Once Upon a Misty Bluegrass Hill (31 page)

We slept in a huge hand carved bed that covered one whole wall of my great grandfather’s house. I don’t know if it was a Murphy bed or not but it was a feather bed and big enough for our whole family. You sank deep into it and felt like you were floating on a cloud. Great grandfather lived to be one hundred years old. He was a thin active man and had white hair and a beard that came below his waist.
Mary Margarette Donnelley Hill - From her vignettes "Moonshine, Mountains and Memories of my Grandmother."

The clouds rolled in dark during the party. 
Patrick
had not prepared Jolene for the elaborate party, but then Jolene was certain it was an opportunity that Leona could not resist.  She had spent a great deal of
Patrick
'
s money on an elaborate
festivity
filled with people
Jolene either
barely knew or didn
'
t know at all. 
That Leona did this f
or a person that she didn't like and didn't even want around
was amazing
...but that was fake for you.

Not that
Jolene
had gathered a lot of friends beside
s
Bernie and Herbert Connelly.  
Aunt Paula and Travi
s had not been invited and were....
"Mighty insulted."

Timmy and
his young wife
been marked off of the list she emailed to
Patrick
two months ago
....
Leona didn't think them "appropriate" for the setting. 

Jolene had yelled at
Patrick
.  "What she can't handle
a soldier
?
  What about Bernie and his missing leg?   How is she going to handle that at her party?
"

Patrick
had asked her to be tolerant of Leona who was not comfortable with war or soldiers. 
Bernie was kept on the list as an exception because he worked at the farm. 
Jolene was so fuming mad for weeks she would not come to the phone when
Patrick
called.

Jolene didn't
want Timmy and his family there anyway
.  She didn't want them
to see that
Patrick
had taken down the flags.  Hopefully they
had not already notice
d
since they lived away now
. 
How was she going to explain that away
and if she did explain the truth, what would they say and do
? 

What did Bernie think about the flag situation?

Maybe t
hey would gather the Patriot Guard and swarm
Patrick
's farm....

Jolene smiled at the thought of the Patriot
Motorcycle
riders circling the
empty
flagpoles...
and demanding the flags be put back up. 

Of course, that was not going to happen even if it was fun to think about.

However,
the hurt to Timmy
and his family
was not worth that bit of retribution
even in her imagination
.

Despite the massive guest list
with most all her friends crossed out
, no one
even
remembered to invite her buddies from Vance
Catholic Boarding
School, Helen and Natasha. 
Why would Leona believe they were inappropriate for this occasion?
 

Probably cutting off her reinforcements. 

Oh well, it was better they were not here because they would immediately see through her façade
and would feel sorry for her when they witnessed her situation
.
They had helped her formulate the plan...so she would see it through and detail
everything
for them later. 

Mata
walked up smiling
and
holding her grandson Perry
'
s hand.  She was wearing a cream lacy suit that fit her handsome figure with significant flattery.  Her lovely brown eyes sported just a touch of blue eye
-
shadow giving them a pretty sparkle. 
"
You are looking mighty grown up
,
"
Mata
said and nudged her while wriggling
her eyebrows.

Jolene had changed into a black dress with simple lines that touched her curves with tantalizing promise
and
cut
just above the knee. 
The McDonald
'
s near the school had
assisted in filling out
her thin frame perfectly...or so Natasha
and Helen had assured her.
 

Jolene
topped the elegant silk
with a string of pearls that
Patrick
had given her for graduation.  She would enjoy telling Leona about that gift and undoubtedly Leona would need a new set of her own. 

The afternoon bash was awash with the finest wines, too much food, including caviar …as if Jolene would ever eat the stuff
,
and a four piece orchestra
. 
Patrick
had tried to make it nice for her…or at least he had paid a lot to make it nice for her.

She couldn
'
t fault him
the kindness
, though he should know good and well she would rather have a barbeque.  Not that he was likely to indulge her on a special occasion
because Leona was a vegetarian and so were most of her friends
. 

But why, oh why had he decided to marry such a fake, useless woman like Leona?  Not that
Jolene
would have liked anyone he was engaged to, but that was beside the point. 

