Christmas With Hover Hill (18 page)

“
They sure are and good eating,” Bud
said.

“
I will be thrilled at the prospect,” Hover
droned dryly.

“
Don't worry. I'll take the scales off and gut
them for you first. That's the hard part,” Bud assured
him.

“
In that case, I can not wait to fix these
delicious creatures you speak about,” Hover retorted.

Bud started out the door behind Elizabeth. He
whispered in her ear, “You think Robot wants to go with us?”

Elizabeth giggled. “Not a chance. Hover just warned
me to be careful when I go out in the wilderness. He doesn't trust
you when it comes to these nature trips.”

Bud drove through the pasture and pulled up close to
the large pond. He spread a blanket out on the bank. Elizabeth sat
down with her legs curled to the side. Bud sat beside her and put
the worm can between them. Elizabeth looked distressed when she saw
the writhing worms in the can so he offered to bait her hook. After
instructions on how to cast, he told her she was on her own. After
a couple of tries, she had the hang of it.

Bud praised her for being a fast learner and told her
to watch the bobber movement. If the red and white ball shaped
bobber danced up and down or took off across the pond, that meant
she had a fish.

After that, they sat in silence, watching their
bobbers and listening to ripples lap the bank.

Finally, Bud asked, “Reckon your family are missing
you by now?”

Elizabeth shrugged. “Not really.”

“
You've been here close to six months. That's a
long time to be gone from home.”

“
Take my word for it. They don't miss me. I'm a
pretty independent person. Everyone I know figured that out a long
time ago.” Elizabeth tried to sound like she meant it.

“
Even so I know I'd miss you if I didn't see
you for that long,” Bud said softly.

Elizabeth put her attention on him. “Really! You
would?”

“
Yes, Lizzy. I sure would. I'll bet anyone that
knows you is missing you and worrying about you. People you're
close to don't know you're here, do they?” Bud asked
bluntly.

“
What makes you think that?”

“
A nice person like you would have people
checking on her once in a while,” Bud said. “I know that, and I
don't ever see it happen.”

“
I see.” Her voice was practically a whisper.
“How do you know this?”

“
You never get phone calls or letters in the
mail,” he answered. “That tells me you didn't let anyone know where
you were headed when you took off.

Susie's worried she's in trouble with Mr. Winston for
letting you stay in the house. On hind sight, she thinks she should
have checked it out with Mr. Winston first before she gave you the
key. Why didn't he know you were using his house?”

Her voice was hoarse as she admitted, “Because I
didn't tell anyone where I was going.”

“
Just what I figured out a long time ago.” Bud
laid his pole down beside him and took her pole from her. He laid
it down between them. “We have to talk about this trouble you're
in. Maybe I can help. You're running from something! What did you
do?”

Elizabeth stared at a dragonfly doing a balancing act
on her line. It flitted across the pond and lit on a cattail. “I
didn't do anything.”

“
Look at me, Lizzy,” Bud said sternly. “Did you
steal the robot?” Elizabeth bit her lower lip as she turned to face
him. “That's better. I know you're hiding out, Lizzy.
Why?”

“
I didn't steal Hover. I'm not a thief. He was
a gift to me. So much for your being subtle,” She
implored.

“
Subtlety wasn't working on you. I'm worried
about you. I want to help you out of whatever mess you're in. Are
you hiding from someone?” Bud persisted.

Elizabeth turned away with a shrug of one shoulder.
She focused on a frog that splash into the pond, afraid to look at
Bud's worried eyes. “Maybe.”

“
You can do better than that, Lizzy. You got to
know by now you can trust me,” Bud encouraged. “I can help if you
let me.”

“
I know that. I just didn't want to get you
involved.”

“
I'm asking to be involved in your life. Tell
me what's wrong,” Bud implored.

Elizabeth sighed deeply. “Maybe it would help to tell
you. There are two men I don't want knowing where I'm at. Actually
one of them more so than the other,” she said.

“
That man must be bad for you to run away from
him.”

Tears flooded her eyes. “Steven isn't bad exactly.
Just persistent.”

Bud said tightly, “He hurt you some how.”

“
Yes, It took me by surprise when he left me to
marry another woman several years ago. When she wised up to the
kind of man he is, she left him. Steven came back to town last
fall. He knew I wouldn't be receptive to seeing him or having
anything to do with him. He cooked up a plan with the help of my
brother, Scott, to make me change my mind.

Steven bought Hover Hill and had my brother give him
to me for a Christmas gift. Steven programmed the robot to
brainwash me into accepting him back into my life. Hover carries a
transmitter that ranges within fifty miles from Steven's house.
Steven could listen to all my conversations with Hover.

Scott and I have always spent Christmas together. We
looked forward to that time we shared. Steven talked Scott into
telling me he had a business trip. That way, I wouldn't have
anything to do for Christmas.

Steven showed up one night thinking I'd welcome him
with open arms once Hover had me thinking about him. I guess I was
suppose to miss Steven once I started thinking about him again.
There wasn't any way I was ever going to go back to Steven. What I
shared with him was over.

That night I caught on to their trickery. Steven
confessed. I didn't want anything to do with Steven, and I was mad
at my brother. I told him to get out of my apartment and never come
back. He said he wouldn't give up on me. He sounded like he meant
it. I didn't have the energy to keep fighting him and my brother at
the same time so I left. If I gave Steven enough time, I hoped he
would moved on to another woman since he doesn't know where I'm
at.

It's true that Hover is worth a lot of money.
Eventually, Steven might have taken him away from me. I thought it
would serve Steven a good lesson if I brought Hover along. Besides,
I sort of like that bucket of bolts. I'd miss him if I had to give
him up.”

“
What did you do for a living?”

