Bring on the Rain (37 page)

She dashed up the steps and stopped on
the porch, and tucked her keys in her pocket. Jude was on the far
end, sitting half on the banister. He looked tired, his hair was
tucked behind his ears, and he wore old jeans and was barefoot and
shirtless. His face was lean, strained.

“
Where’s Coy?”

“
He took off a while
ago.”

Madeline met his tawny gaze. They had
made their peace about one thing, now another lay between
them.

He offered her a seat, but Madeline
hopped upon the banister, and propped her boot on an old milk
canister. She was facing him and spoke calmly, “Brook made me
unplug the phone and lock the door. You have to keep him away from
her. She’s leaving after Graduation. Please give her this week
without letting him cause further hurt.”

“
I'm sorry, Madeline.” He
cussed, “I can’t believe he…He was crazy about her. I swear he was.
Not like me, I know I was mixed up about you. Coy was more like
Mitch—He breathed and ate Brook, wouldn’t stop talking about
her.”

“
Yeah? Well, he screwed her
best friend. You know the details?”

“
More than you think.” He
nodded, told her what Coy said, about Karla being in the lot, about
her offering him oral sex and more or less taking it.

“
Let me see, how big and
brawny is Coy again? What does he stand, about six two?” Madeline
said sarcastically.

Jude sighed again, “I know, I know what
you’re thinking. But Coy was in knots and he-“

“
He knew Brook got on the
pill, she was sleeping with him that night.”

“
He lost his
head.”

“
Sounds to me like he got
some,” Madeline bit out, glaring. “I’m not here to listen to his
side of things. Jude, I’m Brook’s mother, if he would have screwed
any girl but Karla, any other time or place, maybe, maybe—I
wouldn’t be furious about it. But he picked her best friend and the
wrong time and place. His mistake, Jude, and no amount of
explaining changes it.”

“
I know you thought from the
get-go this was going to happen—”

“
You bet I did. And do I
like being right? Absolutely not. I would give anything to save my
daughter the heartache she’s feeling, the self-doubt she is going
through. It is more than getting your heart broke, Jude. She will
question her judgment, her appeal, and her looks. Her trust is
gone, her ego is shattered, and if you think planning to give her
virginity up was easy...”

“
Hell, I knew Brook was a
good girl. Everybody knows Brook has class. I think like Coy, I
couldn’t believe she picked him, wanted him and… Shit, I don't
know. He’d been a damned macho player up ‘til her. I saw her change
Coy, like I couldn’t. I saw him wanting to be a man and take charge
of his life. She was good for him.”

Madeline looked at the road. Rain was
bringing fog up from the hot black top. “It’s a mess. I don't want
to have to take what I feel out on your son. It would upset Brook
and I would rather help her handle it. Put my energy into her. But
if he comes around the house…”

“
I’ll make sure he
don't.”

“
Thank you.”

He nodded, their gazes met
again.

“
I wish…I'm sorry it was
her, Madeline. He’s hurt Brook.”

She sighed, so tired from the tension.
“I believe you, Jude. I can see you’re upset too.”

He smiled tiredly. “He’s killing me, I
swear. I know he messed up, I can’t help him make it right…and he’s
hurting.”

“
In time, I might believe
that. Right now, I am sore inside because I have to listen to Brook
crying. And I know it’s over him.”

They sat there in silence a long time.
Jude finally walked over and stood beside her. He shook his head.
“Where is she going?”

“
To Europe.”

He whistled softly, his eyes
stark.

“
Yeah, it’s bad.”

He looked down in the road. “I think
he’s up at the riding rink, no doubt riding the hell out of
half-wild stud in this rain.” He swallowed. “God help me. He’s
fucked up the best thing he had going. He’s more like me than I
thought, and not the parts I’m proud of.”

Madeline could see Jude as a father
then, but she didn’t have the energy to give him compassion yet.
She merely touched his arm before saying, “I’ll see you.” She slid
off the banister and headed out. “Good luck, Jude.”

Chapter 20

Tuesday, Brook and Madeline packed a
picnic basket and headed to the State Park.

They sat under a shelter because it was
still raining. The park was empty, and they perched on the table,
their food between them, bottles of water open.

“
You’ve got a brother,”
Madeline said looking out at the rain, hands gripping the edges of
the table by her legs.

Brook, stiff with shock, was gawking at
her, though she dare not turn around and meet her eyes.

“
Excuse me?”

“
No one knows but Aunt Gee
Gee. I got pregnant when I was seventeen. By Mitch.”

“
Mom—“ Brook drew out the
word. “Look at me.”

Madeline did, seeing absolute
astonishment in the girl’s eyes. “Max…is your
half-brother.”

Brook’s face held amazement. She
rasped, “Does…he know?”

“
Only just. Gee Gee wanted
to tell him from the start, but I wasn’t ready. Mitch and I—we had
all those horrible lies between us. All the things his family told
him weren’t true. I…I couldn’t see unsettling Max. I don't know if
what I did was right.”

“
Why? Why give him to
her?”

Madeline told her everything,
everything she could make clear at the moment. She spent two hours
talking about that time, her feelings, and she talked over the
years between time; how she had never not felt the void of him.
Madeline explained he was coming in, to confront her.

Brook listened, silently, her facial
expressions changing. At last, she asked a million tough questions,
and she grilled her. Clearly unable to comprehend such a
reality.

Madeline said, “I had no idea you’d be
going through what you are, and I am sorry to spring this on you
now.”

Brook looked out at the drizzle. “When
are you telling Mitch?”

“
I don’t know. I am scared,
Brook, I am, I don't know what to do half the time. This month has
been a nightmare.” She was stiff and watchful when Brook slid her
arm around her.

