START SPREADIN' THE NEWS
BURT EYED THE red-headed kid as he carried two bags of feed from the stock room and headed for the corner toward the back loading dock for the second time. Shoving his glasses further up his nose, he arched an eyebrow. “Need to pick up the pace, son. Been at this for a few weeks now. Zachary could carry four of those at a time, easy.”
“I know,” Joey grunted. “You tell me every day.”
“And every day, if you put a little more elbow grease into your work, you’ll be as strong and agile as Zachary is.”
“I’ll keep that in mind,” Joey muttered as he disappeared into the back of the building.
Burt furrowed his brow as he turned his attention back to his books. Squinting, he adjusted his bifocals and struggled to still his trembling hand so that he could finish penciling in his merchandise order. At this, he remembered Zac’s handwriting. He reminisced about the way he would tease him for being left-handed. Zac would smirk and reply with something about thinking with the right side of his brain. Zac made the long workdays bearable. He reminded Burt of himself at that age. Working with Zac was like being able to live his life all over again.
It had also given Burt a sense of family he had never felt before.
Zac also made Burt feel young. Despite the way he teasingly called him “old man,” sometimes Burt felt as strong as an ox when Zac was in the store. Lately, though. Lately his seventy-seven years were making themselves known, loud and clear. He closed down the store more often than he liked so that he could attend his more frequent doctor visits. He didn’t trust anyone to watch his store for him; not anyone that wasn’t Zac, that was. Now the doctor was advising that Burt start thinking about hiring a manager for the store so that he could start taking it easy.
Take it easy? Burt? Hogwash. Burt wasn’t dead yet.
Besides, managers required salaries. Burt could only afford himself and a part-time laborer—and he preferred Zac. And Zac wasn’t demanding.
Oh, no. Burt Anderson still had plenty of life left in him, yet. No need to throw in the towel so suddenly like that. After all, Zachary Hanson was destined for great things and Burt planned on walking the earth at least another ten years, watching him marry the Harlow girl and giving Burt the chance to play grandfather to Zac’s little ones.
Speaking of the Harlow girl, why, here she was now.
A smile crossed Burt’s lips as the young girl with the brown curls and dainty blue dress glided through the new glass door. Except that it wasn’t the girl that got him excited—it was the wicker basket she carried by her side.
“Well, hello there, little miss,” he mustered up cheerfully. Then he spied the mutt who walked calmly by her side at the end of his leash. “I see you brought your guard dog along.”
Bessie smiled as she approached the counter and rested the basket atop of it. “Oh, Mr. Anderson. Scout has become such a model citizen since you showed me the trick with the leash. I don’t have to use it, I usually just have to intend to. This dog is the smartest thing I’ve ever seen!”
“Good. Glad to hear it. Say, whatcha got in that basket, there?”
“Lunch,” she announced cheerfully as she approached the counter and rested the basket on it. “Meatloaf and cheese sandwiches, pickles, and potato salad.” Then she frowned. “I’m sorry I haven’t come around very often. It’s been…difficult.”
He waved her off, adjusting his bifocals. “Yes, yes, all’s forgiven. Now let’s get started on this savory lunch you’ve brought. Boy, I’ve missed this.”
As Bessie busied herself with the picnic spread, movement caught Burt out of the corner of his good eye and he turned his head to watch Joey enter cautiously through the doorway. Suddenly there was tension. Lots of it. Burt didn’t like tension. He didn’t like anything that could be perceived as negative energy around the Harlow girl. Especially not when the girl cooked the way she did.
“Hey, Bessie,” Joey said softly.
Bessie looked up and was visibly uncomfortable for a moment. “Hi, Joey.”
He slowed the wiping of his hands on the towel he carried and he glanced behind him. “I, uh, I see that I’m intruding. I’ll just be back here in case anyone needs me—“
“You’re not intruding,” Bessie replied as she laid out three place settings. “I brought enough for all of us.” Then she smiled. “I hope you’re hungry.”
Joey stood there like a deer in headlights and Burt was growing impatient. “Well, dagnabbit, boy, go and lock the door already, for crying out loud. Don’t you see the girl’s done gone and made her famous meatloaf? We take meatloaf real serious around here.”
Bessie giggled as Joey nearly skipped to the door. She hadn’t even begun to pour the lemonade, yet, before Burt was sinking his teeth into the succulent, seasoned ground meat and relished the flavors of cheddar and fresh-baked bread. That Zachary had a wife in this one, indeed.
For a minute, the three of them ate in silence. Once Burt got himself a good belly full, he smiled. “You may have outdone yourself this time, little lady. Good old home cooking is just what the doctor ordered, I think.” Then he looked over at Joey. “Why, when Zachary was here, we’d eat like kings nearly every day, the two of us. Lab rats, we were. Bessie tried new recipes on us all the time, didn’t you, Bess?”
Bessie smiled, but something was lacking in her eyes. “I did,” she confirmed. “Mr. Anderson, I’m sorry I haven’t visited more often. I feel so horrible over it. I used to be such a good friend, but I seem to have…abandoned everyone, I suppose.”
“Nonsense,” he replied, waving her off. “You’re pining. Pining will take a lot out of you. You have to remember, though, that life moves on, every day, regardless of the situation. That’s the hard part.”
Bessie nodded, chewing her food carefully. Then she swallowed and lay her sandwich down on the paper. “I suppose I’m going to have to learn that quickly.” Her eyes uneasily met Burt’s. “I spoke to Zac over the telephone recently. It appears that they’re staying in New York…indefinitely.”
Burt faltered on his stool, but attempted to catch himself before one of the kids noticed. He was unsuccessful, however, as Joey was at his side in an instant to help steady him. Once he was settled down on his seat once again, he cleared his throat and adjusted his bifocals. He wouldn’t dare let on that the news had suddenly resulted in a loss of appetite.
“Well. Good for him,” Burt said, clearing his throat. “I’m glad for that.”
Joey’s spine straightened and he looked at Burt in surprise. “You’re glad for that? He’s…your favorite person in the world…”
“I favor the young man quite a bit, yes. In a lot of ways, he’s like the son I never had. But when a young man gets an opportunity to better himself and see the world, he needs to take it. What’s he need an old feed store for when he’s got an entire city knocking down his doors? I’m proud of him.”
“Mr. Anderson, you know it’s not like that,” Bessie shook her head. “Zac loves you and he loves this store. He wouldn’t regret it one bit if all he did was load trucks for you for the rest of his life. Zac isn’t too proud for that.”
