“Hey, Ben.” Sammie smiled.
Pearl turned to see the boy standing opposite from Sam. It was easy to see they were brothers. Their handsome faces resembled one another’s, with deep-set coffee-colored eyes and strong square jaws. Ben was the leaner of the two and a good two inches taller. His hair was shorter, cropped in a no-nonsense way. Pearl liked the way he dressed with ease in a fitted green and blue flannel shirt rolled at the sleeves and dark denim jeans. Sam stood straighter, his exterior bolder as his chest jutted out in front of him.
“Who’s your friend?” Sam asked, with a nod toward Pearl.
“Pearl, she’s new around here,” Sammie said.
“Bet you get yourself in a lot of trouble with lips like that.” Sam smirked at Pearl. “Could suck the chrome right off a Ford bumper, couldn’t you?”
Pearl looked away from Sam in time to seen Ben grimace.
“This place is dead,” Sam said with a wink. “Wanna go for a drive? I got booze in the truck.”
Sammie looked to Pearl with pleading eyes. Pearl smiled reluctantly and answered, “Sure.”
Sammie pounded a beer in the back seat of the double-cab truck as Pearl watched the lights of the town disappear behind them. Sam drove fast, twisting around turns as if they were in a jet. Sammie cried out in excitement as Pearl held on to the handle above her head, praying she wouldn’t vomit. She had no idea where they were going. She wondered if she should be worried. Sammie made no attempt at putting her at ease as she lost control, singing loudly to the radio.
“You have a beautiful voice,” Sam shouted back to her. “Maybe you should join our band.”
Sammie giggled wildly.
They drove up a winding hill, a black forest deep beneath them. The stars crept closer as they reached the top. Sam pulled the truck to the side of the road where the gravel met the grass.
“Isn’t this beautiful, Pearl?” Sammie exclaimed, swaying her arms in the night.
Above, the bright stars glistened between the tall trees that surrounded them. Pearl laughed with her friend as Sammie pulled her through the trees, landing on a soft patch of fresh green grass that had not been burned by the sun. The boys followed with a case of beer in each hand. Pearl took a sip, remembering the bitter aftermath from the last time she drank too much beer.
“Why aren’t you drinking tonight, Ben?” Sammie asked with a pout.
“Someone’s gotta drive you home, Sammie Lynn.”
“Oh, you’re such a goodie,” Sammie said smartly. “It’s Friday night.”
“Some of us have to work,” Sam chimed in.
Sammie turned a glare on him. “You know very well I have a job.”
Sam laughed. “Showing your breasts down at Old Vinny’s isn’t what I’d call hard work.”
“You talk like I’m a stripper,” Sammie said, faking a frown.
Sam wrapped his arms around her, tackling her to the ground. “Best-looking stripper I know!”
She giggled at the compliment.
“I, on the other hand, have to be down at Joe Derney’s by seven,” Ben said.
“Might as well stay up all night, little brother,” Sam said, tucking his head into Sammie’s hair. “Maybe have a little fun for once.”
Pearl tilted her head toward Ben, eyeing the look of frustration on his face. “So I’m not a big partier,” he said. “Guess I missed those genes.”
“Well, I hope you make enough money to support your alcoholic brother,” Sammie said, laughing at Sam’s attempt at a hurt expression.
“Hey, I’m not the one still living at home.”
Ben looked at Pearl. “I do not live at home,” he said, defending himself.
“That’s right, you live in the backyard,” Sam taunted.
“Sam,” Sammie scolded.
Sam lifted his free hand in defense. With the other hand he toasted his brother. “No, no,” he said. “He built that house with his own hands. Man, I couldn’t do that.”
Pearl’s mouth dropped. Ben jerked his eyes away, his lips firm in a tight line.
“What do you do?” Pearl asked.
“I work for my dad’s contracting business,” he said with a shrug. “But really, I’d like to be an architect one day.”
“Wow,” Pearl said, truly impressed.
“Just dreams, that’s all.” He smiled slightly. “I did build my own house. It’s small, but…”
“…but it’s a start,” Pearl finished for him.
He looked to her again, his smile widening.
