Clark’s bedroom brightened until Cat couldn’t sleep any more. It was time for her to get up and face the day. They still had the EPA story to work on, and Cat was looking forward to getting some quality pictures to go with Clark’s and Lois’ text. Maybe she could contribute a good sidebar on government overkill and money-wasting unnecessary projects, too.
Cat sighed and buttoned her shirt, thinking about the jeans and boots Lois had mentioned the night before. Maybe she should pick up a pair of each for camouflage here in Smallville, and there were enough country dance venues in Metropolis to make the purchases worth her while. Maybe she could attract someone who could masquerade as Clark’s slightly older brother.
Maybe her heart would heal someday, too.
Martha caught her eye as she hit the bottom step. “Good morning, sleepyhead. Glad you could join me. Get caught up on your sleep?”
Cat glanced at her watch. It was almost eight o’clock. She grinned at Martha and shook her head. “I guess Clark’s description of farm life was accurate. When do chickens get up, anyway?”
“Generally right at daybreak, unless it’s raining hard. Then they usually wait until they’re very hungry.” Martha gestured at the dining room table. “Speaking of being hungry, what can I whip up for you?”
“Just coffee and toast, please. I know I’m late, and I’m not a big breakfast eater anyway.”
“You’re sure? It’s no trouble, honest.”
“Thanks, but no. I feel like you’re spoiling us as it is.” She slid onto one of the chairs. “Speaking of our two wayward chicken-scratchers, I don’t see them around.”
Martha placed Cat’s coffee on the table, along with cream and several kinds of sweetener. “Clark took Lois to his Fortress of Solitude. I suppose they needed some alone time.”
“Fortress of Solitude? That says a lot, both about Clark and about how he feels about Lois.”
Martha faked a sniff. “I know. He’s never invited his mother to the Fortress, and I must say that I’m deeply traumatized by that exclusion.”
Cat grinned and prepped her coffee. “I kind of hope Lois has good news for him. They both deserve some.” She sipped her drink and smiled. “That’s excellent, Martha. You’ll have to come back to the Daily Planet with us and make sure we all get our caffeine fixes from your carafe.”
“You’re saying that Clark didn’t exaggerate about the terrible coffee in the newsroom?”
“I don’t know how he could have. We use the coffee left at the end of the shift to threaten reluctant sources. Always works, too.”
They shared a chuckle, and toast chose that moment to pop up. Martha stood and moved to the cabinet. “What flavor of preserves do you prefer?”
Cat looked over her choices and said, “Well, since you don’t appear to have any cream cheese, I’ll accept a thin spread of blueberry or raspberry.”
“I have both.”
“In that case, please astonish me.”
“Blueberry it is. Here you go. Are you sure I can’t tempt you with some eggs or ham or pancakes?”
“As the playwright Oscar Wilde allegedly once said, I can resist anything but temptation. Most days you’d have to push me away from the table this well-provisioned, but—” she played with her cup for a moment, then said, “I’m afraid I’m already having a downer of a day. I’m sorry.”
Martha nodded. “Does your mood have anything to do with Clark or Lois?”
“Well – yes, actually, it does.” She took a nibble from her toast. “When Lois got to the room last night, she was uptight about something she wouldn’t tell me about. Because she’s my best friend in the entire world, I need to ask you if there’s anything you know about that.”
“I see. I think you should ask her about that, Cat. It’s not my business.”
Cat lifted her gaze and smiled. “I was kind of hoping you’d say that. There’s something else weighing on me, something I need to share with another person, and that other person can never reveal it. I think you’re that person.”
Martha regarded the younger woman carefully for a moment, then put her hand on Cat’s. “Is this about your feelings for Clark and your history with him?”
Cat’s mouth fell open and she sat back. “Make that two things,” she grunted after a long moment.
“You did ask me to astonish you.”
Cat looked at Martha’s twinkling eyes and sighed. “Is it that obvious?”
“Not unless you know what to look for. I wasn’t really sure how you felt until just now. And I wouldn’t have brought it up unless I was also certain that you don’t have any evil designs on my son.” She squeezed Cat’s hand gently. “You have to know how he feels about Lois.”
