Louisiana Saves the Library (20 page)

Sal seemed to sense her dilemma. “Let me be the responsible one for tonight. It's got to be hard being in charge all the time.”

“It is,” Louise said. “Sometimes, I want to let someone else be the mom, just for one night. Is that terrible?”

“No. My dad was gone a lot, and it was tough on my mom. Even as a kid, I got that. I think that's why Betta never had children. She saw how hard it was on your own, and she didn't trust any man to stick around.”

“Was she ever married?”

“No. She dated this guy Jack for a long time after high school, but he eventually married someone from Saint Jude. I don't know what Betta wants. She sort of feels like she takes care of me, and I guess I let her. Since our parents are gone, I'm all she has left.”

Stephanie dropped off their food unceremoniously. The restaurant was nearly full, and she seemed to be serving all the tables herself.

The thin fried catfish was addictively crunchy and the creamy crawfish on top provided a mellow contrast. The side dish of bacon-flavored green beans was perhaps even better than the fish.

“I guess you like it,” Sal said, draining his beer.

“Huh?” Louise straightened up. She'd been hunched over her food like a starving person.

“You haven't said a word for ten minutes now.”

“Sorry, it's just so good. How does she get the catfish so thin?”

Sal prodded his remaining étouffée with a fork. “Don't know. I never learned to cook since Betta has appointed herself my personal chef.”

Louise sipped her beer. “Do you ever get irritated with her?”

“Maybe a little. Sometimes I feel like she doesn't have her own life. Except during strawberry season. Then she's plenty busy.”

“She could teach, if she likes kids.”

“Betta has a fear of commitment. Come to think of it, maybe that's why she never got married. Afraid of something new too. Me, she knows. Shoot, she knows everyone in town. That's the way she likes it. Doesn't want change.”

“Sometimes, change can be good,” Louise said.

Sal paused, fork in midair. “Yes, it can.”

 

The rental car was in the driveway when Sal pulled up in front of Louise's house.

“They told me eight thirty,” Louise said. “It's only eight fifteen.”

Sal cut the engine. “Don't worry. They can't be mad.”

“Yes, they can. This is Brendan we're talking about, not a reasonable person.” Louise held her breath and went up to the car. Max spotted her through the window and waved. Zoe was asleep in her seat, head cocked to the side at an uncomfortable-looking angle.

Brendan got out and handed Louise the two backpacks. “We went to Mexi Palace, but Max kept sawing at the table with a steak knife and had a meltdown when we took it away. Zoe refused to sit in a high chair, but when we let her out, she jumped up and down in the booth. We ended up eating in the car.”

“I never take them to sit-down restaurants,” Louise said.

“Well, that explains it.”

“Brendan, they're little kids. You can't expect them to be patient. That's why I packed their toys and coloring books.”

“Max threw his cars across the room, and Zoe dropped all the markers on the floor.”

Sal put his hand on Louise's shoulder. “Let's get the kids to bed. Y'all can talk about this later.”

Brendan opened the door and let Max out.

“We ate in the car!” the boy said. “I love this car.”

Louise went around to the other side and lifted Zoe from her seat. She shifted her head from side to side before settling it on Louise's shoulder. “We'll talk tomorrow,” Louise whispered to Brendan.

Sal helped Max brush his teeth and read him a story while Louise put Zoe to bed. Afterward, she poured herself a glass of wine. A few minutes later, Sal came out of Max's room and sat down on the couch next to her. “Give Brendan a break. He hasn't been around kids much.”

Louise let her head fall back against the cushions. “I guess. But it's pretty frustrating that he won't listen to me about anything.”

“Just give it time. He's going to see that you have experience. I mean, look at tonight. If he'd asked you, you could have told him that the kids are too young for restaurants.”

“No, he thinks this is my fault. That if I had trained them properly, they would sit still. That's how he sees it. I know him.”

