She stood silently as Lovey unfastened her belt and trousers. Royal stepped out of the rest of her clothing, and Lovey ushered her to the bed and under the covers. She looked up at Lovey, waiting for what might happen next.
After a few minutes of silent deliberation, Lovey pulled off her wet things and climbed under the covers next to Royal. Her skin was smooth but cool to the touch because of the chill of the rain and standing for too long in damp clothing.
Lovey propped herself up on one elbow, and with her other hand, stroked Royal’s face and down the center of her chest. She sweetly kissed Royal on the cheek.
“Lovey, I’ve missed you so terribly.”
“I know, baby. I’ve missed you too.”
Lovey had never used that term of endearment for Royal, and just the sound of it sweetly uttered and meant for her caused a tear to rise and roll slowly down her cheek.
Royal pulled Lovey into a long, deep kiss that led to further exploration. Royal found that it wasn’t within her power to hold anything back with Lovey. She figured she’d regret all of this in the morning, but right now, in the fading hours of daylight, she was powerless to do anything else. She gave herself over fully to the moment.
She rolled on top of Lovey and set upon her with furious passion. She wanted to possess Lovey’s pale, perfect form from head to toe and every tender place in between. She focused her touch, her thrusts in such a way that Lovey called her name as she climaxed in Royal’s arms. Royal held her close, placing tender kisses on her forehead and on her lips. Her sadness momentarily soothed, Royal settled against Lovey, with her cheek on Lovey’s shoulder. Lovey stroked her hair and whispered softly that everything would be okay now.
Would it? How could Lovey know for sure?
Chapter Thirty-two
Lovey became aware of her surroundings slowly, as if rising from under water. Once she was awake she realized it was foggy out. Overcast, but not raining. She realized she was alone in Royal’s bed. She’d slept so soundly after they made love. Maybe more soundly than she’d slept in weeks. She sat up, rubbing the sleep from her eyes, allowing the sheet to fall to her waist. Only then did she notice the handwritten note on the pillow beside her.
Dearest Lovey,
Last night may have saved my life. I know I cannot ask for more. I know that what we had cannot exist in the light of day, but for the small reminder of how wonderful life could be if…only if. Thank you.
I do still love you and I hope that you find what you need with Joe.
—Royal
Oh, no. No. No. No. Royal still thinks Joe and I are together. Lovey realized that they hadn’t talked. Royal had no idea that she and Joe had broken things off. What time was it and where was Royal now?
Lovey put her head in her hands. How had this happened? If only Royal had woken her up before she left. They could have talked everything out. Not only did she still need to make things right with Royal, she’d left her home for the entire night. Her father would no doubt be beside himself with worry and anger. She’d have to face that when she got home too. On some level she realized that action alone had probably started a chain reaction that she would have to deal with.
She dressed quickly, splashed some water on her face from the basin, and after stopping in the bathroom down the hall from Royal’s room, briskly walked toward home. It was a cool morning. Fog hung in the air from the previous day’s rain, and heavy droplets fell from broad-leafed poplars. The dripping water almost made it seem as if it was raining again as she walked to her house. During her walk, she’d devised a plan. She would freshen up, change clothes, borrow the car, and go find Royal.
As she drew near to the house, she saw that there was a dark sedan in the driveway. She walked past the car that bore a single light on its roof. Boyd Cotton. That’s where she’d seen this car before. This didn’t seem right. What was he doing here?
She crept to the front porch and listened for voices from inside the house. Boyd and her father obviously thought no one else was around so there was no point keeping their voices low. It was easy to overhear what they were saying through the screen door. Lovey stood just out of sight and listened.
“We’ve booked the delivery for tonight. And it’s a big one,” said Boyd.
“And you’re sure they’ll be transporting enough to require arrest? This whole scheme only matters to me if we can shut them down.” That was her father’s voice now.
“Trust me on this. I’ve seen to it. An order this big will carry jail time for sure.” She could hear Boyd skid the chair on the hardwood floor. He must be about to leave. “Then you get your dry county and I get Wade. He’s crossed me for the last time. Everybody wins.”
Lovey was confused. Why would her father be involved with local law enforcement? She heard footsteps so she quickly jumped off the porch so that she could pretend she was just walking up as Boyd exited.
“Why, Mrs. Porter. Nice to see you again.” Boyd resettled his broad-brimmed hat and then tipped it in her direction.
“Sheriff Cotton.” She nodded her acknowledgment of him.
“Y’all have a good day now. I think the sun will come out shortly.” Boyd looked up at the sky, tossed his hat onto the passenger seat, and waved as he backed out of the still muddy driveway.
Lovey watched him leave then turned to see that her father had been watching her from the door he held open. The look on his face was the epitome of parental disapproval, and she was in no mood for it.
She gave him an equally disapproving look as she brushed past him into the house. In the kitchen she saw that there was a county map spread on the table with markings on it. She wasn’t familiar enough with the area to sort out locations before her father caught up to her and pulled the map away and rolled it up.
