DEMON SPAWN
The second that the sunlight blinded Bessie and woke her up, she darted out of the bed and made a mad dash for her closet. Having no sympathy for Millie, who now stirred on the other side of her four-poster bed, Bessie loudly threw her closet door open, scoured it for a second, slammed it shut, and then opened her cherry wood wardrobe. Displeased with that selection as well, she slammed the door shut and huffed in a pout.
"Bessie," Millie said, her voice groggy with sleep as she sat up in the bed. "What in the hell are you doing?"
"I have nothing to wear," she said, panicked. "The most gorgeous man I have ever seen in my entire life wants to spend the day with me today and I have nothing to wear. What am I going to do?"
Sleepily, a smile crossed Millie's face as she sat up and hugged the quilt to her chest. "Wow, Bessie. That's the first time I've ever heard you say anything like that."
"Well, it's true."
"I'm so glad this is happening to you. You have no idea. Maybe you're finally loosening up--"
"Oh, just get your lazy bones out of the bed and help me!"
"Okay, gosh," Millie complained as she climbed from the bed. "What time is it, anyway?"
"Seven-thirty," Bessie replied nonchalantly.
"You're kidding..."
"Daddy's already gone for work. I need to get ready, I have no idea what to do. I don't want Zac to look at me and--and know I'm eighteen. I'm already a beanpole, I don't want to wear a dress that will remind him of it. And this hair! Oh, Millie, what will I do with my hair?"
"What time are you supposed to meet him?"
"After lunch."
Millie gaped at her cousin. "And you're trying to get ready now?"
"Yes! I want to get there before he does. I'm going to bring a blanket and maybe some fruit--or some candy! And--and maybe a book or two and some lemonade and--oh, I just want it to be perfect, Millie. And I just--well, the truth is, I just can't wait to see him!"
"You should take your sketch book," Millie giggled. "Maybe if there's a lull in conversation, you could sketch him."
Bessie's eyes lit up. "That's a wonderful idea!"
"It was only a joke--"
"But it's brilliant! I'll bring that, too."
After she bathed, dressed, and had Millie fix her hair, Bessie grabbed at some items around the room, ran downstairs to the kitchen to pack a snack, and then was out of the house and on her bicycle in no time.
**************
By nine o'clock, Bessie hopped off of her bicycle and smiled as she entered the clearing, walking it toward the large shade tree. Her mother's picnic basket was still in Zac's possession so she strung her old school satchel around her, instead, and carried with her, cookies, lemonade, and her sketch pad and pencils. She'd balanced a thin quilt for them to sit on on her handlebars and now she took great joy in spreading it out carefully underneath the tree branches, tirelessly perfecting every corner.
She reached up and checked to make sure her French braid was still perfect and she was glad to have her hair off of her neck. There was a nice breeze this morning, but it sure wouldn't stay that way.
She looked over her baby blue day dress that fell just above her ankles and was adorned with tiny, green leaves. Millie had lamented over the dress and said it made her look like a child. While this made Bessie self-conscious, cool and comfortable won out in the end and now she stood and smoothed it out, checking it for anything that may have smudged it on the ride along the way. She wanted to look perfect for Zac. Not a wrinkle in sight, not a hair out of place.
As she sat and pulled out her sketch pad, she wished she hadn't come so early. The hours would be agonizingly long before he showed up and she wasn't sure how much sketching she could do to help the time pass. So she started with the field in front of her, painstakingly detailing each wildflower in an attempt to lose herself in her work.
However, she had managed to lose herself in her work. As she sketched the blades of grass, the wildflowers, and even added a little animal or two on her own, she wished she'd brought colors with her. She would have loved to had colored her paper the same as the crisp, blue sky that she gazed up above at as it contrasted with the yellows and greens of the grass on the ground. Next time, she reminded herself, she would bring colors.
As she gazed out into the landscape in front of her, her pencil poised, daydreaming about the colors she would use if she had them, the sound of breaking twigs brought her out of her trance and she whipped her head to the left at the sound. Her breath leaving her chest for a moment, she slowly lowered her pen as Zac closed the gap between them from the woods, his smile more radiant than any sun she'd ever seen. He wore tan trousers with a white button-down shirt tucked into them, with the sleeves rolled up past his elbows. The shirt was unbuttoned almost to his chest and his sun-kissed skin contrasted against his white shirt in such a way that she couldn't stop looking at him. On his head, as always, was his wool cap.
He was so gorgeous. She decided she liked him in less. No suspenders, no vest, no jacket, no tie...he looked comfortable. And that made her happy.
"You're early," he commented as he neared closer to her.
She could barely speak. In her mind, they carried on endless, lengthy conversations, discussing anything and everything there was to discuss. But in person she couldn't seem to form words. "Um, I, uh, I wanted to get some sketching done."
He narrowed his eyes and continued to smile as he made himself comfortable on the quilt next to her. "You like to draw?"
She nodded, barely able to stand the closeness of his body. It made her tingle--made chills run through her body in places she knew it shouldn't.
"Can I see?" He smiled gently.
"It's, um, it isn't finished, yet."
"Well, that's okay."
She shook her head. "Only when it's finished."
Zac nodded with understanding. "Okay. No rush." Then he paused and snuck his hand across the quilt toward hers. Gently, he hooked his pinkie around hers. "I'm so happy to see you."
She felt the blood rush to her cheeks and she smiled, making eye-contact difficult to maintain. "I'm happy to see you, too."
His smile widened and he let out an amused chuckle. "It's adorable how you're so shy, but then you come unglued when it's time to defend something."
