Page 13 of Blue Umbrella Sky
“You won’t be the first to call me weird, friend, and I’m pretty sure you won’t be the last. I’ll take it as a compliment.”
Billy started up the steps to the church front doors. It was the least he could do, after the mystifying lengths this character had gone to for him. How long did an AA meeting last, anyway? An hour? Billy shrugged. As he opened the door for Jon, he asked, “You think I’m an alcoholic?”
“I think whatIthink doesn’t matter. I also think you know the answer to that question.” Jon smirked. He leaned in as they entered the church and whispered, “Just keep your mind open, okay?”
And Billy promised he would.
Chapter 5
“I CAN’Ttake your bed.” Milt looked nervously around the interior of the trailer as though there might be other beds he’d missed that he and Ruby could use for the night. Or would it be for more than the night? How long would it take for his trailer to dry out? To replace the essentials that needed replacing?
Billy tucked in the bottom half of a clean set of sheets. They were light blue, like Billy’s eyes, and smelled of fabric softener. Milt was glad they’d taken the time to give Ruby a little cleanup before bringing her inside. Was there anything more comforting than the smell of clean sheets? Milt was so tired that he could fall headfirst into that expanse of blue cotton before him and simply sleep for days. The sheets almost called out to him, beckoning.Why am I so hesitant to accept this gift?
Maybe it was because he didn’t know this Billy person. Not really. It didn’t seem right to accepttoomuch hospitality from someone he’d just met. Milt would do just fine, wouldn’t he, huddled up on the little love seat behind him? It wouldn’t be too uncomfortable if he dangled his legs over the edge….
Billy unfurled the top sheet in the air with a snapping noise that sounded like the crack of a whip. Ruby eyed him and slowly, cautiously, backed behind the beat-up corduroy recliner. After a second she poked her head out, regarding both men with intense dark eyes.
“You can sleep in the bed, and you will. I don’t want to hear any more about it.” Billy tucked in the top sheet, threw a worn but beautiful patchwork quilt in shades of teal, orange, and gray overtop, and then added a couple of pillows. Looking pleased with himself, he placed his hands on his hips and said, “Looks pretty comfy, huh?”
“Yes, yes it does.” Milt sighed. “Are you sure? Where will you sleep?” Milt eyed the love seat as though it were a torture device. And, for a big guy like Billy, he was certain it would be.
“I have a sleeping bag. I’ll be fine on the floor.” He leaned in close, and Milt was almost breathless at the sight of the purity of his face—the clean, unlined skin, so smooth. He wondered what it would feel like to run his fingers across Billy’s cheekbones, along his jaw, to tease the cleft in his chin.
Stop it now! He’s just a boy. A neighbor trying to help you out.Milt felt heat rise to his face that he recognized as shame. “Are you sure?”
“Please. Will you stop? I’mnotgoing to debate this with you, no matter how hard you try. You’ve been through a hell of an ordeal today. You’re exhausted. I don’t mean to be rude, but it shows. I can say the same for Ruby over there, hiding behind the chair. And I don’t mind if she joins you on the bed.”
Milt had to bite his tongue not to say, “I wouldn’t mind ifyoujoined me on the bed.” But he knew how lecherous that would sound, how creepy. And besides, it could only be a platonic invitation anyway.
You made a promise.
Milt looked outside and saw that it was just beginning to get dark. One thing he loved about the desert was how inky the sky was and how the stars sparkled more brightly here, how each of them stood out more prominently. For the first time, Milt could easily make out constellations, trace the course of a falling star, see the Milky Way. He always imagined one of the stars was his Corky, looking down on him, keeping him safe.
Lord, what must he think seeing me now, with this young buck?Milt laughed.
“What’s so funny?”
Milt replied, “Nothin’. Just a thought. Hey, at least let me go grab a bottle of wine. A little rain couldn’t have hurt my wine rack, right? I got some nice reds. You like wine, Billy? Or I have beer too.”
Billy turned from Milt to fluff the pillows. “I’m fine, Milt. The only thing you need to do is get some shut-eye. Okay?”
Milt sat down on the edge of the bed. Tail between her legs, Ruby came over to sit beside him. He scratched her behind the ears, feeling an almost heart-wrenching burst of love and gratitude that she wasn’t lost to the storm. “Okay, but tomorrow I’m taking you out for breakfast, anywhere you want. And we can also figure out where I can stay until we get my home back in order.”
“You can stay here, Milt.”
“No. It’s too much.”And too tempting.“No offense, buddy, but you don’t have a lot of space to spare.”
Billy laughed. “Well, I can’t argue with that, but seriously, you’re welcome here.”
“I appreciate that.”
After a period of silence that went on just long enough to become awkward, Billy stretched and said, “I’m gonna take a little walk, let you guys get settled. I can stop in at your place if you want me to grab anything. I promise to be quiet when I get home.”
Milt couldn’t think of anything he needed, at least, nothing he couldn’t get for himself in the morning. “I’m good. And don’t worry about waking us up. It’s your house.”
“Be it ever so humble.”
“It’s nice! And I, for one, really appreciate staying here. And so does Ruby.” Milt flopped back on the bed and suddenly feared he might be asleep before Billy opened the door to step out into the night. He stared up at the plain white ceiling, imagining stars suspended there. His eyelids fluttered and he yawned.
