A Nuisance

Kirt said, “Give it up for now. It’s about to rain.”

“I don’t have much more to do. I’ll get it done. Go ahead. I’ll be quick. Carrie, you hold the flashlight.”

Kirt said, “No. I will.”

Stefan countered, “You need to clean up a little before you go inside Mildred’s pristine house. You know that for a fact.”

And Kirt knew it. “We’ll fix you a place. Come along, Carrie.”

But Stefan told Kirt, “She’s gotta hold the flashlight.”

There was nothing Kirt could do about that. He had to go inside. His daughters were all inside the house, helping their mother. Carrie was the only one left outside to hold the light for Stefan. Damn!

Kirt gave Carrie’s slender body a look and was reassured. It was just her hair. Nothing else on her could lure a man, and he knew that Stefan was immune to her. So he turned away. “Don’t be long.” And Kirt left.

As soon as he was out of earshot, that nasty Carrie giggled.

Stefan chided, “Shame on you.”

“Hush. Don’t say another word, or I’ll leave you here and go on home.”

Stefan groused, “That’s just exactly what you’d think of doing. You’re a witch!”

“You’ve said something like that before.”

“I never!”

She was emphatic, “When I wouldn’t stay the night with you.”

“Shame on you, saying that kind of thing about a nice young man like me.”

“You’re past thirty.” She pointed that out like he hadn’t known such a fact. “You’re supposed to be a responsible man.”

“I’m getting this damned motor rewired. That’s really taking responsibility the hard way.”

She was flippant. “So’s behaving yourself.”

“You weren’t interested.”

She didn’t say anything.

He lifted his head up and looked at her across the engine. “You’re a damned tease.”

She didn’t respond.

“You’re lucky I didn’t wring your neck.”

She was silent.

The rain started gently.

He said, “Go on inside. I can finish this in just a minute.”

The flashlight held steady.

He told her, “You’re going to get wet.”

And her husky, wicked voice replied, “I’ve already told you that I won’t melt.”

“You won’t. You’re hard-hearted and mean. There isn’t anything on this earth that would make you pliant.”

And her laugh was low and soft.

* * *

It wasn’t long before Stefan wiped his hands on his greasy coveralls. He went to the Jeep and slid onto the newspaper Kirt had insisted on putting across the driver’s seat. The Jeep started like it’d never had a problem, and Stefan gave a huge sigh of endurance.

He turned off the ignition, got out of the Jeep and looked at Carrie. He said, “You can turn off the flashlight. We’re through. You’re good help. Thank you.”

She didn’t reply. She just turned off the light and went over to put it in the glove compartment.

The initial rain was gentle. TEXAS rain was just about always like that, so as the ground wouldn’t be too shocked with the coming wetness. Stefan lifted his face to it.

In the dusk’s light rain, Stefan stood in his messed-up coveralls, with that earring and the rifted eyebrow. He looked more like a pirate than ever. Carrie licked her lips.

From the house, Kirt hollered, “Hustle up, you all, we’re just about finished!”

“Coming.” Stefan said the word so they could hear him on the porch, but he was looking at Carrie.

She smiled faintly. She was very alert and her eyes went over him in quick moves.

Stefan closed the Jeep up and wiped his hands on the already greasy rag in his hip pocket. He gestured and said, “Ladies first.”

She lifted her eyebrows slightly and mentioned, “Lady? The last time I heard you refer to me, you called me a cold – – – – –.”

He slid his narrowed eyes over her and replied, “I was being polite.”

She tilted her head and regarded him. “Polite? Then...or now.”

But Kirt hollered, “Hustle up!”

* * *

Sitting under the roof of the overhang by the porch, Stefan ate two quarters of one pie. It was delicious, and Mildred insisted he take the rest of it home. She smiled and told him, “Helen did this one.”

Helen laughed with such humor that Stefan knew the mother lied.

Although the host insisted he’d follow Carrie home to be sure she was safe —in that isolated, pure, staid area —he couldn’t argue when Stefan explained Carrie was going in his direction and her house came first.