by Lass Small
And she felt that the intimacy they had shared allowed her a more open comment. “I wouldn’t be married to a man like my daddy for all the money in this world.”
Then she considered slowly, “I can be his daughter. He leaves us girls to Momma.” After a thoughtful pause, Lauren mentioned, “Of course, she turns us over to Goldilocks.”
Kyle put in, “I’m anticipating meeting Goldilocks.”
Lauren sighed in satisfaction, “You’re in for a treat.”
Then they spent about an hour there in that weedovergrown track, saying goodbye. Anyone standing around waiting for that to be accomplished would have thought they were parting forever.
When they were finally on their way to the garage again, around her lips the whisker burn was even worse. He stopped the car and got out a shoe shine container that carried cow balm for utters. It was what made his hands smooth. Well, smoother.
And the balm did help her face.
Everybody at the garage knew the convertible was that of a woman Kyle knew and probably one who had been stranded with him at his house during the Storm. There was a gathering of idle men who were almost discreet in looking her over. They watched, cleared their throats and exchanged looks with one another.
They all saw her subtly abraded face. That perked them up. They shifted their feet and smiled and caught glances with their cohorts. And they all managed to individually greet Kyle, while Lauren really didn’t notice any of them.
Women just learn early not to pay direct attention to strange, human males or unknown dogs. Especially rabid ones.
Her car had been rescued early enough that it was fine. Kyle had even had the gas tank filled. That had not only been his usual generous self, but it had indicated that he knew Lauren Davie well enough to have her car checked out and filled with gas. It was a subtle possessive indication of a man with a woman.
It fascinated the idle males. One had come through such snowdrifts he’d had to shovel an occasional path to get the pickup through, in order to be there when Kyle picked up one of the Davie girls’ cars.
Obviously, not a whole lot was going on in the countryside at that time, in that area, and anyway they could talk about how the Storm had boxed them in. Each had at least one storm story. And they could nod in understanding over the brags of the others.
“I don’t know how I ever got that damned bovine out of that there drift at that particular time!”
He had a reply: “You coulda jest left ‘er there for the thaw. You had to know it’d melt right away.”
And another couldn’t resist. “Yeah, and you coulda milked ice cream!”
That got a patient laugh.
But with Kyle bringing one of the Davie girls for her car—after three days—there was silence. Smiles. Exchanged looks among themselves. And nobody spit their tobacco juice. Amazing.
She was wearing those silks.
Well, one spit discreetly when the juice began to run out of the side of his mouth. He was couth about it. He wiped his mouth with a bandana.
His wife probably would raise holy hell when she found that in the laundry.
Kyle understood the fascination of the watchers. But at that particular time, he wished them in Tripoli. He was reluctant to give Lauren up, even for a while.
He wondered soberly what their next meeting would be like away from his place and in other circumstances. He would look rough and uncouth at her house.
If she’d wanted a smooth lap dog, she could have married any of those barking as they had chased after her before then.
He was himself.
Kyle watched her with troubled possessiveness. Would he lose her? Would he only be remembered because he’d been her first? She liked it so much, she would probably loosen her chains of conduct and go try just about any willing man.
Another man could get her.
For some reason that made the skin on Kyle’s back prickle and shiver. He needed to be around her in order to protect her.
She’d done pretty well by herself. She’d only three days ago gotten interested. And that had been with him.
She came to him and said, “You shouldn’t have paid the tow.”
Kyle replied very seriously, “You’re my guest.”
“Thank you.”
He urged, “You’re welcome to come back, now.”
“Silly. You know 1 have to go home or Goldilocks will send out the Marines?” That was the do-youunderstand questioning statement.
He assured her, “I was with the Marines in Desert Storm. If they came to my place, they would have a cup of coffee and go back saying they couldn’t find you.”
She nodded. She saw only him. She hadn’t noticed all the yahoos who’d gathered to just look at her. They were shadows. Even Sam Books was there. He was an old goat who never left his place. But he was there to see the Davie girl.
It was ghastly for the new lovers to say a discreet goodbye. They didn’t kiss. Her face was pink. The cow balm had helped but her face was still pink. She could be blushing.
Kyle took her to her car, and he put her in it silently. What could he add to all he’d already said? And he watched her leave.
She almost didn’t make the first turn. She was still looking in the rearview mirror at him standing back there at the garage still watching after her.
She opened the windows because the breeze from driving would keep her eyes from tearing and distract her concentration on being with Kyle. She took off her sunglasses and let her eyes cope with the winds.
She wondered if she met Kyle under ordinary circumstances, would he still be as magical? Or had it been a half-frozen woman, lost, whose gratitude for surcease and protection had taken over and overwhelmed her?
Lauren’s mother wasn’t home. So Lauren went into the kitchen and there was Goldilocks stirring something voodooed on the great gas range. She had her black hair in multiple tiny braids and her stance was intimidating.
Goldilocks frowned on Lauren and asked, in slow up and down with every other word, “What have you been doing?”
