Till Dirt Do Us Part

by Teresa Trent

  “It really is amazing. It’s so exciting to have new life back here.”

  “It’s what makes the world go around.”

  “It’s like having children, but you don’t have to get swollen ankles or lose your figure.”

  “Sure.” He agreed with me, but he was no longer paying attention to my words.

  “Can you imagine what it would be like if we didn’t have the kids?”

  “Quiet?”

  “You know what I mean. If it was just you going to work and me writing my column. It would be so different between us.”

  “I think it’s pretty good between us.” I thought about Emmie Atwood. She had been married to Wade for ten years and never had any children. I wasn’t even sure if that was something that she wanted, but if she did it had to be hard for her. Hard for him too. Butch came running back from across the lawn.

  “Butch is finished. I think we should go inside,” Leo said with a slow grin.

  As I gazed into his soft blue eyes, I was beginning to believe he was oh so right.

  CHAPTER 10

  A week and a half later, I was sitting in the Pecan Bayou Gazette office finishing off my column. Rocky had no problem letting me write these columns at home, but lately I found it was better to get out of the house to do the work. Whenever I was at the house during the day, I would see dishes that needed to be done and beds that needed to be made.

  “How’s that little garden of yours coming?” Rocky asked.

  I debated how much I should tell Rocky. Would he even care that I said I started the garden from seed? “It looks great. I can’t believe how fast everything’s growing.”

  “Well, your dirt had some unique elements in it.” I knew he was referring to Wade Atwood, but I was not going to belabor his observation.

  “I think Aunt Maggie’s help is what has brought the garden along so nicely.”

  “I guess it’s the gardener secrets. Your Aunt Maggie has been the producer of one of the best gardens in Pecan Bayou for years. I was surprised she didn’t want to enter my little contest.”

  “I think there is way too much fertilizer spread around when you start hanging out with gardeners.” I was thinking about Enid Sanford and her secret trips to the garden store in Andersonville. It gave me a little bit of comfort to know that even an established, experienced gardener had mess-ups now and again. If she would have just admitted she was there for the same reason we were, I might even have liked her. I came to the last line of my article, did a quick read-through, and sent it off to Rocky.

  “Finished.” I glanced at my watch. “And just in time—I’m going to be late.”

  Nicholas, Rocky’s son came through the swinging door holding a bag from the office supply store. “Late for what?”

  “And it’s nice to see you too,” I said to Nicholas.

  “Sorry, I guess it’s the reporter and me. I thought I was picking up on a potential headline.”

  “That’s my boy,” Rocky said with a gleam in his eye.

  “I’m going to be late for a meeting with Daisy Atwood.” Rocky who had been sitting on the edge of his desk, now stood up and stroked his cheek.

  “Do tell.”

  “Nothing to tell. Daisy just wanted me to be there to help her get through the insurance settlement.”

  “Why would she want you there?” Nicholas asked.

  “Really, Betsy. Now that they’ve ruled against suicide, everything should go swimmingly. I think that woman is getting dependent on you. First, you’re babysitting her child, and now she wants you in on a simple insurance transaction?”

  Even though I knew I could get kicked out of the newspaper business for sitting on the lead, I hadn’t told Rocky about Emmie Atwood. If I told him now, he would be all over it. I bit my lip and looked down at the floor, watching my toe tap nervously.

  “Betsy,” Rocky said, drawing out my name with his thick Texas drawl. He stepped closer, and Nicholas put down his plastic bag and came near.

  “I don’t know about you, son, but I think Betsy’s been holding out on us.”

  “I think you might be right.”

  “When have I ever held out on you?”

  “Let me count the ways. You’ve done it plenty of times. There is something you’re not telling us.”

  “There’s a problem with the insurance settlement, isn’t there? It has something to do with that? Am I on the right track?” Nicholas asked.

  “Maybe.”

  Rocky snapped his fingers in the air. “I knew it!”

  “I’m going to be late.” I grabbed my purse and tried to make a hasty exit.

