
“Right. Legal drinking age is eighteen in Alberta.” Jed shook his head. “No wonder the kids in the bar are looking younger and younger these days.”
Lester and Patsi followed Jed down the hall to his apartment, three doors down from their own. It was a typical bachelor’s pad – mismatched furniture arranged for optimal television viewing with dirty dishes and left over food littering every available surface.
“Excuse the mess,” Jed apologized, going straight for the refrigerator and collecting three long necked bottles of beer. The first bottle let out a hiss as he twisted the top off. He handed it to Patsi and winked. “Ladies first.”
“Thanks.” Patsi looked pointedly at her brother and took a sip.
“Guess I can’t say no now that you’ve put your germs on it,” Lester said with a slight grin. “But don’t get any ideas.”
Jed distributed the remaining beer. “Have a seat.” He did a wide sweep of the room with his free arm. Patsi and Lester found seats on the sofa and Jed stretched out in the armchair. “So? What brings you to the city?”
“Work,” Lester replied. “That and my sister going to college.”
“His idea, not mine,” Patsi said with a sullen edge to her voice. She sipped tentatively from her bottle of beer.
“Education is a good thing,” Jed said. “Something that can never be taken away. So my Ma says. Too bad I didn’t listen.” He grinned. “You seem kinda young for college, though.” He squinted at Patsi.
“December baby,” Lester explained. “Moving here should help her adjust.”
“You talk like I’m not even here,” Patsi protested. “Besides, I would have been just fine.” As if to prove it she took a long drink of her beer. Suddenly she sputtered, choking as it went down the wrong way. Her diaphragm jerked as she tried to control the coughing and she glared at Lester, as if it was his fault she was choking.
Jed pointed with his free hand. “Bathroom’s that way, if you want.”
Patsi got up from the couch without looking at either man and headed down the narrow hall. Lester’s eyes followed her.
“Where’d you say you come from again?” Jed took a long swing of his beer.
“Farmed near Coulee Creek,” Lester said.
Jed nodded. “I know it. That’s nice country.”
“It’s home. But there have been a few bad years. Drought. Poor grain prices. It costs about as much to put the crop in as any profits you might get. I figured I’d rent the land out for a bit. Let somebody else have all the headaches and just collect a pay check for a change.”
Jed took another drink. “You gotta do what you gotta do. I came all the way across the country, so I definitely know.”
“How long have you been here?” Lester asked.
Jed cocked his head to one side. “Let’s see… Four years now? Something like that. Long enough that I ‘ate to give up my job and move back ‘ome. Besides, ‘alf of Newfoundland is out west so’s its not so bad. One of my brothers is coming out soon, too, or so ‘e says.”
“That’s nice. Family is important.”
Jed eyed Lester over the top of his bottle. “So it’s just you and your sister?”
“Since our folks died, yes. Sometimes I feel more like her father than her brother.”
“How long your folks been gone?” Jed asked.
“Nine years. She was only nine, so she’s spent half her life without them.”
“And there was no other family to take care of ‘er?”
“I don’t believe in shirking my duties,” Lester responded quietly. “We had an old aunt in Saskatoon, but it was best for her to stay put in her own home. That’s what my folks would have wanted.”
“You must a been pretty young yourself.”
“Twenty-three.”
Jed let out a soft whistle. “Pretty young to have to take on that kind of responsibility. Took over the farm, too?”
Lester nodded. “I was planning on working along side my folks anyway. It just happened sooner than expected.”
“I see.”
“It’s a good life,” Lester said. “On the farm, I mean. Good place to raise a kid.”
“Keeps ‘em out of trouble, I suppose,” Jed agreed. “You might ‘ave your ‘ands full ‘ere.” He grinned.
“Not if I can help it.”
“I know a thing or two about teenage girls. I’ve got sisters of my own and when they put their mind to somethin’ they don’t give in easy. I’d watch ‘er if I were you.”
“I intend to.” Lester let out a sigh – one far too deep for a casual first meeting. “It’s one thing I plan on doing right.”
“Sounds like you’re pretty ‘ard on yourself.”
Lester sat up straighter and tried for a smile. Trust a Newfie to skip small talk and go straight to personal. “So, what do you do for a living?”
“Construction. I know there’s more money in the oil patch, but I don’t care much for camp life. We’re working on some big ‘igh rise building downtown.”
“You don’t say. I’m starting up with a construction outfit myself. What’s the name of yours?”
“Titan,” Jed said.
