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Authors: Deborah Smith
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folks," he said jovially.
"Hi," they chorused back politely. He grinned. They grinned.
"Jake, this is Ray and Fayra Preston." Vivian pointed to the couple. "They're brother and sister, and they're from Bent Switch, Kentucky. They used to work on a farm there." Jake and Ray nodded to each other again. Ray was in the front passenger seat. Fayra sat in the back beside a smoothfaced, sloe-eyed young man with blond hair.
"Hi, Jake Coltrane," the man said with childlike precision.
"This is Andy Rutledge," Vivian said grimly. "He's been hanging out with Ray and Fayra, and they look after him. I think he's from Cleveland."
"I'm not s-slow," Andy said with great dignity. "No matter what anybody s-says."
67
Just a little Bit Guilty
by Deborah Smith
"Of course you're not slow," Jake echoed, smiling at him.
"You just like to think things over a while, I bet."
"That's r-right, Jake. That's right. You understand!"
"Ray, you and Fayra worked tobacco up in Kentucky?" Jake interrupted, scanning them with friendly eyes.
"You bet," Fayra answered. "Hard work, too, but we were good at it."
"If you worked tobacco, I know you worked hard," he told them. "You need work now?"
"Oh, yes! Yes, we sure do!" they chorused. Jake looked at Andy. "What can you do, son?"
"I'm real good with animals, Jake. And I can do anything anybody shows me how to do!"
"He's a good boy, Mr. Coltrane," Ray added. "All you have to do is guide him a little. He'll work 'til he drops." Fayra, fortyish and plump, had a pretty, gentle face and expressive eyes that snapped with intelligence. Now she frowned.
"We don't want to be any trouble, and we don't want to go to any shelter with a bunch of heathens. If we can't work for our dinner, we'd rather starve."
"Nobody gets handouts around here," Jake said cheerfully.
"They get as much as I can pay, for as much as they can work."
Vivian watched her three passengers brighten. She touched Jake's arm. "I can help with expenses—"
"I don't need any handouts," he said primly. "You go tell Roberto he's got new neighbors. Go on, now." He poked her shoulder playfully. "Go. Shoo."
68
Just a little Bit Guilty
by Deborah Smith
"Go on, Viv," Andy repeated solemnly. "We'll stay with Jake. He'll take care of us. What do we do first, Jake?"
"I think we ought to—" Vivian tried.
"Andy, you go with Viv. Ray and Fayra and me will unload y'all's things. Viv, go on now, tell Roberto what's goin' on."
"I ... oh ... okay," she muttered. She felt unnecessary, a fifth wheel, a squeaky and abrasive fifth wheel. "Everything will be fine. Y'all can quit worrying. I've never let anybody down and I guarantee you—"
"Nobody's worried, Viv," Jake said cheerfully. "You just relax, too."
"No one even noticed that she looked forlorn, because they were all busy getting out of the car. Jake joked over the trunk full of bedrolls and burlap bags, oblivious to her. Her head down and her eyes brooding, she walked away.
* * * *
Over the course of the two busy hours that followed. Jake grew more and more worried about her. She didn't make wisecracks, she didn't give him the pert, scolding looks he had already grown to cherish, and she didn't boss anyone around. She simply found little chores to do and did them quietly, her black-haired head bent and her hazel eyes dull. He gave her one of his shirts to wear over her suit, and she went to work in the apartment next to Roberto's, sweeping out the empty bedrooms, dusting.
Jake stole looks at her; if only she cared about him the way he cared about her.
69
Just a little Bit Guilty
by Deborah Smith
He caught Vivian looking at him. His stomach drifted down around his knees and stayed there. She had such a frail, sad, little-girl expression on her face that he almost forgot how snippy she'd been earlier.
They stood staring at each other in an empty bedroom. Before Jake could move toward her, Roberto swaggered into the room and allowed that he was going to give his bed to Fayra, if Jake
"Hi," they chorused back politely. He grinned. They grinned.
"Jake, this is Ray and Fayra Preston." Vivian pointed to the couple. "They're brother and sister, and they're from Bent Switch, Kentucky. They used to work on a farm there." Jake and Ray nodded to each other again. Ray was in the front passenger seat. Fayra sat in the back beside a smoothfaced, sloe-eyed young man with blond hair.
"Hi, Jake Coltrane," the man said with childlike precision.
"This is Andy Rutledge," Vivian said grimly. "He's been hanging out with Ray and Fayra, and they look after him. I think he's from Cleveland."
"I'm not s-slow," Andy said with great dignity. "No matter what anybody s-says."
67
Just a little Bit Guilty
by Deborah Smith
"Of course you're not slow," Jake echoed, smiling at him.
"You just like to think things over a while, I bet."
"That's r-right, Jake. That's right. You understand!"
"Ray, you and Fayra worked tobacco up in Kentucky?" Jake interrupted, scanning them with friendly eyes.
"You bet," Fayra answered. "Hard work, too, but we were good at it."
"If you worked tobacco, I know you worked hard," he told them. "You need work now?"
"Oh, yes! Yes, we sure do!" they chorused. Jake looked at Andy. "What can you do, son?"
"I'm real good with animals, Jake. And I can do anything anybody shows me how to do!"
"He's a good boy, Mr. Coltrane," Ray added. "All you have to do is guide him a little. He'll work 'til he drops." Fayra, fortyish and plump, had a pretty, gentle face and expressive eyes that snapped with intelligence. Now she frowned.
"We don't want to be any trouble, and we don't want to go to any shelter with a bunch of heathens. If we can't work for our dinner, we'd rather starve."
"Nobody gets handouts around here," Jake said cheerfully.
"They get as much as I can pay, for as much as they can work."
Vivian watched her three passengers brighten. She touched Jake's arm. "I can help with expenses—"
"I don't need any handouts," he said primly. "You go tell Roberto he's got new neighbors. Go on, now." He poked her shoulder playfully. "Go. Shoo."
68
Just a little Bit Guilty
by Deborah Smith
"Go on, Viv," Andy repeated solemnly. "We'll stay with Jake. He'll take care of us. What do we do first, Jake?"
"I think we ought to—" Vivian tried.
"Andy, you go with Viv. Ray and Fayra and me will unload y'all's things. Viv, go on now, tell Roberto what's goin' on."
"I ... oh ... okay," she muttered. She felt unnecessary, a fifth wheel, a squeaky and abrasive fifth wheel. "Everything will be fine. Y'all can quit worrying. I've never let anybody down and I guarantee you—"
"Nobody's worried, Viv," Jake said cheerfully. "You just relax, too."
"No one even noticed that she looked forlorn, because they were all busy getting out of the car. Jake joked over the trunk full of bedrolls and burlap bags, oblivious to her. Her head down and her eyes brooding, she walked away.
* * * *
Over the course of the two busy hours that followed. Jake grew more and more worried about her. She didn't make wisecracks, she didn't give him the pert, scolding looks he had already grown to cherish, and she didn't boss anyone around. She simply found little chores to do and did them quietly, her black-haired head bent and her hazel eyes dull. He gave her one of his shirts to wear over her suit, and she went to work in the apartment next to Roberto's, sweeping out the empty bedrooms, dusting.
Jake stole looks at her; if only she cared about him the way he cared about her.
69
Just a little Bit Guilty
by Deborah Smith
He caught Vivian looking at him. His stomach drifted down around his knees and stayed there. She had such a frail, sad, little-girl expression on her face that he almost forgot how snippy she'd been earlier.
They stood staring at each other in an empty bedroom. Before Jake could move toward her, Roberto swaggered into the room and allowed that he was going to give his bed to Fayra, if Jake
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