“Why in the dad-blame world would I want to encourage him to load trucks for the rest of his life? God gave the boy a talent, he should use it to his full advantage. And he is. And good for him!”
Bessie’s eyes fell. “I just mean that he was happy here. That if the tour never happened, he would be just as happy here. That’s all.”
“Bah,” Burt replied with a wave of his hand as he steadied himself on his cane and lifted himself from his stool. “This country ain’t got nothing going for it anymore. Ain’t what it used to be. Bankers forced to stand in line for food, women having to find work to clothe their children, crooked politicians up in the big house as greedy as ever. I don’t blame the boy for not coming back here. He’s making dollars compared to the pennies I paid him. No man can support a family on pennies.”
“But he doesn’t have a—“ Bessie began.
Burt slowed his hobbling and turned around and eyed the girl. “If I know that young man like I think I do, then he’s nothing but a pack rat. He’s storing away for his future, one that probably includes you. And if it don’t, then you should be happy that he’s happy anyway. When you love someone, isn’t that what you want for them?”
“Of course I do,” she whispered.
“That’s what I want for him, too. Thank you for the fine meal, young lady. I look forward to seeing you again soon.”
“Mr. Anderson, where are you going?” Joey asked from behind him.
“For a stroll,” he replied. “Hold the fort down.”
Burt’s “stroll” ended in the storage room. He needed to be alone with his thoughts for a moment. He didn’t want the two youngsters to read a single thought in his head. The real truth was, Burt had no idea what he was going to do if Zac decided not to come home. His condition, a condition he wasn’t aware he had, was only worsening. He wouldn’t be able to run his store on his own much longer, he could already feel his energy dwindling with each passing week. However, he was too proud to let anyone know there was anything wrong with him. After all, it was just old age, right? Older people tended to slow down. Difference was, most older people had successors to pass their legacies down to. Burt Anderson had none. That was, until Zac Hanson came along. But if Zac didn’t come home and take over the store…who would? Would everything Burt worked his entire life for be for nothing? Burt had a lot to think about, and he had to think fast.
BESSIE’S EYES WERE wide as she watched Mr. Anderson disappear into the back of the store. His reaction to Bessie’s news, his sudden bitterness, the way he’d abandoned his lunch—why, that wasn’t like him at all. It was obvious to anyone who was paying attention that he was shaken up by the news and now Bessie worried about him. After all, Zac and his brothers had become like family to the old man. Bessie could see now that she wasn’t the only one affected by the Hanson brothers’ absence. It was seeming like their absence was being mourned all across Tulsa, from the gypsy camp to the feed store and all the way out to Bessie’s family’s farm house. Everyone loved them, it seemed. Was it selfish that Bessie wished that Zac would come home…and stay home?
For now, though, Bessie’s concern stayed focused on Mr. Anderson. Looking at Joey, as he stared in the same awe she did, she said quietly, “Is he all right?”
Joey shook his head in thought. “I’m not sure. I’ve never seen him like that before.”
“He didn’t even finish his sandwich,” she observed with a shake of her head.
The corners of Joey’s mouth twitched in amusement. “Now, that isn’t like him.” Then he grew serious as he helped Bessie clean up from lunch. “Look, Bessie, I know you’re still upset at me—“
Bessie shook her head as she balled up the empty sandwich wrappers. “I’m not angry at you anymore.”
“You’re—you’re not? But—but you haven’t—“
“Like I told Mr. Anderson, I’ve been a horrible friend. I haven’t seen Millie or Judith in…well, nearly two weeks now. And I went to visit Aishe the other day to share Zac’s news, only to find that she needed me. She has a pregnant cousin there now and she hasn’t been able to take care of her family the way she used to. She needs the help and I never knew it because I’ve been too busy wallowing in my own self-pity. So I’m over there every afternoon now, helping her look after her brothers and her grandmother.” She paused to smile. “She taught me to cook some gypsy food.”
“Yeah?” Joey smiled back. “Maybe we can have our own…what did they call it? Pliashka?”
Bessie laughed lightly. “That’s a gypsy word for ‘marriage engagement party.’”
“Well, then. You can cater your own engagement party to Zac.”
At this, Bessie’s face fell as she swept the last of the crumbs off the counter.
“What?” Joey said softly, moving close to her. “Did he say something more to you on the telephone? Did he…did he break up with you?”
“No,” she replied, shaking her head. “No, actually…he said the opposite.” Looking around nervously, she lowered her voice. “He wants to take me to New York with him once they get settled.”
Joey looked at her in shock. “But what about school?”
She shrugged as she closed the top of the basket. “He says he’ll be making enough money to send me to school in New York. That I won’t even have to worry about going to school in Oklahoma City. He says…he says that he’ll come for me, and we’ll tell my parents together…and then we’ll leave.”
“When?” Joey whispered.
“Two weeks.”
“What?” Joey squealed. “Two weeks, that’s--! Your parents will never--!”
Bessie whipped her head around to face him. “They don’t know about it,” she spat. “Nobody does. Nobody except me and Zac and you. And I intend to keep it that way. You can’t…you can’t even tell Millie.”
Joey scoffed. “Trust me, I won’t be telling Millie anything—“
“Promise,” she pressed. “Promise me right now that you won’t breathe a single word of it!”
Joey lifted his hands in surrender. “I promise, Bessie. Jeez, when have I ever let you down before?”
Bessie raised her eyebrows in response.
Joey rolled his eyes and let out a breath. “Okay. But that time I kept a secret, I didn’t tell one!” Then he sighed and rested his arms on the counter, taking his weight off of his back. “Millie broke up with me.”
Bessie dropped her jaw in surprise. Millie was crazy about Joey and they seemed to get along so well. Granted, Bessie wasn’t sure she heard wedding bells in their future, but she certainly expected the relationship to last much longer than it had. Before she could stop herself, she spat out, “Well, what did you do?”
For a fleeting moment, Joey looked offended by the question. Then he relented and shook his head. “I guess it was my fault. But I tried, Bessie. I really did. And I really like Millie, for sure. But…something happened between us, something…something I never thought I was capable of. And it was great! And I was excited! But it made her upset and she said some things and it took me a day or so to realize that she was right. So I got caught up in a moment of passion with her. That’s what happened. But deep down, Bess, I…I just am the way I am. And that’s not going to change, no matter what I do or who I’m with. And that’s not fair to Millie. And I feel bad for hurting her feelings, but I can’t help it, you know? I can’t…change who I am.” He paused and he fidgeted with his thumbs on the counter for a moment. “Anyway, she isn’t speaking to me. I think she’s embarrassed. And I suppose she should be. I made a fool of her. But I still want to be her friend, I don’t want to lose her.”