She furrowed her brow and she looked away to think about his words. Was that a compliment? Was he teasing her? She wasn't sure.
Interrupting her thoughts, he reached over and turned her face toward him. His fingertips against her chin caused her primal instincts to rear their heads inside her and she felt ashamed of herself. "You don't have to be shy around me," he said gently. "I'm not gonna bite you. I'm not gonna hurt you and I'm not gonna poke fun at you. I promise. I just want to learn about you."
"I know," she whispered, finally mustering up the courage to look up into his eyes. They were such a beautiful shade of brown and his lashes were long...her eyes drifted to his lips, full and luscious and inviting. And then she blushed again and looked away from him. "Why do you like me, Zac?"
"What?"
"Why me? Just three days ago, I was just a face in a crowd. And now...now it feels like it's been so much longer than three days. And I'm nobody, Zac. Really, I'm not. I'm not exotic or curvy or--I don't look like Millie or Judith or any of the other girls my age and--well I never have anything interesting to talk about--"
"Bessie, stop. Just stop talking. When I first saw you in the crowd the other day at the fair, I was drawn to you. It felt like--I don't know, like something pulling me in. I like you because you're not like the others. I want to know you, I want to learn everything about you. You fascinate me."
She looked up at him and blinked at him, her eyes wide. "I do?" Nobody had ever told her that before. Nobody had ever called her fascinating--not her family or her friends, not even Joey Martin. But Zac thought she was fascinating. And now her wheels turned like mad in her head, going over the qualities in herself that he could possibly find fascinating. She came up with nothing.
"Yeah," he replied in a near-whisper. "I want to know everything there is to know about you. I want to know what you like and what you don't like. I want to know what your favorite foods are and what fragrances you like and what activities you love to do. I like the way you wear your hair, I like the dresses you put on--"
Her eyes blinked, startled, and her head whipped around to look at him. "You like my dresses?"
"I think they're lovely."
And, suddenly, she laughed. She couldn't help herself. Her laugh turned into a howl and soon there were tears. To make it worse, Zac was laughing with her and she knew he didn't even know why. She could hardly breathe and she found herself holding her belly for support. She didn't know where it came from and she didn't really care anymore. All she knew was that, with this laughter, all her fears and her apprehensions seemed to leave her body and she was no longer uncomfortable. She felt like herself.
As she willed herself to calm down and she took a moment to slow her breathing, she finally looked at Zac and she grinned. "Millie spent the night at my house last night. And she fought me over this dress this morning. She's been fighting me for days and she keeps telling me that these dresses make me look like a child. But, honestly, I just think they're comfortable. And the patterns are nice. And the truth is, I see nothing wrong with them."
"Neither do I," Zac agreed.
"You really don't mind them? You don't think they make me look like a child?"
"I think if I thought you looked like a child, I wouldn't have looked at you twice."
She smiled in silence for a moment, finally happy and content. Then she looked at him again. "I saw you wave at me, you know. I'm sorry I didn't wave back. I turned around to wave and you were gone."
"I know you saw me."
"I think--I think I know what you mean, about being pulled in? Because I think I felt it, too."
"Thinking you felt it doesn't make you argue with me over fake flowers or voluntarily bringing me a picnic."
"Yeah," she said with a smile. "I guess you're right." They were silent for a moment before she remembered her satchel and her eyes lit up as she reached for it. "So I brought cookies today. They're my mother's best oatmeal recipe. And I brought lemonade, too."
Zac snickered. "From which container?"
"The right one," she said with mock annoyance. Then she leaned over and she whispered. "I think she gave me lemonade from the other one the other night. And I think she did it on purpose."
There was a gleam of amusement in Zac's eyes as he smiled at her. "Oh, really? Well, then. Go, Mom." As he sipped on the lemonade she had poured for him, he looked out into the field ahead of them and said, "So, your mother. She, um, she knows you're out here today?"
"Well, she knows I'm with you. But she doesn't know about our secret place."
He turned his head and looked at her. "Our secret place?"
Then she felt guilty for assuming. "Um, your secret place, I mean. I'm sorry, I didn't meant to impose--"
"No. No imposition. It can be our secret place. I like that."
"Are you sure?" She asked, worried. "Because I don't want to intrude--"
"You're not intruding. I promise. I like being here with you. It's okay." Then he paused. "So...your father...he doesn't know?"
Bessie shook her head and looked down at her hands. "Mama hasn't told him. And I wanted to tell him, but then he made a comment at supper last night and I thought it wasn't a good idea." Then she turned to look at him and she shook her head. "But it's not because I'm ashamed of you. Because I'm not. I don't ever want you to think that."
"I know," he nodded. "I mean, I get it. I'm not--I'm not a father's ideal man for his daughter. I have no real address, I have no real job, and I have no real future--"
"Zac--"
"It's true. But my feelings for you are real. And my heart beats just the same. And it's okay that you...that you have to do what you have to do--"
"Zac, I'm afraid that if he knows, he'll forbid me to see you again. I can't bear it, I need to see you."
"You need to see me?"
She opened her mouth to speak and then she closed it. She supposed she did. She could almost feel the physical pain tugging at her heart when she had to leave him behind yesterday. It was the strangest thing.
Finally, she nodded. "Yes," she whispered. "And I'll do anything it takes to be able to see you."
He searched her eyes for a moment before he reached over and took her hand, closing it inside his. "So will I."