Back at the truck, Pearl rested her head against the back of the seat as they drove down the hill out to Jumping Creek. It was nearly dawn, with the stars beginning to fade as the morning sun poked its head from behind the mountains. Sammie stayed in the forest, off in a secluded hideaway with Sam, while Ben took Pearl home. Before they left he told them they better be done doing whatever it was they were doing when he came back to get them. Pearl worried about leaving Granny for so long, praying she hadn’t needed her in the middle of the night.
“So what is a girl like you doing with a girl like Sammie?” Ben asked, breaking the silence between them.
“What kind of girl am I?” she asked in sincere confusion.
“Well, as far as I know, you don’t have a reputation like Sammie. And you’re not in the woods alone with some guy you barely know.”
“No,” Pearl clarified. “I’m alone in a truck with a guy I barely know.”
“You got me there.”
Pearl could hear the smile in his voice. “I’m new in town,” she said, finding herself holding back more information.
“Oh, yeah? From where?”
“Arizona.”
He turned down her road. It was only a moment before they got to Jumping Creek, and strangely, she didn’t want to get out of the car.
“I have an aunt in Tempe.”
“Tempe is nice. I’m from Tucson.”
“Haven’t been to Tucson.”
“Rocks and desert.”
“Sounds nice.” Ben laughed.
He pulled into the driveway but didn’t slow down. She held out a hand to stop him. “This is good.”
He slammed on his brakes. “You want out here? What are you, a runaway or something?” he said with a smile.
She turned away. “Thank you for the ride.”
He jumped out of the car, making his way to her door and giving her a hand down the step. “I’m really glad I met you tonight, Pearl.”
She smiled lightly and nodded. “Good night.” She paused. “Or good morning.”
“Good night, or good morning, to you,” he replied with a grin.
She watched him drive off before she headed up the driveway. The sun clung to the gray clouds, fortunately stretching the night just long enough for Pearl to return to Granny’s. She passed the window to the chicken coop and peeked in to see Roy’s naked body passed out on top of the sheets. Where normally she would feel an urge to join him, something nudged at her instead.
She would never do anything to betray Roy. She loved him wholly. Yet she couldn’t shake the pull deep inside her that yearned for the attention of Ben’s warm eyes on her.
As she walked to the back of the house, she found herself smiling. She slid up the stone steps and reached for the door. It was locked. The door was never locked. She tried again, wondering if it was stuck. Her body went numb as her palms began to sweat. She stood back, sick with fear that she had been caught. She ran to the front of the house, only to find the door was locked as well. She sank down to sit on the edge of the steps, her body trembling.
Breathe, she told herself. Calm yourself. She held her breath and counted the beats of her heart.
It wouldn’t be long before everyone was up. She could stay right here, wait for Roy to show up and confess all that she had done the night before, but he would never believe her. Instead she decided to hide, sneak in the door after someone had entered, and creep her way up the stairs to her room as though she had been there a
ll along. Silently she slipped into the back of Roy’s truck and crouched down, waiting for any sound that indicated someone was up. She waited with tired eyes that began to droop. And just as the sun rose in the sky through the hazy clouds, those tired eyes closed.
CHAPTER 9
Pearl woke with a kink in her back and her face planted down on the cold surface of Roy’s Chevy truck. She adjusted her eyes to the light, realizing immediately it was hours past dawn. The tractor rumbled in the distance, giving her the slightest relief that Roy was out in the fields.
She crawled from the truck, her feet floating across the ground as she slipped into the quiet house and up the stairs to her room. Quickly she changed, hiding her dirty clothes under the bed. She brushed her teeth and splashed her face with cold water. Her stomach was knotted from immense guilt, knowing Granny must be miserable sitting in her own filth.
“My goodness, where have you been?” Granny asked as Pearl entered the room. “I thought you were planning on leaving me here to die.”
Surprisingly enough, Granny was sitting tall in bed, her pillows fluffed, fresh coffee on her nightstand. Pearl had no chance to respond before a flight of red hair came bouncing in the room.
“And hadn’t it been for Cindy, I just may have,” Granny said with a glare.
“I’m so sorry, Granny,” Pearl said, ignoring Cindy’s smirk. “I must have overslept. It won’t happen again.”
