I Know Who Holds Tomorrow

by Francis Ray

  “Don’t you dare, Zach Holman. I don’t want her spoiled,” Madison said, getting up with Manda in her arms. The baby’s weight and the way she snuggled closer felt good. “How about a game of pinball before we have to leave? The loser buys ice cream.”

  Zachary, tall and self-assured, stood. The other part of his surprise was working out by itself. He hadn’t even had to talk her into playing. Wes had once mentioned Madison played a killer game of pinball. Although she enjoyed playing immensely, he had refused to play against her again. “I hate to beat a woman,” Zachary said.

  She lifted a delicate brow. “Then you have nothing to worry about since I plan on beating you, and it won’t bother me in the least.”

  Laughing, Zachary curled his arm around her waist, felt the leap of his heart and accepted his fate of loving a woman he shouldn’t. He’d even let her win.

  Fifteen minutes later, he paid for ice cream. After finishing their banana splits, they slowly walked to the truck. “You were just lucky,” he said once they were all buckled in and he was pulling out of the parking lot. He still found it hard to believe she’d beaten his socks off. He’d used all his skills not to embarrass himself. “I demand a rematch.”

  “Hear that, Manda?” Madison grinned from ear to ear. “Men always have excuses when women beat them. Remember that.”

  Manda squealed and patted her hands. Madison’s answering laughter filled the cab. “That’s right. Smart girl.”

  Zachary listened to her warm, happy laughter and realized it was finally happening. Whether she wanted to admit it or not, she loved Manda. No matter how selfish it was, he wished she cared for him as well.

  “We’re invited to a cookout tomorrow night around seven.”

  Zachary had made the announcement Wednesday evening shortly after he’d arrived. Madison started to make excuses, then glanced down at Manda making her way across the floor on all fours while babbling to a bird through the French door. “We’ll be ready.”

  Now they stood on the sidewalk of a middle-class neighborhood of brick homes in Oak Cliff. She was more nervous than she had been for her first interview.

  “You both look fine,” Zachary said.

  Madison’s hand stopped straightening Manda’s pink playsuit. There were at least ten cars parked on the tree-lined street. “Maybe we should have picked a less social event for Manda’s next outing.”

  “You’ll both be all right.” He plucked Manda from her arms and held her up in the air. “Isn’t that right, munchkin?”

  Manda grinned, kicking legs and flapping arms.

  He pulled the happy child to his chest. “See? She agrees with me.”

  “She always agrees with you,” Madison said without rancor.

  “Because she’s smart. You said so yourself.” Taking Madison’s arm, they continued up the sidewalk. “Claude’s monthly fish fries are legendary. Wait until you taste his fried shrimp and crawfish, you’ll be glad you came. James and Thomas will be here with their wives and children.”

  “Won’t your men be tired for work in the morning?” she asked as Zachary rang the doorbell.

  “We usually break up by ten. Although the kids are out of school, most of the parents like to get home before it’s too late. Besides, tomorrow is Friday,” he answered just as the door opened. “Hi, Claude, I bought two ladies with me. Madison Reed, and the munchkin is Manda Taylor. This is Claude Hinton, the best carpenter in the state even if he did have the gall to retire on me last year.”

  Claude’s round face widened into a grin. “Pleased to meet you, Ms. Reed. I know you probably get tired of people saying they watch your show, but I watch it every chance I get.”

  “As a matter of fact, I don’t.” She held out her hand, liking the friendly man immediately. “Thank you for allowing us to come.”

  Her hand was swallowed in his skillet-sized hand. “No problem. I like to cook. The more, the better.” He closed the door. “Come on outside. I came in for the salad.”

  “Can I help?” Madison asked, following Claude through the neat home.

  “I can always use an extra pair of hands.” Opening the refrigerator door, he handed her three bottles of salad dressing, then picked up a huge tossed salad in a clear bowl. “Grab those wooden forks, Zach.”

  “Got em.”

  They followed Claude into the backyard crowded with people. One by one, they turned to stare at her. Zachary placed the forks on the table, then curved his other hand around Madison’s shoulder.

  She glanced up at him and the nervousness receded. “I’m all right.”