Lester raised his brows. “Really? That’s who hired me. My cousin put in a good word for me.”
“Always pays to know the right people.” Jed finished his beer and set the bottle on the side table. “Small world, ain’t it?”
“True.” Lester also downed the rest of his beer just as Patsi re-emerged. “Ready to go, Sis?” He stood and stretched.
She glanced at the full bottle of beer sitting where she’d left it. “I’m not done my beer.”
Lester checked his watch. “I gotta get that trailer back before closing.”
Jed winked at Patsi. “You can ‘ave a rain-check sometime.”
“Thanks again for the help,” Lester said.
“Anytime. Whenever you two need anything, just ‘oller.”
* * *
Lester rubbed his right shoulder and did a few circular motions to try and work out the kinks. All that heavy lifting yesterday had him feeling muscles he’d forgotten existed. He and Patsi had stayed up late and managed to get the bulk of their belongings stored away. It didn’t exactly feel like home yet, but it was one step closer.
“Do we have to go?” Patsi stood in her bedroom doorway, arms folded.
Lester stopped in the hall on his way from the bathroom and surveyed his sister’s grimacing face. “Of course we have to go. You didn’t think we’d just stop going to church did you?”
“But, I don’t have anything to wear.” She gestured down at her black pants and nondescript maroon top.
“What’s wrong with what you have on?”
“It’s so… boring. How do I know what people are wearing in the city?”
“It’s not about what you’re wearing,” Lester said reasonably.
“Okay, fine,” Patsi huffed. “But if I don’t like it I’m not going back.”
“You’re forgetting who puts a roof over your head. If I say going to church is part of the deal, then it is.” Lester crossed his own arms and widened his stance.
“You’re not fair, you know that?” Patsi shot at him.
“Nobody said life was fair.”
Lester continued down the hall to his own small room. He’d given Patsi the bigger one as a concession. The apartment was tight compared to what they were used to. There had been plenty of room to spread out in the farmhouse.
Several minutes later they were heading out the door of the apartment building. Lester was wearing his one pair of dress pants and a white cotton shirt. He figured he might as well put his best foot forward.
“Hey, where are you going?” Patsi stopped on her way to the truck. Lester was already several steps in the opposite direction.
Lester shrugged. “I thought we’d try that church just down the street. No use driving to some mega-church if we can walk every Sunday.”
Patsi threw up her hands. “But it’s probably full of old people.”
“How do you know? You haven’t been there yet.”
“I just know!”
“We’ll see. But today we’re going to try out the church in our own neighbourhood. Come on, at least give it a chance.”
They arrived at the small community church and were greeted at the door by the pastor, a youngish man with a prematurely receding hairline. He was wearing all black except for the small white collar symbolic of his calling.
“Welcome. I’m Reverend Wallis.”
Lester and Patsi shook the young Reverend’s hand then found an empty pew and waited for the service to start. The congregation was small, although larger than their church in Coulee Creek. After three hymns the offering plate was passed and then the Reverend gave his sermon – a short discourse on the merits of being a good neighbour. All in all, it was satisfactory, as far as Lester could tell. The sermon was short and to the point and the minister seemed simple and unpretentious. Just what he liked.
After the service, the mostly elderly adherents filed toward the exit, waiting for their turn to greet the pastor on their way out the door. As Lester and Patsi waited, an elderly woman approached. She stopped directly beside them. “I believe we’re neighbours.” Her tone was clipped.
“Oh?” Lester turned his full attention toward the newcomer. She was almost as tall as he. Her mostly grey hair was smoothed into an iron clad pageboy with nary a wisp out of place. Her lavender suit was perfectly tailored, while the pearls around her neck drew attention to the cords of her throat.
“Yes. I live in suite twenty-four. I saw you moving in the other day. I’m Millicent Peacock. I’ve been attending this church since nineteen-sixty-five.” She inhaled sharply through her nose and tilted her head up slightly, as if the information she’d given was of great importance.
“Pleased to meet you.” Lester smiled and stuck out his hand. “I’m Lester Ray Tibbett and this is my sister Patsi Mae.”
“Just Pat,” Patsi threw in.
Millicent ignored the offered hand. “Your sister? Well, that’s a relief.”
“Beg your pardon?”
“I’m glad you’re not one of those young couples just living together, although I should have known since you seem a bit old for her.”
Lester blinked. He didn’t even know how to respond. He glanced over at the minister to see if he could squeeze ahead in the line up.
“I’m actually quite surprised to see you here this morning,” Ms. Peacock went on.
