When Poppy's grandfather dies, her father inherits his childhood home in Happy Springs, New Hampshire. He decides to take his three daughters from England on their first trip to the land of his birth to fix up the house as a potential summer home and give Poppy a break from some problems she's been having. He says it's an old house that just needs a little work to restore it back to its full glory. It's going to be fun fixing it up. Poppy isn't so sure...

 

Chapter 4
 
*Poppy's View*
 
Aunt Libby's 'Live Free or Diet' coffee shop chain wasn't what I expected. Maybe it's television's fault but you mention the words 'coffee shop' and 'America' and I'm thinking 'Central Perk' the same way if you say 'bar' and 'America' I start humming the theme to 'Cheers'. Live Free or Diet, or 'LFD' as the staff called it, didn't have a sofa occupied with fashionable Gen X'ers dominating the room but rather a mix of clientele with no one group seeming to dominate it enough to make it 'their place'. Oddly, that seemed to make the place feel more welcoming as you never felt you were judged for being different from the crowd. I guess in a place where no one group was the majority, everyone was the minority and tried to get along. That being said, there are minorities and there are minorities. I'm guessing being a tallish English gender dysphoric teenage girl in a New Hampshire coffee shop meant I was still in a minority of one.

Visually, the most striking feature of LFD was the wood and brass oval 'island' counter in the centre of the shop, which was ringed with red, white and blue leather stools (in that colour order). In the inner part of the island the staff were manning the various coffee machines and the tills. Although there were people sitting on the stools the island the majority of the customers were sat in the booths that lined the walls. The medium height walls between booths were roughly head height when sitting and gave you a degree of privacy without making you feel isolated. A really nice touch was the dividing walls were lead paned stained glass which threw some interesting light effects across the booths. I almost wanted to get my watercolours and do a study of the light.

I don't know if it was because it was the original branch or if it was typical of the other LFD stores but it also had a real homey family store feel to it. Instead of the bland stock photography pictures on the wall that faked history and atmosphere, there were genuine pictures on the wall of staff and customers celebrating various seasonal events and public holidays over the years. In some of the oldest ones, little more than faded Polaroid pictures in frames, I spotted dad from back when he was in his final year at high school. I think that made him a 'senior' but I'll be honest and admit I'm still getting to grips with the local customs and language.

In addition to the decor there was the most amazing smell coming from the kitchen that was gently wafting through the customer area, mixing with the variety of coffee smells from the island area. Aunt Libby made a big thing about the fact that all the food they serve here they make on the premises from scratch and the smell of baking bread was mouth watering. If the bread smelt that good I couldn't wait to try some of the desserts on the menu.

I could have spent hours here just enjoying the atmosphere and aromas if it wasn't for the fact the place was heaving with people. My newly discovered other aunt, Congresswoman Kathy Haas New Hampshire 2nd District, was pressing the flesh; mingling with diners while schmoozing them and their vote for all they she was worth. Every now and then her gaze would sweep across my dad and her face would briefly cloud over before the politician in her took control and the smile reappeared. I don't know why dad and Aunt Kathy had stopped speaking but I had the feeling what she did to dad was serious. If you think I'm jumping to conclusions that it was her and not dad that did whatever it was that stopped them talking I have one word for you - Politician [pol-i-tish-uhn] (noun) which to quote from the online definition I googled means "seeker or holder of public office, who is more concerned about winning favour or retaining power than about maintaining principles". I had a simpler definition - Politician [pol-i-tish-uhn] (noun) "a habitual liar and thief".

In contrast my dad breeds new crops to feed millions in soils and climates that otherwise wouldn't sustain them. If you look up the word 'principled' in a dictionary it will say "see Poppy's dad". No way would he not mention her in my seventeen years of life otherwise surely? I have no idea what the bitch did but it has to have been pretty heinous. No Christmas cards, no birthday cards, not even a passing allusion to 'I have a sister I don't speak to'.

Still it would have been interesting to watch Aunt Kathy work from a distance if it wasn't for all her campaign flunkies roaming the shop trying to pressurise you with the hard sell into wearing a 'Haas 2012' badge. Though oddly they kept calling it a button. I've no idea why.

It seemed to me that they wanted as many people as possible wearing them before the media arrived, which I overheard they would later in the day. When I told them I didn't need one of their stinking badges, arguing I had no idea what Aunt Kathy's policies were, the flunky listed some of them which included her role in getting the new stadium built for the Haas High School team, The Huntsmen. I tried to make a joke about that being the only form of hunting I could support and inadvertently got into a policy discussion with her over hunting rights that quickly morphed into a heated argument. All I said was hunting animals for sport was barbaric act and that people who hunted bears should be made to do it as God intended... with a piece of branch or a rock mano-a-bearo...