It didn’t take much to catch on to what Joey was referring to. To be honest, Bessie was a little surprised, herself, that he was capable of…that. With a girl. She was equally just as surprised that Millie didn’t come straight to her and tell her all about it. Did that mean that Bessie was unavailable to her? Or did that mean that the hurt cut her deeper than anything ever had before? It wasn’t like Millie not to kiss and tell. And now Bessie found herself concerned for her cousin.
Her silence must have alerted Joey because he stood up straighter and shoved his hands in his pockets. “I suppose you’re mad at me again, huh?”
Bessie shook her head at him. “I’m not mad at you. What went on between you and Millie isn’t my business. And maybe…I mean, knowing her, she’ll come around. She doesn’t hold grudges for long. After all, she thought I was trying to steal Taylor away from her and you know how ugly that was. And she came around after that. Just give her some time.”
Joey nodded as his eyes focused uncomfortably on the wooden counter. “Yeah. Maybe you’re right. So, uh, how’s everything else? You know, Scout and your family and…”
“Joey, something happened the other day that I haven’t told anyone else about.”
The words flew out of Bessie’s mouth. She had no idea what she was thinking at the moment, even bringing it up, but something compelled her to spill it all out to Joey. After all, he’d known all her secrets always, but this particular thing…it wasn’t exactly something Bessie was proud of. And she knew she didn’t want to be alone in the experience, either. She knew it was probably best that she kept it to herself, but it was too late now. She’d already said it.
Joey studied her face. “Well, yeah, you already told me about Zac—“
Bessie shook her head. “No. Not Zac. Billy.”
He arched an eyebrow. “Billy Connors?”
She nodded.
Defensively, Joey was already standing straighter and squaring his shoulders. His tone was firm, his eyes stone cold. “What about Billy? What happened, what did he do to you?”
“He didn’t…” Her voice trailed off, unsure of how she should broach the subject. “He didn’t do anything…exactly.” She let out a breath and she glanced around the quiet store. “Billy likes me. He…I think he tried to kiss me and…and he’s convinced that Zac isn’t coming back and he—“
Joey’s head jerked backward in disbelief. “He likes you? Are you…are you sure about that?”
She stared back at him accusingly, offended that he would even question her that way. “Of course I’m sure,” she spat out at him. “He told me so. He was very, explicitly clear about it, actually. I was taking him to Sue Wilkerson’s house to introduce him and get them together and he confessed it to me right there in her driveway. I rejected him, of course, I never let his lips touch mine and I was very frank and blunt about not returning those feelings for him—“
“Wait, Sue Wilkerson?”
“Yes,” Bessie nodded.
Then he scoffed triumphantly. “Well your introduction to Sue must have done wonders, because I saw them together when I was passing the diner yesterday. Holding hands and everything. Guess his feelings for you were short-lived. And apparently you have remarkable matchmaking skills. Congratulations, you’re off the hook!”
Bessie only stared at him. She was speechless because she found herself utterly ashamed at the thoughts that were going through her head at the moment. Why did it jar her that Billy was already together with Sue? She didn’t even like Billy…not romantically, anyway. But he had just professed feelings for her mere days ago—strong feelings, according to him. And now he was already with someone else? Did he really ever like Bessie or did he decide to go with Sue because Bessie wouldn’t? One thing was for sure, jealousy was an evil, vile thing. She knew she was only jealous because she was flattered by the attention. And she hated feeling the flattery, especially from someone like Billy Connors. Was that even natural, to feel that way even when she was madly in love with her own beau? Whether it was or not, it made Bessie feel terrible and she didn’t like it. Not one, tiny bit.
Sucking in a silent breath, Bessie let a smile cross her face. “Well, look at that. I suppose I am a pretty good matchmaker, aren’t I? That’s good for them, I think they’ll be very happy together.”
Joey furrowed his brow at her in concern. “Are you sure? Because just now you looked like—“
“I just couldn’t believe it actually worked, that’s all,” she rushed. “You know Billy’s reputation around town lately isn’t exactly at its best. And I did exactly what he asked me to do, so…mission accomplished. I’m proud of myself.”
“But you just said he confessed feelings for you—“
“Well, I can’t read his mind!”
Bessie was growing frustrated. And flustered. And she needed out of this conversation in a hurry.
Thankfully, Mr. Anderson’s voice rang out just in time. “Is that door still locked?” He asked as he hobbled back into the store’s front. “There’s a truck out back waiting to be loaded and lunch was over a long time ago. I don’t pay you to lollygag, do I? Time to get to work.”
“Yes, sir,” Joey replied, clearing his throat and rushing off to the back.
As Mr. Anderson murmured a lackluster farewell to her, Bessie gathered up her basket and her dog and she headed out of the store and to the old Ford. Something nagged at her to go see Billy. She didn’t like the idea, but how could she not congratulate him on meeting his goal? Then again, he hadn’t made any attempts to contact her to thank her, either. And she deserved a thank you, darn it. Why, if it wasn’t for her, Billy would have never spoken to Sue, and especially wouldn’t have learned that the boy at the Independence Day picnic wasn’t her boyfriend like Billy had believed.
Relieved at her change in mood, she got behind the wheel of her car with a scowl on her face. It was rude that Billy hadn’t thanked her and he owed it to her. And she would get that thank you before she left town in two weeks. In two weeks, she would be gone and she could only hope to get a wedding invitation in the mail from those two. This thought, then, caused her to smile. Two weeks. Two whole weeks and she would finally be in the arms of her true love. It was the most excited she’d been all month.
BILLY STOOD OUTSIDE the movie theatre alongside Sue Wilkerson as they conversed with a mixed group of their friends. Well, while she conversed, that was. With a group of her friends. But according to Sue, since they were going together now, her friends were his friends and now they were their friends.
Billy suppressed a bored yawn.
It was only natural that Billy pick up with Sue after his humiliating and infuriating rejection from Bessie. There were a couple of moments when he just knew he had her—but it never lasted long. What was even more disturbing was the way his revenge on Zac hadn’t even crossed his mind most of the time when he thought about her. That wasn’t supposed to happen. It wasn’t part of the plan.
