A Gentle Rain by Deborah F. Smith Read Free Book Online Page B

give permission.
    Don't get me started on the subject of Glen Tolbert.
    Back to Roy and Dale. Nobody was better at birthin' calves, foals, or anything else that came out of a womb. "Yes, Boss, we took our pills," Roy said from behind his hands. He didn't like lookup' at people. Made him nervous. He pulled his red-checkered cowboy hat lower over his eyes.
    "Yes, praise Jesus," Dale said. Her red-checkered cowboy hat sported a row of little crucifixes on the hat band. Dale's understanding of the world was on a par with a third grader who's taken Vacation Bible School a little too much to heart. Dale was a sweetie, but she'd bust your chops over Jesus.
    "The sick cow's coming along real nice this morning," Dale went on. "And her twins are nursing."
    "Good to hear it. Y'all pulled `em through. Good work."
    "Jesus did it," Dale said primly.
    "Tell him I said thanks."
    "You don't have to tell Jesus things. Jesus just knows."
    Ask him why he wants to take my brother away from me, I thought grimly. "Awright," I grunted. "Y'all are set. Let me go see about Joey."
    "Joey's in the truck, and so are Mac and Lily," said a growly female drawl behind me. "We're all set. Except for you. Ben, you look like a pile of worn-out shit with eyeballs."
    I turned to stare down at two beady green eyes wearing false lashes the size of spiders. Miriam. She kept her hair white-blonde and braided glittery beads into it some times. She had a mouth like a drunk pig skinner, and she didn't hesitate to tell the truth.
    She'd been even crankier since giving up cigarettes. Now she chewed toothpicks. When she was agitated she could go through a hundred-pack of toothpicks in a day. A chewed-up toothpick hung from her lower lip now.
    "You're gonna get splinters," I warned.
    "You're not sleepin'. You look like hell."
    "Now, don't go flatterin' me."
    "Me and Lula'll sit with Joey at night for awhile."
    "Y'all already got your hands full with daytime duty. Him and me got a routine. I sleep plenty in the recliner."
    "That heart doctor was supposed to help him. How come Joey's not any stronger? Those new heart pills aren't making a damn bit of difference."
    "Give `em time."
    "You keep not sleepin', you're gonna need heart pills."
    I took her by one arm and led her out of the others' earshot. Silver mermaids rattled on her charm bracelet. Before Mama married Pa, her, Lula and Miriam had all worked as Weeki Wachee mermaids at the famous theme park down near Tampa. Once a mermaid, always a mermaid. I lowered my voice and looked around to make sure nobody could overhear. "Joey has good days and bad days. Same as always. He's had some bad days lately, but don't worry about it."
    "Don't you worry about it, and then I won't worry about it."
    "Deal. Did you give Lula that list of vitamins to buy?"
    "Yeah, yeah, but Joey don't need more vitamins. You do. Ben, hon, you're working yourself to death. You don't have to haul this circus to Talaseega today."
    Joey loved going to Talaseega. Whatever he wanted to do, we'd do. "This isn't a good time for a lecture, Miriam. You ready to drive, or not?" Miriam drove the van. Usually with the radio turned up loud on a gospel station for Dale's sake and the windows rolled down for her own. Miriam hated the van's leftover smell of florist mums. Said they made her think of funerals. Come to think of it, that's why I didn't like to drive the van, either.
    "I'm ready," she grumbled. But she wagged a red nail at me as she walked away. "You need more help around here!"
    I gritted my teeth and went to the truck. Joey grinned at me from the front seat. His daytime pills were neatly arranged in a covered plastic tray in his lap. He wrinkled his nose. "Rhubarb's got really bad gas today. Lily had to turn up my oxygen."
    I coughed at the smell and peered into the back seat. Lily covered her nose with a little handkerchief she always carried, embroidered with daisies. Mac waved his gray Stetson back and forth. He wore a daisy on his hat band. Mac and