  “You can’t go yet! You didn’t tell us. What’s the deal with Daisy Atwood? He had an insurance policy. She’s his wife, and now she gets paid. I don’t get it.” Rocky scratched his head as he walked me to the swinging door.

  “She wasn’t his only wife.”

  “Betsy, you don’t have to do this.” Daisy Atwood laid out napkins on my dining room table. After all that was going on with the lawyer and the insurance company, I felt like maybe Daisy needed to have dinner with my family. Maybe together we could help her sort out her next step. Of course, I also invited her mother and Anna. I hadn’t met her mother yet, but somehow in my mind, she was like Aunt Maggie. She was there to support her daughter. It would be good to have them there to discuss Daisy getting her GED.

  “I did have to do this. You’ve just been through a shock, and having friends and family together always helps. Besides that, you haven’t met my boys yet.”

  “I don’t know how you do it with teenagers in the house. Toddlers can be a handful, but teenagers are downright frightening,” Daisy said.

  “They don’t bite. I think you’ll like the boys.” In the next room, the girls were playing with Coco’s dolls.

  “My mom was really excited when she found that we were kind of doing a potluck. She’s quite the cook. She wanted to have her casserole all the way finished cooking before she came over. She’ll pop it in the oven to warm once she’s here.”

  “That’s fine. Aunt Maggie is coming along with my father and bringing her recipe for rotisserie chicken.”

  “Are you sure she’s just not picking that up at the store?”

  I held up two fingers. “I promise. Aunt Maggie liked the store-bought chicken so much she came up with her own copycat recipe.”

  Daisy sighed. “I was never quite the cook my mother was. Sometimes I feel like she was born with all those recipes in her head.”

  “Same for Aunt Maggie and me. She always seems to know just what to bring because my family gobbles it up.”

  By the time everyone had arrived for dinner, we were crowded in the dining room. We had to scavenge extra chairs from other places in the house. Even though we were elbow to elbow, it was kind of fun. It felt like a holiday. Daisy’s mother, Naomi, was a tall woman with gray hair that hung in a braid. She had the whole Southwest look down to a T. As she picked up the bowl of mashed potatoes, her turquoise ring glistened.

  “Can you pass the potatoes?” Tyler asked.

  “Certainly.” Naomi smiled at Tyler as she scooped out a helping for herself first. “I left a little for you.”

  “I’m so glad that we were able to get together tonight,” I said, trying to steer the conversation slightly.

  “We’re so glad you asked us,” Naomi said.

  “With everything that’s happened, we felt it was the least we could do,” I said as I glanced over at my father. He had been quiet at this dinner. This made me think he was sizing up the crowd.

  “Daisy tells me you have a garden in the garden contest,” Naomi commented.

  “A charming garden,” Aunt Maggie said.

  I was thankful she didn’t reveal the details of our replanting of the garden, but she had always been my biggest cheerleader.

  “Oh, I forgot to tell you, Aunt Maggie. Something happened to one of the tomato plants. It’s a little scraggly looking, but it bounced back.”

 
; “Really? Must have been that dog of yours,” Maggie nodded.

  She was probably right. Butch was all over the yard. It was his own kingdom, and those boxes were in the way.

  Naomi held up her fork, “Those ladies in the gardening club can be a pretty rough crowd. Even with working at the grocery store, I made some time and tried it for a while. Hard-core. Hey, if you need some extra plants here and there, I would love to help you. I have a whole row of okra. I always plant too much.”

  “That would be great.” This was even better than going to the garden store in Andersonville. Every little thing that I added would make the garden look fuller and better.

  “Then it’s settled. Come over tomorrow and bring some empty boxes to carry the plants home.”

  My father, who had seemed more interested in his chicken than the dinner conversation, finally spoke up. “So, Daisy, what are your plans now? If I’m not being rude, of course.”

