Page 29 (2/2)

Now it’s almost dark and you can hear the old-timey fiddle music from a few blocks ahere Sycamore has been blocked off for a square dance

"How about here, ladies?" It’s Daniel, spreading a quilt out a the other blankets on the lawn around the courthouse where people are picnicking

"Looks good," Patience agrees, and we lay out our small meal of cold baked beans, biscuits, and new potato salad

A few minutes later, our meal is interrupted by cruel words "Sit down, bitch! I can’t see through you"

All heads turn, and in the growing dusk, I see Willa Hucknell, tending her blond brood, a few blankets away That must be Mr Hucknell! I’ve never h the peaceful fa their Fourth of July suppers "I said sit down!"

Thea white fedora and white shirt open at the throat, sways above the picnic blanket like he’s two sheets to the wind "Are you listening, bitch? Are you listening?" He gives the woman a whack across her head Daniel jumps up, as do several other men, even Blum and, yes, even Patience Danny covers his ears and I pull his She hly in public would hurt more than the slap

"You fuckin’ ’shaot into hiun!" Daniel Hester winds his way through the crowd to get to the Hucknells, trying to defuse the situation Blu their bulk, if not their power "Ain’t seen much of you lately, Al Had anythe good ol’ boy He never says "ain’t" at ho surly and plunks hi the disturbance is over, but he’s wrong Loud enough for the whole crowd to hear, Hucknell curses, "Fucking Doctor Hester, the veterinarian, but that cow never was right after he treated her Charged me ten dollars, the quack"

Daniel whips back "Excuse me What did you say?"

A few , and some of the h up front and a short, stocky ently pulls on Daniel’s shirtsleeve She’s wearing her second-best dress, a navy blue shirtwaist with tiny white flowers, and in the dusk the white flowers look like stars

"He killed out best stallion, Devil, too" The nasal voice is louder

"Those are the Bishop brothers," Patience whispers and points into the crowd "They’d love to start trouble" A beer bottle flies and shatters on the courthouse steps and at the same time Hucknell jumps up and pushes Daniel and Daniel pushes him back

Then all hell breaks loose Boom! Hucknell hits the vet in the face with his fist as the first of the fireworks goes off at the fairground Booht as two ht bursts into red, white, and blue flowers, illuets into the scuffle and shows his new strength when he grabs one of the Bishop brothers and throws hi into the et the sheriff," a woman screams Boo into the throng The bigger of the two puts his size twelve boot in our potato salad while the serous place, but the doctor swings around and traps the fellow in a headlock

Boys on the courthouse steps are chanting, "Fight! Fight!" and by the rocket’s red glare, boets wilder It’s as bad as a dogfight, and although originally it started with Mr Hucknell and Daniel, all theit

Booht up the sky