grill heating up and the steaks marinating. Mignon thought she could slip past her, but R. J. knew her
younger only too well. Mignon was too quiet and moving too quickly. "Mignon, come here."
"Thought I'd fertilize your roses," Mignon replied, but observing her mother's stare, trudged over to her.
"Oh, Mignon."
F
ortified by her Lucky Strike, R. J. recovered to check on the steaks. Bad enough that Mignon pierced her ears, far worse that she did it behind her back.
Frank wouldn't be home for supper. Since it was the Ladies' Championship at the club, he and Randy Goswell, Arnold Burgess, and Ted Baptista all took off to play at a new course near Norfolk. The boys would whoop it up.
A chastised Mignon wore her posts since Vic convinced their mother that it would be worse to remove them. The deed was done, why risk infection? Logically, she pointed out that when Mignon would turn sixteen she'd go poke two more holes in her ears. Vic re minded R. J. that Mignon made A's in school, didn't drink or smoke, and so far hadn't behaved badly with the opposite sex. Drugs weren't even mentioned. R. J. puffed on a cigarette as her elder finished her appeal.
"All right. I'm outnumbered." She drew in a breath, the tip of her cigarette a red period to her sentence. "Honey, you have a good head on your shoulders."
They both laughed as R. J. patted Vic's broad shoulder and then lightly shoved her in the direction of the dock where Jinx and Chris were watching the boats.
"Mom, why so many plates?" Mignon called from the patio.
"Regina and Lisa are joining us."
"What about Teddy and Boo?" These were Jinx's brothers, one older than Mignon, one younger.
"They're helping to officiate at the club."
"Cool." Mignon had a crush on Teddy, a senior at her high school, and she wasn't about to betray it.
"Does Jinx know her mother's coming?" Mignon carried out condiments.
"No, and since when are you so full of questions? It's rude to ask so many questions, Mignon. You know better."
"Yes, ma'am." She paused. "But aren't you glad I have an inquiring mind?"
R. J. shook her head and then shot over to the grill. Piper, when Mignon's back was turned, had grabbed a steak off the pile by standing on her hind legs and then had fled at top speed.
"Damn her." R. J. shook her head. She shaded her eyes, watching the three college girls sitting on the dock, the low sun drenching them in gold. To be young, she thought to herself.
R. J., not a bitter woman, endured her disappointments with equa nimity. She loved Frank despite his failings, but the financial strain wore on her nerves. Sometimes, she felt old on the inside, old and tired.
Vic and Jinx flanked Chris, all of them dipping their feet into the river, the sun shining in their faces.
"Nah." Jinx shook her head.
"Why not?" Chris inhaled the heavy river scent.
"Because American men are too frightened of women in the first place. They'll never give one political power," Jinx concluded.
"Go, Piper!" Vic had just seen the dog steal the steak.
They all laughed.
"You haven't said a word." Chris elbowed Vic.
"About politics" —Vic shrugged— "I'm not very interested."
"She'll do whatever Charly tells her." Jinx knew this would pro voke Vic.
"Bullshit." Jinx's barb found its mark.
"He'll run for office after a pro-football career."
Vic checked her watch. "Jesus, I forgot to listen to the game." She shrugged. "Oh, well."
"You certainly have a laid-back attitude about him," Chris said, her tone implying no judgment.
"Because Vic is so drop-dead gorgeous she can have any man she wants." Jinx sighed, wishing she were that beautiful. "Charly's a big man on campus." She used the old phrase, a light mocking tone in her voice. "But Vic is bigger in her way."
"Jinx, you're so full of it." Vic hated being singled out for her looks. After all, she hadn't earned them.
"Well, I guess she could seduce just about anybody," Chris said. Chris flipped water over on Vic with her foot.
Heat,
younger only too well. Mignon was too quiet and moving too quickly. "Mignon, come here."
"Thought I'd fertilize your roses," Mignon replied, but observing her mother's stare, trudged over to her.
"Oh, Mignon."
F
ortified by her Lucky Strike, R. J. recovered to check on the steaks. Bad enough that Mignon pierced her ears, far worse that she did it behind her back.
Frank wouldn't be home for supper. Since it was the Ladies' Championship at the club, he and Randy Goswell, Arnold Burgess, and Ted Baptista all took off to play at a new course near Norfolk. The boys would whoop it up.
A chastised Mignon wore her posts since Vic convinced their mother that it would be worse to remove them. The deed was done, why risk infection? Logically, she pointed out that when Mignon would turn sixteen she'd go poke two more holes in her ears. Vic re minded R. J. that Mignon made A's in school, didn't drink or smoke, and so far hadn't behaved badly with the opposite sex. Drugs weren't even mentioned. R. J. puffed on a cigarette as her elder finished her appeal.
"All right. I'm outnumbered." She drew in a breath, the tip of her cigarette a red period to her sentence. "Honey, you have a good head on your shoulders."
They both laughed as R. J. patted Vic's broad shoulder and then lightly shoved her in the direction of the dock where Jinx and Chris were watching the boats.
"Mom, why so many plates?" Mignon called from the patio.
"Regina and Lisa are joining us."
"What about Teddy and Boo?" These were Jinx's brothers, one older than Mignon, one younger.
"They're helping to officiate at the club."
"Cool." Mignon had a crush on Teddy, a senior at her high school, and she wasn't about to betray it.
"Does Jinx know her mother's coming?" Mignon carried out condiments.
"No, and since when are you so full of questions? It's rude to ask so many questions, Mignon. You know better."
"Yes, ma'am." She paused. "But aren't you glad I have an inquiring mind?"
R. J. shook her head and then shot over to the grill. Piper, when Mignon's back was turned, had grabbed a steak off the pile by standing on her hind legs and then had fled at top speed.
"Damn her." R. J. shook her head. She shaded her eyes, watching the three college girls sitting on the dock, the low sun drenching them in gold. To be young, she thought to herself.
R. J., not a bitter woman, endured her disappointments with equa nimity. She loved Frank despite his failings, but the financial strain wore on her nerves. Sometimes, she felt old on the inside, old and tired.
Vic and Jinx flanked Chris, all of them dipping their feet into the river, the sun shining in their faces.
"Nah." Jinx shook her head.
"Why not?" Chris inhaled the heavy river scent.
"Because American men are too frightened of women in the first place. They'll never give one political power," Jinx concluded.
"Go, Piper!" Vic had just seen the dog steal the steak.
They all laughed.
"You haven't said a word." Chris elbowed Vic.
"About politics" —Vic shrugged— "I'm not very interested."
"She'll do whatever Charly tells her." Jinx knew this would pro voke Vic.
"Bullshit." Jinx's barb found its mark.
"He'll run for office after a pro-football career."
Vic checked her watch. "Jesus, I forgot to listen to the game." She shrugged. "Oh, well."
"You certainly have a laid-back attitude about him," Chris said, her tone implying no judgment.
"Because Vic is so drop-dead gorgeous she can have any man she wants." Jinx sighed, wishing she were that beautiful. "Charly's a big man on campus." She used the old phrase, a light mocking tone in her voice. "But Vic is bigger in her way."
"Jinx, you're so full of it." Vic hated being singled out for her looks. After all, she hadn't earned them.
"Well, I guess she could seduce just about anybody," Chris said. Chris flipped water over on Vic with her foot.
Heat,
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