Pangborn nodded.
"So just start with that. Where did it happen?"
"Past Truckee. Not far from Donner Summit. It was a steep, twisting section of road. Really treacherous, a canyon on one side and a mountain on the other, with almost no shoulder. And it was raining hard – sleeting, really. It's almost cold enough for snow up there now. When the highway patrol got there, they found the car up against the mountain, good and snug. Oggie had pulled in as tight as he could. But it just wasn't tight enough. It was the left rear that blew, the side out toward the highway."
"But what happened?" pleaded Delilah.
Pangborn cast her a pained look as Jared commanded, "Let the man talk."
Pangborn continued, "The point is, Oggie ended up pretty close to the oncoming traffic while he knelt there to change the tire. A semitruck went by. At the same time, some idiot in a camper tried to pass on the trucker's left. The trucker had to swerve to give the camper room."
Delilah interrupted again, her voice tight as a hard-coiled spring. "You're saying my father's been hit by a semitruck?"
Sounds of distress went up from the group.
Pangborn hastened to reassure them. "No, he wasn't hit by the truck. He evidently scrambled off his knees just in time to avoid getting clipped. But in the process, he knocked the jack loose."
Delilah put her hands over her mouth and let out a little moan of distress.
"That Cadillac dropped like a rock," Pangborn said. "It more or less ejected the jack, which bopped Oggie a good one up the side of the head."
Someone murmured, "Oh, God."
"Luckily the trucker was one of the good guys. He called for help, then pulled over as soon as he could and ran back with flares, to wait with Oggie until the ambulance came." Pangborn glanced around at all the shocked, worried faces. "Look. It could be worse. There's no skull fracture, and no hemorrhaging that they've been able to find so far. And that's good."
Delilah had a wild light in her eyes. "What are you saying, Sheriff? What are you telling us? Are you saying he's all right? Are you saying he's just fine?"
Sam stepped up close and wrapped an arm around her, pulling her against his side. "Lilah, go easy…"
At first she stiffened, and then she acquiesced to lean on her husband. She sighed. "Sam, it's my fault. I drove him away…"
He pulled her closer. "If anyone drove him off, it was me."
She reached up, touched his face. "Oh, Sam…"
Eden chided, "Don't you two go blaming yourselves. You know how Oggie is, always taking off for somewhere. This could have happened on any one of those trips of his."
Jack stepped forward. "Carl, tell us. Is he going to be all right?"
Pangborn let out a long breath. "He should be."
"Should be?"
The sheriff cleared his throat. "There is one little problem."
Everyone waited – silent, fearing.
The sheriff said, "The old man seems to have forgotten who he is."
* * *
Chapter 17
« ^ »
Delilah, Sam, Jared and Eden all went to the hospital right away. Eden told Prudence later that Oggie was sleeping when they got there. They took turns in his room through the night. The next morning, when Oggie woke, he didn't seem to know any of them. Wearing a blank, pleasant smile, he looked from one face to the other.
"Well, hi. It's so nice to have visitors. Who are you folks, anyway?"
Shaken, they turned to the doctors, who counseled patience. They still found no physical signs of brain damage. More than likely, very soon, Oggie's memory would return.
Through the entire day, Friday, Sam and Delilah both refused to leave Oggie's side. The two of them slept in his room that night, sitting up in chairs, holding hands.
And a miracle happened. When he woke the next morning, Oggie greeted his daughter and her husband by name. In a gentle, patient voice, he said he was sorry for all the pain and frustration he'd caused them over the years. From that day forward, he vowed, they would find him a changed man, a man who minded his own business and let others mind theirs. Since Oggie had always been prone to grandiose declarations, they didn't take him too seriously at the time.
Twenty-four hours later, Oggie was released into the care of his family. They brought him back to his room at Sam and Delilah's house. Once she saw Oggie settled in, Delilah returned to the motel – but only to pay her bill and collect her things. Then she went home to her husband and her father.
