Page 21 of Loan Wolf
“She’s very invested in your career,” Patricia reminded her. “She dropped everything she was doing to come help you.”
Guilt swamped Clara. She was an ungrateful worm. Twiller truly cared about Clara, in her own strict way, and she’d dedicated so much time and energy to teaching her. It was awful of Clara to resent her for it.
“I’ll want to practice on the stage before the revue,” Clara said peacefully. “I’ll see if she can come help me polish the choreography.”
She exchanged a hug with Patricia and pulled up her phone to make the call; Twiller didn’t like texts.
“Of course, darling,” Twiller said mildly. “I’ve already talked to Linda Turner and reserved the space for this evening and tomorrow. Five o’clock sharp. There’s a full dress rehearsal Friday morning at eleven. This is probably the biggest show this backwards little town will ever see.”
Clara bit back the automatic defense that rose up in her throat. Why would she defend Green Valley? She hadn’t lived here since she was a little kid, and she’d called it backwards more than once herself. “That sounds great,” she said, just as blandly. “I’ll see you at five.”
It wasn’t until she’d hung up that she remembered she’d told Gabe she’d be back around closing time, which was also five. The bike rental contract was still in her pocket and it had his number on it. After starting and deleting a few messages, she wrote,
This is Clara. I’ll be practicing at the theatre when you close.
It wasn’t exactly an invitation, but it wasn’t not an invitation either. He could make of it whatever he wanted.
19
GABE
Gabe was used to being stared at.
Even with the influx of seasonal theatre people, there weren’t that many folks in Green Valley with visible tattoos or men with earrings. It wasn’t that unusual to catch people looking away as he walked through the little local store. But he wasn’t usually buying the biggest box of condoms that they had and Gabe found himself deliberately trying to catch their gazes and then nod. A scandalized mother led her child to another aisle and a farmer in overalls gave him an envious glance.
He put the box on the counter and added a candy bar from the high school chocolate fundraiser stand for good measure.
Julia looked at the candy bar, then at the box of condoms, every inch of her wizened face an expression of disapproval, but she said nothing as she shook a bag open.
“Got some plans for tonight, do you?” Of all the people that could be behind him in line, it had to be Marta. In the fifteen years that Gabe had known her, Marta had changed very little. She had always had white hair and eyes surrounded by wrinkles. Her wit was as brisk now as it had always been, and she was the town’s source for all the best gossip and wild speculation.
“Oh, you know. Thought I’d catch a sportsball game on the television and knit some socks,” Gabe quipped.
Marta cackled. “Not sure you need condoms for that, but safety first is always smart.”
Gabe waited for her to guess who his plans were with. He didn’t want to drag Clara’s name through the mud with his, but if anyone had an inkling yet, it would be Marta, who had her fingers in everyone’s business without fail.
“Big show this weekend,” Marta said. “End of season revue. And Clara Montgomery will be dancing for us, have you heard?”
Was her tone slightly pointed?
“Clara Montgomery will be performing here?”
Julia had apparently not been informed yet, and Marta pounced on the opportunity to share the juicy details. “Linda Turner says that they’re selling tickets like mad. People are coming all the way from Milwaukee to see her. It’s apparently quite a coup for the Sunflower Stage.”
“It’s been a blessing having the theatre built here,” Julia said, completely ignoring Gabe as she rang him up. “It’s good for local businesses.”
“I heard they’re thinking about building a BigMart on the old Travers farm.”
“That’s not the kind of development we need,” Julia said severely, giving Gabe his change without meeting his eyes.
Gabe left them to discuss the future of Green Valley and refused a bag so he could continue to scandalize anyone he met with his box of condoms. His phone gave an alert and he tried to decide what Clara’s message meant. Did she want him to meet him there? In public? Was she inviting him, or just apologizing?
Why did women have to be so complicated?
She’s our mate! his wolf hummed.
That doesn’t matter, Gabe insisted. He went back to the shop and dug into a rebuild project on an older recumbent bike, but didn’t find it as distracting as he’d hoped.