“He'll learn. Since he's here now, he'll have more time with them. He'll try stuff and he'll fail. Or maybe he'll succeed and you'll reap the benefits. Think about it—what if he could make it easier for you to get Max's teeth brushed and things like that?”

“I don't understand why he does it for you now. It still takes me ten minutes to get him to open his mouth.”

“Right, so I can help you. He and Julia can help you. You have to realize, Louise, you're not alone in this anymore. And that's a good thing.”

Louise reached for his hand and held it. This was what she'd wanted. Just a little support. She'd never gotten it from Brendan, even when he was around. Now, she had this great guy and a whole town behind her. Just that day, a library regular had brought her a box of hand-me-down clothes for Max, and Brianna had baked cookies for the staff. “Thank you,” she said.

“Hey, I'd better take off. I don't want to confuse the kids by being here all night.”

“Yeah.” Louise wanted him to stay, but she knew they needed to take it slow for themselves as well as for the children. “What about your truck?”

“I'll walk home now and get Betta to drive me to the library in the morning. Give her something else to do for me.” He kissed her lightly, then deeply. “Sorry, I know I have to stop with the kids in the other room.”

“We don't have to stop forever,” Louise said. “Just for now.”

C
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29

S
al leaned back in the van seat. It felt strange to be wearing his tux again. Betta had altered it for him because his shoulders were broader now than they had been during his lawyer days. He never went to the gym anymore, but all the lifting around the farm had given him some bulk. The scratchy feeling of the fabric brought back memories of the last time he'd worn the penguin suit. He'd been standing in front of the altar in a freezing-cold church, listening to the string quartet play through every piece they knew. The poor musicians had been killing time waiting for the bride's father to convince her to come down the aisle. It hadn't worked. A blessing, he later realized.

Louise parked in one of the last spots in the church's lot. First Episcopal was a towering brick building with dark windows. Sal didn't understand why Brendan and Julia couldn't get married in Saint Jude. Louise had told him Julia's parents wanted to see the sights or something. They were having the reception at some famous hotel; he couldn't remember which one. People had a romantic view of New Orleans that he, as a country boy, didn't understand. If he ever had another wedding, he'd do it on his own farm. Let the kids play on the swings while they said their vows.

He took Louise's hand and kissed it. “You look beautiful.”

“Thanks. I'd say the same to you, but men are funny about compliments.”

“I know I look like a hick in a monkey suit,” Sal said.

“See? You're impossible.” Louise got out and unbuckled the kids.

Sal took Max's hand. “Come on, buddy. We're going to see your daddy.”

“Can I take the jacket off now?” Max asked.

“Not yet. After the ceremony.”

“Can I take the jacket off after the cer-moony?”

Sal laughed. “Yes.”

“That will be a great idea.” Max smiled and jumped out of the van.

“Zoe, wait for me!” Louise said.

Sal turned to see the girl running after him. He lifted her up with his free arm. “Come on, sweetheart. You can't run away from Mom.”

At the church door, Sal set down both children, and they raced inside, nearly knocking over a young couple who gave them identical nasty looks. Sal smiled apologetically, and they looked away.

The bridesmaids in their rose gowns and the black-suited groomsmen stood in an awkward group outside the sanctuary doors. Within seconds, the children were surrounded by fawning bridesmaids. Max was handed a pillow and Zoe a basket, and both received whispered instructions from the women.

“We need to go sit down,” Sal said. “They're going to start in a few minutes.”

“Will they be okay?” Louise asked, watching Max grin at his admirers.

“We'll sit on the aisle so we can get out and help if we need to.” Sal looped his arm around Louise's and led her to a pew near the front. She'd barely talked during the hourlong drive. Now, she was tight-lipped and pale. He wished she'd relax a little. Not that he was comfortable himself. The church bore too much resemblance to the one he'd almost been married in. Until that day, he had somehow overlooked all the signs that Chloe didn't love him the way he loved her. Maybe she had tried, but if she had, it was for the wrong reasons. Her family loved Sal. Her father especially seemed to see him as the son he'd never had. The old man was part of the reason he'd put off telling Chloe about his decision to quit the law firm. He'd hated to disappoint Mr. Henderson. He'd even allowed him to teach him golf, a sport he'd never cared about and hadn't played since. Spending so much time with Mr. Henderson had made him realize how much he missed his own father. But by the time he found his way back to Alligator Bayou, it was too late for that. Sal clenched his hands into fists.