Bessie took a breath and swallowed the lump in her throat. "Anyway, my mama approves. And that's good enough for me. Plus I'm an adult now, so what can Daddy really do, anyway? My mama, she's--she's an interesting woman. She has a lot of modern ideas, she and Daddy don't always see eye-to-eye." Then she smiled and looked at Zac. "But she always seems to get her way."
She watched a grin creep across Zac's face as he squeezed her hand. "You keep smiling at me that way and you will, too."
She giggled and she tucked her hair behind her ear. And that was when they heard the rustling in the grass.
___________________________________________________________________________
Zac froze. He cursed to himself and he froze. Bessie looked beautiful in her blue dress with her hair pulled back. Her face was so delicate, it was like it wasn't even real. Her hazel eyes were bright and he loved the way her nose crinkled when she smiled. There was nothing, absolutely nothing, that could have ruined this day for him.
Except for that damned dog.
The dog stood across from them, only yards away, and stared them down. Zac's heart began to race as he instinctively sat up in a crouch and moved himself in front of Bessie, shielding her with his arm. "Don't move," he whispered. "Don't even say a word."
"What?" She whispered, panicked. "Why? Is it a snake?"
"No. Worse."
He felt her hand on his arm and then he heard her voice, shrill with excitement. "Oh, look, it's a doggie!"
"Shh! That's no doggie," he hissed. "It's the demon spawn from hell."
It was true. Zac had encountered this dog on several occasions. Several occasions too many. The dog was huge. It wasn't a pure breed, but it was brown and it was large, just the same. And it hated Zac. He was convinced of it. It had a vendetta against him. The way it chased him through the woods on numerous occasions, the way it looked at him, the way it stared him down and licked its lips. The dog was out for blood. And now it threatened Bessie.
"Oh, look at him!" She said with pity in her voice. "Don't be so mean, he's not a demon spawn. I bet he's just hungry."
"Yeah. For blood. And flesh."
Bessie stood up, causing the dog to take a step in defense. Zac's heart rate sped up to the point where he was sure it wasn't healthy. "Bessie, I said don't move!"
She looked at him and eyed him for a moment. "Zac, are you afraid of dogs?"
His eyes darted at her, his brow furrowed in annoyance. "No. No, I'm not afraid of dogs, I just--I know this one..."
The truth was, he was afraid of dogs. A bad experience as a child made him this way when he came into contact with one that had rabies. Thankfully, it hadn't touched him, but almost had, and the sight and the feeling alone was enough to traumatize him and turn him off of dogs for the rest of his life.
"I love dogs," she said confidently. "And this one doesn't look mean to me." She whistled at the floppy-eared beast and she patted her thigh. "Come here, boy! Come on!"
"Don't you dare call that dog over here!"
But it was too late. Zac watched in horror as the dog ducked its head and walked meekly over to them. His body trembled as it stepped up to the quilt. And then, as Bessie sat herself down to greet it, it licked her face.
Zac was dumbfounded.
Bessie giggled as she wasted no time taking the dog's large, beastly head in her hands and baby-talked to it as it continued to lick her. "Who's a good doggie? Huh? Who's a good doggie?"
Its tail was going a mile a minute and Zac couldn't believe what he was seeing. Moving was still not an option. He just knew that the moment he made a move, the hell hound's sunny disposition would turn on a dime and it would eat Zac alive. And he needed to live. He needed his life. He hadn't even kissed Bessie yet.
She looked up at Zac and smiled as the dog happily turned over on its back on Bessie's lap, tongue panting and tail wagging. "Sit down, Zac," she said. "It's okay. He's a nice dog, he's not going to hurt you."
"He's not going to hurt you," he corrected.
"Sit down, he won't hurt you, either. He's sweet."
Hesitantly, he did as she said. She was completely irresistible, even when he was standing on death's front door. He sat slowly, deathly afraid to make any sudden movements but, to his relief, the dog didn't seem to pay attention to his presence. He was only interested in Bessie.
Great. Competition.
"Pet him," she encouraged him.
"No, thanks. He seems perfectly happy with you. I'll just sit here and...and watch him take you away from me."
Bessie giggled as she scratched the dog's belly. "What? Don't be silly, nothing's taking me away from you."
Zac's breath caught in his throat at her words. He hoped and prayed for a double entendre there. He needed a double entendre.
He apparently got his wish. Bessie's smile faded and he heard her gasp as she looked into his eyes, a bewildered expression on her face at the realization of her own words. At that, he watched her cheeks turn pink and then she instantly turned away and reached into her satchel. "I bet he wants a cookie."
"I don't think dogs eat cookies."
"Of course they do, they'll eat anything." Unwrapping a cookie, the dog was on his feet in an instant, hungrily smelling around her hand. "Here, doggie," she said gently. "You want a cookie?" The dog answered by taking it from her hand and settling on the blanket with it, content and happy. Bessie grinned in triumph at Zac. "He's not a demon dog. He's just hungry." Then she looked back at the dog as she watched him eat. "I wonder if he has a home...?"
"I can about guarantee that thing doesn't have a home. It follows me everywhere. It stalks me. It hunts me--"
"He likes you," she interrupted. "That's why he follows you. He never hurt you, did he?"
Zac opened his mouth to speak and then he closed it again. Finally, he managed to get out, "Well, he could have. At any moment. And he certainly has the capabilities."
She laughed, teasing him. "Please. The only thing that dog has the capability of is licking your face off. Look at him, he's a happy mutt." Then her eyes lit up and she grabbed Zac's hand. "If he doesn't have a home, he could be our dog!"
This suggestion caught Zac off guard. "Uh, our...dog?"
