10

As the new week went on, word around our little community was that some of the town got a hold of Willie Mason before the law could and hung him from the highest tree. The lawmen were very much alright with that. He wasn't our kin and so no one touched him for a few days, but eventually some of the men were worried their children would see him on the way to school so he was cut down in the middle of the night and buried somewhere far, far away…

It wasn't long before other men were coming to my daddy's doorstep asking to court me. Some were men my age: Walter, the butcher's son, Abel, the blacksmith's boy, and a few others who owned small shops on our side of town. Some were even older, that could be fathers were coming to me asking for my hand. I could see they looked at me lecherously in church, just wanting a hot young body to be on top of. For now Daddy turned them away as Preacher Abraham and Miles were still persistent.

But my father was not the only one to notice that. As the days got hotter it was the perfect time for courting and dating. Howard knew this all too well himself. His brothers were never one to talk about women and married life, but apparently according to Jack, he's heard a few men talk about ways to win my hand in marriage. Lord help any man who talks about me around that man.

"Well I needs to get you married, Velvet, sooner or later you're gonna need to have a family of your own! You can't stay with me all your life!" Daddy argued.

"I know Pa, but can't I be courted by… a man I like?" I asked as we argued in the kitchen. That was one thing I loved about my father. He listened when he wanted and let me have some sort of stance in the house. I was all he had and he was only good at tending to a farm.

"What boy you like?" he asked with his hands crossed as he looked at me suspiciously. I fumbled over my words for a bit. There was no way I could tell him Howard and I were seeing each other in secret. My daddy saw Howard as a business partner, one he would never be allowed to say to the whites on the hills.

"No one yet, but why we gotta rush?" I asked.

"Because you ain't getting any younger. And I plans to marry you off sooner than later. You got all these mens after you. It's high time you start a family of your own! Now Miles will be here shortly and you and him are going to go on a walk and talk wedding plans, and I'll hear no more about it!" he said before stomping out of the house. I watched with a huff, my hands on my hips as he moved outside and headed out to his work.

When Miles came over, we both walked behind the house and I noticed he was holding my hand, but hardly really holding it. It's like he didn't want to hold my hand. I would make up questions to ask wedding wise and he would either say "yes" or "uh huh".

"Miles, are you alright?" I asked and he looked up at me eyes big and almost surprised. Finally, he paused in his long stride and looked down at our hands together.

"Velvet, we've grown up together and I've always seen you as a nice woman." he said. I nodded slowly at him.

"Yes, and you're a nice guy from what I know about you." I said and he nodded. As he nodded in agreement as well, I noticed a crouched figure off in the trees behind him. Miles nodded.

"Well you know… sometimes we feel we should do things because others want us to and not because we want to…" he began and I nodded slowly, his voice fading out some as I tried to look more closely at the line of trees and bushes. Finally, a familiar head of curls poked out of the bushes. Oh my God it was Howard! What was he doing here! His eyes were glazed and his face was sweating from the heat. Was he drunk! Did he come here to tell Miles to not marry me? "Am I making sense?"

I blinked and looked at Miles again not hearing a word he said.

"I'm sorry what?" I asked and he looked away and his body puffed out as if inhaling.

"I'm sorry Velvet, but I don't want to marry you!" he blurted. I gave a gentle gasp and Howard just raised his head further up to listen, my shocked face making him focus more. I tilted my head some.

"You don't?" I asked and he sighed and shook his head.

"You're a nice girl- a beautiful girl even, but there is someone at school that I fancy." he said. His body suddenly froze as he said this, a wash of fear suddenly pouring down over his face.

"I-I'm sorry I have to go!" he said and rushed away. I just remained standing there now in complete and utter confusion. After a few minutes, Howard just walked right up to me, looking at the trail Miles ran down.

"Damn… what you say to him?" he asked. Now I looked up at him and suddenly hit him in the chest. "Ow Velvet, what!"

"What are you doing here!" I asked and he held his arms up as if asking what he did wrong?

"What! I wanted to make sure he didn't try anything with you!" he said.

"Try anything?" I asked and he nodded.

"Yes, he may be your "betrothed" but that don't mean he get to try and kiss you or nothing! I saw him holding your hand!" he said. I stared up at him for a moment. If there's one thing to know about the Bondurant boys is that they were quite honest. And Howard admitting that he didn't want to see any man over me made me feel somewhat… special. I finally sighed and smiled and moved closer to him, the space between us gone. His eyes looked down at me with a deepness I had never seen in a man.