“What’s going on?” Lovey was uncharacteristically direct with her father. “Why was Boyd Cotton here at the house? What could you possibly have to talk with him about?” She couldn’t help herself. She asked questions in rapid succession.
“What I need to know is where you were last night, young lady? I’ll do the asking.”
“I was with Royal. Did you know her cousin Ned was killed?”
“I did know. The unfortunate end to a life of low character.”
Lovey ignored the slur against Ned. “What were you talking to Boyd about? What delivery has been booked?”
Her father visibly stiffened. “Drinking alcohol is unhealthy and leads to a life of lax morals. A life that is in direct opposition to what God wants.”
“I don’t need a Bible lesson, Father. I want you to answer me.”
“The deacons and I have been working with the local sheriff to bring an end to moonshine running in this county. We’re shutting the Duval clan down for good.”
“You can’t legislate morality. I know you pretend to, but you can’t. If people want to drink they’ll just get liquor somewhere else.”
“We can remove the temptation, and we will.”
“I don’t understand what your role is in this. If Boyd Cotton wanted to shut this down he doesn’t need you.” Lovey paced across the kitchen. This conversation was getting her nowhere.
“When these reprobates are brought to justice I will be on the podium with the sheriff, as a show of force. People will see that the church has power over their lives. They will be compelled to repent and seek God.”
“Pride. That’s what this is about. Pride and loss of control. You can’t control people, and it makes you angry.”
“I’ll caution you to watch your tongue, young lady. And don’t think I’ve forgotten that you said you were with Miss Duval last night. And according to Sheriff Cotton, that’s not the first time. He’ll see to it that Miss Duval is no longer an influence in your life.”
Lovey knew that encounter with Boyd Cotton would come back to haunt her. She just didn’t think it would be at Royal’s expense. She’d been naïve.
“You don’t get to control my life, Father, or who I spend it with.”
“I’ve seen to it that a fine young man from the community has courted you and you will accept his proposal of marriage. I won’t have a daughter of mine given over to an illicit lifestyle.”
“Joe and I broke it off.”
“What?” Her father’s face contorted with the anger he was no doubt trying to keep in check.
“He knows I’m in love with someone else.”
“I won’t hear of this!” He slammed his hands against the table. “You’ll tell him you made a mistake. You’ll fix this right now.”
“I will do no such thing.” At some point during the conversation the power dynamic had shifted. Lovey found herself no longer on the defensive. No longer the timid child, seated on the church pew in awe of her father. It was as if she’d stumbled across the realization that she didn’t need her father’s approval. Especially if his approval required her to live a loveless life based on falsehood, just to keep up appearances. When his anger flared, she didn’t flinch.
“Too often it may seem that the wicked prosper, but the flourishing of the sinful is an illusion. If you throw in with that Duval clan you will be lost and I cannot save you. In the end we are all the sum total of our actions. Character cannot be counterfeited.”
“Indeed it cannot, Father.”
“Thank heaven and earth that your mother isn’t here to witness your behavior.”
Lovey’s blood boiled. To bring her dead mother into this simply to weight his argument with more guilt was the last straw. Her cheeks flamed with heat as she glared at her father across the kitchen table.
She went to her room, pulled a small bag from the closet, and began to shove some clothes and other small items into it. She stuffed the bag as well as she could on such short notice and headed toward the front door. She bolted past her father and out the door. He shouted from the porch as she reached the driveway.
“If you leave now. Don’t come back! You will be shunned from this house and this family!”
She stared at him for a suspended moment, willing him to regret those words for the rest of his life. For surely she knew her own mind and her own heart, and she would return neither of them to this house. She struck out on the road back toward town to find Royal. A sense of urgency quickened her pace.
❖
Royal sat drinking coffee at her mother’s table. She felt calm. For the first time in many days, she felt at ease with herself. She was stiff and a little sore from lack of sleep, but the night with Lovey had been magical. It had been as if they’d existed for a time in a magical cocoon protected from reality and sadness. Even though she would be mournful that they couldn’t be together again, she was grateful that Lovey had come to her when she’d been at her lowest. When she’d needed her touch the most, Lovey had come for her. That had to mean something.
Maybe Lovey did care for her in her own way. Royal understood now that Lovey cared about her, but it just wasn’t in her nature to go against convention. So Lovey would marry and have children, and Royal would go on with her life and look fondly back on their time together. The anger she’d been feeling had ebbed away with the soothing caress of Lovey’s touch. It had been very hard to leave her sleeping in bed, but Royal didn’t think her heart could stand to hear her say good-bye.
Royal knew she wouldn’t be able to stay here either though. She knew if she stayed, watching Lovey build a life with Joe would kill her. Hers would be a slow and painful death. She’d been saving most of her cash. She’d make a break for it after tonight’s run. Make a fresh start somewhere new, far from here.
“Where you been?” Her brother Teddy breezed into the kitchen, poured coffee, and swiped a biscuit from the skillet on the stove. He set the coffee down long enough to fold a piece of bacon over and press it into the biscuit.
