Contents ( 66)
- Cover
- Books by Valerie Fraser Luesse
- Title Page
- Copyright Page
- Dedication
- Contents
- Map of Florida
- 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
- thirty-eight
- thirty-nine
- forty
- forty-one
- forty-two
- forty-three
- forty-four
- forty-five
- forty-six
- forty-seven
- forty-eight
- forty-nine
- fifty
- fifty-one
- Epilogue
- Keep Reading for a Preview of Valerie Luesse’s Next Book!
- Prologue
- one
- Acknowledgments
- About the Author
- Back Ads
- Back Cover
“Daddy says there’s always sunshine down in Florida and fruit on all the trees—you can just pull off the road and pick you some whenever you get hungry. He says Florida’s a land o’ plenty and he’s fixin’ to take his share.”
“When are y’all leaving?”
“You sure do ask a lotta questions. I don’t think I ever had nobody ask me so many questions.”
“I’m sorry—am I being nosy?”
“It’s okay,” Bonnie said, smiling at him. “I think you got a good heart.”
“How can you tell?”
“Because when people’s got black hearts, it shows in their eyes. There ain’t no light in ’em cause there ain’t no light inside. You got lots o’ light.”
“Thanks.” Peyton took a paper napkin and wiped a stray crumb from Bonnie’s chin. “I reckon I’d have to say the same about you. Tell you what—wait right here just a second.”
Peyton went back through the cafeteria line and got a box of fried chicken and rolls. As he paid the cashier, he asked to borrow a pen. Then he grabbed a few paper napkins and returned to Bonnie and Jasper.
“What you writin’ on that there napkin?” Bonnie asked, leaning across the table. Jasper was staring out the plate-glass window, pointing his finger at one after another of the portraits on the wall.
“I’m writing my name and my Uncle Jimmy’s phone number in Savannah. Well, he’s not really my uncle—he’s Daddy’s law partner—but I call him that, and he’ll know I sent you if you call him that too. If Florida doesn’t work out and y’all come back to Georgia, Uncle Jimmy can get your daddy a job. What’s his name?”
“Fountain Jarvis.”
“Alright then. I’ll let Uncle Jimmy know to be on the lookout for a call from Fountain Jarvis.” Peyton slid the napkin to Bonnie, who carefully folded it and tucked it into her pocket. Then he took another napkin and wrote a note to Bonnie’s mother, folded it, and tucked in some money from his wallet. “Put this in your pocket too.”
“We ain’t s’posed to take no handouts,” Bonnie said, frowning and crossing her arms across her chest. “Handouts makes Daddy look bad.”
“It’s not a handout,” Peyton said. “It’s a thank-you for keeping me comp’ny. I woulda had to eat all by myself if you and Jasper hadn’t come along. Sure is lonesome to eat by yourself.”
“It sure is.” She stared solemnly at Peyton. “How come you done all this for us?”
He thought about it for a second. “Because everybody oughta help everybody else when they can. You’d help me if I needed it, wouldn’t you?”
Bonnie slowly nodded. “I sure would. Things just ain’t never been where I could help nobody.”
“You’re helping your mama right now by takin’ care o’ Jasper. And you helped Jasper when you asked me to share my pie.”
“I guess I did,” Bonnie said with a big grin.
“How ’bout I walk y’all back to your mama and you take her this box o’ chicken?”