Of course it never would have occurred to him that she might like to go. Ezzy Hardge had been sheriff all her life. She felt he deserved a good send-off. But if she had suggested they go, Delray would have said no.
The first time Dean brought her home to meet his father, he had warned her beforehand that Delray wasn't the outgoing type. She discovered that to be an understatement. Dean's mother Mary had been Delray's second wife. Before finding happiness with his new family, Delray had lived through terrible times. Those troubled years had left their mark on him. What little social life he had had died along with Mary and Dean. Gradually his small number of friends stopped notifying him of their get-togethers. He seemed not to notice or mind. At first Anna had thought that he was embarrassed by her handicap and that he felt awkward using sign language in public places. Or that he was sensitive to her being a young widow and was reluctant to leave her at home alone in the evenings, especially after David was born. Eventually she had come to realize that his solitude had little to do with her. He didn't like people in general. He resented their curiosity and gossip. He rebuffed any act of friendliness or kindness because he mistrusted the motive behind it. He preferred living in semi-isolation. Her impairment gave him a good excuse and made it convenient for him.
"Get all your errands run today?"
His question roused her from her thoughts. Suddenly remembering something, she held up her finger to indicate that she would be right back. She fetched a business card from her handbag and brought it back to Delray.
"Emory Lomax." His lips formed the name, then a curse, which she hoped he spoke beneath his breath so David couldn't hear.
" I went into the bank," she told him. " Mr. Lomax made a point of crossing the lobby just to comeover to say hello. "
"Oily bastard."
Although the word was strangely out of context, she understood what Delray meant. "Oily" was a perfect word to describe the loan officer. Whenever he touched her, which was each time she saw him, she felt the need to wash right away. " He asked that teller who knows sign to interpretfor him."
"What did he have to say for himself?"
" He reminded me that an interest payment is past due—"
"I mailed it yesterday."
" That's what I told him. He said the two of you need to meet and discuss how and when you 'llstart reducing the principal of the loan. He offered to come here for the meeting."
"I bet he did."
" To save you a trip into town, he said."
"More to the point, to give him a chance to look the place over." Delray took a toothpick from the glass holder in the center of the table and clamped it between his teeth as he stood up. "I'm going to watch TV. Maybe there's some good news tonight."
He was angry over the loan officer's conversation with her. Possibly a little afraid about the news from Arkansas. As he left the kitchen, Delray resembled an aging bear, one who had lost his claws and feared he could no longer protect himself.
"Is Grandpa mad at me?" David asked.
Anna reached out and drew her son close, hugging him tightly. " Why would he be mad at you? "
" 'Cause I talk too much."
" He's not mad. He's worried about grown-up stuff. "
"That man at the bank?"
She nodded.
David made a face of distaste. "I don't like him. He smells like mouthwash." Laughing, she signed, " Grandpa doesn't like him either."
"Do you?"
She shuddered. " No! "
Emory Lomax couldn't carry on a conversation without rubbing his hand up and down her arm, or holding her hand too long after shaking it. Certainly she had never encouraged his attention. She had been nothing except polite. But Lomax's ego couldn't separate common manners from a flirtation. The next time he touched her she should call him what he was—an asshole—and tell him to keep his hands to himself.
Could she get the teller to interpret that? she wondered.
" Bath time" she told David, shooing him up the
The first time Dean brought her home to meet his father, he had warned her beforehand that Delray wasn't the outgoing type. She discovered that to be an understatement. Dean's mother Mary had been Delray's second wife. Before finding happiness with his new family, Delray had lived through terrible times. Those troubled years had left their mark on him. What little social life he had had died along with Mary and Dean. Gradually his small number of friends stopped notifying him of their get-togethers. He seemed not to notice or mind. At first Anna had thought that he was embarrassed by her handicap and that he felt awkward using sign language in public places. Or that he was sensitive to her being a young widow and was reluctant to leave her at home alone in the evenings, especially after David was born. Eventually she had come to realize that his solitude had little to do with her. He didn't like people in general. He resented their curiosity and gossip. He rebuffed any act of friendliness or kindness because he mistrusted the motive behind it. He preferred living in semi-isolation. Her impairment gave him a good excuse and made it convenient for him.
"Get all your errands run today?"
His question roused her from her thoughts. Suddenly remembering something, she held up her finger to indicate that she would be right back. She fetched a business card from her handbag and brought it back to Delray.
"Emory Lomax." His lips formed the name, then a curse, which she hoped he spoke beneath his breath so David couldn't hear.
" I went into the bank," she told him. " Mr. Lomax made a point of crossing the lobby just to comeover to say hello. "
"Oily bastard."
Although the word was strangely out of context, she understood what Delray meant. "Oily" was a perfect word to describe the loan officer. Whenever he touched her, which was each time she saw him, she felt the need to wash right away. " He asked that teller who knows sign to interpretfor him."
"What did he have to say for himself?"
" He reminded me that an interest payment is past due—"
"I mailed it yesterday."
" That's what I told him. He said the two of you need to meet and discuss how and when you 'llstart reducing the principal of the loan. He offered to come here for the meeting."
"I bet he did."
" To save you a trip into town, he said."
"More to the point, to give him a chance to look the place over." Delray took a toothpick from the glass holder in the center of the table and clamped it between his teeth as he stood up. "I'm going to watch TV. Maybe there's some good news tonight."
He was angry over the loan officer's conversation with her. Possibly a little afraid about the news from Arkansas. As he left the kitchen, Delray resembled an aging bear, one who had lost his claws and feared he could no longer protect himself.
"Is Grandpa mad at me?" David asked.
Anna reached out and drew her son close, hugging him tightly. " Why would he be mad at you? "
" 'Cause I talk too much."
" He's not mad. He's worried about grown-up stuff. "
"That man at the bank?"
She nodded.
David made a face of distaste. "I don't like him. He smells like mouthwash." Laughing, she signed, " Grandpa doesn't like him either."
"Do you?"
She shuddered. " No! "
Emory Lomax couldn't carry on a conversation without rubbing his hand up and down her arm, or holding her hand too long after shaking it. Certainly she had never encouraged his attention. She had been nothing except polite. But Lomax's ego couldn't separate common manners from a flirtation. The next time he touched her she should call him what he was—an asshole—and tell him to keep his hands to himself.
Could she get the teller to interpret that? she wondered.
" Bath time" she told David, shooing him up the
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