But, wait, what was the plan now that he was standing there on a date with Sue Wilkerson? Perhaps he hadn’t thought this through very well.
At this point, however, was there really any purpose to getting any sort of revenge on Zac? Or even wasting his time with it? Sure, Zac had cost Billy an entire football career, but would retaliating get him his career back? No. And, besides, it was pretty much a sure thing that Zac wasn’t going to show his face in Tulsa ever again. So, really, what was the point in investing time and effort into getting his hands on Bessie Harlow in hopes of getting back at Zac, anyway? After all, Billy had pretty much gotten what he wanted—Zac was no longer in town and would very likely stay that way.
Except for the fact that the girl had grown on him. Like a boil on a sore toe.
Unlike a boil on a sore toe, however, he wanted to keep her. Even without the ulterior motive. But she wouldn’t have him, not any way, not any how.
And Sue Wilkerson was pretty enough, anyway. She had pretty blonde hair and a petite little body that filled out a dress quite nicely. She wore ruby red lipstick and dark eyeliner and paid close attention to her hair, which was something that definitely couldn’t be said for Bessie. She wore designer clothes and carried herself with a sophistication that most of the girls in his inner circle did. She was more like Billy than Bessie was, despite the fact that Bessie and her family ran in the same circle as his family did, and for that, getting together with Sue just made sense. After all, he’d made such a big deal of it as a façade to get close to Bessie, that he decided he ought to act on something. And, hey, if Zac Hanson ever came back to town, he could end it with Sue, easy as one, two, three.
Right?
Unfortunately, Sue’s looks were really all she had going for her. Currently, he looked around at his surroundings while she droned on and on with her friends about styling their hair just like the movie star they’d just seen onscreen in the theatre. Billy didn’t care about hair and cosmetics. Maybe that’s what he liked about Bessie. She would probably never turn something like that into a conversation.
Just as he was ready to completely tune the entire group out, something caught his ear and he suddenly decided to pay attention when he heard Bessie’s name.
“Yes,” Sue said with a shake of her head. “She thought she was going to ‘introduce’ us to each other, except that we’ve known each other for years. It was a little pathetic, if you ask me. She gets one boyfriend in her entire life and suddenly it’s as if she knows everything there is to know about romance.” She paused to scoff and roll her eyes. “Like I can’t get my own boyfriend.”
Billy furrowed his brow, but nobody seemed to be paying attention to him. He wanted to say something, but he kept holding back and he wasn’t sure why. Maybe it was because he didn’t know what the right thing to say was. Bessie was his friend, sure, if he wanted to call it that, but Sue was his girlfriend now. Did he really want to defend another girl against his girlfriend? Would it really matter if he did and ruined things with Sue, anyway?
Yes, it would. Because he knew running to Bessie wasn’t an option. And at least going with Sue was better than being alone and facing rejection all over again.
Still, though. It was humiliating to stand there and listen to Sue brag on herself like that. She was pretty, but Billy had gone out with prettier. And nicer. Sue Wilkerson definitely wasn’t the finest catch in Tulsa, that was for sure.
“Would you even call him a boyfriend?” A brunette girl asked. “He’s…he’s one of those gypsies. I mean, he didn’t used to be, I know, but now…he’s poor! And jobless! And she’s the judge’s daughter, for crying out loud!”
“Please,” Sue waved her off. “He left her several weeks ago. They’re not together anymore, it’s impossible. She’s just holding on to what she used to have because she knows she won’t be able to find herself another boyfriend. She isn’t much to look at, in case you haven’t noticed—“
“Well, I don’t know,” another blonde girl said in her light voice. “I think she seems to have come into her own quite nicely. She doesn’t look the same as she used to, she’s sort of grown up some—“
“Oh, can it, Barb, she’s as homely as she ever was,” Sue spat.
Then a second brunette spoke up. “No, Barb’s right. Why, Bessie Harlow is downright pretty now. Anyone can see it. She has come into her own. She’s tall and she’s slender and she has the most gorgeous facial structure…in fact, I sort of envy her a little. It’s no wonder that handsome Hanson boy took to her the way he did.”
As the other girls giggled, Sue glared at them. “Exactly. The only boy who’s ever looked her way was a poor, destitute wretch and even he wouldn’t stay with her, and now she has the audacity to think that I need help finding a beau? I should think not. Why, Billy came to me on his own and asked me out after that.” She turned her head and smiled up at him, sliding her hand into his. “Didn’t you, Billy?”
This was it. This was the part where he smiled and he agreed and he found some sort of sickening pet name for her and played the part of doting boyfriend. But instead, he spat out, “Is this what you do?”
The question struck surprise into her blue eyes. “Excuse me?”
“Is this what you do in your spare time? Gossip and say terrible things behind innocent people’s backs?”
She studied him for a moment in confusion. Then she threw her head back and laughed, a cackle that made Billy cringe. “Don’t you think maybe you’re not exactly in the right place to be asking me about the things I say about people?”
“Yeah?” He challenged her, ignoring the gaping stares from her girlfriends and the uncomfortable shifting of the girls’ boyfriends. “Well people change. And I’ve changed. And Bessie Harlow helped me with that. Why, she even helped me ask you out. I was too nervous to do it on my own, that’s how she and I became friends. She helped me. And maybe I don’t think it’s right that my girlfriend is speaking ill of someone that never did anything to deserve it. Am I right or am I right?”
Sue swallowed hard and began to stammer. “Well—well, I never…I mean, she, well—“
“Well? Has she wronged you or not?” He looked out among her small group of girlfriends. “Has she wronged any of you?”
He was met with hesitant head shakes and Sue’s free hand across her chest. “Well, I, um, I suppose I can’t recall—“
“That’s what I thought. No girlfriend of mine will conduct herself in a manner such as this, especially not in my presence. Is that clear?”
Sue’s jaw dropped, but she nodded. “Yes. I’m sorry, I—“
He tightened his grip on her hand and tugged lightly on her arm. “Good. Now let’s go, we’re leaving.”
You see, son, a man always controls his date. The woman depends on him for that. The man controls the conversation, the night’s activities…the goodnight kiss. He leads it all. If you wait on your date to make a move, you haven’t done your job.
The corners of Billy’s mouth turned up in triumph as he led Sue down the street. Billy was learning a lot of things about his father lately, a lot of things he didn’t like. But regardless, there was still some useful wisdom in the old man and Billy appreciated the life lessons he’d been taught.
After all, no girl was going to make a fool out of Billy. No matter who she was.