"Sure. He likes us both. I'll take him home with me and have Daddy buy him some dog food. And he'll go with us everywhere. And we'll share him and he'll be our own dog. Oh, won't that be so fun?"
Zac knew in this moment that he had no say in this. He'd meant what he'd said to her earlier that she could have anything she wanted with that smile and he hadn't been kidding. And, well, if she wanted to risk his life by "sharing" this demon dog, then so be it. He was powerless to resist her.
"You can have him most of the time," he offered. "He, uh, he'd have a better time with you, anyway."
"He'll have a good time with either one of us. But mostly both of us."
Zac narrowed his eyes and he looked at her. "Mostly?"
Suddenly she stopped messing with the dog and she folded her hands in her lap, shyly fidgeting with her thumbs. "Um, well--I'm having such a nice time that...and, well, I don't have school this summer and--well if it's too forward to hope that we spend most days together, I'll understand. I'm probably am just a silly little girl anyway--"
"No," he said suddenly, cutting her off. "No, I--you want to spend that much time with me?"
"I like spending time with you. A lot. And, true, you were a little rude at first, but--but I just couldn't wait to see you this morning and I imagine that it'll be the same when I go home today. You're a good person. You're nice and you're fun and you make me laugh. And--and I like to look at you. I know it's rude to stare, but I can't seem to help myself."
He looked at her, wide-eyed and shocked for a moment. He had to admit, he hadn't expected her to be so...honest. She was still meek and she was still timid and he figured he'd have to pull everything out of her. He appreciated her honesty and he returned every feeling she had expressed.
"Bessie, I--"
"Please don't respond. I'm already embarrassed enough as it is."
There it was.
Granting her wish, he decided to let it go, but only on the outside. Inside, however, his heart soared and he wanted to shout it out to the entire world. He was ecstatic. Overjoyed. Thrilled, exhilarated...giddy, even. He was giddy. That was a word he never thought he'd use to describe something he was feeling. He felt like dancing.
Interrupting his thoughts, Bessie randomly stated, "I think we're going to call him Scout."
"Scout? Why Scout?"
She shrugged her shoulders. "I don't know. It sounds like a suitable dog name."
"Don't I have a say in what we call him? Since he's our dog?"
"You don't like the dog," she stated matter-of-factly. "So it only makes sense that I choose the name."
Her sudden bluntness made him smile. He loved interacting with her, he loved learning her. She made him smile endlessly and he couldn't describe the bliss he felt in her presence. Everything was calm. Easy. Safe. Even the demon dog couldn't hurt him anymore.
Bessie had saved his life.
"Well, I guess Scout is an okay name," he agreed. "I'm okay with calling him that."
For the rest of the time they spent together that day, Scout was the star of the show. Zac didn't care. All he wanted was to be wherever Bessie was, doing whatever she was doing, loving whatever she was loving. To date, this day was probably the best day of his life.
_____________________________________________________________________________
"Hi, Daddy!" Bessie said cheerfully into the phone. "How was your day?"
"Hey, princess!" The cheer in Judge Harlow's voice matched his daughter's. "To what do I owe this phone call?"
"Well...I wanted to ask if you could pick up some dog food on the way home today?"
"Dog food...?" The judge asked warily.
"Yes. Dog food. I got a dog!"
"Excuse me? What do you mean, you 'got' a dog?"
"Well...more like he got me. He just came up to me outside today. He kissed my face and I gave him a cookie and we fell in love." Bessie had to giggle at her own recount of the day. She had given Zac a cookie, too. But he hadn't kissed her...
"Bessie, I don't--I don't know about a dog..."
"Oh, come on, Daddy, please? He's a good dog. I already named him Scout. And he'll behave and I'll take care of him, I promise!"
"He's a stray..."
"Strays need homes, too."
The judge sighed on the other end of the phone. "And then what happens when you go off to school?"
Bessie grinned. "Well, by that point you'll already be smitten with him and you'll want to keep him."
"That scoundrel is already in my house, isn't it?"
"I gave him a bath and everything! He's napping right now..."
"A dog..." the judge pondered. "You have your heart set on this dog, Bess?"
"Yes! Yes, Daddy, please let him live with us!"
"Okay, fine," the judge relented. "Fine. I'll pick up dog food on the way home."
Bessie squealed with excitement. When she calmed down, she added, "Oh, and maybe some of those dog biscuits shaped like bones?"
"What size?" He asked warily through his teeth.
"Big," she said meekly. "They probably need to be big..."
"Bessie, did you bring home a dog or a monster?"
"Daddy! He's a good dog! I promise!"
"Fine, fine, okay. I'm picking up food and biscuits for your new dog named Scout. Got it. I have a feeling I'm going to regret this..."
"You won't regret it, Daddy, I promise! Thank you, thank you, thank you!"
When Bessie hung up the phone with her father, she bent down and hugged Scout around his brown, short-haired neck as he stood beside her while she made the call. The truth was, Scout was a godsend. She didn't realize how much she needed that dog until he came along. Scout was a welcome distraction from the pain that she felt from being separated from Zac. It was unlike anything she'd ever felt before. She'd never been so drawn to a person before, the way she was drawn to Zac. And just after three short days, she couldn't spend enough time with him. Scout would help her with that. Scout would help pass the time, to where it wouldn't feel like centuries before she saw Zac again. Scout would help soothe her aching heart.
Scratching Scout behind the ear, she whispered to him loudly, "Come on, Scout. We have to hurry. I told Daddy I gave you a bath and he'll be home soon. We better make good on that promise!"
