It Burns a Lovely Light by penny mccann pennington Page B
Authors: penny mccann pennington
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about your parents."
"Me too." William pushed his glasses up on his
nose. "My sister won't come out of her room."
"She's doing what she needs to do." September pulled a large ripe tomato from the vine and held it under William's nose. "Smell."
Closing his eyes, he took a long, deep whiff. It smelled like sweat, grass and summer.
"Are you a vegetablarian?"
"No," said September, laughing. "I'd die if I
couldn't have a rare, juicy steak once in a while - especially around my period. But I do love a tomato still warm from the sun. Want a bite?"
"Maybe after we wash it."
He watched, fascinated, as she opened her mouth and sunk her
white teeth into the tomato. Juice squirted down her blouse. She closed her eyes and let out a long, sensual moan. William giggled.
"Sorry," he said, covering his mouth. "I'm
extremely immature."
September wiped her chin with her wrist and smiled. "Never apologize for being yourself."
Chapter 14
The slam of the mudroom door startled Veda Marie out of her
thoughts. William stomped into the kitchen, dropped his package on the table, and stormed out of the house.
A tired-looking Claire appeared in the doorway, her arms
full of packages.
"What in the world?" said Veda Marie, as she placed another folded sheet in her basket.
"William is upset that I didn't bring my best manners to town."
Veda Marie raised her eyebrows. "Because you usually
do?"
Claire scowled. "I don't know how you ever played poker with those eyebrows."
William ran down the back yard, through the trail in the
woods, and down the hillside steps. When he got to the place where the houses were closer together, he sat. He watched a man try to light a grill on his back deck. The man's wife set the small picnic table and chased bees away from the
condiments. Two girls practiced cheers in the grass. Down here on these steps, there was a lot more happiness for William to watch.
Veda Marie handed Claire a laundry basket.
"Come on," she said. "You can tell me all
about it while we make up Mr. Winston's bed."
"Since when do we make up our boarders' beds?"
"Fitted sheets can be tricky. I can't stand the thought
of the old man struggling with them."
"He's not old. I'd put him at late sixties, tops. You're going to be fifty soon." Claire bumped Veda Marie as they walked to his room. "Who knows? The two of you might hit it off."
"Now you're talking crazy, Claire Sullivan."
"Why? I see more and more interracial couples..."
"You know I don't give a damn what color Mr. Winston
is. But I have a strict policy of only dating men who can keep up with me. The man uses a cane, for crying out loud!"
Initially, Claire and Veda Marie had decided not to accept any more boarders. September, Resa, and Farley filled the third floor and Joe,
William, Claire, and Veda Marie took up the second floor. The only room left was the one behind the kitchen, and such close proximity to the kitchen might lead to privacy issues.
Then along came Mr. Winston, a distinguished gentleman with
blue-black skin, a perfectly groomed white beard, and a slight hearing loss. The retired professor of architecture had an old-world manner that had appealed to both women. Besides, as Claire pointed out, they could use the extra money.
Veda Marie spread a clean sheet over Mr. Winston's bed.
"All right, back to you," she said. "Tell me why you misplaced your manners."
Claire tugged on the sheet. "William and I ran into Mr.
Franco, the owner of The Novel Hovel."
The Novel Hovel was a used bookstore Claire and her father used to frequent. They'd often spend their Saturdays in that dark little store,
going through mountains of used books, searching for treasures.
"That old man is still alive? He was old twenty years ago."
"Still kicking." Claire grimaced as she tucked in
the corners. "So today he tipped his hat and said 'hello.' I ignored him and kept walking, which upset William."
Veda Marie was surprised. Claire could be crotchety, but she
"Me too." William pushed his glasses up on his
nose. "My sister won't come out of her room."
"She's doing what she needs to do." September pulled a large ripe tomato from the vine and held it under William's nose. "Smell."
Closing his eyes, he took a long, deep whiff. It smelled like sweat, grass and summer.
"Are you a vegetablarian?"
"No," said September, laughing. "I'd die if I
couldn't have a rare, juicy steak once in a while - especially around my period. But I do love a tomato still warm from the sun. Want a bite?"
"Maybe after we wash it."
He watched, fascinated, as she opened her mouth and sunk her
white teeth into the tomato. Juice squirted down her blouse. She closed her eyes and let out a long, sensual moan. William giggled.
"Sorry," he said, covering his mouth. "I'm
extremely immature."
September wiped her chin with her wrist and smiled. "Never apologize for being yourself."
Chapter 14
The slam of the mudroom door startled Veda Marie out of her
thoughts. William stomped into the kitchen, dropped his package on the table, and stormed out of the house.
A tired-looking Claire appeared in the doorway, her arms
full of packages.
"What in the world?" said Veda Marie, as she placed another folded sheet in her basket.
"William is upset that I didn't bring my best manners to town."
Veda Marie raised her eyebrows. "Because you usually
do?"
Claire scowled. "I don't know how you ever played poker with those eyebrows."
William ran down the back yard, through the trail in the
woods, and down the hillside steps. When he got to the place where the houses were closer together, he sat. He watched a man try to light a grill on his back deck. The man's wife set the small picnic table and chased bees away from the
condiments. Two girls practiced cheers in the grass. Down here on these steps, there was a lot more happiness for William to watch.
Veda Marie handed Claire a laundry basket.
"Come on," she said. "You can tell me all
about it while we make up Mr. Winston's bed."
"Since when do we make up our boarders' beds?"
"Fitted sheets can be tricky. I can't stand the thought
of the old man struggling with them."
"He's not old. I'd put him at late sixties, tops. You're going to be fifty soon." Claire bumped Veda Marie as they walked to his room. "Who knows? The two of you might hit it off."
"Now you're talking crazy, Claire Sullivan."
"Why? I see more and more interracial couples..."
"You know I don't give a damn what color Mr. Winston
is. But I have a strict policy of only dating men who can keep up with me. The man uses a cane, for crying out loud!"
Initially, Claire and Veda Marie had decided not to accept any more boarders. September, Resa, and Farley filled the third floor and Joe,
William, Claire, and Veda Marie took up the second floor. The only room left was the one behind the kitchen, and such close proximity to the kitchen might lead to privacy issues.
Then along came Mr. Winston, a distinguished gentleman with
blue-black skin, a perfectly groomed white beard, and a slight hearing loss. The retired professor of architecture had an old-world manner that had appealed to both women. Besides, as Claire pointed out, they could use the extra money.
Veda Marie spread a clean sheet over Mr. Winston's bed.
"All right, back to you," she said. "Tell me why you misplaced your manners."
Claire tugged on the sheet. "William and I ran into Mr.
Franco, the owner of The Novel Hovel."
The Novel Hovel was a used bookstore Claire and her father used to frequent. They'd often spend their Saturdays in that dark little store,
going through mountains of used books, searching for treasures.
"That old man is still alive? He was old twenty years ago."
"Still kicking." Claire grimaced as she tucked in
the corners. "So today he tipped his hat and said 'hello.' I ignored him and kept walking, which upset William."
Veda Marie was surprised. Claire could be crotchety, but she
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