Palmetto Moon (11 page)

“After church Wednesday night, I’m surprised you have the nerve to show your face anywhere.” She waits for a reaction, but Frank won’t give her one. “You think you’re gonna lead another poor woman astray, Frank
Darling
? I’ll not have anybody in my house cavorting with the likes of you.”

“Miss Mamie.” He looks the devil straight in the eyes. “I know I’m a good man. And you know I’m a good man. Now I’m going to ask Vada if she wants to go for a walk, and regardless of what you heard in church, I’m guessing she’s going to say yes.”

“Frank.” Vada is coming down the stairs. “How lovely to see you again.” She brushes past Miss Mamie like she’s not even there.

The old woman looks like she’s about to pop with anger, and suddenly Frank feels a little remorseful. What if Vada gets kicked out of the boardinghouse on account of him? She’d lose her job. There’d be nothing to keep her here. He spins around to see the old bat trying to stare a hole in them. “I’ll have her back before dark, Miss Mamie.”

When they are out of earshot, Vada scolds him for being nice to the old woman. “I know all about the Golden Rule, Frank, but really. She’s so horrible to everyone, I seriously doubt it applies to her. She actually beat poor little Jonathan with a switch yesterday. You should see his legs.”

“I’m sorry to hear that, but I riled her, even enjoyed it a little bit, until I realized she looked mad enough to throw both of us off of her property.”

“Well, she rails like a storm cloud, but she can’t toss me out like she threatens all the time, and not Claire and the boys, either. Miss Mamie’s got money troubles. No matter what that horrible woman says, she can’t afford to lose me.”

He threads his fingers between hers, loving the way her soft hand feels against his rough skin, and they walk toward Myers Creek in silence. It’s been so hot and so long since it’s rained, for all Frank knows, he may be taking her to see a glorified ditch.

Thankfully, there is a trickle of water running through the creek bed. Vada begins to unlace the ribbons of her sandals, midway up her slender calves. Her long, painted fingernails loosen the ties, unwrapping her legs so slowly, Frank has to turn away. “You can look, Frank,” she laughs. “They’re just shoes.” But he can’t turn around right now. It’s the most sensuous thing he’s ever seen in his life.

She squeals. He’s sure an old cottonmouth has gotten her good. But when he whips around, her face is gleeful, her mouth drawn up into an
O.
She wades farther into the clear ankle-deep water. With the water so shallow, she doesn’t need to hike her dress up, but she does, revealing more leg than he has a right to see at this point in their courtship. But he can’t turn away. She’s looking down at the current swirling around her feet, smiling at her toes pushing into the sandy bottom.

“How can the water be so cold when it’s so hot out?” Frank knows why, but he can’t answer her. All he can do is stand here and watch her marvel over the creek. “Come on, Frank. Take your shoes off.”

He takes them off even faster than he would have if she’d asked him to strip naked, and wades out toward her. She laughs and links both of her hands in his, and the connection feels complete. Fluid energy passes between them, and he wonders how he lived without her before, if he really lived at all. Then Vada Hadley came into his diner, his life, his heart, and everything inside him shifted. Changed.

He doesn’t know how he can stand in the water that comes from an icy underground spring. He’s never been able to hold his fist in it for more than thirty seconds. But he loves this woman, her laugh, her smile, the way she wonders over every little thing. She bends down and fingers the current before scooping up some water and flicking it at him. “You’re awful quiet, Frank Darling.”

He’s afraid to move, afraid to let go of her. Ever. Maybe he can’t move; the creek is so cold, he can’t feel his feet. “Can I kiss you?”

She nods, and he moves closer to her. She smells intoxicating, like roses and yellow jasmine, citrus. As his mouth covers hers, she puts her arms around his neck, pulling herself up onto him and out of the water. He wraps his arms around her waist to hold her, suspended in the air. His breathing is fast; the kiss is long and dreamlike.

“Vada.” He scoops her into his arms; she lays her head against his chest, listening to his heart beating for her. He wades back onto the creek bank and sets her down. She looks up at him and touches his face before she pulls his head down to kiss her again.

“I like you very much, Frank,
darling
.” She’s said the words the way he’d dreamed she would, and he is mesmerized. He should say something, but he can’t. If he does, he’ll tell her he loves her, and he’s afraid she’ll run, because it’s too soon. Even worse, what if she doesn’t believe him? What if she doesn’t believe in love at first sight? Hell, he didn’t until she walked into the diner. She might think he’s crazy, and not just about her. So he kisses her again, slowly, like he’s savoring something delicious, and hopes she knows that he more than likes her.

My breathing is fast, too fast, and my body responds to Frank’s. Are these the feelings Mother, and even Rosa Lee, cautioned against? Is this what my mother told me I would eventually feel for Justin?
And
I told Frank how much I like him, and he said nothing back. Well, that’s not true, he kissed me like I’ve never been kissed by anyone, like he was trying to show me instead of tell me.

I push away, and he obediently sets my feet on the creek bank. He brushes his lips against my cheeks in a cordial kiss and looks at the horizon. “We’d better head back now.”