“I’ve been right here all morning. Why?”
“No reason.” He stuffed his mouth and chased it with a sip of coffee. “I got chores. I’ll catch you later.”
Royal watched Teddy lope out the door and across the front yard toward the barn. She’d sit and relax for another moment to finish her coffee then she’d head up to the still. She had no idea what sort of mood Wade would be in after laying his only son to rest, and she wasn’t looking forward to finding out.
There would be no joy in making the midnight runs without Ned asking a million questions the next day about how the car performed. They had been a good team, she and Ned. She didn’t know how she’d carry on without his friendship and support.
A knot started to rise in her throat. She took another swig of hot coffee to settle it. She didn’t want to spend another day crying. She’d lost Ned and she’d lost Lovey. She needed to do this one last big run and start fresh somewhere far from here.
❖
Lovey finally arrived at the dirt driveway of the Duval place. She’d already stopped at Royal’s rented room and left a long note to say that she really needed to talk to her. She wrote that it was important and that she and Joe had broken up. She figured if Royal went back to her place and Lovey missed her, then at least Royal would know part of the truth. She’d left the bag full of her things in Royal’s room because she didn’t think she could carry it all the way to the Duval place.
The house seemed silent, and no one came out to greet her. She covered her eyes with her hand to block the sun as she surveyed the area around the barn. The fog had burned off and the day had turned sunny, warm, and humid. The steam rising off the rain soaked grass almost gave the air the texture of a wet blanket.
Lovey felt she wasn’t at her best. She’d rushed out of her father’s house without changing or freshening up. She felt like a mess. And to heap insult on injury, she was frantic to talk with Royal. Just when she was about to lose hope, she heard a noise down at the barn and went to investigate.
The interior of the structure was so dark that it took her eyes a moment to adjust. She called into the interior, “Hello.”
A scuffling noise greeted her hello, and a young man presented himself. He could have almost been Royal’s twin, although his lanky youthfulness placed him to be a few years younger.
“Can I help you with something?” He pushed blond hair out of his eyes after he removed his sodden work gloves.
“Hi, I’m looking for Royal. Is she around?”
“She was. I just left her sittin’ at the kitchen table a little while ago.”
“Do you mind if I go and look for her?”
“Suit yourself.”
Before she walked away, she turned back. “Are you Royal’s brother?”
“Yeah, Teddy.”
“I’m Lovey. Nice to meet you, Teddy.”
“Likewise.”
“I was very sorry to hear about your cousin.”
Teddy lowered his head and nodded. “Yesterday was a sad day.”
As Lovey walked to the house, she wondered why Royal never talked much about her brother. She’d mentioned him once, talked about how her mother babied him. Despite that, her first impression was that he seemed like a nice young man.
She stepped up on the porch and knocked lightly. No response. She pulled the screen door open and peeked inside. “Hello? Is anyone home?”
Lovey was beginning to feel like she was looking for a needle in a haystack. And the day was swiftly passing her by. It was probably past the lunch hour. She’d not eaten since the previous day and felt a wave of light-headedness.
She heard footsteps behind her just as she swayed a little on her feet. “Hey there, don’t go passin’ out on me!” Teddy stabilized her with a hand at her elbow. “Why don’t you come in and sit down? I was just goin’ to scrounge some lunch. Are you hungry? Do you need some water?”
Lovey nodded and followed Teddy into the house after he kicked off his muck covered boots.
“Take a seat and I’ll fetch you some water.” He primed the pump at the sink, sloshing water into a glass, and then handed it to her.
He took the leftover breakfast biscuits from under a towel and set
a few on a plate along with some slices of cured ham, some butter, and blackberry preserves.
“Thank you. I think I do need to eat something.” Lovey smiled weakly.
“Help yourself. There’s cheese too. I’ll get some from the icebox.”
Teddy settled into the chair across from her. His resemblance to Royal was shocking and unsettled her a little. Where was Royal? She needed to see her badly.
“Do you know where I might find Royal?” asked Lovey.
Teddy studied her for a moment as if he was weighing how much to say to her. “You should eat something, and then I’ll help you find her if she doesn’t come back to the house. I’ve one more chore to see to down at the barn. If she’s not back when I’m finished, we’ll go look for her.”
Lovey nodded. She was hungry and exhausted. They ate quietly together and then she settled herself into the porch swing to wait for Royal.
The shadows were getting long across the lawn, and Royal still hadn’t returned. Lovey was emotionally spent, tired from her long walk, but anxious to talk to Royal. She decided to go find Teddy and pressure him to take her to see Royal. She didn’t think she could stand to wait any longer.
She found Teddy behind the barn ushering a calf and its mother into a pen.
“She didn’t come back yet?”
“Not yet. Listen, Teddy, I really need to speak with Royal. It’s urgent. Do you have any idea where she might be?”
“I could take a few guesses, but she might be mad if I told you.”
“It’s really important that I find her, Teddy. I think she’s in for some trouble tonight.”
He seemed to consider her words as he closed the pen.
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