Bring on the Rain (23 page)

Here we were doctors, three vehicles in
the yard, and you were carrying the boy, running barefoot up the
road to his mother’s house.”

“
I don't remember,
honestly.”

“
Well Max did, he’d taken a
shot of you and that young’un' wrapped against you. You holding his
head to your breast, and yelling yours off for his
mother.”

She sighed. “Must be an ugly
picture.”

“
It personifies you. You are
passionate about things. You are always trying to cover it. You
wanted to get your arms around that baby, and calm his fears, and
get him to his mama.”

“
That don't mean Max will
forgive me.”

Gee Gee sighed. “What’s Jason
like?”

“
Handsome, intelligent, down
to earth, charming. A Copper Creek man. He's a musician too, an
electrician, and he has all that sportsman competition in him. He
was probably hell to raise, because he knows how to get his way, a
charming rogue… He likes me.”

“
He sounds nice. And Mitch,
now things are cleared up?”

“
Gosh. I can’t answer yet. I
think my body has been in storage too long, I’d make it sound…I
don't know him well now. Nevertheless, some things will never
change with them. Mitch is tough. Now he’s the oldest and…Aunt Gee
Gee. We’re physically attracted…I—”

“
That’s understandable. I am
not shocked, all right. Let us focus on you though. You’re finally
going to let me tell Max?”

“
Yes. , can you work it
out…If he comes here to chew me out, or tell me what a bitch I am.
It’s not the way I want Brook or anyone else, to find out about
me.”

“
I’ll handle it. Even if he
has issues with you, he’s a man’s man. He will go to a bar or
something, and wake up realizing he has to hear it from you. He
will let you have your say. You are strong enough to handle this.
You must have known you’d have to prepare for it?”

“
I thought after Brook
started college, I’d come there, and Max and I could sit down and
talk. I had the whole thing worked out in my head where he’d
understand—Mitch couldn’t find out. You know how scared I was Dovie
would be vindictive, but now, everything is different.

He has a right to know Dovie knew about
him, Hell, if she had been well enough, I was dying to know how she
found out. However, Dovie knew a lot about people round here. She
said she was keeping an eye on me. Hell of a way to confess it
though,” Madeline sighed nervously just thinking about
Max.

“
Max is a well-rounded
person emotionally, you know how your uncle is, Max will play golf
with him, have lunch and all, but he’s always been unique.” She
laughed, “You do realize your uncle is the most boring man alive,
but Max is good to pretend he’s not.”

“
Shame on you.”

“
Oh, I love him to death, I
happen to be amused by his traits, but I know other people nod off
on him.”

Madeline watched the wind ruffle leaves
on the trees by the woods; a pool of dappled shade and sun was
forming as the day crawled to an end.

She was talking half to her aunt,
mostly to herself, “I’ve got to do this thing, I know. I have so
much going on at work. School will be out soon for Brook and we’ve
got decisions to make too.” Nervously she rambled on, “Shit, the
timing is bad, if Brook takes it wrong she’ll do something stupid.
Mitch, I don't know. Brook has a dozen things going. Memorial Day
she‘s doing something in town and she‘ll be on the float. June will
be utter madness, proms, and graduation stuff.”

Aunt Gee Gee cut in, “When’s the
Prom?”

“
I think week after next.
Gosh, I’ve got to get Brook a dress.”

“
Max asked me what we were
getting her for Graduation.”

“
He did?”

“
Sure, our family is small.
Us, and you and Brook, he figures we should do something big for
her.”

“
Like?”

“
What I’d like to do,” Gee
Gee said dryly, “is take her with me to Europe, and let her grow up
a bit before she runs off with Coy, or gets in college mooning over
him instead of studying. She’s been there all her life, hasn’t seen
much of anything else.”

“
At this point, he’s all she
thinks about. I don't think anyone could get her away,” Madeline
said. “Ordinarily she’d be dragging me all over the state, finding
the right Prom dresses or whatever. The fact she hasn’t gotten
hyped about it tells me Coy is consuming her thoughts.”

“
I’m not against him, not
since Mitch explained things to you, but if he cares for her, he
can give her time to grow up and discover herself. That’s the
trouble isn’t it? A young girl gets wrapped up in those Coburn men,
and their whole life is on hold, because they become everything to
them.”

“
You me pegged in those
days, didn’t you?”

“
Madeline, you were so
devastated. I fell in love young too, but God. I have never seen
anyone like that. You’d put your soul into him. I think if you
hadn’t had to make those decisions…you may have never come out of
it.”

Gee Gee was so right. It had taken time
though, for her to realize everything herself. “I’ll call you on
and off; let you know what I decide and whom I’ve told. Listen, if
Max wants to call me, tell …Tell him I will talk whatever the time
of night. I…Damn, this is going to be tough.”

Gee Gee hung up shortly after, and
Madeline fixed a can of soup and sat on the porch, still not
recalling that day and the little boy. The modest neighborhood she
lived in was a family place, kids, dogs, cats, bicycles, and
skateboards, it was ordinary, and everyone worked at something
ordinary.

Kids were always coming by her place,
on the way to the woods. She had bought stuff they were selling at
school, and given out Halloween candy. She’d never thought anything
about handing out a Band-aide or cold drink of water. It was a part
of country life.

She went out in the yard and walked
around until it got too dark to look at anything.

Madeline laid out her work clothing,
tried to think about training Nick, but couldn’t stop thinking of
the kiss Mitch had given her.

She stood in her room, wearing a
matching set of emerald underwear, looking at her body and
grimacing, seeing all sorts of flaws drastic surgery or nips and
tucks could improve. Madeline turned around viewing her backside
over her shoulder. God! Did her ass look huge or what? It probably
wasn’t, but the word haunches kept going through her mind, like,
she probably had too much of it and too much upper
thigh.

