Magnolia's Fall From Grace

by Zara Teleg

  “I wouldn’t miss the crab boil. Especially with Marie Rose doing the cooking.”

  “Marie Rose?”

  “You haven’t met Paul’s mom? She is quite a firecracker, but she can cook a Cajun feast like nobody’s business. Her cornbread—” Alcide rubbed his stomach.

  “You mind if I sit with you?” His brown eyes could make a girl agree to anything and that smile.

  “Hey, Doc. You want to come to sit with us?” Tara shouted, patting the empty space between her and DeeDee.

  “Thanks, Tara, but Maggie and I have some business to discuss.” He placed his hand on the small of my back and led me to the table of Paul, Catherine, little Anabelle, and the woman who must be Paul’s mom. She was a stunning older woman. Her blonde hair was twisted in a clip with a few strands curled around her face. She wore classy makeup and was dressed like she was at a fine restaurant as she instructed the waitstaff like a professional chef.

  “Hey, Magnolia, are you going to join our table?” Catherine made space for Alcide and me to sit.

  “Doc!” the woman stood and embraced Alcide before squeezing his dimpled cheek. “You are more handsome every time I see you.” Her drawl was sweet as tea.

  “And Marie Rose, you are more beautiful every time I see you.” Her shoulders rose as she smiled graciously like a schoolgirl talking to her crush. “I would like you to meet my best and brightest intern. This is Magnolia Grace.”

  “Ah, chère. Aren’t you a beauty? And you can call me Rose.”

  “It’s lovely to meet you!” I offered my hand to her.

  “Maggie, are you going to sit with me?” Anabelle jumped off her bench, running over and hugging my side.

  “Sure, sweetie.” I gave her a little squeeze.

  It wasn’t long before everyone was seated, devouring Rose’s scrumptious meal. “This is the best fried okra I have ever had.” I popped another spicy bite in my mouth.

  “You should come by next week with Paul and Catherine. I will be picking the last of it from my garden and making batches to freeze and last the winter. I could use the help, and you could learn secrets to keeping any man’s stomach happy and have him begging for more.” She nodded her head to Alcide’s second plate piled high with crawfish, corn, potatoes, and crab legs.

  “I’d love that,” I accepted Rose’s offer, “if you wouldn’t mind.”

  Catherine extended her hand to mine. “It would be great for you to come. Anabelle loves to help, and I know she would enjoy your being there too.”

  “You know, if you go and stay the night, on Sunday, I will be having a talk at the community center. I would love to have you along as an assistant.” Alcide dug into his plate. “We would be back Sunday.”

  “Really? I would love that.”

  “Sure, it’s another item to add to your summer resume.”

  During the meal, Vincent, Viper, and the other community service boys had come in for food. Vincent looked around and finally found me. His eyes narrowed when he saw Alcide taking his seat next to me with his dessert plate.

  “Did you leave any strawberry shortcake for me?” Anabelle asked as she eyed his huge plate covered in strawberries and whipped cream.

  “Can I take Ana to get some dessert?” I helped her off the bench, and she placed her small hand in mine.

  “Of course, but not too much, sweetie. The last time you ate too many of Meme’s cookies, you had a bellyache. You can take a few and wrap them for tomorrow, okay?” Catherine leaned over, kissing Ana on the head before we made our way to the table.

  Vincent shot up from his seat and beelined in our direction.

  “Do you like strawberry shortcake, Maggie?” the little voice asked as she swung our arms, walking to the line.

  “How nice. Family meal?” Vincent asked bitterly.

  “Not now, Vincent,” I said through gritted teeth, not appreciating him acting like this in front of the little girl.

  “Hi.” Anabelle looked up at Vincent. “Are you Maggie’s friend?”

  Vincent smiled before answering. He plucked two flowers from the vase adorning the dessert table.

  “Maggie’s my friend.” He handed me a flower and then bent down and gave Ana one too. Her whole face lit up. “Then I guess you are my friend too.” She buried her nose into the flower.

  “Can we talk after?” Vincent asked as we walked past the sweets.