Jolene smiled
at Mata
and she hoped it reached her eyes,
"
I feel pretty grown up too.  Just glad it is over…been quite a four years.
"

Mata
turned her gaze to
Patrick
,
"
He missed you a whole lot when you were gone
. Especially this year when you were not home for Thanksgiving and Christmas
.
"

He was laughing and Leona was hanging on his arm sharing his laughter.  Jolene could hear her
phony
laughter from across the room that sharply contrasted
Patrick
'
s deep rich chuckle.

Jolene laughed with as
carefree
of a
tone as she could find in her belly,
"
Oh, I don
'
t think he had much time to think about me.  He spent a lot of time with Leona this last year with them being engaged and all.
"

Mata
turned to her sharply, her smile fading,
"
Well, anyway you are back now and it is so good to have you home again.
"
 

Lightening lit up the outside followed by a sharp thunder clap. 
Mata
'
s grandson Perry cupped his ears with his small hands, his eyes round
ing
.

After an instant of silence, the room continued on its merry path of celebration. 
"
I think I should get Perry back home, that storm is brewing up something fine, but I
'
ll be back within the hour with a change of clothes to direct the hired staff.
"

Jolene touched her arm. 
"
Mata
, I wish you would just take the afternoon off, I can see to it.
"

Mata
giggled. 
"
No way girl!  This is your graduation party…go get more
sparkling wine
and try to smile, it will all work out somehow.
"

Mata
disappeared into the crowd with Perry dragging along in his little white suit. 

Was it that obvious that she could hardly be in the same room with
Patrick
and Leona?

She walked over to the
sparkling wine
fountain. 

A
sparkling wine
fountain of all things?
  What did Leona think that
Patrick
was made of money?  Did she think running a horse farm was cheap?

"
Hi there Jolene.
"
 

Brad, one of the set
-
up guys that
Patrick
thought she might take a shine to. 

Not likely in this lifetime.  He was better suited to Leona with his football frame and golden hair.  Come to think of it,
she was certain he was the closet-H
ooters type.

Jolene attempted a smile that she was certain looked plastic.  It would match his smile.  How much had
Patrick
paid this guy to talk to her?  What did he promise him as a wedding present? 
"
Well hello Brad, how are you enjoying the party?
"

"
Oh it is really fantastic.
"

Jolene didn
'
t hear what he said
after that
because her attention was suddenly caught up with Leona looking at he
r from across the room smiling directly at her
like the proverbial Cheshire Cat
.  Then she turned
to
Patrick
and locked his lips….
for the longest French kiss in history.

Jolene felt her guts dropping to her shoes and the heat moving
through her like a pot of
boiling
water
.
 
She wanted to look away but some weird punishing obsession kept her eyes glued to
Patrick
and Leona. 

The kiss was endless and topped with Leona running her hands over
Patrick
'
s shoulders
digging in
her red painted nails…..

Another flash of lightening
and rumble of thunder cut through her heart.

"
I am sorry Brad, I need air,
"
Jolene mumbled pushing past a
puzzled
Brad.  She stumbled through the guests and the array of words that followed her in confusion for those who could not possibly
know or
understand the pain of her
shattered
heart.

She walked out on her spiked heels as graceful as she had been taught and practiced a hundred times.  Once outside
in the mudroom
she threw on her boots and jogged t
o the barn.  The wind blew hard
and a few spots of rain dotted her face.  Her small bit of mascara would run. 

Waterproof
mascara
did not hold out under a Kentucky rain
,
even a light one
.

The sun left a few small red fingers filtering through the dark clouds
as if
holding onto a promise…or
those
last shreds of love.

Jolene sobbed.

Hot tears and drops of rain mixed on her cheeks.

Tears from Heaven, rain on me.

Big
Storm was already battering the stall.  Bernie always let him out to the paddock when it rained because he
went crazy if he was left inside the barn when there was a storm. 
But Bernie was inside enjoying the party, already having consumed a bit more of the beer than was his habit.

At least his leg might hurt a little less with the alcohol.

No training
or time would make
Storm
forget.

No more than she would ever forget. 

S
he wanted to be in the rain, feel the wind blowing through her hair
and now she wished the rain could wash away her broken heart.

She unlocked the barn with the combination she
had memorized from the thousands of times she rode Storm, thankful that
Patrick
had not changed the number
. 

Storm was kicking the stall hard and whining.
  Jolene felt her heart collapsing.  How alike they were.
 
"
I am coming Storm, I am coming dearest and we will ride it
out
together.
"
 
Fresh tears spilled out with her sobs.