Bluebells on the Hill (5 page)

He stopped and looked up, sheepishly shaking
his left hand. 'It's a bit of a strain.'

'Yes, but only until you’re used to it.'

John-Michael handed the guitar to her. 'Play
something for me, please.'

Amanda hesitated. She was serious in her
desire to spend some time away from the crowds and people who knew
her as a popular country singer. Yet she had no wish to deny
John-Michael's simple request. What could she sing that would not
give her away? Dozens of songs filled her head, most of which she
had recorded at one time or another.

She began strumming, then singing. Her husky
voice swelling and carrying ... 'Go tell it on the mountains
...'

John-Michael watched her fingers as she moved
through the song, the different strings she pressed as the chords
changed. When Amanda finished, she launched into a fast paced
melody with fingers racing. It was a difficult piece, ideal for
limbering up fingers. She knew she was showing off, but couldn't
resist. It wasn't often she had such an appreciative audience of
one.

'Bravo!' John-Michael exclaimed, applauding,
when she finished.

'Not bad,' a nearby voice drawled.

The couple on the deck turned to see Mac
quietly sitting on a large bay beside the other horse. Engrossed in
Amanda's song and music, neither had noticed him ride up.

'Not too bad at all. You ought to try to get
a job somewhere,' Mac said, his eyes holding hers.

A hot retort arose in Amanda's throat, but
she kept it in. Blast the man, if he wanted to see her as a hippie,
far be it from her to disabuse him of the notion. She shrugged.
'Just waiting for my big break,' she said, bending her head to the
guitar.

'Thought you were riding to Chad's,' Mac
addressed his son.

'Well, I just stopped off here for a few
minutes first. Mandy's going to teach me how to play the guitar,'
John-Michael said half defiantly.

'For a properly large fee, I'm sure.'

John-Michael turned a questioning face
towards Amanda, but she spoke before he could say anything.

'For fun, Mr. Cynic,' she told his
father.

'Few women do anything for fun without it
costing others.'

'And what is that supposed to mean?'

'Nothing, Mandy,' John-Michael spoke up
hastily. 'Dad's mad because my mother ran off with Cora's son. He
doesn't like women much.'

Amanda's head jerked round to Mac Mackenzie
as his son spoke. No wonder he disapproved, a natural reaction to
his wife's defection. But how had the woman been able to leave him?
He was one of the most attractive men Amanda had come across. His
rugged good looks were the stuff dreams were made of. His
confidence and self-assurance were traits most women admired and
wanted in a man. Sitting nonchalantly on the big bay, he was a man
to be reckoned with, to learn to deal with, to grow to know and
trust, not run away from.

Yet she didn’t know the entire story. He
could be mean and underhanded, though she had not seen any evidence
to support that.

'No need to air dirty linen in public,' Mac
said.

John-Michael flushed. 'Mandy's not like that.
I'm grateful to her for offering to teach me,' he said
defiantly.

Mac gave her a long, hard look before turning
back to his son. 'You get along to Chad's.' Without another word,
he wheeled his horse around and rode quickly away, up the drive,
towards the large house at the summit. Amanda watched him leave
with a sudden, unexplained feeling of loss, her eyes still on the
drive long after he had disappeared.

'When would be a good time for lessons?'
John-Michael asked diffidently as he rose and moved towards the
steps.

She smiled kindly at the tall boy. 'You need
to practice between sessions. If you don't have a guitar, you can
come use this one. Any time is fine, except mornings. I like my
mornings to myself.'

'Okay.' He moved down the stairs, untied his
horse. 'I'll see about getting a guitar.' Swinging himself up, he
said, 'I'll be down again. Thanks, Mandy.'

She sketched a small wave as he turned his
horse and started off, presumably for Chad's.

The afternoon seemed empty now. She stared at
the music, but the burning desire to capture the words and melody
had faded. Later, or tomorrow, she'd work on it again, but the
immediate urgency was gone.

