Dorothy Garlock - [Route 66] (13 page)

“He won't let Uncle Virgil take us. He told me.” JoBeth's little mouth turned down to cry. “If you're mad at him, he'll go away and …Uncle Virgil will come back.”

“I'm not mad at him and he'll not go away. He promised your daddy that he would stay. He seems to be a man of his word.” Leona got up from the table. “We have a lot to do if we're going to go to the city tomorrow. I want to wash your good dresses and white socks. We have to take your daddy clean clothes, his shaving things and his crutches.”

Feeling the need to get out from under the eyes of the two children while she got her emotions under control, Leona went through the house to the front door and saw Yates's car leaving the yard with the hobo in the front seat beside him. A feeling of almost panic came over her.

What if Virgil came while he was gone?

She went into Andy's bedroom to check to see if the shotgun standing in the corner was loaded. Andy had insisted that she learn how to shoot the gun, and she was glad now that he had. She wasn't a great shot, but she knew how to load, point the barrel and pull the trigger, which in most cases would be enough.

Leona stood for a moment in the quiet bedroom after she her mind but that she would pull the trigger to keep Virgil from taking JoBeth and Ruth Ann. It would mean that she would spend the rest of her life in prison if she wasn't put in the electric chair. But it would be worth the price she had to pay to keep them out of her brother's hands should Andy not come back.

The next hour went fast. Leona heated water on the cookstove for her washing while keeping an eye on the gas pump. She pumped a couple of gallons of gas in one car and was collecting from her next customer when Yates returned with an oblong tank tied to the top of his car. He drove around the garage to the back of the house.

Leona was debating whether or not to go help him with the tank when Deke Bales arrived in his old Model T truck. Leona groaned.

Deke stopped beside the gas pump.

“Waitin' fer me, darlin'?” He got out of the truck and hurried around to work the handle to fill the globe on top of the pump. “You don't have to do that when I'm here.”

Deke was so ugly he was pitiful—buck teeth, small pug nose, hair like a straw stack and practically no chin. He was younger than Leona and several inches shorter. She had known him all her life and couldn't remember a time when he hadn't been devoted to her. He had been her champion even in grade school, chasing away her tormentors like a small vicious bull dog.

“I'm needin' a couple gallons a gas, but it ain't why I come by.”

“Why did you come by, Deke?” Leona asked the question knowing that he expected her to ask it, and knowing his answer would be the same as he had given a hundred times. It was a conversation that was repeated each time he came to the garage.

“To see if ya was all right.”

“I'm fine, Deke.” Leona smiled at him. “Right as rain.” At times his dogged devotion irritated her to the point where she wanted to scream at him. Poor Deke. He would lie down and let her walk on him if that was what she wanted to do. As small as he was, she knew that he would jump to her defense regardless of the odds against him.
How could she belittle such loyalty even if he did irritate her?

“Mr. Fleming told me to come here tomorrow and look after things so you can go see Andy. Are you goin' with that cousin of Andy's?”

“He's not a cousin. He's a friend of Andy's.”

“I heard that he was Andy's kin.”

“It isn't true.”

“He doin' right by ya and the girls? Bein' respectful, is he? If he ain't just let me know 'n' I'll put him in his place.”

“He's treating us fine. But thanks.” Leona spoke while a vision of Deke trying to put Yates “in his place” floated in her mind.
It would be like a determined kitten going against a wildcat.

“I'll not stand by and let anybody hurt ya, darlin'. Ya know that, don't ya.” Deke hung the hose back on the pump and counted out the change for his gas.

“I know that and I appreciate it.” Leona accepted the money and turned to see Yates coming out of the garage.

“This is Mr. Yates, Deke.”

“Pleased to meet ya.” Like a friendly puppy, Deke moved forward on his short, bowed legs with his hand outstretched.

“Howdy.” Yates accepted the hand and looked down at the little man in the big hat.

“Deke Bales? I've been wanting to meet you.”

“Well now's yore chance.”

“Bye, Deke.” Leona wrote down the sale, left the money on the tablet and headed for the house.

“Bye, darlin',” he called.

