Everything’s been so dry.” She grew up on a farm and knew more about weather than Marilee.
“Don’t they look fine ?” Clarinda breathed at my shoulder. She looked real fine, too, in a dark green dress with satin trim. “I’m glad he saw the light and took back that high-falutin’ car.”
“He didn’t take it back,” I enlightened her. “He just hid it in Ridd’s garage so it wouldn’t get messed up. They’re going to get it right now.”
She grunted her disappointment.
The newlyweds dashed through a gamut of jests and a hail of birdseed. Maynard helped Selena in, and kissed her thoroughly. As he slammed his door, I wondered how many of the car artists suspected he would only drive it a few blocks—or if they cared.
As they drove away, a silver Porsche pulled out of the parking lot and followed them. “Ridd”—I jiggled his elbow—“that’s Skell.”
He shaded his eyes to be sure, then nodded. “I’d better go after them, to be sure everything’s all right. Tell Martha I’ll come back for her, all right?”
“Your car is parked behind three rows of others. Mine’s right over here. Come on.” I was already fumbling in my pocketbook for my keys and heading to the driver’s side before Ridd could offer to drive. He drives like a little old lady.
Skell’s Porsche was already a couple of blocks away, waiting at the stop sign for traffic on the highway to pass. “Lead foot Mama,” Ridd groaned as I gunned the Nissan and sped after him.
I pulled in behind the Porsche in front of Ridd’s bungalow just as Skell jumped out. Ridd’s garage door was open, and Maynard was putting suitcases into the BMW.
As Ridd climbed out, I rolled down the window and heard Skell begin his useless refrain. “Come on, man, give me a break.” Looked to me like he could come up with a better song.
Maynard ignored Skell and walked back to the Saturn, where Selena was collecting a box of food I’d asked the caterers to put up for them. “We’d better hit the road if we want to reach Orlando tonight.” Turning, he added to Ridd, who had just joined them, “You want the Saturn in the garage, or just left here?”
“Leave it. We’ll take care of it. Have fun.”
Skell grabbed Maynard’s elbow. “This is serious, man. Life and death.”
Maynard tried to shake him off, but Skell clung like a burr.
“Hold it, Skell.” Ridd caught his shoulder the same way Joe Riddley had the night before. It always tickles me when one of the boys acts like one of us, after they spent so much of their growing-up years informing us they would never be like their parents.
Skell turned toward him. “Make him listen, Ridd. I’ll lend him my car for his honeymoon and sell him another car at cost when he gets back. I can’t do fairer than that.”
It was the first time I’d seen Skell’s face since the night before. He hadn’t shaved and I doubted he’d slept much. His eyes were red, his hair standing on end. He even wore the same clothes he’d had on the day before. Where had he been all night?
Ridd said something too soft for me to hear, then took Skell by the shoulder and steered him toward the Porsche. He held his arm in a firm grip while Maynard and Selena got into the BMW, backed around the Saturn, waved, and roared away. Then Ridd shook Skell. “Go home. This won’t look so bad after you’ve had some sleep.”
Skell looked after Maynard and Selena as if his future had driven away with them. “You don’t know,” he said in a lifeless voice. “You have no idea.”
He got in his car and headed down the road in the same direction.
I got home to find Joe Riddley dozing in his recliner. He still tired easily, and between Friday night’s fiesta and that morning’s wedding, he was worn out. I shook his shoulder. “Come on upstairs. We both need a nap.”
I don’t know how long we’d been sleeping when the phone rang. I was so groggy and the room was so dim, I thought at first it was early morning
“Don’t they look fine ?” Clarinda breathed at my shoulder. She looked real fine, too, in a dark green dress with satin trim. “I’m glad he saw the light and took back that high-falutin’ car.”
“He didn’t take it back,” I enlightened her. “He just hid it in Ridd’s garage so it wouldn’t get messed up. They’re going to get it right now.”
She grunted her disappointment.
The newlyweds dashed through a gamut of jests and a hail of birdseed. Maynard helped Selena in, and kissed her thoroughly. As he slammed his door, I wondered how many of the car artists suspected he would only drive it a few blocks—or if they cared.
As they drove away, a silver Porsche pulled out of the parking lot and followed them. “Ridd”—I jiggled his elbow—“that’s Skell.”
He shaded his eyes to be sure, then nodded. “I’d better go after them, to be sure everything’s all right. Tell Martha I’ll come back for her, all right?”
“Your car is parked behind three rows of others. Mine’s right over here. Come on.” I was already fumbling in my pocketbook for my keys and heading to the driver’s side before Ridd could offer to drive. He drives like a little old lady.
Skell’s Porsche was already a couple of blocks away, waiting at the stop sign for traffic on the highway to pass. “Lead foot Mama,” Ridd groaned as I gunned the Nissan and sped after him.
I pulled in behind the Porsche in front of Ridd’s bungalow just as Skell jumped out. Ridd’s garage door was open, and Maynard was putting suitcases into the BMW.
As Ridd climbed out, I rolled down the window and heard Skell begin his useless refrain. “Come on, man, give me a break.” Looked to me like he could come up with a better song.
Maynard ignored Skell and walked back to the Saturn, where Selena was collecting a box of food I’d asked the caterers to put up for them. “We’d better hit the road if we want to reach Orlando tonight.” Turning, he added to Ridd, who had just joined them, “You want the Saturn in the garage, or just left here?”
“Leave it. We’ll take care of it. Have fun.”
Skell grabbed Maynard’s elbow. “This is serious, man. Life and death.”
Maynard tried to shake him off, but Skell clung like a burr.
“Hold it, Skell.” Ridd caught his shoulder the same way Joe Riddley had the night before. It always tickles me when one of the boys acts like one of us, after they spent so much of their growing-up years informing us they would never be like their parents.
Skell turned toward him. “Make him listen, Ridd. I’ll lend him my car for his honeymoon and sell him another car at cost when he gets back. I can’t do fairer than that.”
It was the first time I’d seen Skell’s face since the night before. He hadn’t shaved and I doubted he’d slept much. His eyes were red, his hair standing on end. He even wore the same clothes he’d had on the day before. Where had he been all night?
Ridd said something too soft for me to hear, then took Skell by the shoulder and steered him toward the Porsche. He held his arm in a firm grip while Maynard and Selena got into the BMW, backed around the Saturn, waved, and roared away. Then Ridd shook Skell. “Go home. This won’t look so bad after you’ve had some sleep.”
Skell looked after Maynard and Selena as if his future had driven away with them. “You don’t know,” he said in a lifeless voice. “You have no idea.”
He got in his car and headed down the road in the same direction.
I got home to find Joe Riddley dozing in his recliner. He still tired easily, and between Friday night’s fiesta and that morning’s wedding, he was worn out. I shook his shoulder. “Come on upstairs. We both need a nap.”
I don’t know how long we’d been sleeping when the phone rang. I was so groggy and the room was so dim, I thought at first it was early morning
Similar Books
