Dorothy Garlock (14 page)

“She’s not comin’.” Sammy rudely interrupted and slid off the rail. “I’m not stayin’.”

A giggle came from Evelyn, the youngest member of the group. Sammy scowled at her.

“What’re you laughin’ at?”

“You. Ever’body knows you got a crush on her.” “That’s none of your business.”

“You kissed her at the movie house.”

“Who told you that?”

“Richard. He said you told him. Did ya?”

“What if I did,
Dumb Dora
?” He took a can of Prince Albert tobacco out of his pocket and, showing off his skill, rolled and lit a cigarette. “Yeah, I’ve kissed her,” he said after drawing in smoke and expelling it from his nostrils. “More than once.”

During the minutes that followed, the only sound was the squeaking of the porch swing. Silently Richard and Evelyn watched Sammy smoke. Shirley Poole couldn’t take her eyes off the boy. Visions of her husband filled her head. He had been so handsome, so sweet and gentle . . . Determined, Shirley smiled and broke the silence.

“Joy is a pretty girl and certainly old enough to kiss a boy if she wants to. I don’t know why anyone would make a big to-do about it. Some girls her age are already married.”

Three sets of eyes turned on Shirley.

“Well ...I was young once, you know. If Joy and Sammy like each other, I see no harm in a little kiss or two. It’s the most natural thing in the world.”

“You . . . think it’s all right for them to . . . kiss?” Evelyn sputtered.

“You don’t need to spread it around.” Shirley’s laugh was light, more like a high giggle. “Some of the old fogies in our church might think my ideas too modern. But I understand young folk . . . and their feelings.”

Sammy’s eyes became wary as he watched the older woman. He breathed in the cigarette smoke and blew out a smoke ring.
Now, this is a switch. Old Mrs. Poole has always been such an old sourpuss. What’s she up to?

“Are you stayin’, Sammy?” Evelyn asked.

“I’ll hang around for a few more minutes, and if she ain’t here, I’m long gone. I’ve got things to do.”

“We’ll schedule an hour meeting at the church after school Wednesday. Is that all right with everyone? Tell Joy tomorrow that we’ll have to get someone to take her place if she can’t come to the meetings.”

“Maybe she got a new boyfriend,” Evelyn said behind her hand to Richard.

“What did you say?” Sammy turned hard, cold eyes on the girl, and she wished that she’d kept her mouth shut.

“Nothin’.”

“Anyone who butts into my territory will answer to me. Joy is my girl. Understand?” Sammy moved threateningly toward the two in the swing. “Understand?” he said again.

They nodded.

“Don’t forget it. I’ll tell Joy about the meeting on Wednesday, Mrs. Poole.”

“Thank you, Sammy,” she called as he sauntered off the porch and down the walk toward town. “We have a lot of work to do between now and the party.”

Richard breathed a sigh of relief when Sammy left.

“He really likes her.”

“She likes him a lot.” Evelyn looked at Mrs. Poole and giggled as if she was telling something naughty. “She thinks he’s really cute.”

Shirley picked up the cookie tray and turned to hide her smile.

Joe drove slowly into town. April’s shoulder was tucked behind his. He wanted to put his arm around her, but he cautioned himself about moving too fast. The day had gone far better than he had hoped. April seemed to like his family, and they had certainly taken to her. She had a quick wit, a sense of humor, and could hold her own with any of them. He couldn’t imagine being serious about a woman who didn’t fit in with the people he loved the most.

They crossed the railroad tracks and drove down Main Street, circled the block and drove past Doc’s. A light was on in the back part of the house.

“Doc is probably listening to his radio. I’m surprised he’s still single,” April said quietly. “Has he ever had a lady friend?”

Joe waited until he had turned the corner before he answered.

“He has friends. Mostly couples and single guys like me and Jack.”

“Confirmed bachelor, huh?”

“I wouldn’t say that. Are you thinking about setting your cap for Doc?”

“Don’t be silly! Mrs. Poole asked me that today. Besides being my boss, he’s my friend.”

“That’s a relief. I’d hate to have to beat him up.”

“Oh, my. A bully. One more thing to add to the list of masher, lecher, seducer . . .”

“Am I really all of that?” he asked proudly. “I’ll have to live up to my reputation and keep you out all night. What would you like to do?”

