I'll Stand By You

by Sharon Sala

  Dori shivered again.

  “That was hard,” she whispered.

  “I know,” Johnny said.

  Then she remembered he’d buried his mother. Yet another road he’d already traveled before her. She sighed. It felt good—too good—standing there like that. She pushed away from his embrace and then handed him his car keys.

  Johnny saw tears on her cheeks, but her voice was steady.

  “Thank you again for saving me,” she said. “I’d better get inside.”

  He pocketed the keys and led the way, then locked the door behind them as she headed down the hall to her baby. The sound of her footsteps faded as she entered her room, but the memory of how she felt in his arms was anything but gone. He looked in on the boys, who were in the kitchen doing homework, and then headed for the shower. Tomorrow would come all too soon.

  Dori checked on the baby. He was dry and sound asleep with the little barrier of pillows around him. She sat down in the rocking chair, then got back up again and put the key on the dresser, and then found Butterman’s card and sent him a text.

  I have the safety-deposit key. Call me tomorrow.

  She hit Send and then laid out a new nightgown for later and left the bedroom. She could hear the shower running as she walked down the hall and thought it was the boys until she walked into the kitchen and saw them at the table with their schoolwork. She eyed the bottles of Pepsi from Ruby Dye and then glanced at the boys.

  “How’s it going?” she asked.

  “Good,” Marshall said and kept working on his math.

  Beep didn’t have homework, but he liked to read and had his nose in a book.

  “Are you guys allowed to have pop before bedtime?”

  “No,” Beep said. “I would pee the bed.”

  She gave up the idea of a Pepsi.

  Marshall looked up.

  “You can have one. Johnny does. We don’t mind. I don’t like to sleep in pee and Beep only has one pair of pajamas. Me and him agreed we don’t want pop at night until he’s a big boy.”

  Dori smiled. The boys were adorable.

  She got a glass, filled it with ice, and then poured in the Pepsi. She took her first sip while it was still fizzing because she liked the tickle of it on her nose. The kick of caffeine was welcome as the cold drink slid down her throat.

  “Cookies don’t make me pee the bed,” Beep said.

  Dori stifled a grin and looked at Marshall, who shrugged.

  She got the sack of cookies. “To make homework better,” she said, giving them one apiece and then sitting down in one of the chairs with her drink.

  Johnny walked in as Beep was swallowing his first bite.

  “Hey, can I join this party?” he asked.

  Marshall grinned. “I’m almost done, Johnny. Just one more problem.”

  “Good for you,” Johnny said, making himself a glass of Pepsi too and sitting down across the table from Dori.

  She pushed the bag of cookies toward him.

  He took two, then leaned back in the chair and took a bite. “These are good,” he said, somewhat surprised.

  Dori nodded and took another drink.

  “I might need a swallow of water,” Beep said as he polished off the last of his cookie.

  “You can have a drink of my Pepsi,” Johnny said.

  Marshall looked up and frowned. “I don’t like to sleep in pee.”

  Beep looked longingly at the glass. “I’ll only have one little sip.”

  Marshall sighed and went back to his problem.

  Beep took one small sip and then wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. “That’s good stuff. Some hair of the dog,” he announced.

  Dori’s eyes widened.

  Johnny frowned. “Let me guess. You’ve been watching old gangster movies at Miss Jane’s again.”

  Beep nodded. “Belly up to the bar, boys. The drinks are on me,” he added.

  Dori burst out laughing.

  Johnny shrugged. “I know. Who knew Miss Jane had such a fondness for gangster movies? She doesn’t seem the type.”

  “I’m through!” Marshall announced.

  “Good job,” Johnny said. “Both of you get your baths and into bed. I’ll come tuck you in shortly, and remember, be quiet down the hall. The baby’s sleeping.”

  They tiptoed out of the room.

  “They are adorable, Johnny. I hope you know that,” Dori said.