Lester swung his gaze back to the elderly woman, his eyebrows raised in question. “Oh? Why’s that?”
“All the ruckus when you moved in. I heard more than a few choice words coming from your mouth, Mr. Tibbett. I’m glad to see you have some fear of God in you after all. You may have to learn to tame your tongue, however.” Her steely blue eyes dared his to stray.
Lester opened his mouth to respond but Millicent was already moving forward to shake the pastor’s hand. Lester stood for a moment with his mouth open until Patsi elbowed him in the ribs. He jerked his gaze in his sister’s direction. She had a smirk on her lips, the unspoken ‘I told you so’ written on her face.
With a sigh, Lester moved forward and shook Reverend Wallis’s outstretched hand. “Good sermon, Reverend.”
The minister smiled. “Thank you. Ms. Peacock tells me you moved into her building. I hope that means we’ll be seeing you again next Sunday.”
“Um, maybe,” Lester mumbled. Thankfully, there were others waiting in line to shake the Reverend’s hand.
When they were far enough away from the church Patsi finally spoke. “I told you it would be all old people. And the nerve of that old lady! She probably sits by the window spying on everyone in the building.”
“Let her. I doubt we’ll be seeing her much anyway.”
“Not if you insist on going to that church every Sunday,” Patsi pointed out.
Lester frowned. So much for a simple solution to keeping his sister’s spiritual life in tact. It had been a steep learning curve and he’d made some mistakes, but bringing her up in the fear of God was one thing he was determined not to mess up. Even if it killed him.
* * *
Lester lowered himself onto a makeshift stool made of a plastic crate and gazed out over the cityscape. From this vantage on the eighteenth floor of the new concrete structure, he had an unobstructed view of the other high rises that made up the downtown core. There were no windows or finishes of any kind as yet, just cement pillars and gaping holes. The wind whipped pretty briskly up here, but he found he liked it. He’d never been afraid of heights and the freedom he felt at this elevation was something new.
It was lunchtime on his first day. He unscrewed the lid on his thermos and poured some steaming coffee into it, using it for a mug.
“Hey! What are you doing?”
Lester recognized the voice as Jed’s and swivelled around to greet his new friend. “Thought I’d enjoy the view while I ate lunch.”
Jed came and stood beside Lester, gazing past the large openings. “It is kind of cool.” He looked down at Lester’s thermos and lunch cooler. “I guess we think alike.” He held his own lunch kit aloft. “Mind if I join you?”
“Not at all.”
Jed set his lunch down and walked two paces to where another crate sat waiting. He kicked the dusty crate with his foot until it was near Lester and then he sat down on it. “Lots of the other guys go out for lunch.”
“Can’t afford to eat out everyday.”
“Same.” Jed looked around the expanse of cement. “It’s a nice view from up ‘ere, but I guess we’ll ‘ave to wait and see if the finished product is any good. Sometimes these fancy architects don’t take the practical into consideration.”
“I guess if they hired him he must know something.” Lester took a sip of his coffee.
“From Toronto, I ‘ear. Chan or Chow or some kind of Chinese name.”
“They couldn’t find anyone local?” Lester asked.
“Beats me.” Jed took a huge bite of his sandwich. “Mm-mm. I do love a good bologna sandwich!”
“Bologna, eh?” Lester surveyed the other man, obvious relish in the way he was chewing on his lunch. “I never cared for it much.”
“Newfie steak, don’t ya know,” Jed said with his mouth full. He swallowed and gulped some juice from a bottle. “One day I’ll take you to The Brew for lunch, though. They make the best Pastrami sandwiches around and their coffee is pretty good, too. It’s just around the corner.”
“The Brew? Sounds like a hangout for witches.” Lester grinned and took a hefty bite of his roast beef sandwich.
Jed laughed. “Tamara and Carmen couldn’t be witches. They’re too easy on the eyes.”
“The owners, I take it?” Lester took another bite.
“Yep. Tamara actually lives in our building, so I feel obligated to go to ‘er café once in awhile. ” Jed stopped, finished chewing and then swallowed, all the while staring at Lester with his head cocked to one side. “I could probably fix you up if you want. She’s a bit of a feminist or activist or some such thing, so she might be a ‘andful. But you look like you could take it.”
Lester frowned. “Then why don’t you date her?”
Jed just laughed. “I’m not the settlin’ down kind. No woman’s gonna stick ‘er claws into me. Not if I can ‘elp it.”
“Is that so? What makes you think I’d be interested?”