Leona Iooked back to see that the two men had turned to watch her. Even though Deke was in his high-heeled cowboy boots, the top of his hat came to just above the other man's shoulder. They were a comical looking pair.

Deke had never showed anything but kindness and concern for her. He was boring and dumb and, Lord, how she wished he wouldn't call her “darlin' ”! But she wouldn't hurt his feelings for the world and she wouldn't allow anyone else to hurt him. That included the almighty Mr. Yates.

Before preparing the noon meal, Leona washed the girls' hair, their good dresses and socks. The dresses were on the clothesline, and the girls were on the porch with their hair spread out on their shoulders to dry. They were excited about the tank Yates had brought to use as a bathtub.

“He's goin' to put the water in. Me and Ruth Ann can get in at the same time.” JoBeth had talked of nothing else since Yates had placed the tank beside the barn. “Mr. Yates is goin' to put up a string or somethin so we can hang a blanket and nobody'd see us when we take a bath.”

“I'm going to cut my hair off,” Ruth Ann announced. “A lot of the girls at school have bobbed their hair.”

“We've been through that. Your daddy said no.”

“It's not his hair. It's mine and I hate it.”

“That may be, but right now sit here on the porch and let
your hair
dry. Tonight I'll put it up in rags so it'll be curls for tomorrow.”

“I hate sleeping on rag curls.”

“I could put it up now.”

“No! You know I'll not let anyone see me with those things sticking out all over my head.”

“Can I go see Mr. Yates?” JoBeth whined.

“No. He's busy. Deke is still here, and a car pulled into the garage.”

“Why don't you like Deke?” Ruth Ann was in one of her contrary moods.

Leona frowned. “Where did you get that idea? I've never said that I didn't like Deke.”

“Then why don't you go to the picture show with him?”

“Because I like him as a friend and not as a boyfriend. There's a difference. Now hush up about it.”

“He's ugly,” JoBeth stated emphatically.

“I don't want to hear you ever say that again.” Leona's frown turned on the younger girl. “When you were born you had no control on how you would look, but now you can control how you act. Deke may not look so good on the outside, but inside he's a good, honest person who would be the first to help you if you were in trouble.”

“But…he's ugly,” Ruth Ann said belligerently, echoing her sister.

“Maybe to you he is, because you haven't bothered to look beyond his face.”

Leona stormed back into the house before she said something she would regret later. Even little children didn't understand that what was on the outside of a person didn't necessarily reflect what was on the inside. When she looked at Deke she didn't even notice his looks anymore.

It was terribly hot in the kitchen, which only added to her irritation. The cookstove had been going since breakfast while she heated water for the washing. Green beans were cooking in a pot with chunks of potatoes and bacon for the noon meal. When Leona placed a pan of cornbread in the oven, the heat hit her face.

Glad to leave the hot kitchen for a while, Leona set up a small table on the back porch where there was a slight breeze, covered it with an oiled cloth and set places for Yates and the girls.

When the meal was ready, Leona wiped the perspiration from her face with the end of her apron and then headed for the garage to invite Deke to stay for dinner. His truck was gone, and Yates was accepting money from a man who was buying a tire tube. When the man left, Yates came into the garage to write the sale down on the tablet.

“Dinner will be ready in about ten minutes.” Then after a pause, Leona added, “I was going to ask Deke to stay.” She felt a need to give him a reason why she hadn't sent one of the girls with the message.

“The man is head over heels in love with you,” Yates said without looking at her.

His words shocked her and her hackles began to rise.

“I don't know about that. He likes me. He feels protective of me because he knows …Virgil.”

“It's more than that.” Yates turned. His smile flickered and vanished when he saw the look of resentment on her face. “He warned me to be respectful and to watch my p's and q's around you.” His chuckle was as dry as corn husks. “The little dickens said if I didn't, I'd answer to him.”

“I'm sure you got a laugh out of that.”

“No. He was sincere. He thinks that you're right up there next to the Virgin Mary.”

“It isn't any business of yours, but I've known Deke all my life. He's always been …kind to me.”

“He told me that the kids in school made fun of you because of the way Virgil made you dress. Your brother wouldn't allow you to be in the school choir because the songs they sang were sinful. He wouldn't even let you be in the Christmas play Deke said the two of you were a pair and took up for each other. He was very open about it.”

