Fresh and brisk the air chilled with a welcome relief from the sticky heat of the night before. The sporadic shade provided by the shifting canopy of the surrounding oak trees, offered a sanctuary from the bright sun to those dining at the café. Wafting deliciously throughout, the savory spice of Grace's fried chicken beckoned to every mouth within distance. His thumb and forefinger plucked the crisp skin releasing tiny tendrils of steam from the moist meat on his plate. Tossing the scrap into his mouth, he allowed the skin to settle on his tongue, savoring the brackish juices of the buttery lard it had been fried in. His mouth salivated as he chewed the decadent treasure before swallowing. Jake sighed beginning to feel a little more at ease.
Reaching down once more he plucked at the tender meat, feeling the sizzling heat as the buttery juice dripped onto the pads of his fingers. He blew softly on the moist chunk of chicken. Testing it to his bottom lip he smiled as he fed the delectable morsel into Lucy's waiting mouth. She pressed her lips together smiling cheerily, obviously sucking every ounce of butter and fat she could from the meat before chewing. With a swirl of onyx curls, she turn and ran off to join Katie and the others playing by the fence separating the café from the wagons pass.
"Stay where I can see you!" Jake called after her, as she pulled herself up onto the fence next to Katie.
Izzy yelped as she reached out her hands in Lucy's direction, but Cloud Dancing's hand gently held her firmly on his lap.
"You're all set tah leave me now too, huh," Jake muttered to Izzy, wiping his fingers off on his napkin. He swallowed the lump in his throat, suddenly loosing his appetite. Leaning back, he hung his arm over the back of his chair as he proceeded to watch Lucy as she conversed with Katie. Now and then she seemed to loose her balance on the rounded wood of the fence only to have Katie's hand fly up protectively to steady her.
"You are only causing yourself more harm," Cloud Dancing warned him as he held Izzy's milk cup up to her lips. Her tiny ivory hands lay on top on his dark bronzed skin, learning to hold her cup up as well. "Crowding the young one will not fill the void you are feeling."
But Jake wasn't listening as he narrowed his eyes, mental measuring the height of the fence, "That's not safe is it?"
"Jake, I'm surprised at you!" Grace chided him swatting at his arm with her blue and white checkered cloth. She moved to stand behind him as she waved to Lucy and Katie. They waved back, laughing as they clung to their perches. Grace swayed her head close to Jake's ear, "Yah know. . . She's not gawn forever. 'Sides! It'll do yah two some good tah be apart a little while."
Cloud Dancing nodded in agreement while Izzy focused all her attention on sticking the long round red and brown beads of his necklace in her mouth. Jake rolled his eyes leaning his head back in Grace's direction. "Cuse me for not wantin to have tah take my child tah Dr. Mike's every week."
"I wasn't tawkin about Lucy," she said wiping at nonexistent crumbs. "Yah know what they say! Absence makes the heart grow fonder."
Jake opened his mouth about to protest when she sashayed close to their table. Celina smiled brightly at Jake and no one else, eliciting a suspicious look from Grace.
"Mayor Slicker!" Celina greeted him completely ignoring Grace and Cloud Dancing. "It was very nice talking to you last night."
He visibly winced straightening himself in his chair. He could feel the outrage on Grace's face, but it was Cloud Dancing's that he peered into. The man was shocked and trying to recover by pulling the beads from Izzy's mouth. Jake could tell Cloud Dancing was trying to see the situation for what it was and not for what it appeared to be. Pressing his lips into a thinly forced smile, he attempted to discourage her by shoving a large mouthful of crumbling butter-laced cornbread into his mouth.
Her ruby locks were gathered loosely onto one side of her head, spilling over her shoulder and stopping just above her breast. Celina's slender white fingers combed through her perfectly straight crimson hair. "It was so sweet of you to worry about my safety. You're quite the gentleman."
"EmmmHmmm," Grace raised an eyebrow to Celina, having recognized the woman's true face. "I'm sure MRS. Slicker thinks so too."
Celina slithered around Grace, wearing a mask of innocence as she came to stand by Cloud Dancing. She came down on bended knee attempting to steal Izzy's attentions. Stroking the child's crown of lazy waves, she elicited a fond response from Izzy. "She's such a dear. You're very lucky to have such a beautiful little girl."
