Wrong Side of Town

Chapter 4

Probably eighty people stood around in small groups, chattering politely as uniformed waiters circulated with trays. The men were mostly in jeans, though a few of the older ones wore Western suits, while the women were clad in cotton slacks or summer skirts. Some kids splashed in the pool, and others gathered in age-segregated clusters. To Zach's surprise, a small group of teens dressed in black with skulls and chains sat on the ground beneath a spreading live oak tree, plates of food propped on their laps. Yep, Texas had changed while he was gone - not that he minded having wireless internet at the ranch. Funny, though, how he'd almost expected the town to be exactly the same as when he'd left.

"I can't believe she invited them," Zach's mother hissed as she saw the kids. Not far from them, a trio of women stood awkwardly, not mingling much with the rest of the crowd.

"Mom, you know she always invites the library staff and their families. Get over it, already." Quinn tipped his hat at the group of women and smiled when the youngest blushed.

But Ysabel wasn't done. "I understand her wanting to include her employees, but I'll never understand her even hiring that...that woman."

Okay, someone's ticked her off royally. Ysabel used the term lady for anyone she liked. But while she could be kind of snobbish, she wasn't usually nasty. Zach wondered who at the library had managed to get on her bad side.

"Remember that they're still voters, please," Zach's dad interrupted. Sheriff was an elected position, after all.

At that point, their hostess spotted them and came running over. In her mid-sixties, Mamie Maguire was an impressive figure, slicing through the crowd like the prow of a ship through the waves. Her wide lavender straw hat perfectly matched her floral silk dress, but her smile as she homed in on Zach was warm and genuine.

"Leave it to you to arrive just in time for my annual barbecue." She reached up and grabbed Zach by the ears, pulling him down so she could plant smacking kisses on each cheek. "Thank you. Once word got around that you were coming, I suddenly had twenty more RSVPs this morning. The summer reading program will be well-funded this year." After greeting Zach's family, she put her arm though Zach's and tugged him away.

Zach followed along, content to let her reintroduce him to former acquaintances. A few new families had moved in while he was away, and it was good to meet them, too. Hawthorne had always needed new blood. Without it, the town became just too damned inbred and insular. The population of the town itself was only 2500 or so, and maybe double that with the surrounding ranches added in. With a only a couple smaller hamlets in the county, the entire population was still around ten thousand, which explained why most of Zach's generation had moved away as soon as they'd finished school. A few, like Quinn, were still here running their family's spreads or businesses, but not many.

Zach's eyes lit up when Miss Mamie pulled him away from the terrace to introduce the three young women over by the trees.

"Zach, do you remember Sarah Kendall - Sarah Leigh, she would have been then?" Miss Mamie introduced the oldest woman - maybe five years older than Zach, with short strawberry-blonde hair and smiling green eyes.

"I doubt it - we weren't in high school at the same time." She shook his hand with a firm, warm grip.

"Sarah works for me at the library." Miss Mamie turned toward the other woman - a petite brunette with a heart-shaped face and snapping brown eyes. Long, straight, dark hair was pulled back into a neat ponytail at the nape of her neck, and what was probably a beautiful body hid under clothes two sizes too big. Zach couldn't have dragged his eyes away from her if he'd tried. He felt as if the wind was knocked out of him when she smiled.

She looked familiar, but Zach couldn't quite place the face.

"And this is my other librarian, Laney Burroughs. Between the two of them, they practically run the place without me."

Both women immediately denied that. It was clear they were both fond of Miss Mamie, which raised them up a notch in Zach's estimation. He smiled and held out his hand while a memory from high school flooded back.

"Burroughs...you're not related to Nina Burroughs, by any chance?" That's why she'd looked familiar. The family resemblance wasn't strong, but it was there in the dark eyes and fine features. Now, he knew who his mother had been talking about when she'd said "woman." Zach had dated - a polite euphemism for slept with - Nina for all of a week, but it had been enough to make his mother despise the "loose" girl from the wrong side of town. Truth to tell, there hadn't been much about Nina to like - she'd been all about seducing her way out of this one-horse town, and as soon as Zach had made it clear he was going into the military, she'd dropped him like a hot rock.

"She is - was - my older sister," the brunette replied softly. A trace of sadness flickered across her face. "She passed away twelve years ago."

"I'm sorry." The words were automatic, but he kept looking into those deep, dark eyes, and he saw a world of hurt there. "Losing a sister is awful. I know what that feels like."

"I know. I'm sorry for your loss, too." Though her voice was low, the compassion in it was unmistakable. "I remember Una, even though she was a few years younger than me. She was always kind."

Miss Mamie introduced a college-aged girl as her summer intern.

It took Zach a moment to realize he hadn't let go of Nina's sister's hand. When she tugged it away from him, he politely turned his attention to the college student - a sweet young thing in a snug sundress who did absolutely nothing to pique his interest. It was odd how Laney, in her shapeless skirt and baggy top had captured his attention instantly. He shook his head, managed to murmur the right things, then allowed Miss Mamie to introduce him to the three teens sitting under the live oak a few yards away.

With an elbow to Zach's ribs, Miss Mamie introduced the two younger girls, who were apparently the library's high-school pages.

Zach suppressed a smile. Leave it to Miss Mamie to find probably the only two goth girls in west Texas and hire them. Good for her. Mamie had always been a champion for the underdog. Zach remembered his own punk-rock rebellion days and gave these kids points for daring to be different.

The teens all stood and spoke politely. Despite their counter-culture appearance, they'd all clearly been trained in manners. Also, despite their dyed black and in one case pink hair, not one of them sported a visible tattoo or a piercing other than their ears. It seemed Miss Mamie also kept them toeing a certain line, even if it was her own.

"And this is Parker Burroughs. He's not old enough this year, but next year I'm hoping he'll come work for me too." Burroughs? For a moment, Zach's head spun. Could Laney really be old enough to have an almost six-foot son?

Miss Mamie tucked her arm back in his as she led him toward the bar set up on the edge of the terrace. "Laney has her hands full taking care of her nephew on her own. Parker's a good boy, though there are some in town who'd like to label him trouble, just because of who his mother was." She shot a telling glance toward Zach's own mother.

Nephew. Parker had to be Nina's then. A moment of panic seized him, and he did some hurried math. No. If the kid wasn't old enough to work at the library, he couldn't possibly be Zach's. It had been over twenty years since his brief fling with Nina, just before he'd turned eighteen. He drew in a deep breath and let his muscles relax.

At least, now, he knew why his mother didn't like the cute little librarian. She'd despised Nina with a passion and obviously couldn't see that the sister was an entirely different kind of woman.

After a few more introductions, Zach's friend Mick waved at him from the bar, and Miss Mamie patted Zach's hand.

"Well, I'd better go mingle. Welcome home, young man." With a flurry of silk, Miss Mamie was off, her hat once again leading the way as she parted the crowd like waves.