  “Never doubted it,” Zachary said to her, then spoke to those gathered there. “Most of you probably recognize Madison Reed. She and this little lady, Manda Taylor, are my guests. I’d take it as a personal favor if you didn’t let your curiosity run ahead of your common sense and good manners.”

  Claude chuckled. “I, for one, know which side my bread is buttered on. We can do introductions later. Let’s eat.”

  Madison didn’t know what to make of Claude’s statement, but as people started for the table she reached for Manda. “Let me have her so you can eat.”

  “No, I’m fine. You go ahead.”

  “I haven’t worked all day.”

  “Taking care of Mand—”

  “—Is not as hard as what you do. Now, give her to me, you’re holding up the line,” Madison said, taking matters out of his hands by gathering Manda into her arms.

  “He always was hardheaded,” said a female voice from directly behind Zachary.

  Madison glanced around to see a pixie of a woman in denim jeans and shirt and workboots. Her auburn hair was spiked over her head. She had five earrings in each ear.

  “I’ve noticed that.” Madison stepped out of line, then stared at Zachary until he picked up a paper plate.

  The woman stuck out her hand. “Kelli Potts, carpenter. I work for Zach.”

  Madison grasped the hand. It was small, strong and callused. “Have you worked for him long?”

  “Seven years.” Kelli moved up and took a plate, then proceeded to pile on heaping portions of fried shrimp, cole slaw, and peach cobbler. “The last time I waited for the cobbler I didn’t get any.”

  Madison glanced behind the diminutive woman. There were at least ten men in line along with the five women and several children. “Smart move, I’d say.”

  “Madison, if you don’t mind sharing a plate, I got enough for both of us,” Zachary said by her side. “I even got salad.”

  Madison’s lips twitched. “Salad is good for you. You don’t want to give Manda any bad ideas about food, do you?”

  “I think I’m safe for the moment.” Zachary nodded his head toward a card table under a huge maple tree strung with tiny white lights. “Let’s grab a seat. Coming, Kelli?”

  “Right behind you, boss.”

  Crossing the lawn, Zachary set the heaping plate on the table, then pulled out the chair beside him for Madison. Taking her seat, she frowned up at him when he sat down without getting Kelli’s chair.

  The other woman laughed on seeing the expression on Madison face. “I’m just one of the guys after all this time.”

  “Not to Clarence.” Zachary took Manda’s bib out of his shirt pocket and snapped it around her neck.

  “Mind if I join you?” a young man asked, but he was already pulling out a chair. “Hi, Mrs. Reed. I’m Clarence Hightower.”

  “Hello.” Madison greeted him as the earnest-faced young man dressed similar to Kelli sat down next to her facing Zachary. “Do you work for Zachary also?”

  “Sure do. I’m a carpenter apprentice.” He smiled at Kelli. “She’s my boss.”

  Kelli started to stand. “I forgot to get a drink.”

  With the eagerness of a frisky puppy, Clarence was up in a flash. “I’ll get it.”

  “You didn’t ask what kind,” she said as he started away.

  He turned, grinning down at her. “Cream soda.”

  She wasn’t pleased
by his answer. “How did you know that?”

  “I listen,” he said simply.

  “Well, tonight I want a light beer.” Tucking her head, she dug into her cole slaw.

  Frowning, his brows bunched, he said, “Beer gives you a headache.”

  Kelli’s head whipped up and around. “How do you know so much about what I like or dislike or what gives me a headache?” she asked in a voice meant to intimidate and get answers.

  Clarence held her gaze without flinching. “A man pays attention to the things that are important to him.”

  Her lips thinned in aggravation. “Just go get the beer.”

  “All right, but we’re supposed to be at the Henderson place at seven to begin framing their house. With all that hammering, you’ll be sorry.”

  Kelli spread her hands and slowly rose. She only came to the middle of his chest. “You ever heard the saying, ‘When I want your opinion I’ll beat it out of you’?”

  “I think I just have. Light beer coming up.”

  Making a face, Kelli sat back down in her seat. “The things I have to put up with.”

  “Why don’t you give the kid a break?” Zachary said, handing Manda a piece of whole-wheat bread.

