the dream – not Ma but his Mommy. How stupid was that? He’d never called Ida anything but Mother or Ma. Nothing else seemed appropriate. Nor felt right.
He punched his pillow again, forcing it into shape, and willed himself to relax against it. Morning would come early enough without him trying to make himself crazy over something that made no sense.
***
The kids next door were at it again, Gray realized, as he walked around the side of the house to the back door. It seemed they got more boisterous every day. Tonight he was too tired to care.
It had been in the high nineties all day. And he’d spent a total of ten hours working inside – without air conditioning. The house was going to be a beauty. But on a day like today, when he’d worked like a field hand without a break, he didn’t really care. He wanted a cool shower, a cold one or two and a cool spot to drink them in. He headed straight for the fridge.
He twisted off the cap of his beer, then tipped the bottle and opened his throat, allowing the golden brew to slide down where it would do the most good. He shrugged one arm out of his open shirt, then shifted the bottle to free his other hand from the dirty, sweaty work shirt he’d worn most of the day.
“Are you’se going to take your clothes off again?”
The child’s voice nearly caused him to drop his beer.
“Are you?”
He turned to see Chloe standing at his back door.
“Andie says I’m not supposed to see men who have no clothes on.”
“She’s right.”
“Well are you?” When he didn’t answer, she gave him a look that suggested he deserved sympathy. “You know, take off your clothes?”
“Not while you’re here.”
“Good.” She stepped into the kitchen. “I’se been playing and I’m firsty.”
“And the reason you didn’t go to your kitchen for a drink?”
“Your kitchen is closer. I’se hiding in your back yard.”
Gray nearly erupted. “What are you doing in my yard? I told your mother you kids can’t play here.”
“We aren’t. We’re playing hide and seek in our yard but I didn’t want the boys to find me, so I came over here.”
“How’d you get into my yard? It’s fenced.” Gray wanted to be angrier than he was feeling, but couldn’t muster the energy tonight. He was just too damned tired.
“I squeezed through the boards at the back. One’s loose.”
“I see.” He nodded, knowing full well she’d find the only loose board in the fence – even if it was only marginally loose.
“Are you angry?”
He squatted down in front of her. “Not particularly. What do you want to drink?”
“You got juice?”
“Let me take a look, okay?” He rose and crossed to the fridge, opening the door, then shook his head. “Sorry. No juice.”
“Pop?”
“Yeah, I’ve got some cola. Want some of that?” he asked over his shoulder.
“Yum.” She smiled. “I loves cola.” She looked at the bowl of mints on the table. “I likes mints too.”
“Good. Wait there and I’ll get you a soda while you grab a mint.” He pressed open the tab on the can, then handed it to her.
“Bottoms up,” he said, clanking his bottle against her can. Cocking his head to the noises outside, he looked down at Chloe. “Unless I miss my guess, you’d better hurry up. I think Andie’s calling you.”
“Is she going to be mad?”
“Yes I am.” Andie was standing at his back door.
Gray wondered when the world had been given access to his back yard. In the next house, he was going to build higher fences and better gates.
“Nice of you to join us.” He lifted his beer to her. “Come on in.”
“It’s time to go, Chloe.” Andie stepped into the kitchen, stopping next to the little girl.
“I’se got to finish my pop, Andie.” She lifted her soda in a similar salute, although she quickly added another hand to steady it. “I was thirsty and the man,” she tipped her head toward Gray, “gave me a drink.”
“That was very nice of him. Did you say
He punched his pillow again, forcing it into shape, and willed himself to relax against it. Morning would come early enough without him trying to make himself crazy over something that made no sense.
***
The kids next door were at it again, Gray realized, as he walked around the side of the house to the back door. It seemed they got more boisterous every day. Tonight he was too tired to care.
It had been in the high nineties all day. And he’d spent a total of ten hours working inside – without air conditioning. The house was going to be a beauty. But on a day like today, when he’d worked like a field hand without a break, he didn’t really care. He wanted a cool shower, a cold one or two and a cool spot to drink them in. He headed straight for the fridge.
He twisted off the cap of his beer, then tipped the bottle and opened his throat, allowing the golden brew to slide down where it would do the most good. He shrugged one arm out of his open shirt, then shifted the bottle to free his other hand from the dirty, sweaty work shirt he’d worn most of the day.
“Are you’se going to take your clothes off again?”
The child’s voice nearly caused him to drop his beer.
“Are you?”
He turned to see Chloe standing at his back door.
“Andie says I’m not supposed to see men who have no clothes on.”
“She’s right.”
“Well are you?” When he didn’t answer, she gave him a look that suggested he deserved sympathy. “You know, take off your clothes?”
“Not while you’re here.”
“Good.” She stepped into the kitchen. “I’se been playing and I’m firsty.”
“And the reason you didn’t go to your kitchen for a drink?”
“Your kitchen is closer. I’se hiding in your back yard.”
Gray nearly erupted. “What are you doing in my yard? I told your mother you kids can’t play here.”
“We aren’t. We’re playing hide and seek in our yard but I didn’t want the boys to find me, so I came over here.”
“How’d you get into my yard? It’s fenced.” Gray wanted to be angrier than he was feeling, but couldn’t muster the energy tonight. He was just too damned tired.
“I squeezed through the boards at the back. One’s loose.”
“I see.” He nodded, knowing full well she’d find the only loose board in the fence – even if it was only marginally loose.
“Are you angry?”
He squatted down in front of her. “Not particularly. What do you want to drink?”
“You got juice?”
“Let me take a look, okay?” He rose and crossed to the fridge, opening the door, then shook his head. “Sorry. No juice.”
“Pop?”
“Yeah, I’ve got some cola. Want some of that?” he asked over his shoulder.
“Yum.” She smiled. “I loves cola.” She looked at the bowl of mints on the table. “I likes mints too.”
“Good. Wait there and I’ll get you a soda while you grab a mint.” He pressed open the tab on the can, then handed it to her.
“Bottoms up,” he said, clanking his bottle against her can. Cocking his head to the noises outside, he looked down at Chloe. “Unless I miss my guess, you’d better hurry up. I think Andie’s calling you.”
“Is she going to be mad?”
“Yes I am.” Andie was standing at his back door.
Gray wondered when the world had been given access to his back yard. In the next house, he was going to build higher fences and better gates.
“Nice of you to join us.” He lifted his beer to her. “Come on in.”
“It’s time to go, Chloe.” Andie stepped into the kitchen, stopping next to the little girl.
“I’se got to finish my pop, Andie.” She lifted her soda in a similar salute, although she quickly added another hand to steady it. “I was thirsty and the man,” she tipped her head toward Gray, “gave me a drink.”
“That was very nice of him. Did you say
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