Bring on the Rain (39 page)

Brook bounded down the steps when he
opened the boot to get his luggage. They hugged, laughed about
something, and hugged again. It wasn't until he was coming up the
steps and right beside Madeline, that she smelled his expensive
cologne and the scent of leather.

His hands were full. He went inside to
put his things away, Brook right behind him, carrying a few
items.

He didn’t speak. Madeline kept
thinking.

Then he was there, on the porch. She
turned to face him. He took off his sunglasses. Violet eyes met
hers, acknowledging for the first time they were mother and
son.

Brook stood in the doorway, and then
she decided to make herself scarce and quietly went in, closing the
door.

Max’s deep voice tinged with a distinct
Kentucky accent, sounded, “You tell him yet?”

“
Yes, this
morning.”

He leaned back against the banister,
his eyes going over her face slowly and deliberately…searching.
Likely seeing things he taken for granted. Now, knew where they
came from. “You want to tell me. In your words?”

“
I’d like to.”

He motioned with his head for her to do
so.

Madeline was more detailed this time.
Starting with her mother, the way her life had been, and how she
felt when she met Mitch and fell in love. How she lived for those
moments, for touching and loving him, and how deeply she came to
bury her own soul inside of him. She told him about Dovie, Deena,
and Jude. She told him that later that same week her mother
committed suicide.

She said, “Aunt Gee Gee came to me,
because I was devastated by what Mitch’s family told me. While she
was here, I told her I was pregnant. Mother drew a state check and
she’d left bills unpaid.”

Madeline told Max about Gee Gee giving
her the option of abortion, and her refusing. She had met Bud, and
Gee Gee talked her into going out with him, honestly not realizing
how the break up with Mitch had affected her, thinking he might
bring her out of it and accept the child.

“
I went downhill fast, and
Aunt Gee Gee had to do something. She moved me to a hotel and paid
for prenatal care for me. We discussed my raising you on and off,
particularly, she brought it up, because I was depressed, and
despondent, and though I paid up the bills, the house was all I
had. In any event, I wasn’t healthy.

You were born with a valve problem and
collapsed lungs. The news seemed to multiply my guilt and feelings
of inadequacy. I thought I had caused it. I did not understand half
of what the doctors said. I drew into myself.”

She explained how the doctors discussed
this with Gee Gee. Her aunt told her it was time to think of him,
make the best decision for him. “I let them adopt you. I had a
breakdown.”

Madeline sighed shaky. “I wasn’t well
even when I married Bud.” She went through the explanation of how
she feared Dovie, how she thought Mitch viewed her and why she’d
wed Bud. After she had brought him up to the present time, she
included Jude’s explanation, a rundown of Deena’s attitude. Not
excusing—explaining, as best she could, why.

She ended with, “I have always loved
you.” She took the locket off again and showed it to him. “And
there was always a void in me, because you weren’t here. But I
couldn’t give you what Gee Gee did. And up until Dovie summoned me,
I was afraid they would make both of our lives hell.”

She wanted to cry, but she wanted to
get through this, for his sake. She didn’t want to use emotions.
Madeline wanted to give him the truth as she had lived it and
perceived it. “I'm sorry for anything I’ve done wrong. For
anything, I have deprived you of. I am sorry I was not a strong
person, that I fell apart instead of being there to mother you. I
don't expect you to see things as I do. I will accept whatever
decision you make. Though, I hope you will let me keep up with your
life. It’s not the same, like looking through a thick window, where
I could never hear or touch you or speak words I wanted to. I'm
sorry.” She blinked back tears now.

Max didn’t say anything, nor break into
the long explanation. His eyes never left her face. He watched her
body language, saw the tears, the slight tremble, and saw her keep
pulling herself together.

She sat down when she was done. Her
legs were spent. Still facing him. Unable to stand.

It seemed like forever, before he
murmured, “So. I’m one of them damned Copper Creek men,
huh?”

