CH 2: Ignorance is bliss!
"Oh Cam be a gentleman and do me a favor!" Howard called from the store counter, "Could you get me some fresh silverware from the kitchen! We have a hungry costumer on our hands! I cannot believe she has eaten almost five helpings of Tom Yum Goong!"
Cam, who had shrugged off Howard's speech of a person grabbed the silver ware, then stopped where he stood suddenly very interested in what Howard had to say when it came to Tom Yum Goong. Tom Yum Goong was Cam's favorite food, it perked his keen curiosity.
He just had to find out who this person was; it was a 'she' occurring to Howard. So with cat like curiosity, pun entirely intended Cam came out of the kitchen and was totally surprised to see it was none other than Lillian sitting at her table. Lillian was happily and politely scooping up Tom Yum Goong and eating it slowly as if savoring every last bite.
"May I please have some more, Howard?" Lillian giggled her voice like a sweet melodic lullaby. Cam stood there, having gone unnoticed for the moment and let her voice wash over him. It had been a week since he and Lillian had last spoken to each other.
It had been awkward seeing each other after their little spat and then apology to each other, which had been when Lillian talked of her cat Minnow. Cam couldn't deny his heart ache he felt for the poor cheerful farmer.
She must be hurting over the fresh loss of her cat, yet she masked it with a smile and continued to spread cheer.
"Oh!" Lillian's voice rang out like a bell and wrenched Cam out of his thoughts. "Cam." Lillian said simply, fiddling with her bandanna again, perhaps a bad habit? "Hi…er…how's your head?"
"Uhm.." Cam mumbled, struggling to say something. "Er my head? Oh yeah it's fine…and yours?" He inquired, suddenly feeling rather shy, tugging on the brim of his hat. He too, had his bad habits.
"Bumpy." Lillian replied, her face taking on a serious expression, she was staring intently at Cam which caused him to raise a questioning eyebrow at her. "Heh." Lillian's laughter came quick and bubbly. "Nah, my head's fine."
"Oie!" Howard politely cleared his throat. "Are you two love birds about finished?" He asked looking back and forth between the two of them, smiling brightly and amused at their reactions.
The pair had turned a rosy red and Cam had tugged the brim of his hat all the way over his face, as did Lillian except not with a hat of course, but with her bandanna. "Ohohohohho." Howard broke out into hearty spouts of laughter. "It was a joke my little doves." He waved a hand to the both of them. "Hey Cam you forgot the new plate!"
"Ah! Hold on!" Cam placed the spoon and fork on Lillian's plate, averting his eyes, clearly avoiding her blue beady gaze. He rushed into the kitchen and snatched up a silver plate and then ran back out. He should have been more attentive.
Due to his reckless behavior he nicked his hip on the side of the counter and grunted in pain as he passed the silver plate to Howard. "Ah…" He mumbled to himself, shaking his head. Then he froze where he stood because at that moment Lillian's angelic laughter filled the air.
"Oh my Harvest Goddess!" Lillian's voice came brokenly through her laugh. "Oh…thank Harvest Goddess! So I'm not the only one who's clumsy! I thought I was the only one and here I was sitting here feeling horrible about myself!" She admitted cheerfully as if it were no huge deal.
"See, I eat a lot when I'm upset, I eat so much I feel like a bloated balloon! Oh, or maybe I feel more like a pool floatie? Or perhaps, maybe a rock? No, no that isn't quite right. I feel like a gigantic elephant when I stuff myself! Did you know elephants can eat up to four hundred and forty four or six hundred and sixty six pounds of vegetation each day?"
Lillian's sentence ran freely from her vocal cords and she said all of that without once pausing for a gulp of air. "So does that mean I've eaten that many pounds? I mean since I feel like an elephant, then shouldn't it mean I ate as much as it…or…uhh.." She trailed off as she noticed Cam staring at her with wide green eyes. He looked rather dazed and uncomfortable.
"AH!" Lillian sharply cried out waving her hands back and forth in front of her. "I'm so sorry to have disturbed you! Anyway I must get back to the farm! The chickens need feeding and the cows will need another milking!" She announced, pushing herself up, walking hurriedly pass Cam whom looked nothing short of bewildered.
Lillian handed over her money, thanked Howard graciously for the meal and just like that she had left. Cam stood there, holding the unused plate, stupidly staring at the front door, half expecting Lillian to come skipping back in. Wait…why was he? He shook his head.
"Well now that was interesting!" Howard's voice was forming a tease as he stared at the back of Cam's head. "I do wonder…I do wonder….perhaps the time has come at last huh?" The bulky man, even though being heavily built always managed to be as silent as a church mouse when he moved.
Howard stealthily left his post from the counter and slid into his daughter's room. His daughter, Laney looked up from writing in her diary and promptly snapped it shut. "Yes father, what is it?" Laney spoke up, wondering what her father was doing in here instead of being out there serving food.
"Laney, you know much about match making don't you, honey?" Howard began smoothly, clapping his hands together looking giddy and excited. "Well I think it is about time our Cammie boy finally had someone in his life, don't you? There's this certain little lady I think Cam fancies and they'd be oh so adorable together!" He exaggerated, sighing adoringly.
Laney couldn't help but laugh at her father as he brought up match making, even though her father hadn't a clue, Laney herself didn't know much about love other than what she had read in novels. Then suddenly her mind drew a blank when Howard mentioned Cam.
Laney's mind buzzed with so many silent questions, like why in the world Howard would bring up Cam and then it hit her; Howard was talking about Cam and Lillian of course. Whenever a new, possible bachelorette showed up in town Howard always tried to nudge Cam into a relationship with them.
Sadly, all of Howard's carefully planned attempts failed; even the best of plans could go awry. Especially if a man, no matter how in sync they were with their feminine side, tried. It more than likely failed. So Laney readied herself to see the plan fail already.
"Dad, why don't you let me try this time around?" Laney offered, without thinking. She didn't know what came over her, the words just slipped out. "I know you do so enjoy this sort of thing but perhaps it would best be left in the hands of a woman?"
Howard's face brightened and his eyes gleamed, Laney had never offered her assistance before and usually told him that setting Cam up secretly wasn't ever going to work out. So this was a joyous turn for him. "That's my honey bunch!" He hummed.
"Oh father." Laney huffed out in mock embarrassment and shook her head, smiling a mile wide. Oh well, whatever happened would happen and if it didn't work then they would accept it and move on. "So just like always?" She ventured.
"Oh most definitely yes, my dearest daughter how else would we do it?!" Howard boomed out, hyped up, shuffling his feet to and fro. "Remember my sweetie pie, ignorance is bliss! Ignorance is bliss!"
Well, the roller coaster was in motion now, heading down a dip. This was going to be a long timidly planned process! Let the fire works spark or the crash and burn initiate!
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Author's note: I really had fun writing this chapter! Especially the part about Lillian talking about elephants lol! She is so talkative and bubbly that she left Cam stunned. This little event that unfolded, gave Howard a devious, yet fully considerate plan, to pair Cam up with Lillian! However since Howard has tried this many times before and all of his plans failed, will he fail this time to? Or will the help of Laney prove to be just what his plans needed? STAY TUNED! Thanks for reading a reviewing! I friggen love you all! Also Every Cowboy Needs a Cowgirl will be on hiatus for a week or so while I work on this story and get a few chapters up. Then when Christmas break starts I'll update Every Cowboy Needs a Cowgirl! Look forward to it! Anyways please read and review! BYE~