  “I think everybody wants to know the answer to that question, even me. Betsy has offered to help me get my GED. Now that I must be the principal breadwinner, I need to make more money than what I can pick up in tips at the truck stop.”

  “I like the truck stop,” Danny said from the end of the table. He was taking seconds of the dish that Naomi brought.

  I smiled at my cousin and provided an explanation for the rest of the table. “What Danny really means is he likes the trucks at the truck stop.”

  “Big rigs and flapjacks,” Danny said, a gleam in his eye.

  “I just wish some of the drivers of those big rigs left bigger tips,” Daisy said.

  “Getting your GED is the first step to doing whatever it is you want to do. What were you thinking about after that?” my father asked.

  “Betsy and I talked about be going to college and majoring in dance. I could open my own dance studio. That seems like a pipe dream now.”

  “Not at all. I think it’s a fantastic idea. You were always so talented, and it makes me sad you didn’t reach your potential.” Naomi placed her hand over Daisy’s.

  “I understand you know Ruby Green,” Aunt Maggie said.

  “I think everybody in town knows Ruby Green. You can’t get your hair done around here without her. Yes, I’ve known Ruby for years. I’ve attended her brother’s church off and on. Mostly off lately.”

  “Is that where you will hold the funeral?” I asked. After I had said it, I began to realize the possibility that Wade Atwood’s first wife would be holding the funeral.

  “I guess so. The coroner hasn’t released Wade’s body yet.”

  My father commented in his official capacity. “That should be any day now, but who we will release the body to is the question. I’m afraid just like the insurance issue, Art will release the body to Wade’s first wife. He has to act within the law.”

  “Well then,” Naomi said. “We’ll just have to have a memorial service instead. People do it all the time without a body present. Heaven knows his body wasn’t present much in my daughter’s life anyway.”

  Daisy looked down at her napkin after her mother’s comment.

  I looked over at the kids’ table we had set up, checking to see Coco and Anna weren’t listening. Luckily, they seemed oblivious to the adults.

  Naomi raised her glass. “I’d like to make a toast. To new friends and new beginnings.”

  And to two-timing sons-in-law now conveniently out of the picture, I thought.

  “Mrs. Atwood and ... Mrs. Atwood, thank you so much for coming today. I know this is an uncomfortable and awkward circumstance. Still, we must get this matter finalized,” the insurance company’s lawyer, a man in a gray gabardine suit stated.

  We all sat in the brown-paneled conference room of the Pecan Bayou First National Bank. It was a neutral location for both wives, the insurance agent, and the lawyer.

  Daisy Atwood wore a short-sleeved top with plastic jewels around the neck, definitely a fashion from a few years ago. Emmie Atwood, on the other hand, wore a dark-green suit jacket and skirt, one I would have probably seen at an upscale department store. Even though Wade Atwood did not make a lot of money, Emmie Atwood had no children at home and worked as an accountant. Once again, she had her hair up in a French roll with straight bangs on her forehead. Her subtle makeup and mauve lipstick highlighted her features.

  “After much deliberation, we have come to a decision about the details of the insurance policy. The policy states very clearly that money should be left to Wade Atwood’s heirs. Now, the hierarchy of heirs would put the first wife as the first heir in line. We feel that the money should go to his wife and then be dispersed accordingly from there.” Both women nodded in agreement. They each thought they were going to get the money.

  The lawyer then leaned over stapling his fingers. “The issue here is Mr. Atwood has more than one wife. In the state of Texas, it is illegal to be married to two people at the same time. If a party does have a marriage with two partners, then all of the legal rights go to the first marriage.”

  Emmie Atwood slammed her hand down on the table. “I knew it. I win!” She turned to Daisy. “You are not Wade’s wife. You are nothing more than an affair. I am his wife.”

  Daisy’s face paled, and I thought she might stand up and start yelling at Emmie’s words. Instead, she looked down to the dark wood grain of the conference table. Her fingers were splayed out on the table. Her fingernails were short, and she had the kind of hands that were meant to go through a day filled with tasks. She took account of her hands and then glanced up at the lawyer. “So, I don’t even need to be here, do I?” Daisy rose and started to get her bag.

