“My, goodness. Don’t you girls look pretty? Your Papa is so proud of you.”

“Thank you. I don’t think Jason has washed.” Julie, feeling the eyes of Birdie stabbing her in the back, escaped to cross the yard to where Jason sat with Sidney.

Jill followed.
“My goodness, don’t you girls look pretty,”
she mimicked as soon as they were out of hearing range.

Seeing Jason slumped dispiritedly with eyes so sad tore at Julie’s already bruised heart. She knelt down beside him and put a chocolate in this hand.

“Thanks, but I’ve already had one.”

“You’ve got another. Evan will be here pretty soon. Why don’t you put Sidney back in the barn?”

“He don’t like to stay in there all the time. He … cries.”

“There’s a big ham bone in the smokehouse. I was saving it for soup, but let’s get it. It’ll give Sidney something to do while we’re gone.”

“Ya mean it?”

“Course I do. Come on.”

Julie and Jason were coming out of the barn when Evan drove into the yard. Jill ran to the car to meet him. On the porch Birdie gave Jethro a knowing look and clicked her tongue sadly. Joy, riding on Joe’s shoulders, squealed when Joe swung her to the ground and ran toward the car. Jill and Jason got into the back seat on one side, Joe on the other. He pulled Joy up onto his lap.

Jack, carefully holding his freshly oiled glove, waited for Julie to get in beside Evan. She waved her hand at the two on the porch, then slid across the seat to make room for her brother. Jack got in and closed the door.

“All in?” Evan said cheerfully, loving being in the midst of this family, loving more the feel of Julie’s shoulder and thigh against his.

“Better hurry, or
she’ll
want to go.” Jill sat on the edge of the seat and spoke close to the back to Evan’s head. She was still leaning toward him when the car passed the porch.

Birdie put her hand on Jethro’s arm, pleased to see that he had noticed and was frowning. Her little seed had taken root.

“I’m sure there’s nothing to worry about … yet. Why don’t you have a talk with Julie?”

“I already did. I warned her to keep Jill away from him.”

“How did she take it?”

“She was mad as a wet hen.”

“Of course. Oh, poor girl. She has hopes Evan is interested in her. How sad.”

“Would you and Elsie like to go for a ride? We can go to the ball park and watch the practice.”

“Oh, goody! I’d love to go. It’s sweet of you to think of it.”

* * *

There were several dozen spectators milling around at the ball field when Evan stopped the car well back of the batter’s box. Julie could feel Jack’s excitement and placed her hand on his arm before he got out of the car.

“Good luck. We’ll be cheering for you.”

“Thanks, Sis.”

Jill got out of the car the minute it stopped. She had spied Ruby May and went over to where she sat on a quilt with her mother. The others piled out of the car, Joe holding on to Joy, giving Julie a minute alone with Evan. She moved away until they were no longer touching.

“Things going all right?” he asked.

“I … think so. At least we got through the noon meal. School starts tomorrow. Jill and Jason will be gone all day. That will help. Mrs. Stuart isn’t sending Elsie. She said she is so far ahead she can sit out a year and still be at the head of the class.”

“Good for Elsie,” Evan said dryly. “How about Jack?”

“He doesn’t want to go back, but Papa is making him go. All he can think about is playing baseball.”

“Very few make a living playing ball. You have to be exceptionally good.”

“After he plays with the traveling league, he may realize that he isn’t good enough. He’s dreamed about it since he was a little boy. I hope he isn’t disappointed.”

“He’ll have his family. He’ll handle it.” Evan reached over and took her hand. “Having Mrs. Stuart in your home is hard on you. I wish that there was something I could do to help.”

Julie turned to look at him and suddenly a bubble of laughter came from her smiling lips.

“If you want to help, you can court her, invite her to stay at your house.”

Evan’s lips spread in a wide grin and he laced his fingers with hers.

“Anything but that … or murder.”

Julie’s smile was beautiful. Her lips tilted upward, her eyes shone. She held tightly to his hand. His eyes roamed her face, taking in every detail to remember later.

“I’m glad I met you, Julie Jones.” The words came out as he was thinking them.

“I’m glad I met you, too, Evan Johnson.” Julie was surprised at how easy it was to say the words. Her eyes searched his face. He was smiling; his eyes were bright pools of happiness. His face looked younger than it had been when he first came home. How could her papa think that he’d do anything so terrible as to hurt Jill?

“Speaking of courting, I’ve picked out the girl I want to court.” Hungrily, his eyes devoured her face.

Julie’s heart fluttered and her cheeks reddened. His fingers went to her chin so that she couldn’t turn her face away.

“Julie … do you have any objection to spending time with me while we get to know each other?”

“Not … if you want to.”

“I want to. Believe me, I do.”

“I’d better see to the kids.”

“They’re all right. Jill has found her friend. Joy and Jason are with Joe.”

“Joy is a handful. She might dart out onto the field.”

“She’s a crackerjack, all right, but Joe can handle her.”

“She’s very dear to me.”

“I know that,” he said simply.