Sunday afternoon, while Jesse napped, Billy paid a visit to the old man. When he returned, Prudence was waiting at the door for him.
"How is he?"
Billy shook his head. "I don't know. He's fine, I guess."
"You're frowning. Something's wrong."
"He's just so … different."
"Different, how?"
"I can't explain it. He's so … nice. So soft-spoken. So polite. It's not like him at all. And do you know, he never once called me 'boy'? That really bothered me, for some crazy reason."
"But did he know who you were?"
"Yeah. He knew me. He asked how you and Jesse were doing."
"So he is okay?"
"Hell. I don't know. What's okay? I talked to Delilah afterward. She said he really has changed, that he claims getting hit on the head has helped him to see the world in a new light. He says he'll do no more interfering. No more telling people what they should be doing with their lives. He swears he's never going to meddle again. That should be good, right?"
"Yes. I suppose."
"You don't sound like you think it's good."
"Quite frankly, I don't know what to think."
The next day, Prudence went to see the change in Oggie for herself. Delilah showed her to Oggie's room, where she found him sitting in a reclining chair, staring out the window at a leafless tree in the backyard.
"Father. Prudence is here."
He turned his head and smiled amiably. "Ah. Prudence. Real nice of you to drop by."
Prudence took a straight chair near his recliner. They visited for a half an hour, during which time he never once called her "gal," which bothered her just as much as not being called "boy" had bothered Billy. In fact, at more than one point in the conversation, she had the eeriest feeling she was talking to a very sweet, very well-behaved stranger who just happened to look like Oggie Jones.
Finally she couldn't stand it anymore. She leaned across and put her hand on his. "Uncle Oggie. Are you really all right?"
He laid his other hand on hers. "I am just fine. I have learned my lesson is all. Turned over a whole new leaf, yessirree. It's live and let live for this old fool from now on. "
She spoke to Delilah before she left. "I can't get over it. He really does seem different."
Delilah nodded. "You'd think I would like it, after the way he's driven me crazy for just about all of my life. But I'm not sure…" She let the thought trail off.
Prudence dared to ask, "And how are you doing?"
Delilah's face looked softer, suddenly. "It's funny. Sometimes you can be so hungry for that one important thing, that you lose sight of all you do have. And then, something happens to wake you up. You look around and you realize you have a lot already. And you're so busy suffering over not having that one other thing, you're throwing away all the rest. Does that make any sense at all?"
Prudence nodded. "It makes complete sense. I'm glad for you." She started for the door, but Delilah stopped her with a hand on her arm.
"How did things turn out for Sharlee Stubblehill?"
"As far as we know, she's fine."
"She went back to Southern California, didn't she?"
"Yes. Billy got her a job at his club in Van Nuys. She was glad to go, glad for a new start."
"I have to admit, I'm glad she moved on."
"It was the best thing."
"But I do believe she was a sweet kid at heart – even if she was after my husband."
"Sam never looked twice. You k
now that, don't you?"
Delilah's smile went all the way to her eyes. "Sharlee was never really the problem. I understand that now."
* * *
The day was cool and breezy, but sunny. Prudence pulled her sweater a little closer to block out the bite of the wind as she walked down Rambling Lane
, headed home. She pondered the change in Oggie, and remembered the softness in Delilah's face when Prudence had asked her how things were going.
Sam and Delilah had a good marriage, Prudence could see that. A marriage strong enough to withstand the worst disappointments life can dish out. Until she'd moved to North Magdalene, Prudence hadn't seen many good marriages. Now, though, observing what was possible, Prudence couldn't help but feel just a little bit envious.
Billy was lounging in the open front door when she got home, with the stereo going behind him. Prudence shook her head at him as she went up the walk. "You know, it costs money to heat the whole outdoors."
"You give me the heating bill when it comes. I'll take care of it."
"That's not the point. It's wasteful."
"Don't nag, Prue." He had a certain look in his eye. A look she knew very well now, a look to which her body responded automatically.