With a start, Cloud Dancing observed the woman more closely. He looked beyond the façade of prettiness and into the deliberate motion of her actions and words. He could not be sure but it seemed she had just slighted Lucy in some way. Shifting his gaze questioningly at Jake, he saw the apprehension building in Jake's stature. This woman's advances were making Jake very uncomfortable. Jostling about in his chair, he shoved as much food in his mouth as possible to avoid addressing her in any affirmative way.
"Would you mind if I hold her? I do so love children," before waiting on an answer she gently lifted Izzy from Cloud Dancing's lap forcing the two men to rise with her. Jake swallowed hard as he and Cloud Dancing gated around her uneasily, waiting for Izzy to erupt. But the child remained unfazed resting on Celina's hip, as she continued to soothe Izzy's fiery tresses. She swayed to and fro, in much the she'd witnessed Jake do through the barbershop doors, the day she had arrived. "There now sweet girl. Celina's got you now. Aren't you just the sweetest little darling?"
Grace's mouth joined Jake's and Cloud Dancing's, as they stood agape. It was no secret that Izzy did not take to strangers well. As on more than one occasion, she had let loose with a volley of testy screams in the arms of unsuspecting adorers. Grace pressed her fingers to the side of her chin in shock, "Why I never seen that child take to anyone so fast!"
This alarmed her more than the woman's blatant disregard for Jake's martial status. An icy chill crept into Grace's heart spreading about her chest. She saw it clear as day, as she and Cloud Dancing exchanged worried glares. True to form, Jake had changed for the better since Teresa and the girls had come along. Now as she watched his body relaxing at watching this woman cradle his child, Grace felt a compelling need to yank Jake aside and lay down the law. For these days, Jake still had a volatile weakness, and it dwelled in his love for his children. This Celina, had crashed through a barrier by taking Izzy in her arms and Grace would be damned if she was going to bring another crashing to the ground. Now she'd seen what Dr. Mike had seen. She prayed Teresa would come home soon.
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"Look, she's gonna try to pick up Izzy," Katie mused bracing herself for the scream.
Lucy waited as well, positive this would further wedge that woman from obtaining her father's affections. As the catalyst fizzed out, Lucy fumed pushing herself off the fence. She pressed her back into the post narrowing her gaze as she observed her father smile warmly. This was not a forced smile as before, but a genuine crooked grin. Planting her feet, she rested her little hands on her hips, as she pursed her mouth to one side.
"Why don't yah like her?" the boy's voice shattered Lucy's thoughts with one flailed swoop. "She seemed like a nice enough lady the other day when we were at Mr. Brays."
His arms were folded along the rail of the fence, were Lucy had been sitting. His face was long and angular like Graces, yet somehow strong and dark like his father's. Michael's eyes sparkled with the darkest hue of wet loam, so that they appeared almost black. Yet on days when the sun glistened brightly, it lit up the tiny specks of coppery amber so that they sparkled beautifully from beneath the wiry curls of his lashes. Lucy blushed suddenly feeling rather self-conscious. Michael brought his chin down to rest on his arms as he tilted his face in order stare at Lucy in query. She felt her mouth move but no sound resounded from her lips.
"You're a boy, you wouldn't understand," Katie cut in, coming to Lucy's rescue.
"Michael!" Grace's voice sailed through the air, perking all their heads to attention. "I got some chores for you!"
Michael sighed coming around just stopping at Lucy's side. She dared to face him, feeling her heart pounding in her throat.
"Guess, I'll see you guys later," he said more directly to Lucy than Katie.
"Don't you make me call you again!" Grace warned sending Michael running towards her smiling form.
"Whatcha thinkin?" Katie asked dismounting into a patch of sour grass and fat emerald clovers. Lucy reached down to pluck a neon stem from its clover bed. She broke the delicate yellow flower off and strung it over her ear before chewing on the remaining stem. Her face sucked in as the sour dash of fluid stung at her tongue and tightened the sensitive glands at the base of her jaw.
"I just want my Ma to come home."