Cat nodded. “I do. I also know how Lois feels about him, too, even though she’s still not sure she’s the right woman for him. She’s had a few guys chase her, but despite being chased hard a couple of times, she hasn’t dated anyone seriously other than Clark since I’ve known her, and she vacillates between handing him her heart on a silver platter and trying to run so far away from him that even he couldn’t find her. She’s a better person than she thinks she is, but Clark is the first man who’s ever come close to convincing her of it.”
Cat sighed again and looked down at the table. “The Army damaged Lois, I damaged Clark, but together they complete each other. I guess – no, I’m sure that they can help each other heal the right way. And he wouldn’t force himself on her in any way, shape, form, or fashion. He’s just not that kind of man. Lois’ fears about being unfixable diminish more every time she’s around Clark, and she allows him to open up and safely be himself around her. She wouldn’t hurt him for all the tea in China. He wouldn’t hurt her for all the gold in Fort Knox.”
She sat back and crossed her arms to hold her hurt in place. “Doesn’t leave any room for me. When I’m around those two, I’m about as useful as a fish’s bicycle.”
“I’m sorry, Catharine. You’re a fine young woman. You’re right, Lois has Clark’s heart, but that doesn’t mean you can’t find love, or that it can’t find you. Who knows, you might meet someone this month who’ll want to be the Adam to your Eve.”
Cat coughed out a wet laugh. “Never heard it put that way, Martha, but thank you.”
“You’re welcome.” She hesitated, then carefully asked, “Do you want to tell me about the other thing that’s weighing you down?”
“Oh. Right. You don’t miss a trick, do you?”
Martha put her elbow on the table and propped her chin on her palm. “If there’s a chatterbox in this family, it’s me. Clark talks a lot, but mostly to gather information rather than reveal it. Jonathan is very economical with his speech – he doesn’t chatter or babble or fill up the air with meaningless words. And neither do you.”
Cat waited for Martha to continue, but she didn’t. With a sigh, she looked away and said, “I – learned a secret a while back. A big secret, one that I’m certain you’d prefer I didn’t know.” She waited a few seconds longer, then looked directly at Martha. “I learned what a certain someone does when he’s not comforting Lois or writing quality news stories.”
Martha’s forehead furrowed, then her eyes opened wide. Her pupils shrank to pinpricks. “Uh – how – exactly what is it that you think you’ve learned?”
Cat tipped her head back, listening, and when she heard nothing unusual, she turned toward her hostess and drew an “S” on Martha’s chest.
Martha nodded and sighed. “Did someone tell you or did you figure it out yourself?”
“No one spilled any beans to me. I just gathered information from personal observation and a little judicious snooping. Clark doesn’t know that I know. Neither does Lois. And to forestall the big concern that has to be in your mind right now, no one who doesn’t already know will ever hear this from me.”
“I see. So how does this affect your relationship with my son?”
“We’re friends. That’s really all we can ever be. Remember, he told Lois about himself but he didn’t tell me. If he ever does, I’ll be shocked and stunned and stupefied to learn it.” She looked away as she said, “Besides, I’m the untrod path in the yellow wood.”
“Robert Frost? Two roads diverged in a yellowed wood?”
Cat looked at Martha again. “Yes. I still don’t know how I feel about being – untrod.”
Martha sighed. “Please don’t be bitter. I know it’s hard to lose someone, then later on when you think you might have another chance it isn’t really there.”
Cat shook her head. “I think I’ve accepted it. I just hope I can sweep all those old leaves out the door.”
Martha unsuccessfully tried to stifle a smile. “How did you know that he told Lois?”
“I was at the top of the stairs last night, out of sight just around the turn to the hallway. Lois didn’t hear me come out of the bathroom. She was more concerned with whatever was going on downstairs with the three of you.” Cat turned away again. “Understandable. She loves him with all her heart, Martha. She’s just not sure her heart is strong enough or big enough to love him the way she thinks he deserves.”
“What do you think?”
Cat paused in thought, then said, “I think Lois has far more love and strength in her than she knows. Being around Clark for all these months has taught her so very much. Two years ago – maybe just a year ago – she needed me desperately, and she might not have stayed at the Planet if I’d left. Now – well, she wants us to remain close friends – and I do too – but as far as relative importance in her life goes, I’ve been replaced.”
