Page 24 of James

Colorful pictures displayed before and after scenes of a worksite that was almost certainly one of the buildings destroyed in the tornado. It looked a little like the laundromat to Laura, but then, everything reminded her of that night. It wasn’t like there were any washers or dryersin any of the before pictures, just water-stained dirty-white walls and scuffed high-traffic linoleum, the same as a thousand other small storefronts in Kansas City. She lingered anyway, oddly transfixed by the pictures advertising BlackSmith’s apprenticeship program. In one shot in particular, young people were sanding wood, others were building some kind of frame and another was tiling a floor, all supervised by an older man with his back to the camera. A broad back in a flannel shirt with dark hair just licking over his collar, his arms folded and legs set apart in a commanding stance…

“Hey, beautiful, haven’t we met?” A big arm landed on her shoulder and Laura tensed up and turned slowly to look in the face of … Chris.

“Er, yes, hi. We met the other week at the bar,” she stammered.

Laura cringed, her insecurities expecting him to shout, ‘Oh hey yeah, you’re the new chick from the munch.’ But of course, he didn’t. The BDSM community was protective of its privacy; responsible members would not expose others any more than they would want to be exposed.

“I’m happy to see you, doll.” Chris grinned and lifted his arm as if reluctant to let her go.

“So, Chris, what are you doing here?” She shuffled her feet. “Isn’t this a bit of a strange place to promote your business?” Blood rushed to her cheeks and heated her face. Normally, she wasn’t this forward.

“No offence taken, beautiful.” Chris let out a carefree laugh, which helped to settle her unease. “You know about this year’s auction?” he asked. “The income will be given to Christ the King Church to help with their repairs from the tornado damage.”

She nodded.

“Well, BlackSmith Construction will be volunteering labor for the renovations, so the Festival gave us a spot today. James and I decided it was a great way to let our apprentices show what they’ve learned and maybe interest other youth in learning the trade,” he continued.

She couldn’t suppress a flinch. “James?”

Chris offered her a puzzled smile. “My partner, James Black. And I’m Chris Smith. You know, BlackSmith Construction.”

James Black!

She bit her lip, her gaze drawn back to the photo of the apprentices working under the broad-shouldered man’s supervision, at his hair in particular, reliving the way it had tickled at her inner thighs when his mouth closed over her clit, completely unaware of Chris still standing there, studying her face his expression growing pensive and contemplative. The silence between them only amplified the intensity of the moment, before he blurted out, “I’ll be damned! You’re the lady from the laundromat!”

Slapped back to the moment, Laura jumped and stared at him, shaking, then bolted blindly and quickly disappeared into the crowd.

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

Suzie strolled through the lively surroundings, her face almost aching with the constant smile as she watched her children's carefree enjoyment. Leaving her worries and responsibilities behind, she took in every precious moment. She observed Tim’s laughter and Abby’s playful antics. The warmth in her heart surpassed any material possession.

In that moment, Suzie couldn't help but reflect on her journey. Life may have presented its challenges, but the happy children before her affirmed that her sacrifices and efforts were worthwhile. They were the embodiment of unconditional love and a testament to her unwavering commitment as a parent and a living reminder of her late husband.

“Mommy, mommy,” Abby called, pulling Suzie from her inner musings. “Can we go to the ring toss? Pleeeeease!” She grabbed Suzie’s hand and tugged. “I want the pink pony with the rainbow-colored mane!”

“Quit nagging.” Tim admonished her. “You don’t think you can win that, do you? You have to get all threerings over the bottle, and they’re barely bigger than the bottle is.”

Abby’s little mouth quivered.

Tim quickly slung his arm around her shoulder. “I didn’t say it to make you sad. I just don’t want you to be disappointed if you don’t get it.”

Abby nodded and rubbed her eyes with her jacket sleeve. “I know,” she mumbled. “But it’ssopretty.”

Suzie lay her hand on her son’s shoulder. “I’m proud of you, Tim, and your father would have been too!”

Tim stood a bit straighter.

Suzie knelt in front of her daughter. “You both can try, but I can only buy each of you two tickets. I understand you want to win, but I can't keep buying tickets until you do.”

Abby nodded and smiled. She skipped to the booth, radiating joy and happiness again.

Suzie bought four tickets from the young man at the booth and noticed in dismay how little money she had left. It wasn’t easy to raise two fast-growing children on her small salary.

Oh well, the Festival is only once a year and I have some leftover meals in the fridge for the next few days.

Payday was next Friday and November was a three-paycheck month. She was also hoping for a nice bonus at the end of the year. And anyway, the kids wouldn’t remember having to eat leftovers, but they might remember this day. There had been too little to celebrate in their lives lately.

James finished his lunch and headed back to the BlackSmith booth, taking the scenic route through carnival row to pass out cold water bottles to all the volunteer barkers. At the ring toss booth, he paused to watch some domestic drama play out. Two little kids had bellied up to the counter with rings in their hands while their mother watched with a somewhat sad smile. Something about that smile caught James by the heart and he stayed to watch.

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