by Kim Pritekel
Lysette felt giddy as they got settled. She sat between her mother and Eleanor. Emma and Aunt Josie’s seats were in the row behind them. They were the only ones in the balcony so far, and she wondered if it would only be them. For now, her attention was on Eleanor. She could feel the excitement coming off her in waves. She nearly vibrated in her seat, and Lysette found it adorable. She was so pleased she was able to be the one sitting next to her to witness it, to be part of it.
“Comfy chairs,” Eleanor remarked, looking around. She raised a hand to wave.
Following her focus, Lysette saw Josie and Emma hurrying down the aisle far below. Emma returned the wave, and the two women rushed toward the stairs, the seats below beginning to fill as people filed in to see the show.
“Hey, ladies,” Josie said, squeezing the shoulders of the three in front as she passed them before taking her seat, Emma beside her.
“Ready for the show?” Adalyn asked, turning in her seat, extending a hand. “So glad you could join us.”
Josie took the hand, the two exchanging a look that seemed to communicate something only between them. “Me too.”
Lysette met her beloved aunt’s gaze. “Hello, Aunt Josie. I’m glad you’re here.”
“Hey, kiddo.” She leaned forward and left a kiss to Lysette’s cheek before turning her attention to Eleanor. “And it’s certainly a pleasure to see you all grown up, Little Eleanor!”
Eleanor smiled shyly back at her. “Hello.”
Lysette’s attention went to the blue velvet curtain far below as the lights began to dim, the murmurs of the large seated crowd quieting down. She leaned into Eleanor. “Are you ready?” she whispered.
Eleanor took a deep breath before letting it out slowly, sparing a glance to Lysette. “Yes. I think so. I’m nervous.” She grinned sheepishly.
“Don’t be. This will be amazing.” As the auditorium went dark, she reached down and grabbed Eleanor’s hand, smiling over at her when their fingers entwined. Something caught her attention, and she glanced behind her just in time to see her Aunt Josie leave a light kiss on Emma’s lips before they turned forward to watch the show.
Chapter Sixteen
Eleanor was humming, she knew she was, as she sat at the bright pink table, ice cream cone in hand. She’d had ice cream before, of course, but somehow, vanilla had never been so sweet, so smooth, or so perfect, just like her entire weekend, which she didn’t want to face was ending.
The five of them sat at Wilcox Creamery enjoying a sweet treat before four of them would head back to Brooke View and Josie would head back to Gunnison. As Eleanor sat next to Lysette, who seemed to be thoroughly enjoying her sundae with extra cherries, she couldn’t have imagined a better day. She felt so close to her friend, and in the small bit that she’d allow herself to fantasize, she could almost imagine it had been a date for them. Yes, others were with them, but she only had eyes for Lysette.
“Hurry with that, I want you to come with me,” Lysette said, snapping Eleanor out of her thoughts.
Eleanor nodded and quickly finished her ice cream without question. She saw the empty glass dish that had held Lysette’s dessert, then Lysette as she reached into the bag her mother had been carrying, digging through it and pulling something out. Hugging it to her chest, she pushed back from the table and reached down to grab Eleanor’s hand.
“Wait,” Eleanor said, about to wipe off that hand as it was sticky from holding the cone.
Apparently, Lysette didn’t mind because she wove their way through the busy ice cream shop until they reached the ladies’ room at the back. As they passed the side counter from the main one where ice cream treats were created and served, a soda jerk stood behind it in striped attire waiting on his customers. One of whom was a man standing there with a young girl.
Eleanor’s eyes grew wide as she recognized him as Mr. Miller, the postman in Brooke View and a regular at their family store. She stopped their momentum, nearly yanking Lysette off her feet.
“What are you doing?” Lysette asked, irritation in her voice.
Eleanor nodded toward the man who handed the child with him a malt. “We can’t be seen here!” she hissed.
Lysette smirked. “Then let’s go so he won’t see us!” she stage-whispered, tugging at Eleanor’s hand again.
She spared a glance back over her shoulder at Eleanor before giving her one of her wicked smiles and pushing the door open, tugging Eleanor in after her.