Jed rubbed his chin. “Are you?”
“Not at the moment.” Lester kept his gaze straight ahead, out toward the wide-open air beyond the building’s skeletal structure.
“You sure about that?”
Lester turned to Jed and gave him a withering look. “Absolutely. Now, change of topic. What does a guy do for fun around this city?”
“Depends on your idea of fun,” Jed replied with a shrug. “What did you used to do for fun?”
“Work mostly. No time for fun.”
Jed guffawed and shook his head. “Not buyin’ it.”
“Well, I used to do some rodeo riding. Broncos, mostly.”
Jed’s eyebrows rose and he nodded slowly as if impressed. “So, you’re the real deal, then. A real Alberta cowboy.”
“I guess you could say that.” Lester smiled and looked down at his jeans. He felt suddenly embarrassed and slapped his hands on his knees before standing up. “I guess we better get back to work. Lunch break must be over by now.”
Jed stood also. “I think I might know just the place for a cowboy like yourself to ‘ave some fun.”
Lester glanced at Jed and, by the look in his eyes, he wasn’t sure he wanted to know. “I’m afraid to ask but go ahead and tell me, since you’re going to anyway.”
Jed leaned back and gestured with both hands at an invisible sign in front of him. “It’s called The Urban Cowboy.”
“You’ve got to be kidding.”
“No joke.”
“Sounds almost too cliché to be true.”
“Ah, you laugh now, but it ‘as one of those mechanical bulls. A leftover from the eighties or something. Vintage. Might be the only operational one in the city for all I know.” Jed straightened and tucked his thumbs in his belt loops. “What do you think of that? Wanna try it out?”
Lester shook his head. “Those things are dangerous.”
“Chicken? I thought you said you was a rodeo cowboy.”
“I said I used to be. Big difference. I could break my neck. Besides, I’ve got Patsi to think about.”
Jed started making clucking noises and tucked his hands up under his armpits like flapping wings.
Lester frowned. “Although, it might be fun to take a look…”
Jed slapped Lester on the back. “That’s the spirit, cowboy.”
“I’m not promising I’ll ride the thing,” Lester said. “So don’t hold your breath. I just want to see what kind of machine it is.”
“Awesome. Friday at eight.”
* * *
Lester let the truck idle as he waited for Patsi to join him in the parking lot. He’d been thinking about his conversation with Jed the other day - the one where Jed kept bating him about dating. The truth was, he was lonely at times. But long hours on the farm and the weight of his responsibilities had kept him from pursuing anything past ‘casual’. Now that Patsi was almost grown up, he just might consider a relationship – with the right woman, of course. It would have to be on his terms and not some random female that Jed picked out for him.
He spotted Patsi coming out of the main building on campus where he’d dropped her off earlier that day. She opened the passenger door with a jerk and then slammed it shut behind her.
“Hey. Everything okay?” Lester asked, surveying her sullen expression.
“Of course.”
By the look of her folded arms and scowling face, he’d wager everything was not okay. “You sure about that?”
“I said so, didn’t I?” Patsi snapped.
He held up his hands in a sign of surrender. “Okay.” When she was ready to tell him, she would. He put the pickup in gear and started driving.
“You’re not going to pick me up every day are you?” Patsi asked.
“Is that what this is about? Me picking you up?” Lester looked over at her, trying to gauge her reaction.
“I feel like a total hillbilly. One of the Clampets.”
“Sorry I can’t afford a fancy new sports car,” Lester shot back, gripping the wheel more tightly.
“I know. Sorry.” She turned her head to look out the window.
“I just thought it’d be nice on your first day.”
Patsi let out a long, drawn out sigh. “I just feel so… humiliated. Like I don’t fit in.”
Lester glanced her way again. “Change is always hard. You’ll adjust.”
Patsi shook her head. “It’s not just the change. It’s just, well…” She glanced over at him and then lowered her eyes.
“Spit it out,” Lester commanded, not unkindly.
Patsi shrugged. “I don’t want to hurt your feelings.”
“I’m tough. You know that.”
“Well, sometimes it’s embarrassing. The way you’re so cowboy-ish. So country-fied.”
Lester let out a short laugh. “This is Calgary. The place is full of cowboys.”
“I know.” The corners of Patsi’s mouth turned up slightly. “But you’re the real deal, you know? And sometimes I feel it. Like I don’t fit in. I mean, I try to dress normal. How everyone else dresses. To act normal so I just blend in. But then something happens and there I am. Right back where I started. The country bumpkin.”
