The Loves of Ruby Dee (31 page)

He had no illusions about winning—well, maybe he had a few fantasies—but he figured he wouldn’t embarrass himself in front of Ruby Dee. She was the reason he entered. Lonnie was entered in the calf roping, to show off for Ruby Dee and Crystal, and Will didn’t want to be left out. If that was childish, it sure felt good.

Lonnie turned out in a flashy roping shirt and sporting one of his winning silver belt buckles. He looked handsome as a cowboy calendar model, although Will didn’t tell him so. Lonnie knew too well how good-looking he was.

Will loaded his dogging horse last into Lonnie’s trailer. Pete sometimes liked to kick, so he went in last, away from Lonnie’s horses. Lonnie’s horses were worth twice as much as any Will had these days. Lonnie closed the doors securely, and Will told him that he and Ruby Dee and the old man would be coming behind him.

“You’ll let Ruby Dee dance some with me, too, won’t you?” Lonnie said, rapping his knuckles on Will’s chest. “There’s no need for you to hog her.”

“Hog her? I’m already sharin’ her with the old man."

“Hey, then one more won’t hurt. You bring a walletful of money to bet on me, hear?” With a happy wave, Lonnie was off.

Will stood there and watched the dust spiral behind the trailer as it disappeared down the drive. In the past few days he’d sensed Lonnie backing off about Ruby Dee. He didn’t think his brother had actually planned to give up his claim on her, but it did seem to be what was happening. Will no longer felt the heavy worry of hurting his brother because of her.

But he still had the old man to consider.

“You ready, Dad?” Will called as he entered the house.

The old man came thumping through the dining room. Will stared—from the fine gray Stetson on the old man’s head to the starched white shirt, silver-and-turquoise clasp on his string tie, tweed sport coat, brown slacks and gleaming brown boots.

Here was the Hardy Starr whom Will remembered.

For a long minute Will just looked at his father, and then Hardy said, “What are you starin’ at? Did you remember to get the lawn chairs? I cain’t be sittin’ up in those stands. Come on...let’s get outside. I’d like to sneak a chew ‘afore Ruby Dee comes.”

Ruby Dee checked her image in the mirror, smiling as she saw the movement of her dress. It was new, bought for her date with Will—and it was a date, never mind that Hardy was along. She wore her best silver earrings, in the shape of hearts, and a silver cuff bracelet.

“I guess I have a date with both of them, Miss Edna,” she whispered, feeling a twinge of guilt for her gladness.

“You may have to make a decision, Ruby Dee.”

“Well, there’s no need in thinkin’ about it now and spoilin’ today.”

Leaning close to the mirror, Ruby Dee applied Summer Sunset to her lips. It perfectly matched her fingernails, the tiny dots of red flowers in the brown dress and her red Noconas, too. When she and Sally came walking across the yard toward Will and Hardy, the way both men looked at her was enough to send her heart skipping over her ribs.

And then she was looking at them, and my goodness, they were so handsome...so commanding. Hardy looked splendid. His gaze touched hers, and she went to him and straightened his tie, just to touch him. He smiled at her, a smile only she ever saw. She was proud of him.

Then she turned to Will, brushed imaginary specks from his shirt front and told him not to put cigarettes in his pocket. His eyes were on her...his turquoise shirt brought them out, shimmering and brilliant in his tanned face. They stirred a warmth deep inside Ruby Dee. She almost touched his face, then drew her hand back, conscious of Hardy looking on.

Hardy held the door for her to get into the front seat. Will was there to help Hardy into the back seat, but he said, “Three can ride in front,” and, with Will’s help, he got up into the tall pickup and sat beside Ruby Dee.

Will said, “I don’t think we can go without Sally,” and let the dog hop into the back seat.

Hardy’s arm rested along the back of the seat, and as they turned onto the blacktop, heading for Harney, his hand came to rest on Ruby Dee’s shoulder. Will noticed it when he went to put his own arm behind her on the back of the seat.

* * * *

There was a festive air about Harney. Vehicles streamed through the crossroads, all headed toward the rodeo grounds. It was early enough, however, that Hardy could choose the place he wanted beside the arena to set up the lawn chairs. Lonnie joined them, bestowing a charming grin on Ruby Dee, and even planting a kiss on her cheek. He was so handsome that he turned heads, both male and female, and he knew it, reveled in it.

Will and Lonnie went off and brought back the barbecue dinners and drinks. The crowd continued to grow, kids raced around chasing one another, and riders began working their horses in the arena.

