Dorothy Garlock - [Route 66] (38 page)

“You'd better go, mister. Pa'll be home soon. He'd be mad clear through if he caught ya here.”

“We sure don't want that to happen. Isaac, you have friends out at Andy's place. Your aunt doesn't blame you or your brothers for the way her brother has treated her. If you're ever in need, go to her. She'll help you if she can.” Yates left the porch.

“Thanks, mister.”

He stopped and turned back toward the house. The woman's voice had came from inside the screendoor.

“You're welcome, ma'am. The boy earned it.”

Yates was a half mile from the house when he passed Virgil going home.

“Ma! Look at all this money!”

“Thank the good Lord. Run and see if the little boys are asleep. If they heard, they might tell your pa about it.” Hazel re-lit the lamp she had blown out when the car drove in.

Isaac shoved the bills at his mother, hurried to the back room and peered at his brothers on the bed.

“We ain't asleep, but we won't tell,” Carl whispered.

“If ya do, he'll take it and lay the strop on all of us.”

“We won't tell. Honest, Isaac.”

“All right. We got to hold on till Joe and Pete get here.”

“Tell Ma, we won't tell.”

By the time Isaac got back to the kitchen, Hazel had rolled up the bills and tied a string around them. After emptying the contents of her Calumet baking powder can in a cream pitcher, she stuffed the bills down in the can, refilled it and set it back on the shelf.

“He's comin up the road, Ma.”

“Blow out the lamp!”

“The doc will let him back in tomorrow.”

“Pete and Joe will be here in a day or two. Don't let him catch ya outside alone. He thinks one of us let the girl out of the shed. I don't know what he'd do if he ever found out that ya took her home.”

“That man that was here seems a decent sort, Ma. He could've just forgot about payin out the reward.” From the dark kitchen Isaac watched his father pass the house.

“I don't know what he'll tell the sheriff. We just got to trust him I guess.” Hazel sat down at the table. “It took Paul's dyin' to make me see that what's been goin' on here ain't right. We ain't livin' that way no more. I'm thinkin' God ain't wantin' us to.”

“What can ya do, Ma?”

“I've been thinkin' that when Pete and Joe come I'll see if we can all go away from here. Bless that man that gave ya the reward money.”

“The three of us could work and take care of ya and the boys. We could go to Californy in the wagon if Joe and Pete was with us.”

“The team is twenty years old. It wouldn't make it to Amarillo. I don't think—”

“Hazel, get out here!” The shout came from the back porch. “I'm tired foolin' with ya.”

Hazel jumped. “He's been lookin in the window.”

“He couldn't see us sittin in here.”

“Let him think we're in bed,” she whispered.

“Open the door! When I get my hands on ya I'll take the hide right off yore back.”

“He's gettin meaner than a dog passin chili peppers.”

“I hope I ain't mean like that when I grow up.”

“He'll go bed down in the truck pretty soon. Then I'll slip out and bring in an armload of wood for the cookstove. I should'a done it while he was gone. Time just got away from me.”

The clock ticked the minutes away while Hazel and Isaac sat in the dark at the kitchen table. They talked in whispers.

“Lots of folks is goin to California, Ma. Reckon we could go there?”

“We'll talk to Joe and Pete about it when they get here.”

Isaac listened to the mournful sound of the train whistle and wished that he could hop on that train and see all the places he'd heard about. But even if he were old enough, he reasoned, he couldn't leave his mother and little brothers. They depended on him.

“Go to bed, son. I'll wait a while longer, then go out the front door and around the side of the house to the woodpile.”

Isaac lay down on the bed where his brother had died, but he kept his eyes open. He didn't want to sleep until his mother was back in the house.

It was near midnight when Hazel slipped out of the door. The night was dark. Thick clouds hovered overhead. Hugging the side of the house until she reached the end of it, she paused, then went hurriedly to the woodpile.

She had stooped to fill her arm with the stove wood when she heard the shout and felt the pain of the whip, which landed with enough force to lay open a cut on her back and cause her to lurch forward. Her scream pierced the dark night.

“Ya bitch! Someone was here. I saw the car lights. Who was it? Ya told him 'bout the girl in the shed, didn't ya?”