“I suppose you picked him for as much information as you could get.”

“Yeah, I did,” Yates admitted unashamedly. “He lives with his mother on Fleming's ranch. He's a good mechanic. Keeps all of Fleming's machinery going. He likes motorcycles. He'd like to race them someday. He hates Virgil and all he stands for. He says it's untrue and unfair what people in town say about you. He said that you were just a kid when you broke out of the shed Virgil had locked you in and walked five miles barefoot to be with your sister when Andy lost his foot. He swears that someday he'll kill Virgil for the way he's treated you.”

“My, my. You didn't waste much time, did you?”

“Wasting time isn't my style.”

The eyes that looked into hers were clear and remote. Like the sun, they were relentless. Nothing she saw in his expression reassured her or was sympathetic to the childhood torment she and Deke had endured. A chill went over her that even the hot June sun couldn't touch.

“I'll put your dinner on the table.” Leona walked quickly out of the garage before she cried and disgraced herself. Deke had unwittingly laid her life bare to be scrutinized by this arrogant, unfeeling man.

“Leona.”

She turned, keeping her irritation under control.

Dammit, what now? Hadn't he ground her pride in the dirt enough?

“What?”

“I liked Deke. I wasn't making fun of him.”

“No? But you thought him a fool for having feelings for me,” she murmured and went on toward the house.

The only bright spot in the day was the letter from Andy. It was delivered while Yates was eating dinner with the girls. Leona was in the garage when the postman arrived. She went out to the car.

“Hello, Mr. Wilkes.”

“You've got a letter from Andy. I hope he's getting along all right.”

“I'll find out when I open the letter.”

“Tell him we had a prayer vigil for him at the church.”

“I'll tell him. Thanks, Mr. Wilkes.”

Leona went back into the garage and sat down on the bench. The letter was addressed to her in care of Andy's Garage on Route 66, Sayre, Oklahoma. She looked at it for a minute before she carefully tore off the end and pulled out two sheets from a tablet.

Dear Ruthy, Bethy and Leona,

How are my girls? I miss you. But I feel sure you will be all right with Yates. I guess he's told you who he is by now. I was sure surprised to see him again after all these years. I'm staying in a rooming house across the street from the hospital. The lady here is real nice and the days I had the shots she brought me my supper, but I was too sick to eat it until the next day. Barker Fleming was here this morning and will be back to get this letter to mail. He said you'd be here Sunday and that Deke would stay at the garage anytime you could come. Yates bought me a change of clothes before he left, but I need under drawers and a sock to go over my stump. Bring a couple of shirts and my crutches as my stump is sore. Bring my razor and shaving mug. I'm using what the lady here loaned me. I don't know how I will repay Yates. He talked to the doctor, found my room and loaned me $10. The clothes he bought must have cost another $5. Take money from the hiding place and pay him. I don't know how long I will be here. The doctor tells me that I am not as sick as some who have to take the shots. I am so glad the skunk bit me instead of one of you. Yates will be on the lookout for another sick one. Don't worry about me. I'm doing all right. I'll be looking for you Sunday. Leona kiss the girls for me.

Yours truly,
Andy

P.S. Tell Yates about Virgil. I forgot to tell him to watch out for him. Bring money for me to pay for the room.

Chapter 12

A
NDY WAS DOING ALL RIGHT.

Leona reread the letter. Thank God for the vaccine and thank God Yates was here to get him to the hospital where he could be treated. Dear, trusting Andy. He had placed her and his girls, his most precious possessions, at the mercy of a man who just drove in off the highway. A puzzled frown wrinkled Leona's brow. What had the man said to inspire such confidence? She knew Andy well enough to know that a team of mules couldn't have pulled him away from them if he'd had the slightest doubt that Yates would let harm come to them.

Yates was taking his task seriously, there was no doubt about that.
But…oh, how his take-over, know-it-all attitude irritated her!

Leona handed the letter to Yates when he returned to the garage after finishing his meal. She waited while he read it, then scanned the contents again. When he finished he folded the letter and returned it to the envelope. His squinted eyes glinted down at her.