Madeline eyed his slow grin, a dimple
in his cheek. She felt almost lightheaded seeing it. She laughed
roughly and their eyes met, smiling. “'Fraid so.”

Max walked over, and hunkered down in
front of her, looking at her close and whispering, “Then it’s only
natural—I would be crazy about Diamond Back girls.”

She fell into him, hugging him, crying.
“Max, Max I love you.” Madeline couldn’t believe it. He loved her!
Her son loved her! “I’m so sorry. I love you. I have missed you. I
am proud of you and I love you. Thank you for forgiving me…for
understanding. I love you.” She was bawling like a baby. Her heart
was full, overflowing. “Oh, Max…” She cried loud and unashamed
now.

He squeezed her hard.
“Madeline?”

“
Yes?” she said
wobbly.

“
You’re getting snot on a
two hundred-dollar shirt.”

She let go and jerked back, eyes wide.
“Really, Oh. My God—”

He was rumbling with laughter. He stood
up and pulled her up with him. “No. I just can’t stand it when
women cry.”

They chuckled, Madeline, a bit watery,
and they held each other.

After a time she said, “The neighbors
think I’ve got all kinds of lovers. First Coy, Jude, Mitch, Jason,
and now you-all Copper Creek boys. All wild as hell.” She sniffed
again, “Darn it, Max, you had me scared to death. I was worried
sick, you stood there, — you didn’t show anything on your face,
just like a Copper Creek man.”

He let go of her and stepped back
winking. “I’m the classiest one though.” He amended, “That is,
until Graduation Night and I whup Coy’s ass for him.”

She groaned. “Oh Max, that wouldn’t be
a good idea.”

“
Don't worry.” He led her
inside. “I’ll leave him in big chunks. I like to keep my shirts
clean.”

Chapter 21

Graduation Day…

The Diamond Back High school gym was
crowded and noisy. The dry dust smell never seemed to change.
Inside, restless teens shifted, went over last minute lines. Chairs
squeaked and scraped the floor. Staff hurried back and forth from
behind the stage curtains. A chair dropped with a splat. A round of
laughs and whispers arose.

Eleven a.m. on Friday, the Copper Creek
men arrived, invading the place, rolling through the town like a
motorcade. The Coburn's came in a fleet of vehicles; pick-ups, some
new, several with lift kits, a number of work trucks with company
names on the side. A few hunched low, with wide sport tires, shiny
chrome pipes growling.

Moreover, the cars-classic Mustangs, El
Caminos and a Thunderbird rumbling between a GTO and a Corvette.
The boss—a hell-red, 80’s Trans Am, with a 350 all aluminum engine,
bored 30 over, with 411 positive traction. It revved, and let off a
popping backfire, turning heads.

They drove bumper to bumper, muscled
their way into the lot until they were all parked close to one
another.

Coy, like all of the graduating class,
had arrived early and was inside. However, Mitch, Jason, Jude,
Doyle, Lee, and fifteen other male Coburn's all exited vehicles,
waiting on the females who had driven in a bit more
slowly.

Deena came, but was on the other side
of the lot. She had taken a hotel room. No longer speaking to her
family but showed up for appearance sake.

When everyone was present and accounted
for, Mitch eyed the crowds going through the doors.

Jason said to him, “Now, remember, Dad,
he was born feeble, he’s probably pale and thin maybe. That picture
was of someone about fourteen.”

“
Twelve, more like.” Mitch
nodded. “I just want to see him.”

Jude heard them. “Could be he’s in a
wheel chair.” He looked around at the rest of the family. “Y’all
don't be staring, if he is now—”

G.W. spit snuff into his empty soda cup
and grunted, he was in a suit for Christ sakes! “Chill out, Jude,
it ain’t like we’re going to fall all over him.”

“
I might,” his mother,
Lottie said, sniffing in her hanky and fixing her white prim hat.
“God, I can’t believe it, Mitch has another boy.”