“We were wondering if you caught that awful bug again,” Cindy said with feigned concern.
Pearl pretended that the wicked woman wasn’t there. “Can I get you some breakfast?” Pearl asked Granny.
“Breakfast?” Granny scoffed. “It’s minutes before dinner.”
Pearl cursed at herself under her breath. How had she slept that long?
“Where are my pills?” Granny demanded.
“I’ll get them,” both girls said, heading for the door.
Pearl and Cindy eyed each other, seeing who would make the next move. Pearl stepped through the door, a stride ahead of Cindy, who trailed right behind her.
“Nice night?” Cindy asked.
Pearl shrugged. “Same as usual.” She poured Granny a glass of lemon ice water.
Cindy gave her a hard stare. “I know you are not this sweet innocent little girl everyone thinks you are. You think you got Roy and Vernie eating candy right out of your hand, but I don’t buy it.”
Pearl bit her tongue to keep from speaking the harsh words her mind screamed at Cindy. She took out Granny’s pill bottles and placed them on a saucer.
“What makes you think I can’t go to Roy right now and tell him how you were running around on him last night?”
Pearl glowered at Cindy. “I was not running around on Roy. I simply had a drink with a girlfriend.”
Cindy smiled at Pearl’s confession. “Think he will believe you?”
Pearl fell silent, knowing Cindy was right.
“So what are you willing to do to keep my mouth shut?” Cindy threatened.
Pearl’s hand shook with anger as she counted out Granny’s medication. She refused to answer her, which made Cindy all the more enthused.
“Hmm, maybe watching the kids for me every day for a few hours?” Cindy said, making the suggestion more to herself than to Pearl. “And maybe even a few nights a week. My house could use a good cleaning, too, while you’re there.”
Pearl was disgusted by the smile on Cindy’s face. She knew she had no choice but to abide by Cindy’s demands. Roy would be furious if he knew she had sneaked out again. Cindy was right; he would never believe she had been faithful.
Cindy clapped her hands in delight. “This will be so much fun.” She whipped her red mane around her as she headed out of the kitchen.
“Cindy,” Pearl said, her voice thick and sweet, “by any chance you know of anyone who drives a red Camaro?”
Cindy’s happy stride came to a halt as she twirled on her heels back to Pearl. “You wouldn’t dare,” she hissed. “I have kids.”
Pearl folded her arms, staring the girl down. Cindy collected her breath and shook off her temper. Slowly she strode back to Pearl, ’til she was nose to nose and Pearl could smell the stench of Cindy’s breath.
“I don’t get it,” she said in revulsion. “What could Roy possibly see in you besides that long yellow hair?”
She spun back around and tromped out of the house.
That night after supper Pearl curled up to Roy on the recliner, pushing his newspaper from his lap.
“I was thinking of cutting my hair,” she said, testing him. “You know, something real cute and short.”
Roy’s head jerked up from the fallen paper. “Why would you do something like that?”
Pearl swallowed hard. “Just for a change, I guess. But I wanted your opinion first.”
“My opinion is no.”
“Who knows, maybe you would like it,” she pressed.
He reached up and tucked a golden strand behind her ear. “But I like it now.”
She rested her cheek in his palm.
“Baby, don’t go and get all crazy and changing on me.” He smiled. “You want me to like what I see, don’t you?”
She urged a smile back.
Granny passed away the week before Thanksgiving. She had been laid up in bed with pneumonia, once again refusing any medical care. She died in her sleep as Pearl dreamt away in the attic above her. It was Vernie who found her the next morning. As if she’d known the end was coming, Granny made one last request the day before she died that Pearl and Roy marry so they could live in the trailer, free of sin, and Darren and Cindy could take over the farmhouse. On the following Monday, Roy took the day off from work so he and Pearl could be wed at the courthouse, Vernie as their only witness.