  “Because he is a kid.” Her sharp teeth tore viciously into a shrimp. “He’s almost three years younger than I am, has hands like a baby’s behind, and is about as naive as they come.”

  Zachary, about to spear a crawfish, paused. “You know what your problem is, Kelli?”

  She smiled at him sweetly. “No, because I don’t have any.”

  “You like him.” When she started to sputter, Zachary held up his hand. “I heard my mother and one of her friends talking a while back about a mutual friend who was older than the man she was dating. You know what they said? I’ll tell you. They thought it was a good thing. They said he was young and trainable. It irritated my dad and me, but they just might be right.”

  “Here you are.” Clarence set a can of light beer and a cream soda in front of Kelli. Neither had been opened. “Just in case.”

  Kelli opened the can of beer and turned it up. Setting the can down, she ignored Clarence’s scowl and picked up another shrimp.

  Madison watched the interchange with growing fascination, wondering if Clarence noticed that although Kelli had put the can to her mouth her throat hadn’t moved. She hadn’t drunk the beer. She’d just pretended she had to irritate him. From the looks of his hunched shoulders, she had succeeded.

  “Eat up, Madison.” Zachary nudged his overflowing plate closer. “I don’t want them to think I got all this for myself.”

  “I’m not hun—” she started, but seeing him wave his fork inches from her mouth with a shrimp on it, she picked up her own. The lightly battered butterfly shrimp was fried to perfection and pure heaven on her tongue. “This is delicious.”

  “Told you,” Zachary said. He handed her a fork. “I won’t care if you eat all the salad, but I’ll race you to see who gets through the shrimp.”

  Well aware the challenge was designed to get her to eat and that he’d see that she ate by hook or crook, she quickly came to a decision. “I’d bet, but I don’t want to hear any excuses if you lose again.”

  “I won’t lose.”

  Madison simply smiled. Eleven minutes later, Madison was declared the winner after the second helping Clarence had gladly gotten for them. Fifteen to twelve. She smiled at Zachary’s stunned expression. “Count your blessings it wasn’t smoked salmon. I’d still be eating.”

  “I’ll have to remember that.” Standing, Zachary picked up the empty plate and Kelli’s can of beer. “I’ll toss this for you.”

  Kelli’s eyes widened for a fraction. “Ah, thanks.”

  Clarence slowly came to his feet. “I’ll take your plate if you’re finished.” This time the voice was polite, but with none of the guileless happiness of wanting to please that it had held earlier.

  Kelli glanced at him, then away. “Thank you.”

  With both plates, Clarence followed Zachary to the large trash can by the side of the house. His steps didn’t have the pep they had earlier, either.

  “Don’t worry, Zachary won’t betray a confidence,” Madison said, noticing Kelli’s unhappy expression.

  “I know.” She sounded miserable. She popped the can of cream soda and took a long swallow, then stared at Clarence standing by Zachary and three other people.

  Madison adjusted a sleepy Manda in her lap. “Zachary’s right, isn’t he?”

  Kelli’s hand closed around the can of soda. She stared at the can a long time before she lifted her unhappy face. “I never dated much, been too busy working.” She worked her shoulders. “I thought men appreciated you more if they had to work to get you. I might have pulled it off if my temper hadn’t taken over. He just seems so darn sure of himself, so eager.” She sighed. “And so young.”

  Madison felt older than her thirty years. “For some people it’s easier to open up than others. It’s harder when you’ve been hurt,” she said with feeling. “You can hurt Clarence just as deeply as he can hurt you. Don’t waste time, don’t play games, and don’t lie.”

  “I may not get a chance,” Kelli said, hunching over the table.

  “He probably just needs to regroup. He’ll be back and when he does, what are you going to do?”

  Kelli stared longingly at Clarence, then she turned to Madison. “Train him,” she said with an impish smile on her face.

  Madison laughed and the women slapped hands in the air.

  “Excuse us, Mrs. Reed, but my wife, Eloise, wanted to meet you.”

  Madison glanced up at a thin-faced woman with James, one of the men who had helped Zachary put up the swing. “Hello, James, nice seeing you again. Eloise. Who’s that handsome fellow with you?”

