In My Heart by Bette Hawkins

Author:Bette Hawkins [Hawkins, Bette]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781642470611
Publisher: Bella Books
Published: 2019-06-14T04:00:00+00:00

Chapter Nine

That afternoon when the sun was just starting to dip we arrived at our double-story motel, red brick against the blue sky. When Earl emerged from the office he handed me a brass room key. Then he passed by Dorothy to hand another to Dirk.

Dirk put it in his shirt pocket, then shook his head. “Gee, bad luck to get a room shortage again.”

“It’s not that. Alice and I decided to share,” Dorothy said, her arms crossed.

Dirk shrugged. “All right. Makes no difference to me, does it? Hey, Alice, let me get that guitar for you.”

I walked on air at the show that night, at a tavern in Tallahassee. The crowd danced in front of us, slopping beer out of their glasses. The show was wonderful, and I couldn’t wait to be alone with Dorothy again. We’d spent the afternoon wandering around the lush state park, Dorothy looping her arm through mine while she pointed out flowers that she liked.

At the motel, there was a double room rather than twin beds once more. It was possible that Dorothy might only want to sleep this time instead of talking to me, but it made me deliriously happy to know that she was going to be at my side. We wouldn’t have to part after we’d had our cocoa together.

While Dorothy was in the washroom, I remained on my back, my toes curled in anticipation of the hours that lay before us. When Dorothy came out, steam rose in a cloud from the open door.

“Hello,” she said, carrying her discarded clothes in a bundle and grinning brightly at me.

“Hey.”

Dorothy perched on the edge of the mattress with her back to me and slipped the robe from her shoulders, folding it and laying it on the ground next to the bed. Above the silk of her nightgown, pale skin contrasted with the dark of her hair. Muscle and bone shifted under flawless skin as she took her ring from her finger and dropped it on the nightstand before picking up a small tub of lavender-scented cream.

She looked back over her shoulder, not seeming to mind that I was watching. “Want some?”

I dipped my fingers into the tub. She twisted the lid closed as I rubbed cream into my hands. “So, this is why your hands are always so soft, huh?”

“One of my secrets,” she said, putting a finger to her lips.

Dorothy turned off her lamp, plunging the room into darkness. She drew back the light quilt and pulled it over us, patting it down. It didn’t take long for her voice to drift toward me.

“Now, tell me about your brothers and sisters. You know a little about my sisters. I’d love to know about yours.”

It would be like last night. By tacit agreement, we each edged closer to the center of the mattress.

“They’re mostly a pain in the neck. That’s why I spend more time with my aunt than any of them. You must think I’m being awful,” I said.

“I don’t think that at all!” she said, a bare leg brushing against mine.

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