I'm guessing there were votes in keeping the hunting lobby onside because she launched into me like I'd insulted her parentage, which to be fair I did later on but hadn't at that point. That situation occurred because the flunky was far better at debate than I was and before I knew it she had tied me up in verbal knots with my own words taken out of context and turned against me. That was the point that I questioned her parentage before storming out in tears. It was brutal and if that was what passed for political debate in Haas County I was going to stay well clear of it. It was a nice sunny day outside and I had intended to stay by the car sulking but eventually hunger got the better of me and I sloped back in dodging the flunkies. Spotting Fleur seated at the island I quickly made a bee line for her and took a seat on an empty stool next to her.

"Hey," I said nudging her gently. "What's the cheesecake like?"

"Mmmmmm..." moaned Fleur as she slowly slid the fork out from between her lips.

In response to Fleur's overacting I recalled a line from an old movie and motioned to the smartly dressed middle aged waitress on the inner side of the island counter.

"I'll have what she's having," I said with a giggle.

"So that's one blueberry pie with a scoop of ice cream and whipped 'not the low fat crap' cream, a stack of apple pancakes with another scoop of ice cream and one New York cheesecake with more whipped cream?" she replied, peering over her glasses at me.

"Fleur!" I gasped turning to my sister. "Ummm... could you maybe hold the blueberry pie and the stack of apple pancakes?"

"So just the cheesecake?"

"Yeah... basically," I reply with a sheepish grin. "Sorry."

As the waitress moved away, I stared in horror at Fleur as she all but licked the plate clean. In response to my staring she just waived a hand at me dismissively.

"It's a little slice of heaven."

"You're going to balloon up if you keep eating like that," I replied, shaking my head.

"Meh. It's all good, the weight always goes to my boobs first anyway," she said, favouring me with a wink as leant towards me squashing her breasts together with the insides of her arms for effect.

"Fleur!" I whisper-yelled, anxiously glancing around.

I thought the eyes of the teenage boy sitting on the other side of the island were going to pop out on stalks like in a 1940's Bugs Bunny cartoon. Spotting the boys reaction Fleur dissolved into fits of laughter.

"You should have gone for the works little sister, a little fat in the right places could give you the killer Haas figure that Aunt Libby and I have..."

"Fleur!" I snapped. I so wasn't in the mood for having my deficiencies highlighted after my flunky run in.

I'd just started to slide off the stool before Fleur caught my arm. This time when she spoke her voice was devoid of the humour that it had possessed moments before.

"Poppy... I'm sorry. It's just... habit. I don't mean it, it's just... just... I speak before I think sometimes. I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said or done that," said Fleur, silencing my response by pressing a finger against my lips. "That being said, my thoughtlessness apart there is a serious basis to my teasing. Mum and dad may not have noticed but I did okay? Since... Ellie... I know you haven't been eating right. Yet since we've been here you've been more like your old self. Well, when you don't stop to think about things anyway. From the moment we stepped off the plane here you've been eating normally again. I don't know if it's being away from everything back home or what but this holiday has already done you more good than a dozen shrink sessions had back home."

I tried to say something in response but Fleur just shushed me, keeping her finger firmly pressed against my lips.

"I wouldn't put it past mum to have sent the three of us out with dad for the very reason of getting you outside of yourself. Take some advice from your wiser, yet still great looking, big sister. Think less and live in the moment more, okay?"

My eyes met Fleur's intense gaze for a moment, before I closed them feeling the sting of tears at the corners of my eyes. Slipping off her own stool she nudged me back onto mine with her hip just in time for the waitress to deliver my cheesecake.

"I've got to go use the little girl's room. You eat your cheesecake okay?"

"Fleur... thanks. I'll think about what you've said okay?" I replied, stiffening briefly as she wrapped her arms around me in a hug before relaxing into it.

I was still getting used to the extra physical contact that women seemed to have as part of their daily lives. Back when I was Jacob no one ever hugged me like that. Even mum stopped when I got to a certain age. She never said anything but one day those small daily hugs just started to dry up. I guess it was because in her eyes one day I was a big boy? A man? I never found the courage to ask why she stopped doing it. I just mourned there passing as another sign of my hated development towards manhood.

"De nada little sister. It's what big sisters are for."

"I got lucky with you," I sniffled. "Some of my friend's big sisters are real jerks."