She stopped long enough to take a deep breath and let it out. “And I don’t mind so much, given Clark’s character and obvious love for her. She needs him to be cautious with her, and he is. She needs him to open up to her, and he has. She needs to believe that there’s no one else in the world who can love him like she does, and she’s almost there.”
Cat paused, then turned to face Martha again. “But none of that would be happening if you and Jonathan hadn’t been such wonderful, patient, loving people and brought up Clark to be the excellent man that he is. Whatever good comes from this relationship is largely due to the two of you.”
“Thank you. You’re very kind.”
Cat lifted one index finger and waggled it at Martha. “I’m not just being kind here. It’s the truth or I wouldn’t say it to you.”
“I still thank you. That does, however, leave you with a choice – how you’re going to deal with their relationship going forward.”
Cat leaned back and crossed her arms, her eyes boring into Martha’s. “I’m going to do my dead level best to defend both of them against any and all outside threats. If anyone comes after either one of them – or both of them together – that person or group will have to come through me first.”
Before Martha had a chance to respond, the phone rang.
*****
Clark enjoyed bringing Lois to his Fortress, smiled to see how she looked in wonder at nature’s beauty around her, and drank in her soft laughter when something in the woods around them amused her. He gently grasped her hand and was silently thrilled when she lifted their combined digits to her face and kissed his knuckles. There was so much he wanted to tell her, to ask her, to promise her, but he also didn’t want to pressure her into doing or saying something she wasn’t ready for or that she’d regret later.
She lifted her shining face to look at her. “This is all so beautiful, Clark. And it’s so very you.”
“How so?”
She gestured around them with her free hand. “You’re up in the air, above so many things. You can see so much farther from here than on the ground.” She reached over and ran her fingertips down his cheek. “You’re also alone. That’s not good, not good at all. But you’ve shared this with me without any limits or preconditions and brought me into this special place in your life.” She pulled him as close to her as she could. “Thank you so very much.”
Then she kissed him as if her heart were trying to encircle him.
If she hadn’t had a firm hold on his torso he might have floated away. As she slowly pulled back, he chuckled and said, “I think the ‘magic moment’ has arrived. My powers are all the way back.”
She grinned. “I knew they would be.”
He kissed her again. “Did you know that you’d be the one to bring them back?”
“Of course not, you goof. But you’re not from Earth. The green crystal your dad showed me last night might be dangerous to you, but your powers are as much a part of you as my pancreas is a part of me. They might be suppressed for a while, but I don’t think they’ll ever leave you permanently.”
She dropped her gaze, then looked up again. “But the powers aren’t what makes you Superman. He wouldn’t be the hero he is if it weren’t for Clark Kent standing inside the super-suit. His honesty, his fearlessness, his personality, all come from you. He doesn’t make you – you make him.”
Clark put his arms around her and gently drew her toward himself. “Thank you. Hearing you say that means so much to me.”
“You’re more than welcome.” She leaned against his shoulder. “And I’m so honored, so blessed that you love me. You wouldn’t hurt me if it meant becoming the benevolent ruler of the whole solar system. And I – I want to spend the rest of my life with you, loving you and being loved by you, arguing over stories and spelling and letting me take risks and knowing all the time that you’re protecting me the best way you know how.”
She pulled back and smiled. “I want to marry you, Clark. Will you be my forever-and-a-day loving husband?”
His jaw opened and he blinked several times before he remembered to breathe. “Ah – yeah, I want all that too. But I thought you were going to give me permission to ask you, not propose to me.”
“What, you’re complaining now?”
“Oh, no! I’m just – a little surprised. That’s all.”
“Surprise! Better than pancakes and strawberry syrup, huh?”
He laughed. “Much better.” He leaned in to kiss her, but she held him back. “What’s wrong?”
Her mouth went straight but her eyes twinkled merrily. “I’m still waiting for an answer, Farm Boy.”
“Oh! I thought it was understood.”
“Come on, Clark! Make me understand!”
He took in her unbalanced posture, the forward tilt of her head, the tension around her eyes, and he realized that she believed he wanted to marry her but she wasn’t totally, utterly, completely convinced. This was not a moment for humor or teasing. She wanted – no, she desperately needed – a straight answer from him.
