Dorothy Garlock (16 page)

“You’re not the boss of me. I choose my own friends.” “Friends? This randy little polecat has only one thing in mind, and that’s to get in your pants.”

“You’re nasty! And ...I hate you!”

“That’s too bad.” Joe jerked on the arm he was holding behind Sammy’s back. “If I catch you with her again, you’ll lose a few teeth. Now, get the hell outta here, or I’ll start working on it right now.”

“I’ll get even. Just you wait. You won’t think you’re so all-fired smart when I’m through with you.” Sammy moved away from Joe but didn’t leave. “Don’t let him break us up, Joy.”

“I won’t. He’s ...just a bully.” Joy burst into tears.

“I should have told Julie that I caught you with him at the picture show. I was stupid enough to think you’d learned your lesson.” Joe took her arm and began walking her toward the car.

“I’m sorry, Sammy. I’ll see you in school.”

“It wasn’t her fault,” Sammy, following close behind, spat out suddenly. “Stop being mean to her.”

“Mean? I’ve not even started.” Joe shoved Joy in the car. “Go on, Evan. Take the brat home. I have a few more things to say to this tough guy.”

“If you beat him up, I’ll never speak to you again,” Joy yelled as the car moved away.

Joe turned frosty eyes on Sammy. He had to give the kid an A for courage. He was standing his ground.

“How old are you, Sammy?”

“Eighteen.”

“If you’re eighteen, how come you’re in Joy’s class at school? You’re sixteen at the most, or else you’re so dumb you’ve been held back a couple of grades.”

“I’ve not been held back!”

“It doesn’t matter how old you are, you’re a dumb, stupid, hell-bound kid unless you change your ways. Smoking and drinking and hanging around with that bunch down by the river is a sure path to the pen, and I’ll not have my sister’s name dirtied by associating with you. Is that clear?”

“You can’t stop me from seeing her.”

“Use your head, boy. She’s not for you. Now, I don’t want to have to get rough with you, but I will.”

“Just try it.” Sammy moved away, turned and thumbed his nose. “I’ve got friends, too, and they’re as big and tougher than you.”

Joe watched Sammy as he walked down the street. In a way he felt sorry for the kid. His mother practically lived in the beer joints. His father was off following the harvest with a thrashing crew. It was just as well. He’d never given the boy the time of day. Joe was surprised Sammy had gotten as far as he had in school. He was sure that it wasn’t due to encouragement at home.

Deep in thought, Joe walked back toward town. Sixteen was a tough age, the age when a boy thought he was a man. He remembered his own teen years when he’d been sure that he was smarter than his pa, but deep down the fear of disappointing or shaming him or the family had kept him in line.

The sound of a car horn brought his attention to the Ford coupe that pulled up and stopped beside him. The smile that was never far from his lips appeared when he saw the dark-haired girl at the wheel.

“Where ya goin’, rancher?”

“Miss Ruby May, a sight for sore eyes. What are you doin’ in town?”

“Came in to pick up some supplies. Where are you going?” she asked again.

“Heading for Doc’s.”

“What’s important at Doc’s beside his pretty new nurse?” “Oh, my. Word does get around. You’ve been talking to Jill.” “I was by there last night.”

“Jack didn’t mention seeing you. He—”

“—wasn’t there last night. Get in. I’ll drop you at Doc’s.” “Are you still seeing that lineman from the electric company?” Joe eased his lanky frame into the seat beside her and closed the door.

“Why? Are you going to ask me out?”

Joe laughed. “I have to sleep in the same room as my brother when I stay at Pa’s. I don’t want my head bashed in.”

“Funny, Joe. Real funny.”

“I’m not laughing and neither are you. He’s crazy about you, and seeing you with that lineman is tearing him apart. He’s ornery as a steer with a sore tail.”

“Give it a rest, Joe. He knows what to do about it.” She stopped the car in front of the clinic and Joe got out.

“Thanks for the ride. See you, Ruby.” Joe slapped his hand down on the top of the car, stepped back and watched her drive away before he bounded up the steps to the clinic and stopped short. The door was closed. He walked around the porch and stuck his head in the door of Doc’s quarters.

“Hey, Doc. You in there?”

“I’m here. Come on in.”

Doc was sitting at the table, his surgical instruments laid out on a cloth. He was carefully honing a scalpel.