  The shy smile on Eloise’s face disappeared. Pride and love shone in its place as she turned the chubby toddler in shorts and a T-shirt smeared with catsup in her arms toward Madison. “This is Darrin, our youngest. He’s eighteen months.”

  Madison picked up Manda’s hand and waved. “Say hi to Darrin, Manda.” Manda leaned against Madison and stuck her finger in her mouth. “She’s not used to strangers.”

  “Pay it no mind,” Eloise said. “All mine went through that stage. Now, I can’t keep up with them.” She glanced around the yard. “That’s my two in the Dallas Cowboy T-shirts.”

  Madison followed her gaze to a group of young boys playing touch football. “They’re a handsome pair.”

  Eloise grinned from ear to ear. “Thank you.”

  “Would you like to have a seat? Then perhaps Manda could get used to Darrin.” Madison asked.

  “That sounds like a good idea.”

  “I’ll see you later, Mrs. Reed,” James said as his wife pulled out a chair and sat with Darrin a couple of feet from Madison. “I see she has two teeth. The others should be popping in soon. You got something to soothe her gums?”

  Madison frowned. “No.”

  “You should get some medicine tomorrow,” Eloise advised. “Nothing worse than a fussy baby when their gums are bothering them.”

  “I guess I have a lot to learn. Manda will be ten months Saturday,” Madison said. Everyone there had probably heard the story by now. “I can always call my sister or buy a book, I guess.” Once again she felt what her separation from her close friends had cost her.

  Eloise tsked. “Books are all right for some things, but there’s nothing like experience.” She waved her arm to another woman. “Beatrice, come over here and bring Little Thomas.”

  Kelli started to get up.

  “You stay put, missy,” Eloise ordered. “One of these day you’re gonna get married and have a baby and you’ll know what to do.”

  Kelli shot a glance at Clarence, shoulders hunched, a can of soda in his hand, and sat back down. “I might, at that.”

  Beatrice took a seat with a dark-haired baby that seemed to be a miniature linebacker. She pushed her shoulder-length braids beh
ind her ears. “I couldn’t have gone another step.”

  “How old is he?” Madison asked, in awe of the grinning baby. He reminded her of a tiny sumo wrestler.

  “Ten months, twelve days. And before you ask, he weighed ten pounds at birth.” She sighed dramatically. “Thank God for C-sections.”

  “Beatrice, I was just telling Mrs. Reed about teething. You know what a tough time you had a couple of weeks back with Little Thomas.”

  “Don’t remind me,” Beatrice said, then leaned over to turn her baby around until they were face-to-face. “If my arms hadn’t been so tired from walking the floor with him, I would have pitched him out the door.” He squealed in delight as she rubbed her nose to his.

  “He certainly seems happy.” Madison said.

  “Now, this afternoon it was a different story,” Beatrice said, letting her son pull up and stand. On his thigh was a Band-Aid.

  “Was he hurt?” Madison asked, unconsciously pulling Manda protectively closer to her.

  Beatrice shook his head. “Got his shots today. Screamed the office down. I told Thomas, the next time he’s taking him.”

  “He won’t do it or either he’ll look so pitiful you’ll end up taking Little Thomas. James promises every time and not once has he been there to hold one of them down or to see them look at you like you were the one who stuck them with that needle.” Eloise shook her head. “Darrin’s appointment is coming up next month and I just know I’ll have to take him again.”

  Beatrice gathered Little Thomas closer, then leaned over and whispered to the other women, “I know one sure way to get Thomas to agree to anything, threaten to put him on short ration.”

  “How long you planning on?” Eloise asked, her voice hushed, her eyes bright with interest.

  Beatrice considered, swallowed. “I think I could last two weeks, otherwise I’d tear his clothes off.”

  Kelli whooped, then slapped the table. “No wonder Thomas comes to work with a grin on his face every day.”

  “Mother always said take care of your business or someone else will,” Beatrice said emphatically.

  “Ain’t that the truth.” Eloise nodded her head. “Women who turn their back on their husband’s needs always act surprised when they cheat. If James strays, it won’t be because he’s not getting it at home.”