“Charlene is waiting,” she said, swaying toward him.
“Adam!”came the call.
“So is Billie.”
“I guess I’ll see you later.”
“Yeah, later.”
He stood in the foyer until she walked away, then moved toward the family room.
“Have you broken anything?”he asked as he turned into the room.Large pieces of furniture filled the L-shaped space.One end contained a pool table and wet bar.The other, a huge sectional sofa, large-screen TV and enough audio-visual equipment to stock a small store.
Billie sipped on a can of soda and shook her head.“Not yet.Pretty good, huh?”
“The best.”He sat next to her on the long sofa and pulled on the bill of her cap.“That hat doesn’t go with the dress.”
“I’m wearing shorts.”Billie pulled up her skirt to show him.“Mom can be tough about clothes, especially on Sunday.This is our compress.”
Compress?“Do you mean compromise?”
“Whatever.”She pointed at the screen.“Bottom of the second.Atlanta’s up, but the Giants have already scored.”
“There’s still several innings, peanut.Don’t get your hopes up.”
She stuck out her tongue.He grinned.When the next batter popped a fly into left field, providing the third out, Billie crowed her pleasure.
“Told you, told you.”
With that, she scooted over until she was next to him, then snuggled close to his chest.Adam sat there stiffly, not sure what to do with his arm.Finally he rested it against her slight back.She smiled up at him and sighed with contentment.Such a powerhouse, he thought with amazement, yet still a little girl.Her body felt warm against him.Small and in need of protection, although he could never tell her or her mother that.
“Am I going to talk funny?”Billie asked.
“Funny?”
“You know.‘I declare, chile, you are simply too charmin’,’” she said in a fair imitation of a Southern drawl.
He chuckled, then stretched out his legs and rested his feet on the coffee table.“Probably.”
“Why?”
“This is Orchard, Billie.You’re going to hear people speak with accents all the time.You can’t help imitating.”
“My mom doesn’t talk too funny, and neither do you.”
“Your mother has been away for nine years.It’ll come back to her.And I’ve never had much of an accent.”
“I’m not going to, either.”
“It’s too late, peanut.”He shook his head when she offered him a drink out of her can of soda.“Accept the fact that you’ll soon be a Southern belle.”
“Well, I’mnotgoing to charm school.”
He didn’t answer.She snuggled closer and they watched the game.At the next commercial break, she pulled away and tucked her feet under her.“Adam?”
She looked serious.“What’s wrong?”he asked.
“Do you remember at the bank, we talked about maiden names and dads?”