"When it matters you will always be able to count on me from now on Poppy," said Fleur, her own voice heavy with unspoken emotion.

"I know," I said, feeling her arms slide across my shoulders as she released me from her embrace.

"This is all a bit heavy for lunchtime isn't it?" I said, forcing a half laugh as I tried to change the mood.

I was about to say more when I felt Fleur's trailing fingers hook under one of the straps of my bra and pull. Yelping in surprise as the strap snapped back into me I felt my face heat up as people sitting nearby turned to see what the commotion was about. Spinning around I saw Fleur slowly backing away from me, her arms out in a calming gesture.

"Live in the moment little sister," she said with a wink, her voice full of humour. "Besides, everyone's a jerk sometime and I'd be thrown out of the Big Sisters Union if I went too easy on you..."
 

~o~O~o~
 
"And this here is my second eldest," said my father, pulling me closer to him in a one armed embrace. "She's going to be a famous artist one day."

"I don't know about tha--"

"Hush Poppy, don't be modest."

I glanced over at Fleur sitting opposite me in the booth and gave a small nod in response to her eye rolling.

"And this is Daisy, she's as bright as a button and--"

I tuned out the rest of dad's boasting about his family, letting my eyes wander around the collection of early forty-something's seated in the booth and in the chairs pulled up at the open end of it. After we'd eaten, Fleur and I had collected Daisy from where she was sitting with Aunt Libby and wandered over to dad where we'd got embroiled in this conversation. The male occupants of the booth were all bound together by being on the same American football team in High School. Together they represented some of the star players of the legendary twice undefeated 'Haas High Huntsmen'. We had ESPN back home, so I'd a little familiarity with American football. Dad watched games regularly during the college and NFL season and that at least meant I could follow some of the conversation about long past games. It was kind of cute the way they kept referring to each other by their nicknames when they discussed plays.

"I never thought I'd see the six of us back together man," laughed Floyd 'Safe Hands' Kennedy. "Just wait until I tell my son that I met 'Hawkeye' Haas. Y'know, my boy's been chasing your passing records this year man."

Floyd was Dad's favourite target back in the day and made a wonder catch that won a state championship in their first undefeated year. He was the most successful in sports terms of anyone at the table having spent seven years in the pros playing as Wide Receiver in Boston before retiring with a reoccurring ACL injury that wouldn't heal properly. For Fleur and my sake he explained that an ACL was the Anterior Cruciate Ligament. I'm guessing it's in the knee or something from the way he would rub it when he spoke about the injury. He had recently been elected to the local school board and was a supporter of the school's athletic programmes.

"Kid's got promise. Rest of the team sucks big time though," added John 'Cadillac' de Ville. "Hell, we should suit up and show them how to do it. I could still rush for more in a game than that kid wearing my number could do all season. Frankly, it's an insult that they haven't retired our jerseys. Hell, I'm going to have a word with that poor excuse of a Principal. If it wasn't for me they would never have been able to raise the finance for the new stadium. Boy owes me."

John Cooper 'Cadillac' de Ville III, Running Back. I guess I should be calling him Uncle John as he was married to Aunt Kathy, not that he seemed to spend any time with her while she was working the room. In fact he spent most of the time topping up his coffee from a hip flask he kept in his jacket and flashing the bling. His suit had an expensive tailored look to it that suggested to me that my sisters and I weren't the only thing made in England at the table and his watch was a big chunky piece of Swiss engineering. I couldn't help but think of the villain from the Muppet's recent movie when I looked at him. He certainly wasn't hiding how great he thought he was and was doing most of the bragging in the booth.

"You think Jim Brown wasn't as good as you were Coop. The kids aren't bad, they just need to catch a break," said Billy 'Fleet Feet' Murphy, Tight End.

Another 'uncle', Uncle Billy was Aunt Libby's brother-in-law and like his older brother, Sam, was a member of the Sheriff's department. He'd gone to college on a football scholarship but also studied hard and got himself a criminology degree as well. He never really made it in the pro's and after a couple of years playing indoor arena football he came back and joined the Sheriff's department, rising to the rank of detective. He'd nearly crushed the life out of me in the hug he gave when he realised who we were. I couldn't help but like Uncle Billy with his constant laughter and the twinkle in his eyes when he spoke.

"Maybe, though you guys were pretty special," said Billy's wife Laura, kissing her husband's cheek.

