Authors: More Than Memory

Dorothy Garlock (28 page)

BOOK: Dorothy Garlock

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The woman flew out of the car and ran to her husband.

“Donald!”

“I’ll have you arr . . . ested,” Donald snarled up at Lute.

“Go ahead. You’re in my territory now, and you’re not dealing with a seventeen-year-old kid.”

“Donald? What’s going on?” His wife tried to help him get to his feet, but he shrugged her hands
aside and stood. Holding a handkerchief to his mouth, he picked up his hat.

“Get back in the car, Celeste.”

“Is that your daughter?”

“My daughter isn’t here.”

Nelda moved over toward the woman who looked to be not much older than she was.

“He’s right. She isn’t here,” she said simply.

“I’m so sorry. I wanted to meet her.”

“You’re about nine years too late.”

“Get in the car, Celeste.” The major held open the door, then warned Lute, “You’ll be hearing from me.”

“I hope so,” Lute said, and grinned.

Nelda didn’t speak until the flashy car was far down the lane.

“Why are you here?”

“Hutchinson called. He tried to get in touch with you this morning. Then after Donald left his office he called again, couldn’t get you, and called me to let you know he was coming.”

“I didn’t need any help from you.”

“You got it anyway.”

“Yeah, well, thank you for hitting him. Kelly, come.”

Nelda walked into the house, the reluctant dog at her heels, and shot the bolt, locking the door.

• • •

During the next couple of days a kind of peace settled over Nelda. She had scored a victory of sorts, two victories. She had faced down her father and had
come away unaffected. And she was slowly breaking the ties that held her to Lute.

She was pregnant. She was absolutely sure in her own mind, although not confirmed by a doctor, that next July she would have Lute’s baby. She had missed two periods and had had a couple of weeks of morning sickness. This time there would be no fear of facing grandparents or her father, and money was no problem.

She didn’t have to worry whether or not Lute would marry her. He would, if he knew that she was carrying his child—she was sure of that. But he need never know that the seed he had planted during the ice storm would blossom into life in the summer. The whole scenario of their life would be played over again if he knew. He would feel caught in the same bind! Never, she vowed. Even if he’d wanted her for a wife back then, he certainly didn’t now.

Most of Nelda’s waking hours were spent in planning a future for herself and her child. Many single women raised children alone, she reasoned, and she welcomed the responsibility. She would like to raise her child in a medium-sized town somewhere in the Southwest. She could try to make a go of textile designing; but if that didn’t work out, she could fall back on interior decorating.

It crossed Nelda’s mind several times that it was unfair of her not to tell Lute about his son or daughter, whichever it might be. But weighing that unfairness against the fact that Lute had told her outright that he didn’t want to make her pregnant and that
she was totally unsuitable to his lifestyle, she knew that she had made the right decision.

Lute would never believe that her career would come second to her life with him and their children. He’d never believe that she could adapt to country living. Worse, she sensed he didn’t want to believe it. He wanted to shut her out of his life the way he must have thought she had shut him out.

He’d been stubborn as a boy—as a man he was obdurate, unforgiving. He didn’t want to love her. It was her problem that she’d found him again and confirmed that she still loved him. Loved him—Lute, the man—not just her romantic memory of a sensitive boy.

She tried dreadfully hard to close out thoughts of years ahead without him, hoping that somehow it would be slightly easier now that his child would be with her.

• • •

The day she spent shopping at the mall with Rhetta was one of the most enjoyable she’d had in a long while.

Rhetta had picked her up early.

“Good to see you,” Rhetta greeted cheerfully.

“Good to see you, too. I’ve been looking forward to this.”

Rhetta’s mouth ran constantly as she drove up the highway and into Minnesota, but it didn’t interfere with her driving. Nelda was able to sit back, relax, and talk with her friend. Rhetta had heard about the boys coming to the farm and frightening her.

“People should have more control over their kids.
If my boys had pulled such a stunt as that, they would have heard from Gary and they would have heard from me . . . big-time.”

“I was frightened out of my wits and deeply disappointed that the boys were not punished. It reinforces their belief that because they are the big sports stars at the school, they can get away with anything.”

“I agree.”

The talk turned to other things, and Nelda told Rhetta of her concern for her friend Linda Branson. “It’s a case of a woman who married too young, before she’d really developed a sense of her own worth. Her husband wasn’t as successful in school as she was, and he’s always trying to prove his own importance by running her down. She’d make an excellent nurse. I hope she gets the chance.”

“If she had a chance to go to school, how could she afford it?”

“Earl Hutchinson tells me that there is a way.”

“Earl is a dear man. The clubs around town have been known to band together and support a worthy student with a scholarship. Maybe they could be approached. And speaking of Earl, he’d be a good catch if things don’t work out between you and Lute.”

“There’s no
if
about that, Rhetta. Lute and I are not even in the same world. Which brings up another subject. I’ll be leaving soon to work on a project for a favorite client.” She had decided that while she was with Rhetta today, she would lay the groundwork for leaving.

“Oh, no!”

“It isn’t forever,” Nelda laughed. “I still have the
farm. I’m about to decide not to sell it if I can find someone reliable to live in the house.”

