Jim was taking it out now, touching down on the last refrain, and Leo watched him do it, watched him keep his eyes closed while he sang out the last trembling notes. It came to Leo that when his father played in front of women-Allie that once, and now Helena-he sounded sweeter somehow, and even more in tune. He wasn’t just Jim anymore; he was Guitar Jimmy, who was drawing out the last line now, really sliding the notes on the Dobro, and he sounded so fine, his music blowing right over the bridge into Truth City, that it was plain to Leo those very notes had had as much of a hand in getting him born as did Jim and Katie Faye. Helena stood and clapped. She stuck two fingers between her lips and whistled.

After, they all got into Ryder’s Impala and drove to Beatrice’s for ice cream. Leo sat in the back seat with his father, and when they turned off Paper Boulevard into the lot, Leo saw Chick’s flatbed truck parked in the far corner. There were other cars too, the neon letters that spelled out “The UFO Show” shining down red and white on the hoods and the picnic tables in front of them. In the sky were wide streaks of bruised orange and green, the sun gone now. Leo walked behind Ryder and Helena for one of the outdoor tables. He looked up through the big lighted windows and saw Allie standing at a booth pouring two men coffee. She was smiling at something one of them was saying. The diner’s door was hooked open and the jukebox inside played the Beatles’ song “Help.”

Ryder took orders and went in for the ice cream.

“You men amaze me.” Helena smiled at Jim and Leo across the table. “Why don’t you ever play down at the club, Jimmy?”

“We put on a show every Wednesday night.”

“You do not.”

“He means at our house,” Leo said. “For Lars and the poker guys.”

“Oh that man wouldn’t know real music if it gave him back a head of hair. You need to perform in public. My Lord, your only competition in this town is that silly Ladies’ Auxiliary League.”

Jim smiled and started talking about what it’s like to play in honky-tonks, how a jukebox gets more respect. Leo looked back up through Beatrice’s windows, but didn’t see Allie. She was probably back behind the counter, but he wasn’t going to stand up to find out. And he sure didn’t need to give Sid a view of him either.

Ryder walked up carrying two ice cream cones in each hand. Helena took her chocolate. “I was just telling these handsome men that you boys should put on a show in that darn gazebo. I don’t even think you need a permit this time of year. You just sign your name on the roster.”

Ryder winked at Jim and Leo as he handed them their ice creams. He sat down and bit into his vanilla.