Laura had been a cheerleader and was just as much fun as her husband. She looked amazing still after all these years and was perched on her husband's lap at the end of the crowded booth, dressed in a smart skirt suit. She managed the LFD branch we were in for Aunt Libby and had come out to find what all the commotion was about before getting swept up both onto her husband's lap and into reminiscing with the boys.

"They put too much emphasis on passing the ball these days," said Uncle John, ignoring Uncle Billy's comment. "We won more often than not due to the running game. The old ground and pound approach."

"I think Hawkeye here played more of a role than you credit him. Those passing records have stood for a long time now. They broke your rushing record a couple of years back didn't they?"

"You mean that kid on steroids? Doesn't count."

"I think you are the only person who ever suggested that kid was on drugs," replied Uncle Billy with a scowl.

"I don't care about the kids. It's just great to see you back man," added Richard 'Brick' DeAngelo, Centre. "I just wish you hadn't had to leave in the first place. I don't like to speak ill of the dead but your father was a grade a piece of--"

"Brick, just you remember that's my wife's father you're talking about," interrupted Uncle John, preventing him finishing his sentence. "You don't get to speak about a family like the Haas's in that way."

I tried hard not to laugh as Fleur rolled her eyes and pulled a face in response to Uncle John's words.

"Still doesn't change what an as--"

"Ricky the kids," hissed his wife Amanda, giving an apologetic glance to my dad. "And it's wrong to speak ill about those who can't defend themselves."

Amanda DeAngelo was a delicate, petite woman that you worried would be squashed when her husband rolled over in bed. Like Laura she had also been one of the cheerleaders when my dad was at school.

"Hey, it's okay," said my father. "My father was a difficult man, I'd be the first to admit that. However, while things didn't work out quite like I expected I can't complain. I've got a wonderful family, a job I love and friends who after all this time still have my back."

I watched my dad and Brick do that guy first bump thing and everything seemed okay. I never got the secret language of guys, despite having the chance to observe them in the natural habitat first hand for so long. I watched Brick redden slightly in response to my father's warm words of friendship. A mountain of a man with a slightly hangdog look, I could see that he wasn't the sort that expressed deep emotion well.

"So I hear you're the Mayor now?" asked my father, a big grin on his face. "I couldn't think of a better guy."

"Neither could I," said Uncle John as he took a sip from his coffee. "It also helps Kathy's campaign by being able to point to local farmers son and sports hero as a political ally which is why we bankrolled his campaign."

I watched Brick start to say something before his wife gently placed her hand on his arm and shook her head.

"So you're the ones who've moved into your old man's place then?" asked the final member of the team present, Aaron 'Rocket' Haas, also a Tight End.

Yeah, Haas. That was a shock.

From what dad had said when he introduced everyone, Aaron was a distant relation whose ancestors split from the family tree sometime at the start of the last century. The unspoken subtext seemed to be that they hadn't fared as well financially as the 'core' Haas lineage. If Aaron was any indication of the calibre of his branch of the family I wasn't surprised in the least. He immediately made me feel uncomfortable with the way his gaze kept wandering over Fleur and myself and he oozed with all the oily charm of a used car salesman, which it turned out he sort of was. He managed to drop into the conversation at every opportunity that he owned the local BMW dealership and was also something called a 'realtor'. Not just any old realtor either but a 'Certified Commercial Investment Member'. It still sounded like being a glorified estate agent to me but what did I know?

"Yeah, doing it up ourselves as a summer home. It's going to be a great fun, isn't that right girls?" asked my father with a slightly manic grin.

"Yay," replied Fleur affecting a flat tone to her voice as she slowly twirled her index finger in circle. "Can't wait."

"What about you pumpkin?" asked my father, squeezing my shoulder. "You're looking forward to helping out your old man right?"

I coughed nervously in response, suddenly finding the decoration on the place mat to be of great interest.

"Huh," said my father with a frown before turning to Daisy who was nestled under the crook of his other arm. "What about you Princess? You're up for helping out your old dad?"

"Can I use a hammer? 'Cos mummy won't let me use a hammer," replied Daisy with an expectant look on her face. "I don't know why 'cos that building was old anyway. It's not like it was new or anything an' everyone says the new one is much nicer..."

"Uh... I'd forgotten about that. It's probably best you don't then if mummy said no princess," said my father, bending down to kiss the top of Daisy's head. Fleur and I exchanged worried glances at the thought of Daisy holding any tools.

"Ooo-kay," replied a dejected sounding Daisy.

"Good girl, now let's--"

My father's words went unfinished as a piercing squeal erupted from just outside the booth.

"Jakey? Oh My God! Jakey Haas! It is you!"