“Then please understand this, Lois. I love you. I want to spend the rest of my life standing beside you, loving you, treasuring you, protecting you whether you think you need it or not. I will be so happy to be your husband that you may not be able to stand it. So my answer is yes, I’ll marry you, tomorrow if that’s what you want, or any date in the future.”
She crushed her eyes shut and grabbed him around the neck. She all but molded her body to his, and he wrapped his arms around her and held her close. She sobbed once and he felt her tears dampen his neck. He put his lips beside her ear and softly said, “I love you so very much.”
He was glad his powers had come back. She might have accidentally strangled him had they held off returning for another fifteen minutes.
*****
As they walked back to the farmhouse, Lois couldn’t have been happier if she’d won every lottery in the country on the same day. The only thing that could have topped this moment would be actually saying “I do” to Clark and hearing it from him. She wished they could get the license today and find either the Kent’s pastor or a judge or just fly to Las Vegas.
Now she had one more reason to finish this assignment and request some vacation time. She was sure Perry would allow Clark to take some time off, even if he hadn’t been at the Planet for much more than a year. And she’d make time for Cat to throw her a wedding shower or a bachelorette party or even a memorial party mourning her passage from single woman to wife, whatever she wanted to do.
Of course, she’d have to break the news to Cat first.
Clark apparently felt her slight stumble and he stopped. “Are you okay?” he asked.
She nodded. “I just realized that now I have to tell my best friend that she can’t have you.” His mouth moved and she added, “Not even on a temporary duty assignment. Got that, almost-husband?”
He grinned at her. “I don’t remember whether or not I told you, but she and I had a conversation about restarting our romantic relationship and I shut her down.”
She let out a breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding. “No, I didn’t know about that. When did it happen?”
“During the investigation into the bombing of the Carlin building. That night when she and I came to your apartment, she asked me if she had a chance with me. Remember? You asked me about her suggestion that I compare her couch with yours.”
Lois frowned in concentration for a moment. “I think I remember that night. What did you tell her?”
“That if I were going to date any woman working at the Daily Planet, it would be you and no one else. I told her we could be friends, but that was it.” He took her arm and gently restarted their walk to the farmhouse. “Of course, I didn’t know at the time that you and I were going to fight about going out together.”
They stepped across the small drainage ditch less than a football field from the door. “That’s because I was afraid you were going to tell me you’d decided you loved her more than you loved me.”
“You didn’t know how good you had it. Now not only do you have to put up with my mom and dad, I get to charm your parents and make them like me more than they like you.”
“Too late, Kansas. They don’t know anything substantial about you, just what Lucy and I have told them, and they already like you better than they like me.”
“Then my work is done. We can get married right away.”
They shared a soft laugh, then Lois said, “File the story first, then we get married.”
Clark looked like he had another comeback ready, but Cat threw open the back door and waved for them to hurry. “Come on! Sheriff Harris just called, said that someone saw Wayne Irig in town having breakfast. We need to get going so we can talk to him.”
*****
It wasn’t Wayne having breakfast, it was Roger Parker, owner of Parker’s Hardware and Plumbing Supplies, a man who looked like Wayne from a distance but who didn’t know the farmer very well and was surprised to be mistaken for him.
Rachel couldn’t stop apologizing. “I’m real sorry, y’all, real sorry. That boy swore up and down it was Mr. Irig. I shouldn’t have called you without making sure who it was.”
Cat shook her head. “You didn’t do it on purpose, Sheriff. We appreciate the effort you put forth.”
Clark put his hand on Rachel’s shoulder. “She speaks for all three of us. We’re not mad, Rachel, just a little disappointed that we haven’t caught up to Wayne yet.”
“Thanks, Clark. Look, I gotta go. Somebody tipped over Al Schumacher’s little yard tractor last night and all the gas leaked out on his clover and killed a big patch of it. He wants me to dust for fingerprints and take shoe impressions and I don’t know what all so I can bust the perps. Stupid teenagers. If they’re gonna put out that much effort, they should do something constructive.”
“I understand, Rachel,” he said. “Duty calls all of us eventually.”
“Yeah.” Rachel took a deep breath and let it out quickly. “Hope I see all o’ y’all tonight at the hoe-down. The band is gonna rehearse live in the gazebo in about an hour, and a lot of the young folk want to loosen up for that dance. Y’all can have a little fun today, can’t you, even if I got you here under false pretenses?”
