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 I promise, Charli, you must have some sort of a guardian angel
working overtime for you. Sam rested his chin on Jack s knee, and
he scratched the dog s ears.  This is unbelievable.
 So, he s good?
Jack laughed.  He s the best! He moved here from Houston to
retire. If you can call winning every case retiring.
 He wins every case? Charli gasped.
 Well, if he s lost one, I sure don t know about it. There s been a
time or two I ve hated to see him coming, if you want the truth.
 Sounds like a winner to me, then, Charli said, and Jack realized
that she d called just to ask his opinion. He sat a little straighter and
eyed an eagle soaring toward the sunset a blazing mural of golden
velvet and purple satin and ribbon the color of pomegranates.
Jack stood.  Of course, you ll need to consult with Sonny, but
I m sure he and Lavine can work together.
 Right, Charli said.
A spirited breeze whisked around the house and relieved Jack of
the heat creeping up his neck.
 I, um, also wanted to tell you about something that happened
to me tonight at Brookshire s, Charli continued.  I went there after
church just to pick up a few things. She paused.
114 » Debra White Smith
 Oh? Jack stiffened and wondered if Bonnie had told all.
 And a couple of men were really staring at me in the store,
she continued and Jack relaxed.  Then, outside, they started making
crude remarks and then chased me to my car.
His knees locked.  Did they hurt you?
 N-no, Charli explained.  They just scared me. I got in the car
and laid on my horn. That s when Mr. Lavine and his wife came to
help me. Anyway, I reported it to the store manager.
 Good.
 And he got the security guard. He s a police officer.
 Yarborough?
 Yes.
 He s a good guy.
 He seemed to be, Charli said.  He told me he d alert the police
station as well. He said that officer named Payton was on duty 
 Yeah. He is. And if he can find them he ll have them thrown
under the jail within the hour. I d hate to face him if I was a crimi­
nal.
 Me too, Charli agreed.  I think I remember seeing him the
other night. He looked like he could be somebody s worst night­
mare.
 Yeah. On a good day. Jack chuckled.
 Anyway, Charli continued,  those guys at the store were
calling me cover girl and asking me if they could borrow some
money.
Jack went silent. He d seen the headlines this morning, but hoped
Charli hadn t. Her next statement ended that unrealistic wish.
 That s because of the lead story in the paper, she explained.
 Yes, I saw that this morning, Jack said.  I m really sorry. I would
have liked to have stopped it, but I have no control over 
 I know, Charli assured.  I think I ve read something somewhere
about freedom of the press, she added through a dry chuckle.
TEXAS HEAT « 115
 Yeah. Jack shook his head.  And to tell you the truth, there
have been a few times when I wished I did have some say in it.
 I understand, Charli said as Mary Ann s Escalade rolled up his
driveway.
 Good. Jack returned Mary Ann s wave and noticed she had the
boys with her. She parked her vehicle and slid out while wearing a
smile that could knock the horns off a bull.
He returned the smile and hoped it didn t look stiff from this
distance. As she strolled toward him and the boys raced to the porch
steps, he wondered if Charli would mind that he d been on a date.
Somehow, he didn t think she d give one flip. The only reason he was
in her life was for pure necessity and nothing else.
Once the need is gone, so am I, he reminded himself and moved
toward the steps.
 Are you still there? Charli asked.
 Uh, yeah, Jack replied.  Someone just drove up to my house,
and it distracted me.
 Well, I should go, then, Charli said.  Thanks for the info about
Lavine.
 Any time, Jack replied.
A long pause followed.  Like I said, I just got home from
Brookshire s. I bought a few things for dinner tonight. I need to
get Bonnie fed.
 Of course, he stated and avoided looking Mary Ann in the
eyes. Jack was beginning to feel like a two-faced womanizer, and the
image rubbed him wrong. But he hadn t asked his former girlfriend
to call him or his date from the evening to drive back over. He was
caught in a trap on this one. Nevertheless, he didn t like the sensation
that went with the trap.
 I guess I ll hear from Sonny soon, then?
 Yes, you should. Probably tomorrow, he replied as the noisy
boys charged the steps and crashed into him.
116 » Debra White Smith
 Whoa! Jack said while grabbing the porch railing. Sam added
his gleeful barking to the den and then romped off the porch like a
six-month old pup.
 Boys! Boys! Mary Ann cried.  Stop it now! Jack, I m so sorry!
She scrambled for her sons as Jack fought to keep his balance.
 Sounds like it s getting crazy there, Charli commented.
 Yeah. Jack laughed out loud.
Mary Ann grabbed both her sons by the arms and plunked them
onto the porch swing. It danced wildly while Brett and Brad pro­
tested their mother s discipline.
 Thanks for everything, she added.
 Sure, Jack said and bid farewell.
He closed the phone, put it in his shirt pocket, crossed his arms,
and watched Mary Ann shake her finger at her sons while verbally
chastising them. This time, Jack repented of his thinking she should
be harder on the little guys. Apparently, he d just seen her in a soft
moment earlier because this Mary Ann was a cross between Hitler
and an army sergeant.
 And I want you to apologize to Mr. Jack, she ended.
The boys, now sitting still on the swing, both looked up at Jack
like two juvenile delinquents. The older boy, Brett, had hair as red
as Mary Ann s. His bangs hung just above his eyes. That, coupled
with his freckles, made him look like he was up to all sorts of private
mischief. Brad wasn t much better. His brown hair was as short as
could be, but a cowlick forced a sprig cockeyed above his forehead.
His shirt was as splotchy as his brothers. His skinned knee testified
to who-knew-what rough and tumble antics. [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]