Her eyes watered as she cleared her
throat and Brook said, “Mom, I believe you now, about what you
feel. I'm sorry because, now I do know pain, and I can’t see how
you got through it, let alone Grandma dying and Max being born
unwell.”

“
If I’d known Mitch loved
me… However, it is useless sort of thinking. Somehow now, that
makes me feel like I’ve made all the wrong choices.”

Brook squeezed her, and then said
gruffly, “I’ll stand by you, Mom. I love you.”

Madeline started crying. She hugged
Brook. They both cried awhile. Then they ate, and when the rain
stopped, they walked.

Long into the evening, they strolled
the trails and talked quietly. Sometimes they stopped and cried. At
times, they misunderstood each other, and argued. Nevertheless,
they came back to the car, their arms around each other, and a new
mature level added to their relationship.

~*~

Madeline called Gee Gee and told her it
was fine to come in. She called Max next.

“
I think, I’ll tell Mitch
before Graduation Day.”

“
That’s up to you,” he said.
“How is Brook?”

“
Do you want to speak to
her?”

“
Yes.”

Madeline took the phone to Brook. “It’s
Max. He wants to talk to you.”

She couldn’t leave the room. Madeline
sat right there and chewed her nails.

Brook began, “Yes, she told me
yesterday. What, are you kidding I was blown away.” Brook was
smiling. “Hey, dude, I’m on top of the world. I always wanted a big
brother. Yeah, the car helps. No…you didn’t trade it
in!”

She chuckled again and sat down on the
bed. “Oh well, no, you don't have bossing rights, I’m too old now.
Sure, you can whup his ass for me. Ah, gee, Max. I’ve always
thought you were way cool. No, I always felt close to you, even
though we hardly saw each other. It makes sense to me now, how we
laughed and talked so much. I think you’re great. Why, thank you.
Oh sure, I’ve got places set aside for y’all at the Graduation. OK,
here is Mom.”

Madeline went to her room.
“Yes.”

“
I’m going to whup his
ass.”

“
Oh shit.” Madeline
groaned.

“
That little piss-ant thinks
he’s hot shit? I’ll stomp a mud hole in him and walk it
dry.”

“
Max…you’re not even like
that.”

“
The hell I ain’t! You don't
know me.”

Madeline sighed. “All right, I don't.
But Gee Gee raised you better.”

“
This is blood man. You
think I care th—”

“
He’s your first
cousin.”

“
So what?”

“
Can we get through this,
please? I know you’ve got issues with me, take those out on me, and
don’t confuse everything by getting pissed over Brook and
Coy.”

“
You’re damn straight I got
issues. You think a few cards and calling Aunt Gee Gee was right?
You think it makes me believe you had a hard time giving me
up?”

Madeline wept. “No, no I know I'm
sorry. I thought I would be pulling you between us, screwing up
your life. I couldn’t have given you what she did. I was not even
emotionally stable. I made a bad marriage, I couldn’t bring
you—”

“
Madeline,” he said flatly,
“Bull-shit.”

Madeline swallowed, sobbed once, and
covered her mouth.

He heard it, cussed, and said, “We’ll
talk. I’ll be in tomorrow night. Gee Gee is staying at the hotel in
town, but I’ll be at your house.”

“
All right, Max.”

“
Don't cry anymore.” He
sighed and cussed more, then said calmer. “I’m not going to throw a
fit. I kind of lost it, hearing Brook. That laugh didn’t fool
me.”

“
Be careful.”

He hung up.

Madeline fell back on the bed groaning.
“Oh, God! What next?”

Madeline hardly slept. She had to get
up in the morning and go to Mitch. By evening, Max would be at her
house. She had nightmares all night.

~*~

Brook watched her get dressed the next
morning, giving her pep talks that hardly penetrated her
brain.

When she was in her peach pants suit,
she put on her locket.

“
Are we in it?”

Madeline nodded, opening it and showing
her the pictures of herself and Max.

“
Wow, funny, but cool. I
never noticed it before.”

She checked her suit, her makeup, her
hair, got her purse. “Maybe, he won’t be home.”

“
He probably will.” Brook
walked her to the door.

“
With my luck, he will.”
Madeline hugged her and left.

~*~

Jason and Mitch were sitting on the
porch, having after breakfast coffee, talking about Coy and how
Graduation was going to be strained when Madeline pulled
up.

“
Umm, hum.” Jason grinned.
“She’s got that peach outfit on.”

Mitch checked Madeline out as they
stood at the banister watching her walk up the steps. Oh man, peach
was her color, the outfit enhanced her russet hair. Mitch’s mouth
watered looking at her.

It was only when she reached the porch
and slid up the glasses, he noticed the strain.

Thinking it was because of Coy, Mitch
exchanged a glance with Jason.

“
Madeline…is everything all
right?” Mitch offered her a seat. Mitch thought she needed to sit,
her legs were shaking.

However, she chose to stand. She leaned
opposite, and gripped the banister on either side of her
hips.

“
Is Brook all right?” Jason
asked, pulling on a T-shirt he’d put in the chair. Mitch was
barefoot, no shirt, and not intending to put one on.

“
No. She’s not, Jason.
Brook’s pretty devastated.”

He nodded, his eyes gentle. “We all
feel like shit over it.”

Madeline nodded. “She’s going to Europe
after Graduation, with my aunt.”

He looked at Mitch. “God, Dad, this is
a mess.”

Mitch eyed Madeline’s angular face,
worried about her, seeing the dark circles under her eyes. “What
can we do?”

“
Just keep Coy from
harassing her. I know the story from Jude. I went to see him. But
it doesn’t change what Brook wants and needs right now.”