“
Jesus Christ. y'all.” Lee
gaped at them. “We are going to come off like a bunch of red necks,
if y'all don't hush.”

“
Ay, Lee?” One of the young
men laughed from the back of the bunch. “If you don't zip up your
pants, I guarantee he’ll think you’re something.”

They laughed as Lee looked down,
cursed, and zipped his suit slacks up. Well hell, Jason had them
all in a fit mood and nervous as shit.

“
We going in or what?”
Another cousin adjusted his double-breasted suit jacket. “It’s hot
as hell out here.”

“
Shut up, Crow,” someone
called out his nickname. “We’re waiting to see the boy.”

“
Hey, Mitch? You think he’s
maybe too sick to come?”

“
Hell fire,” Mitch muttered
to Jason. “Sometimes I could strangle the whole damned bunch of
them.”

Jason eyed Mitch’s sharp blue suit,
white shirt, and sapphire tie. Jason had on a lightweight tan one
with a linen shirt, and Jude only a white silk embroidered shirt
and pair of leather breeches and boots. Nevertheless, everyone else
was decked out to the nines.

“
They’re excited,
Dad.”

Someone said, “Here comes
Coy.”

Jude cursed. “What’s he doing out
here.”

Coy was in his cap and gown. He looked
like death warmed over. He been drunk since Prom Night and only
sobered since last night, because the whole damned bunch threw him
in an ice cold shower when he’d so much as looked at a
beer.

“
They switched off the
seating. Here is the row numbers,” his voice was flat. He looked
over the family, who was glaring at him angrily. “What the hell did
you come for then?” He growled the unspoken question.

“
To make sure you behave
yourself.” One of the bigger men rumbled, stroking his bushy beard
and winking.

“
Kiss my ass, Alvin,” Coy
muttered to him.

The brawny man made a pucker and
everyone laughed.

“
Shit! “ Coy looked at Jude.
“Are they going to act this stupid when I get on stage?”

“
Probably.” Jude grinned
smugly.

“
Friggin family. I don't
need a keeper.”

“
Hey, Coy,” one of the young
pretty females called out from where she leaned against her car. “I
like the red cap and gown, matches your eyes.”

Coy grunted and gave her the
finger.

“
God forgive him,” G.W.’s
pious wife muttered. “He’s an ignorant sinner.”

Jason made a strangled noise and turned
around to laugh.

Coy glared at him too. “Can’t I have it
mailed to me,” he asked Jude again.

“
You been acting like an
idiot. You’ll take the flack.”

“
Y’all drank and raised
hell, I don't see why—”

“
You did the girl wrong. No
matter what the reason,” Lee cut in softly.

Coy sobered and looked taut-faced. “I
see….”

Mitch told him, “Don't even look at
Brook.”

“
I…I love her,” Coy rasped.
Only those by him could hear.

“
Yeah, well. If you do,
don’t screw up this day for her too.”

Coy looked at Jude a long time, and
then nodded.

Mitch noticed when Bud Logan
arrived, a slim woman on his arm. He had a hair transplant that
looked like he’d been beaten with a staple gun. The man was anal.
He was in a gray suit and chewing a cigar. He crushed it at the
doorway, and he saw the pert blond was squirting breath freshener
in his mouth for him.
Jeezus
. Mitch did not know how
Madeline stood him so long.

A wave of excited talk
seemed to roll over the parking lot. People walking into the
school, exiting from their cars, stopped and turned toward the
parking entrance. In the back, the Copper Creek men couldn’t see
for all the people closer than they were. But, they were alerted
something was up by the low whistles, and sound of
shee-it
drawled out by a
male voice or two.

Mitch caught the glint of sun between
parting the crowds of people. He squinted like the rest of them
when it raced off the chrome of the Lincoln. It wasn’t until the
car moved left, and the German sports car was in sight, he knew
why.

Jude, who loved cars, muttered, “I just
got a hard on.”