Time in Love

Chapter Ten

The next morning is delightfully normal. No one comes to bang on our door, no jaw dropping man come to take me out and no crazy parties are thrown. Just your average day in town.

I watch mama peel the sides of an orange for Emilia. Then she squeals when citrus drops onto her dress. Just as she's about to drop the orange straight onto the pavement a hand reaches down to catch it.

I look up to see Digby standing before me.

"Aye! Peggy, long time no see." He said with his lopsided grin.

Digby was what I would've called a jaw droppingly handsome before I'd met Romeo. Digby wasn't the sharpest tool in the shed but he certainly was the kindest. He was the kind of man who'd go out of his way to defend a lady he didn't even know just because she was a lady.

One of those guys who reminded me chivalry wasn't dead. If only he weren't so...

"G' mornin Digby!" I chirped, mimicking his southern draw. It drew a laugh out of his full lips.

"Mornin pretty!"

Flirty.

He winked at me with his lashes that curled in a way women would be envious of and pearl blue eyes that could rival my own.

He had a kind of all American beauty that reminded me of Romeo. Except Romeo didn't have the hardworking look and careless placement of dirty blonde tuffs of hair like Digby did. No scars from wrestling bulls, and no tan from working hard out in the sun. Everything about Romeo was pristine, put together, unmovable, and inexplicably prestigious.

"Folk r' sayin you got yer self a prince?" He questioned with a raise of his one of his thick eyebrows.

One other thing I forgot to mention about Digby.

Digby placed his arm beside my head onto the wall where I stood and leaned in so his breath brushed against my ear.

"Makin me think you've given up on you n' me." He whispered and tingles ran down my spine.

Digby loved to be loved.

Then he leaned backwards letting his arms swing by his side as a cheeky and somewhat mischievous grin stretched his face.

I swiveled my head around to make sure my mother and sister weren't watching when I socked him in the shoulder.

"You dog! What if someone saw!" I chided him. He gripped his shoulder and howled dramatically like a kicked puppy.

"Like who? Yer' prince?" Digby teased as my face flushed pink.

I rolled my eyes at his petty comment. "You know he could get you hanged for what you just did to me!" I snapped.

"An' who's tellin?" Digby snorted.

I sneered. "Me, if you keep making inappropriate passes at me!"

"You an me are old friends Peggy! I know you better than you know your self! You wouldn't tell." He claimed but his voice hitched a little higher on the last sentence.

My bluff ended when I said his tearful eyes staring down at me. "I wouldn't," I sighed in defeat.

His face brightened in less than a second. And before he could say anything else a couple of women called to him from farther in the town square.

They were working girls, the kind of girls who could fuck when they wanted to and who they wanted.

Digbys head snapped in their direction and after years of knowing him I knew he wouldn't stay when a group of ladies were calling.

"See ya Peggy! Good luck with yer Prince! If he ain't man enough you know who's door to knock!" Digby exclaimed, barely able to keep from running as he made his way across the road.

I rolled my eyes seeing as how he wouldn't change even a bit a year from now.

—

Later that day, I watched as Emilia played out in the rain. It was dark and stormy and mama was taking her nap so we had little to worry about. If mama did wake up to see Emilia caked in mud she'd probably make sure we never felt rain again.

I watched over dutifully as Emilia pulled at lumps of mud and dirt into a small pile and decorated it with rocks and leaves until she was satisfied.

"Are you planning to eat that mud cake?" I called out over the rain. Emilia gave me a cheeky smile and waggled her filthy fingers at me.

"I will! And when I do, I'll turn into a mud monster who gets to play in the rain every day!" She shouted with maniacal laughter to finish off her statement.

"God, you'd think she was a boy in this much mud."

I nearly jumped ten feet out of my seat on the back porch.

A part of me wondered if it was Kai, creeping up on my again. Then I looked up and saw the shroud sneer only one girl I knew could master.

"I don't remember being this disgusting as a little girl." Tulip snapped. But not loud enough to where Emilia could hear her nasty comments. Tulip could be nasty and conniving but she never had the heart to be that was to Emilia. I'm not sure anyone did, she was just that cute of a kid. If not a bit peculiar.

I sighed when she sat down next to me to watch Emilia create snow angles in the mud.

I sigh, "We both were Tulip, no need to be so hostile."

Tulip narrows her eyes at me. "I was seven, Emilia's eight and still a mess." Tulip chides. "Also, I'm in no way being hostile I am simply expressing worry."

I roll my eyes. There's no winning with Tulip so I don't attempt to.

Tulip watches as Emilia pretends to be a soldier going into battle, crawling under imaginary bushes and trees.

I watch her cringe in distaste.

"You know I don't think she has any female friends at school. I only ever see her walking with that Jefferson kid." Tulip examines.

I wanted to argue her, that there was nothing wrong with having a male companion and many girls were the same. But common sense told me not to.

Unlike other girls, Emilia had never been interested in Jefferson. Sometimes, she'd even talk about men like they were her friends and women as things to be anxious around.

I worried for the day that Emilia would develop and realize boys wouldn't hang around her for anything but her prospects and women would pick her skin every time they got a chance.

I breathed deeply. "Tulip, it is hard being a woman. Let her enjoy her youth while it lasts. As long as she has the looks of a child she's free, do not ruin her with a harsh reality."

And for once, Tulip did not argue.