She mounted the steps, her gaze locked with his. When she got about a foot and a half away, he reached out, grabbed her hand and yanked her over the threshold into his arms. "I've been waiting for you." He kicked the door closed behind them and leaned against it, pressing a hand at the small of her back so that her body fitted right to his.
That delicious, warm ache was spreading down inside her. She tipped her head up to him. "Glad to see me, are you?"
He pressed her closer. "Feel how glad."
She remembered Jesse. "What about—?"
"Nap time." He kissed her. When his nose bumped her glasses, he took them off. Then he grabbed her hand and pulled her toward his room.
As he pressed her down onto his bed, she thought, we really can't go on like this forever. The big talk had to happen. It was supposed to have happened two days ago, on Friday. But neither of them had breathed a word about it. They'd waited near the phone for news of Oggie and taken care of Jesse and continued on, playing house as if it was never going to end.
Billy pushed her sweater out of the way and kissed her breast right through her shirt and bra. It felt good. Wonderful. She pushed herself up toward him. His hands went roaming. Incredible, what he could do with those hands of his.
Prudence let those hands have her. The big talk could wait.
* * *
That night, as soon as Jesse went to sleep, Billy went to find Prudence. She was waiting for him, where he'd hoped she'd be, in her bedroom.
It surprised the hell out of Billy, how good Prue had turned out to be in bed. She was better than booze or any drug he'd ever tried. She gave endless pleasure. And he never had a hangover after.
She dropped off around midnight. He lay there beside her, watching her in the pale wash of starlight that came in through the window several feet away.
Her hair looked almost black in the darkness, her skin so pale and fine. Billy liked to look at her. She had so many different ways she could look. From butt-ugly, to downright beautiful. Sometimes, in the morning, when she woke up, before she groped for her glasses and settled them on her nose, she would blink and then open her blind eyes so wide. She would look just like Mr. Magoo. And then other times, like now, as she lay sleeping, he would think that he'd never seen anyone so damn beautiful in his life.
She turned her head, sighing, showing him the side of her neck. He lowered his head, put his mouth there. She lifted her arms, pulling him closer. "Billy…"
"One more time," he whispered, trailing his hand down over her belly, kissing his way up the smooth line of her neck.
"Billy…"
He covered her mouth with his own.
* * *
The next morning after breakfast, Billy had some calls to make – to Alexis and to his agent in Los Angeles. Prudence took Jesse and went over to Eden's, where she drank more coffee than she should have and she and Eden discussed the change in Oggie and the touching reconciliation of Sam and Delilah.
Around ten, Jared came into the kitchen. "Heading over to the Hole in the Wall," he said, and dropped a kiss on Eden's forehead.
She grabbed his arm before he could escape her. "Check the produce over good when it comes in, will you? Some of the lettuce has been coming in looking pretty ragged lately."
"Yes, ma'am."
They looked at each other for a moment, then Jared bent briefly and brushed his wife's lips with his own. Eden promised, "I'll be in by two."
"Good enough."
Watching them, Prudence had the sudden, embarrassing urge to burst into tears. She got up, went into the living room and checked on Jesse, who was playing happily by himself under the conscientious supervision of Sally Louise, Eden's four-year-old.
"He's doing fine," Sally Louise announced in her most grown-up voice. "He tried to eat the chair leg, but I said, 'no, no, no.' So he stopped."
"Very good. Thank you." Prudence glanced at Sally's baby sister, Diana, who lay on a blanket nearby, sucking on her toes, in clear view of Eden in the kitchen. "And I see Diana looks happy, too."
"Everybody is haiving."
It took Prudence a moment to realize that "haiving" stood for behaving. "Yes," she said, "you are quite a good baby-sitter."
"I certly am."
Prudence praised the little girl some more and then wandered back into the kitchen. Jared had left and Eden was waiting for her. Prudence tried a bright smile.
