Sammy and I hugged them and said goodnight after saying no to their request for another helping of Nappi’s tiramisu, which would only give them tummy troubles and probably wake them up to boot.
Sammy and I undressed and embraced quickly, lest we become too wrapped up in each other and face another fun but sleepless night. I didn’t remember falling asleep or how long I had been sleeping when I felt warm breath on my face. I opened my eyes to Jeremy standing beside my side of the bed, holding his favorite stuffed toy, a Florida panther. His thumb was jammed in his mouth.
“Can I sleep here?” he asked.
“Sure, honey.” I pulled back the covers. “Crawl in.”
He snuggled into the crook of my arm.
“Couldn’t you sleep in your sleeping bag?”
“I could, but I like it here with you better.”
I hugged him to me.
“Would you be my mommy?”
Chapter 16
My heart stopped, and I took a deep breath before I answered. How does one respond to that question? I knew I had to give the right reply, but I had no idea what that was.
“How about you ask her that again when she’s not so sleepy?”
Sammy, bless him, had overheard Jeremy.
“Are you too sleepy?” insisted Jeremy. “Maybe you already have a boy like me and don’t want another one.”
I could hear the fear and sorrow in his voice.
“There is no other boy in the world like you, and anyone would be thrilled to be your mother. I’m so glad you asked me.”
He smiled and wriggled closer. Soon I caught the rhythm of his breathing and knew he had fallen asleep.
“Thank you, Sammy, for jumping in. He just took my breath away, and I needed time to gather myself together before I said anything.”
“You said the right thing.”
I sighed with relief. “Did I? I’m so glad.”
“But it’s something you need to think about. He is a wonderful boy. All of them are, but they need a mother. And a father.”
“You and me?” I was surprised. “Is that a proposal?”
“I’m too sleepy to answer that right now. We’ll talk.”
“Sammy Egret, you talk to me. Now.” I gave him my usual punch in the shoulder followed by a kiss on the neck, but he responded with snores. The only sound I thought I heard in the house came from Grandfather Egret in my living room, and he seemed to be smiling out loud.
Sammy and I got up before the boys, but not before Grandfather, who was in my kitchen making pancakes. Jeremy was still asleep in my bed.
“There’s coffee.” Grandfather pointed to the pot. “I couldn’t find any maple syrup.”
“I’m out.” I grabbed two cups from the cupboard and poured coffee for Sammy and me.
“Then it will be strawberry preserves,” Grandfather said.
“Oh, yum. I like that better anyway,” Jerome called out.
After breakfast, the boys gathered up their clothes and sleeping bags, and Grandfather and Sammy took them back to Cousin Selena, who was looking after them for the remainder of the weekend. Sammy gave me a quick kiss goodbye and said we’d talk later. Damn right we’ll talk later, I thought. We had a lot to discuss. Was his comment last night a marriage proposal? It sounded like it.
“Don’t worry, Eve,” he whispered in my ear as he got into his truck, “This is going to be a lot simpler than you think.”
Really? Nothing was ever simple in Eve Appel’s life. Didn’t he know that by now?
I went back into the house, grabbed my keys, and went to get the rig to drive it again to the coast for the Sunday flea market. Although it took some juggling to cover both the shop and the rig, on Sundays we only opened the rig. I was on duty today to give Madeleine time with her husband and the babies. She had invited me to stop by after I got back to say hello. I welcomed the visit. I needed to talk to either her or Grandy about what had happened last night with the boys and Sammy. I parked my car behind the rig and jumped in. As I pulled onto the road to the coast, I noticed my hands were not as steady on the wheel as they usually were. This Sammy-and-three-boys thing had me in a state, one I wasn’t used to. I was terrified. Or was I thrilled? I couldn’t tell one from the other.
Early in the afternoon, a coastal storm swept in, making it a poor day for shopping outside in the market. Folks would be dry and warm in my rig, but I knew few would want to dash between showers and wind from the parking lot to the motor home shop. I closed up and was home by two in the afternoon. I called Madeleine to see if it was convenient for me to stop by early. She invited me for a late lunch. As usual, I could eat.
I held the babies for several minutes, and they seemed to like my attention. I didn’t drop them, and they didn’t upchuck on me. Maybe I was better at this child thing than I thought. Madeleine took them from me and put them down for a nap. While she looked madly happy, she also looked tired, as did David.
“Maybe I should scoot out of here and let the two of you take a nap yourselves.”
“David, you go on and get forty winks. I want to talk with Eve.” Even when she was dead on her feet, Madeleine knew when I needed her ear.
“No, go on. You could use the sleep too.”
“I can grab a nap when David gets up. You’ve got something on your mind.”
“I can wait until Grandy gets back later tonight and run it by her.”
“And leave me out? I’ve been left out of too much in your life these past several months with my pregnancy and now the babies. I’m not saying I resent motherhood at all, but I do miss hearing about what trouble you’ve gotten yourself into.”
