9. Flirting and Falsehoods

"Ready?" he said, grasping my outstretched hand as he leaned off the buckboard to help me up.

"Sure" I said.

Trooper choose a restraurant on the outskirts of town, one by the name of....

Kellee's Kitchen

"Let's just hope Kellee knows what she's doing in the kitchen," I mumbled under my breath, a bit dissapointed at the low-grade restaurant Trooper had choosen.

"You don't like it?" Trooper asked, his face full of dissapointment and hurt, while he held the door open for me.

"Oh no, its just that, the name kinda caught me off guard, but you can't judge a book by its cover, nor a restaurant by its name, right?" I said, trying to get him to rid that look on his face that pierced my heart with guilt.

"I guess," he said uncertainly, as he followed behind me.

We chose a small table by a large window, him pulling out my chair and pushing me in before he took his seat directly across from mine.

"So, shall we get down to business?" he asked, leaning on the table, hands upholding his head while they rested on his chin, in a very business-type looking manner.

I giggled and replied,

"I guess,"

"Well, before we start, I need to make something clear..........."   "You know............. we barely know each other, so I don't expect you to tell me everything, in fact, you might not want my advice at all. For all you know, I might be just guy looking for a young, gorgeous girl like yourself to rip off, ya know?"

Needless to say, I was a bit dumbstruck, first, he thought I was GORGEOUS?!?! Where did this come from?! And then he tells me he wants to make sure I can trust him? Where do you find a guy like this?! Every couple millions of years I think.

"You know Trooper, I believe that your actions so far and your Christian testimony have shown me that you are a man worth trusting."

"Thanks Tara"

I gave him a wide grin and was about to begin discussing my aunt, when our waiter approached. He was a rather lanky, young boy who seemed to get a little.....................strange when he came over to our table, he asked for our order for drinks but even while he was asking Trooper, he kept looking at me, and then raised his eyebrows and gave me a grin.

My eyes grew wide as I realized what was taking place and I quickly looked at Trooper, who was also clearly displeased.

"WE will both be having iced tea please, no lemons,"  Trooper said,

"Sure, anything else?" the waiter replied, still staring intently at me.

"No," Trooper replied a bit harsher.

"Alright then," said the waiter and walked away, still taking glancing at me from across the room. I shivered in disgust and turned to Trooper, who said,

"Ya know Tara, I was thinking, if you plan on just fixing up your aunt's place a little, I bet I could get a few friends of mine to make some real right offers on it and then we could..........."

"Trooper", I said interrupting him, "I don't want to just fix Aunt Margaret's home up, I want to live here,"

"Really", he said, surprise and pure pleasure evident on his face.

"Yes........ I know I have only been here a short time but I really think that God has led me here and that I could grow and become a part of this town,"

"I think you would be a great addition Tara," he replied.

"Well, instead of some simply fix up for your aunt's place, we'll have to do something a little more permanent like......." But before he could finished, our waiter returned, with drinks in hand.

"Here you go little lady," he said, turning to me and instead of setting my glass on the table, holding out for me to take. Seeing the waiters idea, Trooper snatched the glass out of his hand before I could reach it and set it down in front of me, while glaring at the waiter. Clearly irritated by Trooper's action, the waiter tip Trooper's glass that he held in his hand just enough so that a stream of cold tea poured right over top of Trooper's head, soaking his hair and shirt.

The waiter took a step back as I gasped and stood up, but Trooper released a deep breath of air and motioned for me to sit back down as he reached for a napkin to dry himself off.

"You'd better go replace that," Trooper said, motioning toward the now empty glass the waiter held in his hand.

"But.......you were suppose to get angr.........." he stuttered before hurrying off back toward the kitchen.

"Oh, Trooper " I exclaimed.

"Oh never mind, its just tea" he said smiling.

"Anyway, where were we?" he asked, Wiping his face and dabbing his shirt.

"Well, I think you were about to suggest something," I said.

"Right, I was thinking, there looked like there needed to be a lot done to that place, who bout letting me and some of my ranch hands come over and stay in the slave quarters?"   "That way, we will be around to help you and Josie out and in case anything happens"

"Trooper, I couldn't ask you to do that!"   " Planting season is almost here and what about your fields?"  "No, no it would be too much of an inconvince for you" I stated.

