you doing with that?” Heedless of her wet toes, Chris lurched from the bed and seized the champagne bottle. “Stay out of my suitcase, young lady.”
“Why’re youyelling at me? I only wanted to see the pretty bottle.”
Arms crossed and hiding what she held, Chris forced herself to calm down. “I wasn’t yelling.”
“Were too! And that’s not all, you weren’t listenin’ to me. Ever since your friend started comin’ over, it’s like you’re gone all the time. Why can’t I come, too?”
“Because—because children aren’t allowed where we go. And besides, I save all my days just for you.” Dropping to her knees, Chris laid the bottle aside and, in contrition, held out her arms. “Give Mama a hug, sugar.”
Audrey stepped back. “Tonight, Mama, I want you with me tonight.” With a note of hope, she added, “It’s okay with me if he’s with us, too. We could all go to the movies and—”
“When we get back to Lubbock, I’ll take you to the movies. We’ll eat all the popcorn we want and—”
“But he won’t be there, and I like your friend. Let him come to a movie with us. Please? Then we can be like a family goin’ to the movies instead of just you and me.”
“No.” Her firm denial won a pout. But better a pout now than letting Audrey get her hopes up for something that just couldn’t be. “Tell you what, I’ll ask Aunt Tammy and Uncle Rick to take you.”
Audrey emphatically shook her head. When Chris reached for her, she shot to the door and said with a sniffle, “You don’t wanna be with me tonight.”
“That’s not true.” Chris went to her and stroked the pale blond hair. “You know that’s not true, Audrey. I always want to be with you. Tomorrow I’ll make up for being gone tonight. We’ll spend the whole day together, okay?”
Audrey looked away. Following her gaze, Chris saw that it was on the bottle. Deep breath. Stop cringing, damn it.
“He doesn’t likekids, does he? I thought he was nice and he liked me, but he’s not nice.”
“But he is nice, Audrey. Greg’s just not cut out to be a daddy, that’s all.”
“Then I don’t want him to be with you. Tell him to go away, Mama. Tell him we don’t like him anymore.”
“I’m sorry, but Mama likes him and I—”
“Uncle Rick doesn’t like him neither. I heard him say so to Aunt Tammy and—”
“Stop it!” Chris froze as she realized she had almost gripped Audrey’s shoulders—to shake her. Never had she shaken Audrey, never. Only once had she even been spanked, for running in front of a car. Chris wanted to spank her now, paddle Audrey good for her childish resentment of Greg’s inability to meet her expectations.
Staring at her poised hands, then the streaks resembling pale pink bracelets on her wrists, Chris shuddered. What was happening to her? She didn’t know the woman these wrists belonged to. She didn’t know this angry mother who felt violated by her child’s curiosity over a bottle.
Chris shoved down the cuffs of her blouse. Gently, she cupped Audrey’s cheek. “Mama’s so sorry we had a fight. A few more days and we’ll go home and—”
“I wanna go home now. Please, let’s go home.”
Chris withdrew her apologetic touch and looked away, needing to distance herself from the sight of Audrey, the shrill pitch of her demands. Waves of confusion beat at her but receded beneath the lapping vision of a white-hot night too stunning for any sane woman to regret.
Avoiding Audrey’s gaze, she patted her head. “We’ll go home on New Year’s Day, just the way we planned.”
“No!” The stamp of a small foot emphasized her shout.
“Damn it, that is enough out of you! The world does not revolvearound you, Audrey Nicholson. When Mama says it’s time to go home, then we’ll go home. Do you understand me?”
“You old meanie! I’m glad you’re goin’ away, glad. I hope you stay away with your dumb old Greg, and never, ever come back!” The door slammed and Chris
“Why’re youyelling at me? I only wanted to see the pretty bottle.”
Arms crossed and hiding what she held, Chris forced herself to calm down. “I wasn’t yelling.”
“Were too! And that’s not all, you weren’t listenin’ to me. Ever since your friend started comin’ over, it’s like you’re gone all the time. Why can’t I come, too?”
“Because—because children aren’t allowed where we go. And besides, I save all my days just for you.” Dropping to her knees, Chris laid the bottle aside and, in contrition, held out her arms. “Give Mama a hug, sugar.”
Audrey stepped back. “Tonight, Mama, I want you with me tonight.” With a note of hope, she added, “It’s okay with me if he’s with us, too. We could all go to the movies and—”
“When we get back to Lubbock, I’ll take you to the movies. We’ll eat all the popcorn we want and—”
“But he won’t be there, and I like your friend. Let him come to a movie with us. Please? Then we can be like a family goin’ to the movies instead of just you and me.”
“No.” Her firm denial won a pout. But better a pout now than letting Audrey get her hopes up for something that just couldn’t be. “Tell you what, I’ll ask Aunt Tammy and Uncle Rick to take you.”
Audrey emphatically shook her head. When Chris reached for her, she shot to the door and said with a sniffle, “You don’t wanna be with me tonight.”
“That’s not true.” Chris went to her and stroked the pale blond hair. “You know that’s not true, Audrey. I always want to be with you. Tomorrow I’ll make up for being gone tonight. We’ll spend the whole day together, okay?”
Audrey looked away. Following her gaze, Chris saw that it was on the bottle. Deep breath. Stop cringing, damn it.
“He doesn’t likekids, does he? I thought he was nice and he liked me, but he’s not nice.”
“But he is nice, Audrey. Greg’s just not cut out to be a daddy, that’s all.”
“Then I don’t want him to be with you. Tell him to go away, Mama. Tell him we don’t like him anymore.”
“I’m sorry, but Mama likes him and I—”
“Uncle Rick doesn’t like him neither. I heard him say so to Aunt Tammy and—”
“Stop it!” Chris froze as she realized she had almost gripped Audrey’s shoulders—to shake her. Never had she shaken Audrey, never. Only once had she even been spanked, for running in front of a car. Chris wanted to spank her now, paddle Audrey good for her childish resentment of Greg’s inability to meet her expectations.
Staring at her poised hands, then the streaks resembling pale pink bracelets on her wrists, Chris shuddered. What was happening to her? She didn’t know the woman these wrists belonged to. She didn’t know this angry mother who felt violated by her child’s curiosity over a bottle.
Chris shoved down the cuffs of her blouse. Gently, she cupped Audrey’s cheek. “Mama’s so sorry we had a fight. A few more days and we’ll go home and—”
“I wanna go home now. Please, let’s go home.”
Chris withdrew her apologetic touch and looked away, needing to distance herself from the sight of Audrey, the shrill pitch of her demands. Waves of confusion beat at her but receded beneath the lapping vision of a white-hot night too stunning for any sane woman to regret.
Avoiding Audrey’s gaze, she patted her head. “We’ll go home on New Year’s Day, just the way we planned.”
“No!” The stamp of a small foot emphasized her shout.
“Damn it, that is enough out of you! The world does not revolvearound you, Audrey Nicholson. When Mama says it’s time to go home, then we’ll go home. Do you understand me?”
“You old meanie! I’m glad you’re goin’ away, glad. I hope you stay away with your dumb old Greg, and never, ever come back!” The door slammed and Chris
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