comforting the bereft that his face and voice just got stuck in that reassuring way.
“Give me a minute to get the fire going here,” Nolan said. “Got to keep the baby warm.” Nolan stepped outside, and Emmalee knew he had gone to steal another piece of wood from an unsuspecting table or chair he had carried home and tossed along the side of the house.
“How is Emmalee? Sure was surprised to hear she had a baby,” Mr. Fulton asked, raising his voice.
“Yep,” Nolan said as he returned to the stove.
“I guess you knew Hester delivered her.” It sounded as though Mr. Fulton followed Nolan to the woodstove on the other end of the room. “She took Billy with her in case she needed help. Not sure the boy’s recovered from the sight of it yet.” Mr. Fulton laughed. “You know we haven’t run Cullen’s ambulance in more than ten years, since the county took over service, but the old-timers at the factory still call on Hester whenever there’s a womanly problem of any kind. Guess they feel more comfortable with her than one of the men from the rescue squad.” Mr. Fulton paused. “Hester said Emmalee was convinced she had the flu was all.”
“Yeah. Thought she’d gotten fat.” Nolan tossed the fresh wood into the stove, and Emmalee could hear the fire crackle and pop. “But it wasn’t looking like there was a baby in there.”
“Well, Hester said it was a tiny thing. Not more than five pounds. Is she growing good?”
“Guess so. Got some lungs, that’s for damn sure.” The stove’s metal door clanked shut.
“Saw Runt the other day,” Mr. Fulton said. “Said he brought some formula and bottles by, but you run him off. Why’d you do that, Nolan?”
“Don’t need one damn thing from him.”
Nolan stumbled back to his cot.
“Sure this isn’t about Runt getting your daddy’s mill? Nolan, that was a long, long time ago. You got to do what’s right for Emmalee and the baby.”
“She’s doing fine. Baby too.”
Emmalee clenched her fists and sucked in another fierce cry.
“Well, what about the daddy? Has he been around to help?”
“Don’t know. Girl won’t say. And I ain’t seen a boy back here.”
“Hmm. You better keep an eye on her or you’ll have a houseful before long.” Mr. Fulton walked back to the door. “I was always telling our Rachel you can’t trust a boy till he puts a ring on your finger. Of course, I tell Billy to keep away from a girl looking for you to put a ring on her finger,” Mr. Fulton said and laughed.
Billy’s name was only a quick mention, but Emmalee repeated it in her baby’s ear. Billy had promised to marryher long before Kelly Faye was brewing deep inside her. He asked her outright, even talked about a life together. They would live in Cullen and run his daddy’s business. Said he never knew a girl so comfortable around the dead. When they could, they’d buy a house of their own, one with two stories and a big backyard. He called Emmalee beautiful and pure then.
Emmalee had worked hard not to imagine her life married to Billy. It was foolish dreaming. But she had worked harder not to love him, even after that day he had crawled on top of her and pushed his way inside. Looking back, she understood the girl from Red Chert was only a novelty for a boy like him, not much different from the bearded lady on display at the state fair. Besides, Nolan always told her that it would take a mindless fool to fall in love with her, and Billy Fulton was a real smart boy.
Emmalee traced the outline of her baby’s lips with her fingertip as she had once traced Billy’s before pressing her mouth against his. Even though Billy had not claimed his baby girl, he was always there now, staring back at her. Sometimes she swore this baby taunted her on purpose. The flecks of green in Kelly Faye’s eyes and her slender nose, both features stolen from the Fultons’ blood, worried Emmalee. She was afraid Mr. Fulton might see his own son in Kelly’s face soon.
“Give me a minute to get the fire going here,” Nolan said. “Got to keep the baby warm.” Nolan stepped outside, and Emmalee knew he had gone to steal another piece of wood from an unsuspecting table or chair he had carried home and tossed along the side of the house.
“How is Emmalee? Sure was surprised to hear she had a baby,” Mr. Fulton asked, raising his voice.
“Yep,” Nolan said as he returned to the stove.
“I guess you knew Hester delivered her.” It sounded as though Mr. Fulton followed Nolan to the woodstove on the other end of the room. “She took Billy with her in case she needed help. Not sure the boy’s recovered from the sight of it yet.” Mr. Fulton laughed. “You know we haven’t run Cullen’s ambulance in more than ten years, since the county took over service, but the old-timers at the factory still call on Hester whenever there’s a womanly problem of any kind. Guess they feel more comfortable with her than one of the men from the rescue squad.” Mr. Fulton paused. “Hester said Emmalee was convinced she had the flu was all.”
“Yeah. Thought she’d gotten fat.” Nolan tossed the fresh wood into the stove, and Emmalee could hear the fire crackle and pop. “But it wasn’t looking like there was a baby in there.”
“Well, Hester said it was a tiny thing. Not more than five pounds. Is she growing good?”
“Guess so. Got some lungs, that’s for damn sure.” The stove’s metal door clanked shut.
“Saw Runt the other day,” Mr. Fulton said. “Said he brought some formula and bottles by, but you run him off. Why’d you do that, Nolan?”
“Don’t need one damn thing from him.”
Nolan stumbled back to his cot.
“Sure this isn’t about Runt getting your daddy’s mill? Nolan, that was a long, long time ago. You got to do what’s right for Emmalee and the baby.”
“She’s doing fine. Baby too.”
Emmalee clenched her fists and sucked in another fierce cry.
“Well, what about the daddy? Has he been around to help?”
“Don’t know. Girl won’t say. And I ain’t seen a boy back here.”
“Hmm. You better keep an eye on her or you’ll have a houseful before long.” Mr. Fulton walked back to the door. “I was always telling our Rachel you can’t trust a boy till he puts a ring on your finger. Of course, I tell Billy to keep away from a girl looking for you to put a ring on her finger,” Mr. Fulton said and laughed.
Billy’s name was only a quick mention, but Emmalee repeated it in her baby’s ear. Billy had promised to marryher long before Kelly Faye was brewing deep inside her. He asked her outright, even talked about a life together. They would live in Cullen and run his daddy’s business. Said he never knew a girl so comfortable around the dead. When they could, they’d buy a house of their own, one with two stories and a big backyard. He called Emmalee beautiful and pure then.
Emmalee had worked hard not to imagine her life married to Billy. It was foolish dreaming. But she had worked harder not to love him, even after that day he had crawled on top of her and pushed his way inside. Looking back, she understood the girl from Red Chert was only a novelty for a boy like him, not much different from the bearded lady on display at the state fair. Besides, Nolan always told her that it would take a mindless fool to fall in love with her, and Billy Fulton was a real smart boy.
Emmalee traced the outline of her baby’s lips with her fingertip as she had once traced Billy’s before pressing her mouth against his. Even though Billy had not claimed his baby girl, he was always there now, staring back at her. Sometimes she swore this baby taunted her on purpose. The flecks of green in Kelly Faye’s eyes and her slender nose, both features stolen from the Fultons’ blood, worried Emmalee. She was afraid Mr. Fulton might see his own son in Kelly’s face soon.
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