"Tara, there is no way I am letting you and Josie stay out on that ranch miles from town without someone there, its just no happening." he sternly.

"I don't know, it..."

"Please" he said, whinning like a child."

"Well, alright, if you really want to,"

"Great" he exclaimed.

Not long after, our now humbled waiter returned with a fresh glass for Trooper and a notepad for our orders.

"I'll have the steak with potatoes and greens beans" Trooper said.

"And you miss," the waiter asked, looking dejected as his eyes met mine.

"I'll have the salad with chicken."

"Of course," he said, jotting down the order and rushing off toward the kitchen.

"Trooper, you really embarressed him" I said smiling, "The way you responded was so unlikely that you really shut him up."

"I know," Trooper said seriously, " That's just what I intended to do."

I rolled my eyes and laughed.

He grinned and leaned closer.

" I think tomorrow, we ought to take a trip back out there, if you are ready and have made up your mind," he said.

"Yes, I think I know what I want to do, but how can I run a farm?"      "  I mean, I did grow up on one but Josie and I can't run it by ourselves forever and what about next year, we can't expect this kind of help every year.........."

"Let me think about it Tara," Trooper said seriously.

Our waiter returned once more, setting our steaming plates before us and hurrying off again.

"Would you mind saying grace?" I asked softly.

"Not at all"

And taking my hand in his, he began,

"Our heavenly Father,

we thank you this food you have provided

even though those who delievered it

desired to do evil

( I chuckled and squeezed his hand)

we pray you forgive them Lord, we also pray you would guide Tara in the decisions she has to make

and ones that may come in the future

help me to do her right

and in your name we pray, amen."

"Amen" I echoed, eyeing him while gathering leafy greens on my fork.

He grinned and shrugged his shoulders, giving me an innocent look.

"You know," I began, " I don't know a whole lot about you,"

"Not much to tell," he replied, while cutting his steak. " My parents moved out here when they first married, had my brother, sister and me, I'm the middle child, and then about four years ago, they wanted to leave and move further west. They wanted me to go but I said no, I was happy here. So they took my sibilings and moved to Oregan. I get a letter every so often."

"Oh Trooper, that's terrible"

"Why?"

"Don't......don't you miss them"

"Course I do, but you have to remember Tara, I ain't like you womenfolk, I don't need a whole lot a people caring for me all the time and such,"

"Oh" I replied.

Seeing as our conversation had taken a somber turn, Trooper laid down his fork and said," Look Tara, don't make it sound so bad, I like being on my own, I needed these past few years to experience some hardship that my parents wouldn't be able to come and rescue me out of, every young man needs it"

"I.....I guess" I said, trying to sound understanding.

We finished our food not long after and just before we rose to leave, our waiter came over to take our plates.

Before walking away, he turned to me and said" I really am sorry ma'am, for being so forward."   "If I'd a known he was your husband, I never woulda acted like I did"

"My husband!?"

"Now look here mister, she ain't my wife, were are just friends" Trooper exclaimed.

"OH" he said.

"Why would you say that," I asked.

"Well, the way he looks at you and all I thought maybe...." he began but Trooper suddenly turned quite pale and exclaimed,

"Here's your tip, now off with you" and pushed him toward the kitchen, then reached for me and hurried us out the door.

"What was that all about" I said grinning.

"Nothing" he said, head down and hands behind his back.

"Ready to go home?" he asked.

"Yes"

The ride home was quiet, I was impressed that under such dim moonlight, Trooper was able to guide the horses with such skill and elegance.

"Trooper" I said, turning to him as he let me down gently on the ground from the buckboard.

"I had a wonderful evening."

"Me too"

"Night Tara"

"Night Trooper"

And with that, I walked back toward my room.

Author's Note

Sorry that this update might have taken me a little longer than normal, my cat was walking around my laptop the other day when I had the first version of this chapter completed and was looking for any grammer errors. Needless to say, he hit the erase button and my chapter was gone. It took me a little to go over the dissapointment, but this chapter turned out a little different than what I had originally intended! Hope you like! Please R & R!!! Thanks!