Part 42 (2/2)
”Well, when Cody was just a few months old, Max up and says she's leaving. Going to Mexico. Just like that. She's through with Leon and she didn't want their baby, Cody. She didn't want her Carol Ann, either, until she found out Leon did. He said he was scared of what would happen to her if Max took her to Mexico because by then, he could see that Max was a s.h.i.+tty mother.
”So, when Max found out Leon wanted the girl, she knew she had something to bargain with. Now, here's the clincher!
”Leon had a bright red '67 Camaro. And Max wanted it. So she traded her daughter for it.”
”What?”
”Yes! She traded her daughter for a car.”
”Lexie!”
”Leon never saw Max or the Camaro again.”
”That's amazing.”
”Novalee, when he told me that, I knew Leon Yoder was the pick of the litter.” Lexie's eyes filled with tears, but she smiled. ”And that's when I knew I was in love.”
”I now p.r.o.nounce you Husband and Wife.”
Chapter Thirty-Seven.
A T FIRST NOVALEE thought the music was in her dream. Slow romantic song. Lots of violins. She rolled over and pressed her face into her pillow, then realized she wasn't dreaming. The music was coming from outside her window. T FIRST NOVALEE thought the music was in her dream. Slow romantic song. Lots of violins. She rolled over and pressed her face into her pillow, then realized she wasn't dreaming. The music was coming from outside her window.
She checked the time as she crawled out of bed. Eighteen minutes before midnight. She tiptoed down the hall to the living room and peeked out the front window.
Benny Goodluck was sitting on her deck.
She eased the front door open, then stepped outside. The music was coming from his pickup parked in the drive; the volume was up, the windows rolled down.
”Benny, what are you doing?”
”Did I wake you up?”
He was wearing a tuxedo and c.u.mmerbund. His snap-on tie had come undone, the bow now dangling down the front of his stiff white s.h.i.+rt.
341.
”What's wrong, Benny?”
”Nothing.”
”Then what are you doing here?”
”Are you mad, Novalee?”
”No, I'm not mad. But you're supposed to be at the prom.”
He was folded into a lawn chair, his long legs stretched out in front of him. Pretending a sudden interest in the toe of one shoe, he bent to inspect it. ”I was,” he said, ”but I left early.”
”Where's your date? Where's Melissa?”
”I took her home.”
”You sure ended the evening early.”
”Well, Melissa didn't care,” he said, but his words slid together and ”Melissa” sounded like ”Melissha.”
”Benny, have you been drinking?”
”No. Well, not really. I had two beers.”
”Is that why Melissa wanted to go home? Because you were drinking?”
”Yes. I mean no. I didn't drink until after I took her home, but . . .”
Benny twisted in his chair. ”I didn't have a date for the prom, Novalee.
I told you a lie.”
Novalee pulled up another lawn chair and sat down, pulling her legs up under her long cotton gown.
”I asked Melissa, but she already had a date and Janetta Whitekiller did, too, so I went by myself. But I wasn't the only one. Some other guys went without dates. Some of the other dweebs like me.”
”Benny, don't say that. I'll bet both of those girls would've had a better time with you than whoever they went with. I'll bet they-”
”I didn't ask them, Novalee.”
”What?”
”I didn't ask Melissa or Janetta. I lied about that, too.”
342.
”You'd better be careful, Benny. All this practice at telling lies, you'll get good at it.”
”I'm sorry, but . . .” Benny shrugged his shoulders, then slid down in his chair and put his head back.
”But what?”
”You want the truth?”
”Sure.”
”Okay. I've never had a date, Novalee. I've never even been with a girl.”
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