The last empty seats were next to a group of disheveled men that he pegged as professors. They were talking about the best bars in the French Quarter. Apparently, the most important criteria was the price of the drinks, followed by the number of good-looking women likely to frequent the establishment.

Sal turned to ask Louise whether she knew the men, but she didn't seem to hear him. She stared straight ahead at the forbidding dark wood of the pulpit. The entire place dripped with gravitas: kneelers in front of the pews, weighty candlesticks, dark-red carpeting. Even the organ music seemed more serious than festive. The melody changed, and everyone stood to look down the aisle.

Max came through the doorway and took a few tentative steps. Zoe followed, scattering rose petals from her basket. She bent down to pick some back up again. After putting the petals in the basket, she walked toward the altar, but stopped when Max came to a standstill in front of her.

Max glanced around for a minute, his eyes big and scared; then he broke into a run. He sprinted up the aisle and threw the pillow at the startled priest. “Here you go!” he yelled and ran back past the processing attendants. Zoe raced after him, squealing with delight. Her basket swung wildly, and the petals flew out.

After a moment of startled silence, everyone started laughing.

C
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30

S
al knocked on Louise's door holding a chilled bottle of champagne. She wasn't happy that Brendan and Julia had decided to keep the kids in New Orleans overnight, so he wanted to make the evening special for her. Since there weren't any fancy restaurants in Alligator Bayou, they'd have to make do.

“Just happened to have this in the fridge next to the caviar and lobster,” he said when she came to the door. She had a pink apron tied over her jeans and T-shirt, and her hair was in a ponytail.

In the kitchen, he grabbed a towel and twisted off the champagne cork. “Do you have glasses for this?”

“Nope. We'll have to use jelly jars.” Louise hefted a pot off the stove and drained some kind of curly pasta into a colander.

“Works for me.” Sal poured and sipped while she tossed the pasta with butter, sautéed mushrooms, and Parmesan cheese.

“How are the strawberry plants doing?” she asked.

“Not great. It's the end of the season anyway. I might have to try again next year.” He didn't tell her that he was spending a lot of his time plotting how to get the library tax on the ballot. She knew that he was meeting with the Friends of the Library, but he had another idea that would have to be a secret. “Can I help with anything?”

“You could set the table.”

Sal reached into a cabinet above the refrigerator and found two candlesticks fitted with brand-new candles. He rummaged in her kitchen drawer for matches. “I'm sure the kids are having fun.”

Louise's shoulders slumped. “I know. I shouldn't be thinking about them. I should be just enjoying this time with you.”

“Don't worry about it. We have the rest of our lives.” Sal immediately wished he could take the words back. He was presuming way too much.

“Yeah,” Louise said. “We're neighbors now.”

“I'd like to be more than your neighbor,” Sal said. Why not? He'd already stepped in it; he might as well jump in with both feet.

“I know. I want it too. But after the mess with Brendan, I guess I'm a little scared.” Louise turned away to grind pepper onto the pasta.

Sal came up behind her and put his arms around her waist. “I'm not Brendan.”

“Yeah.”

“And you're not Chloe. She's the one who left me on the altar five years ago. It's taken me that long to get over it. But once I met you, I decided that I was ready to stop hurting. You tell me when that time comes for you.”

Louise turned around and hugged him back. “I'm ready for it to stop now.”

Sal felt like a switch had been flipped in his body. Every part of him was awake. He didn't want to let her go, but he pulled away long enough to ask, “Do you think that pasta would be good cold?”