The Lure Of White Oak Lake Part 10

Jaclyn patted her on the back. "I know you do, you've done an excellent job this afternoon. I'm going to run up to the house and take a shower while you close up."

"To run in the corn maze? You're gonna have mud from head to toe because it rained hard the other day." Bailey shook her head. "No way am I going there."

"Yes, I know I've lost my mind," Jaclyn called over her shoulder. Of that she was certain. She was actually excited about ruining a pair of shoes and getting lost for a couple of hours in the dark. She'd not been to the mazes since she was a teen, and at the moment, she felt like one.

At seven thirty, Morgan pulled up in the driveway. "She's here, let's...you look nice," Austin said as he looked his mom over.

"I do? These are old jeans, and this shirt I've had for years."

"It's your hair...maybe...you just look different. I think Morgan's gonna like it."

"Honey, I took a shower and dried my hair, that's all. I didn't do anything special." She ushered Austin through the door. Well, nothing too out of the ordinary, maybe just a few extra hairstyling products and a facial scrub.

An argument ensued over who was riding in the backseat of the Jeep. Jaclyn thought Austin should ride in the front with Morgan since his legs were longer, but he wanted to be in back. It took him a few minutes to get his long body situated, then he groaned when Jaclyn shoved the seat back. "Told ya you should've ridden in front."

"I wanted to ride in back. This is so cool," he said as he looked around. "I've never ridden in anything without a top."

Morgan looked over her shoulder. "It's gonna get chilly back there, are you sure you want to ride topless?"

Austin giggled. "Topless, that's funny. It's not that cold, and we're not going far."

Morgan backed out of the driveway and pulled out onto the road. "I a.s.sume you've done this maze thing before?" she said, looking at Jaclyn.

"Yes, when I was a teenager, which was a very long time ago."

Austin's face appeared between the seats. "Mom's gonna be forty in July, I'm popping fireworks."

Jaclyn gave his head a playful shove. "Boy, get back where you belong and put on your seat belt. I told you to stop telling people that."

"You don't look it," Morgan said, glancing at her. "I would've guessed you to be around thirty-five."

"Okay, let's go with that," Jaclyn said with a nod. "I'm thirty-five."

"Plus five," Austin yelled out. "How old are you, Morgan?"

Jaclyn looked over her shoulder. "You don't ask anyone over twenty that."

"She may be twenty."

Morgan held up her fist, and Austin b.u.mped it. "I'm thirty-six."

"You're younger than my Aunt Maddie, but she says Uncle Heath has stressed her into old age. She also says that having kids melted her b.o.o.bs."

Jaclyn shook her head and looked out her window.

Austin leaned forward again. "Turn left on Main Street and take it like you're going back to the highway."

Jaclyn turned back to Morgan. "I'm sorry I forget that you're not familiar with White Oak yet."

"I should've known this was the way we were going because I pa.s.sed a lot of cornfields coming in."

"Aunt Maddie," Austin yelled when they pa.s.sed the hardware store. Maddie smiled and waved as she closed up. "This Jeep is so cool, I feel like I'm in a parade." Austin waved at everyone they pa.s.sed.

Morgan chuckled as she watched him in the rearview mirror.

"I didn't notice what shoes you were wearing," Jaclyn said. "It's going to be muddy because of the rain we had."

"I'll wash them tomorrow when I go to the Laundromat."

Jaclyn made a face. "That place is funky, use ours."

Morgan shook her head. "I don't want to impose."

Austin's face appeared again between the seats. "You won't be. Mom makes roast on Sunday, you have to come and eat."

Jaclyn laughed as she shoved him back again. "You do, you're still too light for the not-boat."

"Light? Is that your way of calling me skinny?"

"Chet says when you turn sideways, you disappear, which is funny because I think he's skinnier than you are." Austin laughed. "I wonder if you can hide behind a cornstalk."

Morgan caught his eye in the rearview mirror. "You are so walking home."

It was a fair-like atmosphere at the maze. Children screamed and laughed from the backs of carts filled with hay being pulled by a tractor. Others jumped around in a corn pit. The concession stands were painted black and white like a cow. The scent of funnel cakes, popcorn, and barbecue mingled in the air. Morgan laughed as Austin dragged Jaclyn away from the concession line since the one for the maze was short.

"We'll have the maze almost to ourselves if we go right now." He looked toward the head of the short line and said, "There's Dylan, be right back."

Morgan folded her arms. "Am I really as skinny as he claims?"

"You don't look bad, you're just thin. I enjoy cooking, so automatically, I want to feed everyone," Jaclyn said. And she did want to feed Morgan. People ate when they were happy, and Jaclyn wanted Morgan to be happy. The notion surprised her, and she smiled awkwardly when Morgan glanced at her.

"You're pretty trim. How do you eat all that home cooking and stay that way?"

"I'm on my feet all the time. Before I lost my last regular employee, I jogged every day, but I've gotten out of the habit. I've put on a few pounds."

Morgan's gaze roved over her, and Jaclyn felt her pulse quicken as those dark eyes narrowed in an appreciative smile. "What?"

Morgan shrugged. "What?"

"You smiled. Did you notice an unsightly bulge?"

"Nothing of the sort," Morgan said as she stared straight ahead.

Austin returned with Dylan at his side. "We want to race y'all. Let's see who makes it out of the maze first."

Morgan raised a brow. "And if we win?"

"You just win," Austin said.

"I'm not racing for bragging rights." Morgan looked at Jaclyn. "My Jeep is dirty, how about your car?"

"I like where this is headed," Jaclyn said with a grin.

