AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Bunny shrieked and rolled on her back. “You ought to see his wife,” she said, when she got control of herself. “All things considered, I think I’d rather feel up his butt than hers.” She shrieked again and then pulled me close, rubbing her forehead into mine. “Oh, I’m sorry, Martha. I just couldn’t help it.”
Eddie grinned grudgingly. He doesn’t like other people making jokes.
“Anyway,” said Bunny, “Martha won’t be with the Vernons long. Only till next Friday, when the judge hears our side of it.”
“Yeah,” said Eddie dully.
His tone worried me. “Do you know Judge Horner?” I asked. “I’ve heard he’s very fair.”
“Who told you that?”
“My social worker. And Reverend Vaughn.”
“He’s Martha’s new friend,” said Bunny. “The minister down at the Congo.”
“That fairy,” muttered Eddie.
“Hush!” snapped Bunny.
I pretended I didn’t hear. Eddie’s always calling everyone a fairy.
“We aren’t going to talk about it anymore,” said Bunny. “We aren’t going to let this stupid town spoil this beautiful day and this beautiful picnic.”
Eddie crawled over to the bank and pulled out another Hamms for himself and one for Bunny. “I guess you’re right,” he said, settling down on his back again. “There’s not much better than cold beer from a stream on a hot day.” He set the can in his teeth and lay back and started drinking.
“There’s not much better than a beautiful daughter,” said Bunny, petting my hair. She was feeling her beers by then, too, and her eyes got big and moist as she looked at me.
Presently, Eddie announced he was going down to see how the carp fishermen were doing. He took another beer out of the river and trudged away along the bank. Bunny watched him go. “I know you don’t believe me,” she said, “but he’s different. I can just feel it, I really can.”
“But that’s what you always say.”
“Oh, don’t argue. Maybe I always say it, but this time I mean it.”
“Doesn’t it make you feel strange, though—going through so many men? I mean, even here.” I swung my arm to indicate the picnic spot. “We’ve been out here with Wayne and Johnny and Lester.”
“Oh, that’s nothing,” Bunny interrupted, grabbing my arm. “You’ll never guess who I came out here with.”
“Who?”
“Guess.”
“I can’t. Who?”
“Guess.”
“Mayor Krullke.”
“No!” She put her mouth to my ear. “Your daddy,” she whispered.
“Really?” I pulled away.
“Jeremiah P. Calhoun himself.” Bunny rolled over onto her stomach. “And what’s more, you’ll never guess what happened.”
“What?” I didn’t really want to play this game. I didn’t really want to know that much about my father, at least not at this point, with so many other things to worry about.
“Guess,” said Bunny.
“He proposed.”
