Sunrise Point

work for a company that rapes the land and the consumer and puts the employees at risk while they’re doing it.”
    “You?” Shelby asked. “Were you at risk?”
    “Oh, hell no,” he said. “If they asked me to fly out to a rig in bad conditions, I wouldn’t go. They could always find someone who would go—that galls me. But I’m not a cop. Cost me a couple of jobs, but I was more than happy to let them go. I had to think for about ten seconds—let’s see, job? Life? Huh?”
    “And now, you’re an ecologist? More or less?” she asked.
    He laughed heartily at that. “I appreciate nature,” he said. “I respect it. As long as we don’t hurt anyone or anything by drilling, by supplying fuel, I’m good with that.”
    “But you hunt,” she said.
    “And wear leather. And fill up my tank. But I don’t shave safety regulations or take advantage of hungry people who need the work to feed their kids… Aww, get me off this soapbox, Luke!”
    Luke laughed. “How do you like your slab out back? You have your traveling apartment all hooked up?”
    Coop grinned and looked up at the sky. “I think I’m going to like this.”
    * * *
    Nora knew that Tom Cavanaugh would come for her on Monday morning, so she waited out in front of her little house, leaning against her five-year-old gray Nissan. She couldn’t wait to see the expression on his face. He pulled up at the usual time and just sat in his truck for a minute, staring. It made her let go a big laugh.
    He finally got out of his truck and looked at her quizzically. “Do you have company?” he asked.
    She shook her head. “Jed gave me a car,” she told him. She opened the back door. “With car seats! ”
    He pulled off his cap and scratched his head. “Just gave it to you?”
    “He’s trying to make up for lost time, I think. It belonged to his lady friend, Susan. And rather than trading it in for a newer car, she sold it to Jed, who wanted it for me. I was pretty shocked. I still can’t believe it. And guess what? It’s very nice.”
    “I guess that means you have a driver’s license.”
    “Of course I do. I just haven’t driven in a long time.”
    “Maybe you should let me drive you to the orchard until you have a couple of test drives,” he suggested. “You can tell me about your visit.”
    “I think you’re disappointed I don’t need a ride,” she said with a laugh.
    “Nah. But I kind of got used to the updates… .”
    “We can talk at lunchtime. If you’re not too busy.”
    He looked uncomfortable. She thought he actually squirmed a little, looking briefly away. “I don’t want anyone to think—”
    She was shaking her head. “Come on,” she coaxed. “This isn’t junior high, and you have a girlfriend!”
    “Not quite yet.”
    “Oh, boy—now we have to talk! I want to hear all about the red boots!”
    “Did you get anything else from good old Jed besides the car?” Tom asked.
    She put her hands on her hips and grinned. “Did you just change the subject?”
    “I wondered, that’s all…”
    “Walmart gift card for winter clothes, some toys for the girls and, get this, he brought dinner—roasted chicken, potatoes, vegetables. He bought it on the way.”
    “I guess you don’t need much now… .”
    “I need to know how your weekend went!” she said, laughing. “Okay, look—I’ll follow you back to the orchard. I’ll make your coffee. We’ll have a cup while we wait for the others to come—the ones you’re so careful to arrive before and leave after. You can ask me questions and then you’ll tell me all about your weekend with that magnificent woman!”
    “Magnificent?” he asked with a frown.
    “Well, Tom, I saw her! Let’s get a move on or we won’t have time to talk. Because God forbid old Jerome or Junior think we’re friends. Come on!”
    * * *
    Tom was completely unsure how this little spitfire did it to him, but he was grinning all the way to the orchard, following her as she carefully putted along the almost deserted road at dawn. And after they’d arrived and parked, he suggested they have coffee in the kitchen with Maxie.
    “But Tom, I’m not going to get all the more intimate details if your grandmother is there,” she said quietly.
    He leaned down, close to her face. “You’re not going to get intimate details anyway.”
    “Oh,” she said, laughing, covering her mouth. “All right, then.”
    When they walked into the kitchen, they found Maxie leaning on a hand, elbow