Once, after skating and devouring ice cream cones on the porch, Lee dared to ask if she still kept the deed to the rink at the house. And if she’d filed it with the county.
She scooted closer to him, kissed his full, ice cream–sweetened lips. “You know what I said, Lee. If you ever asked about the rink again, I’ll kick you out of my house for the rest of your born days. Hear me?”
By the look on his face, he heard.
Even better than all the buying, skating, loving, and sprucing up, Lee and Dupree talked like men. A high school graduate now, Dup worked for Mr. Day’s carpentry company full-time. In the evenings, he and Leroy listened to the radio and talked sports and war.
It took some time, but Tuesday grew accustomed to her husband being home, though she knew better than to hope this was the new way of things. Lee carried a faraway look in his eyes, and his shoulders sagged under a heaviness known only to him.
One night, as she washed dishes and he rolled a cigarette, she said, “I don’t like you talking to Dup about war, Lee. He’s a dreamer. He’ll get wild ideas in his head, try to join up like his brother did. LJ’s going to lose his citizenship over this. I don’t want Dupree following the same path.”
“LJ will be fine. Once we’re in this thing, the American government will do something for the boys who fought for England. As for Dup, I told him to stick near Sea Blue Beach.” Leroy struck a match, and the fragrance of tobacco filled the kitchen. “Until he gets called up. Though he should be going off to college.”
“What?” Tuesday exclaimed. “Called up?”
“There’s something else too, baby. I talked to my old commander.” Lee moved to the porch door to release a plume of smoke. “I can reenlist, go in at my former rank of sergeant.”
“Reenlist?” Tuesday flung water and suds to the floor as she whirled around. “You’re thinking of going back in the army? You’re forty-two years old. Why would they want you? Why do you want to go? What happened to FDR keeping us out of this?”
“When you see rain clouds gathering...” Leroy took a long drag of his cigarette. “The army wants experienced men. Besides, Idone some things I ain’t proud of, Tooz.” Regret tainted his confession. “I told myself I was doing it for you and the boys, getting us to a better life. After all, how can a common working man climb the ladder of success when greedy politicians make laws for their own benefit and hike up the taxes?”
“You don’t have to join the army to redeem yourself, Lee. Just start doing honest work.”
“I ain’t cut out to run a skating rink, Tuesday. Or sack groceries or sweep floors. The boss is after me to run gambling in the back room at the Starlight after closing.” Leroy’s cigarette perfumed the kitchen with tobacco. “I want out of the racket. This ain’t my game, never was, but I tried. Doc said it best. ‘Lee, you’re a fighter.’ He’s right. Ever since the Great War, I ain’t found my place.” He looked into her eyes. “Except with you.” He dropped his cigarette to the porch boards and stamped it out. “I liked soldiering. It was honorable. Compared to what I do now, it’s downright noble.”
Tuesday dried her hands, wrapped her arms about his waist, and rested her head against his chest. “You do what you have to do, Leroy Knight. And when you’re done, I’ll be here, waiting for you.”
He tipped her face up to his with a soft touch on her chin. “Youare my starlight, Tuesday Knight. I loved you the first moment I saw you.” His kiss was tender and full of love. “I’m sorry I’ve let you down.”
“You gave me two beautiful boys, a home—”
“Lonely nights.”
“The Starlight.”
“Raising our boys on your own.”
“Yet here we are with two healthy,goodsons, a business I love and can run on my own. You may have run around too much for my taste, but you never abandoned me like my mama and granny. You gave me what no one else saw fit to do. You gave me love. Lee, I’ve felt it from the first time you held my hand.”
He wrapped her in his arms and together they faced the cool wind as the first raindrops fell. “I’ll be around for a little while,” hesaid. “I’ll fix up the house and anything else you need at the Starlight.” He tugged a piece of paper from his pocket. “This is a bank account in New Orleans. Never, ever show it to anyone, hear me? But if you need anything, you call this number and ask for Monte.”
“Lee, I don’t want blood money.”
“It ain’t blood money. In fact, I’ve probably saved it from being blood money.”
“You stole it?”
“From thieves, crooks, murderers, and liars, yes.”
“Then I can’t.” She tried to shove the note away, but Lee folded it into her hand.
“I won’t sleep at night unless you have this, Tooz. You don’t have to use it if you don’t want, but just in case...”
She relented and tucked the paper in her pocket. “Dup’s manning the rink tonight with Treader. How about we drive over to Niceville and see the new Roy Rogers picture,Colorado?”
“You just want to see if the newsreels will update you on the battle in Britain.”
“We might get a glimpse of LJ.”
