At The Marrow
an excerpt

At the Marrow
Chapter One

It was one of those mid-October days that recalled the glory of the just-passed summer, a day in which the breeze that blew the yellow, red, orange, green and brown leaves from the deciduous trees was warm, and the sun was strong enough to colour exposed flesh. As for exposed flesh, there was plenty of it to see as Jamie strode through the grounds of the Allister Fall Fair, the local girls having brought out shorts, tank tops and dresses reminiscent of the warm days of summer. The rays that warmed his face and the breeze that blew through his hair caused him to smile, lightening his mood and making him glad that he had let his brother convince him to quit work early.
“It’s a fine day,” Curtis commented, looking around the fairgrounds with a roving eye. He rubbed his hands together, his deep-set blue eyes twinkling, indicating that he had a mind for mischief, a look that Jamie knew well.
“I say we hit the beer tent first, then the chicken barbeque, then the dance. What do you say?”
Jamie shook his head. “It’s noon, Curtis, and we just got here. Let’s hold off on the beer for a bit.”
Curtis looked at him with raised brows. “Oh, you want to check out the apple pie contest first, do you? How about the dried flower arrangements? Maybe the quilts?”
Jamie punched his brother in the arm playfully. “I was thinking the barrel races or maybe the calf roping, and Ben has Daisy in the heifer contest. We should check it out.”
Curtis shook his head in mock dismay. “Jamie, Jamie, Jamie. You are so damn boring, and that little brother of ours spends way too much time with cows. He’s fourteen, damn it. When is he going to wake up to the finer qualities of beings with two tits instead of four?”
“Don’t rush him, Curt. You won’t be able to handle the competition.”
“Yeah, yeah,” Curtis said, dismissing his comment with a wave. He looked around the crowded fair grounds, as if looking for something, and his face split into a grin. He nudged Jamie in the ribs and nodded. “Speaking of things with two tits.”
Jamie followed his brother’s nod, and his heart leapt into his throat for a moment. Belinda Thompson, Curtis’ girlfriend, was coming towards them, a vision of loveliness that caused his breath to catch. She was tall and slender, wearing a sleeveless, flowered, halter-style summer dress that hugged all of her curves in just the right way. The noon-time sun glinted off her glorious copper-coloured hair. Her red lipstick highlighted the whiteness of her teeth as her face broke into a smile. She came towards the two brothers, her long, coltish legs highlighted by high-heeled sandals that emphasized the curves of her smooth calves. She carried a little purse in her left hand, which she swung in a carefree manner. She looked stunning, and she knew it. She gave Jamie a teasing wink as she leaned over to kiss Curtis on the lips in greeting.
Curtis swept his girlfriend into his arms and swung her around once before setting her feet back down on the trampled grass. He stood back and looked her up and down, a lecherous grin on his face.
“Jamie, is this not the best looking girl in town?”
Jamie couldn’t argue. Belinda wasn’t just a classic beauty, but she radiated a kind of sensuality that caught men’s eyes and made them imagine doing all kinds of nasty things with her. Curtis wore her on his arm like a trophy, parading her around town, indulging her with trinkets, not because he was in love with her, but because it drove their parents crazy. Belinda Thompson was from the wrong side of the tracks. Her father, when he wasn’t in jail sleeping off another drunk and disorderly arrest, worked for the local sanitation department picking up trash, while her mother worked at the local diner as a waitress. Belinda worked there as well, and bartended at Macy’s Bar and Grill to help pay her way through beauty school. She was the oldest of five children, and it was mainly her and her mother’s incomes that kept the family fed, clothed, and a roof over their heads, her father’s income sporadic at best, and more often than not consumed in a liquid form before his family ever saw it.
“You look great, Belinda,” Jamie said, and he meant it. He wasn’t blind to Belinda’s beauty or sexuality, and he’d often half-heartedly tossed around the idea of asking her out, but he hadn’t because of who she was, and because he knew his parents wouldn’t approve. Now she was Curtis’s and that made her even more off limits.
Belinda hooked her arm in Curtis’, giving her head a toss, her curls bouncing. “So, boys, who’s going to take me on the Scrambler?”
“Both of us,” Curtis said. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a fifty dollar bill, which he tossed at Jamie. “Go get us some midway tickets, bro. We’ll meet you at the Scrambler.”
Jamie caught the bill and pushed it into his front jeans pocket, then turned towards the ticket booth. There was a small line-up and he stood at the end of it, watching as Curtis and Belinda strode arm in arm over to the ride of her choice. Curtis pulled her close to him, his hands sliding around her slender waist, and they kissed in a way that was somewhat inappropriate for a Saturday afternoon in a public place. Jamie turned away with a shake of his head.
