“Is there another one?”
“How’d you get all the way up here?”
“I followed a girl,” Loren replied. “It didn’t work out, but I thought I’d stay for a while.”
“What was a girl from Eunice doing in Jackson?”
“College or something.” Loren’s response was slow and thick. “Hey, is there a reason Redd Jones is glaring at you?”
Addie’s heart leapt up into her throat. Redd was standing in the kitchen, his meaty hands clasped around a six-pack. She turned back around to Loren and said, “I don’t know. I hardly know him.”
“He sure seems to know you.”
Addie squeezed her eyes shut and pretended that Redd wasn’t walking over to where she and Loren sat. He didn’t see her; he didn’t care about her. She had no reason to be worried.
“Hello, Adelaide,” Redd said.
“How are you, Redd?” Addie opened one of her eyes. He was towering over her. He knows, she thought. He has to know.
“I coulda sworn the rumor was that you and Jasper Floyd was seein’ most of each other.” He sneered down at Loren and Addie. “You plan to get around to every man workin’ on that farm?”
Loren stood up. His forehead came up to the middle of Redd’s neck. There was something large about him, however, something about the way he carried himself. “You’ve got a fresh mouth there, boy.”
“Who you callin’ boy?”
Addie could already see where this was headed. And it wasn’t anywhere pretty. “It’s okay, Loren,” she said. She stood up. Then, looking up at Redd, she said, “I’m not seeing any part of anyone on the Floyd farm.”
“That’s not the way I hear it.”
“I can’t help what you hear.”
“You reckon I heard wrong?”
“I don’t reckon anything,” Addie replied. She wanted to run. She wanted to be anywhere but where she was, perched precariously between Loren and Redd. But she knew she couldn’t run. Guilty people ran. Besides, he probably knew where she lived. She couldn’t let him know she was afraid of him. “The way I hear it, part of the Floyd farm used to belong to you. But I think that was before that part ended up being auctioned off on the courthouse steps.”
Redd broke off one of the beers in the six-pack, slinging the remaining five down onto the couch. “That what them Floyds tell you?”
“That’s what everybody tells me.”
“You think you know people in this town?” Redd asked, but it was more of a statement. He wasn’t going to give her any time to respond. “I know the people in this town. I know what they want, and I give it to ’em.”
“Good for you” was all Addie could manage to say. He was standing so close to her now that she could feel his hot breath beating down onto her face.
“You don’t fuckin’ know me.” Redd pointed to himself with force, his right thumb pressing hard into one of the buttons on his shirt. “And if you don’t know me, you don’t know this fuckin’ town.”
“I think it’s time you be movin’ on,” Loren said through his teeth. His jaw was clamped shut so tightly that the muscles in his face were working overtime.
“I ain’t goin’ nowhere.”
“Redd!” Bobby appeared very suddenly, stepping in between Redd and Addie. “What are you doing here?”
“I heard there was a party.”
“Just a little get-together.”
“Sure looks like a party to me.”
“It ain’t much.”
The two men faced each other, neither one breaking eye contact. There was a conversation going on, but nobody’s lips were moving. Finally, after what felt like years, Redd spoke. “So that’s how it’s gonna be, huh?”
“I ’spose.”
“After everything I done for you?”
“What have you ever done for me ’cept get me into trouble and addicted to nicotine?” Bobby reached into his pocket and pulled out a pack of cigarettes. “You think I owe you somethin’? Here, take these.”
Addie stared at the pack of Marlboro Reds that Bobby thrust into his friend’s chest. There must have been at least fifteen cartons of that brand inside the trash bag on the day she found Felix. She’d peeled pieces of the blood-soaked cardboard off his body, tiny pieces sticking to his wounds. There had been ashes in his eyes and cigarette butts in his stomach. Doc told her he must’ve been so hungry he’d eaten the discarded butts of the person—the man Addie knew was standing in front of her—who abused him. Fury filled her all the way from the bottom of her feet to the top of her head. She wedged herself in between the two feuding men until she was so close to Redd that she could smell the dirt underneath his fingernails. “I think it’s pretty obvious that nobody wants you here.”