The second that the sunlight blinded Bessie and woke her up, she darted out of the bed and made a mad dash for her closet. Having no sympathy for Millie, who now stirred on the other side of her four-poster bed, Bessie loudly threw her closet door open, scoured it for a second, slammed it shut, and then opened her cherry wood wardrobe. Displeased with that selection as well, she slammed the door shut and huffed in a pout.
"Bessie," Millie said, her voice groggy with sleep as she sat up in the bed. "What in the hell are you doing?"
"I have nothing to wear," she said, panicked. "The most gorgeous man I have ever seen in my entire life wants to spend the day with me today and I have nothing to wear. What am I going to do?"
Sleepily, a smile crossed Millie's face as she sat up and hugged the quilt to her chest. "Wow, Bessie. That's the first time I've ever heard you say anything like that."
"Well, it's true."
"I'm so glad this is happening to you. You have no idea. Maybe you're finally loosening up--"
"Oh, just get your lazy bones out of the bed and help me!"
"Okay, gosh," Millie complained as she climbed from the bed. "What time is it, anyway?"
"Seven-thirty," Bessie replied nonchalantly.
"You're kidding..."
"Daddy's already gone for work. I need to get ready, I have no idea what to do. I don't want Zac to look at me and--and know I'm eighteen. I'm already a beanpole, I don't want to wear a dress that will remind him of it. And this hair! Oh, Millie, what will I do with my hair?"
"What time are you supposed to meet him?"
"After lunch."
Millie gaped at her cousin. "And you're trying to get ready now?"
"Yes! I want to get there before he does. I'm going to bring a blanket and maybe some fruit--or some candy! And--and maybe a book or two and some lemonade and--oh, I just want it to be perfect, Millie. And I just--well, the truth is, I just can't wait to see him!"
"You should take your sketch book," Millie giggled. "Maybe if there's a lull in conversation, you could sketch him."
Bessie's eyes lit up. "That's a wonderful idea!"
"It was only a joke--"
"But it's brilliant! I'll bring that, too."
After she bathed, dressed, and had Millie fix her hair, Bessie grabbed at some items around the room, ran downstairs to the kitchen to pack a snack, and then was out of the house and on her bicycle in no time.
**************
By nine o'clock, Bessie hopped off of her bicycle and smiled as she entered the clearing, walking it toward the large shade tree. Her mother's picnic basket was still in Zac's possession so she strung her old school satchel around her, instead, and carried with her, cookies, lemonade, and her sketch pad and pencils. She'd balanced a thin quilt for them to sit on on her handlebars and now she took great joy in spreading it out carefully underneath the tree branches, tirelessly perfecting every corner.
She reached up and checked to make sure her French braid was still perfect and she was glad to have her hair off of her neck. There was a nice breeze this morning, but it sure wouldn't stay that way.
She looked over her baby blue day dress that fell just above her ankles and was adorned with tiny, green leaves. Millie had lamented over the dress and said it made her look like a child. While this made Bessie self-conscious, cool and comfortable won out in the end and now she stood and smoothed it out, checking it for anything that may have smudged it on the ride along the way. She wanted to look perfect for Zac. Not a wrinkle in sight, not a hair out of place.
As she sat and pulled out her sketch pad, she wished she hadn't come so early. The hours would be agonizingly long before he showed up and she wasn't sure how much sketching she could do to help the time pass. So she started with the field in front of her, painstakingly detailing each wildflower in an attempt to lose herself in her work.
However, she had managed to lose herself in her work. As she sketched the blades of grass, the wildflowers, and even added a little animal or two on her own, she wished she'd brought colors with her. She would have loved to had colored her paper the same as the crisp, blue sky that she gazed up above at as it contrasted with the yellows and greens of the grass on the ground. Next time, she reminded herself, she would bring colors.
As she gazed out into the landscape in front of her, her pencil poised, daydreaming about the colors she would use if she had them, the sound of breaking twigs brought her out of her trance and she whipped her head to the left at the sound. Her breath leaving her chest for a moment, she slowly lowered her pen as Zac closed the gap between them from the woods, his smile more radiant than any sun she'd ever seen. He wore tan trousers with a white button-down shirt tucked into them, with the sleeves rolled up past his elbows. The shirt was unbuttoned almost to his chest and his sun-kissed skin contrasted against his white shirt in such a way that she couldn't stop looking at him. On his head, as always, was his wool cap.
He was so gorgeous. She decided she liked him in less. No suspenders, no vest, no jacket, no tie...he looked comfortable. And that made her happy.
"You're early," he commented as he neared closer to her.
She could barely speak. In her mind, they carried on endless, lengthy conversations, discussing anything and everything there was to discuss. But in person she couldn't seem to form words. "Um, I, uh, I wanted to get some sketching done."
He narrowed his eyes and continued to smile as he made himself comfortable on the quilt next to her. "You like to draw?"
She nodded, barely able to stand the closeness of his body. It made her tingle--made chills run through her body in places she knew it shouldn't.
"Can I see?" He smiled gently.
"It's, um, it isn't finished, yet."
"Well, that's okay."
She shook her head. "Only when it's finished."
Zac nodded with understanding. "Okay. No rush." Then he paused and snuck his hand across the quilt toward hers. Gently, he hooked his pinkie around hers. "I'm so happy to see you."
She felt the blood rush to her cheeks and she smiled, making eye-contact difficult to maintain. "I'm happy to see you, too."
His smile widened and he let out an amused chuckle. "It's adorable how you're so shy, but then you come unglued when it's time to defend something."