“Hey, Jamie, are you coming over to watch my karate demonstration later?”
Jamie turned at the sound of his name to see Becca coming towards him. At ten, she was the youngest of the McAllister clan, and the only girl, having been blessed by four older brothers. She had with her two of her school friends, who Jamie graced with a smile, knowing that they thought he was cute. It was just his luck, he mused, that the only girls who were attracted to him lately were pre-pubescent, not even ready for training bras.
“I’ll be there. What time?” he asked.
“Two o’clock, over at the grandstand stage. Bring Curtis, too, all right?”
“Sure. Hey, do you need some tickets for the rides?”
Becca held up her wrist. On it was a bright neon green paper bracelet. “Dad got us all passes for the day,” she said, nodding at the identical bracelets on her two friends. “See ya later, Jamie.”
She was off before he could say anything further, skipping over the green grass, her friends at her heels, their ponytails bobbing.
“Ah, to be young again.”
It was Dr. Wolffe, the local veterinarian, that addressed him this time. The Doc was dressed as he always was, jeans and cowboy boots, a blue chambray shirt and a battered cowboy hat that once been white but had seen better days and had now faded to a dirty grey. The doctor, in his late forties, wasn’t so old himself, but walked with a limp, his leg having been badly broken by a rogue horse he had been caring for in a time before he and his wife had settled in Allister nearly fifteen years ago.
“Hi, Doc,” Jamie said. “I haven’t seen you for a while.”
Donald Wolffe smiled. “No, I actually took a few weeks off work last month. First time I’ve had holidays in twenty years, so the wife and I went up to Charleston to visit our niece. She’s going to be staying with us for a little while, taking a break from veterinary school.” Donald shifted his weight on his bad leg with a grimace. “I heard congratulations are in order. Tom said you passed your electrician exams. Are you still going to work for Brian?”
“Yeah, Brian’s been good to me, and he lets me have time off to work the farm when dad and Tom need the extra help.”
“Well, you can’t kick on that,” Donald said. “Anyway, don’t be a stranger, Jamie. You know you’re welcome to come up to the farm to visit Cindy and I any time.”
“Thanks,” Jamie said. By this time he’d moved to the front of the line and was now standing before ticket booth. The overweight lady inside looked at him expectantly.
“What’ll it be?” she asked, around a large wad of bubble gum. She had bathed in cheap perfume and it made his eyes water.
“Give me twenty-five tickets for the rides,” Jamie said, sliding the fifty dollar bill through the semi-circular cut-out of the white-painted plywood booth. He looked around, but Donald Wolffe had moved on, his grayish/white disappearing into the crowd.
“Here ya go, honey,” the woman said, sliding him the tickets and his change.
“Thanks,” Jamie said absently, shoving tickets and money both into his pocket. He walked over towards Curtis and Belinda, who were standing patiently near the guard rail that surrounded the ride. Curtis said something that made Belinda laugh, and she tossed back her head, her laughter clear over the country music blaring from the midway, but Jamie didn’t hear his brother’s words.
“Becca wants us to go see her karate demonstration at two.”
Curtis snorted. “Whatever,” he said. He found their youngest sister a pain more than anything, much as he found their youngest brother Ben. “I saw you talking to Doc Wolffe. What did he have to say?”
“Just congratulating me on passing my journeyman’s exam.”
“I hear he’s got his niece staying with him for a little while, but I have no idea what she looks like. You seen her yet, Belinda?”
Belinda shook her head. “No, but the doc’s wife was in getting coffee and pie at the diner yesterday and I overheard her telling mom that her niece was going to enter into the barrel riding contest.”
“Maybe we should check it out, then. If she’s as homely as the doc’s wife, then it should be a treat.”
“She’s Donald’s niece, not Cindy’s,” Belinda corrected. “Her father and Donald were brothers. But from what I understand, both of her parents are dead.”
Curtis’ eyebrows raised in mock surprise, but Jamie sensed Curtis’ underlying ire. Curtis didn’t like being corrected, and he certainly didn’t like it when Belinda showed herself to be more knowledgeable in any way. “Well, aren’t you just the little bundle of information,” he said, sarcastically.
Belinda tossed her head, oblivious to the tone of Curtis’ voice. “You just have to keep your eyes and ears open, and you can find out all kinds of gossip about folks in this town.”
“I supposed it helps when they’re liquored up down at Macy’s Bar and Grill, don’t it?”