Her eyes searched his for a hidden meaning to the statement, but found nothing but genuine sincerity. How could her father possibly think him a dishonorable man?

“We’d … better get out.”

“Do you mind if people think that you’re my girl?”

“Oh, I don’t think people think that.” She looked away from him.

“Would you mind if they did?” With his fingers beneath her chin again, he turned her face toward him.

“I wouldn’t mind.” Her voice trembled a little. Her eyes were wide and clear and honest as they looked into his.

They were so close, their breaths were mingling when they became aware that a car had pulled up beside them. Julie turned to looked into the eyes of the police chief, who was staring at them. Beside him was Dr. Forbes. Julie smiled and nodded. He tipped his hat.

Julie got out of the car; and on her way to where Jill sat on a quilt with Ruby May, she glanced over her shoulder to see that the chief had stopped Evan in front of his car.

“A word with you, Johnson.”

“Sure. What’s on your mind?”

“Was your father home last night?”

“No. He left about dark. I think he was heading for Well’s Point.”

“When did he return?”

“I’m not sure. It was quite a while after I got home.”

“When was that?”

“Midnight, or a little after.”

“You were with someone until then?”

“You know I was. You saw us in town.”

“I thought you might have taken Miss Jones home and gone out again.”

“No. I was with her until I headed home. Why all the questions?”

“Is your father home?”

“Sleeping off a drunk. I doubt if you’ll be able to wake him for another couple of hours, but you’re welcome to go out and try.”

“I’ll come out later.” Joe walked up and Corbin said, “I didn’t come back to the house when I saw the windmill blades turning. I see the boy’s here, so no harm was done?”

“Evan found him in the woods and brought him home. He’s sorry for the trouble he caused.”

Corbin glanced at Evan. He liked the man; couldn’t help it. It was too bad he had such a disreputable character for a father and had a head start with a girl Corbin would like to know better himself.

Dr. Forbes was leaning on the hood of the police chief’s car when Ron Poole came to speak to him.

“Come on, Doc. I’m not letting you weasel out of playing shortstop.” He tossed a ball to Dr. Forbes. “Would you rather play first base?”

“No. I’d rather play short. Got an extra glove?”

The game was well under way when Julie saw her father drive in and park. She was sitting with Helen Jacobs, Ruby May and Jill. Evan, Joe and Jason were sitting in the shade on the running board of Evan’s car. Joy was inside turning the steering wheel, pretending that she was driving. Evan had turned the car so that they were facing the ball field.

“He bought that brat an ice-cream cone!” Resentment vibrated in Jill’s voice.

“Maybe Mrs. Stuart bought it,” Julie said.

“Yeah, and maybe pigs can dance the Charleston.”

“I talked to Ruth Humphrey this morning at church.” Mrs. Jacobs glanced around to be sure no one was within hearing distance. “She said Wilbur was going to buy Mrs. Stuart a train ticket and send her back to Memphis. Then this morning, out of clear blue sky, Mrs. Stuart announced that Jethro Jones wanted her to come there and take over when Julie left.”

“I’m not going anywhere.” The words exploded from Julie’s mouth, “Birdie told Ruth that Jethro is afraid you’ll just up and leave, and he doesn’t know what he’ll do with the younger kids. Jill isn’t old enough to take over.”

“Did Ruth believe her?”

“Ruth wouldn’t believe anything she said if she swore on a stack of Bibles as high as her head.”

“That’s the craziest thing I ever heard. Papa wouldn’t have told her that. It’s not true.”

“Tell her the rest, Mama,” Ruby May urged.

“She’s a smooth one, all right. Ruth said that Mrs. Stuart saw you meeting a man in the woods. She was sure it was someone from town.”

“Another … lie.” Julie almost choked on the words. “Why would she say such a thing?”

“Ruth said she had wanted Evan Johnson real bad and tried to turn him against you,” Helen Jacobs went on in a low tone. “But he gave her a cold shoulder, and she’s turned against him now. She hasn’t a good word to say about him now.”

“I wonder if she told him that I was meeting a man in the woods.”

“I’d not put it past her.”

“He saw through her right away, but Papa—”

“Shush, Jill. Papa will come to his senses.”

“He won’t if she gets him in bed!” There was a sob in Jill’s voice.

“Jill, honey! What a thing to say.” Julie looked apologetically at Helen Jacobs.

“Jill is right, Julie. You’d better get prepared for it.”

* * *

The man’s eyes kept straying to the two young girls sitting on the blanket. The one with the light hair and long legs reminded him of a young filly in heat. His sex began to harden just thinking about the fight she would put up when he threw her to the ground. She’d pretend not to like it, just like the others, but she would love having him conquer her, make her a woman; just like the others.

An offspring out of her would be a sight to behold.

Chapter 20

J
ULIE HANDED JASON HIS LUNCH BUCKET
and promised for the tenth time that she would go to the barn several times during the day and make sure Sidney had water.

“And talk to him a little. He’ll be lonesome sittin’ in that old barn all day.”

“Joe will be in and out. Sidney will be glad to see you when you get home. You can take him out in the pasture and play with him.”