“I heard what happened out north of town.” Joe straddled a chair. “Damn shame.”

“Yeah. Makes a fellow realize how uncertain l-life is.” “It’ll go hard on his family.”

“Yeah,” Doc said again. Then, “What’re you d-doing in town in the m-middle of the week?”

“Came in with Jack. He’s going before the council tonight. Met up with Evan. He was out looking for Joy. She went to a meeting at the church after school.”

“Find her?”

“Out behind the church, leaning up against the building smooching with Sammy Davidson.”

“From your tone, I take it you’re m-madder’n a pissed-on s-snake.”

“You’re damn right I am. Sammy drinks, smokes and hangs around with a tough, lazy crowd. Joy is sixteen and going through the know-it-all stage. The more you say against him, the more she takes up for him.”

“Maybe you’re making too m-much of it. What does your pa s-say?”

“He said we all went over fool’s hill. Now it’s her turn.” “Good way to look at it, I guess.”

“Evan saw Mrs. Poole while he was looking for Joy. Her attitude didn’t sit well with him. Later he wondered if she knew Joy was with Sammy.”

“Why would she lie about it?”

“Do you think she knows about Joy?”

“If she did, she would’ve m-made a move right after Ron was killed.”

“I guess you’re right. Sammy’s a horny little bugger. He had her squeezed right up against the building.”

“If she wasn’t protesting, d-don’t blame it all on Sammy.” Doc carefully put his instruments back in the case. “Speaking of h-horny . . . how did the date go with April?”

“Great. I have a date with her this Saturday night.” “Hmmm . . .” Doc grinned. “I guess she’s not as smart as I thought she was.”

Chapter 12

J
ULIE TOOK THE PAN OF CORNBREAD
out of the oven and glanced out the window to see Evan’s car come up the lane. She hummed happily. Her favorite time of day was when the family was gathered around the supper table, sharing the happenings of the day.

“Wash, Logan, Daddy’s home,” she said to her son playing on the kitchen floor with his Lincoln Logs.

“I’m making a barn, Mama.”

“You can leave it there and finish it after supper.”

Evan came in, his eyes seeking his wife. She was the love of his life. He thanked God every day that she was his. It gave him extreme pleasure just to look at her.

“Hi. Supper is about ready.”

He went to her, kissed her raised lips and nuzzled her neck before going to the high chair, where baby Nancy was pounding on the tray with a spoon to get his attention.

“How’s my pretty girl?” He laughed and dodged the spoon that made a swipe at his face.

“I’m making a barn, Daddy.”

Evan squatted down to look at his son’s building project. “I see you are, and you’re doing a good job of it.”

At the sound of the screen door closing, Julie, with a smile, turned to see Joy standing with her back to the door, her arms folded across her chest. She had a mutinous look on her face, and her eyes were red from crying. The smile faded from Julie’s face.

“Hi, honey. Supper’s ready.”

“I’m not hungry.” Joy started for the door leading to the upstairs rooms but stopped when Julie called her name. “What?” she spat and turned with such a belligerent look on her face that Julie was instantly alarmed.

“Would you like to tell me what is wrong?”

“No, I wouldn’t.
He’ll
tell you.
He
was in on it.”

“For goodness’ sake.” A flood of dread swamped Julie. She wrapped her hands in her apron. “Tell me what?”

“I might as well tell you before
he
does.
He
and Joe were spying on me and caught me kissing Sammy Davidson. Joe threw Sammy to the ground and threatened to beat him up. He’s twice as big as Sammy. He’s just a bully and I hate him!”

Julie’s eyes went to Evan, who had turned his back and was pumping water into the wash dish.

“You . . . were with Sammy Davidson?”

“Yes, Sammy Davidson. Joe doesn’t like him because his mother drinks. Sammy can’t help that.”

“Did you go to the meeting at the church?”

“Yes, and if you don’t believe me, you can ask Mrs. Poole.” “Then where—”

“Behind the church. There,” Joy said and glared at Evan. “I’ve told her so you won’t have to.”

“Stop your sarcasm toward Evan right now,” Julie said sharply. “I’ll not put up with it.”

“It’s all right with you if they spy on me, embarrass and humiliate me in front of my friends. Isn’t it? You don’t care. I’m just a kid with no feelings at all. I hate both of them.” Joy’s voice was getting louder and more shrill as the words tumbled from her mouth. “I don’t have to mind you or them. You’re just my sister.”