BURT EYED THE red-headed kid as he carried two bags of feed from the stock room and headed for the corner toward the back loading dock for the second time. Shoving his glasses further up his nose, he arched an eyebrow. “Need to pick up the pace, son. Been at this for a few weeks now. Zachary could carry four of those at a time, easy.”
“I know,” Joey grunted. “You tell me every day.”
“And every day, if you put a little more elbow grease into your work, you’ll be as strong and agile as Zachary is.”
“I’ll keep that in mind,” Joey muttered as he disappeared into the back of the building.
Burt furrowed his brow as he turned his attention back to his books. Squinting, he adjusted his bifocals and struggled to still his trembling hand so that he could finish penciling in his merchandise order. At this, he remembered Zac’s handwriting. He reminisced about the way he would tease him for being left-handed. Zac would smirk and reply with something about thinking with the right side of his brain. Zac made the long workdays bearable. He reminded Burt of himself at that age. Working with Zac was like being able to live his life all over again.
It had also given Burt a sense of family he had never felt before.
Zac also made Burt feel young. Despite the way he teasingly called him “old man,” sometimes Burt felt as strong as an ox when Zac was in the store. Lately, though. Lately his seventy-seven years were making themselves known, loud and clear. He closed down the store more often than he liked so that he could attend his more frequent doctor visits. He didn’t trust anyone to watch his store for him; not anyone that wasn’t Zac, that was. Now the doctor was advising that Burt start thinking about hiring a manager for the store so that he could start taking it easy.
Take it easy? Burt? Hogwash. Burt wasn’t dead yet.
Besides, managers required salaries. Burt could only afford himself and a part-time laborer—and he preferred Zac. And Zac wasn’t demanding.
Oh, no. Burt Anderson still had plenty of life left in him, yet. No need to throw in the towel so suddenly like that. After all, Zachary Hanson was destined for great things and Burt planned on walking the earth at least another ten years, watching him marry the Harlow girl and giving Burt the chance to play grandfather to Zac’s little ones.
Speaking of the Harlow girl, why, here she was now.
A smile crossed Burt’s lips as the young girl with the brown curls and dainty blue dress glided through the new glass door. Except that it wasn’t the girl that got him excited—it was the wicker basket she carried by her side.
“Well, hello there, little miss,” he mustered up cheerfully. Then he spied the mutt who walked calmly by her side at the end of his leash. “I see you brought your guard dog along.”
Bessie smiled as she approached the counter and rested the basket atop of it. “Oh, Mr. Anderson. Scout has become such a model citizen since you showed me the trick with the leash. I don’t have to use it, I usually just have to intend to. This dog is the smartest thing I’ve ever seen!”
“Good. Glad to hear it. Say, whatcha got in that basket, there?”
“Lunch,” she announced cheerfully as she approached the counter and rested the basket on it. “Meatloaf and cheese sandwiches, pickles, and potato salad.” Then she frowned. “I’m sorry I haven’t come around very often. It’s been…difficult.”
He waved her off, adjusting his bifocals. “Yes, yes, all’s forgiven. Now let’s get started on this savory lunch you’ve brought. Boy, I’ve missed this.”
As Bessie busied herself with the picnic spread, movement caught Burt out of the corner of his good eye and he turned his head to watch Joey enter cautiously through the doorway. Suddenly there was tension. Lots of it. Burt didn’t like tension. He didn’t like anything that could be perceived as negative energy around the Harlow girl. Especially not when the girl cooked the way she did.
“Hey, Bessie,” Joey said softly.
Bessie looked up and was visibly uncomfortable for a moment. “Hi, Joey.”
He slowed the wiping of his hands on the towel he carried and he glanced behind him. “I, uh, I see that I’m intruding. I’ll just be back here in case anyone needs me—“
“You’re not intruding,” Bessie replied as she laid out three place settings. “I brought enough for all of us.” Then she smiled. “I hope you’re hungry.”
Joey stood there like a deer in headlights and Burt was growing impatient. “Well, dagnabbit, boy, go and lock the door already, for crying out loud. Don’t you see the girl’s done gone and made her famous meatloaf? We take meatloaf real serious around here.”
Bessie giggled as Joey nearly skipped to the door. She hadn’t even begun to pour the lemonade, yet, before Burt was sinking his teeth into the succulent, seasoned ground meat and relished the flavors of cheddar and fresh-baked bread. That Zachary had a wife in this one, indeed.
For a minute, the three of them ate in silence. Once Burt got himself a good belly full, he smiled. “You may have outdone yourself this time, little lady. Good old home cooking is just what the doctor ordered, I think.” Then he looked over at Joey. “Why, when Zachary was here, we’d eat like kings nearly every day, the two of us. Lab rats, we were. Bessie tried new recipes on us all the time, didn’t you, Bess?”
Bessie smiled, but something was lacking in her eyes. “I did,” she confirmed. “Mr. Anderson, I’m sorry I haven’t visited more often. I feel so horrible over it. I used to be such a good friend, but I seem to have…abandoned everyone, I suppose.”
“Nonsense,” he replied, waving her off. “You’re pining. Pining will take a lot out of you. You have to remember, though, that life moves on, every day, regardless of the situation. That’s the hard part.”
Bessie nodded, chewing her food carefully. Then she swallowed and lay her sandwich down on the paper. “I suppose I’m going to have to learn that quickly.” Her eyes uneasily met Burt’s. “I spoke to Zac over the telephone recently. It appears that they’re staying in New York…indefinitely.”
Burt faltered on his stool, but attempted to catch himself before one of the kids noticed. He was unsuccessful, however, as Joey was at his side in an instant to help steady him. Once he was settled down on his seat once again, he cleared his throat and adjusted his bifocals. He wouldn’t dare let on that the news had suddenly resulted in a loss of appetite.
“Well. Good for him,” Burt said, clearing his throat. “I’m glad for that.”
Joey’s spine straightened and he looked at Burt in surprise. “You’re glad for that? He’s…your favorite person in the world…”
“I favor the young man quite a bit, yes. In a lot of ways, he’s like the son I never had. But when a young man gets an opportunity to better himself and see the world, he needs to take it. What’s he need an old feed store for when he’s got an entire city knocking down his doors? I’m proud of him.”
“Mr. Anderson, you know it’s not like that,” Bessie shook her head. “Zac loves you and he loves this store. He wouldn’t regret it one bit if all he did was load trucks for you for the rest of his life. Zac isn’t too proud for that.”
