Maleah noticed the changes since the last time she’d shopped there. The aisles had been rearranged, and she didn’t know where to go. But Ben did, and as they shopped together, it seemed every other person said hello to him or passed two or three glances their way.
“You have grass and weeds in your hair and on your back,” she whispered after an elderly lady with a silver bouffant hairdo stared so hard at him she thought the woman’s face might freeze in place.
Ben grabbed the bottle of antibacterial ointment off the shelf. “That’s not why everyone is staring at us.”
“They’re not staring at us. They’re staring at you.”
“You can deny it if you want, but believe me when I tell you they’re looking at you too.”
“Am I covered in dirt and grass?” She didn’t think so, and she’d shaken out her shirt and the pants were clean.
“You must have forgotten what it’s like to live in Three Peaks,” Ben said with a small, pitying shake of his head.
She slapped her hand to her forehead. “Oh, right. I keep forgetting.”
Resigned, Maleah tried to ignore the stares as she grabbed the bites and stings relief ointment off the shelf. Then she picked up a tube of all-natural homeopathic plus essential oil remedy for bug bites and read the label. It looked promising, but the price was twice as much as the other medicine. She put it back. Her budget was so tight, she wasn’t sure if she could afford to eat for the next couple days and have enough money to buy gas to get back to Boulder.
“What’s that?” Ben asked.
“Another remedy. But I only need one.” She couldn’t admit how broke she was, and her next paycheck would be short because of losing her internship. She sighed and turned to leave the aisle.
Ben followed and they paid for their items. She noticed he bought the other bug-bite cream.
When they walked out and across the parking lot, he said, “Maleah?”
“Yeah?”
“I didn’t want to say this inside, but your hair is a little wild after all the jumping around.”
She groaned. The two of them must look like quite the pair. “Thanks a lot for telling me before we went inside the store.”
“No problem.” His smirk returned and she saw him holding back a laugh.
They drove three blocks down Main Street and turned left on Shavano Way. Her aunt owned three quarters of the Garden Block. After Kiki’s husband died, she invested the life insurance money in real estate. She loved Three Peaks and believed the old buildings downtown needed to be saved, restored, and brought back to life. Maleah didn’t know when Aunt Kiki had moved out of her house and started living downtown, but the questions were piling up.
Maleah was surprised when Ben turned into the alley and parked beside a mammoth-sized camper trailer in the shared parking lot of the Columbine and Aspen buildings.
“How did you know where to go?”
“I knew your aunt has been living here.”
“Really? Did you hear she had an accident this weekend?”
“No, I didn’t.” Creases of concern knitted his brows. “I spent the weekend working at the ranch. Is Kiki all right?”
“I’m not sure yet. I’m back in town to be with her. She’s at the hospital. I went there first, but she was napping. When she woke up, she was severely confused. I don’t know if she recognized me. It was awful. The nurse suggested I come back tomorrow. I decided I would go to the overlook on Route 9 to watch the sunset and try to calm down before coming into town. That’s where I was headed when you found me being attacked by the ants. I don’t know how I got a flat tire.”
“What you’re telling me is, you’re having a fantastic day and could use a drink.”
“Pretty much,” Maleah said, already accustomed to Ben’s use of sarcasm and simple solutions. If only he knew the rest, she thought. “You don’t have a tranquilizer gun, do you?” she mumbled.
He laughed. “That might be somewhat extreme, but if you really need it, I know someone who could hook us up.”
“Maybe later. First, I should go inside and see if the bug cream works.” Maleah reached for the door handle.
“I’ll walk you in. It’s a large building, and I know my way around.”
“You do?” she asked, surprised.
“I’ve been doing some work for Kiki,” he said and didn’t elaborate before opening the door and stepping into the pale glow of the streetlights behind the Columbine Building.
Maleah grabbed the shopping bag, then retrieved her overnight bag. Ben took the suitcase from the back seat of the four-door pickup. She’d noticed his tool belt, work gloves, and duffle bag in the back seat and wondered what Ben did for a living.
Maleah looked for the flower pot that her mother said was where Aunt Kiki hid the key to the building, but Ben walked to the back door and inserted a key.
“You have your own key?” There were so many questions that needed answering, but Maleah’s brain was fried and all she wanted was to soak in a hot shower and pass out. If the ointment eased the sting of the bug bites, then all the better.
“I do. Come on in.” He held the door open.
They entered a pitch-black hallway, and Maleah waited for her eyes to adjust. A narrow sliver of light entered the building from the alleyway behind them. She heard and felt Ben’s movements beside her.
A repetitive clicking sound penetrated the darkness before Ben said, “Electricity is off.”
“Of course it is. This is my life now.” She set her overnight bag down and pulled out her phone. As Maleah turned on the flashlight, it rang.
“It’s my mom,” she said to Ben, then answered the call.
“Maleah? Is that you?”
“Hi, Mom. I meant to call after leaving the hospital, but I got distracted. Sorry,” she said.
“I already know you’re distracted. That’s the reason I’m calling. I thought you were in Three Peaks to take care of Aunt Kiki. Why didn’t you tell me you and Ben Erickson are seeing each other? I’ve known his parents forever. You didn’t have to keep your relationship a secret.”
“I’m sorry. What?” Maleah couldn’t believe what she’d just heard come out of her mother’s mouth.
“Did you not tell me because of Holden? It’s okay, honey. If you’re no longer interested in your handsome boss, you can tell me. Ben was always a good kid. He’s kind of quiet, though. Are you sure he’s no longer with that Kinsey? You know, I never liked her. She’s what you might call high-maintenance. They were a cute couple in high school, but—”
“Mom, stop,” Maleah interrupted. “How did you know I am with Ben?” Then she realized how the question might sound. “I mean, I—” Her tongued twisted, and she stammered before getting the words out correctly. “I’m not with Ben. I mean he’s standing here, but we’re not together, together. I had car trouble.” And ant trouble, and cow trouble, and now electricity trouble, but she kept that to herself. “Ben found me and my car on Route 9. He gave me a ride to town. We’re at Aunt Kiki’s building downtown right now.”
Her mother tsked into the phone. Actually tsked, as if Maleah was doing something shameful.