Chapter 7
The rec was nearly full by the time Lily and Trent arrived. Devon was with Zoey and the Garlands. Amari was seated down front with Preston and Leah, so she and Trent were on their version of a date. He spotted Gary and Tiffany Adele seated in the midst of the noisy crowd. Trent and Lily walked down the center aisle to join them.
“Hey, Gary. Tiffany.”
Gary greeted them with a smile.
Tiffany spoke, then went back to looking angry.
“How are you, Tiff?” Lily asked. “School go okay today?”
“Yes.”
“Your dad has my number—call me if you need anything.”
“Thanks,” Tiffany said, with no sincerity in her tone.
Gary sighed.
Lily didn’t let it bother her; she was too busy scanning the crowd to see who was there. On the far right, Leo and Marie sat talking. Watching Marie smile at something Leo was saying did little to dispel her concerns, but she had to admit that her godmother did seem relaxed and at ease in his company. She saw Mal entering with Bernadine, and right behind them were Cliff and Genevieve. Cliff was decked out in a nice suit that was a perfect complement to her pretty green dress and pearls. “Genevieve is having people sign her cast,” Lily told Trent with a laugh.
There was a small line of folks waiting to give their autographs. “Cliff doesn’t look happy, though.”
Trent directed his eyes up to the entrance. “No, he doesn’t.”
He could be seen standing by her side with a pained look on his face. While Trent explained to Gary the backstory on Genevieve’s cast, Lily said ominously, “Uh-oh.”
Riley and Eustasia came in. Riley had a white bandage the size of Iowa across his nose, and not even distance could hide the fact that his eyes were black and blue and swollen closed.
“He can’t even see the movie,” Lily said, turning to Trent in confusion. “Why’s he here?”
“Probably to show Genevieve he’s not intimidated. You know he’s got more pride than sense. The way he looks, he should be in bed.”
Gary stared with wonder. “Did she break his nose?”
“Yeah.”
“Goodness.”
As they continued to watch, the atmosphere by the door grew tense when Genevieve offered Riley the Sharpie so he could sign her cast. He puffed up like a bantam rooster. Genevieve, who was five inches taller, leaned down over him like an angry crane. As they began jawing at each other, Cliff took her arm to lead her away. Eustasia just stood there, looking confused.
“His lady friend looks like she’s not sure where she is.”
“Folks around here can have that effect on you,” Trent drawled.
Cliff marched the tight-lipped Genevieve to a seat. To their credit, Eustasia and Riley didn’t turn tail, but found seats as well.
The auditorium lights began to dim. As the interior faded to black and the opening music of The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor sounded, everyone took their seats.
“Thank God,” Lily declared.
Trent laughed.
During intermission, Lily ran into Bernadine at the concession stand. After they made their purchases of popcorn and sodas, they stopped to chat for a moment about the Riley and Genevieve drama.
“She’s going to need a criminal lawyer if she keeps this up,” Bernadine pointed out. Marie walked by, waving. They returned the wave with smiles and began the walk down the crowded hall back to the auditorium.
“I’m having her and Leo over to dinner.”
“Okay,” Bernadine replied in a neutral-sounding voice.
“She is my godmother, and I haven’t spent a lot of time with her lately, but apparently I can’t have her without him.”
Bernadine must have correctly interpreted Lily’s feelings on the matter because she said, “It’ll be okay.”
“He’s just using her. Why, I don’t know, but he’s after something.”
Bernadine looked around to see who might be hearing their conversation. “Lily, I don’t want to talk about this.”
“I know. Sorry. It’s just—” She’d planned to let the matter rest, but couldn’t seem to stop. Keeping her voice down, she whispered fiercely, “He came here supposedly to get back with you, but when you kicked him to the curb, he’s suddenly in love with Marie? I’m not feeling that.”
Bernadine maneuvered her box of popcorn so she could stick her fingers in her ears, and began to chant, “La la, la la, la. I can’t hear you.”
Lily laughed. “Okay. I’m done.”
“Good. Now tell me what’s happening with the Clark family before we sit down. I saw him at your table during lunch.”
Lily filled her in about the trailer.
“Mal told me about the big kiss.”
“Back in high school, the man’s kisses could stop an argument cold.”
“Sounds like they still work.”
Lily took a sip of her cola. “I don’t want to talk about it.”
Bernadine laughed. “I’m going back to my seat.”
A grinning Lily did the same.
Lily and Trent didn’t stay for the second feature, Cabin in the Sky. Instead, they walked home hand in hand. The temperature was warm for a late September night, and they were enjoying their kid-free interlude. The boys would be spending the night with their friends and weren’t due home until noon, so the only issue that remained for them was: Trent’s house or hers?
“In the spring, I think I’m going to put up a swing for us in the backyard,” he said to her. “That way, after the boys are in bed we can sit under the stars and neck like we’re at the drive-in.”
Lily snorted. She loved him so much. “Sounds wonderful. I think the spot over by my roses would be the perfect place.”
“Your roses? The swing’s going up in my yard.”
She stopped. “Why?”
“Because that’s where we’re going to be living, right?”
“Says who?”
They studied each other under the moonlight.