“Why in the dad-blame world would I want to encourage him to load trucks for the rest of his life? God gave the boy a talent, he should use it to his full advantage. And he is. And good for him!”
Bessie’s eyes fell. “I just mean that he was happy here. That if the tour never happened, he would be just as happy here. That’s all.”
“Bah,” Burt replied with a wave of his hand as he steadied himself on his cane and lifted himself from his stool. “This country ain’t got nothing going for it anymore. Ain’t what it used to be. Bankers forced to stand in line for food, women having to find work to clothe their children, crooked politicians up in the big house as greedy as ever. I don’t blame the boy for not coming back here. He’s making dollars compared to the pennies I paid him. No man can support a family on pennies.”
“But he doesn’t have a—“ Bessie began.
Burt slowed his hobbling and turned around and eyed the girl. “If I know that young man like I think I do, then he’s nothing but a pack rat. He’s storing away for his future, one that probably includes you. And if it don’t, then you should be happy that he’s happy anyway. When you love someone, isn’t that what you want for them?”
“Of course I do,” she whispered.
“That’s what I want for him, too. Thank you for the fine meal, young lady. I look forward to seeing you again soon.”
“Mr. Anderson, where are you going?” Joey asked from behind him.
“For a stroll,” he replied. “Hold the fort down.”
Burt’s “stroll” ended in the storage room. He needed to be alone with his thoughts for a moment. He didn’t want the two youngsters to read a single thought in his head. The real truth was, Burt had no idea what he was going to do if Zac decided not to come home. His condition, a condition he wasn’t aware he had, was only worsening. He wouldn’t be able to run his store on his own much longer, he could already feel his energy dwindling with each passing week. However, he was too proud to let anyone know there was anything wrong with him. After all, it was just old age, right? Older people tended to slow down. Difference was, most older people had successors to pass their legacies down to. Burt Anderson had none. That was, until Zac Hanson came along. But if Zac didn’t come home and take over the store…who would? Would everything Burt worked his entire life for be for nothing? Burt had a lot to think about, and he had to think fast.
BESSIE’S EYES WERE wide as she watched Mr. Anderson disappear into the back of the store. His reaction to Bessie’s news, his sudden bitterness, the way he’d abandoned his lunch—why, that wasn’t like him at all. It was obvious to anyone who was paying attention that he was shaken up by the news and now Bessie worried about him. After all, Zac and his brothers had become like family to the old man. Bessie could see now that she wasn’t the only one affected by the Hanson brothers’ absence. It was seeming like their absence was being mourned all across Tulsa, from the gypsy camp to the feed store and all the way out to Bessie’s family’s farm house. Everyone loved them, it seemed. Was it selfish that Bessie wished that Zac would come home…and stay home?
For now, though, Bessie’s concern stayed focused on Mr. Anderson. Looking at Joey, as he stared in the same awe she did, she said quietly, “Is he all right?”
Joey shook his head in thought. “I’m not sure. I’ve never seen him like that before.”
“He didn’t even finish his sandwich,” she observed with a shake of her head.
The corners of Joey’s mouth twitched in amusement. “Now, that isn’t like him.” Then he grew serious as he helped Bessie clean up from lunch. “Look, Bessie, I know you’re still upset at me—“
Bessie shook her head as she balled up the empty sandwich wrappers. “I’m not angry at you anymore.”
“You’re—you’re not? But—but you haven’t—“
“Like I told Mr. Anderson, I’ve been a horrible friend. I haven’t seen Millie or Judith in…well, nearly two weeks now. And I went to visit Aishe the other day to share Zac’s news, only to find that she needed me. She has a pregnant cousin there now and she hasn’t been able to take care of her family the way she used to. She needs the help and I never knew it because I’ve been too busy wallowing in my own self-pity. So I’m over there every afternoon now, helping her look after her brothers and her grandmother.” She paused to smile. “She taught me to cook some gypsy food.”
“Yeah?” Joey smiled back. “Maybe we can have our own…what did they call it? Pliashka?”
Bessie laughed lightly. “That’s a gypsy word for ‘marriage engagement party.’”
“Well, then. You can cater your own engagement party to Zac.”
At this, Bessie’s face fell as she swept the last of the crumbs off the counter.
“What?” Joey said softly, moving close to her. “Did he say something more to you on the telephone? Did he…did he break up with you?”
“No,” she replied, shaking her head. “No, actually…he said the opposite.” Looking around nervously, she lowered her voice. “He wants to take me to New York with him once they get settled.”
Joey looked at her in shock. “But what about school?”
She shrugged as she closed the top of the basket. “He says he’ll be making enough money to send me to school in New York. That I won’t even have to worry about going to school in Oklahoma City. He says…he says that he’ll come for me, and we’ll tell my parents together…and then we’ll leave.”
“When?” Joey whispered.
“Two weeks.”
“What?” Joey squealed. “Two weeks, that’s--! Your parents will never--!”
Bessie whipped her head around to face him. “They don’t know about it,” she spat. “Nobody does. Nobody except me and Zac and you. And I intend to keep it that way. You can’t…you can’t even tell Millie.”
Joey scoffed. “Trust me, I won’t be telling Millie anything—“
“Promise,” she pressed. “Promise me right now that you won’t breathe a single word of it!”
Joey lifted his hands in surrender. “I promise, Bessie. Jeez, when have I ever let you down before?”
Bessie raised her eyebrows in response.
Joey rolled his eyes and let out a breath. “Okay. But that time I kept a secret, I didn’t tell one!” Then he sighed and rested his arms on the counter, taking his weight off of his back. “Millie broke up with me.”
Bessie dropped her jaw in surprise. Millie was crazy about Joey and they seemed to get along so well. Granted, Bessie wasn’t sure she heard wedding bells in their future, but she certainly expected the relationship to last much longer than it had. Before she could stop herself, she spat out, “Well, what did you do?”
For a fleeting moment, Joey looked offended by the question. Then he relented and shook his head. “I guess it was my fault. But I tried, Bessie. I really did. And I really like Millie, for sure. But…something happened between us, something…something I never thought I was capable of. And it was great! And I was excited! But it made her upset and she said some things and it took me a day or so to realize that she was right. So I got caught up in a moment of passion with her. That’s what happened. But deep down, Bess, I…I just am the way I am. And that’s not going to change, no matter what I do or who I’m with. And that’s not fair to Millie. And I feel bad for hurting her feelings, but I can’t help it, you know? I can’t…change who I am.” He paused and he fidgeted with his thumbs on the counter for a moment. “Anyway, she isn’t speaking to me. I think she’s embarrassed. And I suppose she should be. I made a fool of her. But I still want to be her friend, I don’t want to lose her.”