“Well, it doesn’t hurt,” Belinda agreed. “Now, how about that ride?”
Curtis took her slender arm and led her towards the line, but Jamie hesitated, suddenly not sure if he wanted to intrude upon his brother and Belinda, feeling a bit like a third wheel. As if sensing his hesitation, Belinda reached out for him, grabbing his arm and pulling him along.
“Come on, Jamie. Don’t be a party pooper. I want the whole town to see that I have two of the finest looking boys in Baker County at my side, and I’m not going to let you ruin my bragging rights.”
Jamie reluctantly let her pull him into the line up. They settled into the seat, Belinda in the middle, and the ride began. Her infectious laughter made Jamie glad he’d let her drag him along.
The afternoon wore on, the good weather bringing out the folks of Allister and the surrounding county to engage in this last hoorah before the onset of winter. They dutifully watched Becca and her karate troop put on a performance, demonstrating their skill, then meandered over to the show ring in time to see Ben and his calf Daisy take the blue ribbon in showmanship. Fourteen-year-old Ben, at six feet tall already, was gangly, all arms and legs, not even a hint of facial hair yet on his boyish face. Jamie could almost envy his little brother’s innocence as he delighted in the simple pleasure of winning first prize at the county fair. The fair was held in a town that had been named after his family, the McAllisters, specifically his great grandfather, almost guaranteeing Ben’s first place, but the younger McAllister was oblivious to that, oblivious to all that the McAllister name meant, all the responsibility it entailed. Tom, Curtis, and Jamie had lost that innocence long ago.
Curtis turned away from the show ring as Ben took his prize, and Jamie could read the expression on his brother’s face. They’d had the argument before, about how Roger McAllister was much easier on his youngest son and daughter than he’d ever been on them. All three of the older McAllister boys could remember how it had been when they’d been Ben’s age, how their father had demanded perfection of them in everything they did, accepting nothing less than their best, but time had apparently softened the old man. Jamie was aware of it, but didn’t dwell on his father’s more forgiving attitude towards Ben, but he knew that Curtis harboured a deep resentment over it. From the age of fourteen, they worked every spare moment outside of school on the farm, either tending the dairy cattle or harvesting the crops of hay, corn, and barley. In winter, they had jobs in town, Jamie with the electrician that was now his boss, and Curtis at the DeJong’s garage, pumping gas at first then as a mechanic once he’d completed his apprenticeship. Tom was the only one of them who worked the farm full time with their father and uncle, learning the business side as well as being responsible for the health and well-being of the dairy herd. Ben still didn’t have a job other than delivering newspapers, his chores on the farm few because of the promise he showed on the basketball court.
A voice over the loudspeaker system announced the start of the barrel races. It was four o’clock, and the air was cooling, but still far above what was expected in mid-October. The smell of chickens cooking over a large open fire pit filled the air, smoke from the sizzling meat caught on the breeze and distributed throughout the fair grounds, mingling with the smell of popcorn, candy floss, and honey roasted peanuts. Curtis took a step towards the yellow and white striped beer tent.
“Don’t you want to go watch the barrel races?” Belinda asked.
“What I want is a piss and a cold beer. What about you, Jamie?”
Jamie could see that Curtis’ mood had grown darker and he knew that once his brother sat his ass in the beer tent that there would be no moving him until he was plastered. Jamie felt like a beer himself, but he was also curious about Dr. Wolffe’s niece.
“I’m going to go watch the races. I’ll catch up with you later,” he said.
Curtis shrugged like he didn’t care. “Whatever. Belinda, you going with Jamie or coming with me?”
Belinda hesitated. Jamie could tell she wanted to go with him, but she was reluctant to test Curtis’ mood. She chewed on her lower lip. Curtis saw her hesitation and frowned.
“Go with Jamie, then,” he said. “You know where I’ll be.”
He stormed off towards the outhouses along the edge of the yellow and white striped tent. Belinda took a step after him, but Jamie caught her arm. “Let him go. You know how moody he gets. A couple of beers and he’ll be right as rain.”
Belinda smiled at him. The sun had reddened her arms and shoulders, and brought colour out on her cheeks, making her look flushed. She reached out and touched Jamie’s cheek lightly.
“You’re such a sweetheart. C’mon, let’s go check out the doc’s niece. I’m dying of curiosity.”
The touch of her fingertips was fleeting, but Jamie’s cheek tingled where she had touched him. If Belinda was aware of the affect she had on him, she was kind enough not to show it. She reached out and took his hand in her fine, long fingered one and led him towards the sand corral of the rodeo ring, her step light, her enthusiasm infectious. There was a crowd in the stands and along the fence rails. Belinda spotted Dr. Wolffe and pointed, her little purse in her hand.