Hazel shrieked and tried to get to her feet. When she turned, the whip came down on the side of her neck. The tip sliced her cheek to the bone and split her lower lip.

“Ya let that girl out! Yo're a devil-lovin bitch. Clear as day, God told me ya did. He said punish that lowly wretch. Yo're a disgrace to his name!” Virgil shouted over his wife's screams. Slash, slash. The whip came down again and again. “Ya've sinned against God. Yo're a abomination! I'll beat the wickedness outta ya!” Slash, slash. “Praise the Lord! Lord, help me brin' this lowly wretch back into the fold.”

He dropped a stick of wood on the back of her knees and put his foot on it to hold her to the ground while he lashed her in a frenzy. Hazel's screams were constant as the whip ripped through the material of her dress and laid fire on her back time and again.

“Ya vowed to cleave to yore husband and whata ya done? Ya sassed me in front of the preacher. Ya shamed me.”

Hazel covered her face with her arms and tried to crawl away. Virgil stomped hard on the thick stove wood lying on the backs of her knees. The pain flattened her. He continued to flay her with the short lead-tip buggy whip. The agony was worse than anything she had ever imagined. It went on and on. It was like the hot fires of hell were licking at her back. She prayed to die.

Virgil's rage and religious zeal gave strength to the arm that wielded the whip. He no longer shouted. Incoherent words spewed from his mouth.

The pain was so all consuming that Hazel never knew when her husband stopped striking her. Even as he lay on the ground, his hand still holding the bloody whip, she continued to scream and scream until she sank into a pit of darkness.

Yates's car lights swept the porch when he parked behind the garage. Leona and Andy were in the porch swing. Andy called to him when he got out of the car.

“Come sit a while. There's a nice breeze up here on the porch.”

“There are a few thunderheads around, but I don't think they'll amount to much,” he said and sank down on the porch step.

“The prairie is dry as a bone between here and the city. I heard a fellow say on the radio that way up in Iowa and Minnesota they're getting dust from the panhandle.”

Leona, glad of the darkness, allowed her eyes to look their fill at the man lounging against the porch post and scratching Calvin's ears. How many more times would she see him sitting there, hear his voice, listen to him tease the girls?

“I saw Deke in town.”

“I hope he wasn't looking for Ernie,” Leona said.

“He was at the PowWow drinking beer and I didn't see Ernie. The judge told him to get out of town.”

“What's this about Deke and someone named Ernie? A lot went on out here while I was gone.”

Leona remained silent, and Yates told about Margie being left at the campground and Ernie taking her money.

“You should have seen Leona standing over that fellow with the business end of the rifle pressed to his neck. It was plumb scary.” There was laughter in Yates's voice.

“He had Deke down. I hit him across the rump and told him to get off, but he wouldn't,” she said with a hint of impatience.

“He must have got the message.” Yates chuckled. “He was still as a stone when I got to him.”

“All of this happened while I was gone. Shoot! I missed it.” Andy was laughing as he got to his feet. “Guess I'll turn in. I'm looking forward to sleeping in my own bed.”

“Leona.” Yates stood quickly. “Will you stay with me for a while?”

“I'm kind of…tired.”

“You're young. You can't be that tired,” Andy said goodnaturedly. “Goodnight.” He went into the house, leaving Leona feeling as if she had been deserted.

“Come on.” Yates took her hand and gently tugged. He led her off the porch and down the path. “Let's go for a ride and cool off. I want to talk to you about something.”

“Can't we do it here?”

“We could, but I'd like to take you for a ride.”

He opened the car door and she got in. He went to the driver's side; and before she could collect her scattered thoughts, they were on the highway.

“I went out to Virgil's,” he said and pulled on her arm until she was sitting close beside him.

He took her hand and placed it palm down on his thigh and covered it with his. Keeping her eyes straight ahead, she was aware that he glanced at her from time to time. Her heart pounded, and she was sure that he could feel it beating through the hand that covered hers.

“Was Virgil there?”

“His truck was at the church. That's why I went out there. I went to give Isaac the reward. I've not told Andy about that. Have you?”

“No. I thought if you wanted him to know it, you'd tell him.” Leona thought a moment, then added, “Virgil will find out why you gave Isaac the money and take it. Then the boy will be punished.”