A general lassitude overtook her as she
tilted her chair back to sit and enjoy the gentle breeze skipping
across the deck. Ruminating on the revelation of John-Michael, she
wondered at the circumstances of Mac's marriage, of its ending.
Would she ever know? Probably not; the summer was too short, and it
was not her style to pump others for gossip. Interesting though it
might be.

Amanda awoke with a sense of purpose the next
morning. She was going to walk into town to see what arrangements
she could make for obtaining groceries on a regular basis. Maybe
she'd also get a hat. The sun was fierce at these higher elevations
and she could use the protection one afforded.

Having straightened up the cabin, but a few
moments' work, she sat down to make a list. While she couldn’t
purchase all she wanted today, she could at least determine what
she needed, and decide what to buy today, what she could carry
back.

Groceries. That was easy: jot down things she
liked and the things she was low on. Toiletries. Now, cushions or
large pillows to use in the living room until she could get
furniture. A rug, a few knick-knacks for the place. A few
inexpensive items would go a long way to brightening up the area
until she could begin the real work of painting and decorating. She
didn't recall seeing a furniture store in town. She would probably
have to get furniture from a larger city. Time enough for that
later. There was no rush.

A radio. She wanted a battery powered radio,
so she wouldn't feel so cut off. Relaxing was one thing, being
totally isolated was something else again. A telephone was also
required. There was no cell service in Timber. She would make
arrangements for a phone to be installed when she was in town, too.
Cora really led a reclusive life, without many of the conveniences
Amanda took for granted.

The list ready, she hitched up her shoulder
bag, placed her glasses firmly on her nose and set off. It was just
past mid-morning. She hoped the day would not become too hot, but
knew it would likely grow hotter later on.

The walk proved pleasant. The air was clean
and scented, balmy and soft against her skin. The shoulder of the
highway was graded and easy to walk on. Two or three cars passed
her, but the traffic on the highway couldn’t be construed as heavy.
Winding down the hill to Timber, Amanda reminded herself that the
walk back would be uphill the entire way. Even more reason to
exercise constraint when shopping.

She heard another vehicle from behind her,
but did not turn. Time enough to see it when it passed.

It didn't. Slowing, it pulled off the road,
stopping just behind her.

'Going to town?'

Amanda turned. Mac Mackenzie had stopped, had
opened his door and stepped out.

'I have some shopping to do.'

'Climb in. I'm going in and will give you a
lift.'

'Thanks.' No false pride for Mandy Smith. It
was a long walk and if she could cover the distance in a fraction
of the time, so much the better.

'What are you buying?' he asked as she
settled in and slammed the door. The truck started again.

'Some groceries. And a hat, maybe.'

He threw her a look. 'Good idea; get a gray
one, sort of silvery. I bet you'd look nice in silver.'

Amanda stared at him. Could she believe her
eyes? Mac Mackenzie almost friendly, almost complimentary? Giving a
suggestion in a pleasant manner, not an order. She was surprised
he’d even considered such a thing as what color she would look good
in.

Her mind jumped to the silvery outfit she
wore sometimes when performing. Would Mac think she looked nice in
that?' It showed her figure to advantage, was a color that
flattered her. For a moment she tried to imagine what Mac's
reaction to her in the silver outfit would be. How he would
smile,take her in his arms, press his mouth against her throat, her
lips ...

Amanda jerked her head round, staring out the
side window. What could she be thinking of? Good heavens, anyone
would think her a love-struck teeny-bopper! Granted, she found Mac
incredibly attractive physically, but she had been around
attractive men before, without this reaction. She had better watch
it. Was she getting bored already? Already fantasizing to pass the
time? Looking for a summer romance? No. Then why the daydreams?

Mac drew the truck to a halt near the bus
depot. Amanda looked around, already recognizing places in
town.

'My business here should take about an hour.
If you're ready to go back then, I'll give you a lift,' Mac said as
he turned off the engine. 'If not, you're on your own.'

'Fair enough, thanks.'

He nodded.