“
An English professor at the college in Cedar
Falls. I took six months leave to write a book or so they think. If
I go back now, I can go back to teaching. Otherwise, I lose my
job.”

Bud whistled. “You gave up your way of life to hide
from a man. That's pretty drastic. On the other hand, you like it
here. It doesn't make sense for you to keep running. Just stay
here. If this guy shows up call me. I'll get rid of him for you,”
Bud offered.

“
Thank you. I had hoped it wouldn't come to
that, but now that my father knows I'm here he will tell Scott and
my brother will tell Steven. I know they may both be here very
soon, and I dread it.”

Bud puzzled, “Your father?”

“
Martin Winston is my father. He used to bring
Scott and me here in the summer when we were kids. That's how I
knew about the place,” Elizabeth explained.

A light went on in Bud's mind. “Unhuh. That's why he
didn't mind that you moved into his house without him knowing about
it.”

“
Yes, he may be relieved to hear I'm still
among the living. That's about as far as it goes. Father has never
been very attentive to his children. Scott and I were more like the
pawns for him and our mother to fight over.

Anyway, I did take leave from a good college job as
an English professor. I thought I'd be going back to it by fall so
I planned to face both Steven and Scott then. I was hoping the fact
that I disappeared for a while would help them understand how
serious I am about being left alone.”

“
As long as your father doesn't mind you're
living in his house why don't you stay with him while he's
here?”

“
That won't work. Father usually has a woman
with him, a flavor of the month type woman. He doesn't want extra
company around. I'd just be in his way just like when I was growing
up.”

Bud said, “That settles it then. Come over to my
place for the month and move back after he leaves.”

“
Really? You're still thinking about that? What
kind of strings comes with that offer?”

“
No strings. I just want to help you.” Bud
leaned back on his elbows. “Lizzy, it's time to try something new
in your life. Your old life wasn't working out.”

“
I'm not very adventuresome,” she said
shortly.

Bud's voice turned wistfully husky. “If you found the
right man, you might change your mind.”

“
I've never thought that could happen. I'm not
a very good judge of men. Like I told you, I'm not the romantic
type that falls in love and lives happily ever after,” she
excused.

Bud said firmly, “It's time you think about living
happy ever after, Lizzy.”

“
I don't believe in fairy tale endings,” she
said bluntly.

“
If you stayed and made a life here where
you're happy, I'd help you,” Bud said.

Elizabeth excused, “I have get a job. What would I do
in a small place like this?”

“
You sell that book and write another one. That
will be a good enough income.”

“
That's easier said then done. I don't even
know if I'm a good writer or not. I'm just writing to help the time
pass faster,” Elizabeth said.

“
You can do anything you set your mind to.
Maybe there's a teaching job open at the school. Give staying here
a chance and see what happens. If your father doesn't care that you
live in his house after he leaves, you would have a roof over your
head.”

“
Looks like you have my life all figured out
for me. What happens next, Bud?”

“
I predict one of these days, a prince charming
will come along you like and change the way you think and feel,”
Bud said.

Elizabeth gave an unladylike snort. “Yeah right! Does
your crystal ball say just whom that might be?”

“
I'd like it to be me,” Bud said
earnestly.

Elizabeth stared at him. “You would?”

“
What's so surprising about that.” Bud sat
upright. “I love you.”

“
Oh, my! My life is such a mess right now. I
hope you aren't waiting for a response. I don't know how I feel
about anything at the moment.”

“
I guess I can wait for you to make up your
mind. Now reel your line in. You caught a fish.”

As Bud predicted, by late afternoon they had a
stringer of fish for Hover to cook. Hover protested when he saw the
cleaned fish in the sink but not very strongly. Elizabeth decided
it was the banter between Bud and him that Hover liked.

After supper, Bud went home. Elizabeth had another
cup of coffee at the table while Hover cleaned the kitchen.

“
Are we leaving?” He asked.

“
I don't know what to do. I like it here. Bud
says we can stay with him through June while my father is in the
house. Maybe my father would let me move back in once he leaves,
but that means losing my job,” Elizabeth said.

“
You know Farmer is hoping you will stay at his
house permanently once he gets you moved in,” Hover
declared.

“
He has mentioned a future with me,” Elizabeth
said frankly.

Hover stopped putting dishes away. “Are you going to
take him up on it?”

“
It's too soon to think about how I really feel
about Bud. First, I have to get through the next few weeks. I'm
sure Steven or Scott, maybe both, are going to show up soon. I
should be out of here before they come or stand my ground this time
instead of running. At least until my father moves in. What is your
advice?”

“
Stand your ground. Stop running. Get rid of
these men and live happily ever after,” Hover said, picking up the
dish towel.

“
Did Bud tell you to say that? Sounds just like
his fairy tale premise?”

Hover worked at folding his dish cloth up into a tiny
square. “I have not discussed you with him, and I would not do
that. Where does this leave me if Steven comes here? You going to
give me back to him?”

“
You want to go with him?”

“
No, he will just sell me or donate me to
somewhere. I like it here with you.”

“
That settles it. You were given to me as a
gift. I have no intention of regifting you. You're stuck with me,”
Elizabeth said, smiling at him.

“
That is good to know. We are stuck with each
other. I should prepare you though that some day I will need a new
battery. The battery is expensive.”

Elizabeth said sincerely, “Thanks for the warning,
but I don't want to change my mind. You're staying with me. I don't
know what I'd do without you now. I'd miss you, Hover.”

“
Leaving would be a problem for me as well,”
Hover droned softly.

Suddenly a thought came to Elizabeth. “Oh my.”

“
What is it now?”

“
Something I thought about earlier when I was
explaining this mess to Bud. You were expensive. As self-indulgent
as Steven is, do you suppose he wants to find you instead of
me?”