The bathroom was painted a light mint green, which Eleanor felt likely belonged more in an institute of some sort than the bathroom of a sweet shop. Once inside, Lysette instantly went to look to see if anyone was in the bathroom stalls, but all three were empty. She stood by the door of the one farthest from the door, waving Eleanor over.
Eleanor stared at her. “What? Do you want me to wait out here while you—” She was nearly pulled off her feet as Lysette hurried over to her and grabbed her hand, yanking her to the stall and pushing her inside. It was quite cozy once she closed the door behind them, the two standing nearly breast to breast in the narrow space. Eleanor grinned. “What are you doing?”
“Maman got this for you,” she said softly, backing up as much as she could, her back pressed against the wall so she could bring the item she’d snagged from Adalyn’s bag into view. It was a Bible.
Eleanor’s eyebrows drew in confusion. “Lysette,” she said softly, meeting her gaze. “We have an endless supply of these things at home.”
Lysette chuckled. “I know, but not with this in it.” She brought it up to face level and pulled back the cover.
It was such a pleasure to meet you and have you at our teen revival this year! So pleased you enjoyed yourself and plan to return next year.
All the Blessings of Christ.
—Reverend Tim
Eleanor took the leather-bound book in her hands and read and reread the message scrawled in heavy black ink. Mouth open, she looked up into Lysette’s eyes. “But we weren’t there.”
“We were not, but my cousin Betty was there last year, and she was so kind as to make avail her Bible to her favorite aunt.”
Eleanor let out a slow, shaky breath, relief washing through her. She understood immediately. This was meant to be backup, should they need it. She hoped it wouldn’t come to that, as they’d covered their bases pretty well, but…
“Thank you,” she whispered, setting the book on the back of the tank of the toilet before turning back to Lysette and pulling her into a hug, tight due to their confines, yes, but also she needed to feel her against her. “Thank you for everything.”
“Of course,” Lysette whispered back, her face buried in Eleanor’s neck as they held each other. “I’m so glad you agreed to come this weekend.”
Eleanor’s eyes closed as she felt Lysette’s fingers lightly touch the back of her neck beneath her hair, brushed to a shine and left loose. She turned her face inward, as well, the feel of Lysette’s soft hair tickling her nose. She inhaled her scent, committing it to memory for later, alone in the darkness of her bedroom at the farmhouse.
She somehow managed not to sigh in surprised pleasure when she felt the softest of lips lightly brush the side of her neck. She did, however, freeze when the door to the bathroom squeaked open. She tried to pull away from Lysette, but she was held fast. Her heart raced as she felt a second pass of those lips as the woman who had entered stepped into the stall next to theirs.
The newcomer let out a small fit of coughs as she readied herself to do her business, the porcelain creaking slightly under her weight as she lowered herself onto the commode. Eleanor’s thoughts of their neighbor were interrupted when she felt the fingers on the back of her neck move up into her hair, lightly tugging as soft lips grazed her neck.
On pure instinct, her face moved in the direction of those touches, Lysette’s hot breath on her skin inflaming her. Her hands moved of their own accord from Lysette’s back down to her hips, gently pulling their bodies just that much closer together.
>
Eleanor didn’t even hear what she would ordinarily find amusing or offensive noises coming from the stall next door as she felt the sweetness of Lysette’s lips find her own. She felt more than heard the sigh that escaped those lips as their kiss silently deepened.
Everything that wasn’t Lysette disappeared as Eleanor accepted the gentle strokes of her tongue into her mouth, able to taste the fudge from the sundae she’d just eaten. She marveled at the feel of their breasts pressed together, closer than ever before, their bodies fully flush. Their kiss was more passionate than the other two they’d shared before, and the sensations it sent through Eleanor’s body nearly left her dizzy.
The woman in the stall next door finally finished her business with a flush and the squeak of the hinges as she pulled the stall door open. She quickly washed her hands, then left, which seemed to signal a natural end to their kiss.
