Page 129 of Drive
Floyd shrugged. “I got words fa ever’body, but you isnew.”
Rainey felt a jolt zing through her. When she could speak, she fired off a list of questions. “And they always come true? A-are they ever bad?” she stammered. “Is something bad going to happentoday?”
She heard a rattle and turned to see Jacques move his cast iron skillet off the stove. He wiped his hands on a dish towel and stepped in front of Rainey, facing Floyd and giving him a stern look. “Floyd, not everybody is up for your littlepredictions.”
Jacques’s protective stance and rush to shield Rainey grounded something within her. He thought she couldn’t handle whatever Floyd had to say. He thought — as most of her actions in the time they’d known each other had led him to think — that she wasn’t strong enough to handle bad news or an unnervingfortune.
But even if she’d been a weak little weakling, couldn’t she change? After all, she’d crossed the South in search of a cure for her sister; she’d told off her no-good father, and she’d given her heart to a musician. If someone would have predicted she’d do any of those things six months ago, she would have called themcrazy.
She grabbed Jacques by the elbow. “Hold on a second,” she said, mustering courage. “Maybe I want to hear what he has tosay.”
“Well, do you,cher?”This came from Pal, and he eyed her with warmamusement.
She looked at all three men in turn, her eyes settling on the one she loved. “Give me an example of one of the predictions Floyd’s givenyou.”
He folded his arms across his chest, not giving any of his thoughts away. “Sunday when weleft?”
“Yeah?” she asked, her stomachtightening.
Jacques arched a brow full of meaning. “Floyd’s words for me were berry, Birmingham, and BestWestern.”
The jolt she’d felt a moment before shot through her with triple force, but she willed herself to stay calm. “Okay, I get Birmingham and Best Western, but whyberry?”
Jacques couldn’t suppress his grin. “You asked me for berry Capri Sun if they didn’t have Tropical Punch.” He quirked a sexy, knowing brow at her. “And they didn’t have TropicalPunch.”
Her mouth fell open, but she smiled all the same, feeling the hair on her arms stand on end. “Okay… that’s pretty… wow.” She wrinkled her nose at Floyd. “Do you ever predict bad things? I mean, berry, Birmingham, and Best Western…” Her eyes found Jacques. “Those were all good things.” Beneath his heated gaze, Rainey recognized a deephappiness.
“Very good things,” hemurmured.
She pulled her eyes back to Floyd in time to watch him shrug. “Sometimes dey not good.” He gave her a friendly grimace. “One time, ma wife Netty, her words was earring, elbow, and electric. Soon as I tole her, she remember de ‘lectric bill was due, and she rush down de stairs fa her checkbook, slipped on de last steps, and crack her elbow. Durin’ all de commotion ‘tween dat and de hospital, she lost a pearl earring somewhere in damix.”
Rainey’s eyes went wide. “That’sawful!”
Floyd nodded his head in enthusiastic agreement. “Fa t’ree weeks, she didn’ want nuttin’ ta do wit mawords.”
“I don’t blame her,” Rainey said with a concerned frown. The she shook off her worry.What the hell, she thought. “Okay, just tellme.”
Floyd smiled, looking a little relieved to finally have permission. “Watermelon, witness,waiting.”
“Watermelon, witness, waiting,” she repeated dumbly.Witness what,she wondered. Then she shrugged. “That doesn’t sound toobad.”
Jacques gave her an arch look. “Just don’t choke on a watermelon seed,” he said, half-serious, as though hearing Floyd’s prediction for her had made him just asnervous.
“I’ll do my best,” sheteased.
He gave her a look that seemed to say“You’d better,”and then he turned back to the stove. “Breakfast isready.”
* * *
Jacques was meetingthe rest of Heroine at Kate and Kara’s dad’s office to go over the record deal they’d received, so after breakfast, he drove Rainey and Archiehome.
The ride felt like a freefall.
Even though Jacques’s neighborhood was just a few minutes from hers, she couldn’t help but take out her crochet hook and yarn. She’d finished her shorts, but she’d bought enough of the sea-glass green yarn to make a cover-up, and she might as well keep herself busy. After spending three solid days with Jacques, she was going to have seriouswithdrawals.
Floyd should have addedwithdrawalsto his list of words,she thoughtfitfully.
“You okay?” Jacques asked when they stopped at the light at Johnston and St.Mary.
