Yvonne heaved out a sigh and glanced around the room. When she returned her attention to me, she had a misty-eyed look. “You don’t want your kids to be friends with me and Milton?”
Despite her opinion of the way I looked, I held up my hand and decided to backpedal. “I didn’t say that and it’s not what I meant,” I said in a gentle tone. “Kids are naturally curious and impulsive. They see something going on in your house that looks like fun, and the next thing you know they’ll be trying it out themselves. I really like you and will always be your friend, but I have to draw the line when it comes to raising kids. I’d ball up and die if one of my babies took a shine to that Willie Frank and started chewing tobacco like him!”
Yvonne blinked and nodded. “I can understand you wanting to protect your kids from bad influences. I guess you and Odell won’t even drink in your own house no more if you ever have any, huh? It’s a damn shame that y’all ain’t had no luck all these years. . . .”
My chest tightened some more. I felt sad, but I refused to show it. “When me and Odell have ours, we won’t drink in front of them. We are going to limit the devilment going on around ours as much as we can.”
Yvonne laughed and gave me a dismissive wave. “Joyce, you shouldn’t even be thinking about things like that now. Wait until you have some kids. I’m sorry we got on this subject. I can see how bad it’s making you feel. But I do know what you mean.”
“I’m glad you see things my way. I know you miss not having yours with you, but they are so much better off with your aunt and uncle.” I paused long enough to catch my breath. “Too bad you married a man who’s involved in bootlegging and socializing with hillbillies and people like Aunt Mattie and a bunch of prostitutes. You’d be much better off if you’d found somebody like Odell.”
She gave me a blank stare and took her time responding. “I don’t know about that. Odell ain’t my type.”
I was thrilled to hear her say that. I just hoped she meant it. Not that Odell would ever get involved with a woman like Yvonne.
“Milton is the only man I ever really loved. I’m blessed to have him for a husband, praise the Lord. As long as he treat me good, he can associate with anybody he want to. I ain’t his mama, so I can’t tell him how to live his life,” she declared.
“Then you must not want your kids back bad enough.” I glanced at her empty glass. “Let me pour you some more wine. You look like you need it.”
“Don’t bother. I done had enough, and I need to get home and straighten up the house before folks start showing up.” Yvonne stood up, and I escorted her to the door.
Chapter 41
Odell
WHEN I PULLED UP IN FRONT OF MY HOUSE SUNDAY NIGHT, JOYCE was standing on our front porch. Every light was on and the front door was standing wide open. I parked and piled out of the car and ran up the porch steps two at a time. “What’s the matter, sugar?” I hollered, grabbing her by the hand.
“Nothing,” she said in a weak tone.
I glanced toward the house next door and all the vehicles parked outside. “What you doing standing out here in the dark?”
“I was getting worried about you. It’s almost ten o’clock,” she said, leading me inside to the couch. I sat down, but she stood in front of me with her arms folded.
“I would have been home a hour ago, but I had to stop by the store.” I let out a disgusted groan and shook my head. “I remembered some paperwork I had forgot to finish before I closed up Friday evening.”
Joyce’s mouth dropped open. “And it couldn’t wait until tomorrow when you go back to the store?”
“It could have, but I had promised Mac I’d have it done by Monday morning. What would I do if he decided to pop in tomorrow before I could get it done?”
“Daddy hardly ever goes to the store since he retired, Odell.”
“So?”
“So what made you think he’d suddenly decide to show up tomorrow before you could finish your paperwork? Even if he did pop in tomorrow, I doubt if he’d come before noon.”
I gave Joyce a weary look and hunched my shoulders. “Baby, come sit down next to me. I missed you.” I patted the couch, but Joyce dropped down into my lap. “Now give me some sugar.” I kissed her long and hard and squeezed her tittie, the way I always did when I wanted to get her hot.
“I hope you had a good time out there in the sticks,” she said before she nibbled on my earlobe.
“Yeah, right. Daddy and Ellamae ain’t the most fun-loving people in the world. He slept most of the time I was out there, and she had me doing all kinds of shit around the house. I shucked a whole bushel of corn and washed and walked that lazy hound dog they got. Yesterday, I took Daddy to get his hair cut and when we got back to the house, Ellamae had went to sleep and left a pan of cornbread cooking in the oven. If we hadn’t got back when we did, there ain’t no telling what might have happened.”
“Odell, maybe we should seriously think about moving them closer to us so we can keep an eye on them the way we do with my mama and daddy.”
“Pffft! I done told you before that they ain’t never leaving that shack alive. Besides, they done paid off the mortgage and moving to a new place where they’d have to pay rent ain’t