Austin and Dylan turned their backs to Morgan and Jaclyn. When they turned again, Austin said, "If you win, we wash your cars tomorrow, but if we win, we want our own funnel cakes and caramel apples."

Jaclyn motioned for Morgan to turn around. "You got something better in mind?" Morgan whispered.

"No, I just wanted to make them sweat. Are you good with the terms?"

"I'm all in."

"Okay, we accept the challenge, but you two can't take off once we get to the ticket booth. We go in together," Jaclyn said. "Deal?"

"Deal," Austin said with a nod. "Dylan, you know my mom, but this is Morgan, she's my partner for the regatta."

Morgan smiled. "Hi, Dylan, nice to meet you."

"Nice to meet you, too," he said with a wave.

Once the tickets were purchased, the four met at an intersection. "Right or left, guys?" Jaclyn asked.

"Left!" Austin and Dylan shot off, and Morgan and Jaclyn took off on the trail to the right.

Morgan was surprised at how dark it was. The corn plants loomed well above her head and made dark walls on either side of the narrow path. Jaclyn with her pale blue shirt and blond hair was easier to make out. "Is the maze the same every year?"

"No, it's different every time. Maddie and Heath got totally lost last year. It took them three hours to find their way out, and that was during the day." Jaclyn came to an abrupt halt at a junction to avoid colliding with another group of people. "I thought I recognized your voice, Annie."

"Who on earth talked you into the maze, Jaclyn Wyatt?"

"It was Austin's idea. We're racing to see who finishes first. I know you can barely see her, but this is Morgan Cha.s.sion. She moved into the cabin down from the store."

Morgan smiled at the form in the darkness surrounded by smaller ones. "Nice to meet you, Annie."

"It's great to finally meet you. I work at Rosie's most nights, you come in and see me sometime. We have the best pie in town. Don't let anyone tell you different."

"I'll look forward to it." Morgan strained her eyes to make out Annie's features.

"We have to run, we're competing for funnel cakes." Jaclyn grabbed Morgan's arm and began moving again. "This would be a lot easier if we could just follow the smell of the concession stand and make our own rows. The aroma of the funnels are really strong right here, I'll bet we're right behind the stand."

"But we'd be cheating, no honor or victory."

"Morgan, you fail to see the funny. Think about what their faces would look like if they came out of the maze and we were halfway into a funnel cake." Jaclyn sniffed. "Oh, and coffee, I smell that too."

"You're just jonesing for a funnel. Be strong and move faster."

Jaclyn laughed. "You've got a serious compet.i.tive streak."

"Yes, I realized that when my brother said he could shoot milk through his nose farther than I could. I proved him wrong, even though I was sixteen."

Jaclyn turned right at the next intersection of trails. "The exit is on the right side of the concession stand, so if we keep going that direction, we should eventually get there."

"I bet they expected you to do that when they carved out the maze."

Jaclyn came to another abrupt halt, and Morgan skidded on her heels to keep from slamming into her. "You gotta stop doing that."

"Sorry, it's been ages since I've done this, but I bet you're right, we should've gone left."

"So let's backtrack a little." Morgan took the lead this time. "There's not a lot of people out here right now, so we can move pretty fast." She reached behind her. "Give me your hand, it's slippery." Morgan's intent was to make Jaclyn move as fast as she intended to. The unexpected jolt of pleasure from the connection slowed her stride. She was struck by how silly it seemed that she should feel that moment romantic when her feet sloshed in mud in the middle of a cornfield. But the dark sky was clear, and stars so bright shed their light above. Morgan's concerns drifted away beneath the moonlight. Everything that brought her there seemed such a distant memory.

Jaclyn had grown as silent as she was. "Why are you so quiet?" Morgan asked.

"I'm enjoying the walk," Jaclyn said behind her, "and sometimes, there's just no need for conversation."

Morgan smiled, few people understood that. Unconsciously, she held Jaclyn's hand a little tighter. Jaclyn's grip became firmer. It filled Morgan with longing to be closer. As they walked, she wondered what it would feel like to kiss Jaclyn. Would it be returned? Then reality settled in heavily. They were friends, and despite the amorous feeling that swept over her at that moment, real life awaited outside of the maze. Jaclyn's hand slipped from her grasp as it weakened.

"Which way?" Morgan asked when they came to a junction.

Jaclyn's tone held disappointment. "Right would be my choice."

Morgan felt her feet fly out from beneath her, then corn plants buffeting her fall.

"Austin!" Jaclyn barked out.

"Sorry, Morgan, I didn't mean to tackle you." Austin's face was just above hers. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, especially after the spinal realignment."

"Austin, really?" Jaclyn said irritably.

"I just meant to jump out in front of y'all, but I tripped on a row." In his attempt to help Morgan up, he inadvertently grabbed a breast instead of her arm.

"And now you're feeling me up?"

"Oh, my G.o.d, I'm so sorry," he said with a laugh. "For a second, I thought I had your nose. Ow!"

"Is that your ear?"

"Y'all are tearing up the maze wall," Jaclyn warned.

"That's my face not a handrail, old lady. Ow!" Austin started laughing hysterically. "Was that corn? Did you hit me with corn?"

Morgan's voice came from somewhere out of the darkness. "I don't know what it was, but hang on a sec, I found another one."

Austin rolled out onto the trail and landed on all fours. Morgan hit him with an ear of corn, and Jaclyn gave his backside a shove with her foot, sending him face first into the ground. "One thing you need to remember, son, old ladies are mean and we know how to fight. Where's Dylan?"