  I rolled my eyes. “Yes, unless it is about you being jealous,” I said in a hushed voice.

  “I’ll be at your cabin at nine.”

  Venom

  “You need to keep your girl away from that doctor.” Viper said, scooping another helping of potato salad in his mouth.

  I could feel my jaw tighten every time I saw Maggie laugh. I wanted to rush over and knock Doc off his seat when he put his hand on hers.

  “She ain’t interested in him. They just work together, and besides, he’s too old for her.”

  “Oh, right, that will stop him from hitting on his hot little intern.”

  My ears burned at his words. “Viper, enough. I will handle it.”

  I grabbed my empty plate and tossed it in the garbage when I saw Maggie and the little girl walking to the desserts.

  It was not the conversation I wanted to have, but she did agree to meet me tonight.

  At nine o’clock, I stomped out my smoke and approached Maggie’s cabin. A yellow bug light was shining where she sat on the top step. She stood when she saw me.

  God, she’s more breathtaking every time I see her.

  “Want to walk?” I took her hand and swung her into my body, squeezing her before placing my lips on her forehead.

  “Sure.” She wove her fingers through mine.

  “You know how I mentioned seeing my grandad?” We strolled down a path lit by fireflies rising from the grass.

  “Yes.” She stopped and turned to me.

  “Well, I was hoping to take you this weekend.” I swept the hair from her face as I outlined her face with my fingers.

  She placed her hand over mine. “Oh, I can’t this weekend.”

  “Why? What are you doing?” I was confused. What plans could she have?

  “Um, I’m going to St. Genevieve with Paul and Catherine’s family and…,” she hesitated for a moment. “And…,” she stalled hard. “I’m going with Alcide to a church for a community talk he’s doing. It’s for work. It’ll be a great experience.”

  “Oh yeah, I’m sure it will be.” I could feel my gut tightening as I ground my jaw.

  “You’re not mad, are you? It’s just one weekend, and I can see you Friday.”

  It took everything in me to calmly say, “Yeah, I understand. How about we take a ride Friday after work, and we can grab a bite before we go see him.”

  Magnolia smiled and stood on her toes. “I’d love that.”

  Her fingers touched my cheek before she brought my eyes to hers. Our lips were like magnets pulling together. We kissed for what felt like a perfect eternity. Her little moans drove me wild. I felt like a shaken can of beer, ready to pop. Self-control was never one of my strong suits, but I had to be in control with Maggie. The last thing I wanted was to scare her off. It didn’t matter to me how much of her she was willing to give. I was like a starved man, grateful for every moment we spent together.

  “Vincent,” she breathed. “We should stop. Someone might come by and—”

  I didn’t let any more words fall from her lips. I captured them again, sucking them in as she let out the most beautiful sound. She grabbed a fistful of my hair with one hand and the back of my shirt with the other. I loved that I made her feel this way.

  With one last sweep of my tongue over her plump lips, I whispered in her ear, “We have all summer.”

  She rested her forehead between my shoulder and neck. “Why does that not seem long enough?”

  Her words struck my heart. She was right. It didn’t seem long enough. I might have only been nineteen, but I’d had my share of women. Our clubhouse was
known for its hospitality. There was always someone to keep a guy satisfied. But something had always been missing for me, no matter how great the sex was. Now I knew— it was the connection. Just kissing Maggie made my chest ache. When I was around her, I knew I’d do anything to protect her. Anyone who brought her pain would not want me to find out about it.

  When we got to her door, I picked her up by her waist and set her on the top step so we were almost eye level. I ran my hand through the thick blonde waves and pushed them over her shoulder so I could see her face in the moonlight.

  “What?” she asked, her eyes searching mine.

  “Nothing.” I wasn’t about to get mushy. I moved my hand to the back of her neck, guiding her face back to me so I could devour those lips one last time.

  I cupped her chin and pulled away. “I’ll see you tomorrow.” My thumb caressed her jaw as she leaned her cheek into my hand.

  “Tomorrow.”