He spoke first. “Guess this is something we need to talk about.”
“Duh,” she replied with amusement.
“I just assumed.”
“Wrong, pardner. We’re living in my house. I don’t want Devon to have to move again.”
“And what about Amari?”
“Amari’s flexible. You know he’ll land on his feet.”
He disagreed. “This is the first time in his life he’s had his own room. He’s not going to like packing up and starting over any more than Devon.”
“But he’ll be okay.”
“That’s not the point, Lil.”
“What is the point?”
Trent wasn’t feeling this, especially her seemingly flippant attitude toward his son’s well-being. He realized his plans for the swing had inadvertently opened up a can of worms. He also realized that this was going to escalate into a full-fledged argument if they weren’t careful, and by the flash in her eyes, she was halfway there. He chose his words carefully. “My point is that Amari needs to be given the same consideration you’re giving Devon, that’s all.”
“Then what? Do we live in a brand-new place? I don’t think Bernadine’s going to build us a new house just because we can’t agree.”
“And I don’t expect her to, so the word is compromise.”
“Which means your way, right?”
He paused and sighed. “No, Miss I Got a Temper.”
“Don’t start.”
“Then cut out the snippiness.”
She turned and marched off angrily down the road.
Trent shook his head. He loved her like he loved sunshine in spring, but Lily Fontaine was a trying woman, lord knew she was. He called out. “When you cool off, give me a call. I’ll be at home.”
She didn’t look back.
By the time Lily got to her front steps, she realized she was about to waste one of the few nights she and Trent had been able to have alone. Yes, he’d been wrong to have assu
med that she and Devon would be moving to his house, but she’d been equally wrong to throw a mini tantrum in response. Gary was right, they were still seventeen—particularly her—but Trent loved her enough to marry her, and that meant something, especially considering she’d been the cause of their breakup twenty years ago.
Another part of her snit was rooted in having been divorced and single most of her adult life. Letting someone else run the show, or at least attempt to, wasn’t something she was accustomed to. It occurred to her that being married again was going to be more than a notion.
She looked over at him, standing on his porch in the dim moonlight. He’d parked himself against the banister and was watching her, arms folded, seemingly waiting. The nonchalant stance was a familiar one. He’d used it often back in high school, usually after she’d blown up and stomped off. It was almost as if he were saying, When you stop being crazy, I’ll still be here, and he always had been. It only took her a moment to decide what to do. She turned and walked across the street.
When she reached the top of the steps, he didn’t say a word. Instead, he simply opened his arms. She basked in the feel of him enfolding her and the tenderness of the soft kiss he placed against her brow. All she could think was, How could she not love a man who took her as she was, feet of clay and all? She leaned back and looked up into the shadow-shrouded planes of his strong face. “Sorry for going off.”
“I appreciate that. Now my turn.”
The darkness hid his expression, so she had no idea what he was about to say.
“My apologies for not considering that you might have an opinion on where we should live. It was thoughtless of me. And if you say, ’Yes, it was,‘ I’ll understand.”
“Yes, it was.”
He laughed, and then pulled her closer, and they wrapped their arms tightly around each other.
She confessed, “And you were right about Amari. I was so focused on Devon not having to move, I didn’t think about how Amari might be affected.”
He took her by the hand and led her over to the old porch sofa. They cuddled close and basked in their togetherness, the darkness, and the star-studded silence of the sky. A cold wind blew in for a moment, and Lily shivered in response.
“Winter’s coming,” he said.
“I know, and I’m not looking forward to another winter on the plains.”
“It has its own beauty.”
“Not for a girl from Atlanta.”
He gave her a squeeze. “Could be worse. If we were back in the early days, we’d have to worry about livestock, the pump freezing—did we lay in enough stalks and grass to keep warm all winter. Some of the Dusters spent that first winter living underground in dugouts. Some froze to death.”
“And here we are fussing over two homes equipped with every gadget known to womankind and we can’t decide which one to live in. Pitiful.”
He looked down at her face. “How about we do this? I’ll talk to Amari and see how he feels, and if he’s okay with it, he and I will move in with you and Devon.”
She looked up excitedly, threw her arms around him, and gave him a big, fat, melt-his-bones kiss.
“There’s a caveat, though.”
She waited.
“In the spring, I want to add more square footage to your house. You’re going to need a room to escape all the testosterone, and Amari and I have been kicking around the idea of adding a gym, so now, we’ll just build it onto your place, along with your new room.”
The thought of adding a gym to her house made a voice inside Lily scream, No! loud and long, but she kept it to herself. “Anything else?”
“I know you like to cook, so if you want a larger kitchen, we can add that to the floor plan, too. What do you think?”
She thought it over and said, “Okay, now, let me get this straight.”
He responded with muted laughter. “Uh-oh.”
“No, I want to make sure I’m hearing you right. After you and Amari move in, I go from having my whole entire house to myself to just a room?”
He grinned. “Yep, and testosterone free.”
She grinned back. “I’d have to be crazy to turn down a sweet deal like that, wouldn’t I?”
“Yes, you would.”
She wrapped her arms around him again and listened to his heartbeat. “Thank you for a wonderful compromise.”
