Spiders

[Lovely]

August 27, Year 1


Belle headed down to try to fetch the handsome handyman to do a little work for her again, she hoped he wouldn't mind her stopping in on him. She found him in his workshed and knocked gently as she came into view in the open doorway. "Oh my.. he looks rough.. dangerous." Her cheeks were full with a blush and her eyes adoring a bit as they came to rest on the man inside. She had meant to say it looked rough and dangerous in the shed.

"Who me?"

Belle cleared her throat with a soft 'ahem' sound. "... yes you.. here.. in here, I mean." She'd been caught in her slip of words and thoughts.

"Only if ya got eight legs on ya... was aiming at a spider... snuck up on me."

"A spider?" She licked at her lips.

"You know... spider... black, fuzzy... all... leggy-like." He motioned with wiggly fingers and then shivered a little. His workshed walls are full of holes, which unfortunately just let that many more in.

"You're.. scared of spiders?"

He looked at her a moment then pulled back in defensive denial. "Nooo... I ain't scared o' no spiders. Not normally," he shifted, trying to hide the obvious shiver. "Like I said... just wasn't expecting it... you know... looking up and the wall suddenly moves, you know?"

"Have you seen the size of some of the spiders around here?" She wiggled her fingers at him and made crawling motions. "I shiver to think one of them might have crawled up my leg at night.."

He jumped up and backed away in a much more agile maneuver than one would think possible, stretching the crawling feeling away and brushing at imagined cobwebs at his neck. "Me too... o-oo-on your behalf... of course."

"Well thank you.. I don't care much for spiders.. or anything else creepy crawly that might wanrder up my leg uninvited.."

"Hopin' none o' that sort'd be invited, neither, ma'am," he shrugged and rippled the shiver again, pretending it was a cramp from sitting, putting a limp into his foot as he moved back to the chair.

"Oh no.. not unless I take leave of my senses and marry a spider." She laughed softly, her brow furrowing as she stepped closer, seeing his limp.

"Well alright then," he smiled and played up the grimace. One last wave bumped up his skin as he fought with the eyelash or hair or dust, whatever it was that settled on his cheek at that moment as he settled back into the chair. "Well now... what all were talking about?"

"I.. don't remember.. " She giggled shaking her head. "What was I saying before the spider came along?"

[Lovely]

He shot her a look, then realized she was purposely teasing him now. He looked at the floor and shook his head, glancing back up, "Alright. No, I don't like them, but I ain't scared, you got that?"

She placed a hand on his arm. "It's alright.. to not like them." She spoke softly. ".. and I got it.." She lifted her hand and took a step back. "Not scared.. no sir."

He watched her hand as she stepped away. Was she still making fun of him? His gaze settled on her as he rested his elbows on his knees. "No sirree... afraid of spiders. That's just.. infants are afraid of spiders, but not me, no sir. You got that right. Nope. Just don't like 'em.. that's all it is."

"Of course.. You're right.. I mean.. I'm scared of spiders.. so I guess.. I'm just a big ole baby... When I moved out here and all, the room my aunt gave me.. been used for storing things and all.... " She shivered wrapping her arms around herself.

His look turned apologetic and concerned. "I didn't mean... gall durn it, me n' my big mouth. I wasn't meanin' you, ma'am... Belle.. you're no baby."

"Sure I am.." She said softly, looking to the floor. "Scared of spiders.. scared of the dark, really.. Cry myself to sleep most nights... sure sounds like a babe."

"Why'd you go and do that? Cryin' I mean? You're too pr...um... well now I started sayin', so I may as well finish sayin' it. You're too pretty to be letting those tears stain those bright eyes, sleeping or not."

"Awfully kind of you to say, but you don't have to be nice to me." She twisted a finger into a bit of her skirt at her hip. "My aunt was charitable in taking me in when my daddy passed.. but thats when the charity stopped.. I miss him.. she's cruel, with her words about him.. about me.. Hence the tears."

He smiled a little. "Sounds like you don't need light. Sounds like you need to put thicker pillows over your ears. You know what your daddy was to you and that's what's important," he said, shrinking his voice to a whisper. "She c'ain't never really take him away or change what you know. Some people's like that, is all."

"Some people.. and what if what she says is true?" She shook her head. "It's like you say.. no matter what is said, it doesn't change anything.."