“Something happen?” Lester asked.
Patsi shrugged. “Nothing major. Just one of my Profs. She called on me in class by my full name. It was embarrassing.”
Lester frowned. “What’s wrong with that? It’s your name.”
Patsi rolled her eyes. “Who names their kids Lester Ray and Patsi Mae? Seriously. We’re like a pair out of a country song.”
“It’s not so bad. Our parents liked them.”
Patsi gazed out the window at the passing traffic. “I wonder what drugs they were on.”
“No disrespect,” Lester said firmly and shot her a warning glance.
“Sorry.” Patsi sighed again. “Then I thought I overheard somebody saying my name after class. Mocking me. I couldn’t get out of there fast enough.”
“Ah.” Lester nodded his head. “So that’s why you were so upset when you got in the truck.”
Patsi nodded.
“I thought you were calling yourself Pat these days?”
“I am. Except a certain someone,” she looked pointedly at Lester, “keeps introducing me as Patsi.”
Lester grinned. “Hey, you can’t blame what happened today on me. I was nowhere in sight.”
“True. It was Professor Chan.” Patsi scowled. “She did it twice, even after I corrected her the first time.”
“Tough luck, sister.”
“Now you’re making fun of me.”
“If that’s the worst of your troubles, I’d say you got it easy.”
“Can you just try and remember to call me Pat from now on? Please?” Patsi asked.
He hesitated for a few moments as he concentrated on the road ahead. “Don’t know if I can remember to do that. You’ve always been Patsi. I’m not sure I can change it now.”
“Please?” she repeated, drawing out the word for effect.
“Next thing you know you’ll be calling me ‘Les’.” He smiled over at her.
“Could I?” Patsi asked hopefully.
“Not a chance.”
“Thanks - Les.” Patsi sat back against her seat, a mischievous grin spreading across her face.
* * *
Jed and Lester sat down at one of the high tables, drinks in hand, and waited for their sandwich order. At Jed’s suggestion, they were taking their lunch break at The Brew.
“There’s Tamara,” Jed said. He waved at a strikingly beautiful First Nations woman who had just entered from the back room. She had long flowing hair and large feather earrings. She waved back. Jed leaned a little closer to Lester. “She’s the one I was tellin’ you about. She lives in our building.”
Another woman brought their sandwiches. She was also pretty, with dark chocolate skin and large eyes. She wore a flamboyant, printed top, leggings, and a brightly coloured scarf, which was tied around her tightly curled black hair. Large hoops dangled from her earlobes. “There you go.”
“Thanks Carmen,” Jed said. “Busy today, eh?”
“You got that right. Both Tamara and I had to come in to help. We’re so short staffed right now. Enjoy.” She dismissed herself with a wave.
“She’s the other owner,” Jed informed just above a whisper.
“You’re either very snoopy or very friendly. Either way you seem to know a lot about other people’s business.” Lester bit into his double-decker sandwich made on thick slices of homemade bread and chewed, savouring the first bite. “Mm, this is good.”
“Told ya,” Jed responded.
They were half way through their sandwiches when Tamara Spence joined them. “Sorry I didn’t say ‘hello’ before now. We’re pretty busy, as you can see.”
“Yeah, Carmen mentioned it.” Jed wiped the crumbs from his lip with a napkin. “By the way, this is Lester Tibbett. ‘E and his sister just moved into our building.”
Tamara turned her gaze to Lester and nodded. “I recognize you, actually, from the day you moved in. My son and his friend were watching from the balcony and I had to come out and get them.”
Lester nodded as he swallowed the bite that was in his mouth. “I remember.”
“Matonabee can be very curious. That’s my son – Matonabee.” Tamara paused for a moment. “Is your sister interested in a part time job, by any chance? We’re really short staffed right now.”
Lester shook his head. “I don’t think so. She needs to focus on her studies.”
“Let me know. Jed knows my number. I better get back to work.” Tamara waved and walked back to the counter where there was another line up waiting.
“So? Either of ‘em strike your fancy?” Jed gestured with his head to the counter where both Tamara and Carmen were working. “I know ’em both and could probably set you up.”
“I told you before I’m not in the market, so you can stop trying to set me up with every random woman you know.”
Jed shrugged a shoulder. “Just like to see my friends ‘appy.” He took a huge bite of his pastrami sandwich.
Lester couldn’t help but grin. Jed was a giant of a man; talkative and a bit rough around the edges. But he had a heart of gold. He probably was genuine in his offer. “No thanks. I prefer to pick my own women. Not that I’m looking,” he was quick to add. At least not yet.