I told her about Jeremy and what Sammy had said.
“He’s right, you know,” I said. “Those boys need parents. They’re being shuffled between relatives, including Grandfather and Sammy. They need stability in their lives right now more than ever. But Sammy seemed to be suggesting something more permanent for them and for us. What do I do?”
“Do what Sammy suggested, Eve. Talk about it. Be honest and explore your feelings. What do you want? What does your heart tell you to do?”
“But Sammy and I have only been together for a short while. Jerry and I knew each other three years before we got married.”
“How did that turn out?” Madeleine asked.
She was right. Taking time didn’t mean you got the results you wanted. My impulsive nature might not always be a bad thing.
I heard a noise from the bedroom. It began with a tiny squeak, then erupted into a cry, followed by a squalling that could not be ignored.
“That’s Eve, wanting attention.”
“How can you tell it’s her and not him?” I asked.
“They have totally different cries, different personalities. She’s just like her namesake. Likes to get things going. And now.”
“Oh.”
Madeleine hugged me before she went to get Eve out of the bedroom. “Don’t make this more difficult than it is, Eve. You know what you want. What you need. So do it.”
I tried to give her a smile of confidence. “Tell David I said goodbye.”
I felt better after talking with Madeleine, yet I still had no idea what I wanted or needed. She was so wrong about that. Things were not easy. They had never been for me, and I had no reason to believe they would or could change. But then I could be wrong. I’d been so off about marrying Jerry. Did people just plunge into marriage and parenthood because it felt right? Madeleine did. I’m not Madeleine, I told myself.
I wasn’t looking forward to getting back to my house. Grandy and Max wouldn’t be home until late, and Sammy and Grandfather were busy with tribal matters. I’d be alone for the first time since the intruder had attacked me. The solitary life hadn’t bothered me before, but after the assault I felt more vulnerable. This would be a test to see if the old Eve was truly back. Could I once again find comfort in my home or would I dash out of the house and go … where? I had nowhere to run.
I pulled into
the drive and sat for a moment, scanning the house. It was still light, and the place looked friendly enough, but how would I feel once the sun went down? Fine. I was fine. I’d have a lovely evening to myself, doing things like shaving my legs and redoing my spiky blonde hair. I looked in my rearview mirror. The dark roots were getting too long. It needed a touchup sure enough. And I could take a tweezers to my eyebrows too. Good. I had a plan.
Jumping out of the car, I ran toward the house, unlocked the door, and bounded into the kitchen. I poured myself a glass of white wine and headed for the bathroom, the place where all important girlie things were accomplished. I slathered hair dye on my re-growth, and while it did its work, I shaved my legs. I hopped in the shower to rinse the dye out of my hair and lathered the shave cream off my legs. It was still early and the evening stretched ahead, so I decided to run a bath for a long soak. I started the water, tied my robe around me, and got another glass of wine from the fridge. I poured several capsules of bubble bath into the water and stepped into the hot tub. Sliding down into the water, I let the warmth and bubbles soothe me. I sighed deeply. Tonight was my night, a night when Eve made herself into the old fashion-forward gal she used to be.
I was awakened much later by the bath water having gone cold. I had slid far enough in that the next slip would have put my nose under. No sense in drowning myself. I got out, toweled dry, and put my robe back on. I hadn’t touched my second glass of wine, but it was room temperature now. I tossed it out in the kitchen sink and poured a couple of shots of Scotch over some ice cubes. It was too early for anything good on television, so I carried my drink to the bedroom and sank into my chair to watch twilight descend over my backyard. The sliding glass door was open, allowing the chill of the evening to invade the room.
I opened my closet, looking for my heavier robe, and realized no amount of clothing would take away the shiver that ran through me. Suddenly my evening took a dark turn. I realized I was scared. Don’t panic, I told myself. Think this through rationally. Maybe the fear came from being in the bedroom where I had been attacked. Stupid me. This was no place to sit alone. I closed the slider and went into the living room, where a sense of déjà-vu settled over me. Bad déjà-vu, really bad déjà-vu. This night was too much like the one when I was attacked. I was alone then too. Grandy and Max were to return later, just as I knew they would tonight, but then ….
I turned on all the lights—the outdoor porch light, the light in the kitchen, and the backyard light. There. That was better. I’d watch television to take my mind off things. I grabbed the remote and heard the distant rumbling of thunder. Rain began to fall, first a soft shower, then more rain coming down in sheets, followed by wind, which gathered in force and blew sideways against my windows. The wind kicked up more, and it sounded as if the windows would be blasted inward by its fury. I lifted the blinds and looked out my front window to see palm fronds flying across the yard. One hit the front door, making it shake and rattle. The noise startled me for a minute, then I laughed. No one would brave this weather to come back and attack me again. The wind and rain were my friends, a kind of barrier between me and the world out there. I was safe and snug in my house.
Then the lights went out.
“Eve?” a voice called from the other side of the front door.
The storm had passed, but I didn’t want to open the door to anyone.