The vocal selection of “What you doing” was emphasized nicely.
“You know I was stranded in the storm.”
“You okay?”
“Yes, of course.” And naturally, she blushed. But then her mouth just went on and told just about everything. Not the sex. Just the saving, harboring and care. It spilled out of her like the fizz out of a jolted bottle.
Goldilocks listened. Her big eyes turned on Lauren from time to time and observed the talking Lauren.
And Lauren remembered all the times she’d come home full to bursting of talk, her mother had been gone, and Goldilocks had listened. How amazing to realize that Goldilocks was the one who’d guided her along her way.
Lauren didn’t mention sleeping in the same bed with Kyle.
As Goldilocks kept track of all the cooking and baking she was doing, Lauren babbled on and on about how Kyle had saved her life, finding her and getting her warm. She told about Kyle’s care and food and concern, and how he’d saved her car.
Working at her pace, Goldilocks listened to Lauren and finally commented, “We gonna get to see this paragon?”
And with snippy teasing, Lauren retorted, “I haven’t yet asked him!”
“You bringing him home for us to see if he’s any good at all?”
“Next Friday for supper. All right?”
“We’ll have fish. Catfish. Willard’ll get us some. We’ll snare him in with food. Men all like food and their stomachs make them think the girl is the cook.”
Lauren protested, “I could have been as good as you—almost—if you’d ever let me try!”
Goldilocks lectured as she wobbled a long-handled spoon at Lauren. “You’re the type that’ll take over and run the place. I couldn’t allow that in my kitchen. You’d’a been underfoot the whole, entire time!”
“I could have done it all.”
“Your momma woulda sent you off to a convent instead of losing me. Keeping you ou
t of the kitchen kept you from the convent.”
“Glory be.”
“Don’t be snotty. I saved your skin.”
So Lauren hugged Goldilocks who scolded, “Cut that out, this minute! What do you think I am? Shoo! Vamoose! Get yourself out of here.”
And laughing, Lauren left.
So that evening, Kyle came into San Antonio and to the Davie house to see Lauren. Nobody of the family was there except for Goldilocks. She was in the den watching TV, so the two joined her. They held hands discreetly, and they didn’t pay much attention to what was on the television.
They had no idea Goldilocks watched them the entire time.
After Kyle left discreetly, Goldilocks said to Lauren, “Looks to me like you got a good one. You locked him in yet?”
With some drollness, Lauren replied, “I haven’t yet asked him.”
And Goldilocks warned, “Don’t fool around and lose him.”
It was the next day that Lauren found her mother dressing to go out. She sat on the perfectly made double big bed that was her parents’ resting place, and she asked, “What did you say to daddy when the cattle froze that time and he was yelling?”
“I didn’t say anything. I just listened.”
“He was so furious!”
“All men are, now and then.”
“What did you say?”
“That it didn’t matter all that much.”
“You told him that?”
“I’d waited until he was just about finished with his yelling. He’d needed to do that. Then I told him that it wasn’t fatal to us. We could handle it. That the frozen beeves would be butchered and given to needy people. He could take it off his taxes.”
And the second oldest finally asked her mother, “And another time, when he was furious about Maribelle running off for that weekend with Talbert. What did you say that calmed him down?”
Her mother asked, “How old are you again?”
“I’m already twenty-seven.”
“Then you’re old enough. I reminded him of the weekend we ran off and Daddy came with his shotgun.”
“Did you do that?”
Her naughty mother tilted her head. “I knew I had him. So I pretended it was all his idea. And when Maribelle came home and said she’d been at the Finkles, your daddy asked, “How are they?”
“Maribelle said, ‘Fine.’ And your daddy just let her walk on off up the stairs.”
“Why didn’t you scold her?”
“She’d found out Talbert wasn’t for her. Sometimes that happens. A good woman has to get to know a man. If she doesn’t, the marriage can be awful.”
“So you promote women going off for weekends with a man to find out?”
“Never! I promote a woman to find out how a man really is. Sometimes a forced marriage doesn’t work out at all well. A woman feels committed. She doesn’t realize it’s not wrong to admit the marriage won’t work.”
“How’d you know Daddy was the man for you?”
“He convinced me.”
“How?”
“He really worked at seeing to it that I knew the kind of man he could be. How he treated animals, humans and women. Those are good tests. No woman wants an abusive man.”
Lauren reminded her mother, “He yells.”
“That’s all he does. He has never hit anything. He has yelled. He’s yelled at you on occasion.”
Lauren smiled and remembered. “When the boat turned over, and he didn’t realize I wore an inflatable jacket.”
“That was one time,” Lauren’s mother told her. “But do you remember when you went with Murdock? And he held you in his car? And wouldn’t let you out?”
“The state cop came along and—Daddy sent him?”
“Yes.”
“I’d never realized you all knew about that time. I’ve just blessed that curious cop!”
Rather stridently, her mother shared knowledge. “Parents have never had it easy.”
Lauren shook her head. “I’m not sure I could handle all that with kids.”