A tall blonde woman with the sort of tan that only came naturally if you lived much nearer the equator and far too much make-up for my liking was bouncing up and down excitedly in her white stiletto heels and spray painted on clothing. Glancing around the table I watched Amanda and Laura roll their eyes.

"J-J-Jane?" said my father, a rabbit caught in the headlights look on his face.

Anything further he might of said was cut off when she cupped the sides of his head and kissed him with enough passion that I found the need to reach over and cover Daisy's eyes with my hand. That it had the effect of pushing them apart was purely an accidental bonus. Honest. I watched my father's mouth silently open and close a few times after Jane pulled back from the kiss, a smug satisfied look on her face.

"You still have it honey," she purred leaning forward to give the entire booth a view of silicon valley as she wiped her lipstick off my father's lips with her thumb. Eventually after what seemed like an eternity my father finally spoke.

"I'm uhm..."

"Staying for the summer? I heard," said Jane showing perfectly straight Hollywood smile white teeth. "Maybe I'll see you around sometime handsome."

With a finger wave she turned around and strutted back off into the crowd. I'd say something about undulating motion to describe her hip movement but by that point I was grappling with Fleur who was intent on pursuing the home wrecking hussy and disemboweling her with a spork.

"Whoa! Same old Jane," laughed Uncle John. "You know she always hated that you were the meal ticket that got away and the one thing Jane hates is losing. You better be careful Jake, while the cat's away and all that... What was it you said about her again when you dated her back in high school? Mad as a box of frogs but bangs like a wild animal?"

"John! Language!" hissed Laura reaching across the table to press her hands against Daisy's head. "Little ears!"

"You had sex with that?" hissed Fleur, murder dancing in her eyes.

"Hey your old man was a jock, not some monk," said Uncle John, still laughing. "Girls were throwing themselves at us. We were like rock stars. What were we going to do? Man doesn't live by bread alone..."

Luckily I anticipated the shift in direction as Fleur changed her focus to disembowelling Uncle John with her spork.
 

~o~O~o~
 
"Why are we out here?" demanded Fleur, gesturing back to the building with her spork still tightly clutched in her hand.

"Because you needed the fresh air to calm down," I said with a sigh as I sat down heavily on the bench seat of an empty trestle table. Around us the waiting staff of LFD were buzzing around, carrying drinks and meals to similar trestle tables in other parts of the patio garden.

"Calm down?!?"

"Yes, calm down. You aren't going anywhere until I hear the words 'in control' from you," I said, saying the words 'in control' in my best Animal from the Muppets impression.

"I.. but... I... Aaaaaarghh!" screamed Fleur, underlining her frustration with a stamp of a foot.

Closing my eyes I swung my legs up on the bench seat as I laid back, letting the warm afternoon sun wash over me. "I never, ever thought I'd ever meet anyone other than mum who had carnal knowledge of our father. Frankly, I'm not even that comfortable knowing mum and dad have done it."

"Tell me about it," said Fleur. I felt the trestle table move slightly as she sat down on the opposite bench. "The use of the word 'bang' in the same context as dad and any woman makes me feel nauseous."

"I need some serious brain bleach to get rid of that memory," I replied with a shudder. "The thought that our father had a recreational sex life as a teen is going to need a lot of therapy to overcome."

"Therapy? More like a lot of vodka."

I glanced under the trestle table noting that Fleur was lying down on the opposite bench seat. Maybe it was my boyish upbringing but there was something in talking about emotionally painfully things while not looking at each other that seemed to make it easier. Actually, there was part of me that would be more comfortable talking about difficult emotional things using morse code to someone else in a different room.

"Good luck getting served. We're both under 21 remember? It's not 18 like back home."

"Not insurmountable little sister. I've got a dress back at the house that with the right make up and accessories..."

I snorted my disapproval in response.

"What are we going to do Poppy?"

"Nothing."

"Nothing?"

"It's not our fight Fleur. It's down to dad to deal with that woman."

"We're going to leave this to dad? You know he's not equipped to deal with a woman like that."

"It's what he wants us to do and we should respect that," I said with a sigh. "As much as we may not like to think about it dad clearly has a history with that woman."

"Not listening... la-la-la-la-la..."

"Fleur..."

"Nope, as far as I'm concerned dad has had sex a grand total of six times, all with mum, all with the lights off and all solely for the purposes of procreation. And he didn't enjoy it."

"Fleur, we need to face the fact that... actually, I think I prefer your version of reality."

"Thought you would," giggled Fleur.