  “I know. I love them to the moon and back,” he said softly and then gathered up the sack of cookies and his empty glass and headed for the sink. “Let me get the boys through in the bathroom, and then it’s all yours,” he said and left the kitchen.

  She killed time cleaning up after their snacks and tried not to think about Granddaddy lying cold and alone in a cherrywood box. Even if his spirit wasn’t there anymore, it was all there was left of the man she’d loved. It hurt her heart.

  Her steps were slow as she picked up a couple of baby bottles and filled them with milk, then set them in the refrigerator for later. This was the second night in the Pines’ home and nothing was routine, nor should it be. She was simply passing through their lives.

  She glanced out the window into the dark and then on impulse walked out onto the back porch, curious to see what night was like on this side of town.

  Lack of burning streetlights made the stars brighter and the night sky seem closer. She saw lights on in different houses around the neighborhood and one with the garage door open, the house lit up in every room including the garage. She could hear the faint sounds of music coming from there and guessed by the number of cars parked nearby, someone was having a party.

  It was a vivid reminder of how the world went on, regardless of death and loss.

  She heard an owl and a hissing cat, and then a dog barked sharply, as if announcing both his presence and the parameters of his territory. She saw a shadow move between where she was standing and the house next door. When she couldn’t figure out if it was man or beast, she decided she’d been outside long enough.

  She went back inside, locking the door behind her, then gave the kitchen one last look and turned out the lights as she headed down the hall. The bathroom door was ajar and the room was dark. After checking on Luther to make sure he was still sleeping, she got her nightgown and headed for the bathroom.

  Johnny had laid out a clean towel and washcloth for her and wiped up the floor. The idea of taking a long, hot soaking bath was enticing, but she opted for expediency and chose the shower.

  The water was lukewarm, but she didn’t care. She showered quickly and dried off fast before putting on her nightgown. After brushing her teeth, she opened the door and turned out the light.

  The hall was dark, but the night-light in the bathroom shed just enough light for her to get back to her room, and the dim lamplight was kind to the shabby furnishings. She got into bed, pulled Luther’s blanket up over his shoulders, then stretched out beside him and closed her eyes. The knot in her stomach tightened as Granddaddy’s face slid through her mind.

  “Lord, help me through this,” Dori whispered and fell asleep to the sound of Luther Joe sucking his thumb.

  * * *

  Across town, Pansy Jones stood at her living room window, looking across the street at the blackened skeleton of what was left of Meeker Webb’s house and reliving what she’d done. No matter how many ways she tried to justify it, she failed in her Christian duty and was blaming it all on Bart. This whole mess was his fault.

  And when she heard his footsteps coming up the hall, she rolled her eyes. He was obviously ready for bed, which meant he wanted his sixty seconds of sex so he could sleep. The sound of those plodding steps grated on her last nerve, as did the bellow that followed.

  “Pansy! I’m ready for bed.”

  She turned and yelled back at him. “I’m no
t in the mood to pretend I enjoy your ‘wham, bam, thank you, ma’am’ sorry excuse for sex, so you might as well go on to bed without me.”

  Bart’s mouth dropped. “You cursed.”

  She rolled her eyes. “You’d make a preacher curse. Go away, Bart. I’m not in a very good mood, and you’re not making it better.”

  He walked off, mumbling about wifely duties, which she promptly ignored. She needed to figure out how to put herself back in good standing in the community. She went to the kitchen to make a cup of tea and then sat down at the table while waiting for the microwave timer to go off.

  Right now Dori Grant was everybody’s tragic heroine, living in the same house with a boy from the other side of the tracks who’d become Blessings’s knight in shining armor. And none of this would be happening if she had ignored Bart and done what she thought was right. Trouble was, she couldn’t figure out how to fix her reputation unless she destroyed theirs first.

  * * *

  In Oneida, which was the next town over, word was spreading about the tragedy in Blessings. Lots of people had known Meeker Webb from his days as a roofer and were saddened to learn of his fate.