Lysette left a few soft kisses on Eleanor’s lips before pulling away just enough to rest her forehead against Eleanor’s, both breathing heavily. She brought her hand out of thick dark hair and cupped the side of Eleanor’s neck. “I wanted to be able to give you a proper goodbye.” She smiled, giving her one more quick kiss before pulling away as far as the confines would allow. “I know once we reach Brooke View, that’s not possible.”
Eleanor nodded, reaching up to brush some hair away from Lysette’s beautiful lips, a few strands caught in what was left of her lipstick. “I’m glad. You know, us girls can never get enough practice.” She grinned, which Lysette returned.
“Never enough,” she murmured, giving her another quick peck before grabbing the Bible and shoving it at Eleanor and opening the stall door.
****
Okay, so April 14, 1865, Appomattox Courthouse, they signed the thingy to end the Civil War.
Eleanor paused in her sweeping as she considered that information for a moment as she leaned on the broom. “April 14,” she murmured, “Then April 9 he died.”
Rolling her eyes at her own indecision, she reached into the pocket of her skirt and pulled out the cheat sheet she’d created before leaving school to help her study for the upcoming test.
“How would Grant and Lee sign the declaration at Appomattox Courthouse after Lincoln was assassinated?” she muttered to herself. “Brilliant deduction, Ellie.”
She continued sweeping the sidewalk outside her father’s store. Earlier, a child who had been walking by with his mother decided it was the perfect spot to free himself of the stomach bug, and Eleanor was sent out to clean it up. After the mess was cleaned up and thrown in the garbage can behind the building, she decided to tidy up the front of the store. They seemed to be having a break in the cold spell, so she took advantage of the mild, late October day.
“What’cha mutterin’ about?”
Startled, she whipped around to see a grinning Gabby standing there, a forty-pound bag of feed slung over his shoulder. “Oh, uh, just going over some facts for a test coming up.”
The toothpick that was so often present between his lips bobbed up and down as his tongue played with the end inside his mouth. His gaze flowed over her body like a slow-moving avalanche of molasses.
“Though I like me a smart woman, not sure why you’re bustin’ your back on this stuff, Eleanor,” he finally said, ice cold gaze meeting her own timid one.
She was also trying desperately to hide her disgust and fear. Ever since that night in the woods, she had felt even more awkward and uncomfortable around him while he seemed to be more assertive, even aggressive, around her.
“You’re so beautiful,” he said, taking a step closer. “There ain’t no reason to worry about the school learnin’.”
She swallowed and managed to stand her ground and not step back, though she did grip the broom handle so tightly that her knuckles were turning white. “It’s okay, Gabby,” she said, trying to keep her voice friendly. “I enjoy school.”
“Yeah, but when you’ve got a husband, all the school learnin’ in the world ain’t gonna do you no good.”
She gave him a small smile, turning away to give him the hint she intended to get back to her task. “I’ll keep that in mind for a future situation.”
Relieved that he continued on to the delivery truck, she spared a glance in his direction as he climbed into the Ford and got it rumbling to life. With a clenched jaw, annoyed and wanting a bath, she hurried up and finished her sweeping. As she was about to head into the store, broom in hand, she heard her name. Turning, she felt her stomach drop.
“Hello, Mr. Miller How are you?”
“Oh, good, good. How are you, young lady?” the friendly mailman asked, offering her his usual smile and tip of his uniform cap. “Mind if I hand these to you?”
“Absolutely, sir. My father won’t be in until a little later, anyway.”
“Ah, perfect.” He handed her a bundle of letters, which she knew was for the business, as well as their personal mail. Her father never let it go to the farmhouse. “You be sure to tell him that supply of lumber he ordered should be coming in later this week, you hear?”
“Yes, sir, Mr. Miller. I sure will,” she assured, raising the letters she clutched to emphasize her promise. She watched him head down the sidewalk, mailbag slung across his chest as he whistled a happy tune continuing his delivery route.
Tucking the bundle of mail under her arm, she reached down and grabbed the dustpan she’d set on a small table outside the store and carried it all inside. She left the broom at the bottom of the stairs in that alcove like she did every day before hurrying behind the counter to put the mail where her father could easily find it.