  Chapter 12

  Magnolia

  I walked on clouds all week. Vincent and I spent every morning lying on my blanket under the cypress, discussing religion and world views and adding more things to my list. He told me he wanted to take me on a motorcycle ride when his family brings his bike from home. That terrified me. I didn’t even know how to ride a bicycle. But I knew Vincent would keep me safe.

  “So, Maggie, are you ready for our trip tomorrow? I know Rose can’t wait to get you in her kitchen. Paul said she’s been talking about it all week.” Alcide interrupted my thoughts and brought me back to earth.

  “Yes, what time did you want to leave?”

  “Catherine said after breakfast tomorrow. It’s less than an hour from here, so we should get there by ten.” He handed me the last of the clean towels to put in our cabinet.

  “Okay, sounds great. Are we all riding together?”

  “No. Since I have the talk Sunday, I’ll drive separately. You can ride with me if you want. It’s up to you.”

  My stomach clenched, Vincent would probably not like me going in Alcide’s car, but we were just going to Rose’s house. “Sound’s good. I’m about finished here. So, I guess I will see you in the morning.”

  Excitement grew as I waited for Vincent to come get me for our date. I looked at myself in the mirror again, hoping my short sundress and my favorite strappy sandals were okay for wherever we were headed. I was so glad we only worked half a day and could get out of here earlier than expected.

  While I was waiting, I finished packing my bag for the weekend. I sat on the tiny duffle, pulling the zipper closed when the knock came at the door.

  “Hey, gorgeous, you ready?” Vincent was wearing a navy tee shirt, which made his eyes look like the purpling sky just before a storm. He took my hand and twirled me around, my dress flying high as I laughed.

  “How far is it to your Paw-paws?” I could feel the butterflies as he shut my door and rounded the truck to get into the driver’s seat.

  “Not far, about twenty minutes or so. He lives in the Bayou, but closer to the coast.” He placed his hand on my knee, giving it a squeeze as we took off.

  “There is a Creole place right near the water where we can stop for dinner. From the outside, it looks like a shack, but it’s got the best Cajun food.”

  My stomach growled at that.

  “Hungry?” He laughed.

  “Starved. It was busy in the clinic tent today. I haven’t eaten anything since lunch.”

  I asked about his family as we drove. He seemed to clam up whenever I mentioned his mother.

  “Hey, look at that church.” I pointed to the remains of a near-crumbling building that still had towering statues adorning its dilapidated grounds.

  “Can you drive up to it? Just for a minute?”

  “Why are we stopping in this creepy old place?” Vincent pulled over into the dusty, overgrown parking lot. I jumped out of the truck before he came to my side. Grabbing hold of his hand, I tugged him along. “Come on.”

  “Maggie—”

  “Look.” I knelt down and made the sign of the cross, blessing myself, before the dirty and chipping-away concrete statue. Vincent looked it over, confused.

  “This is the Archangel Michael. Remember? The one I said reminded me of you?” I watched as he examined the piece, running his hands over the roughly aged wings. Then he traced the sword until it reached the serpent.

  “He is stabbing the snake?” He almost looked concerned.

  “Not necessarily a snake—it’s Satan in the form of a serpent, like in the Garden of Eden.”

  “And you pray to him?” he asked while watching me relight the candles inside glass cups. “What are you doing?”

  “Obviously, someone still comes here. See, these candles are not that old.” I tipped a cup in his direction. “I’m looking for any that need to be relit. You should always relight a candle that has been blown out, so the person’s prayers are heard.”

  Venom

  Magnolia beamed, admiring the tall figure of the angel. She reached through all the cups and found one with two inches of wax left in the bottom and its wick still long enough to light.

  “Can I use your lighter?” She opened her palm.

  I dug into my pocket and handed it to her. She placed it in front of the archangel and took my hand, standing in front of me.

  Clearing her throat, she began to pray. “Archangel Michael, please hear this prayer, for whoever came here and lit this honoring you and asking for God’s mercy, please help to answer their prayers. And thank you for delivering Vincent into my life.” She squeezed my hand. “Please answer his prayers as well. Help him find joy in his life, and protect him the way he protects those he cares about.”