It didn’t take much to catch on to what Joey was referring to. To be honest, Bessie was a little surprised, herself, that he was capable of…that. With a girl. She was equally just as surprised that Millie didn’t come straight to her and tell her all about it. Did that mean that Bessie was unavailable to her? Or did that mean that the hurt cut her deeper than anything ever had before? It wasn’t like Millie not to kiss and tell. And now Bessie found herself concerned for her cousin.
Her silence must have alerted Joey because he stood up straighter and shoved his hands in his pockets. “I suppose you’re mad at me again, huh?”
Bessie shook her head at him. “I’m not mad at you. What went on between you and Millie isn’t my business. And maybe…I mean, knowing her, she’ll come around. She doesn’t hold grudges for long. After all, she thought I was trying to steal Taylor away from her and you know how ugly that was. And she came around after that. Just give her some time.”
Joey nodded as his eyes focused uncomfortably on the wooden counter. “Yeah. Maybe you’re right. So, uh, how’s everything else? You know, Scout and your family and…”
“Joey, something happened the other day that I haven’t told anyone else about.”
The words flew out of Bessie’s mouth. She had no idea what she was thinking at the moment, even bringing it up, but something compelled her to spill it all out to Joey. After all, he’d known all her secrets always, but this particular thing…it wasn’t exactly something Bessie was proud of. And she knew she didn’t want to be alone in the experience, either. She knew it was probably best that she kept it to herself, but it was too late now. She’d already said it.
Joey studied her face. “Well, yeah, you already told me about Zac—“
Bessie shook her head. “No. Not Zac. Billy.”
He arched an eyebrow. “Billy Connors?”
She nodded.
Defensively, Joey was already standing straighter and squaring his shoulders. His tone was firm, his eyes stone cold. “What about Billy? What happened, what did he do to you?”
“He didn’t…” Her voice trailed off, unsure of how she should broach the subject. “He didn’t do anything…exactly.” She let out a breath and she glanced around the quiet store. “Billy likes me. He…I think he tried to kiss me and…and he’s convinced that Zac isn’t coming back and he—“
Joey’s head jerked backward in disbelief. “He likes you? Are you…are you sure about that?”
She stared back at him accusingly, offended that he would even question her that way. “Of course I’m sure,” she spat out at him. “He told me so. He was very, explicitly clear about it, actually. I was taking him to Sue Wilkerson’s house to introduce him and get them together and he confessed it to me right there in her driveway. I rejected him, of course, I never let his lips touch mine and I was very frank and blunt about not returning those feelings for him—“
“Wait, Sue Wilkerson?”
“Yes,” Bessie nodded.
Then he scoffed triumphantly. “Well your introduction to Sue must have done wonders, because I saw them together when I was passing the diner yesterday. Holding hands and everything. Guess his feelings for you were short-lived. And apparently you have remarkable matchmaking skills. Congratulations, you’re off the hook!”
Bessie only stared at him. She was speechless because she found herself utterly ashamed at the thoughts that were going through her head at the moment. Why did it jar her that Billy was already together with Sue? She didn’t even like Billy…not romantically, anyway. But he had just professed feelings for her mere days ago—strong feelings, according to him. And now he was already with someone else? Did he really ever like Bessie or did he decide to go with Sue because Bessie wouldn’t? One thing was for sure, jealousy was an evil, vile thing. She knew she was only jealous because she was flattered by the attention. And she hated feeling the flattery, especially from someone like Billy Connors. Was that even natural, to feel that way even when she was madly in love with her own beau? Whether it was or not, it made Bessie feel terrible and she didn’t like it. Not one, tiny bit.
Sucking in a silent breath, Bessie let a smile cross her face. “Well, look at that. I suppose I am a pretty good matchmaker, aren’t I? That’s good for them, I think they’ll be very happy together.”
Joey furrowed his brow at her in concern. “Are you sure? Because just now you looked like—“
“I just couldn’t believe it actually worked, that’s all,” she rushed. “You know Billy’s reputation around town lately isn’t exactly at its best. And I did exactly what he asked me to do, so…mission accomplished. I’m proud of myself.”
“But you just said he confessed feelings for you—“
“Well, I can’t read his mind!”
Bessie was growing frustrated. And flustered. And she needed out of this conversation in a hurry.
Thankfully, Mr. Anderson’s voice rang out just in time. “Is that door still locked?” He asked as he hobbled back into the store’s front. “There’s a truck out back waiting to be loaded and lunch was over a long time ago. I don’t pay you to lollygag, do I? Time to get to work.”
“Yes, sir,” Joey replied, clearing his throat and rushing off to the back.
As Mr. Anderson murmured a lackluster farewell to her, Bessie gathered up her basket and her dog and she headed out of the store and to the old Ford. Something nagged at her to go see Billy. She didn’t like the idea, but how could she not congratulate him on meeting his goal? Then again, he hadn’t made any attempts to contact her to thank her, either. And she deserved a thank you, darn it. Why, if it wasn’t for her, Billy would have never spoken to Sue, and especially wouldn’t have learned that the boy at the Independence Day picnic wasn’t her boyfriend like Billy had believed.
Relieved at her change in mood, she got behind the wheel of her car with a scowl on her face. It was rude that Billy hadn’t thanked her and he owed it to her. And she would get that thank you before she left town in two weeks. In two weeks, she would be gone and she could only hope to get a wedding invitation in the mail from those two. This thought, then, caused her to smile. Two weeks. Two whole weeks and she would finally be in the arms of her true love. It was the most excited she’d been all month.
BILLY STOOD OUTSIDE the movie theatre alongside Sue Wilkerson as they conversed with a mixed group of their friends. Well, while she conversed, that was. With a group of her friends. But according to Sue, since they were going together now, her friends were his friends and now they were their friends.
Billy suppressed a bored yawn.
It was only natural that Billy pick up with Sue after his humiliating and infuriating rejection from Bessie. There were a couple of moments when he just knew he had her—but it never lasted long. What was even more disturbing was the way his revenge on Zac hadn’t even crossed his mind most of the time when he thought about her. That wasn’t supposed to happen. It wasn’t part of the plan.