“Stop beating yourself up about this, Rachel,” Clark insisted. “It’s okay, I promise.”
“Well – awright. Hope the next time you see him, it really is him.”
Clark watched her slink guiltily to her patrol car and get in, then turned to the other two reporters. “Actually, she’s right. We can have some fun and look for any sign of Wayne at the same time. You two want to get something to eat?”
Cat gave him a mysterious half-grin. “In a little while, sure. Right now, though, Lois and I are going shopping.”
Lois turned to her and frowned. “Shopping?”
“Sure! We both need to get out of these stylish city threads and into some snappy Smallville clothes.” She took Lois’ hand in hers and headed off toward the strip of stores in what passed for downtown. “Come on, Louise, let’s see if they can outfit the sexiest women in Smallville.”
Lois laughed and almost skipped along beside her. “You’ll be the death of me yet, Thelma.”
Clark watched them and smiled. It was so nice that Cat was Lois’ best friend. And it seemed that she’d decided to be Clark’s friend as well. He hoped Cat would come to the wedding, whenever it happened and wherever it took place.
*****
Lois sat on the small couch, the brown dress in a bag beside her, and watched her friend try on shirts to see which would go best with the boots and jeans she’d already bought. “I’d stay away from vertical lines if I were as tall as you. The boots already give you almost three more inches in height. You’ll look like you’re six feet tall.”
“I always wished I could play basketball. I’d be a terror on defense at that height.”
“Yeah, but can you dribble?”
“If I’m drunk enough, sure.”
Lois snorted a laugh. “I think maybe I should put on my new dress and let you compare colors. We probably shouldn’t look like sisters.”
“Are you ashamed of me, Sis?”
“Of course not. I just don’t want to scare the guys away from you.”
“Like that’ll happen with Clark around. He’ll scare off anyone who needs it.”
“Come on, Cat, you—”
“Okay, okay! Just keep me away from red T-birds.”
“Around here you’d have to choose a pickup truck.”
Cat paused and spun on one heel to face Lois, then lifted her hair with both hands and canted her hips. “It doesn’t matter what I drive, girlfriend, I’m going to look absolutely fabulous behind the wheel.”
*****
Cat finally picked out a blue shirt with a light-colored broken print. Lois put on her brown polka-dot dress, and together they drifted toward the gazebo where the band was rehearsing. With her new height advantage, Cat spotted Clark before Lois did and pulled the suddenly shy brunette in her wake to a stop behind his broad right shoulder. Then she called his name and waited for him to turn around.
He turned. He saw Lois.
And Cat realized she’d disappeared from his field of vision. She knew that all he could see was the beautiful young woman in the flattering dress before him.
He reached out and took her hand. “Wow,” he breathed.
Lois blushed a little. “What do you think?”
He took in a deep breath and let it out slowly. “I think you’re the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen.”
Lois curtseyed – Cat was truly shocked to see that – and tugged his arm close to her side. “Shall we dance, Mr. Kent?”
“You know how to line dance?”
She pulled him into the small group dancing in front of the band. “Cat and I both learned a couple of years ago. We took lessons because the instructor told us it was a good way to meet guys.”
“Did it work?”
She chuckled. “Define ‘guys.’ Cat had to beat bunches of forty-somethings away with a baseball bat.”
Cat smiled at the memory. Lois had learned more than either woman had expected, and now she was holding her own among all those country people who’d known how to line dance from kindergarten.
Cat was startled by a tap on her elbow. She turned to see a tall skinny guy who looked like a high school senior nervously trying to get her attention. “Excuse me, ma’am, but I – I was wonderin’ if you’d – you’d like to dance.”
She considered cutting him down for a moment, but a glance past his shoulder told her that he’d probably been teased into asking her by his companions. They probably expected to see him shot down in flames.
So, being the perverse sprite that she was, she nodded. “Sure. I’m a little out of practice, so you lead, okay?”
It took him a moment for her agreement to register with him, but when it did he nearly burst. “Uh – uh – sure!” The band chose that moment to segue into the old classic “Tennessee Waltz,” and Cat allowed him to take her hands and pull her into the dance area.
The startled boy kept swallowing, so Cat took the conversational lead. “What’s your name?”