“I love you, woman. How many times do I have to tell you that?”
She hugged him tight. She then told him about hiring Sheila to plan the wedding.
He asked, “You think she really knows what she’s doing?”
Lily shrugged. “How bad could it be?”
“At least it’s not Amari.”
She laughed and thought back on Amari’s handling of the August First parade.
“Mal says Amari’s been looking at hotels in Hawaii.”
“I’m almost afraid to ask, but why?”
“I think he thinks he’s going on the honeymoon.”
“He’d better think again.”
“You got that right.”
After a few moments of silence, while they both thought about Amari and his over-the-topness, Trent looked down at her and said, “I like this new version of you.”
“New version?”
“Yeah. Back in the day, you wouldn’t’ve come over here so we could work this out. You’d’ve sashayed your sweet little behind into the house and simmered about it for a week.”
She couldn’t deny that. “True. We spent almost as much time arguing as we did cuddling.”
He placed a kiss on the top of her head. “Thanks for hearing me out.”
“I love you. How many times do I have to tell you that?”
She heard his amusement rumble in his chest.
He glanced down. “How about we build a big fire, pop some corn, and watch a movie?”
“I’d love that. What are we watching?”
“You choose.”
“My favorite big-fire, popcorn movie is Pretty Woman.”
“Oh, no.” He laughed, shaking his head. “We’re not watching Pretty Woman.”
“Yes, we are, so I’m going to sashay my sweet little behind over to my house and get my movie while you start the fire.”
“Pretty Woman?” he asked, mortified.
She smiled and purred, “And when the movie’s done, I’m going to show you something even more fun than making popcorn.”
He grinned. “Go get your movie.”
“I’ll be right back.”
After hustling across the street, Lily walked into her dark house and turned on a lamp. She took a long look around at her quiet, well-furnished living room and imagined it being overrun by men bearing sports equipment, fishing rods, hunting rifles, and lots and lots of car parts. As she smiled, she reflected back on her talk with Trent. It felt good to get the day’s moodiness off her chest. She’d had her say, and he’d had his. If they continued to be as open and honest with each other as they’d been tonight, she believed their marriage would flourish.
She grabbed the movie from her DVD stash and turned to leave. Before turning off the lamp she took one last wistful look around then plunged the space into darkness.
Over at the Garlands’, Devon and Zoey were preparing for bed, but Devon was blue. His relationship with Zoey was changing, and he didn’t know how to make it stop and go back to the way it had been before. He blamed a lot of it on Mr. Trent and Amari. If they hadn’t let her work on that dirty old car, he and Zoey would be watching their favorite Toy Story DVD and having a good time. Instead, all she seemed interested in doing was taking her Barbie cars apart and putting them back together. Earlier, on the computer downstairs, she had Doc Reg go on the Lego website so she could show him the car kits she’d had her dad order. When she signed, Aren’t they awesome! he’d nodded, but hadn’t meant it. He didn’t want her working on cars. Boys worked on cars. She was supposed to be his music director, and as soon as he convinced Ms. Lily to let him preach again, he was going to
need her help. “I’m ready to go to bed, Zoey.”
Dressed in her green Princess and the Frog pajamas, she glanced up, raised a finger to signal just a moment, and finished putting the doors and wheels back onto her pink Barbie SUV. The car was now in one piece again. Grinning, she held it up for him to see, but instead of smiling back, he groused, “Come on. I’m sleepy.”
She gave him a tight-lipped glare, then scrambled to her feet to place the car back into the Barbie garage. She climbed into bed and made sure her big stuffed tiger, Tamar, was comfortable.
As always, Devon was sleeping on the big fat air mattress. He liked it because it reminded him of the one he used to sleep on when he and his grandma went to the summer night revivals. But his grandma was in heaven, and this wasn’t a revival. “Can we turn out the light tonight? I don’t like sleeping with the lights on anymore.”
She signed: I do, and plus, it’s my room.
He didn’t like this new lippy part of her either, as his grandma used to call it. Because he didn’t know how to handle all the new experiences life was throwing his way, he had no sympathy for her fear of the dark, and he was mad. At everybody. “Okay, you baby. Keep the lights on. I don’t care. You and that stupid tiger.”
Zoey signed furiously: I am NOT a baby. Take it back, Devon Watkins, or I will kick your butt!
He sneered, “Baby! Baby! Zoey is a baby! That stupid tiger is stupid, stupid, stupid, and so are you! I hope the rats come tonight and eat you up!”
Zoey jumped off the bed, launched herself at him, and the fight was on.
Devon had never been in a fight before, but from the fury-fueled punches Zoey got in before he could put his hands up to defend himself, she must have been in plenty. He kept crying out for her to stop, but her small angry fists continued to rain down on his now-turtled form.
Next thing he knew, Dr. Reg was pulling Zoey away, and Devon tasted blood from his bleeding nose and his busted lip. Zoey was so mad her face was red, and her hair was plastered to her face with sweat. Dr. Reg stared at them both in amazement. He then leaned down and looked at Devon’s busted lip and swelling eye. “What are you two doing fighting? You’re supposed to be best friends.”