“That’s enough, Joy.” Evan spoke forcefully when he saw the stricken look on Julie’s face, then softened his tone. “Watch what you say.”

“I don’t have to mind you,” Joy repeated. “So don’t be telling me to hush up. I don’t have to live here. I’ll go live with Papa.”

“You’ll do nothing of the kind.” Julie seemed to come out of her shock. “You’ll stay right here. We’ll discuss this after supper. Logan, wash your hands.”

Evan saw that Julie was near tears and moved the box step with his foot so Logan could reach the wash dish, then moved the high chair closer to the table.

During the meal Evan made an attempt at normal conversation. When he wasn’t talking to his son, he told bits of news from town.

“Downriver in Whittier county they’ve built a dam of sorts by piling rocks halfway across the river. That’s why the water hasn’t gone down. The supervisors are protesting, but I don’t think it’ll do any good until we have a good rain up north and the bottom edge of town floods. Then maybe the governor will do something.”

“Can they do that?”

“They’re doing it. It’ll take some straightening out, but politics works slowly. What I’m afraid of is that someone might think a stick of dynamite would be quicker.”

After a lengthy silence Julie asked Joy, “When did they decide to have the harvest party?” The girl hadn’t taken her eyes off her plate since she sat down.

“I don’t know.”

“You went to the meeting. Wasn’t it discussed?”

“Are you trying to find out if I lied about going to the meeting?” The eyes that met Julie’s were filled with resentment.

“No,” Julie said softly and bit her lips to keep them from trembling.

The pause in conversation that followed was filled with Logan’s chatter. He talked and talked, and not one time did his mother tell him to hush and eat his supper. He chattered happily, unaware that the others at the table were completely miserable.

Silently Joy helped to clear the table, and she dried the dishes as she did each night. Then without a word she went upstairs to her room. Julie washed the children and put them to bed while Evan went out to check on the new foal and to make sure the door to the hen house was closed.

Later, in the privacy of their bedroom, she cuddled in her husband’s arms and let the tears flow. He held her while she cried, then wiped her cheeks on a corner of the sheet.

“I don’t know what to do,” she said when she was able to talk. “Just a few weeks ago she was saying that Sammy was wild, and she didn’t know why Mrs. Poole wanted him on the committee.”

“Joe caught them the other night at the picture show. They were kissing in a dark corner. He told Sammy to stay away from her.”

“Why didn’t he tell me?”

“He thought that would be the end of it. I don’t know much about girls, but it might be natural for boys and girls to neck a little. Joe thought Sammy had more than a little necking on his mind. He said the boy is running with a wild bunch, drinking and smoking and doing a little bootlegging. He could be heading for the pen if he doesn’t change his ways.”

“Oh, my land. Why would she be attracted to a boy like that?”

“Maybe she feels sorry for him.”

“I’ve always known that someday I should tell her the circumstances of her birth. I thought that maybe she would understand after she had children of her own. If she found out now, it would crush her.”

Evan kissed her forehead and rubbed his hand up and down her back.

“Do you think Mrs. Poole knows?” Julie asked after a lengthy silence.

“I wouldn’t think so. It’s been ten years since her husband died. If she knew, she would have said something before now.”

“I guess you’re right.”

“Honey, you’re just frazzled to the bone. You’ve about stripped the garden. The cellar is full of beans, tomatoes, pickles, beets. I can’t even name the different kinds of jam you’ve put up. Can’t you let things go for a while?”

“All I have left to do is chowchow. I’ll pick the green tomatoes in the morning before the children are awake.”

“You will not. You’ll stay right here in bed and have a good long rest. I’ll have the tomatoes picked before sunup.”

“How was I lucky enough to get you?”

“I was the lucky one. Now, go to sleep before I give in to the powerful urge I have to make love to you.”

“I wouldn’t mind.”

“You’re too tired and I can wait.”

Lights from a car coming up the lane flashed into the room. Evan got quickly from the bed and looked out the window as the car turned into the yard behind the house.

“It’s Thad’s car,” he said and reached for his trousers.

“It must be Jill’s time.” Julie slipped her dress on over her nightgown and followed Evan down the stairs. By the time they reached the kitchen door, Thad was pounding on it.

“You’d better have a damn good reason for getting me out of the bed,” Evan said when he opened the door.