Untethered (7 page)

“I will, Daddy,” Cricket promised. “I surely will.”

“You’re still gonna help me with the washin’ this afternoon, aren’t you, Cricket?”
Ada
asked then.

Cricket was somewhat crestfallen by
Ada
’s already asking her to do chores before she’d even had a chance to finish her breakfast. Still, turning to
Ada
, she forced a happy countenance and answered, “Yes,
Ada
. I’ll be back to help with the wash by noon. Would that be soon enough?”

Ada
grinned and sighed—almost as if she’d been expecting to be slapped across the face and hadn’t been. “That’ll be just fine, Cricket. Thank you.”

Cricket smiled sincerely then, for she felt sympathy for
Ada
’s struggles welling in her own bosom. How difficult it must be for
Ada
—trying to find the balance between being so young herself and yet nestled in the position of having a stepdaughter old enough to be her peer. The thought briefly crossed Cricket’s mind that perhaps she, Marie, Ann, and Vilma should let
Ada
join them for their shenanigans once in a while. After all,
Ada
was nothing if not kindhearted—and to the very core to boot.

Still, she quickly abandoned the idea. Their secret shenanigans were something that had to be kept secret. The incidents of spreading joy and happiness she and her friends organized would cease to have the enchanting effect they had if everyone in town were to find out who was doing them. And Cricket knew how completely
Ada
confided in Zeke. There wasn’t anything on the face of the earth or in the clouds of heaven above that
Ada
would keep from Cricket’s father—and it was as it should be.

Cricket turned her thoughts to executing the mischief planned for that night. The truth of it was Cricket had been jumping-jittery all week long! It seemed that not an hour ticked by that Cricket wasn’t going over the strategies of accomplishing her particular deeds in her mind—her plan to see Marie and Hudson Oliver in each other’s arms and her plan to properly welcome Heathro Thibodaux to Pike’s Creek. In fact, every time she thought of Heathro Thibodaux and her promise that she would kiss the handsome, heroic ex-Ranger, a wild sort of frightened excitement leapt in her stomach. For one thing, she honestly wondered if she really could successfully muster the courage she would need to kiss Mr. Thibodaux when the time came. And for another, she began to envision that he might shoot her where she stood when she did.

“Have you seen that ornery bull Heathro Thibodaux come by?” Zeke asked.

“What?” Cricket breathed, startled by the fact that her father would mention the name—the very subject of her worried thoughts.

“Yes, I have,”
Ada
answered. “It was out and about the other afternoon, and Mr. Thibodaux had quite a time gettin’ it on home.”

Zeke chuckled. “I can imagine he did.” Shoving another piece of bacon into his mouth, he added, “But a cattleman over in Thistle told me just how much he paid for
Thibodaux
’s bull’s services awhile back…and I’m guessin’ all the trouble that bull causes is well worth it where money’s concerned.”

“You know,” Cricket began, scooting her chair back from the table, “I think I’ll just run on over to Mrs. Maloney’s house right this minute. That way we can know for certain that she’s well enough…and I can be back long before noon to help with the wash,
Ada
.”

Zeke Cranford’s brow puckered a bit. Cricket seemed a bit more hoppy than usual. He was fairly certain some kind of tomfoolery was churning around in her mischievous little mind. Of course, it hadn’t escaped his attention that she was always a little less settled whenever Heathro Thibodaux’s name was mention.

Zeke grinned. Ah! The agony of young love! He sure was glad he was past it. He looked to
Ada
and smiled. She was a beauty, that was for certain; inside and out,
Ada
was a beauty. She was just what Zeke had needed, and he thanked the Almighty every night for putting her in his path.

Returning his attention to Cricket, he said, “Sounds like a good plan there, pumpkin. You tell Mrs. Maloney me and
Ada
say hello…and to let us know if she needs anything. Anything at all, all right?”

“I will, Daddy,” Cricket said, rising from her chair and placing a quick kiss on Zeke’s face.

“I’ll be back as quick as I can,
Ada
,” Cricket offered with a smile.

“Thank you, Cricket,”
Ada
said, returning the smile.

