Chapters (38)
- one
- two
- three
- four
- five
- six
- seven
- eight
- nine
- ten
- eleven
- twelve
- thirteen
- fourteen
- fifteen
- sixteen
- seventeen
- eighteen
- nineteen
- twenty
- twenty-one
- twenty-two
- twenty-three
- twenty-four
- twenty-five
- twenty-six
- twenty-seven
- twenty-eight
- twenty-nine
- thirty
- thirty-one
- thirty-two
- thirty-three
- thirty-four
- thirty-five
- thirty-six
- thirty-seven
- epilogue
“I could come tomorrow afternoon,” I offered. It was my day off and I couldn’t wait to hear what he had to tell me.
“Tomorrow at three o’clock, if that works for you?”
“I’ll be there.” I hung up and went to find Kait, wondering what Violet might have considered a “nice sum.”
two
VIOLET
Anniston, Alabama 1947
Johnny pulled his daddy’s shiny black DeSoto to the curb in front of Violet’s house. After a quick scan for neighbors and, most importantly, Violet’s mother, he leaned over and dug his fingers into her soft blonde curls, pulling her face to his and brushing her lips tentatively. She responded with the kind of kiss she usually reserved for the Ritz Theater’s back row. Johnny heard himself groan.
Violet pulled his hands from her hair and laced her fingers palm-to-palm with his, gently pushing him away. She knew she’d gone too far for three o’clock in the afternoon in broad daylight, but Johnny smelled like peppermints and movie star cologne. She wanted to try out the back seat and finally do the things Darlene Coffey talked about at slumber parties. She wanted to follow Johnny to The University of Alabama and leave Anniston behind. She could clean and cook while he attended class. Surely Dr. Perkins could afford an apartment for the two of them instead of a stinky dorm room.
“I love you,” she told him. “I’ll see you tonight.”
“I can’t wait, doll. Tonight is going to be special.” He smoothed his black hair in the rear view mirror. “We’re going to show this car things it’s never dreamed of.” Dr. Perkins had bought a new Cadillac three weeks ago and given Johnny full-time use of the DeSoto as long as he kept his grades up and ran the occasional errand for his parents.
Violet giggled. She was on top of the world, seventeen and beautiful, with the most wonderful boy in love with her. Life could not get any better. She knew the Hourglass would have a page dedicated to her as homecoming queen, and expected she and Johnny would be named Best Looking or Most Popular. She smoothed the skirt of her cherry print dress and adjusted the cap sleeves. Johnny came around to help her out and hand her books over.
“Don’t walk me to the door. She knows we’re out here by now, and I’d just want to kiss you goodbye again.” She touched a fingertip to Johnny’s lips. “Tonight.” Violet offered him her most alluring smile and turned to sashay up the walk, noticing he didn’t even start the car until she’d closed the front door.
She dropped her books on the kitchen table and heard Mama calling. “Honey? Betty needs you to babysit tonight. She said you should be there by six.”
“Can’t she get someone else?” Violet wailed up the stairs. “I have plans.”