She furrowed her brow and she looked away to think about his words. Was that a compliment? Was he teasing her? She wasn't sure.
Interrupting her thoughts, he reached over and turned her face toward him. His fingertips against her chin caused her primal instincts to rear their heads inside her and she felt ashamed of herself. "You don't have to be shy around me," he said gently. "I'm not gonna bite you. I'm not gonna hurt you and I'm not gonna poke fun at you. I promise. I just want to learn about you."
"I know," she whispered, finally mustering up the courage to look up into his eyes. They were such a beautiful shade of brown and his lashes were long...her eyes drifted to his lips, full and luscious and inviting. And then she blushed again and looked away from him. "Why do you like me, Zac?"
"What?"
"Why me? Just three days ago, I was just a face in a crowd. And now...now it feels like it's been so much longer than three days. And I'm nobody, Zac. Really, I'm not. I'm not exotic or curvy or--I don't look like Millie or Judith or any of the other girls my age and--well I never have anything interesting to talk about--"
"Bessie, stop. Just stop talking. When I first saw you in the crowd the other day at the fair, I was drawn to you. It felt like--I don't know, like something pulling me in. I like you because you're not like the others. I want to know you, I want to learn everything about you. You fascinate me."
She looked up at him and blinked at him, her eyes wide. "I do?" Nobody had ever told her that before. Nobody had ever called her fascinating--not her family or her friends, not even Joey Martin. But Zac thought she was fascinating. And now her wheels turned like mad in her head, going over the qualities in herself that he could possibly find fascinating. She came up with nothing.
"Yeah," he replied in a near-whisper. "I want to know everything there is to know about you. I want to know what you like and what you don't like. I want to know what your favorite foods are and what fragrances you like and what activities you love to do. I like the way you wear your hair, I like the dresses you put on--"
Her eyes blinked, startled, and her head whipped around to look at him. "You like my dresses?"
"I think they're lovely."
And, suddenly, she laughed. She couldn't help herself. Her laugh turned into a howl and soon there were tears. To make it worse, Zac was laughing with her and she knew he didn't even know why. She could hardly breathe and she found herself holding her belly for support. She didn't know where it came from and she didn't really care anymore. All she knew was that, with this laughter, all her fears and her apprehensions seemed to leave her body and she was no longer uncomfortable. She felt like herself.
As she willed herself to calm down and she took a moment to slow her breathing, she finally looked at Zac and she grinned. "Millie spent the night at my house last night. And she fought me over this dress this morning. She's been fighting me for days and she keeps telling me that these dresses make me look like a child. But, honestly, I just think they're comfortable. And the patterns are nice. And the truth is, I see nothing wrong with them."
"Neither do I," Zac agreed.
"You really don't mind them? You don't think they make me look like a child?"
"I think if I thought you looked like a child, I wouldn't have looked at you twice."
She smiled in silence for a moment, finally happy and content. Then she looked at him again. "I saw you wave at me, you know. I'm sorry I didn't wave back. I turned around to wave and you were gone."
"I know you saw me."
"I think--I think I know what you mean, about being pulled in? Because I think I felt it, too."
"Thinking you felt it doesn't make you argue with me over fake flowers or voluntarily bringing me a picnic."
"Yeah," she said with a smile. "I guess you're right." They were silent for a moment before she remembered her satchel and her eyes lit up as she reached for it. "So I brought cookies today. They're my mother's best oatmeal recipe. And I brought lemonade, too."
Zac snickered. "From which container?"
"The right one," she said with mock annoyance. Then she leaned over and she whispered. "I think she gave me lemonade from the other one the other night. And I think she did it on purpose."
There was a gleam of amusement in Zac's eyes as he smiled at her. "Oh, really? Well, then. Go, Mom." As he sipped on the lemonade she had poured for him, he looked out into the field ahead of them and said, "So, your mother. She, um, she knows you're out here today?"
"Well, she knows I'm with you. But she doesn't know about our secret place."
He turned his head and looked at her. "Our secret place?"
Then she felt guilty for assuming. "Um, your secret place, I mean. I'm sorry, I didn't meant to impose--"
"No. No imposition. It can be our secret place. I like that."
"Are you sure?" She asked, worried. "Because I don't want to intrude--"
"You're not intruding. I promise. I like being here with you. It's okay." Then he paused. "So...your father...he doesn't know?"
Bessie shook her head and looked down at her hands. "Mama hasn't told him. And I wanted to tell him, but then he made a comment at supper last night and I thought it wasn't a good idea." Then she turned to look at him and she shook her head. "But it's not because I'm ashamed of you. Because I'm not. I don't ever want you to think that."
"I know," he nodded. "I mean, I get it. I'm not--I'm not a father's ideal man for his daughter. I have no real address, I have no real job, and I have no real future--"
"Zac--"
"It's true. But my feelings for you are real. And my heart beats just the same. And it's okay that you...that you have to do what you have to do--"
"Zac, I'm afraid that if he knows, he'll forbid me to see you again. I can't bear it, I need to see you."
"You need to see me?"
She opened her mouth to speak and then she closed it. She supposed she did. She could almost feel the physical pain tugging at her heart when she had to leave him behind yesterday. It was the strangest thing.
Finally, she nodded. "Yes," she whispered. "And I'll do anything it takes to be able to see you."
He searched her eyes for a moment before he reached over and took her hand, closing it inside his. "So will I."