But, wait, what was the plan now that he was standing there on a date with Sue Wilkerson? Perhaps he hadn’t thought this through very well.
At this point, however, was there really any purpose to getting any sort of revenge on Zac? Or even wasting his time with it? Sure, Zac had cost Billy an entire football career, but would retaliating get him his career back? No. And, besides, it was pretty much a sure thing that Zac wasn’t going to show his face in Tulsa ever again. So, really, what was the point in investing time and effort into getting his hands on Bessie Harlow in hopes of getting back at Zac, anyway? After all, Billy had pretty much gotten what he wanted—Zac was no longer in town and would very likely stay that way.
Except for the fact that the girl had grown on him. Like a boil on a sore toe.
Unlike a boil on a sore toe, however, he wanted to keep her. Even without the ulterior motive. But she wouldn’t have him, not any way, not any how.
And Sue Wilkerson was pretty enough, anyway. She had pretty blonde hair and a petite little body that filled out a dress quite nicely. She wore ruby red lipstick and dark eyeliner and paid close attention to her hair, which was something that definitely couldn’t be said for Bessie. She wore designer clothes and carried herself with a sophistication that most of the girls in his inner circle did. She was more like Billy than Bessie was, despite the fact that Bessie and her family ran in the same circle as his family did, and for that, getting together with Sue just made sense. After all, he’d made such a big deal of it as a façade to get close to Bessie, that he decided he ought to act on something. And, hey, if Zac Hanson ever came back to town, he could end it with Sue, easy as one, two, three.
Right?
Unfortunately, Sue’s looks were really all she had going for her. Currently, he looked around at his surroundings while she droned on and on with her friends about styling their hair just like the movie star they’d just seen onscreen in the theatre. Billy didn’t care about hair and cosmetics. Maybe that’s what he liked about Bessie. She would probably never turn something like that into a conversation.
Just as he was ready to completely tune the entire group out, something caught his ear and he suddenly decided to pay attention when he heard Bessie’s name.
“Yes,” Sue said with a shake of her head. “She thought she was going to ‘introduce’ us to each other, except that we’ve known each other for years. It was a little pathetic, if you ask me. She gets one boyfriend in her entire life and suddenly it’s as if she knows everything there is to know about romance.” She paused to scoff and roll her eyes. “Like I can’t get my own boyfriend.”
Billy furrowed his brow, but nobody seemed to be paying attention to him. He wanted to say something, but he kept holding back and he wasn’t sure why. Maybe it was because he didn’t know what the right thing to say was. Bessie was his friend, sure, if he wanted to call it that, but Sue was his girlfriend now. Did he really want to defend another girl against his girlfriend? Would it really matter if he did and ruined things with Sue, anyway?
Yes, it would. Because he knew running to Bessie wasn’t an option. And at least going with Sue was better than being alone and facing rejection all over again.
Still, though. It was humiliating to stand there and listen to Sue brag on herself like that. She was pretty, but Billy had gone out with prettier. And nicer. Sue Wilkerson definitely wasn’t the finest catch in Tulsa, that was for sure.
“Would you even call him a boyfriend?” A brunette girl asked. “He’s…he’s one of those gypsies. I mean, he didn’t used to be, I know, but now…he’s poor! And jobless! And she’s the judge’s daughter, for crying out loud!”
“Please,” Sue waved her off. “He left her several weeks ago. They’re not together anymore, it’s impossible. She’s just holding on to what she used to have because she knows she won’t be able to find herself another boyfriend. She isn’t much to look at, in case you haven’t noticed—“
“Well, I don’t know,” another blonde girl said in her light voice. “I think she seems to have come into her own quite nicely. She doesn’t look the same as she used to, she’s sort of grown up some—“
“Oh, can it, Barb, she’s as homely as she ever was,” Sue spat.
Then a second brunette spoke up. “No, Barb’s right. Why, Bessie Harlow is downright pretty now. Anyone can see it. She has come into her own. She’s tall and she’s slender and she has the most gorgeous facial structure…in fact, I sort of envy her a little. It’s no wonder that handsome Hanson boy took to her the way he did.”
As the other girls giggled, Sue glared at them. “Exactly. The only boy who’s ever looked her way was a poor, destitute wretch and even he wouldn’t stay with her, and now she has the audacity to think that I need help finding a beau? I should think not. Why, Billy came to me on his own and asked me out after that.” She turned her head and smiled up at him, sliding her hand into his. “Didn’t you, Billy?”
This was it. This was the part where he smiled and he agreed and he found some sort of sickening pet name for her and played the part of doting boyfriend. But instead, he spat out, “Is this what you do?”
The question struck surprise into her blue eyes. “Excuse me?”
“Is this what you do in your spare time? Gossip and say terrible things behind innocent people’s backs?”
She studied him for a moment in confusion. Then she threw her head back and laughed, a cackle that made Billy cringe. “Don’t you think maybe you’re not exactly in the right place to be asking me about the things I say about people?”
“Yeah?” He challenged her, ignoring the gaping stares from her girlfriends and the uncomfortable shifting of the girls’ boyfriends. “Well people change. And I’ve changed. And Bessie Harlow helped me with that. Why, she even helped me ask you out. I was too nervous to do it on my own, that’s how she and I became friends. She helped me. And maybe I don’t think it’s right that my girlfriend is speaking ill of someone that never did anything to deserve it. Am I right or am I right?”
Sue swallowed hard and began to stammer. “Well—well, I never…I mean, she, well—“
“Well? Has she wronged you or not?” He looked out among her small group of girlfriends. “Has she wronged any of you?”
He was met with hesitant head shakes and Sue’s free hand across her chest. “Well, I, um, I suppose I can’t recall—“
“That’s what I thought. No girlfriend of mine will conduct herself in a manner such as this, especially not in my presence. Is that clear?”
Sue’s jaw dropped, but she nodded. “Yes. I’m sorry, I—“
He tightened his grip on her hand and tugged lightly on her arm. “Good. Now let’s go, we’re leaving.”
You see, son, a man always controls his date. The woman depends on him for that. The man controls the conversation, the night’s activities…the goodnight kiss. He leads it all. If you wait on your date to make a move, you haven’t done your job.
The corners of Billy’s mouth turned up in triumph as he led Sue down the street. Billy was learning a lot of things about his father lately, a lot of things he didn’t like. But regardless, there was still some useful wisdom in the old man and Billy appreciated the life lessons he’d been taught.
After all, no girl was going to make a fool out of Billy. No matter who she was.