"Don't worry. No man will ever be kissin' me but you." I replied gently raising my hands to grip his jacket and pull him to me. He smiled.

"Good because then I'll have to cut his lips off." he purred before leaning in to kiss me. There was no alcohol smell on him. Good. I didn't want him doing anything foolish and giving us away. His hands found my shoulders and pulled me into him more. He let out a soft growl.

"I haven't been able to get that night out of my mind. It just makes me want you even more." he said pushing his forehead into mine. I nodded.

"I can't stop thinking… about you inside me." I said lowly. Oh lord I can't believe I said that. Howard groaned and suddenly lifted me off the ground by my bottom and pressed me to the closest tree, our mouths against one another. I've kissed other colored men before and it was nice, but with Howard I felt hot all around, his lips were warm and his hands pawing on me made me feel like I had a heart beat between my legs. I couldn't control my feelings.

I was a God-fearing woman and I knew giving myself to Howard that night made me a sinner, but I didn't care. I liked the wild look in Howard's eyes when I'm in trouble. I like feeling protected by him. I didn't even realize my panties were down and my legs were spread until I felt him push right inside me. I moaned out into his shoulders as I held him tight against me. My muscles felt sore but I wouldn't say anything about it. He thrust back and forth into me, pushing me harder and into the tree. His breath was heavy and loud as his large hands still held me. I could hear him groaning and moaning lowly.

"God." he said heatedly against my flesh. I couldn't hold back the moans growing louder and louder. But even in this moment of pure bliss and pleasure, I was thinking of Miles and wondering why he became so afraid and ran off. He met a girl in law school? No colored girls didn't go to law school… He met someone else. I refused to think any more on those thoughts. He didn't want to marry me and that's all that I cared about. I moaned out unable to keep quiet any longer. Howard pressed his face against the side of my head. "That feel good?" I nodded feeling my insides churning as his large man hood pressed deeper inside me.

After a few more seconds, Howard groans hard against me, holding himself still as he finishes inside me. We're still for a moment and slowly he pulls out and sets me down on my feet. They're wobbly so he holds me for a moment.

"Did you… finish?" he asked and I looked up at him almost embarrassed before looking down and shaking my head. He panted gently looking me over for a moment before nodding looking away as if embarrassed himself.

"There are some things I learned from being away at war… sex stuff that I ain't ever tried before on a girl… you want to try it with me sometime?" he asked. I studied his face for a moment never really seeing him look this way before.

"How did you learn?" I asked and he looked up at me.

"I read some things… saw some things." he said looking away flexing his eyes. I was curious of what he had learned but nodded.

"Okay." I replied and he smiled down at me and kissed my forehead. We got dressed and Howard looked at me with a warm smile.

"I have to go. We're going to be making some drops of our whiskey. I'll see you soon." he said. I nodded and smiled.

"Okay." I replied. Later that afternoon as I was cleaning up the kitchen table, Daddy came in with a piece of paper in his hand.

"A letter from your Aunt May and Uncle Sewanee in Tennessee. Seems your uncle broke his foot and needs some help tending to his dairy farm. I'm gonna have to go head over there for a few weeks and help out while his leg heals." he said. Uncle Sewanee and Aunt May have two daughters. I can imagine they would need a hand with the farm work there. I looked at my father stunned.

"Is he alright?" I asked.

"Seems so." he replied.

"When do we leave?" I asked. Daddy shook his head.

"You ain't goin no where. I am going to drive there and help out." he replied. I nodded already worried for my father going alone and he saw that look on my face.

"Don't worry now. I'll know trails where colored folks can drive without being bothered and make sure to be in sundown towns before the moon hits. I'll telephone as well when I get there." he said. I nodded before looking around.

"What about here?" I asked.

"Well I need someone to work the farm while I'm away. But I don't always trust the mens around here with you or my property. So I asked Forrest Bondurant and his kin to help out. That means only them are allowed to this house and my fields. They'll look after you and the farm and in return they're allowed some of the food here as payment." he said. I was inwardly stunned by his words.

"You trust all the Bondurants?" I asked.

"I trust they're use of fear will keep you and my land safe." he told. I nodded slowly.

"When do you leave?" I asked.

"Tomorrow morning." he said.