I hope my readers forgive for the long delay in updating. I believe there is three chapters left in this story after this one. As usual, I own nothing related to OTH.
Chapter 7
Gentle hills, farm lanes and small streams hidden among the shrubs and the occasional longleaf pine. The address is a farmhouse, about forty miles west of Tree Hill. From the looks of it, it's an old tobacco farm, converted to organic produce. The sign upfront says Clayton Farm, with cheerful fresh lettering, and the house itself is an old one-story ranch with a wrap-around porch. It seems to have been recently painted, with a fresh coat of white and green trimmings. Taylor knocks on the door, and a tiny blonde on a light pink maternity dress, apron, and a scarf on her head opens. Sharp hazel eyes, early twenties, cute as a button with a huge baby bump. Taylor is on her usual slut vibe, tight band tee, tiny cutout jeans shorts, no-sleeve jeans vest and scuffed army half-boots. The blonde checks her out with a sneer, and dismisses her outright. Lucas is wearing faded blue jeans, a gray long-sleeve button shirt with rolled sleeves and running shoes. After her exam, the little blonde decides Lucas might be worth addressing and turns to him.
"Good afternoon. I'm Hildy Clayton. How can I help you folks?" Her voice is pleasant, with a slight southern lilt and a sexy low register a little at odds with her looks. She could make money as an ad voice.
Taylor takes the blonde's dismissal in stride and replies. "We're Taylor James and Lucas Scott. We're here about an ad..."
The blonde interrupts her, with a curt gesture. "Yes, of course." She uses her chin to point to a large barn badly in need of paint and repair. "My husband Jason is over yonder. Talk to him." She slams the door in their face.
We stand there for a second, and Taylor breaks the silence. "Wow."
Lucas smiles and looks at Taylor. "Don't sweat. Pregnant woman's temper is... erratic."
"You'd know."
Lucas laughs. "You betcha."
As we approach the barn, we hear clanking of metal on concrete and loud swearing. Inside, a tall, thin man, taller than Lucas by a good couple of inches. Light brown hair and eyes, long face, with high cheekbones, thin lips and a pointy chin. He's wearing a dirty blue overall over an off-white t-shirt, heavy work boots and gloves. Behind him, an old John Deere tractor, showing signs of hard use, and, behind that, a collection of rusty farm implements. A ratchet wrench and a couple of engine cover screws on the floor show the origin of the clanking, and the swearing is reflected in his exasperated look. The looks changes to quiet appreciation, as he checks Taylor out.
"Hi. Y'all here for the hog."
They answer at the same time. Taylor says "Yes" and Lucas says "No."
Lucas turns to Taylor, confused for a second. When he see her smile, he looks around and sees a bulky item, covered by a tarp, standing by itself in a corner of the barn. Of course. It's perfect for her. "Yes, I guess. Sorry."
Jason and Taylor snicker a bit. Lucas approaches the tarp and turns to Jason, asking for permission. Jason nods and Lucas uncovers the hog. "It's an '82 Shovelhead. Like this farm, it belonged to my late father-in-law."
It's a big bike. Under the dust and the rust, it looks pretty nice. A low rider body, with black tank paint with the Harley lettering in red. Seat is ok, tires are gone. Reassembly. Front shocks maybe salvageable. Lucas kneels in front of it. Most of the rust looks like surface. "How long has it been standing here?"
"Three years, maybe four."
"Hmm. Lots of work." Lucas turns to Taylor. "I can fix it. But it will take a while." He turns to the man, who is giving him a curious look. "How much?"
"You're a mechanic?"
Lucas gets up. "Not really. I grew up around a shop. Anything with an old-fashioned carburetor, I can handle, and I'm a fair hand at body work."
Jason frowns and looks pensive. After a bit, he decides. "You think you can get this thing moving?"
He points a thumb at the tractor.
"What's wrong with it?"
"It was working fine three months ago. Now it just wont start."
"Was it putting out black smoke?"
"A bit."
"It's probably just gummed up. Old, half-burned oil sets in on the moving parts and hardens."
"Can you fix it? If you get it running, you can just have the hog."
I look at Taylor and she shrugs. I can see how much she wants the thing. Lucas turns to Jason, frowning. "You sure about this? It seems to me you're being a bit generous here."
"Actually, you'll be doing me a favor. My wife thinks that trying to sell the hog 'atracts undesirables'. Her words. No offense, honey."
"None taken." Taylor smiles and winks. "She can call me undesirable all she wants."
Jason turns to Lucas, laughing. "Is she always like this?"
Lucas grabs Taylor in a half-hug. "Yup. Charming, no?"
"Not the word I would use." They all laugh. Jason shakes his head. "You're a lucky man."
Lucas shakes his head. "Taylor is a dear friend. You're the lucky one, from what I saw."
He smiles and nods. "That I am. So, how do you want to do this?"
Jason and Taylor wait while Lucas looks around and thinks a bit. "All right. I need some equipment and tools. Also, I'm going to Brooke's today. I'll be back tomorrow bright and early to get started."
"What do you mean bright and early?"
"Around seven?"
"That's mid morning in a farm, Lucas."
