I want more of that, I do. But I also know that it can never be anything permanent. I just can’t do that to Robbie. We have to take what we can get now, Stephen, and let’s worry about the then when we get there. That’s all I can offer. It’s all I’ve ever been able to offer. Can we do that?”
Stephen nodded, but he knew he couldn’t, ever. He would let Dustin believe that he could, but he would never be rid of the constant nibbling fear that this relationship was about to end; that he would be able to handle the fact that one day Dustin would be there, and the next... the next he just wouldn’t, ever again.
Chapter 17
The Diner
Robbie had finished his omelet and his cocoa and sat with what looked like a growing nervousness. He smiled suddenly and glanced at Miss Emily uneasily, as if he wasn’t quite sure if he should broach the subject with her present.
“I ‘member another letter, want to hear it?” he asked Stephen quietly.
Stephen shook his head. He knew Robbie, or at least Robbie’s mind, was trying to distract itself from his most pressing concern, but Stephen couldn’t bear to hear another one. He knew every comma, every pain behind every single word he’d written. It was the most inflicted prose he had ever put to pen.
“I...” He glanced at Miss Emily, watching to see if she would keep Robbie from answering his question. “I’d like to know what happened,” he said hesitantly.
Robbie and Miss Emily exchanged a glance, sharing something between themselves.
“Aw, Mr. Stephen I don’t ....”
“Tell him,” Miss Emily said, cutting him off sharply.
Robbie looked back and forth between Stephen and Miss Emily, as if reluctant and unsure of what to do. Finally he nodded. It was not his first telling by far, but even for the simpleton they claimed he was, it was no less painful.
*****
There was a hard squint in Dusty’s eye as he looked up the long dirt road that led to his trailer. Easily visible in the distance was a billowing cloud of dust that Stewart was creating as he barreled down the hardened gravel in his red pickup truck.
“You two have a fight?” Dusty asked as they watched Stewart speed toward them.
“No, not that I know of,” Robbie answered.
“He doesn’t need an excuse,” Dusty said with open contempt. “Go on in the house,” he ordered Robbie.
“But Dusty...”
Dusty turned to him. “Robbie, when was the last time Stewart came out here?”
Robbie shook his head. “I dunno, I think when we was supposed to go get that stud colt.”
“Exactly, now go on in the house,” Dusty told him with a nod toward the door. “Whatever has his panties in a wad brought him all the way out here so.... go in the house, please.”
Robbie glanced at him and looked up the road with a worried expression. “But don’t be riling him. Okay?”
“Sure. Now go on in the house.”
Robbie turned and lumbered to the trailer, taking a position inside the screen door as Stewart’s truck slammed to a stop. His Pa could get downright ornery when it came to Dusty, and they’d had more than a few arguments about it even though he’d fibbed to Dusty and told him that he’d dropped supper, or some other such nonsense Dusty would have been likely to believe.
It didn’t need to be said that his Pa figured Dusty would fail in the military and return home without his uniform or all those shiny medals he got. Pa wasn’t too happy that it turned out so much different than he figured it would. In fact, his pa seemed downright jealous since Dusty came back from U-rope, but it weren’t no use in making things worse than they were between the two of them, so he never said nothing to Dusty about that either.
“Robbie, get your big, dumb ass out here now!” Stewart screamed.
“Stay right where you are, Robbie,” Dusty said without turning around. “What do you want here?” he asked Stewart.
Stephen nodded, but he knew he couldn’t, ever. He would let Dustin believe that he could, but he would never be rid of the constant nibbling fear that this relationship was about to end; that he would be able to handle the fact that one day Dustin would be there, and the next... the next he just wouldn’t, ever again.
Chapter 17
The Diner
Robbie had finished his omelet and his cocoa and sat with what looked like a growing nervousness. He smiled suddenly and glanced at Miss Emily uneasily, as if he wasn’t quite sure if he should broach the subject with her present.
“I ‘member another letter, want to hear it?” he asked Stephen quietly.
Stephen shook his head. He knew Robbie, or at least Robbie’s mind, was trying to distract itself from his most pressing concern, but Stephen couldn’t bear to hear another one. He knew every comma, every pain behind every single word he’d written. It was the most inflicted prose he had ever put to pen.
“I...” He glanced at Miss Emily, watching to see if she would keep Robbie from answering his question. “I’d like to know what happened,” he said hesitantly.
Robbie and Miss Emily exchanged a glance, sharing something between themselves.
“Aw, Mr. Stephen I don’t ....”
“Tell him,” Miss Emily said, cutting him off sharply.
Robbie looked back and forth between Stephen and Miss Emily, as if reluctant and unsure of what to do. Finally he nodded. It was not his first telling by far, but even for the simpleton they claimed he was, it was no less painful.
*****
There was a hard squint in Dusty’s eye as he looked up the long dirt road that led to his trailer. Easily visible in the distance was a billowing cloud of dust that Stewart was creating as he barreled down the hardened gravel in his red pickup truck.
“You two have a fight?” Dusty asked as they watched Stewart speed toward them.
“No, not that I know of,” Robbie answered.
“He doesn’t need an excuse,” Dusty said with open contempt. “Go on in the house,” he ordered Robbie.
“But Dusty...”
Dusty turned to him. “Robbie, when was the last time Stewart came out here?”
Robbie shook his head. “I dunno, I think when we was supposed to go get that stud colt.”
“Exactly, now go on in the house,” Dusty told him with a nod toward the door. “Whatever has his panties in a wad brought him all the way out here so.... go in the house, please.”
Robbie glanced at him and looked up the road with a worried expression. “But don’t be riling him. Okay?”
“Sure. Now go on in the house.”
Robbie turned and lumbered to the trailer, taking a position inside the screen door as Stewart’s truck slammed to a stop. His Pa could get downright ornery when it came to Dusty, and they’d had more than a few arguments about it even though he’d fibbed to Dusty and told him that he’d dropped supper, or some other such nonsense Dusty would have been likely to believe.
It didn’t need to be said that his Pa figured Dusty would fail in the military and return home without his uniform or all those shiny medals he got. Pa wasn’t too happy that it turned out so much different than he figured it would. In fact, his pa seemed downright jealous since Dusty came back from U-rope, but it weren’t no use in making things worse than they were between the two of them, so he never said nothing to Dusty about that either.
“Robbie, get your big, dumb ass out here now!” Stewart screamed.
“Stay right where you are, Robbie,” Dusty said without turning around. “What do you want here?” he asked Stewart.
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