I sit to put my shoes back on, and he kneels and slips one of the sandals onto my foot. He holds the long white satin, looking adorable and completely confused. I take his hands and guide them until the ribbons are in place. He does the other sandal by himself and lingers a moment over the tie. I can feel that he wants more from me. Until now, I’ve never thought of giving myself to anyone, but the idea is exciting and terrifying.

“Thank you, Frank.” He helps me up, and we stroll back to the boardinghouse, arm in arm, for the whole crossroads to see. He tells me when Tiny will pick me up and that I should tell everyone, including Claire, that I’m going home for the holiday. The word
home
gives me pause and makes me wonder why Frank hasn’t really pressed me about the place I’m from. He walks me to the front steps and kisses me on the cheek, in front of Miss Mamie, who is standing guard at the screen door.

“Cavorter,” she hisses and disappears.

“Don’t let her give you any grief.” Frank smiles and pushes a wispy blond tress away from my face. I shake my head and wish for another one of his kisses that make me weak-kneed.

“I’ll miss you,” the words come out in one breath. Four days is forever.

“I’ll see you soon.” He kisses the back of my hand tenderly, sending little shivers down my thighs, making me want more kisses. More than just kisses. “Good night.”

Sunday morning Claire is waiting at the bottom of the stairs, and I know all is forgiven. Even though she kept telling me she blamed Jonathan’s sweet tooth and Miss Mamie for what happened, I’m not sure I believed her until now. I haven’t pressed her about the job interview or her plans, although I’m dying to know if she’ll get the job. She’d said the interview went well, and she was waiting to hear back from the attorney, with the verdict, as he’d called it. How sad that it will indeed be a verdict, because with her boys huddled around her that night Miss Mamie threatened Claire, it was plain to see that she was going to do whatever she had to do to get them out of this dreadful place. And I couldn’t blame her.

But this morning, Claire’s face is hopeful, like if I tell her how sweet Frank’s kisses were, she’ll be able to taste them, too. “After we eat breakfast, I want to hear all about your walk last night,” she whispers as we hurry into the dining room. After a blessing—more or less a heavenward growl—Miss Mamie nods and we start filling our plates. Yesterday’s biscuits, overcooked grits, and sausages boiled down to shoe leather make me think perhaps Miss Mamie isn’t well. Only the fresh sliced tomatoes are worth eating.

The old bat doesn’t believe a word when I declare I’m going
home
, and, to be honest, I don’t think Claire does, either. It’s bad enough that I’m living a lie just by moving to Round O, but I can’t help myself. I window-dress my announcement with the kind of Fourth of July celebration I’ve wanted my parents to give me since I was a little girl. The bachelors are oblivious, talking about some ridiculous baseball game, and the boys are concentrating on eating and not misbehaving in any possible way.

“Maybe you should give me your parents’ phone number.” Miss Mamie eyes me hard enough to break me in two.

“I have a surprise,” Claire blurts out. Mr. Stanley stops arguing over who is the best whatever in baseball and leers at her. My God, I think he’s drooling. “Or I hope to have some news when you come back, Vada.”

“Good news?” Methuselah says hopefully. The other two bachelors punch each other and smile while I shudder at the thought of Claire desperate enough to marry Mr. Stanley.

I recross my legs and give him a good swift kick. “Oh, so sorry.” He winces and rubs his leg under the table.

“Do tell, Claire.” Miss Mamie is glaring at Claire. She must know about Mr. Stanley’s intentions; no doubt it would hurt her to lose two boarders.

Claire shrugs and looks down at her plate, her smile fading. “I don’t want to jinx it.”

“You, of all people, should know there are no jinxes,” Miss Mamie snaps. “Just rock-hard luck and plenty of it.”

“We’ll see about that,” Claire says quietly.

I feel a tug on my sleeve. “Miss Vada? How will you get to your house? In an Army truck?” little Jonathan asks, substituting his
r
’s for
w
’s. “I like Army trucks.”

“No, sweet boy. I’m taking the bus. Miss Medford is going to give me a lift to the station.”

Miss Mamie eyes me suspiciously. “I have to go to Walterboro tomorrow. I’ll take you to the bus station. See that you get on the bus. The right bus.”

“Oh, that won’t be necessary. Miss Medford is glad to do it. Did I tell you all that we’re going to churn ice cream?” I hear the words come out of my mouth, and my belly tightens with guilt. “Mother loves to make it for me. We’ll make
two
churns. Banana and strawberry, my favorites.” My face feels as red as an overripe peach. “And Father’s such a jovial man; he loves to tell jokes, and even dances a jig on occasions.”

“And your homecoming will certainly have him dancing.” Whether Claire sees straight through my story or believes me, she seems genuinely excited. Please, God, let her get the job at the Sheridan place.

“Will you see fireworks, Miss Vada?” Daniel asks hopefully.

“Yes, Daniel, I believe I will,” I say, and for the first time throughout my very detailed fabrication, I’m not blushing.

After breakfast, I watch from my window as Frank loads his car with fishing gear and bags of groceries. A minnow bucket slips out of his hand and rolls away from him. When he bends to pick it up, he glances up at my window and then looks away quickly to maintain the ruse. A car pulls up in a cloud of dust, and a young woman gets out and says something to him. He nods, and she follows him to the steps of the store.