Zeke grinned. The two women in his life were beginning to find a comfortable place with one another. It was another blessing he silently thanked the Almighty for.

Cricket was out the kitchen door and down the back porch steps quicker than a rabbit with a red fox on its heels. Once her daddy had made mention of Heathro Thibodaux, Cricket had been overcome with an urgency to escape. She’d been thinking so long and so hard about Pike’s Creek’s newest bachelor that she was afraid she’d burst at the seems and start spilling all her private thoughts about him to her daddy and
Ada
if she lingered any longer!

It was so very difficult to keep such things bottled up. It wasn’t healthy either, or so Mrs. Maloney claimed. And although Mrs. Maloney was right—it did feel better to confess secret feelings and worries to a friend—Cricket sometimes wondered if the old gal had simply used the fact to coax information out of Cricket in a weak moment or two. Yep, Maymee Maude Maloney was the one person on the face of the earth who could weasel just about anything out of Magnolia Cricket Cranford. As she walked toward Mrs. Maloney’s house, Cricket shook her head, giggling with amusement—because it was absolutely true! Once Mrs. Maloney got Cricket to talking, there was no stopping Cricket from saying just about anything or answering just about any question.

In fact, the only thing Cricket had managed to keep from Mrs. Maloney since the first day she’d rather accidentally ended up sitting on her front porch for a visit was the fact that Cricket knew exactly who the do-gooders of Pike’s Creek were—the fact that Cricket herself was the ringleader.

Maymee Maloney had been the very person (at last) who had helped Cricket to understand her father’s growing adoration for
Ada
. Mrs. Maloney had helped Cricket to accept
Ada
into the family—into her deceased mother’s role. It had been Mrs. Maloney who had counseled Cricket in times of frustration and despair. It had been Mrs. Maloney who had comforted her, laughed with her, teased with her, gossiped with her, and taught Cricket more than any one woman could ever imaginably teach another.

Cricket adored Maymee Maloney—simply adored her! And she liked the way Mrs. Maloney referred to her as Magnolia instead of Cricket. It made her feel grown up and refined somehow—even for the fact that she rarely kept her shoes on when she was at Mrs. Maloney’s house or that she rarely laughed quietly when in her company. Still, Cricket liked to be called Magnolia, even though no one else seemed to call her that—other than Vilma when she was scolding, that was.

“Good mornin’ there, sweet Magnolia!” Mrs. Maloney called as Cricket hurried up the front porch steps of the Maloney house.

“Good mornin’, Mrs. Maloney,” Cricket chirped as Mrs. Maloney reached up from her seat in her front porch rocker and gathered Cricket into a warm embrace.

“My, don’t you look chipper already today,” the elderly woman laughed. “Have you come for a visit already?”

“Yes, ma’am,” Cricket assured her friend. Taking her designated seat on the old tree stump stool in front but to one side of Mrs. Maloney’s porch rocking chair, Cricket added, “I just couldn’t wait to get out of the house and come see you today. I hope you’ve had your breakfast already.”

“Oh, hours ago, darlin’! Hours ago,” Mrs. Maloney assured her with a smile.

Cricket’s smile broadened. She like the way Mrs. Maloney’s eyes smiled with her mouth—the way they looked like little half-moons of delight. The old gal’s blue eyes had faded to nearly gray with so many years of seeing so much life, but that didn’t make them sparkle with pure merriment in life any less.

“Daddy said he heard you were limpin’ a bit a few days back,” Cricket began. “Are you all right?”

Mrs. Maloney rolled her eyes with exasperation. “Land sakes! A body can’t get away with anything in this town,” she sighed. Her smile did not fade, however, and she continued, “I just twisted my ankle a bit, that’s all. It’s all healed up nice now. Even the bruisin’ is goin’.”

“Well, how did you do that?” Cricket asked. “You weren’t runnin’ a footrace with those Burroughs boys again, were you?”

Mrs. Maloney laughed and shook her head. “Oh, goodness no! I was just doin’ a little waltzin’ in my parlor and stepped wrong.”

Cricket’s eyebrows arched with curious delight. “Waltzin’? With whom, may I ask?”

“With none-of-your-nevermind, Miss Magnolia,” Mrs. Maloney teased.