Eden wasn't buying. "Okay. What's the deal?"
Prudence considered denial and rejected it. In the past weeks, Eden had become a true friend. Someone Prudence could trust. Someone she could really talk to. Prudence sank to the chair she had left a few moments before.
"What?" Eden prodded. "Tell me."
Prudence folded her hands on the table, her coffee cup between them. "You and Jared look so great together. So solid, you know? So permanent."
Eden let out a groan and raked both hands back through her short cap of red-blond hair. "It's Billy."
Prudence stared down into her empty cup. When she looked up, Eden was nodding grimly. "It's Billy," she said again.
Prudence leaned her chin on her hand. "At first, I thought there was no chance of anything, you know, happening between us."
"Okay."
"And then, when he first … expressed interest, I told him no way. Ever. Forget it. Get lost."
"And now, you're in love with him."
Prudence picked up her cup, went to the coffeemaker and got a refill. "More?"
Eden shook her head. "Have you told him?"
Prudence leaned against the counter and sipped. "No."
"You should tell him."
"No. It's never going to be anything but temporary with him. I know that. That's … the way he is."
"Prudence, that's the way he was. Maybe, with you—"
"Oh, stop it. Have you heard the stories about him? Every woman he's ever been with has thought that."
"Still, I think you should tell him. Tell him how you feel and what you want. You do know what you want?"
"Yes."
"What?"
She dared to say it. "What you and Jared have."
"Marriage?"
Prudence turned, set her coffee cup on the counter and spoke without turning back to her friend. "Oh, it's crazy. I never wanted that. Never in my whole life. I wanted … to take care of myself. To lead a productive life. And then, lately, to bring Jesse up right."
"But now?"
"Now Jesse has a father. A real father. You know what I mean?"
"You mean Billy is fully capable of bringing up Jesse himself."
"Yes."
"You would let him do that?"
"Yes. Yes, I would. Selfishly I wouldn't want to. But for Jesse, I really believe it's the right thing."
E
den asked softly, "And what about you and Billy?"
She turned then, and faced Eden. "You said it a minute ago. I'm in love with Billy."
"And where does that lead you?"
"It leads me to … want it all. And if I can't have it all, I want to know. So I can move on."
"So tell him."
"Oh, God."
"You have to tell him."
"I know."
* * *
"Talent problems," Billy said the minute Prudence and Jesse walked in the front door.
Prudence knelt to help Jesse out of his jacket, then, still wearing her own, she went to sit by Billy on the sofa. "What kind of talent problems?"
"I had Buddy Bobiles and the Hawaiian Rockers starting Friday and scheduled through the end of next week. But the band broke up. I called around a little, trying to come up with something from here. But it doesn't look like that'll work. Everybody I can think of already has a gig. That means I've got to go down there and listen to a few new groups. I figure, if we leave tomorrow morning, I'll have tomorrow night. Thursday and all day Friday to come up with another group. It shouldn't be that big a deal." He leaned toward her, brushed her shoulder lightly with the tips of his fingers. "But then I got to thinking, maybe we could just stay on for a while. I could line up a few more acts, get together with Alexis, go over the books and all that stuff, so things will be under control until at least after the holidays."
Prudence stared at Jesse, who sat on the floor a few feet away. He'd found a rubber hammer under the coffee table and was gently tapping his knee with it
"Prue?" Billy touched her shoulder again. "You in there?"
She blinked and looked down at Jesse's jacket, which she still held wrapped over her arm. "Yes. I heard what you said."
"So can you handle this? A few days, maybe longer, in LA.? The weather should be nice. You can shop. Visit old friends."
She made herself look at him. "Billy." He knew immediately. She saw the veil of wariness come down in his eyes. "That two weeks we agreed on when you first came here has been and gone."
He pulled away, back to his own side of the sofa. "Yeah, so?"
"So, before we go running off to Van Nuys together, we really have to … discuss a few things."
The Taming of Billy Jones Page 20