“Name? Oh! I’m sorry. I’m Will. Will Carpenter. What’s yours?”
She could never have explained her next statement. “I’m Margaret Mayfield, but my friends call me Maggie.”
“I haven’t seen you before, Maggie. Are you new in town?”
“Visiting friends, actually, and yes, it’s my first trip to Smallville.”
“That’s great! Who are you here to visit?”
“I’m staying with Jonathan and Martha Kent. You know them?”
“Oh, sure I do. Everybody knows them. They’re really nice people.”
“They are that. Their son Clark and his girlfriend are here, too.”
“Really? That house of theirs must be crowded again.”
“Sorry, crowded again?”
“Oh, my big brother was on the baseball team with Clark. I got to go over there with him a couple of times when Mrs. Kent was laying on a spread for us. She cooked the victory dinner when those guys won the State tournament in their class. Kenny – that’s my brother – pitched three games and only gave up four runs. Clark played center field, hit four, maybe five dingers and drove in a bunch of runs. Those guys rocked that year! They won the tournament with a record of six wins and only one loss.”
She chuckled. “I’m not much of a baseball fan, Will. What’s a dinger?”
“It’s a home run. Man, Clark, he hit one so hard, it went over the fence in left center so fast I thought the ball had a jet engine in it.”
“Do you play baseball too?”
“Well, yeah, I do, but I’m a second-string first baseman and right fielder. Coach says I do good work with my glove, but I can’t hit a curve ball to save my life, although I’m pretty good runnin’ the bases if I manage to get on. I’m actually better at basketball.”
“Maybe you’ll get to play in college.”
“That would be cool. How do you like our town so far?”
She smiled softly. “It’s pretty good, actually, and getting better every minute.”
*****
Lois glanced over at Cat and Will. “I hope she’s not planning to chew him up and spit him out.”
Clark’s eyes had taken on a mildly puzzled cast. “I don’t have any idea what she’s planning, but she just introduced herself to him as Margaret Mayfield.”
She frowned in thought. “I have no idea why she’d do that.”
Clark shrugged. “Me neither. But if she introduces us to Will, we’ll need to remember to call her Maggie. I don’t see any reason to embarrass her here.”
“Huh. She looks like she’s having the time of her life.”
He chuckled. “Will is having a great time. His buddies are just about to fall over with amazement. And there are at least three girls who look like they’re radically changing their opinions of him.”
“I guess she’s performing a public service, then.”
“I hope it doesn’t go to his head.”
Lois snorted. “Or someplace else.”
“Why, you naughty girl you! I think you owe someone an apology.”
“Hey, it’s not every day that a naughty girl gets engaged to a really super guy and makes an honest man out of him.”
Clark’s foot caught on the dancing surface and he lost the rhythm for a half-second before recovering. “If you don’t mind, I’m going to resign from this verbal fencing contest while I’m not too far behind.”
*****
Cat made a show of glancing at her watch, then said, “Oh, Will, I’m sorry, but I have an appointment I have to keep. But I have to tell you that this has been a lot of fun. Maybe we’ll see each other again before I go back East.”
Will’s face fell for a moment, then he recovered his silly grin. “That’s okay, Miss Mayfield.”
“No-no-no! I told you my friends call me Maggie. That includes you.”
He gulped and his eyes turned into saucers. “Sure – Maggie. I appreciate you puttin’ up with my mediocre dancing.”
“You were fine, Will. You didn’t step on my feet more than six or seven times.” She laughed at his sudden horror. “No, seriously, you didn’t step on me at all. The girls here must love to dance with you.” He did the fish face of someone who wanted to talk but couldn’t find any words. She leaned closer and kissed him on the cheek. “At least, I bet they will now.”
She turned and took two steps away, then looked over her shoulder at him, smiled, and gave him a finger wave. Will’s color was coming back and his stance slowly relaxed. He returned her wave, then turned and strutted back to his friends like John Travolta doing disco. They were standing in a loose gaggle and staring at him with their mouths open. Before he reached them, a young blonde intercepted him and pulled his arm against her side.
Cat suppressed a belly laugh. That’s my good deed for the day, she thought.
Lois led Clark to meet her at the edge of the dance floor. “Are you through corrupting the morals of the youth of Smallville now, Thelma?”