Redd wrapped his bear paw of a hand around one of Addie’s arms. “Shut up.”
“I know who you are. I know exactly who you are, and you’re nothing like this town.” Addie looked him dead in the eyes. “You’re nothing but a coward.”
Redd gave Addie’s arm another bone-crushing squeeze before he let go, sauntering out of the living room with Bobby on his heels. He was as calm as ever, a kind of furious apathy that was one of the most unsettling things Addie had ever seen, and she was afraid.
“Well, what in the hell was that?” Wanda asked. She had been watching the scene unfold from the kitchen. “I was ready to come over there and jump on that man’s back if he didn’t let you go.”
“I’m fine,” Addie said. She looked down at her right arm. She could still feel the burn of his skin up against hers.
“Redd and Bobby had a fallin’ out, but Bobby won’t tell me why. You know somethin’ about that?”
“No.”
“Yes you do.”
Addie’s phone began to ring. She stood up and walked away from Wanda toward the back of the house. “Hello?”
“Addie?”
“Jasper?”
“Sorry,” Jasper said. “I’m a little distracted. Delilah is in labor. I thought you’d want to know.”
“She’s in labor? Did you call Doc?”
“I did. But he’s out of town. He can’t be back much before the morning.”
“I’ll be there as soon as I can.” Addie hung up the phone and returned to Wanda. “I have to go. I’m sorry. I promise you that I’ll tell you everything soon.”
“Where are you going?”
“I’ll call you tomorrow.”
“You can’t even tell me where you’re going?”
“I’ll tell you,” Addie promised. “Just not tonight.”
“You need to be careful going wherever you’re going,” Wanda replied. “Redd’s as mad as an old, wet hen.”
Addie was pulling away from the curb when Loren stepped out in front of her car. He waved and gave her a sheepish grin. “Are you leavin’ so soon?”
“Yeah, I’ve had all the excitement I can stand for one night.”
Loren leaned in through the window and said, “Well, I was hopin’ I might take you out one night.”
“Thanks,” Addie replied. “But I don’t think so.”
“Why not?”
“I just can’t right now, that’s all.”
“It’s just dinner,” Loren said. “I promise no shitty beer.”
Addie laughed for the first time that night. She tried to remember what she’d told herself about not waiting for Jasper, about not waiting for anyone. “I guess I’ve got time for dinner.”
JASPER WAS PACING the floor when Addie arrived. He looked like he’d been up all night, even though it was scarcely one A.M. His hair stood on end and he was barefoot. He was wearing sweats and a ratty old T-shirt. It was, in fact, the shirt Addie borrowed the night Felix had raided the chicken coop.
“How is she doing?” Addie asked. “Where is she?”
“She’s in the closet,” Jasper replied. He led Addie to the closet in his bedroom. “I made a whelping box so that she wouldn’t try to hide.”
“You made her a what?”
Addie hurried into Jasper’s bedroom and peered into the closet. “Eeeew.”
“Hush,” Jasper said. “That’s not a comforting sound. She needs to be comforted.”
“I’m sorry,” Addie whispered, sitting down next to Jasper. “How can you tell it’s time?”
“Well, the discharge that you squealed about for one,” Jasper said. “But also because her belly is hard as a rock. Here, feel.” Jasper grabbed Addie’s hand and placed it on Delilah’s stomach. “See?”
“Wow.”
“Hopefully we won’t have to help her much,” Jasper continued. “But we need to stay close just in case.”
“Okay. You know a lot about this kind of thing.”
“I grew up on a farm,” Jasper replied. “I’ve assisted in many live births.”
Addie giggled. “You’ve assisted in many live births?”
“Yes,” Jasper said, humorless. “Grab those old towels behind you. We may need them.”
By the time Addie turned back around, Delilah was licking the first of the puppies. Addie watched in awe as puppy after puppy was born. She counted six before there was a lull in the labor.
