“I don’t see why you should take it on yourself to—” He paused as a knock sounded on the door.
He opened it. Tide Wallinger smiled and said, “Can three people get into one of these rooms?”
“Come on in, boy. You know Carol Ann?”
“Sure. Hi, lady. I’m that commercial Mr. Wallinger.”
“So I’ve heard,” she said flatly.
Tide sat down. “My, you two look happy! Did I interrupt any fisticuffs?”
She saw Tom grin. “We hadn’t quite gotten to that point.”
“Big Tom, that was an odd performance you put on out there on today’s balmy afternoon. Very peculiar. You certainly needed me out there.”
“I could have used you,” Tom admitted.
“It almost made this old heart sad, lad. We could have shredded those smart punks in the approved fashion.”
“But we didn’t. We’ll have our chance to do that next year. S.I.U. has Southern Mines in the schedule as a breather.”
Carol Ann’s heart sank as she heard Tom say ‘we’.
But before Tide could answer, Tom said, “Correction, please. I forgot. Tell your chums that Tom Lamar is no longer on the market. Tell them his wife has decided that he should be a kept man, and she has decided to keep him.”
“Darling!” Carol Ann said softly.
Tom grinned at her.
Tide Wallinger, slumped in the chair, looked speculatively up at Tom and said, “Behind that massive brow, Lamar, you do think, don’t you?”
“How so?” Tom asked, anger in his tone.
“I sat high in the stands today about five rows back of your charming lady. I had a friend with me. He left after the third quarter. He told me to relay to you his best wishes and to advise you that should you seek a transfer to S.I.U., you do so at your own risk, and sans travel expenses. He felt that your performance was a bit too... ah... spotty for an outfit which deals largely in sure things.”
She felt the laughter start, deep inside her. She caught Tom’s eye just as it started to bubble out. The shocked look on his face changed and then he was laughing too.
She laughed herself into helpless weakness. Tom’s great bellowing laugh filled the small room.
“What the hell?” Tide asked mildly. He stood up. “So, folks, I just stopped by to say that the gravy train pulled out without you and that I’m very sorry. You have my kind permission to read about me in next fall’s sports sections.”
Tom walked over to the door with him, shook hands with him, and said good-by. When he came back to her, Carol Ann was still weak from the good laughter, the good, deep, wonderful laughter that had meant an end to their bad week.
When she was under control, she said, “You know, Tom, I don’t know whether I like him or not. He’s — so sort of cynical and funny.”
“Underneath he’s a good guy.”
They talked together in low tones for a long time, and then she went out into the kitchen to prepare dinner. She was humming as she worked, and she felt young and very alive.
Tom’s hoarse shout brought her to the doorway of the living room.
He handed her the note. It was from Tide. “Stuffed down there in the chair he sat on, honey.”
The note read:
Kiddies:
Life is real and life is earnest, and if I tried a big fat gesture like this out in the open, Big Tom would break teeth off me. But honest and truly, it is not a gift. It is a loan. Conscience money, you might say. And when you get to work on those green little growing things, Lamar, I want it back with interest. Adios, you second-rate athlete with the first-rate wife.
She looked, saw on his broad palm the three crisp fifty-dollar bills.
“That crazy guy!” Tom said thickly. “He couldn’t leave without throwing one more block for me.”
“We’re rich,” she said gaily.
“Maybe I just learned something,” Tom said.
“You! Learn something!” she said in mock surprise.
He put his palms under her elbows, lifted her high off the floor. “Sure, pun-kin. Maybe I learned that even without the money, I’m rich.”
Then he laughed. “Stop looking at me like that! You look fifteen and you make me feel like a cradle-snatcher!”