Bessie took a breath and swallowed the lump in her throat. "Anyway, my mama approves. And that's good enough for me. Plus I'm an adult now, so what can Daddy really do, anyway? My mama, she's--she's an interesting woman. She has a lot of modern ideas, she and Daddy don't always see eye-to-eye." Then she smiled and looked at Zac. "But she always seems to get her way."
She watched a grin creep across Zac's face as he squeezed her hand. "You keep smiling at me that way and you will, too."
She giggled and she tucked her hair behind her ear. And that was when they heard the rustling in the grass.
___________________________________________________________________________
Zac froze. He cursed to himself and he froze. Bessie looked beautiful in her blue dress with her hair pulled back. Her face was so delicate, it was like it wasn't even real. Her hazel eyes were bright and he loved the way her nose crinkled when she smiled. There was nothing, absolutely nothing, that could have ruined this day for him.
Except for that damned dog.
The dog stood across from them, only yards away, and stared them down. Zac's heart began to race as he instinctively sat up in a crouch and moved himself in front of Bessie, shielding her with his arm. "Don't move," he whispered. "Don't even say a word."
"What?" She whispered, panicked. "Why? Is it a snake?"
"No. Worse."
He felt her hand on his arm and then he heard her voice, shrill with excitement. "Oh, look, it's a doggie!"
"Shh! That's no doggie," he hissed. "It's the demon spawn from hell."
It was true. Zac had encountered this dog on several occasions. Several occasions too many. The dog was huge. It wasn't a pure breed, but it was brown and it was large, just the same. And it hated Zac. He was convinced of it. It had a vendetta against him. The way it chased him through the woods on numerous occasions, the way it looked at him, the way it stared him down and licked its lips. The dog was out for blood. And now it threatened Bessie.
"Oh, look at him!" She said with pity in her voice. "Don't be so mean, he's not a demon spawn. I bet he's just hungry."
"Yeah. For blood. And flesh."
Bessie stood up, causing the dog to take a step in defense. Zac's heart rate sped up to the point where he was sure it wasn't healthy. "Bessie, I said don't move!"
She looked at him and eyed him for a moment. "Zac, are you afraid of dogs?"
His eyes darted at her, his brow furrowed in annoyance. "No. No, I'm not afraid of dogs, I just--I know this one..."
The truth was, he was afraid of dogs. A bad experience as a child made him this way when he came into contact with one that had rabies. Thankfully, it hadn't touched him, but almost had, and the sight and the feeling alone was enough to traumatize him and turn him off of dogs for the rest of his life.
"I love dogs," she said confidently. "And this one doesn't look mean to me." She whistled at the floppy-eared beast and she patted her thigh. "Come here, boy! Come on!"
"Don't you dare call that dog over here!"
But it was too late. Zac watched in horror as the dog ducked its head and walked meekly over to them. His body trembled as it stepped up to the quilt. And then, as Bessie sat herself down to greet it, it licked her face.
Zac was dumbfounded.
Bessie giggled as she wasted no time taking the dog's large, beastly head in her hands and baby-talked to it as it continued to lick her. "Who's a good doggie? Huh? Who's a good doggie?"
Its tail was going a mile a minute and Zac couldn't believe what he was seeing. Moving was still not an option. He just knew that the moment he made a move, the hell hound's sunny disposition would turn on a dime and it would eat Zac alive. And he needed to live. He needed his life. He hadn't even kissed Bessie yet.
She looked up at Zac and smiled as the dog happily turned over on its back on Bessie's lap, tongue panting and tail wagging. "Sit down, Zac," she said. "It's okay. He's a nice dog, he's not going to hurt you."
"He's not going to hurt you," he corrected.
"Sit down, he won't hurt you, either. He's sweet."
Hesitantly, he did as she said. She was completely irresistible, even when he was standing on death's front door. He sat slowly, deathly afraid to make any sudden movements but, to his relief, the dog didn't seem to pay attention to his presence. He was only interested in Bessie.
Great. Competition.
"Pet him," she encouraged him.
"No, thanks. He seems perfectly happy with you. I'll just sit here and...and watch him take you away from me."
Bessie giggled as she scratched the dog's belly. "What? Don't be silly, nothing's taking me away from you."
Zac's breath caught in his throat at her words. He hoped and prayed for a double entendre there. He needed a double entendre.
He apparently got his wish. Bessie's smile faded and he heard her gasp as she looked into his eyes, a bewildered expression on her face at the realization of her own words. At that, he watched her cheeks turn pink and then she instantly turned away and reached into her satchel. "I bet he wants a cookie."
"I don't think dogs eat cookies."
"Of course they do, they'll eat anything." Unwrapping a cookie, the dog was on his feet in an instant, hungrily smelling around her hand. "Here, doggie," she said gently. "You want a cookie?" The dog answered by taking it from her hand and settling on the blanket with it, content and happy. Bessie grinned in triumph at Zac. "He's not a demon dog. He's just hungry." Then she looked back at the dog as she watched him eat. "I wonder if he has a home...?"
"I can about guarantee that thing doesn't have a home. It follows me everywhere. It stalks me. It hunts me--"
"He likes you," she interrupted. "That's why he follows you. He never hurt you, did he?"
Zac opened his mouth to speak and then he closed it again. Finally, he managed to get out, "Well, he could have. At any moment. And he certainly has the capabilities."
She laughed, teasing him. "Please. The only thing that dog has the capability of is licking your face off. Look at him, he's a happy mutt." Then her eyes lit up and she grabbed Zac's hand. "If he doesn't have a home, he could be our dog!"
This suggestion caught Zac off guard. "Uh, our...dog?"