"What do you think mum will say when dad tells her tonight?" I asked, trying to picture the conversation.

"You should have let Fleur spork the bitch."

"Fleur..." I replied with a snort. "Remember what dad said."

"Oh, was that when he said 'I tried to say something but she distracted me with what she was doing with her tongue down my throat during the kiss' you mean?"

"Oh God, not that!" I cried, placing my hands over my ears. "La-la-la-la... not listening..."

"Then what?"

"I meant that we were to stay out of it and he would tell her that he was happily married and that the kiss was deeply inappropriate."

"Oh that..." said Fleur. "I still think sporking the bitch works better."

"Fleur..."

"Okay, okay... we'll go with your approach but I still reserve the right to call sporking the bitch 'Plan B'. Happy?"

"I can live with that."

I stared up at the blue sky overheard while we both sat in silence. Other than the odd wisp of fluffy white cloud the sky was clear allowing the warmth of the sun to permeate every inch of me. I found myself let out a small sigh of contentment.

"Do we have to go straight back inside?" I asked, not wanting to move from this spot ever again. The feeling of a full stomach and the warm sun giving me a contented glow.

"I think we're good for half an hour," said Fleur, stretching languidly. "Dad knows where we are."

"Great," I said stifling a yawn. "Wake me up before you go-go okay?"

"Bad joke but no problemo," said Fleur with a small laugh. "I could do with a nap myself anyway."

"Night big sister."

"Night little sister."
 

~o~O~o~
 
I awoke in darkness, the smell of chocolate permeating the very air around me. My first thought was that Fleur had left me and it was night time but as I started to anxiously sit up the darkness fell away, revealing itself to be a straw cowboy hat.

"Ah'm sorry if I disturbed y'all ma'am," said a familiar voice. "Only there weren't no other spare tables..."

I watched Rex raise his small plate with a piece of steaming hot chocolate cake on it. He was sitting on the ground beside the table resting his back against the bench seat by my feet. Glancing around I noticed that the sun was still high in the sky and patio garden was full of customers, so I figured I hadn't been asleep for too long. A noise from the other side of the table indicated that Fleur hadn't gone anywhere and was still asleep snoring softly on the other bench seat. Relaxing a little now that I realised I wasn't alone, I gave Rex a weak smile.

"Umm... it's okay," I mumbled, my voice quavering a little with nerves.

"Ah can go if ah've disturbed you any?" asked Rex as he started to get his feet.

"No, no, it's fine. Really," I said, motioning him to sit back down.

I took a moment to take a deep, calming breath and remember the words Fleur had said to me. Just because the men that... Ellie... doesn't mean all men are like that. Dad was a good guy. So was granddad Mortimer. And so were my brothers... well as good as younger brothers could be I guess. Uncle Billy seemed nice and I knew Uncle Sam was. Maybe Rex was too? He seemed nice. He had that sort of plain spoken, simple honesty to him.

"Thank you kindly ma'am."

I found a giggle escaping as he tipped an imaginary hat to me with his free hand. It was a slightly comical gesture but at the same time it spoke of something... respectful... safe?

"I'm guessing you probably want your hat back?" I asked, offering his hat to him. "What was I doing with it anyway?"

"You were goin' all pink in the face ma'am an' I was worried y'all would burn in the sun."

"Oh... umm... thank you," I replied, reaching up to touch my face. It felt warm but I wasn't sure if that was the sun or the effect Rex was having on me. I felt a warm glow inside that even when I was sleeping, at my most vulnerable, he had looked out for me. "So... umm... are you here with your relatives?"

"Relatives?" he asked, placing his straw Stetson back on his head.

"Yeah... you... um... you said last time that you were here visiting your relatives..." I replied, setting a record for the most uses of the word 'you' in a single sentence.

"I did? I mean... oh yeah... they're all back in the store eatin' an' stuff."

"Aren't they going to worry about you that you're out here with me?"

"Umm... no? Ah said ah was getting too hot an' would come on out here for some air an' all."

"But isn't Texas hotter than New Hampshire?" I asked, frowning.

"Umm... Ah'm heartened to hear that you remember so much about our earlier conversation," he replied, those wonderful chocolate brown eyes sparkling with mischief. "Y'all been thinking about me since we last me then?"

I turned my head away from Rex as I fought to regain my composure while I had no doubt that my face flushed a shade of red that matched the most vibrant shade in my paint box.

"Ah'll guess that's a yes then Miss Poppy," he chuckled.

"Well... umm... y-y-you remembered me too," I stammered, desperately trying to think of a way of getting the conversation back on safer ground.