April had been hoping that he wouldn’t take her directly home, although she did have a uniform to iron.

“What would
you
like to do?”

“I’d like to drive down by the river.” Then he added on a breath of a whisper, “Find a secluded spot and pitch a little woo.” Without seeing it, she knew that mischief danced in his eyes.

“Pitch a little woo? What on earth are you talking about?” “Don’t tell me they don’t pitch woo down in Independence.”

“They might if I knew what it was.”

“Neck, sweetheart. You know—hug and kiss.” April felt his laughter against the shoulder wedged behind his, and she hoped that he wasn’t aware of how happy she was being here with him.

“I should have taken Thad’s warning. I’m seeing the Romeo of Clayton County at work,” she muttered as if to herself.

“We might get stuck in a mudhole if we drive the river road. This will have to do.” Joe turned into the ballpark, stopped and turned off the lights. “Now, my sweet young thing, I’ve got you in my power.” He had a villainous tone in his voice, and he twirled an imaginary mustache.

“I warn you, sir. I have my trusty hatpin.”

“Oh, Lord. Be careful where you poke me.” He laughed, intimately, joyously, and hugged her to him.

“Is this where they hold the famous Fertile horseshoe tournaments?”

“Right out there next to the third-base line.”

“George Belmont asked me to come watch him play.” “He couldn’t hit the stake if it was right under his nose. You wouldn’t want to watch him embarrass himself.”

“He has a good excuse for not playing well. I put six stitches in his hand.” April looked out the window into the dark night. Joe fiddled with the steering wheel.

Finally he said, “We have some pretty good ball games. Our team is the best in the county. Jack plays and coaches.”

“Has he heard any more about the police job?”

“He goes before the council next week for an interview.”

“I hope he gets it. I’ll keep my fingers crossed.”

“He’d make a good policeman.”

“Joy declared that she’d never speak to someone named Ruby who broke his heart.”

“Joy’s a pistol.” He flashed a grin that crinkled his eyes at the corners. “I’m thinking that Jack and Ruby broke each other’s hearts. They’ve been crazy about each other since high school. Did you hear Jill urging Jack to come stay a day or two? She’s hoping that Ruby will drop by.” His fingers were looping her hair over her ears. It was so distracting that she barely heard his next words. “Ruby teaches country school.”

Suddenly he pulled her tightly against him, giving her no chance to resist. His face came to hers, and he kissed her long and hard. At first her lips were compressed with surprise, but a few seconds into the kiss they softened and yielded. The pressure of his mouth hardened—seeking, demanding, forcing her head back as his lips moved hungrily over hers. Her mind was spinning, but she managed to place her hands on his chest to push herself away.

“What brought that on so suddenly?”

“Believe me, sweetheart, it wasn’t sudden. I’ve been trying to get up the nerve since we parked here.”

“I figured you’d get around to it sooner or later. It was a bit sooner than I expected.”

“Nice, though, wasn’t it? I’d like to do it again.” He cradled her head in one of his hands and pressed it to his shoulder. “I think you’re the prettiest, sweetest girl I ever knew,” he whispered with his mouth against her forehead. “I’ve been thinking of you as my sweetheart. Do you mind?”

She pushed away from him, holding a handful of his shirt while her eyes searched his face to see if he was teasing. There was no sign of the grin that could come so quickly to his lips. His brows were drawn in a worried frown.

“You’re going a . . . dab too fast for me. I don’t think . . .” Her voice stumbled to a stop. She was acutely aware of the warmth radiating from his broad chest and his body made firm and muscular by hard work.

“Right now I’m thinking about kissing you again. I’ve wanted to since that night you stumbled up onto my porch as wet as a drowned rat. Lord-a-mercy, you were pretty with your hair plastered to your cheeks, your chin tilted and your eyes spittin’ fire.”

“Drowned rat? That’s something every girl wants to hear once during her lifetime.” She didn’t smile but she wanted to. “With a line like that, I don’t know how you ever became the head masher of Clayton County.”

“I’ll get even with Thad for telling you that.” With his thumbs locked beneath her jaw, he tilted her head and put his mouth to the sweet, soft one that was driving him crazy. He kissed her softly, almost as if he were kissing a child.

“I’ve waited all day to get you alone so I could kiss you.” He pressed her palm to his chest. “Feel my heart? It’s doing handsprings.”