"Sure. He likes us both. I'll take him home with me and have Daddy buy him some dog food. And he'll go with us everywhere. And we'll share him and he'll be our own dog. Oh, won't that be so fun?"
Zac knew in this moment that he had no say in this. He'd meant what he'd said to her earlier that she could have anything she wanted with that smile and he hadn't been kidding. And, well, if she wanted to risk his life by "sharing" this demon dog, then so be it. He was powerless to resist her.
"You can have him most of the time," he offered. "He, uh, he'd have a better time with you, anyway."
"He'll have a good time with either one of us. But mostly both of us."
Zac narrowed his eyes and he looked at her. "Mostly?"
Suddenly she stopped messing with the dog and she folded her hands in her lap, shyly fidgeting with her thumbs. "Um, well--I'm having such a nice time that...and, well, I don't have school this summer and--well if it's too forward to hope that we spend most days together, I'll understand. I'm probably am just a silly little girl anyway--"
"No," he said suddenly, cutting her off. "No, I--you want to spend that much time with me?"
"I like spending time with you. A lot. And, true, you were a little rude at first, but--but I just couldn't wait to see you this morning and I imagine that it'll be the same when I go home today. You're a good person. You're nice and you're fun and you make me laugh. And--and I like to look at you. I know it's rude to stare, but I can't seem to help myself."
He looked at her, wide-eyed and shocked for a moment. He had to admit, he hadn't expected her to be so...honest. She was still meek and she was still timid and he figured he'd have to pull everything out of her. He appreciated her honesty and he returned every feeling she had expressed.
"Bessie, I--"
"Please don't respond. I'm already embarrassed enough as it is."
There it was.
Granting her wish, he decided to let it go, but only on the outside. Inside, however, his heart soared and he wanted to shout it out to the entire world. He was ecstatic. Overjoyed. Thrilled, exhilarated...giddy, even. He was giddy. That was a word he never thought he'd use to describe something he was feeling. He felt like dancing.
Interrupting his thoughts, Bessie randomly stated, "I think we're going to call him Scout."
"Scout? Why Scout?"
She shrugged her shoulders. "I don't know. It sounds like a suitable dog name."
"Don't I have a say in what we call him? Since he's our dog?"
"You don't like the dog," she stated matter-of-factly. "So it only makes sense that I choose the name."
Her sudden bluntness made him smile. He loved interacting with her, he loved learning her. She made him smile endlessly and he couldn't describe the bliss he felt in her presence. Everything was calm. Easy. Safe. Even the demon dog couldn't hurt him anymore.
Bessie had saved his life.
"Well, I guess Scout is an okay name," he agreed. "I'm okay with calling him that."
For the rest of the time they spent together that day, Scout was the star of the show. Zac didn't care. All he wanted was to be wherever Bessie was, doing whatever she was doing, loving whatever she was loving. To date, this day was probably the best day of his life.
_____________________________________________________________________________
"Hi, Daddy!" Bessie said cheerfully into the phone. "How was your day?"
"Hey, princess!" The cheer in Judge Harlow's voice matched his daughter's. "To what do I owe this phone call?"
"Well...I wanted to ask if you could pick up some dog food on the way home today?"
"Dog food...?" The judge asked warily.
"Yes. Dog food. I got a dog!"
"Excuse me? What do you mean, you 'got' a dog?"
"Well...more like he got me. He just came up to me outside today. He kissed my face and I gave him a cookie and we fell in love." Bessie had to giggle at her own recount of the day. She had given Zac a cookie, too. But he hadn't kissed her...
"Bessie, I don't--I don't know about a dog..."
"Oh, come on, Daddy, please? He's a good dog. I already named him Scout. And he'll behave and I'll take care of him, I promise!"
"He's a stray..."
"Strays need homes, too."
The judge sighed on the other end of the phone. "And then what happens when you go off to school?"
Bessie grinned. "Well, by that point you'll already be smitten with him and you'll want to keep him."
"That scoundrel is already in my house, isn't it?"
"I gave him a bath and everything! He's napping right now..."
"A dog..." the judge pondered. "You have your heart set on this dog, Bess?"
"Yes! Yes, Daddy, please let him live with us!"
"Okay, fine," the judge relented. "Fine. I'll pick up dog food on the way home."
Bessie squealed with excitement. When she calmed down, she added, "Oh, and maybe some of those dog biscuits shaped like bones?"
"What size?" He asked warily through his teeth.
"Big," she said meekly. "They probably need to be big..."
"Bessie, did you bring home a dog or a monster?"
"Daddy! He's a good dog! I promise!"
"Fine, fine, okay. I'm picking up food and biscuits for your new dog named Scout. Got it. I have a feeling I'm going to regret this..."
"You won't regret it, Daddy, I promise! Thank you, thank you, thank you!"
When Bessie hung up the phone with her father, she bent down and hugged Scout around his brown, short-haired neck as he stood beside her while she made the call. The truth was, Scout was a godsend. She didn't realize how much she needed that dog until he came along. Scout was a welcome distraction from the pain that she felt from being separated from Zac. It was unlike anything she'd ever felt before. She'd never been so drawn to a person before, the way she was drawn to Zac. And just after three short days, she couldn't spend enough time with him. Scout would help her with that. Scout would help pass the time, to where it wouldn't feel like centuries before she saw Zac again. Scout would help soothe her aching heart.
Scratching Scout behind the ear, she whispered to him loudly, "Come on, Scout. We have to hurry. I told Daddy I gave you a bath and he'll be home soon. We better make good on that promise!"