“Is it over?” Addie asked. “Is she done?”
“There’s another one,” Jasper said. “But I think it’s lodged.”
“What does that mean?”
“It means I’m going to have to help.” Jasper leaned over Delilah and gently began pulling the pup, twisting slightly. After a few seconds, the puppy slid out next to its mother.
The puppy didn’t move.
“Jasper, is it breathing?”
“No.”
“Is it dead?”
Jasper picked up the puppy. “Fold one of those towels over.”
“Okay.”
“Now, fold the top of the towel over him and rub gently,” Jasper replied. “Very gently. Don’t stop.”
“He’s still not breathing.”
“Keep going,” Jasper urged. “Just keep going.”
Addie rubbed the little puppy inside the towel, whispering to him words of encouragement. At Jasper’s instruction, she placed the puppy back into the box next to his brothers and sisters. After what felt like forever, the puppy gave a short, shuddering sigh.
“He’s breathing!” Addie rejoiced. “He’s breathing! We did it!”
“We’ll have to keep an eye on him until morning,” Jasper said.
“I can’t believe she had seven puppies. Do you think she’s doing okay?”
“She seems to be okay for now.” Jasper wiped his hands on one of the unused towels. “I need to move her food and water bowls over. And Doc will be here later this morning to check on her.”
Addie yawned. “What time is it?”
“It’s five A.M. Why don’t you go lay down? You look exhausted.”
“What about you?” Addie yawned again.
“I’m going to stay up and keep an eye on things.”
“I’ll stay up with you.”
“You can hardly keep your eyes open.”
“I’m fine.”
“Just go lay down.” Jasper pointed toward the bed. “I’ll wake you up if something happens.”
“Okay,” Addie said. “I feel like I’ve been run over.”
“About earlier tonight,” Jasper began. He sat down at the foot of the bed. “I didn’t mean for what I said to sound uncaring.”
“It’s okay.”
“It’s not,” Jasper continued. “I want to talk about it, about us, but I just can’t right now.”
Addie wanted to ask him why, why he couldn’t talk about it. Why couldn’t he talk about the way he looked at her, the way he touched her? Did it have something to do with Harper? But she was just so tired. She didn’t want to ruin what she’d just experienced, what she’d just seen, because as far as summer nights went, there wasn’t another one in her twenty-eight years that compared to this.
CHAPTER 33
ADDIE AWOKE TO VOICES COMING FROM JASPER’S LIVING ROOM. Groggy, she sat up. She tiptoed over to the closet to check on the puppies. “It’s just me, Delilah,” Addie whispered.
She gave the dog a scratch on the head before making her way into the living room. When Doc and Jasper saw her they stopped talking. “I thought you were going to wake me up when Doc got here,” she said.
Jasper crossed his arms over his chest. “I tried. You told me to go away. More than once.”
“It’s true,” Doc said. He looked up at her from his cup of coffee. “You didn’t even open your eyes, but you were quite threatening.”
“I’m sorry,” Addie replied. “I can get pretty hateful in my sleep. So how are the puppies? How is Delilah? Are they all healthy?”
“They all seem to be doing fine. I can give the puppies the care they need from here, but I think we’ll need to bring . . . Delilah, is it? I think we’ll need to bring her into the clinic for some tests—things we couldn’t check while she was pregnant. Not now, mind you, but relatively soon after the pups are weaned.”
“Is that . . . is that going to be okay?” Addie asked. “I mean, what if someone recognizes her?”
“We can do it after-hours,” Doc replied. “But really, Adelaide, I don’t know who would recognize her and put two and two together. From the looks of her, she’s had little to no veterinary care her entire life. I doubt she’s ever even been off of the property until now.”
“So you’ve never seen her before?”
“Never.”
Addie’s brow furrowed. “But I thought Redd came to you with his dogs. Isn’t that what the guy at the clinic said yesterday?”
