control and flipped over on its side, spilling household goods along the highway. The two people in the car were taken to the doctor in Cross Roads. A deputy sheriff came out and stopped the traffic.
Cars and trucks and even a bus were backed up as far back as the motor court. Some of the people got out of their cars as they waited for the wreck to be hauled off the highway, and walked up to the motor court for a drink of water.
Mary Lee stayed in the house. Eli talked to the travelers while pumping a bucket of water from the deep well that had been on the place as long as she could remember. He seemed to be more sure of himself, not quite as shy as when she first found him in the washhouse.
After the four cabins were rented for the night and the No Vacancy sign turned on, Mary Lee washed her hair. She was sitting on the back steps, combing out the tangles and enjoying the evening, when Jake’s truck turned into the lane in front of the cabins. He lifted his hand in greeting. Mary Lee nodded.
“Trudy will bring her sign-painting brush when she comes out tomorrow,” she said to Eli, who was painting the boards he had selected for the new signs.
“The background paint should be dry by then.”
“She’s going to help me clean and rearrange the kitchen. We have six chairs. We may need to use the old chair in the washhouse. We’ll have to scrub it down and get it ready.”
“It’s wobbly, but I think I can fix it.”
“Trudy’s mother suggested that we charge ten cents extra for two breakfasts if it’s for a husband and wife. For two men, twenty cents each. Do you think that’s too much? You can get a steak dinner for thirty-five cents.”
“I don’t think so. They couldn’t get two meals uptown for that.”
“It’s what Ruby said. We can try it and if it doesn’t work we’ll have to stop. Oh, Lord. I hope it works. That three hundred dollars hanging over my head is driving me crazy.”
“What’s driving you crazy?” Jake appeared at the corner of the porch.
“Eli is painting boards for our new signs; then I’m going to talk him into cutting my hair.” Mary Lee fumbled for a plausible answer.
“Cut your hair?” Eli stopped painting. “I can’t cut hair.”
“Why are you cutting it?” Jake squatted down on his heels beside the steps and pushed his hat back off his forehead. His brows puckered; the eyes beneath them held a quizzical expression.
“I like it shoulder length. When it’s longer than that, it’s too hard to take care of.”
“It’s pretty. It’d be a shame to cut it,” he said slowly.
“Let Jake cut it,” Eli said, and dropped his brush in a can of kerosene. “It’ll take me half an hour to get all this paint off.” He held his paint-splattered hands out for her to see.
“I’m in no hurry.” Mary Lee was flustered by Jake’s presence.
“Are you afraid I’ll scalp you?” He cocked his head to one side. She could feel the intensity of his gaze on her flushed face.
“Nooo . . . I only want about this much off the ends.” She held her thumb and forefinger a couple of inches apart.
He stood and reached for the comb. Mary Lee automatically got to her feet.
“Get the scissors — or do you want me to use my knife?” Mary Lee saw the teasing glint in his eyes. His firm lips were tilted in a grin.
“Oh, you!” She stepped up onto the porch and went into the house. Seconds later she returned with the shears and paused on the steps. “Maybe I should wait for Eli. I don’t like that look in your eye.”
“Don’t worry. If I had the right to say so, I’d forbid you to cut off even a smidgen. Stand there on the steps and turn around. It’ll put me about eye level with the back of your head.”
Mary Lee stood as still as a stone, praying that he didn’t know that her silly heart was beating like the wings of a wild bird caught in a snare. It seemed to her that he ran the comb through her hair for a long time before he spoke.
“I don’t know why
Cars and trucks and even a bus were backed up as far back as the motor court. Some of the people got out of their cars as they waited for the wreck to be hauled off the highway, and walked up to the motor court for a drink of water.
Mary Lee stayed in the house. Eli talked to the travelers while pumping a bucket of water from the deep well that had been on the place as long as she could remember. He seemed to be more sure of himself, not quite as shy as when she first found him in the washhouse.
After the four cabins were rented for the night and the No Vacancy sign turned on, Mary Lee washed her hair. She was sitting on the back steps, combing out the tangles and enjoying the evening, when Jake’s truck turned into the lane in front of the cabins. He lifted his hand in greeting. Mary Lee nodded.
“Trudy will bring her sign-painting brush when she comes out tomorrow,” she said to Eli, who was painting the boards he had selected for the new signs.
“The background paint should be dry by then.”
“She’s going to help me clean and rearrange the kitchen. We have six chairs. We may need to use the old chair in the washhouse. We’ll have to scrub it down and get it ready.”
“It’s wobbly, but I think I can fix it.”
“Trudy’s mother suggested that we charge ten cents extra for two breakfasts if it’s for a husband and wife. For two men, twenty cents each. Do you think that’s too much? You can get a steak dinner for thirty-five cents.”
“I don’t think so. They couldn’t get two meals uptown for that.”
“It’s what Ruby said. We can try it and if it doesn’t work we’ll have to stop. Oh, Lord. I hope it works. That three hundred dollars hanging over my head is driving me crazy.”
“What’s driving you crazy?” Jake appeared at the corner of the porch.
“Eli is painting boards for our new signs; then I’m going to talk him into cutting my hair.” Mary Lee fumbled for a plausible answer.
“Cut your hair?” Eli stopped painting. “I can’t cut hair.”
“Why are you cutting it?” Jake squatted down on his heels beside the steps and pushed his hat back off his forehead. His brows puckered; the eyes beneath them held a quizzical expression.
“I like it shoulder length. When it’s longer than that, it’s too hard to take care of.”
“It’s pretty. It’d be a shame to cut it,” he said slowly.
“Let Jake cut it,” Eli said, and dropped his brush in a can of kerosene. “It’ll take me half an hour to get all this paint off.” He held his paint-splattered hands out for her to see.
“I’m in no hurry.” Mary Lee was flustered by Jake’s presence.
“Are you afraid I’ll scalp you?” He cocked his head to one side. She could feel the intensity of his gaze on her flushed face.
“Nooo . . . I only want about this much off the ends.” She held her thumb and forefinger a couple of inches apart.
He stood and reached for the comb. Mary Lee automatically got to her feet.
“Get the scissors — or do you want me to use my knife?” Mary Lee saw the teasing glint in his eyes. His firm lips were tilted in a grin.
“Oh, you!” She stepped up onto the porch and went into the house. Seconds later she returned with the shears and paused on the steps. “Maybe I should wait for Eli. I don’t like that look in your eye.”
“Don’t worry. If I had the right to say so, I’d forbid you to cut off even a smidgen. Stand there on the steps and turn around. It’ll put me about eye level with the back of your head.”
Mary Lee stood as still as a stone, praying that he didn’t know that her silly heart was beating like the wings of a wild bird caught in a snare. It seemed to her that he ran the comb through her hair for a long time before he spoke.
“I don’t know why
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