Fool That I Am Read Online Free Page B

discussions about the merits of water
Pokémon versus fire Pokémon. He even kept his cool when Lola started crying
after dumping too much ranch on her salad. He calmly got up, scraped it in the
trash, and got her a new bowl of salad with the perfect amount of dressing. In
between all this, he also managed to ask questions about Billie’s day at work,
remembered the names of her coworkers, and even asked after her parents.
    When there was nothing left on the table but crumbs and
sticky cheese in the bottom of the bowl, the kids excused themselves. Lola
headed to the TV room to watch Disney Junior and Derrick grabbed Billie’s
laptop to search Amazon for his next book. That left Billie and Sam to take
care of the mess left behind by hungry kids.
    Out of long practice, they worked as a team to clean the
kitchen. While she loaded the economy dishwasher with their dirty dishes, he
put away the condiments and leftover salad.  He got the washcloth and
wiped the kitchen table and she danced around him sweeping up the detritus left
on the floor from overzealous kids with imperfect eating habits. Fifteen
minutes later, the kitchen was clean and Billie pulled two beers out of the
fridge and handed one to Sam to celebrate.
    Even though it was early November, the temperature outside
was only 60 degrees thanks to Kentucky’s notoriously fickle weather. “Let’s sit
on the back porch for a few minutes, if that’s okay with you?” she asked,
knowing he would agree. As he headed that way, she called out, “Hey, Derrick!
We’re going outside for a few! Watch your sister for me?”
    “Sure, Mom! I’ll bring the laptop in there with her!” he
called back obligingly, eager to please since his palm had been recently
greased.
    Billie stopped along the way to grab an old University of
Kentucky hoodie that had belonged to Chad. It was one of the few items that she
had kept of his, and only because it was a gift she had given him that he never
wore. Slipping it over her head, she joined Sam on the back porch to sit in the
large plastic lawn chairs that she got at Walmart on clearance a few weeks ago.
He was silent, drinking his beer while gazing at the clear dark sky where the
stars winked merrily at the crescent moon. Loathe to interrupt his pensive
mood, Billie sipped her beer and enjoyed the brisk fall breeze that carried the
scent of burning leaves and wood smoke.
    “I love this time of year the best,” Sam confessed, breaking
their companionable silence. “To me, autumn is like that dark, peaceful moment
right before you fall asleep. Everything grows quiet, your brain slows down,
and your soul sighs in relief at another day done.”
    Billie smiled at his poetic words, but she wasn’t surprised.
She knew that behind the rough exterior, Sam was a creative and talented
writer. When they were in high school, the three of them would spend hours
creating new music. Chad, who had fancied himself the next Kurt Cobain, would
pluck out the rhythm on his guitar and Billie would sing the melody, but it was
Sam who provided the words. Silly girl that she was, she had fallen for Chad’s
slick guitar-picking when she should have lost her heart to the romantic giant
who wrote with his heart. But it was too late for that now.
    “I know what you mean,” Billie agreed. “Halloween is done
and there are still several weeks before the craziness of the holidays begins.
There’s nothing to do but just enjoy autumn’s last hurrah. It’s so beautiful.”
    Sam met her eyes across the few inches that separated their
chairs, opened his mouth to say something, but then changed his mind. He
dropped his eyes and drained the rest of his beer. Finally, he cleared his
throat and said, “I know you invited me over for a lecture, B.J., but it won’t
do you any good. We’ve had this discussion before when you told me to quit
giving you cash. I let you win that battle and quit slipping money in your
purse-“
    “And in my refrigerator and in my coffee can,