“Yes, Louise, I’m done. If he can improve his dancing skills just a little bit, he won’t lack for dates any time soon.”
Clark shook his head. “Some of these Smallville girls have expensive tastes. You might have just bankrupted poor old Will.”
Cat grinned again. “That’s his lookout. Hey, I need to get my camera from Clark’s house and get some shots of the fake EPA site. How about I meet you two there in, say, an hour?”
He looked at Lois, who nodded and said, “Sounds good. Just don’t get caught, okay? We don’t want to have to bail you out of trouble.”
“Right back at you. You two walk around and have fun. It’ll establish where we were this morning in case we need an alibi.”
*****
Lois couldn’t stop smiling. She watched Clark interacting with the people in the town and enjoying himself. She’d never seen him uptight or nervous, but today he was more relaxed and at ease than ever. It was as it Smallville itself was untwisting the knots of stress he’d accumulated over the months he’d spent in Metropolis.
And maybe she was helping. She certainly hoped so.
He finished a quick conversation with a matronly woman and turned to Lois. “How about a quick lunch? It’s almost time for us to meet up with Cat, and I’m sure you’re hungry. Mrs. Potter has her famous potato salad here, guaranteed to be salmonella-free.”
She chuckled. “Has that been a problem in the past?”
“Once or twice. Now the dishes like those are refrigerated until they’re served. How about it?”
“Sure. I’ve always wanted to see you in your natural habitat.”
“What natural habitat is that?”
“Having a picnic lunch with little old ladies walking by and pinching your cheeks.”
“I don’t know about that. I rarely get my cheeks pinched.”
She grabbed his hand and tugged him toward the tables in the square, grinning like she’d won a prize at one of the carnie games. “You’re with me today, Farm Boy, and they may not let you eat anything. But don’t worry. I’ll protect you from all the left-handed six-fingered cooks and servers.”
*****
Lois was right, Clark mused. The way they were sitting close together, the way they were smiling at each other, the way they teased each other, all combined to attract the little old lady moths to their joyous flame. His cheeks were pinched repeatedly, and Lois was hugged so many times and congratulated for sitting so close to him that she struggled to finish her lunch.
Two of the ladies recognized Lois’ name and thanked her for her service, and one older man sat across from them and chatted briefly with her about some of the non-combat aspects of Army life. He had a low opinion of Washington politicians who sent American soldiers into battle and then hamstrung them with absurd rules of engagement. He also didn’t care for the inevitable black markets many GIs tapped into to buy things civilians saw as staples, like toothpaste, toothbrushes, foot powder, and soap that wouldn’t grind your skin off. But he admitted that they were necessary evils, given the poor state of the Base Exchange inventory at many forward areas.
Then he stood and saluted her. Lois responded by coming to attention and returning the salute, holding it until the other man ended his. Then the man smiled and ambled off toward another part of the carnival.
Lois watched him go, then sat on the bench close to Clark. “I wish I’d thought to ask his name,” she said. “He’s a vet’s vet.”
“That’s Preston Flynn. He owns an electrician’s shop on the south side of town.”
“Do you know what he did in the service?”
Clark nodded. “He’s a Vietnam vet and a Medal of Honor recipient.” Lois dropped her fork and her eyes grew wide. “I’ve seen the citation,” Clark continued. “He was a field medic at Khe Sahn during the worst of the siege. Saved a lot of lives with his heroism.”
“And he saluted me?” squeaked Lois. “I should have saluted him first! Medal of Honor recipients receive the first salute from every uniformed rank, generals included!”
“He doesn’t like to talk about it. Kind of like you.” He took a drink of iced tea. “I’m sure you noticed that he didn’t bring up the combat you’d seen. Besides, neither of you is in uniform any longer.”
“I don’t care. If I see him again, I’m gonna salute him.”
“I’m sure he’d appreciate it as long as you don’t make a big scene. Hey, how would you like a bear?”
“A bare what?”
“A stuffed bear.”
She frowned at him, obviously not comprehending. “A stuffed bare what?”
He chortled. “No, like a plush doll! A toy, a souvenir of our time together here in Smallville.”
“Oh! Silly me, I thought you meant something bare, b-a-r-e, and I couldn’t figure out what bare thing you were trying to give me.”