Amanda's first stop was Chad's, Timber's one
all purpose store. She smiled when she recognized the name. This
was where John-Michael had been heading yesterday. Checking her
watch, she was determined to finish under an hour. Who knew when
she might have a truck at her disposal again.

She selected a bright rug and four large
upholstered pillows in harmonizing patterns and colors of blue and
green. One or two bright accessories would complete her venture
into temporary decorating for the day. It would be a bit Bohemian
but, since she was the only one living there, what did it matter?
She liked it. It would suffice until she could start in on all the
ideas she had for redecorating.

She wandered to the clothing section. Trying
on several hats, she finally settle on one in a silvery gray. What
a sucker for a man's suggestion, she jeered herself, as she paid
the sales clerk. Would he even comment on it? Even notice?

One last item, the small radio, and she was
finished with this store.

Gathering her packages, she could scarcely
hold them all and maneuver through the aisles. Making her way
outside, Amanda walked to the truck. As she was well within her
hour, she didn’t expect to find Mac there. With a swift glance up
and down the street, she determined it would be safe to leave her
purchases in the rear of the pick-up, as long as she didn't mind a
little straw and hay when she got home.

She dropped the packages in and looked
around. Seeing a likely store, she went to make inquiries about the
phone. She was disappointed to find it would take longer to install
than she had anticipated, but they’d have it in by the end of the
month. An appointment was made and she proceeded to the market.

It was well after the hour's time when she
finally finished grocery shopping. The truck was still parked where
Mac had left it when she came out, laden with two large bags and
one smaller one gripped tightly in her hand. Hurriedly she moved
along the pavement. Don't let him start off just now, she thought,
not when I'm so close.

Drawing nearer, she saw Mac leaning against
the side of the truck, talking to another man. With a sigh of
relief, she slowed her pace a little. The two men noticed her at
the same time. Mac pushed off and came to meet her, taking two of
the bags.

'Thank you.' Amanda smiled warmly in her
relief. She could not have carried the bags all the way home.

He glinted down at her. 'You're late.'
Disapproval was back.

'I know. Thank you for waiting.' She dumped
the third bag into the back of the truck, not letting his bad
temper affect her. She was truly grateful for his help, much as he
might resist giving it.

'It's a good thing I did wait,' he replied,
putting in the other bags. 'How would you have managed for the five
miles or so to your place?'

She smiled impishly. 'I would have coped. Do
you like my hat?' she said, changing the subject.

For a moment Amanda thought she saw a
softening of his features; no, she must have imagined it. He was as
impassive, as disapproving as ever. With no reply, he took her arm
and led her over to the man he had been talking with.

'Ed Tyler, I'd like you to meet Mandy Smith.
She lives in Cora's place.'

'How do you do?' Amanda shook hands. Ed Tyler
was tall and very thin, with a weathered face and kind eyes.

'Pleased to meet you, Miss Smith. I heard
Cora left us. Glad you've come to settle here. We don't get a lot
of young blood moving into Timber. Most young folks want big cities
and excitement.' He smiled kindly at Amanda, then turned back to
Mac.

'Keep in mind what I said. Let me know if you
think of something.'

'I will.' Mac shook hands and bade him
goodbye. As Ed ambled away, Mac opened the door for Amanda.

'Ready now?'

She gave him a look as she climbed in. No one
had asked him to wait. Though she was very glad he had.

Fifteen minutes later they were unloading the
truck, carrying in the bags and packages to Amanda's cabin. Mac had
not said anything on the ride, nor spoken when they reached her
place. He got out of the cab and began unloading the supplies. He
followed Amanda in, made two more trips. Putting down the last
package, he looked around.

'Looks about the same as when Cora had
it.'

'Yes, I know. But that's what's in some of
the packages, things to brighten it up a little, until I can get it
painted and get some rugs and furniture.'

'Mandy, I want you to listen to my offer. I
know from the county records what the place sold for. I can give
you a nice profit on it.' He shook his head and held up one hand as
she made to speak. 'No, just listen. I also know from chatting with
Martin that you just stumbled across this place. I'm sure that
there’re others around here that would be just as good. I want this
property.'