His mouth moved over hers with warm urgency, molding her lips to his. It was a possessive kiss. As it lengthened and deepened, his hand slid down her body, stroking her from shoulder to thigh. A torrent of desires racked her when he stroked the sides of her breasts with his fingertips. These feelings were strange to her. She was powerless to control them. They intensified when his warm, wet tongue caressed her lips. When he lifted his head, their eyes locked, both unwavering. Her breath came raggedly through wet, throbbing lips.

A strange desire inside of her made her frantic. She pushed herself away from him again.

“Hold on,” she muttered huskily. “I’m not used to this on a first date.”

“This isn’t like any first date I’ve been on, either. It’s like I’m starved for you. I’m sorry, sweetheart, if I’ve gone too fast.” His hands moved down to clasp hers and guide them upward. “Let me hold you for just a minute with your arms around my neck.”

April lay against him, her arms around him, while her heart thumped against his. What had turned him so serious all of a sudden? What had inspired the intimate kisses?

She couldn’t fall in love with him. She wouldn’t!

When she fell in love, she wanted it to be a cherishing kind of love that made her and her man want to be together every minute of the day and night. She wanted them to be both mentally and physically attuned. She wanted him to plant his children in her body, make a home with her, stay by her side forever and not dash off for greener pastures as her father had done.

Joe was much too handsome, much too glib. His silver tongue was much too persuasive for a girl who had never had a serious beau. Gently she moved out of his arms, but he refused to allow her to move to the other side of the seat.

“We’d better go. I’ve got to iron—”

“Have I blown it?”

“Blown what?”

“My chance with you.”

“Because of a few kisses. We’re friends, aren’t we?”
Friends don’t share the kisses we shared.

The words were on the tip of his tongue, but he held them back. He turned on the lights and started the car. Her casual answer didn’t sit well with him. Dammit, he wanted them to be more than friends! Had he read her wrong? He was sure that she had enjoyed his kisses and had returned them.

Main Street seemed deserted when they reached it. There were lights in the hotel lobby and the telephone office. Not a word was said until he stopped the car in front of the rooming house.

“I enjoyed the afternoon very much. Thank you for taking me to meet your family.”

“They enjoyed you, too.” He reached for her hand and en-twined his fingers with hers. “Next Saturday night is the last night Spring Lake park will be open. They close during the winter months. Would you like to go?” He leaned back so that he could look into her face.

“I’m not much of a dancer. I’ve never square-danced.” “We could just watch if you don’t want to dance.” A note of anxiety was in his voice.

“All right. We can take my car. It’s been sitting there beside the house since I got here.”

“Fine with me.” The familiar grin was back. “You’ll not forget between now and then?”

“Not in six days. Seven or eight days . . . maybe.” “You’re not doing a thing for my ego.”

“Your ego doesn’t need any help from me.” She reached for the door handle. “I’ve got ironing to do before I can go to bed.”

Joe got quickly out of the car and was around to the other side before she could get out. They walked arm in arm up the walk to the porch. At the door he turned her toward him, put his arms loosely around her and clasped his hands behind her back. Their faces were close.

“This is new to me,” he whispered. “I’ve never met a girl who sends me into a tailspin, one that I want to be with all the time.”

April’s breath clogged her throat, but she managed to say, “You’ll get over it.”

“I don’t want to get over it.”

She knew that he was going to kiss her again and felt extremely happy. The hands on her back slid around her and pulled her tightly to him. The lips that touched hers were warm and sweet as they tingled across her mouth. His tongue circled her lips, coaxing them to open. Her skin quivered; the tiny hairs on her body seemed to be standing on end.

“You’re so sweet, taste so good. I don’t know why we wasted all that time out at Julie’s.” He took his lips away and looked down into her upturned face. “I’d better go,” he said in a husky whisper. “I’ll see you Saturday, if not before.”

“Good night.”

April watched him until he reached the car, then she opened the door and went into the house.

From the upstairs window of his darkened bedroom, Fred waited for April to come home. Barefoot and wearing only his BVDs he slouched in his chair with the lace curtain pulled back. When the car stopped in front of the house, he got to his feet and stood beside the window for a better view. It seemed an eternity before they came up onto the porch. Another eternity before Joe headed back to the car.