spark.
JOHN AND ALVA CAME TOGETHER. I think Stowe was relieved that he didn’t have to leave his woman with a solitary man.
Alva took the baby in her arms and John sat down next to Grace on the bed. When she started acting up he said, “Lay down and be quiet, Grace. Ain’t nobody got time for your noise.”
She did what she was told. John had a powerful presence about him. Not many a man, or woman, would tell him no.
WHEN I WAS LEAVING, John came to the door and asked, “Where’s my car, Easy?”
“I got it parked somewhere, John. Don’t worry, I’ll have it back to you by day after tomorrow.”
Out on the street Stowe asked me, “What are you going to do, Easy?”
“Save my ass.”
“What do you have to do with it?”
“More than I want. I’ll tell ya that. You go on home, Bert. Go on home and I’ll call ya about Grace. Don’t worry, John’ll take care of her.”
“Thank you,” he said.
I left him trying to start his car.
CHAPTER 34
BONNIE WAS IN THE KITCHEN when I got there. She was talking to Jesus while Feather fooled around with Pharaoh. There was a pile of freshly made chocolate chip cookies on the table.
“What’s goin’ on here?” I asked from the doorway.
They were all smiles and giggles.
“Hi, Daddy,” Feather said. “We made cookies.”
Bonnie looked proudly down on my girl.
Something good had happened while I was gone. I tried to remember the last time in my life that someone, other than Jesus, took care of something for me, without me having to ask; the last time that I could lay back and relax, sure that someone else was at the wheel. I thought all the way back to my childhood but I couldn’t remember it still.
Don’t look too close, a voice said in my head. I shuddered and blinked and turned away from Bonnie Shay.
“What’s wrong, Easy?” she asked.
“Nuthin’,” I said.
“Huh?” Feather said, voicing the question for everyone in the room.
“Nuthin’,” I said again. “Here, let me throw some dinner together.”
“That’s okay, Easy,” Bonnie said. “You just sit with the kids.”
BONNIE HAD BEEN preparing dinner while the kids ate cookies. We had thin string beans made with slivered almonds sauteed in butter and drop biscuits that were very short. The main course was omelets made with fine herbs and white cheese. Feather made herself a can of tomato soup too.
After dinner Jesus went to bed while the rest of us watched TV;
Then Bonnie cleaned up in the kitchen and I bundled Feather off to bed. When I came back Bonnie was sitting on the sofa looking sad. Pharaoh was nuzzling her thigh with the side of his snout.
Maybe that dog and I hated each other because we were so much alike.
“Hi,” I said.
Bonnie looked up at me and smiled. She extended her hand to draw me down next to her.
“You have a beautiful family, Mr. Rawlins.”
“They look even better wit’ you.”
That’s where the conversation stopped. We sat there listening to Pharaoh move his nose on her leg. I felt so comfortable right then that I had the urge to pet the dog.
“I’ve got to get my clothes, Easy,” Bonnie said. “Do you think it’s safe?”
“That depends,” I said.
“Depends on what?”
“On how deep you’ve gotten yourself into this mess.” I believe that Bonnie would have talked to me before then—if she could have gotten the words up to her mouth. She needed to be primed.
“What did Idabell do with those croquet sticks when she got off your plane, Bonnie?”
“Roman was waiting for her. He was in his red Mustang convertible out front. I remember Ida was all slumped over because she was so embarrassed. But Roman waved just like he was happy to see me.”
“Did she leave with Roman?”
“No. She threw the sticks in the backseat and then I waited with her until a taxi came. They won’t take
