Harry on the Prairie

Chapter 22

                   

AUTHOR'S NOTE:

Niall's a moonshiner? Sophia's crushin' on him? What's going on with Reverend Payne? Why is Louis looking for Frankie? Will Harry ever get a mouthful of Frankie's peach pie?

Put on your prairie bonnet and nestle in for story time!

TWITTER: @styles_orama

******

And the night got deathly quiet,
and his face lost all expression.
He said, "If you're gonna play the game, boy —
you gotta learn to play it right."
               

           --Kenny Rogers

******

FRANKIE:

Once we finish eatin', Sophia's gotta return to the pie booth for a bit, so the boys and I spread a blanket 'neath a shade tree for a second cup of wine and a lil' shut-eye. Turns out we aren't the only group wantin' to rejuvenate before the judgin', and dancin' begins, cause we're lucky enough to snag one of the few shady spots left. 

******

HARRY:

I'm dreaming of being poked and prodded like a cow in the pasture. I crack an eyelid and I'm greeted by Frankie leanin' over me. Mhmm, Frankie.

"Harry?  You awake, Harry?"

I reach for her, wantin' to pull her in for a kiss.

"Harry — cut it out. We're still at the picnic." She sounds a bit perturbed.

My head clears soon enough and the hustle and bustle of the picnic starts filterin' through to my brain. There's the chatter of Niall and Sophia nearby, and some whoops and hollers comin' from afar.

I wipe the sleep from my eyes. "I toldja not to eat so much, Harry," Frankie chides.

I sit up and run my fingers through my hair and adjust my hat, strugglin' to hold in a fart.

"Harry can't hold his food or his liquor like I can. Ain't that right, Harry?" Niall laughs at his own joke and slaps his knee.

Just for that, I decide I'm gonna break wind on the lowdown. When the girls smell it, I'll blame it on Niall. That jackass is always fartin' and stinkin' up the joint to high heaven. I concentrate on lettin' it out real slow-like so no one can pin it on me. Then for good measure, I turn to Niall and fan my nose like I caught a whiff of skunk. "Jesus, Niall! I knew ya shouldn't've had those beans."

I barely finish layin' the groundwork of deception by the time the stench reaches the ladies' noses. Their faces squish and they hurry to their feet a-grumblin' and mumblin'.  "Oh no, Niall!" Sophia exclaims and relocates so she's no longer downwind.

Onto my game, Niall shoots me the squint-eye and I stick my tongue out at him in return. Heh.

"You boys missed the judgin' and everythin'," Sophia laments, folding up one of the blankets. "Frankie here was quite the winner." Sophie nods toward Frankie, who doesn't look as happy as I'd expect from a blue-ribbon winner.

Her attitude makes me raise an eyebrow, "Is that so, Frankie? What didja win?"

"I won first place for my peach preserves and third for my cherry pie." Frankie's smile is half-hearted.

I know she shoulda taken first with that cherry pie, and at least placed with her pickles, but there's only one thing I seem to hone in on. "You brought peach preserves?" My whisper has a bit of an edge to it, which she ignores until Niall and Sophia head off to put the blankets back in the wagon.

I ask again, louder. "You brought peach preserves? I thought we —"

"We agreed regarding the pie, Harry. Not the preserves."

I am madder than a bobcat in a pissfire. My vision goes red, and I'm not sure if it's anger or the settin' sun causin' it to do so. "Who were the judges?"

"You're mighty concerned about some contests that you couldn't bother to stay awake for." Frankie starts off after Niall and Sophia. Uh-oh.

I follow at a brisk pace, and grab a-hold of her upper arm. I aim to spin her 'round to face me, but she beats me to it, whippin' 'round quicker than Niall can down a rasher of bacon.

"Don't touch me like that Harry." Her eyes are downcast, her bottom lip quivers, and I forget I'm mad.

"I'm sorry, Frankie," I begin, loosenin' the grip on her arm but not lettin' go.  "I didn't miss it on purpose. I guess I shouldn't've washed down my big ol' lunch with Niall's wine." I give an apologetic half-grin and swipe my thumb over her cheek real quick.

She looks up at me and blinks back a couple tears in those creekwater greens, her eyes squintin' cause of the brightness of the settin' sun. It's like she's decidin' whether to forgive me or not. I squat real quick and pick a couple pansies from a patch near my boots. Lumberin' back to full-height, I tuck the purple flowers behind her ear. "Forgive me yet?" I grin my best grin, showin' off my pearly whites.

Frankie rolls her eyes and tries to hide her smile.

"You want to." I pull her to me, givin' her sides a tickle. "I can tell you do."

She starts gigglin' and squirmin' to get away, but I don't let her off so easy. "Say it, Frankie. Say you forgive me." I am persistent about things that're important to me. My fingertips poke into her side, as my tickle strengthens.

Soon the damn bursts and the giggles spill out of us both. "Alright, alright. Cut it out!"

She shoves me away, and I let her go marchin' off to meet up with our friends. I sneak up by her side, link my pinky with hers and give it a little squeeze. She squeezes my pinky back, and I'm already thinkin' about how I wanna take her in my arms and kiss her when we get back home tonight.

When we meet up with Niall and Sophie, Nialler pulls out his flask again and warns us this time it's filled with moonshine, so go easy. We each take a swig as the sun dips below the horizon, and Niall shoves his liquor back into his boot. The band is tunin' their banjoes, fiddles, and guitars as we approach the mill where the dance is bein' held.

"Ah shit, Harry!" Niall exclaims. "Ya shoulda brought yer guitar, yeah?"

I shoot him a look that'd kill a rattlesnake, but it's too damn late. Frankie and Soph are already besides themselves. "You play guitar?" Sophia declares loud enough for half the county to hear.

Frankie's eyes and mouth are round with surprise. "Look at you. Keepin' secrets and stuff, Harry." She chides, givin' my arm a playful slap.

"Shush. Do any of y'all know how to whisper?" I check my surroundings with furtive glances. "Not near well enough to play in public, mind you." I can barely string a few chords together.

Frankie clasps her hands together and bats her eyelashes just to annoy me. "Ooh, I can't wait to be serenaded!"

"Well, you're gonna have to wait quite awhile for somethin' like that to happen," I huff and take a seat on a hay bale to watch the festivities. I hold out my palm in Niall's general direction, "Niall, gimme another swig of that moonshine. Will ya?"

My palm remains empty, and I raise my head to see Niall and Soph already scootin' across the dance floor together. I turn to Frankie in surprise, just as she nods to accept a dance request from Reverend Payne. That rat bastard.