Once Upon a Misty Bluegrass Hill by Rebecca Bernadette Mance Page B

shut the door.  She could feel his eyes on her but refused to look at him.  She just couldn ' t face the ridicule, or in the least, the pity she was certain was in those all-seeing eyes of his.  " Hurry Little Red . "
    The screen door burst open and Aunt Paula wal ked out with her hands on her hi ps eyeing Bernie and Patrick .  She was already all " dolled-up " as she called it.  Her lacy tank top did nothing to hide her sagging boobs. 
    No bra as usual.  Oh gosh this was so obnoxiously humiliating.  Would Patrick notice her jiggling globes topped with puckered nipples?
    " Where the hell have you been and who are these people ? "
    Aunt Paula ' s eyes went dewy when they fell on Patrick .  Jolene moved forward to head of f Aunt Paula before she reached the truck and Patrick .  " This is a man I met at the races. "
    Paula ' s painted red lips lifted in a slow grin.  " Is he?  Well, maybe he has come back for a bit more . "   She assessed Patrick with hard green eyes and a speculative tilt to her head.  "W ell, it will cost you more this time but I ' ll throw in the room. "
    " She is coming with me. "   Hi s voice was sharp and hard with disgust.
    Aunt Paula turned to Jolene , her painted brows arched and her lips thin .  " What is the meaning of this young lady? "
    Jolene gathered her courage, her heart beating like hummingbird wings.  " I am leaving. "  Jolene was brave within Patrick 's sure shadow.   " M e, Finn and O l li e are all leaving right now .  Mr. Patrick has offered me a place to live and work.  So, I am going and taking my dogs with me . "
    Aunt Paula ' s eyes widened and her brows went up near her hairline.  I n a fly wing's second her face twisted and she stomped toward Patrick .  " Just who do you think you are?  You think you are going to keep my niece like some whore? "
    Some of the men from the party were filtering outside while others who stood around their vehicles watched with curiosity while sc ratching their chests under cut- off tee shirts .   Bernie's hand hovered over his gun holster and his eyes darted everywhere keeping track of each person. 
    Patrick turned his morning-glory eyes to take in the scene with his nose slightly tilted up with arrogance that even Jolene recognized.  " And what were y e r try ing to do to her sending her to the Derby like that? "    
    Aunt Paula ' s eyes narrowed to slits.  " Like what? "
    " With painted lips and black all around her baby eyes. "
    Paula jabbed her hands on her hips, moved closer to Patrick and sniffed.  " What puddle of shit is this?  Baby eyes, my ass…she ' s old enough...in fact, far past old enough.  If her head wasn ' t in those damned books, she ' d been laid a long time before now and have a nice boyfriend. "
    " She is just an infant , with eyes the color of green grass that has never been trod upon. "
    Paula cackled.  " Oh, I see the way of things now .  Y ou to ok a fancy to her then did you? "
    Patrick regarded Paula with cold purple eyes , his hard jaw clinching.  " That sort of comment does not deserve an answer. "
    Then he turned to Jolene.   " Now go on Little Red , get ye r stuff ; and hurry while I have a final word with your Aunt. "  
    Jolene ran as fast as she could, pus hing past Aunt Paula ' s leering boyfriends who stood with beer cans in hand.  Two of them had tried to corner her in the backyard a time or two in recent months but she had been able to skillfully escape. 
    The screen door slammed behind her and she heard her dogs frantically barking from inside of Patrick ' s truck as if they understood and believed all of Aunt Paula ' s threats to send them away had come to pass .  And they should be so happy to go…why after all his seats were real leather and Patrick would have lots of food for them.  But still they yapped just the way Collies did when they were upset.  She could picture his windows now as a big foggy mess. Their barks called for her to hurry and come back.
    But Jolene