“Mrs. Maloney!” Cricket playfully exclaimed. “Have you got a beau? Have you been entertainin’ a gentleman in your parlor of late?”

But Maymee Maloney simply tossed her head and laughed with pure glee. “Oh, don’t I wish it, Magnolia. Don’t I wish it.”

Cricket had grown wise to Maymee Maloney’s weaseling ways, however—and they were twofold. Not only could Mrs. Maloney weasel anything out of Cricket, she could also weasel her way out of not giving a straight answer to any question she chose not to answer.

“I’m not lettin’ you off this time, Mrs. Maloney,” Cricket giggled. “Who is this mysterious beau you were waltzin’ with in your parlor that found you with a turned ankle?”

Mrs. Maloney grinned—her eyes grinning too. “Oh, just Nobody,” she answered. “Nobody MacGee. That’s what I call him…Nobody MacGee. Nobody has been my waltzin’ partner since the day I lost my darlin’, sweet Mr. Maloney. Yep. Me and ol’ Nobody…we kick up our heels like nothin’ you’ve ever seen when the urge comes over us.”

Cricket’s heart pinched with sadness for Mrs. Maloney’s loneliness—for the loss of her husband, even though it had been long ago. She knew she couldn’t dwell on the subject or she’d be reduced to tears of sympathetic sorrow, loss, and loneliness.

“Well, you tell Mr. Nobody to watch his feet next time you all are sparkin’ in the parlor then,” she teased. “He’s got to be careful with a delicate, well-mannered lady like you.”

“We weren’t sparkin’, Magnolia,” Mrs. Maloney corrected with good humor. “We were only waltzin’.”

“Mm-hmm,” Cricket said, feigning suspicion. “Oh, I’m sure you were.”

Cricket and Mrs. Maloney both erupted into giggles for a moment. And when they each finally drew a breath, sighing with the contentment that comes of having been distracted by lightheartedness, Mrs. Maloney asked, “And how are things with
Ada
? Are the two of you gettin’ to know one another a little better?”

Cricket nodded. “Yes…I think so,” she answered. “And I see now that I was bein’ selfish and silly. I don’t know why it took me so long to start to understand.”

“Well, don’t spend any more time worryin’ about why it took so long. Just spend the time buildin’ your relationship with
Ada
from here forth,” the wise old woman counseled. “I think that someday you’ll find her to be one of your truest and most loyal friends.”

“Maybe so,” Cricket mumbled.

“Meanwhile, I saw that tall drink of water that ruffles your bloomers in at the general store yesterday,” Mrs. Maloney said, having lowered her voice to nearly a whisper.

“And who might that be?” Cricket asked, blushing and feigning ignorance.

Mrs. Maloney smiled and giggled a bit. “That Mr. Heathro handsome-as-the-day-is-long
Thibodaux
, that’s who.”

“Hmm,” Cricket said with a shrug. “I suppose that’s nice.”

“Well, he’s a lot more fun to look at than a hound’s hind end, I can tell you that.”

Cricket nodded and quietly mumbled, “Mmm-hmm.”

“That reminds me…Me and Mr. Maloney had us a hound dog once that had a little patch of white hair shaped exactly like a heart situated right under his tail on his hind end.” The old woman began to chuckle. “Mr. Maloney named him Valentine, and that ol’ hound slept at the foot of our bed for near to twelve years before he died.” She sighed and shook her head. “Old Valentine. I hadn’t thought of him in so long.”

Cricket smiled. “A heart right under his tail?”

“Yep,” Mrs. Maloney said with a nod. “I was forever and always scoldin’ Mr. Maloney about liftin’ up that dog’s tail to show folks the heart. It just wasn’t proper.”

Cricket began to giggle again. Mrs. Maloney was more fun than anything! Suddenly Cricket’s excitement swelled so warm and enchanting in her bosom that she thought she might burst with delighted anticipation—knowing that, that very night, the elderly little darling would receive the pretty teapot from the general store window.

“Anyway, as I was sayin’, I saw your Mr. Thibodaux in the general store yesterday,” Mrs. Maloney continued, having remembered her previous train of thought. The woman was impossible to distract.