  But there was one man in Oneida who was hearing the news for the first time and wondering about the dead man’s granddaughter, the girl he’d fucked outside the high school gym. Frankie Ricks would never have remembered her name except that the next time he saw her she’d been big as a barrel with his kid. Now he was wondering if he might capitalize on it. He kept staring at a spot on the wall of his apartment and thinking that if the girl got anything in her grandfather’s will, he might reconsider his options.

  * * *

  Dori woke up about four in the morning to change Luther and give him a bottle. Her eyes burned from lack of sleep and so much crying, but there was a smile on her face as they played “catch Mama’s finger” while he drank. She would wiggle her finger just out of reach of his hand, and he would grab for it over and over until she’d relent and lower it just enough for him to reach. When Luther finally caught it, his eyebrows arched in surprise as Dori chuckled.

  “You surprised yourself, didn’t you?” she whispered.

  By the time she got him back to sleep, it was nearly five. She went to the bathroom and then crawled back in bed, but she slept lightly, half listening for the family to start moving around.

  It was the boys’ footsteps running in the hall and Johnny’s quick caution to be quiet that alerted her to the fact they were up. Luther was sleeping soundly, so she got out of bed and dressed, then headed for the kitchen, hoping she could help in some way.

  Johnny was at the stove, stirring another pot of oatmeal, which made her wonder if they always ate it because it was less expensive than eggs and bacon or because it was the quickest solid meal to fix.

  “Good morning,” Dori said.

  Johnny turned at the sound of her voice and smiled.

  “Hey, you,” he said softly. “I heard you two up earlier this morning. Did you get any sleep?”

  “Yes, I’m fine. Is there anything I can do to help?”

  “You can get bowls and spoons for me.”

  She moved around the room without hesitation and gathered up what he needed and set them within reach.

  “You’re pretty handy to have around,” Johnny said.

  She glanced up at him and then quickly looked away, telling herself he meant nothing by it. He was just a really nice guy. She wished she’d gotten to know him better when they’d been in school and then was shocked that had even crossed her mind. She’d already paid a high price for poor judgement.

  “I can make the boys’ lunches if you haven’t already done that,” she offered.

  “Ham and cheese with mayo for Marshall. Ham and cheese with butter for Beep. Two ham and cheese with mustard for me. Their lunch boxes are on the back counter by the washer and dryer. Marshall’s is Duck Dynasty. Beep has Iron Man. Mine is red Tupperware.”

  “Got it,” she said and got to work.

  The boys came in for breakfast, saw what she was doing, and made a beeline for her.

  “I like mayonnaise,” Marshall said.

  Dori smiled. “I know. Johnny told me.”

  “I don’t like maynaze,” Beep drawled.

  “You want butter, right?”

  He grinned. “Yep. I’m a butter man.”

  She laughed again, which made Johnny stop and look—really look—at her. She was so pretty when she smiled. Then he shook off the thought and started dishing up oatmeal.

  “Can I have raisins?” Marshall asked.

  “May I, and, yes,” Johnny muttered.

  “I don’t want no raisins,” Beep said.

  Johnny stopped and turned to the boys.

  “Guys! Every morning I make oatmeal. Every morning you both feel the need to remind me how you like to eat it. I have a real good memory. You really don’t have to tell me every time.”

  Marshall shrugged. “Okay. Whatever.”

  “I sure don’t want no raisins,” Beep mumbled.

  Johnny shook his head. “You like grapes. You should like raisins.”

  “Why?” Beep asked.

  “Raisins are just grapes with most of the juice dried out of them.”

  “I don’t like dried grapes,” Beep stated.

  “I think you’ve lost that battle,” Dori said.

  “That happens a lot around here,” Johnny said and put the bowls on the table. “Eat up, guys. Today’s Friday. Let’s make it a good one.”

  He dipped oatmeal for Dori and paused.

