CHAPTER 1
When Roosevelt Richards left home shortly before his nineteenth birthday after his solo mom married a whining near alcoholic, he went well south and settled in Holman City, Texas. Roosevelt immediately engaged an attorney to have his name legally changed to Roo Richards, to rid him of a moniker he regarded as inappropriate.
That process swallowed almost half of Roo's money but he didn't have to advise his bank and insurance and credit card company of the adjustment in name change because he hadn't accessed those services. At Junior High Roo had mostly been called by the shortened version of his name anyway. When all documentation was completed and the attorney Annette Foot found Roo was no longer in contact with his family, she invited him home for a Saturday cook-out.
There the tall and curly dark-headed Roo met lively Belinda Foot and thought he felt something flash between them but then her two older brothers called him over to look at the '56 Ford pickup they were restoring.
It was a good family occasion and Roo was made to feel at home.
Roo found a low-paying job preparing vehicles for their new owners at a Chevrolet dealership and within three years was making big money (for him) selling trucks at a Ford dealership. One day a very attractive young woman came up to him and said, 'Roo?"
"Oh hi," he said to the stranger.
She smiled and said she was Belinda Foot.
"Annette's daughter," he gaped.
She giggled and said yes all grown up and invited him to lunch at a restaurant on Saturday. It would be a family post-graduation dinner for her.
"But I'm not family."
"It doesn't matter Roo, honestly."
"But why?"
The beautiful blonde eyed him steadily. "Because you are one of the few guys to have made a real impact on me."
"But I've only met you the once."
"That's when it happened. I can invite you to lunch but you might think it improper of me to ask you for a date."
"Belinda, thanks for inviting me to lunch but it's for family. Instead ask me for a date."
"May I take you to a movie and then to dinner on Sunday?"
"Yes, I'd really like that Belinda."
"And then what?"
Roo grinned. "I really like you Belinda. You have an unusual style. Are you thinking sex?"
"Yes."
"Well let's have perhaps three dates to get to know one another."
"Are you intending to talk to my mother about this?"
"Yes."
"Why?"
"Because Annette was the first person in this city to befriend me and I'd not wish to upset that relationship."
"How can you have such high ethics when you have not been to college?"
"With me it's a feeling Belinda. Your mom is the loveliest woman I've ever met. May I ask did you learn ethics at college?"
"We studied them."
"What I actually want to know was did you learn anything from that study?"
Belinda thought about that. "I guess there was nothing new to learn."
"Because of the way you were brought up?"
"Yes I suppose it was."
"Well same here. Even poor families can be highly principled."
"I meant no..."
"No offence taken. You are now very beautiful and could have your choice of males to date you."
"I know and that's why I've chosen you."
* * *
Annette Foot studied the young man opposite her. She rarely took a lunch break but Roo had said it was important, as a friend, so they met at a cafΓ© opposite her office. She had been unable to guess what he wished to discuss. She mused he was no longer the gaunt guy she'd first met, now looking muscular and fit, no doubt big into exercising and perhaps belonged to a gym because his work was rather sedentary.
"Belinda came to me yesterday and invited me to her post-graduation lunch tomorrow."
Annette was shocked. So that's why Belinda had asked was Roo still in town.
"My goodness, that's a surprise. You've only met her the once haven't you?"
"Yes."
"I said no because it would be family but we agreed to date on Sunday."
"I see."
Roo said before any such association began he'd like to know Annette's thoughts.
"Well this is unusual for me. I don't know what to think."
"Then I'll not date her."
Annette's reaction was quick. "No don't do that, I don't wish to be responsible for you doing that. But why, why you?"
"I also asked that and she relied I had impressed her as a person and she'd not forgotten that. I didn't tell her this but must admit when I met her four years ago I honestly felt as if something passed between us."
"Well I know what you're talking about. I have experienced that with people but very rarely. I'd use the term a feeling of kindred spirit."
"To misquote a little, 'Bumble was a fat man, and didn't respond to this open-hearted salutation in a kindred spirit'."
"Omigod, that's from Oliver Twist. How is it you know that?"
Roo looked a little taken aback but said shyly, "I completed a two-year associate degree course in English literature online last year to improve my education and my ability to learn new things and am now doing an associate degree course on business management."
"Oh you good boy, I'm so proud of you."
Roo hung his head.
Any seized the opportunity she'd long be waiting for.