She put her hands on her waist, it was
still decent sized, her breasts were all right, marred by silver
lines. They still looked better than some she had noticed. Madeline
held out her arms, no flab because of carrying all those trays, her
legs were firm, shapely. She had good ankles, and her feet? She was
on them too much to pamper them often. They had strong veins; she
wouldn’t call them delicate.

She held up her hair, checked her chin
and neck, face still angular. Madeline sighed, let her hair down.
Her back was nice, probably her youngest feature besides her
neck.

What was she doing?

She sat down on the edge of the bed and
ran her hands through her hair feeling the pressure of everything
making her scalp tense. Because of a kiss, her body was suddenly
more important than all the other drama going on? How damn stupid
was that? She was facing some real challenges, maybe even
heartache, if Max or Brook took this wrong? How could she be
worried about sex?

Madeline finally called Ruby. It took a
long time to catch her up on everything. Unlike her aunt, she told
Ruby about the conversation she and Mitch had, if you could call it
that. She admitted she was tempted to break her long years of
celibacy.

“
Go for it.”

“
Do you honestly think I can
keep my heart and body separated?”

“
No, not you. But what’s the
worst could happen?”

“
The worst has to do with
Max. Should I tell him first? Should I tell Brook
first?”

“
I can’t make those
decisions.”

Madeline sighed. “How is
Jenna?”

“
I don't know. Has she
called you yet?”

“
No.”

“
I’ll go see her again
Tuesday and call you.”

“
How’s Nick? “

“
Since I got home, he’s
asked about the funeral and all. Had boxes open he hasn’t touched.
I think he’s been digging’ up bones. Hopefully he can bury
them.”

“
Well, I’ll let you
go.”

“
Hey, Madeline, being
Mitch’s lover wouldn’t be a chore for you. Maybe it will make
telling him everything better too?”

Madeline groaned, hearing Ruby laugh as
she hung up.

~*~

The next day, Madeline didn’t have time
to consider that parting opinion; she was too busy trying to deal
with Nick.

He did everything right. Arrived a bit
early. He wore the required black, black jeans and short sleeved
black shirt that hugged his expansive shoulders and torso, and he
wore boots. He looked a bit different than when she first met him.
His brown curly hair was shorter and he had a close-cropped beard
and mustache, very ar-tist-looking. His gray eyes were still nice.
He listened and learned so quickly it was laughable. Before the
morning was out, Madeline hauled him in the back and asked him to
take a seat.

He did.

“
This is not a beer joint.
This is a Tavern. People come here not to get drunk, but for
atmosphere and drinks. We are big on atmosphere here.”

“
Did I get anything
wrong?”

“
No, like I was saying,
we’re about smiling here, friendly and upbeat.”

His gray eyes were waiting.

“
You didn’t smile one time.
Wait, let me finish—I know you didn’t put half your jobs on the
application. I have watched you all morning and I’m trying to
figure out what you’re doing here? You could buy this place. You
could open your own. What’s the deal?”

He smiled, slow and polite, even his
brow raised and he tilted his head, “Good afternoon, welcome to The
Tavern, what can I get for you today.”

She started laughing and sat down.
“You’re full of shit.”

He got up went to the bar, got a tray,
a napkin, and a glass of beer. He came to the table she sat at. His
voice more city than any waiter there, but polite, his eyes were
shimmering. “Madeline, nice to see you back. Is that a new hair-do?
No? Well it looks awesome. Here’s your drink, need anything—give me
a wave.”

She waited for him to set the tray down
and said, “I’m watching you for the rest of the day. I get off a
three, and I’m leaving you with Rocky Nelson until five, when you
can go home.”

“
Have a good evening. Come
back soon.” His smile was charming, his attitude urbane.

“
Absolutely, full of shit.”
Madeline shook her head laughing as they left the room.

Every time she looked, he was smiling
the rest of the day.

As soon as Madeline got off work, she
called Ruby and said dryly, “All right, who’s Nick hiding out
from?”

“
What?”

“
I mean it. He’s hiding out
here in Diamond Back, there’s nothing wrong with him,
Ruby.”

“
No? Are you sure? I’m
telling you, he’s been through hell and back, and his nerves, and
he even takes medication.”

Madeline was smiling on her end. But
she said. “Okay, whatever. He’ll get the job, you know. If nothing
else, he’s interesting. Why a guy wants to hide his brains and
money is beyond me but…”

“
How's Brook?”

“
Fine. Getting dressed so we
can go to the mall and look at Prom dresses. I swear she used to
gush about it; I had to bring it up. She is pumped about finding
one now. I’ve got her uniform washed up for the parade this
weekend, she’s running the food booth, and, she and Bud argued
today.”

“
What about.”

“
I told her months ago she
wasn’t to let Bud get her a status car. She was an ordinary Jane,
and shouldn’t go to college trying to be snot. Besides, she will be
on a budget, no matter what, and gas prices. Anyway, Bud being Bud,
wants her to pick out a Dodge Viper.

“
Wow.”

“
Yeah, like it cost more
than this house.”

“
I’ll bet she was
drooling.”

“
I said she could have a
Volkswagen Beetle, those are hip and young, and good on gas. Now
get me, Brook was happy about it, in total agreement. Bud mentions
the viper and she’s telling me she wants the Volkswagen, and
telling him, maybe I would let her have the Viper.”

“
Madeline, it’s just a
car.”

“
I know what Bud is
thinking, he’s thinking she’s going to be living near him, driving
a status car, and he can introduce her to his friends, fix her up
with a nice anal young man. But Brook’s going to be a middle class
freshman, I want her to blend in and meet regular people
and…hell…”