"Ah could hardly forget as beautiful a woman as y'all now could I?" replied Rex. "Particularly not one named after the state flower of m'ah home state."

"The state flower of Texas is a poppy? I didn't know that."

"Umm... yeah?"

"That's... kinda kewl, actually," I replied, biting my bottom lip nervously as I looked back at Rex through my eye lashes. 'Stop flirting girl' hissed a voice inside my head.

"Ah think it's 'kinda kewl' that's y'all beautiful too, Miss Poppy," said Rex with a grin.

"Yes... I mean no! No! I didn't say that it was 'kinda kewl' that you thought I was beautiful, I meant the state flower being a poppy was 'kinda kewl' because it's a beautiful flower. It's why I choose the na... I mean, it's not me being beautiful because that would make me sound conceited thanking you for saying that and obviously I'm not conceited or even beautiful really actually I'm quite plain to be honest and I don't want you to think I'm conceited or beautiful well maybe not not think I'm beautiful but not make you think I'm the sort of girl who fishes for compliments from boys an' stuff an'... an'... an'," I said, coming to a halt to gulp down air as I tried to regain control of my breathing.

"Ah know what y'all meant Miss Poppy. I was just teasing you."

I found myself scowling slightly at Rex's maddening grin. For all the safe vibes Rex gave, I got the feeling he was the sort of guy that liked to tease a girl.

"Aww, don't be like that now Miss Poppy. Here, have a peace offering from me," said Rex, cutting a small piece of chocolate cake with his fork and holding it out for me. I tried to wave it away but he just cocked an eyebrow at me Spock style and gestured again with the fork, moving closer to me.

"Now y'all wouldn't want to offend me by refusing m'ah southern hospitality would you?"

I shook my head in response, mouth firmly closed.

"Open wide..."

After hesitating for a few seconds, I opened my mouth tentatively letting the warm piece of chocolaty goodness slide into my mouth. A small involuntary moan escaped as the fork slowly slid out past my lips, causing me to blush once more.

"Oh that's good..." I whispered, tasting the thick chocolate filling in the cake.

"Your aunt sure knows how to bake," said Rex, cutting the remaining chocolate cake into two pieces on his plate.

"I couldn't, it's your cake..." I said as he offered me a piece.

"Ah'm happy to split it with you Miss Poppy," he said with a wink.

This time I accepted the proffered piece of cake without hesitation, closing my eyes and savouring the taste. If sex was half this good I'd be surprised.

"M'ah momma says that there ain't no problem that chocolate won't solve," said Rex around his own piece of cake as he ate it.

"A wise woman."

"That she is, Miss Poppy, that she is."

"Poppy, just Poppy please," I said, biting at my bottom lip again. "Miss Poppy makes me sound like a primary school teacher."

"Ah could see you teaching elementary school Miss Poppy," chuckled Rex. "Ah could see you being good with kids an' all."

"You haven't seen me with children," I snorted.

"No but I'd like too," he replied, his face split wide in that maddening grin that seemed to hint that if this was a game of cat and mouse, I was most definitely not the cat.

My eyes danced across his muscled chest that his tight tee shirt did nothing to hide despite the khaki windbreaker he wore. For a moment I found myself wondering why he didn't just take the windbreaker off if he was hot indoors but before the thought could go anywhere my eyes locked with his. For a few moments I forgot everything just gazing into his eyes, enjoying the feeling of warmth and simultaneous sense of both safety and danger that they evoked in me. It wasn't a bad danger but if the way my body was reacting was any clue it wasn't perhaps the sort of danger a good girl entertained.

"Poppy?"

"I.. what?" I said, blinking back to reality.

"Ah said what do you want to be doing with yaw'r life?" he said. "Are you okay, you seemed... distracted?"

"No! I'm fine, really. I'm fine."

"Y'all sure?"

"Uh... I'm fine. We're all fine here now, thank you. How are you?" I asked, looking away only to see Fleur still lying down but biting her lips in an effort to stifle her laughter.

"Ah'm all the better for seeing y'all Poppy," said Rex, reaching out to take my hand in his. "But ah must be getting back to m'ah folks now."

"Ooo-kay..."

"Y'all take care now Miss Poppy," said Rex, bending slightly to kiss the back of my hand. I felt a rush of goose bumps down my arm emanating from the spot where his lips brushed my skin. "Ah hope to see you again real soon."

"Umm... t-t-that wouldn't be the worst thing..." I said, stumbling over my words. "And I said c-c-call me P-P-Poppy remember?"