“I don't think so. He wanted to know if his pa would know he had it. I told him not unless he told him.”

“Did Hazel see you give it to him?”

“She was there.”

Leona groaned. “She'll take it and give it to Virgil. She never goes against him.”

“Not if she helped the boy get Ruth Ann out of the shed. Ruth Ann said Isaac told her his mother said take her home. As I was leaving she thanked me.”

“Then she's had a change of heart. She's always been mousy and followed Virgil like a puppy dog. She'd lick his hand if he told her to.” Cynicism curled Leona's lips.

“I think it'll be all right, but if you think I should, I'll get Sheriff McChesney and go out there in the morning.”

“I'm worried for Isaac and the other kids.”

“Doc says that none of the other Dawson children have come down with diphtheria, and only Isaac has had contact with Ruth Ann. He thinks there is little need to worry that the swabs he sent in would test positive.”

“I'm relieved to hear it.”

When they reached the top of the hill, Yates turned the car into a clearing back from the highway and stopped.

“It's cool out here. Look at the heat lightning there toward the southwest.”

“I'll have to water the garden if it doesn't rain soon. The shower we had the other night didn't do much good.”

“I'll be leaving soon.” His words dropped into the quiet darkness of the car.

“I know.”

“This is the first time we've really been alone. There's always been someone within calling distance. Come here to me, honey.” He turned with his back to the door, reached for her and pulled her to him.

“I don't think that's a good idea.” She put her hands on his chest to hold herself away from him. “I meant what I said the other night.”

“All right.” His hands slid down her arms and clasped her hands. “Have you decided that maybe you're in love with Andy after all?”

“No. I love Andy. I'm not in love with him. I've told you that.”

“Could you ever love a man like me?” he asked quietly.

Leona tried to control her shivering. She stared at his dark face and took a deep breath.

“I've not met many men like you.” She bent her head, unable to meet his piercing eyes. He put his hands on her shoulders and, ignoring her resistance, pulled her hard against him. “I just want to hold you for a while …maybe kiss you a little so I'll have something to remember.”

She quivered in his arms. He put a hand to her throat and tilted her face up to his. His eyes searched her face as his hand cupped her chin. A wave of helplessness came over her, and a little whimper escaped from her lips. He lowered his mouth to hers. His kiss was sweet and gentle at first, then deepened. She returned his kiss as if he was all that mattered in the world.

“Sweetheart. Your mouth is so sweet—” His husky voice whispered love words to her, and they echoed on the inside of her brain. “Soft and sweet and pretty.” He put his nose in her hair. “I can still smell the vinegar.” His lips moved over her eyes and back to her mouth.

“I don't understand myself! I keep thinking that… I won't do this!” She moved her mouth from his and gasped.

“Stop worrying, love. You like kissing me, don't you?”

“Yes, but—”

“Shh …hh—” He pressed his mouth to hers each time she started to speak until their hunger grew, and there was no time for words. He closed his eyes and whispered, “Lee, Lee, sweet Lee.”

Whatever it was that made him become aware of her on the day he returned after taking Andy to the hospital had been developing steadily. Now it almost consumed him. She was so open, so giving. Her mouth parted beneath his, yielding and vulnerable to the invasion of his lips and gentle tongue.

Yates's love had been stored away. He'd shared it only with his mother and his grandparents to a certain extent. Now all the love he had to give belonged to this wonderful, beautiful angel of a woman who had come into his life and turned it upside down. He burrowed his face deep into the fragrance of her hair and felt his whole self harden and tremble.

Leona abandoned herself to the heavenly feeling of being in his arms. Her fingers touched his hair, caressed his nape and felt along the hard line of his jawbone. She clung to him, knowing that soon all she would have of him were her memories. She became aware that his hand covered her breast. Her fingers circled his wrist.

Half-laughing, he locked his arms around her more tightly and traced along her face with his lips and gently kissed her trembling mouth. His whisper came against her lips.

“I've been desperate to touch there. The other night when I saw two hard little knots poking against your wet dress I wanted to put my mouth on them…. Still do. I'm crazy about you,” he said with a touch of desperation.