“I’ve seen some of his males, never any of the females,” Doc replied. “I don’t see how anyone would recognize her.”
“There are people over at that house all the time. And Redd acted like he knew something last night at Wanda’s.”
“Redd was at Wanda’s party?” Jasper asked. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
“I guess I forgot.”
“Why would Wanda even invite him?”
“She didn’t,” Addie said. “And he and Bobby had some kind of argument, so I know it wasn’t Bobby. I was sitting there talking to Loren, and then Redd came over and was, as Wanda put it, ‘as mad as an old wet hen.’”
“Loren was there?”
“Yes.”
Jasper looked as if he was about to say something else but, looking from Doc to Addie, thought better of it. After what seemed like forever, he said, “Did Redd threaten you?”
“Not exactly,” Addie said. “But I might’ve . . . I might’ve said something to make it worse.”
“What did you say?”
“Well, it started with him accusing me of sleeping with just about everyone in all of Eunice,” Addie began.
Doc cleared his throat. “That’s quite an accusation.”
“I called him a coward.”
“I wish you’d told me this earlier.” Jasper’s hands were clenched tightly at his sides. “This isn’t Chicago. You can’t go around saying things like that to people. Not people like Redd. Didn’t I ask you to let me take care of it?”
“Why? What were you going to do?” Addie asked. “Go find him and beat him up?”
“It’s crossed my mind a few times.”
“Well, you weren’t there.”
“That’s not going to fix anything,” Doc said. He pursed his lips together. “The best thing any of us can do right now is keep a low profile. Just don’t talk to anyone.”
“It’s going to be hard to hide those puppies in a few weeks,” Jasper said. “The farmhands know about Delilah, but I told them she was a stray.”
“Strays have puppies all the time,” Doc concluded. “Just keep on like normal.”
“Why i
s everyone so scared of Redd?” Addie asked, the anger she felt earlier flooding back. “I mean, Jasper, you’re a lawyer. What’s a guy like Redd have over this town that he thinks he owns all the people in it?”
Doc walked over to where Addie stood and planted his hands squarely on her shoulders. “This is much bigger than you could ever imagine.”
“What do you mean?” Addie asked. He was staring so deeply into her eyes that it caught her off guard. It was like he was trying to tell her something without saying any words. She didn’t understand.
“He just means that Redd Jones had been terrorizing this town for years before you came around pushing his buttons,” Jasper said.
Doc took a step back from Addie. “I’ve left some vitamin supplements for the pups in the bedroom. And you might want to think about getting some puppy chow for Delilah. That will help her keep her energy and weight up while she’s nursing. The extra protein will be good for her.”
“I’ll get some today,” Addie promised.
Jasper led Doc outside and shut the door behind them. Addie crept to the window and pulled back the curtain. The two men were standing close to each other. Doc had his glasses off and was using them to rap Jasper on the chest as he spoke. Jasper’s nostrils flared with each tap, tap, tap of the glasses.
“I don’t think you understand,” Jasper was saying.
“No, you don’t understand,” Doc cut him off. “This is getting out of control. She is getting out of control.”
Jasper looked up and saw Addie at the window. She backed away and let the curtain fall, leaving the two men to their conversation outside in the muggy Delta morning.
CHAPTER 34
ADDIE WAS EXHAUSTED BY THE TIME SHE PULLED INTO HER driveway. She’d avoided six phone calls from her mother and spent twenty minutes on the phone convincing Wanda that she would explain everything once she’d had more than two hours of sleep. All she wanted to do was crawl into bed. But as soon as she walked through the front door, the half-sanded dresser called to her from the spare bedroom.
Felix watched her work, curiously tilting his head from side to side each time the sandpaper made a sound against the wooden dresser. He wouldn’t get near her while she wore her mask, staying at a safe distance in the living room. Loud voices scared him. Hats scared him. Cigarettes scared him. And Addie’s mask scared him. She tried talking to him in a quiet voice, but it didn’t do any good while she wore the mask.
Sit! Stay! Speak! Page 20
