Page 25 of My Redneck Baby Daddy

Something in my chest turned all the way over.

"Rue?"

"I think I'm falling in love with him."

Regina did not say anything for a moment.

"Rue Boo," she said, "that's not a bad thing."

I watched him through that window and could not make myself agree with her.

Chapter 8

Bobby Jo

My mama's kitchen faucet had been dripping since May. It was an angry steady, plink, plink, plink as it hit against the bowl she had under there to keep the space dry. She hadn’t mentioned it not once.

When I got there Sunday around two with my toolbox and a bag of the peaches from a place down the road, she had me under the sink inside of ten minutes. I’d bought her this place eight years ago, three bedrooms on a half acre with a porch she could sit on. She had never once let me act like she needed it but she more than deserved it.

"You want tea?" She asked.

"In a minute, Mama."

I heard her shuffling around. "It's already poured."

"Then I reckon I want tea."

She set it on the counter above my head and stayed right there, which was the first sign. Sue Ellen Maddox didn’t hover. She’d worked the same school cafeteria line for twenty-six years and was never built for standing around watching a grown man turn a wrench.

I got the cartridge out. "Seat's shot. I'll run get one."

"Sooo….what’s her name?"

I stopped turning the wrench. "Whose name?"

"The woman got you walking around here smiling at plumbing."

"I ain't smiling."

"That's worse." She sipped her tea. "Means you're in love."

I sat up against the cabinet slowly, trying to avoid wacking my head, with my back on the pipe and gave up.

"Her name's Rue."

"Rue what?"

"Ellis."

Mama's mouth moved around like she was tasting it. "I ought to know that name."

"You probably do."

"Give me a minute. It'll come." She pulled a chair over from the table and sat down in it right there in the middle of her kitchen. "Tell me about her."

So I did.

I told her Rue taught English at the high school and had read every book in the world twice and couldn’t let a man say ain't without her eye doing something.