“There’s the Doc. Let’s go over and say hi.”
Jamie let her lead him towards the fence. Dr. Wolffe stood beside his wife Cindy, and both turned as they approached, smiles on their faces.
“Good afternoon, Belinda, Jamie,” Cindy said. Curtis was right. She was not a very attractive woman. She was small in stature, thin, with short blonde hair and a narrow face that was weathered from being outdoors. Although not a big woman, she was strong, that strength shown in the size of her rough-skinned hands and in the ropy muscles of her bare arms. She and her husband raised performance horses, supplying the rodeo circuit. She did most of the training herself, as well as most of the chores on their small ranch. No one could ever call Cindy lazy. Jamie had worked off and on at the ranch during his younger teenage years when the doc and his wife needed extra help, and Cindy’s work ethic had nearly exhausted him, although he was no slouch either.
“God, isn’t it just the most perfect day?” Cindy asked. Like her husband, she always wore a cowboy hat, but hers was tan in colour, although in no better shape. Despite her unattractiveness, her smile was wide, friendly and lit up her entire face. When she smiled, people couldn’t help but smile back.
“You look like you’ve got a bit of a sunburn on your shoulders,” Cindy said, nodding at Belinda’s bare arms. “Make sure you put some lotion on that tonight so it doesn’t dry out.”
The Doc and his wife had no children of their own, but Jamie wasn’t sure why. Cindy loved children, and seemed to have a knack with them, often inviting school groups to the farm to feed and learn about the horses. She seemed to have an unending capacity for patience, a trait echoed in her husband’s easy-going nature.
The races had already gotten under way, the first of the riders into her routine by the time Jamie and Belinda arrived. As the rider and horse circled the barrel closest to where they stood, a cloud of dust was kicked up into the air. Belinda took a step back, waving at the dusty air, but Cindy never flinched, calling out to the rider to go faster. The young girl was one of her students, the horse one of her own. The girl’s time was good enough that it raised a whoop of joy from Cindy.
“My niece is coming up next,” Dr. Wolffe said.
“Is she riding one of your horses?” Belinda asked, politely fishing for information.
“No, she brought her own mount up from school,” Donald said. “She’s hoping to breed her with our stallion when she comes into heat. Look, here she comes now.”
The announcer in the booth announced the next rider, his voice blaring out over the loudspeakers.
“Next up is number twenty-two, Cheyenne Wolffe, niece of our own Dr. Wolffe, riding her mare, Rain. Cheyenne has won numerous competitions throughout the Midwest, but retired to attend veterinary college. This is Cheyenne’s first competition in over four years. We welcome her to the Allister Fall Fair and wish her all the best.”
Jamie looked as the horse and rider entered the ring, mildly curious, thinking about Curtis’ and Belinda’s earlier discussion. Donald Wolffe wasn’t exactly a handsome man either, so Jamie didn’t hold out much hope for the attractiveness of the niece, but his eyes widened in surprise. She sat astride a beautifully conformed chestnut and white paint mare, looking for all the world like she belonged on horseback. She wore a black cowboy hat over long black hair that glistened in the lowering afternoon sun like it was oiled. Her eyes were also black, deep and almond shaped. The teeth behind her small, full mouth were white and even as she spoke soothingly to the mare under her. She looked like a Native American princess, that image enhanced by the fringes on the blouse she wore and the feathers at the end of the braided hair that hung down past the middle of her back.
The starter’s gun went off and the mare surged forward without hesitation. Girl and beast rode as one, perfectly in synch with one another, hair and mane and tail flying, hooves churning up the dirt. Jamie watched, awed by the performance. It was clear, as Cheyenne rode back to the start, that no one would be able to beat her time.
Cindy let out a whoop that startled Belinda and caused the redhead to fall back into Jamie. He slipped his arms around her to steady her.
“Wow, can that girl ride!” Cindy hollered. The crowd, cheering, echoed her sentiment.
Belinda, leaning against Jamie, the smell of her subtle perfume filling his nostrils, raised her chin to look up at him.
“Well,” was all she said.
Well, indeed, Jamie thought. Curtis was dead wrong about the Doc’s niece being homely. He was looking forward to rubbing that in his brother’s face.
“Shall we head over to the beer tent?” Belinda asked.
Jamie let go of her and Belinda turned around to look at him, a smile curving her full lips. Without saying anything further, she took his hand and led him to the beer tent and his waiting brother.