She sat at one end of the table looking all prettified in full makeup with her hair pulled back off her face with a white ribbon. The white ribbon matched her white shirt, which, for once, had no suggestive logo. It didn’t need one. He could see her bra through the thin material. In fact, he could see the lace details on her bra. It was giving him all the suggestive messages he needed and a few he didn’t need.
Charmaine was buttering him up for something. He would bet his boots on that. Maybe she just wanted to make up for hanging up on him today… twice. Or maybe she planned something else. It was always best to be on guard with Charmaine.
At first, they all ate in silence, satisfying their ravenous hunger and their appreciation for the fine food.
“Jimmy, we gotta have a talk,” Linc said. “Today you had a tantrum when we wouldn’t let you quit in the middle of a job to go swimmin’. Yesterday, you foul-mouthed that sheriff when he was askin’ questions ’bout the dead steers. I admit, the sheriff was rude, but you gotta learn to curb that tongue of yers.”
Jimmy glanced toward Charmaine, embarrassed to be reprimanded in front of her. Then he lashed out at Linc. “Yer not my dad. I doan have to do what you say.”
Raoul saw the shock on Charmaine’s face as she halted halfway between the stove and the table. She was carrying the coffeepot in one hand and the bread pudding in the other.
Before Raoul could speak, Clarence said, “Now, boy, that’ll be enough of that kind of talk.”
Jimmy started to rise from the table, to flee God-only-knew where.
Putting a hand on Jimmy’s shoulder, Raoul forced the boy to sit back down.
“Take yer hands off me, ya scummy ex-con.”
Everyone was taken aback by Jimmy’s unprovoked anger, especially Charmaine, apparently, because she slammed the coffeepot and dessert dish on the table and stormed around to Jimmy’s side. Poking a forefinger in his face, she said, “Listen up, you snot-nosed punk. No one talks to Rusty that way. He’s been nothing but kind to you. If you haven’t concluded by now that he was framed, then you’re not as smart as I thought you were.”
Holy shit! Charmaine is coming to my defense like a bleepin’ pit bull. Who would have ever imagined? And, dammit, does she think I’m so helpless I can’t defend myself against a teenager? He couldn’t stop himself from grinning.
Pulling Charmaine away and tucking her behind him, he addressed poor Jimmy, whose eyes were brimming with tears. The kid adored Charmaine and had to be hurt by her attack. He knew from experience that the kid was about to bolt. “Listen, we’re not your father, but he gave us the authority. It was either that or send you to juvie hall. Now, you’re gonna toe the line, or suffer the consequences. Do you understand?”
Jimmy’s lower lip protruded with rebellion, but he nodded.
“First off, you are going to apologize to Linc.”
To Jimmy’s credit, he appeared shamedfaced. “I’m sorry, Linc. But I ain’t no snot-nosed punk.” He looked accusingly at Charmaine, who stood to his side now.
“I know that, honey. You were just behaving like a snot-nosed punk.” Charmaine gave Jimmy a big hug. When she was done, Raoul held out his arms for her to give him a big hug, too, but she walked right past him, sniffing her disdain. Clarence snorted with disgust at his lack of finesse and Linc hid a grin behind his hand.
After that, they dug into Charmaine’s dessert and devoured every bit of it. He noticed that Jimmy got an extra large serving.
“Where’d you get the chicken for the gumbo?” he asked Charmaine, just making conversation to take the attention away from Jimmy. “Dare I hope it was one of those mean roosters that’ve been strutting around out front?”
“Yep. Clarence came up and killed one for me. Even plucked and gutted it. I never would have been able to do it myself.” Charmaine patted Clarence’s shoulder as she picked up the empty dessert dishes.