  “Would you like some raisins in yours?”

  She took the bowl out of his hands.

  “I don’t like no dried grapes either,” she said and took her bowl to the table with Johnny’s laughter following like a warm breath on the back of her neck.

  Chapter 12

  Dori was doing laundry and Luther was on a pallet in the living room, waving fat baby fists at the spinning ceiling fan, when Peanut Butterman called.

  She saw the caller ID and walked away from the noise of the washer and dryer to answer.

  “Hello.”

  “Dori, it’s me. I got your text about the deposit box key. Where on earth did you find it?”

  “Mrs. Harper at the funeral home gave it to me. She said it was in Granddaddy’s jeans.”

  “Your granddaddy, God rest his soul, was really thinking ahead to take that with him when you were running from the fire. Listen, I have some things to bring over when I pick up the key. Is it okay to come by now?”

  “Yes, sir,” Dori said. “I’ll be watching for you.”

  “Is your little guy awake?” he asked.

  Dori walked toward the living room to check and saw Luther waving at the fan and smiled.

  “Yes, sir. At the moment he seems to be having a conversation with the ceiling fan.”

  Peanut laughed. “See you soon.”

  When he disconnected, Dori went down the hall to the bathroom to brush her hair and freshen up.

  A couple of minutes later, she put down the hairbrush and looked at her reflection. Something was the matter with her hair. There were dry patches that frizzed up no matter how long she brushed—probably burned by sparks from the fire. There were dark shadows under her eyes, and she knew she was still too thin, but there was nothing to be done about that, either. After making sure her shirt was still clean, she went back to the living room to check on Luther and was sitting on the floor playing with him when she heard a car. She got up to look and saw two cars instead of one coming up the driveway.

  Peanut got out of the first car, with a briefcase and a large sack. The driver in the second car parked, popped the trunk, and got out as Peanut headed to the house.

  Dori opened the door as Butterman came up the steps.

  “Good morning, Dori! I
come bearing gifts. Where’s that boy?”

  Dori stepped aside as Peanut entered and pointed.

  Luther was still in deep conversation with the fan, his gazed fixed, his hands flailing.

  Peanut laughed. “Hypnosis! That’s a unique way to put them to sleep.”

  Then the man who’d been driving the other car was now standing on the threshold holding a very large box.

  “Where do you want this, Mr. Butterman?”

  “Just set it anywhere and then wait for me. I won’t be long.”

  The man grinned at the baby, nodded politely at Dori as he carried the box to an empty space behind the couch, and then made a quick exit.

  “What’s in that?” Dori asked.

  “A collapsible playpen that can double as a baby bed. I had a feeling you might need something like that.”

  Dori gasped. “Oh, you have no idea! This is wonderful. Thank you so much.”

  Peanut patted her arm in a fatherly manner.

  “You’re welcome, dear. If you have a few minutes, we need to talk.”

  “Yes, sir,” she said and sat down on the sofa.

  Butterman sat at the other end of the sofa and then seemed to remember he was still holding the sack.

  “This is for you. I had my secretary pick it out. It’s something for you to wear to the funeral. She checked with Lovey Cooper about the sizes.”

  Dori opened the bag and pulled out a black-and-white baby-doll dress, black stockings, and black wedge sandals. The outfit was young and stylish but still perfect for a somber event.

  Her hands shook as she felt the soft knit fabric. His thoughtfulness was so beyond what she would have expected.

  “It’s beautiful, and the shoes are perfect. Thank you. Thank you so much, Mr. Butterman.”

  Peanut smiled. “You’re welcome, Dori. I’m pleased that you approve. Now, down to business.”

  She stood up to get the safety-deposit key from her pocket and handed it to him.

  “Thanks,” Peanut said. “This will make my job easier. The box has to be opened in front of witnesses and the contents listed and recorded. There’s a lot of paperwork attached to the business of dying. Now, let’s see…”