'I been worse.... Barn's moving, though.'
'You're always impatient. I set you up.' He patted me on the back. 'Lay there a moment.'
'No other plans.'
A few minutes passed and Leonard helped me up. The barn was still a little wobbly, but starting to shape up. He helped me get the gloves and kick guards off. I weaved over and put on my shirt and coat while Leonard did the same, then I got the coffee cup off the two-by-four and Leonard put his arm around me and walked me to the house.
Leonard put on a Patsy Cline album, turned it down low and started fixing breakfast. I took a seat at the kitchen table and dipped my head between my knees.
'You eaten?' he asked.
'No.'
'Able to?'
'Yeah.'
'Eggs and toast sound okay?'
'Fine.'
He chuckled.
'White boys in distress,' I said. 'You love it.' -
He cracked an egg in the skillet. 'You're over here for a reason, Hap. You don't get up this early on Sundays. What happened, that woman leave already?'
'Nope. But I am here for a reason. An important reason.' I lifted my head. Nothing was spinning.
'How important?'
'You wouldn't have to go back to the rose fields. Least not for a long time.'
He stopped unwrapping the bread and looked at me.
'How long a time?'
'Quite a few years. You might start your own business. Understand you people do well with barbecue stands, stuff like that. Whatever you want.'
'Barbecue sounds like work. You know us, loose shoes, tight pussy and a warm place to shit.'
'Way I heard it.'
'Come on, Hap, quit dicking with me. What's the deal?'
'One hundred thousand dollars for each of us.'
'Shit. What we got to do, shoot someone?'
'Nope. We have to swim for it.'
Chapter 4
I drove Leonard to my house and parked next to Trudy's faded green Volkswagen with the Greenpeace sticker on the bumper. We went inside and found Trudy at the kitchen table drinking coffee. She was wearing one of my shirts, and it was much too large for her. That and her tousled hair made her look girlish. Less so when she crossed her legs and looked at me. 'I was worried about you. I couldn't find a note.'
'Didn't leave one. Thought I'd be back sooner.'
She decided to notice Leonard. 'Hi, Leonard.'
Leonard nodded.
'What you told me last night,' I said. 'I want you to tell Leonard.'
Her face showed me she didn't like that. 'No offense, Leonard. But that was between me and Hap. He shouldn't have said anything.'
'I'm dealing him in for half my share.'
'There may not be a share if you keep this up, Hap.'
'That's okay, too. Find some other sucker.'
'You're awfully tough in the morning.'
'Controls his glands better in the daytime,' Leonard said. 'They tend to get overactive at night.'
'I don't care for the sound of your talk, Leonard,' Trudy said.
'Wasn't supposed to be music,' Leonard said. 'Maybe you prefer a classical Negro dialect? A little foot- shuffling?'
'Can it, both of you,' I said. 'This is coming off worse than I thought. I want to deal Leonard in. What's it matter? It's not costing you any more, and you'll have an extra hand. Way you talk, we could use him. He's had some diving experience, for one thing. We need that. I been in the water a few times with a suit on, but that's about it.'
She turned to stare out the window at the field. My mother did that when she was exasperated with me. I almost expected Trudy to threaten me with a paddling.