Her mother said softly, “They are so precious. It’s worth the sweat.”
And leaving that old time, Lauren put in what was important. “You haven’t met Kyle.”
“I look forward to seeing him.” Then her mother asked, “Are you. unsure about him?”
“He is the sweetest man.”
“All men are sweet with a new woman.”
“You offend him.”
Her mother smiled. “So, you’re his defender?”
“When you meet him, you will understand. I’m sorry you all were out when he was here last night.”
“Friday will do.”
“Your schedule filled until then?”
And her mother replied, “We’ll let Kyle sweat a little. He will meet us.”
“If you all are rude to him—”
“We’ve never been rude. You know that?”
Lauren was stubborn. “—I’ll run away from home.”
Her mother smiled. “Where would you go?”
“With him.”
“Oops, this is more serious than I thought.”
“He is perfect.”
Gently, her mother cautioned, “NO one is perfect.”
“Just you wait and see. He is.”
When Kyle phoned, Lauren told him, “You have to court me.”
“Golly, I haven’t had to do that since high school. I’m not sure I can remember how.”
“Send me flowers.”
“What kind?”
“It doesn’t matter. And come out here and call to me from the bushes.”
“I think I’ve…outgrown that.”
“Try.” Then she asked, “Do you still have that pod?”
“Yeah. I’ll bring it to you.”
But he “forgot” and his surprise was quite honest looking as he apologized. But he hadn’t forgotten, he’d just kept it as another excuse to see her again.
So on his own, Kyle went to her daddy’s office to ask for Lauren’s hand.
And her daddy sat back in his desk chair and squinted his eyes at the younger man. He asked, “How much do you need?”
Her lover was surprised. He asked a very puzzled, “What?”
And her daddy asked, “How much money does your spread need?”
With almost deadly courtesy, Kyle replied, “Nothing I can’t handle.”
“How much can you handle?” And Mr. Davie squinted his eyes just a little as he watched for squirmings.
“You trying to bribe me?”
When Mr. Davie just sat there, Kyle got up and left.
So that evening, as Kyle came to the Davie door, it opened before he even knocked. Lauren looked at Kyle with interest or maybe it was curiosity. She said, “My daddy has disowned me.”
And Kyle grinned from ear to ear. “That gets him out of our hair.”
She took Kyle out on the enclosed sun porch that was mostly glass walled. The place was large and there was a lot of furniture and potted palms. She found a niche for them behind some of the quite tall palms and sat down. She smiled up at him and patted the place next to her.
“Since you’ve been disowned, and I walked out on him at his office today, let’s elope.”
She sparkled.
Kyle went on, “I’ve got a license. You got to be checked out. It won’t take long. Let’s go.”
“Everyone is going to be here for dinner on Friday. We can’t sneak out now.”
Kyle gestured openly, “You’ve been disowned, and I’ve been snubbed.”
So Lauren was curious. “What all did you demand for daddy to get rid of me?”
He looked at her with indignation. “He wanted to know how much money I wanted to get from him along with you.”
“How much did you demand?”
With some hostility, he said in dangerous softness, “Nothing.”
Lauren was disgusted. She complained, “You probably could have gotten a cool million, they’re so anxious for me to ge
t married. You were rash to allow your indignation to get hold of you thataway.”
“I don’t need Davie money.”
She sighed. “My granddaddy left each of us kids some stock. We get it when we marry. You’ll have to just be kind about it. and accepting.”
“The money is yours. You can do whatall you want
with it, if it’s gonna be forced on you. I won’t touch it.”
She observed him down her nose, then she declared, “I predict quarrels.”
“Not with me, you don’t.”
She considered him. “I love you. I thought it was just the remarkable sex, but I have discovered there’s more to you than just that.”
Kyle was indignant and demanded, “Just that? Whaddaya mean—just that?”
And the humor bubbled inside her.
He frowned at her. “For a woman whose daddy has disowned her, you’re pretty snippy.”
She explained with airy shrugging, “He’s done it before. He grew up without sisters and his mother died when he was young. Women baffle him.” She smiled gently at Kyle.
“So you’ve decided to marry me without your daddy’s blessing?”
“Goldilocks loves you.”
He admonished, “I’m lovable.”
“And I love you.”
So he growled at her, “You’re lucky I feel that same way about you.”
“Really? I hadn’t known you were emotionally involved.”
And he demanded, “Be quiet and kiss me like you mean it. Kiss me with the passion you’ve been hiding from me. Kiss me, you wicked woman-trap.”
His arms went around her and his breathing was harsh. His mouth rooted for hers and his body was intense.
She gave him a tiny little peck on his cheek and said, “Later.”
He scowled and his eyes narrowed. “What do you mean—later?”
“After we’re married.”
“You’re gonna be a holdout, until then?” His voice went way up.
“We’ll be discreet,” Lauren told him. Then she elaborated, “People are gossiping about my being in your house all that time.” She slid a salacious look over at him and went on, “I said we made bread and kneaded it.”
