Free The Ladies' Room by Carolyn Brown Page B

" He stopped and took half a step toward me.
    "Don't finish that, or I'll kick you off this porch," I said.
    He backed up two steps. "Billy Lee can't give you what you
are used to. This is your last chance, woman. Either walk your
fat rear end out there and get into my car, or I'll have divorce
papers served tomorrow morning."
    I smiled. "My fat rear end will be glad to get them. The
only thing I'll fight to the death for is my maiden name back.
I don't want to be affiliated with the cheating, slimy name of
Williams ever again. I'd take a job picking the white tops off
chicken droppings before I took another penny of your precious money, so I won't even fight you for half of what
you've got"

    He smirked. "It wouldn't do any good. I'm a lawyer, and
I'll.."
    "Don't threaten me, Drew. I didn't even want my clothes, so
why would I want anything more? Besides, it'll take more and
more money each time you get involved with a younger
woman, so you'll need it all just to keep up"
    He drew back a fist, and I got right into his face. "Take your
best shot, and give it all you've got, and then I'm going to wipe
up this porch with you. There's enough mad in me right now
that you don't really want to take the chance. But if you are idiot
enough to do it to soothe your damaged pride, then hit me"
    He dropped his hand and stomped off the porch. "The
papers will be here tomorrow. Sign them, and stay away
from me"
    "Signing them will be the highlight of my day. Staying away
from you will be the easiest thing I've ever done"
    I watched him drive away, and a nervous giggle bubbled up
from my chest. By the time he pulled out of my driveway, I
was sitting on a porch step, tears running down my face and
laughter echoing up and down Broadway Street.
    He shook a fist at me as he drove away. I wished for my
digital camera to take a picture of that sight, but it was back at
Drew's house, lying in the nightstand drawer beside my little
pistol.
    Billy Lee sat down on the top step a few feet from me. "You
okay?"
    "You didn't rush right out to my rescue, did you? Some
neighbor you are, and after I took up for you too. Left me to
fight the battle all by myself."
    "You are a strong woman. You just proved it. I was standing
in the doorway. If he'd tried to hit you, I'd have been there"
    I didn't know whether to thank him for all that confidence
or to slap him for getting out of helping me. "Okay, that's over
and finished. Let's go back up to the bedroom. I hate white
woodwork. What's it going to take to get it all stripped and
stained, and is it worth the effort, or do we just buy new?"
    I went back inside the house, and he followed me up the
stairs.

    Halfway up he said, "Thanks for taking up for me"
    "Who said I was taking up for you?"
    "You did. And you told him not to call me a nitwit."
    I turned and looked back at him a few steps behind me.
"Maybe I was taking up for me. I don't befriend nitwits. My
friends are all first-class people. Maybe I thought he was questioning my judgment"
    Billy Lee grinned. "Thanks, anyway."
    By then we were in the bedroom, and he went right back to
talking about the job. "Refinishing or buying new depends on
how much work you want to do. I chipped a chunk of paint away
in a corner of your bedroom. Looks to me like the woodwork
is burled oak, so it's worth the time and effort."
    "Then let's move the furniture out of the room, tear up the
carpet, and get started"
    "Right now?"
    "You got somewhere else you have to be?"
    "No, ma'am. It's Billy Lee at your service until we get this
old place into shape, but we'll need to make a trip to the lumberyard for supplies after we tear up the carpet. I imagine there's
oak hardwood under it."
    "Then let's go to the lumberyard right now before we get al l
sweaty and hot."
    "I'll go get my truck and pick you up on the corner," he said
enthusiastically.
    "Me and my fat rear end will be waiting."
    "I don't listen to derogatory remarks about my