The day before the wedding, Vernie surprised Pearl with a large white box wrapped in ornate pastel ribbons. Pearl tore away at the paper in eagerness. The smile on her face gleamed as bright at Vernie’s. She could already feel the delicate cloth buried beneath the tissue. She giggled in delight, knowing it had to be the wedding dress she dreamed of that she had recently pointed out to Vernie as they passed the Bridal Corner. Yet as the last bit of tissue fell from the box, her eyes filled with tears, not from joy, but disappointment. Instead of the dreamy white sheath gown she had imagined, with pearl beading on the heart-shaped strapless bodice, she pulled out an aged puff of what she assumed was once an ivory dress.
“It was the dress I married Eddie in,” Vernie said proudly. “It will look even more beautiful on you than it did on me.”
Pearl lifted the heavy garment out of the box and did her best to smile at Vernie.
“It’s so very nice of you to let me borrow it,” Pearl attempted.
Vernie waved her away, standing Pearl up and pressing the dress against her skin. “Nonsense, we’re family now.” Vernie smiled. “Let’s try this on.”
The dress had to weigh twenty pounds. Pearl’s shoulders drooped forward due to the weight. The body was plastered in taffeta, with lace covering the length of the long sleeves all the way up to the high neck trim. Pearl thought she was going to suffocate. It was about six sizes too big, giving Pearl an unflattering bulge at the waist.
“I was a lot smaller back then,” Vernie said with a wink. “Still think it needs to come in for your skinny bones. Nothing a few safety pins can’t fix.”
Pearl refused to look herself in the mirror; instead, she let the tears flow down her cheeks without bothering to wipe them away.
“Oh, dear,” Vernie said giving her a hug. “I am so delighted you are happy. You look just lovely. Roy will be pleased as plum pie.”
On the day of the wedding, Pearl made her peace with the hideous dress. To Vernie’s disapproval, she wore her hair down and straight, feeling a little more like herself, and knowing Roy would prefer it that way. He stood next to her with a proud grin on his face as he wore his favorite pair of Levi’s and one of Darren’s faded black blazers. He slipped a gold band on her fin
ger, promising to be faithful and true forever, then kissed her deeply until the judge finally cleared his throat. After the ceremony, Pearl changed into a more comfortable dinner dress, and she and Roy headed out to the finest steak restaurant in town. She beamed at his attention over dinner as he nestled up beside her, caressing her leg under the table and whispering sweet desires in her ear. He whisked her off her feet, carrying her into the house and up the stairs to what now was their room. She reached for him in the dark, anticipating her dream of their passionate wedding night. It was over before his pants touched the ground. He pushed himself off her, heaving like a fat dog that had run a hundred miles.
“I’m hungry,” he said, tossing his jeans to the corner. “I’m gonna go make a sandwich.” She made sure to fall asleep before he returned to bed.
Roy was back to work on the farm by Tuesday.
Pearl wrote her father about her beautiful intimate wedding. She said she wished both he and Billy could have been there, but with Granny on the brink of death, they had to rush to make sure she would still be around to see it. She described the gorgeous white strapless dress Vernie had bought her from the Brides Corner, and the complementary pink roses that flowed from the bouquet in her hand. She told him how thrilled she was when Roy surprised her with a three-day vacation to the beach, where they watched for whales and ate salty clams out of a bucket. She missed them terribly, and hoped to come home soon to visit. But there was so much to do with getting settled into their new home.
The trailer was a mess. Mold sank deep into corners that had been neglected for years. The floor, which had once been the color of sweet butter, now looked as if it was made to be a muddy brown with smudges of black. Pearl never took her shoes off, even after she vacuumed over the same area twenty times. Darren offered to leave their furniture until she and Roy made enough money to buy their own. It disgusted Pearl to even sit on the couch. She covered it with a sheet she took from Granny’s. She missed her rose-colored room that smelled of fresh lilies, and the clean hardwood floor and unsoiled furniture seemed like heaven compared to this hellhole she now called home. Roy would come in from work, the winter mud still on his boots as he walked through the house, not caring that Pearl had spent hours scrubbing away at the floors. He ate supper in front of the TV instead of at the table as Pearl waited hungrily for him to finish so she could eat her own. The few nights a week that he wasn’t out, he invited friends over to play poker, leaving Pearl locked up in her room listening to the loud roars of drunken men. On some of these nights she sneaked away to Vernie’s to sip moonshine and smoke on a Virginia.
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