Several sexy-time thoughts chased each other through Clark’s mind. He smiled but didn’t voice them. “Actually, I meant winning you a stuffed bear – b-e-a-r – or some other kind of critter. There’s a Superman swing-the-hammer-and-ring-the-bell machine over on the next aisle.”
A soft smile suffused her face. “I think that’s a wonderful idea.” She leaned close and whispered, “Just don’t knock the bell off the top of the tower.”
*****
Lois hugged the blue and white bear wearing the Superman cape and grinned. “This is my very favorite stuffed animal now. I’m going to name him Clarkie and keep him forever and ever and ever!”
Clark laughed with her. “I was a little concerned that Butch McGowen was going to pick him when he almost broke the mallet. He’s still a competitive weightlifter, you know.”
“Yeah, I could tell. He kept flexing for that little redheaded girl.”
“Only because she kept squealing at him.”
“True. Hey, who was that bubble-headed blonde who kept making eyes at you?”
He frowned. “I don’t know. I didn’t see her.”
“Well, she acted like – in fact there she is now.”
The blonde bounced at Clark from the side and grabbed his arm as if she owned it. Lois disliked her before she knew the girl’s name.
“Clark, honey! Where have you been keeping yourself? I’ve been waiting for you to call me!”
Clark tried to disengage his arm, but she kept renewing her grip. “Lana, let me introduce you to Lois Lane, my coworker and my fiancée. Lois, this is Lana Lang, a girl I dated in high school.” He gave up trying to escape. “Dated for a short time, that is.” He turned to the intruder and said, “Lana, didn’t you get married a while back? What’s your last name now?”
“Oh, pooh,” she said, “Brad and I got divorced almost two years ago. Basketball wives get cheated on a lot. I went back to being Lana Lang. I wrote you all about it. Didn’t you get my letters?”
“I was overseas a lot and moved fairly often. Did you try to send them directly to me?”
“No, I sent them to your home address in Smallville. Maybe your parents forwarded them?”
“They might have gotten lost overseas. Or they might still be at the house, waiting for me to come back to Smallville.”
“There’s a shoebox with letters and some cards in it,” Lois said. “It’s in the top of your closet. I saw it there when Cat and I were hanging up our clothes.”
“Oh. Well, maybe that’s where they are.” Lana tightened her grip and her voice went up a register. “Clark, you haven’t told me how glad you are to see me!”
His mouth opened slowly, but no words escaped. After a few seconds, Lois stepped closer to both of them and said sweetly, “That’s because Clark is unfailingly polite, Lana, and he won’t tell you he wishes you were somewhere in northern Timbuctoo instead of here with us. I, on the other hand, am often very impolite. Like I’m about to be with you.” She handed the stuffed bear to Clark, stepped into Lana’s personal space, and glared barbed-wire icicles at the blonde bimbo. “Back off and leave my fiancée alone. Or else.”
“What – Clark, are you gonna let this snippy city girl talk to me like that?”
“She was in the Army, Lana. She’s a trained combat soldier. If I were you I’d play nice.”
“I don’t care what she used to be!” Lana dropped Clark’s arm and tried to push Lois away. “Listen, you skinny little—”
Lois grabbed Lana’s wrists, pulled her forward and stuck out her leg, then flipped her onto the grass with a simple hip throw. Lana landed flat on her spine and lost all the air in her chest. Suddenly her lungs didn’t seem to be working well, and she lay on the ground making tiny whining, breathy grunts.
Clark’s eyebrows pinched together. “She’ll be all right, won’t she?”
Lois moved to look into Lana’s eyes. “She’ll either recover or suffocate in a few minutes. Either way, we have someplace to go and something to do when we get there.”
Lana’s eyes widened and she tried to reach up to grab Clark. He leaned back and said, “Lana, she’s kidding. You’ll be fine in a little bit. I’m sorry you didn’t play nice with her.”
“Bye, Lana,” Lois added. “Hands off my man from now on, okay?”
Lana lay limp on the ground, trying to recover the ability to breathe. She whimpered lightly as the other two walked toward their rental car. Lois didn’t bother to glance back at her.
Clark handed the stuffed bear back to Lois, then bent down close to her ear and muttered, “Talk about not playing nice with others.”