She knew it would be slow for a little while as folks weren’t out of work yet, so she decided to continue her cleaning inside the store. As she began to clean the inside of the large front window, she saw the delivery truck pull up and park in its usual spot out front. Gabby climbed out from behind the wheel, a man she didn’t recognize from the passenger side.
“Lovely,” she muttered as the two men headed to the store.
“We meet again, Miss Eleanor!” Gabby bellowed as he entered, a bit of swagger in his stride.
She glanced over at him, wondering why on earth he was showing off for the scrawny man who walked a few paces behind him. His hair was strawberry blond, though it was cut so short it was hard to tell. His fair eyebrows and eyelashes gave it away. He had eyes the dull color of her father’s, and he walked with his hands shoved into his baggy trousers.
Saying nothing, she simply smiled and turned back to her task at the window. She cringed when the two men walked up to the counter near the cash register where her customers would stand.
“So, Eleanor, this here is my good friend Thomas, all the way from Oklahoma.”
She turned and accepted the large, bony hand he offered. “Nice to meet you, Thomas.” She figured he was around Gabby’s age, mid- to late twenties.
“Gonna head back to the stoop to smoke me a cigarette,” Gabby said, pulling the rolled smoke out from behind his ear. “Let me know when your daddy gets back, will ya?”
She nodded for a second time, relieved when he left. She was interrupted again when a panicked Mrs. Gomez hurried inside.
“Oh, honey! I need three yards of this material right now,” the frazzled woman exclaimed, looking as though she were about to jump out of her skin.
Eleanor put her cleaning rag down and looked at the swath of material that was thrust in front of her. “Oh, we’ve got plenty more of that, Mrs. Gomez. Three yards, you say?”
“Yes,” the mother of five said with a tired sigh, leaning against the counter. “The cousins decided they wanted to be clowns for their trick-or-treating, too.” She gazed at Eleanor with big brown eyes. “I’m going to charge my sister next year.”
Eleanor smiled as she made her way around the counter. “Yell if someone needs me,” she added, taking the swatch and heading to the back of the store. With Halloween around the corner, she’d set up an extra display of new fabrics for
costumes near the back door.
She hummed softly as she dug through the bolts of fabric until she found the one she needed. She’d cut the first batch for Mrs. Gomez a week before, and she wasn’t sure it had been touched since.
“So I’m sittin’ there behind them bars, right?”
“Right.”
Eleanor stopped, glancing toward the back door to the store, the back stoop just beyond.
“Sheriff Barnes comes up to me and says, ‘All right, son, y’all sure picked the wrong niggers to string up,’” Gabby continued, his voice muffled through the door, but she could understand his words. “He says, ‘I don’t give two shits you done kill them darkies, but you done pissed off the mayor, son. One of them niggers worked for his son.’ And I’m thinking, ‘Ah, hell.’” Gabby laughed, Thomas laughing right along with him. “Hell, of all the damn niggers in the goddamn world, right?”
“Ah, man!” Thomas boomed. “What did you do?”
“Well, sheriff says the mayor’s son is all up in arms and may come stormin’ the jail. He tells me he ain’t gonna save me from no lynch party, but,” he added, and Eleanor could almost imagine him holding up a finger to add a bit of drama to his pause. “He says, ‘Son, I’m headin’ to dinner, be back in about an hour. If’n y’all just happen to make your way outta Texas, can’t say my boys will try all that hard ta find you.’”
“No, he didn’t,” Thomas said, wonder in his voice.
“Damn straight, he did.” Gabby laughed. “Hightailed it the hell outta there! Made my way on up to Colorado.”
Horrified, Eleanor staggered backward. The bolt of fabric in her hands caught a coat tree tucked in the corner and sent it crashing against the door and to the ground. Mortified, she nearly threw the fabric as she bent down to grab the coat tree and her father’s jacket that fell to the floor with it.
The back door swung open, nearly knocking Eleanor in the head. Gabby stood in the open doorway, looking around with startled surprise on his face. His cold gaze landed on her as she slowly got herself and the coat tree to an upright position.