“Eve?” the voice called again.
Ah. It was Sammy. I rushed to the door and flung it open.
“Are you all right?”
I threw myself into his arms and drew him into the room.
“What is all this?” He gestured around the room, which I had filled with candles. I had lit all of them, and their flames flickered a greeting, bathing the house in a warm, golden glow.
“The lights went out.”
“I know. That’s why I’m here—to see if you’re safe.”
“And I suppose you expected to see me cowering under my bed?”
“Maybe.”
“Well, when I lost my electricity, I panicked, but just for a minute, then I thought about it. What’s cozier than candlelight? I got out every candle I could find and created a warm nest for myself. Kind of romantic, isn’t it?”
He crushed me to him and squeezed me for a very long time.
“Hey, buddy. You’re about to break a rib.”
When I looked up into his face, the candlelight made his eyes shine like obsidian.
“I worried you’d have a hard time being here alone and especially when this storm came up. But you’re ….”
“I’m good. I talked myself through it.” I stepped back, holding both his hands in mine. “Like I said before. Romantic, isn’t it?”
It took very little pressure for me to lead him into my bedroom.
“Grandy and Max are coming in soon,” he said.
“Oh, that’s the best part. Grandy called just before you got here to say the storm had flooded roads, and they weren’t traveling until early tomorrow morning. We have this entire candlelit house to ourselves. All night.”
“I think we should talk before we take advantage of the mood you’ve set.”
I didn’t reply to his comment, but walked over to the bedroom slider and pulled it open. “Smell how clean the air is. The storm did that, cleaned away all the musty, moldy mildew smells and replaced them with the fresh smell of nature, of the swamps. I think the storm did that for me too. I’m pretty clear on what I want now. I want you, Sammy, and I want the boys to be ours.”
When I turned to look at him, the moonlight shone on his face so that I could see his black eyes and the single tear that glistened on one cheek.
And later we created another storm—wild, passionate, loving.
I should have been tired when Grandy and Max rolled in around six in the morning, but I was awake and energized, eager to take on the day, to take on all the days that were to come.
“What time did the two of you leave to get here so early? It had to have been before four this morning. You didn’t need to get back so soon.”
“I told you I’d open the store this morning, and I will. I’ve got a few hours to get in a quick nap,” Grandy said.
I wrapped my arms around my short, chubby grandmother. “I know you’ll balk at this, but I’m going to open the store today, and you can come in around one in the afternoon. I wouldn’t even have you do that, but I’m going down to West Palm to pick up some merchandise from one of our consignors, the one who’s always redecorating. She has some more Tommy Bahama furniture for us. I’m borrowing Sammy’s truck to pick it up.”
Grandy seemed about to argue with me, but I held up a finger to silence her. “And I’ve got some news. I’m getting married, and I’m about to become the mother of three.”
From her still, pale face, I thought Grandy was next in line for a heart attack, but she recovered her composure quickly. “Oh, that’s good news.”
“I’m surprised at you. All you can say is ‘That’s good news.’ I thought you’d be thrilled.”
Max enveloped me in his arms. “She’s thrilled, all right. She’s just too shocked to say much.”
I reached out to include Grandy in the hug, and we three soon were sobbing and laughing, which is how Sammy found us when he came into the room. He joined the group hug.
“So, how about a cup of coffee and something to eat before you take your naps?” I wiped the tears from my cheeks.
“We need to talk wedding, Eve,” said Grandy.
“We can do that some other time,” I said.
“I think we’re more tired than hungry,” said Max. He pushed Grandy down the hallway to their bedroom.
“I could use a cup and some food,” said Sammy. “Or do you want to go out and eat?”
“Let’s have coffee here and then go tell Grandfather the news. Do you think he’ll approve?”
“He’ll act as if it was his idea.”
After a quick coffee, Sammy drove off in his truck, and I followed i
n my car. He would take the car to his job at the game ranch while I used the truck this afternoon to pick up the furniture my client had promised me.
When we walked into Grandfather’s house, he was awake and cooking something on the wood stove. It smelled divine.
He turned from his work and beamed at us. “Congratulations. When will you tell the boys?”
Wow, you couldn’t pull anything over on Grandfather. He knew what you wanted before you knew you wanted it. I had ceased asking him how he knew anything about me. I assumed he either read my mind or my thoughts traveled across the swamps on the wind to his house. Either was possible. And likely.
He showed his approval of our plans in a more subdued way than my family did. He took my hands in his and pressed his forehead against mine and did the same with Sammy. Then he smiled and gestured toward the table, which was set—you guessed it—for three diners.
“This smells wonderful. Is it some Miccosukee dish?” I asked.
“Scrambled eggs,” he replied and his smile got bigger.
I called Madeleine on my way to open the shop. We did a lot of joyful squealing over the phone until she said we had awakened the twins and she had to go. Before I could make my next call, which was to Nappi, my cell rang and he was on the line.
Old Bones Never Die Page 16