I intended to be stoic as he departed with a tip of his hat but found my traitorous right hand finger waving goodbye to him against orders. Stuffing it in my lap under my loyal left hand I watched Rex re-enter the store with a wave in my direction. I couldn't see his face clearly but I was fairly certain that permanently maddening grin of his was plastered across his face.

"Not a word," I growled at Fleur as the first of her suppressed giggles escaped. "Not a word."

I took no comfort at all from the squeal Fleur emitted moments later as she laughed so hard she fell off the bench.
 

~o~O~o~
 
*Rex's view*
 
"Don't call us, we'll call you," said Rosenberg sliding the van's side door closed as I tried to open it.

"Ha-ha...ha," I said, pulling the door open again. I had twenty years and several hundred pounds less of doughnuts on him. "If you think you can do better, you can try and get close to the target... oh wait, that's right you tried and failed."

Opening the cooler box next to the seat I pulled a coke from it and took a deep pull from it, washing it around my mouth.

"That's right you don't like the taste of chocolate do you Augustine?" said Rosenberg with a chuckle. In response I gave him the finger.

"My mother always said the way to a woman's heart was through chocolate and you can--"

I was about to say more when the van lurched slightly as the side door pulled back again.

"Jeez, jumpy much?" said the casually dressed middle aged Hispanic woman as she entered the vehicle, nodding at my drawn pistol. I gave her a sheepish shrug as I slid it back into its holster under my windbreaker.

"I wasn't expecting to see you Sandra, what gives?" I asked.

"I'm here on behalf of the great state of Texas to arrest you for crimes against their accent," she said with a sigh. "You sound as bad, no actually you sound worse, than Nick Cage in Conair."

"I sayed, put tha bunnay back in tha box," mimicked Rosenberg in a bad southern accent. "It's a miracle that the British kid is as dumb as he is."

"Hey, you guys wanted me for my computer skills not my acting skills," I said, starting to get up. "I can catch the next flight home if you don't like it."

"Cal-i-for-ni-ay, dude" said Rosenberg, giving me the bullhorns gesture.

"Bite me Rosenberg."

"Okay, that's enough," snapped Sandra. "We all have jobs to do if this is going to work. Rosenberg, you just make sure that you stay in contact with Williamson okay? It took a lot of time, money and effort to get her onto the Congresswoman's staff."

"I know my job Soto," said Rosenberg with a frown.

"Then make sure you do it," replied Sandra, still glowering at him. "As for you Nicholas, there is no point sending our best nerd in there if you can't get close enough to the Haas family to do the nerd stuff. How's it going with the Haas girl?"

"Slowly. She's a bit shy. Seriously cute but a bit shy," I replied. I felt a smile tickling at the corner of my mouth as I thought of Poppy but quickly shook it off. "If I go too quick, it'll spook her."

"What about the other sister?" asked Rosenberg.

"Too late now. We're stuck with the Poppy kid like Nicholas here is stuck with that stupid accent now we've played our hand," said Sandra with a resigned sigh.

"We could bring in someone from out of state?"

I watched Sandra's head bobble slightly as she thought it over, before she shook her head.

"I'd rather not if I can help it. My experience has been things work better if you keep it small," replied Sandra. "Has the girl, Poppy, said anything about why her father has come back now of all times?"

"No. I'm not even sure she knows," I said with a shrug. "Could it be coincidence?"

"I might have said so until I saw him sit down with the principals today. No, he's got to be back for the money."

"Do you think someone spooked them and he's here to get it out of the country?" asked Rosenberg. "If he can move it before we've finished connecting the dots, we'll lose it."

"No, I've put too much effort into this to lose," said Sandra, her face set. "We keep doing, what we've been doing. Now get back to work okay?"

Rosenberg and I both nodded our assent. As I started to slide the door to the van open, Sandra called out to me.

"Nicholas?"

"Yeah?" I said, turning to face back into the van.

"We've all got a lot riding on this kid. Don't fuck up, okay?"
 
 
Authors Note: And welcome to the May 2012 chapter of 'We are Family'. What? It's not May you say? Umm... yeah, sorry about that. The good news - or the bad news depending on how much you liked this chapter - is work is finally allowing me to getting back to writing again and I'm finally getting back into the swing of things after a few really bad attempts to restart. The next chapter has already been started and hopefully should be ready sometime November work permitting. Thank you for taking the time to read this chapter and hopefully you've enjoyed it. If you enjoyed this chapter, then your comments are always welcome. No reproduction without permission, etc.