People called greetings to the Starrs and stopped to talk. Will and Lonnie gave up their lawn chairs so many times that they ended up eating in a squatting position. Ruby Dee was amazed by how comfortable they seemed.

Hardy was something of a revelation. He took on the role of grand patriarch, seeming to grow taller each time someone greeted him. A lot of people were plainly surprised to see him.

“Hardy Starr! I thought you’d passed on.”

“Well, I ain’t.”

“Hardy Starr...you haven’t changed a bit.”

“Who in hell was that, Will?”

“Moser Huggins.”

“Good God, that’s Moser Huggins? He got old, didn’t he?” And then, “Who’s that young fella just waved at us? He looks familiar.”

“B.J. Coley, Jr.”

Hardy’s eyebrows shot up. “Oh.” He looked thoughtful. “How’s his daddy?”

Will said, “Last I heard Buck was down at Graceful Manor,” and drank deeply from his soft-drink cup.

Hardy looked startled, then said, “That’s too bad.”

“Who’s Buck?” Ruby Dee asked, curious about their manner.

Hardy kept his gaze averted from hers, like he always did when he didn’t intend to answer.

Will said, “Buck Coley—he was an old enemy of Dad’s.” He glanced at his father, and his lips twitched. “He caught Dad with his wife once.”

Well. Ruby Dee looked at Hardy in some amazement.

“A long time ago, ‘afore any of you were born,” Hardy said. Lonnie was staring at his father. He plainly hadn’t known of this episode, either.

Among the people saying hello and visiting, there were certainly a lot of young women who stopped to flirt with Lonnie. At one point Hardy said, “Is there a pretty gal in this county you don’t know?”

“If there is, I don’t know who she is,” Lonnie answered with high satisfaction.

Crystal came along with another young woman named Shauna, who giggled when spoken to. Crystal greeted Ruby Dee with a friendly smile, Will with a soft hello, and looked at Hardy as if he might yell at her any minute. He ignored her. Ruby Dee thought Crystal looked awfully pretty in a shimmering soft blue silk blouse and slim-fitting jeans. She looked pretty beside Lonnie. She gazed at him like he was a god, and after a minute hooked her finger in Lonnie’s back pocket and took bites of his sandwich.

Wildcat came by with Charlene, and Ruby Dee finally got to meet her. Charlene was small and plump, with gray, poodle-cut hair, and she wore a polyester pants suit that made her resemble a round cluster of lilac flowers. But there was a certain passion in her eyes, especially when she turned those eyes on Wildcat. Ruby Dee was almost startled by the depth of her passion. It just went to show that people were like books and shouldn’t be judged by their covers.

Ruby Dee caught sight of Georgia and a man she assumed was Frank Reeves making their way up into the stands. Georgia gave Ruby Dee that dead-and-buried look. Then she looked at Will, and Will saw her, too. Ruby Dee thought he was going to wave, but Georgia turned her head.

And then along came Cora Jean Vinson, in a long, full denim dress with a big concho belt and flashing Indian jewelry. With a hearty hello to them all, she bent down and kissed Hardy on the cheek. He turned red, but he liked it, Ruby Dee could tell, no matter that he spoke gruffly. He was enjoying all the attention.

Ruby Dee was very pleased that Cora Jean remembered her. Cora Jean was one of those people you couldn’t help but like. Once again, though, her close scrutiny made Ruby Dee wonder if there was a smudge on her face.

With Cora Jean was a husky young man, her grandson, who was going to be a contestant in the calf roping. Will and Lonnie knew him, and immediately started talking about roping. In the space of a few minutes, a number of men joined them: young men, with low-crowned, wide-brimmed hats and wearing chaps and spurs or carrying ropes over their shoulders, and older men, with the tall-crown, curved-brimmed hats and work-worn faces.

Talking low, the men moved off toward the cattle pens and chutes. Even Hardy rose to go. Will leaned down to tell Ruby Dee he’d be back. Lonnie kissed Crystal and sent her to the stands, while he followed his brother.

“Time for men stuff,” Cora Jean said, sitting heavily in the chair Hardy had vacated. “They have to go over there and check out the buckin’ bulls and broncs and ropin’ stock. It’s sort of like how they go around and kick the tires of a car they might buy. Doesn’t have a bit of meaning, but they need to do it.” She was laughing and fanning herself.

“Whew...I’ll sit here a bit with you, if you don’t mind. I just have to have a rest from those grandkids of mine. After awhile they wear me out.”