"Right, mid morning then. I should have a better idea of what's gonna take to get the thing moving by lunchtime."
o=o=o=o=o=o=o=o=o=o=o=o=o
Haley stares at the Clothes over Bros sign at the door with a little smile. She remembers the conversation in their couch where that name came up, Brooke and her trying to distract themselves from their Scott brothers drama. She gets in. A high pitched squeal and a hug, happily returned. "Hi, Tutormom! What brings your cute little ass into my store?"
Haley smiles. I'll take cute, but not little..."
"Well, sorry! Call it that gorgeously shaped pair of buttocks."
Haley sniffs. "Better."
Brooke laughs, saunters her way to the rack and brings back a scandalous matched set of miniskirt and blouse. "Can I interest you in something sexy to cover those parts and accentuate their shapeliness?"
"You're in a good mood today."
"If you're implying that I got lucky yesterday, sorry. No dice." She spaces out a bit and continues. "Shared a bed with your sister on Saturday, though."
Haley giggles. "To each his own, Tigger."
Brooke waves her hands in dismissal. "Angie was crying non-stop. I ended up at Lucas'. Turns out she had a couple of teeth coming out."
"Ouch! Been there, done that."
"It was too late to go back home." She spaces out again, showing a silly grin. "Caught your best friend pumping iron in the morning. Shirtless. Sweaty."
"Ah."
"What?" Brooke screams.
"The silly grin. The bubbly mood..."
"Have you taken a look at that boy lately?"
"Yuck!" Haley laughs. "But I know what you mean."
"Right!"
"So. You going there?"
Brooke's countenance closes. "I want to. I think he wants it... It's stupid. I dunno. Honest." A little silence. "Taylor keeps pushing for it."
Haley grabs the set. "Let me try."
She comes out and checks herself on a mirror. Brooke approaches from behind and pinches her butt. "Yum."
"Ouch, you pervert." Haley laughs and frowns at her image. It is a little over the top for her. "Not the looks of a mother and teacher..."
"Perfect for a rock star, though."
"A younger rock star."
"You're twenty-three, slut. Live a little. Make that cute boy of yours drool."
Haley slaps her arm. "My cute boy wants his godparents together, you know?"
"Ouch! I bruise easily, you know?" She frowns. "Why does everybody want me back with him?"
"I don't. I just want you to follow your heart and be happy."
"Yeah. What if following my stupid heart just makes me sad and droopy?"
"Follow it and risk your heart. Don't follow it and live with regret. It's your choice... Hmm... I can feel a song coming..."
"I hate you, Rockstar."
Haley laughs and checks out the mirror again. "All right. I'll take it."
o=o=o=o=o=o=o=o=o=o=o=o
Hildy comes to the nursery carrying a tall sweaty glass of iced tea just as Taylor is done assembling the white drawers. Taylor gets up and uses her forearm to dry up the sweat from her forehead and picks up the glass. She takes a deep pull. "Hm... This is nice, sweety. Thanks."
"Well, thank you. If it wasn't for you, I'm afraid the nursery would only get ready after the harvest."
Taylor looks around. The small room is painted light green and white, with a nice antique crib, with a matching armoire. A nice stuffed chair for nursing in a corner. The drawers and the changing table were still in their boxes, until this morning's labor. "It looks very nice."
"Well, thanks. I was going to bring some tea to the boys. Care to join?"
"Sure"
Back at the kitchen, Hildy serves the tea into two glasses. "Do you know how your boy takes it?"
"Three teaspoons of sugar."
"So, he likes it sweet..."
Taylor smiles. "His tea, at least."
She sweetens it and stirs with a straw. "What's between you and that boy, girlie? And don't tell me it's just friends..."
"You're right, there's a bit more to it than that."
"So?"
"He's a mamma's boy. You know the type, picket fence, a passel of kids..." She opens the front door for Hildy to pass. "Me, I'm a tumbleweed."
"Even a tumbleweed lays down roots and turns to a bush at some point, you know?"
"Yeah, yeah. Not ready for that. Yet. And I ain't toying with him either. We'd end up both hurting. Besides, he's got his sights on someone else."
Hildy raises her eyebrows. "Really?"
"Yup."
"Maybe one sight. The other one is pointing right at ya."
"It's a pretty simple plan. He gets it on with his little princess, and I climb on that hog and head for the sunset. Easy. Nobody gets hurt."
"Simple is fine, baby girl. But sometimes complicated can be fun too."
Taylor sighs. "I know..."
Taylor is sitting in the sofa, watching a girly movie and Hildy is asleep, lying sideways, her head on Taylor's lap. Taylor playing with Hildy's fine blonde hair. Outside, three explosions, followed by loud engine noise and screaming.
Taylor shakes her shoulder. "Sweetie?"
"Hmm. What?" Hildy wakes up enough to hear the noise and smiles. "I guess the boys did it."
They walk outside. Lucas is opening the barn's doors and Jason is driving the tractor outside. They look dead tired, filthy and are smiling like a pair of little boys who just won a championship.
The girls can't help it but be captivated.
Lucas and Jason clean and arrange the tools, load the hog on the flatbed and go inside to clean up. They eat a meal of chicken soup, homemade bread and peach cobbler. Lucas and Taylor promise to come back for dinner the following week. In one day, a friendship was set that would last a lifetime.
A month later little Jalene was born. Lucas and Taylor visited them at the hospital. Later, they became godparents to the girl and would, much later, see Jason give her away at the altar, while Hildy and Taylor cried.