"What if it is or ain't? He ain't here to say either which way. She oughtta not say nothin' about no man who don't get a chance to defend himself, whether he's a liar or a saint. Good book'll tell you that. She done hung him far as she's concerned? Don't mean you have to agree.. no sir. Did you love your daddy?"

"I did.. from the day I met him... " She smiled a little. "I remember the little purple flowers he gave me, and how he told me it was alright to be scared... and in all the time I knew him, I never heard him speak an ill word about my mother."

[Lovely]

He nodded, "Well now. There you go. That's all anyone need ever know, then. And all you need to hear in that pretty little head is what you hear right now... what you just said. Course, can't help but wonder just a little, what all you mean by 'even if it is true'... if you wanna say, now. Ain't nothing I need to know..."

She looked at him for a long time, quietly studying his face, there was something about him.. reminded her of her daddy and he was a good man. "My mother and father... well, now.. they were never married." She began softly. "His father didn't approve of her, of the family she came from... Well as you can guess.. since I'm standing here.. they um.." She nodded, not saying the words. "..but my mother left.. ran off, she didn't want to disgrace him, or fight his family.. so she raised me by herself.. we moved many times, never staying too long in one place... and then one day her and daddy they came to the same place at the same time... I was about eight years old.. so that's when I met him and I went to live with him." She cleared her throat. "My aunt says he was a stupid fool for taking me in and that he wasn't really my father.. that he was an idiot for believing my mother, though she uses less kind words. If it wasn't her brother's wish she'd never have taken me in.. only keeps me.. because no one else in the family would take.. what I am, in their home.."

"That's all cuz'n they don't know how to look past their nose and see good things in the world, sounds like," he said sadly. "Least you had a chance to know both of 'em in your lifetime. I ain't never met my momma."

She nodded, inching closer to him, shyly. "I'm sorry that you never met her.. but you've raised up to be a fine man, none the less."

He shook his head. "Don't be lookin' too close. Had my share of learnin' by the switch in my daddy's hand that I ain't close to 'fine' and better not be prideful and ever think I am."

"That's what makes a fine man.. learning from mistakes, being strong -body and spirit.. and a good kind heart... and most certainly not prideful to think himself better... You may be a wild cat.. you may not... but one has to look close to see the truth."

He found himself sitting up straight as if under inspection by the schoolma'm for falling asleep in class, like one of the times he'd afterward been switched red and raw and didn't sit or sleep right for four days. "No ma'am," he defended gently. "Ain't wild in no sense."

She leaned closer and spoke low to his ear, though she didn't touch him. "So what are you then? You're not wild.. you're not fine.. what does that make you?"

[Lovely]

He blinked against the new chill of her voice so close to his ear and turned slightly toward her. "Your momma sure didn't raise no timid little frilly thing, did she?" He smiled lightly, looking away then back at her, offering, "Guess you'll just have to find out what all that's left, then. Where or whatever that makes me."

"No.. my momma was not a timid frilly woman.. she was strong, fearless.. she was beautiful and amazing... My aunt says I'm just like her, but she what she says my momma was is much different." She smiled a bit, turning her face towards Caz. "I'm sorry.. if I am too bold or if I have mistepped, I think I would.. like to find out.. about you."

"You would?" He half-stated, being caught off guard. "About me? Not so much to know," he chuckled.

"I'd still like to know... unless of course you don't want me to.. then you just have to say you don't."

"Don't recall hearing myself say 'no' now, did I?" He teased gently. It had been a long time since he'd felt the flush in his cheek. "Can't say as I'd mind, but, like I said before, don't go gettin' disappointed. Not likely to be a long tale to tell."

"I'd only be disappointed if I was expecting something more... and I'm not.. all I'm expecting is to know you you." Her smile was soft as her voice, both warm and sweet.

"Well then, I guess you're at a good start then, since you know I don't like spiders too much," he winked, then paled a little at the thought all over again.

She shook her head, still smiling as her hand brushed his cheek. "Well that's something we share, the same.. maybe.. we can watch out for each other, keep the crawly things away?"

"They oughta know better'n sneak up on me, anyhow," he chuckled, making a 'gun' with his bare hand. "They seen what happened to the last one'd did that."

She looked around and chuckled. "I can see that.. It's a wonder they even come in this county with you around."