* * *
Lester was out in the parking lot doing some much needed repair work on his truck. He revved the engine several times, listening out the driver’s window. After a few seconds he shut it off, got out of the truck and walked around to the front of the vehicle and looked under the hood.
“Hi.”
Lester glanced up and saw the same two boys he had seen on moving day. They were leaning on the rail of a balcony, looking down at him. “Hi,” he said and waved back.
“Whatcha doin’?” asked the native boy.
“Fixing my truck. Are you Matonabee?”
“Yeah… how did you know?”
“I met your mom the other day. That’s a pretty cool name. Matonabee.”
The little boy shrugged. “It’s some chief’s name or something. This is my friend Jason.”
“Hi Jason.”
“Hi.” The little black boy waved in response.
“Well, I gotta get back to work.” Lester raised his hand in salute and then ducked under the hood to make a few adjustments. A few minutes later he stalked back to the cab of the truck and started it up. He revved it a few times, listening intently out the open window.
A minute later Jed sauntered up to the truck. “Need some ‘elp?”
“Sure. Could you keep it going while I check under the hood?”
“No problem.”
Jed switched places with Lester behind the wheel, and Lester went to the front of the vehicle, leaning in over the motor as Jed roared the engine. Lester was just wiping his hands on a rag when Patsi arrived. “Can you give me a ride to the mall?”
“Are you meeting someone?” Lester asked.
“Are you a cop or something?” She sighed dramatically. “Never mind. I’ll take the bus.”
“Don’t be silly. This’ll only take a few minutes.” Lester raised his hand in the air. “One more time,” he called to Jed.
Patsi leaned again the side of the truck box and crossed her arms.
Jed poked his head out of the cab and turned to Patsi. “Your brother tell you about the job offer at that café downtown?” He spoke louder than normal in order to be heard over the motor.
Patsi frowned and her eyes flashed to where Lester’s head was hidden under the hood. “No. What job?”
“Oops. Maybe I wasn’t supposed to mention it.”
“Lester!” Patsi yelled. “Jed says someone wants to hire me at a café downtown.”
Lester bumped his head as he stood up and grimaced. He pushed the ball cap he was wearing toward the back of his head and made a ‘cut’ signal with his other hand. Jed let off the gas.
“Why didn’t you tell me about the job at the café?” Patsi demanded.
Lester slammed the hood down into place, and narrowed his eyes at Jed. Then he swung his gaze back to his sister. “It’s nothing. The owner of this coffee shop happened to mention they needed more waitresses. But I knew you’d want to focus on school, at least until you get into the groove.”
Patsi put her hands on her hips. “When are you going to quit trying to run my life?”
“I’m not trying to run your life. I’m just trying to make the transition easier for you.”
“I never asked you to make my life easier. What’s wrong with me getting a part time job?”
Lester tossed the greasy rag he had just wiped his hands on into the cab of the truck through the open window. “For one thing, that café is downtown. Who’s going to drive you to and from work?”
“I’ll take the bus.”
“What about late at night? That’s not safe.”
“Sorry man.” Jed raised both hands in apology. “I guess I should have kept my mouth shut. Last thing I want is to get in the middle of a family fight.”
“We’re not having a family fight,” Lester said.
“Yes we are,” Patsi countered.
“If you really want to make some extra money why not do something closer to home? Like babysit?” Lester suggested.
Patsi rolled her eyes. “Great. Who do you suggest I babysit for? I don’t know any kids.”
Lester turned and looked up at the balcony where Matonabee and Jason still stood watching. He waved. “Hey boys. Either of you ever need a babysitter?” They both shrugged. “My sister here is a real good sitter. Tell your moms.”
A dark skinned woman appeared on the balcony and scanned the ground below until her eyes pinned Lester.
“Hi,” Lester called. “I was just telling the boys my sister here is a real good sitter if you ever need one.”
“Thanks,” the woman called before ushering the boys into the apartment.
“And that was Goldie. Jason’s mom,” Jed said under his breath. He rubbed his hands together. “Did I tell you she’s also single?”
Lester let out a frustrated breath. “I’m not interested. Quit trying to set me up.”
“Maybe you should let him,” Patsi put in. “Then you wouldn’t be so uptight all the time.”
“She might be onto somethin’.” Jed grinned and clapped a hand on Lester’s shoulder. “In any case, good luck with your discussion. I gotta go.”

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