"Kennnaaaayyyyyy!" A voice bellowed from just outside the perimeter of the Hoonah dump. It belonged to Matt Brown, a frequent patron of all things discarded. Kenny had warned her about him, telling her he was his best friend. He was a kindred spirit of the town trash with an appreciation for the ladies. He cautioned her not to get to chummy with him as he was a flirt who could charm the pants off a girl faster than she could say greased lightening.
She eyed him carefully from her perch a top of a pile of old cars. He moved from pile to pile examining the newest arrival of recyclable items.
"Keeennnnnaaayyyy! Where are you, man?" Matt continued to move from place to place pulling items and stacking them in his own pile.
He intrigued her with his eclectic selections. She watched him as he bounded up a pile of used appliances and then jumped back to the ground landing firmly on his assets.
She giggled as he brushed himself off, scooping his hat from the ground and placing it back on his head. His attention was drawn in her direction.
"Hello up there." Matt shaded his eyes with his hand as he peered up to where she stood.
"Hello to you down there." She replied back with her hands resting on her hips.
"I'm looking for Kenny."
She jumped from car to car with the skill of a mountain goat until she landed in front of him. "You must be Matt."
He flashed his ocean blue eyes at her and replied, "You're not Kenny."
"Aren't you the rocket scientist?" She smiled at him taking the sting off her sarcastic comment. "I'm Sarah."
Matt stuck out his hand and offered her a greeting and a handshake. "Pleased to meet you Sarah."
"Where's my brother from another mother?" Matt surveyed the dump but caught no sight of Kenny. Sarah noticed he was easy on the eyes. Soft silver curls framed his stubbled face and his smile drew her in like a moth to a flame.
"Kenny had to go to Juneau for a doctor's appointment so I'm watching the place."
"How do you know Kenny?"
"I'm his little sister." The sides of Matt's mouth curled up. "Wait, Kenny has a sister and I'm just finding that out."
"I think there's a reason for that. You're reputation precedes you."
Matt grabbed his chest with both hands and cried out as if he had been mortally wounded by her biting words. Sarah liked the way he was so animated with his hands.
She giggled. "You really know how to slay a guy, don't ya'?"
"I'm sorry. I'm a little more blunt than my sweet brother."
Sarah began to walk towards the office. Matt followed behind her chatting her up as she snaked her way through the mountains of what Matt affectionately called treasures. "Got any plans for later?"
"Yep, a bed and a book." She replied going through the mail in the mailbox.
"I like to read in bed." She looked at him sporting a devilishly handsome smile.
"I betcha do." Sarah returned her gaze to the mail in her hand. "You don't waste anytime do you? Kenny said you were fast but I think that's a record for anyone trying to bed me."
Matt looked nervously at her as if no one had ever called his bluff. "Can't blame me for trying. It's not everyday that I get to meet Kenny's beautiful little sister."
"So now I'm beautiful." Sarah secretly was smiling on the inside while trying to project an aura of utter disregard towards him.
Matt was a little disappointed that his usual Peter Pan charm wasn't working as easily on her as it had other girls.
"Can we try that again?" Matt waved his hand between them. "How about I grab us a pie and some pop from the pizza parlor and we can do dinner al fresco?"
"Suit yourself." She opened an envelope and pretended to read the contents.
Matt turned to leave and heard her call out, "I like pepperoni and cheese pizza."
He smiled to himself as he walked to town. "Gotcha!"
Sarah watched as he sauntered down the hill into town. She quickly brushed her hair and freshened her makeup. She set up a makeshift table and two mismatched chairs just outside Kenny's small office.
Matt wasted no time in getting back to the dump with dinner. "I was beginning to think you had forgotten about our dinner date." Sarah took the box from Matt's hands. She breathed in the aroma of a fresh baked pie and offered Matt a chair.
The conversation flowed easily until there was nothing left in the pizza box except crumbs. Matt had torn down some of her walls and even made her laugh out loud a time or two. The sound of a pickup truck coming up the hill interrupted their private pizza party.
"That must be Kenny." She leaned over the table grabbing the collar of his jacket and stole a kiss.
Kenny exited the truck as a somewhat stunned Matt greeted him with his signature "Keeennnnnaaayyyy" welcome.
"I see you've met my sister." Matt nodded and looked in her direction. "She's the heartbreaker I warned you about."
"And she's every bit of the challenge you said she was. But you know us Browns, we never say die!"
