BEVERLY BARTON - The Daughter

Reed lifted the iced-tea glass to his lips and took a hefty swig, then stood and shook hands with Mark. ‘Once I get settled in, I’ll be in touch and we can start the ball rolling.’

Judy gave Reed a curious stare but didn’t question his comment – not then. When Regina walked Mark to the front door, Reed leaned down and whispered to his mother, ‘You need to put a stop to that before Mark realizes how easily he could have her.’

Judy shushed Reed, then countered with a question as she stood. ‘Just what are you and Mark up to?’

Reed draped his arm around Judy’s shoulder. ‘Don’t worry your pretty head about me. I promise that I’m going to keep out of trouble.’

Judy glared at him as if she doubted his word. But then again, what reason did she have to trust him? He had always promised to stay out of trouble, but somehow he’d managed to break that vow time and again.

Reed studied his mother. How was it possible that a fifty-year-old woman who’d lived such a hard life could still be so attractive? White streaked her naturally light-blond hair, which she wore chin-length and curled about her heart-shaped face. She was slender and leggy and probably didn’t outweigh Regina by more than ten pounds.

‘Hey, Reed, how about we head out?’ Briley Joe scooted back the kitchen chair and stood to his full six feet.

Reed glanced at his cousin and grinned. ‘Yeah, sure. In a few minutes.’

‘Time’s a-wasting, buddy boy. Home and hearth will still be here in the morning.’

‘Are you going out tonight?’ Judy asked, a note of concern in her voice and a look of disapproval on her face.

‘I just want to show the boy a good time, Aunt Judy.’ Briley flashed her his irresistible-to-all-females smile. ‘A few drinks, a few laughs.’

Briley Joe clamped his big hand down on Reed’s shoulder. His nails retained a trace of grease stain under the tips. Briley Joe owned Conway’s Garage, where he was the chief mechanic. It was where Reed would start work tomorrow; no one else in town would employ him. He was determined to support himself and not be a financial burden on his mother and sister, not even for a few weeks.

‘You can save that smile for someone who doesn’t know you the way I do,’ Judy said to her nephew; then she lowered her voice so that only Reed and Briley Joe could hear her. ‘Reed’s not a boy anymore. He doesn’t need my permission to go out honky-tonking with you. But you know as well as I do that he’ll be in violation of his parole if he’s caught in a bar.’

‘Ain’t gonna happen,’ Briley Joe said. ‘The bars are full of ex-cons and don’t nobody care, least of all the cops.’

‘Mama, we’re not—’ Reed started to explain.

‘At least stay long enough to tell your sister good night.’ Judy nodded to the front door, which could be seen plainly from the kitchen.

Mark ruffled Regina’s hair the way an adult would caress a child. ‘Why don’t you stay home tomorrow and spend some time with Reed? Consider it a paid holiday.’

‘Oh, Mark, that’s so nice of you. I’d love to—’

‘She’ll be at work promptly at nine,’ Judy said, emerging from the kitchen to stand, hands on hips, in the middle of the living room. ‘This family doesn’t take charity of any kind. It was nice of you to offer, but Regina works eight hours for eight hours’ pay.’

Damn it, Mama , Reed wanted to shout. Can’t you just once put aside your pride? Giving a valuable, hardworking employee the day off with pay wasn’t exactly charity. Judy Conway had a blind spot when it came to accepting anything for free. She always had been a proud woman – too proud to accept anything from anyone. Even when she’d had to send her kids to bed hungry, she had refused any kind of government assistance. And when other kids ate hot lunches at school, Judy had refused free lunches for Reed and Regina, instead packing peanut-butter-and-jelly sandwiches every day and somehow scraping together enough money for them to buy a half-pint of milk. To this day, Reed hated peanut butter. We’ll make do had been Judy’s credo. Apparently it still was.

‘I didn’t mean to offend.’ Mark looked down at his feet, obviously a bit embarrassed by Judy’s response to what he had probably thought of as nothing more than a kind offer. ‘Whatever Regina wants.’ Mark opened the door, but before he left he lifted his gaze, nodded to Reed, and then said, ‘Thank you again, Mrs Conway, for your hospitality.’

When Mark walked onto the porch, Regina all but ran after him. Her voice carried from outside, making it easy to hear her comments.

‘Mark, I’m sorry about Mama. You have to understand that she—’

‘It’s all right,’ Mark said. ‘I might not understand your mother, but I admire her. She’s a fine woman. And if you decide to take the day off—’

‘I’d better not. I don’t want to upset Mama. Besides, Reed and I will have plenty of time together now that he’s home. Oh, Mark, I just can’t thank you enough for everything you’ve done to help him.’

Feeling like a voyeur, Reed put his arm around his mother’s waist. ‘Why don’t I help you clean up the dishes before Briley Joe and I leave?’

She nodded, glanced quickly at the open front door, and then headed for the kitchen. Briley Joe already had the back door open and was waiting impatiently.

Judy turned to Reed. ‘Mark is a fine young man as well as a very good lawyer. Regina’s lucky to be working for him. She has a bright future. And yes, I know she thinks she’s in love with him and he has no idea how she feels. But I do not for one minute believe he’d ever take advantage of her.’

‘Good God, Mama, who are you kidding? He’s a man, isn’t he? She’s a beautiful woman who’s nuts about him.’

‘If Mark ever realizes how Regina feels about him, he could discover that he has similar feelings for her. It’s not beyond the realm of possibility that he could ask her to marry him.’

‘The way Regina’s father asked you to marry him?’ The minute the words were out of his mouth, he wished them back. In all the years since Regina had been born, they had never once spoken about the circumstances surrounding her birth. He’d been only seven, but he’d known his mother wasn’t married. The kids at school had made ugly comments about Judy, and he’d come home with a bloody nose more than once for defending his mother’s honor.

Judy slapped him, a resounding strike across his cheek. In all his life, she’d never slapped him. But never before had he deserved it more.

‘Mama … God, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean—’

‘Why don’t you and Briley Joe just leave? Now.’ Judy gathered up dirty dishes from the table and stacked them on the counter.

‘Come on, cuz.’ Briley Joe nodded toward their escape route.

‘I had no right to say what I did.’ Reed’s hand hovered over his mother’s shoulder. ‘I just don’t want to see Regina get hurt.’

‘You go on out and have a good time tonight,’ Judy said, her voice soft and lightly laced with emotion. ‘I’ll leave the back porch light on for you.’ She wiped her hands off on a dishcloth and turned to face Reed. Her eyes were dry. All her tears were lodged in her heart. He knew his mother. She was as tough as nails, as strong as steel. ‘You have your key, don’t you?’

‘Yeah, I’ve got my key.’ He leaned over and kissed her cheek. ‘I’ll holler at Regina before we go.’

By the time he’d said goodbye to his sister, Reed heard Briley Joe racing the motor of his Ford pickup. With a final wave, he headed out the back door. Well, he’d eaten his mama’s home cooking, so that meant one down and two to go – a six-pack and a willing woman were next on his agenda.