“I was planning on you to help with the Valentine’s Day dance. Will you be going before then?”

“I’m not sure.”

“When will you know?”

“After the first of the year.”

“Oh, good. You’re invited to our New Year’s Eve party.”

“I’m sorry, Rhetta. I’ve already made plans.”

“With Norris?”

“No, not with Norris.”

Nelda knew that Rhetta disapproved of her friendship with Norris only because both she and Gary wanted her to get back with Lute. How could she make her understand without whining that Lute didn’t want her and she had too much pride to hang around? Of course, hanging around was impossible now that she was pregnant.

That brought another thought to mind. She needed to see an obstetrician, but not in Clear Lake or Mason City. She would not be giving birth in Iowa. As soon as she moved to Minneapolis, she would select a doctor.

They shopped, they lunched, and shopped again.

Nelda bought a sturdy pair of walking shoes and heavy socks. She bought a pair of slacks a size too large for her at the present time. Rhetta was in a frenzy of buying Christmas gifts and didn’t notice. Nelda really had no one to buy for, and wanted to cry. Crying jags came suddenly and often these days.

“Look at these sweaters, Nelda. What color
should I buy for Gary. He’s such a slob. He’d wear orange if I bought him one.”

“A brown one is a safe choice.”
The blue would be my choice for Lute
.

While Rhetta was selecting games for her boys, Nelda visited the bookstore and came away with a shopping bag full of paperback novels. Hidden beneath the pile were books on prenatal care, how to raise a baby, and a book of ten thousand names for boys and girls. She even bought a pattern book for knitting baby garments.

Before leaving the mall, she found the needlework shop and bought a large amount of soft yarn, telling Rhetta that she planned to knit an afghan.

It was almost dark when they reached Nelda’s house.

“Thank you, so much. I enjoyed the day,” Nelda said as she lifted her purchases from the backseat of the car.

“I enjoyed it too. Shall we do it again sometime?”

“I’d love to, but it’ll have to be soon.”

“Oh, yes, I’m trying to forget about that. Merry Christmas, if I don’t talk to you before then.”

Nelda hurried into the house to let Kelly out. She dumped her packages on the table and saw a note lying there.

I let Kelly out. L.

Her mind froze. Lute had been in her house while she wasn’t here. How dare he do that!

She put the dog out on the end of his rope. On her way back across the porch she had another shock. The blanket she had found in the garage and which had later disappeared was back there on the bench, where she had put it before. An icy tingle feathered over her skin. Taking deep, stabilizing breaths, she fought light-headedness.

Who was doing this to her? It had to be Lute. He was here today on her porch, in her house!

She went to the phone and dialed his number.

“This is Nelda,” she said when he answered.

“I know.”

“I don’t appreciate your coming into my house when I’m not here. Why have you never used your key before?”

“I never had a need to use it before.”

“And what need was that?”

“Kelly wanted out?”

“He barked because he heard your truck. He has stayed in the house for longer periods of time. I leave him food and water, and he is in no way being mistreated.”

“Why are you so riled up? Seems to me it happens a lot lately.”

“There is something else. If it’s your intention to cause me to doubt my sanity by leaving that damn blanket on the porch, you’re wasting your time. So bug out of my life . . . and you can bet that during the remaining time I’m here, short as it is, the locks on these doors will be changed.”

“Don’t hang up!” he said quickly. “What blanket?”

“Don’t give me that horse . . . crap. You know what blanket, dammit.”

“Nelda . . . what’s going on? Tell me or I’m coming over there.”

“Come on. You won’t get in.”

“I’ve got a key.”

“And I’ve got a bolt on the inside of the door and a . . . gun.”

Nelda hung up the phone. She was so mad she was shaking. Who did he think he was fooling? The damn, sneaking . . . horse’s ass!

After letting Kelly back in, she went upstairs to get her gown and robe. Making sure the doors were securely locked, and going as far as to wedge a chair under the doorknob of the front door because she didn’t have an inside bolt, she brought her small radio to the bathroom and tuned it to her favorite evening station. Then she drew a warm bath, sprinkled in a generous amount of fragrant bath oil, and sank down in it.

Lying back, letting the warm water work its miracle on her tired body, she listened to the music of the Lawrence Welk orchestra coming from Yankton, South Dakota. They were playing “White Christmas.” Kelly was lying on the bathmat beside the tub, and when he rose up and tilted his head to listen, she knew that someone was coming.

Nelda twisted the knob to allow more hot water into the tub. She had a pretty good idea who would be at her door in a matter of minutes.

Kelly got up and went to the kitchen. Soon he was whining a welcome. Lute had accepted her
challenge as she had suspected he would.
Heck of a lot of good it will do him
, she thought smugly.

He pounded on the door.

Kelly barked.

Nelda smiled.

Lute shouted her name.

Nelda got out of the tub, turned up the volume on the radio until the strains of the “Beer Barrel Polka” were bouncing off the walls. She returned to the tub and sank down into the warm water.

When Lute finally went away, Kelly came back to the bathroom and Nelda felt as if she had won a small victory.

C
hapter
S
eventeen