“I’d enjoy your company,” Ruby Dee said. It occurred to her then that she was hungry to talk to another woman. She hadn’t chatted with a woman since she had come to the Starrs, over two months ago.

Sally nosed Cora Jean’s knee for a pat, and the older woman stroked her head. “Goodness, when did Hardy get a dog...or is this one of the boys’? I’ve never known Hardy to have a dog.”

“She’s mine. Her name is Sally.”

“You have certainly trained her well. Look at her—she got her little pettin’ from me and then lay down. Most dogs just have to pester and jump up and slobber.”

“I didn’t train her. I found her at a 7-Eleven, and she’s always been like that. She knows just what anyone tells her.”

“Hum...I believe that. Animals understand a lot more than people think they do. I have cats myself, but I’ve always liked dogs.” Her gaze sharpened. “You and Hardy appear to be gettin’ on well.”

“We are now. I had an awful time with him at first. He made up his mind he wanted to die, and just laid in that bed, waitin’. But I kept after him, and now he even likes me, even if he wouldn’t say it.”

“No, he wouldn’t say it,” Cora Jean agreed, smiling ruefully. “Well, he’s lookin’ real good”—a mischievous grin twitched her lips—”so it must be true what they say.”

“And what’s that?” Ruby Dee asked.

“That you’ve pepped him up.

“Is that how ‘they’ are puttin’ it?”

“When they’re bein’ polite.” Cora Jean laughed. She had a wonderful laugh. Her gaze turned curious. “I heard that he had hurt his bad leg and was in a wheelchair. Seems like he’s come along out of that.”

Ruby Dee nodded. “He hurt his ankle, but it never was anything serious.”

“Oh, Hardy’s a tough one. He’s had to be, or else he’d have been crippled long before now. He hurt that bad leg when he wasn’t but fifteen—when he was ridin’ with my sister Jooney one time, and his horse fell on it. Jooney had to set it right there beside the river, and Hardy was so proud that he bit off the tip of his tongue rather than cry out.” She chuckled softly.

Ruby Dee’s curiosity jumped sky-high. “He’s spoken of Jooney,” she said quickly. “You were her sister?”

Cora Jean nodded thoughtfully. “Jooney was the eldest. They used to say she was the prettiest girl in the county.”

“Hardy said Jooney was the one who did the doctoring around here when he was young."

“She did.” Cora Jean turned her gaze toward the distant setting sun. “Jooney took care of everybody—she delivered babies, doctored sick and laid out the dead. I guess she delivered our mama’s last three babies, and I was one of them. She was only about thirteen when she did that. Real doctors were up in Woodward or down in Cheyenne, but either place was far and cost dearly, considering how poor we were.” Her eyes cut back to Ruby Dee. “She and Hardy were supposed to be married, but Jooney died.”

“I thought maybe she was special to him. How did she die?”

Cora Jean breathed deeply. “Law, it was a bad day when that happened. It was nearly sixty-five years ago, but I recall it—a person doesn’t forget watchin’ someone catch on fire.”

“Jooney caught on fire? How?”

There was commotion all around them, people riding by on horses, two little boys wrestling only a yard away, but all that faded as Ruby Dee listened to Cora Jean.

“Daddy was gone, like he always was. Daddy wasn’t worth much, and Mama was dead a year. Hardy was out beside the barn, splittin’ wood. Him and Jooney had been sweethearts since they were small, and he was always lendin’ a hand. Jooney, she took care of all five of us. I was the fourth one, five years old then, and Lyle was still crawlin’.

“That day Jooney was treatin’ our heads for cooties—sounds terrible, but kids get lice no matter how clean they are, and Jooney kept us clean. But in those days we didn’t have fancy preparations to get rid of the lice, like today. It could be a battle once you got them. We used kerosene to douse our heads with, and that’s what Jooney was doin’, when the next thing, her and Tommy, our middle brother, went up in flames. Too close to the lantern or somethin’, I never did know, really.

“Well, Jooney went to beatin’ Tommy’s hair out, but her hands and arms were flaming. Everything happened so fast, it really was a blur. Jooney threw herself outside to keep the house from goin’ up. We were all screamin’, but I’ll never forget the sound of Jooney’ s scream.”

“Oh, my God,” Ruby Dee whispered, feeling as if she couldn’t breathe.

The story kept on flowing out of Cora Jean. “There is no worse sight than a burned-up person. Hardy came runnin’ and threw himself on Jooney, but it was too late. She was burned black in so many places. You know, though, she was still alive, and she said to him, ‘Help Peter take care of the rest.’”