  Maggie brought the flame to the stick she had selected from a small sand bucket. She took my hand in hers as we put the flame deep into the cup, igniting it.

  “See? That’s how it’s done.” She ruffled my hair. “Now, let’s go get some food.

  Everything about Maggie was full of life and wonder. She was like my muse, inspiring me to explore new things. She tried everything with me, no questions asked, and I wanted to do the same for her. Only, the more she opened her world to me, the more I realized she should not be contaminated by mine.

  The sword the heavenly figure wielded made my stomach turn. It took me back to when I so easily slid my knife into a member of our club. It was tradition; we all took our turn. Armon was a thief and a trader, and I knew he had hurt many people. I did as I was told and followed orders. Crossing my father was a mistake one didn’t come back from. And orders were not questioned.

  Maggie devoured her dirty rice and shrimp étouffée. I polished off an entire plate of crawfish and fresh-cut, extra-spicy Cajun fries.

  “You’re right. This place is amazing. I’m so stuffed!” Maggie rubbed her flat belly.

  We walked along the bridge that crossed a swampy area. A heron left from the water flying straight at us. “Oh my gosh, that was close.” Maggie held her hand over her heart.

  “Yeah, not just for us.” I pointed to the eyes that had appeared above the surface, followed by a tail cutting the water.

  “That gator is a monster!” She clung close to me like it would get her.

  “I think he’s a local and begs for food.” We both looked at the yellow hand-painted Don’t Feed the Gators sign attached to the bridge.

  “It’ll only take about fifteen minutes to get to Paw-paw’s,” I told her as we loaded back into the truck. I noticed her looking over her shoulder, making sure the gator didn’t follow.

  “He probably smells the catfish fry,” she joked at the large container I had brought as a peace offering.

  “How long has it been since you have seen him?” She covered my hand with hers.

  “About five years. I think I was turning fourteen the last time I visited. Sissy had just moved here with Sienna. Voodoo had just bought the clubhouse and land at a steal when it up for auction. I visited by myself then.” I turned the wheel, heading down the lo
ng driveway.

  His small tin-roofed cabin still looked as it did the day I was here last. A few rocking chairs were faded red on the covered porch. I saw the old beat-up truck parked on the side of the house. A yellow cat was curled up on a rocking chair soaking in the evening sun.

  “Maggie, can you just wait here a minute? Uh, I want to make sure—”

  “Go, you don’t need to explain.” She offered a warm smile, giving my shoulder a squeeze.

  I leaned across the seat, kissing her on the cheek. “I’ll be right back.”

  The front door was open behind the screen door with the same peeling red paint as the rocking chairs.

  I knocked hard. I could hear the muffled sound of the television, and the fan was squeaking in the small kitchen window. I heard his heavy steps before he yelled, “Who is it?” His voice still had that raspy tone and thick Louisiana accent, and I could smell the sweet scent of his cherry tobacco from his pipe. I could see him picking up something as he approached the door.

  “Paw-paw, it’s Venom, uh, Vincent. Your grandson.”

  “Vincent?” He took his glasses from around his neck, placing them over the bridge of his nose. “Well, I’ll be.” He set the rifle down.

  I was relieved at his smile, and he now hurried to open the screen door. His hair was more gray than the black I remembered, and it was pulled into a short ponytail low on his head. His goatee was also now gray, and all the years in the sun had created new lines. But even in his midsixties, he was still built like a bull from all the hard labor he had done.

  “What the heck are you doing here?” he asked, looking behind me to see if there was anyone with me. He glanced toward the truck, where Magnolia offered a small wave. “Did you leave that pretty little girl in the truck? Where are your manners, boy?”

  I waved my arm, inviting Maggie Grace to join us.

  “Wow, if I had a girl that pretty, I’d hide her away too.” He winked, admiring Maggie as she walked toward us armed with the brown paper bag and a smile that lit up her face.