  “No, Mrs. Atwood. You need to stay. The other Mrs. Atwood is basically the executor. She will be the one who disperses the funds. I’m sure she will want to make a fair settlement with you.”

  At least he was sure of it. I wasn’t sure at all. If Leo showed up with another wife and another child, I think I would be so angry I wouldn’t want to have any part of it. I would be upset with Leo, but who knows how I would feel toward the other woman. The idea of compensating somebody could be difficult, especially after being emotionally bruised by her presence.

  “I suggest that you give the legal Mrs. Atwood some time to sort things out. We’ll have another meeting next week if it’s okay with everybody’s schedule.” He glanced around to both Mrs. Atwoods’ insurance agents and then his eyes fell on me.

  “I’m sorry. I don’t understand why you are in this meeting.”

  “Oh, I’m here for moral support for Daisy.”

  “Of course. Well, then, you could come back next week too.”

  “Don’t you work for the newspaper?” Emmie Atwood asked.

  “Yes, but I don’t write features. I just write a column about helpful hints.”

  “But you know people who write features. You were the person who gave an interview when Wade was discovered.”

  “Yes, I’m the person who found your husband.” My involvement did seem suspicious, even to me.

  “You don’t have any business being here,” Emmie said.

  Daisy spoke again but very quietly. “I need her here.”

  “Then I guess I do have business here. You may be happy that you were ruled Wade Atwood’s legal wife, but that turned Daisy into his illegal wife and Anna a child born out of wedlock. Consider that before you go throwing a party about the insurance settlement.” I put my arm around Daisy’s shoulder.

  Emmie Atwood glared at me. There was real anger in those eyes. What’s the saying? If looks could kill? Could Emmie Atwood kill?

  CHAPTER 11

  The next day with my empty boxes in hand, I went over to the Daisy’s mother’s house to pick up some of Naomi’s okra plants. She was a widow, but pictures of Daisy’s father in uniform were hung in the front foyer. There were unpacked boxes everywhere as Daisy attempted to transition herself and her daughter to her parents’ home. She didn’t have to be out of where she was living until the end of the month, so she was moving a li
ttle at a time. It was cheaper than hiring a moving truck. Naomi turned around and waved her hands. “Please pardon the mess. Daisy and Wade had a lot of things, and I’m afraid right now there is stuff everywhere.”

  “No problem.”

  “Come on out and we can start loading up the plants. I put them in some makeshift pots until you can get them into the ground. I thought they would travel better than if I just gave them to you wrapped in newspapers.”

  When we went out to Naomi’s backyard, where she had ten or so plants loaded into big red drink cups, the kind you see at a party.

  “This was so sweet of you to do this.”

  “Thank you. I’m afraid my okra has become a little overgrown in my garden. I’m doing both of us a favor.” We heard a car on the driveway beeping its horn.

  “Oh, that sounds like Daisy. She only had a half shift today and was going to bring another carload over. I just hope she doesn’t wake up Anna. She’s still taking her nap. Lord knows that little girl hasn’t been getting regular nap times spending so much time at Chickadee’s.”

  “Don’t worry about me. I’ll just start loading the plants and be out of your hair in no time.”

  Naomi went inside to help her daughter carry in another set of boxes. I couldn’t imagine what it would be like to have to move my family all by myself. When we first moved into our house, it seemed too big for us. There were empty shelves and cupboards everywhere. Room for everything and more. Now we were bursting out of every seam. How was it the children collected so many items? Not just toys, but extra towels, sheets, sports equipment, and now we were on the hard-plastic route with toddler furniture and toys. It seemed like it never ended. If I were trying to transport it car by car, it would be months before I was finished. Loading the last plant in the box, I went back to the house to thank Naomi.

  I walked around the side of the house to the driveway, not wanting to wake Anna. I pulled up short, when to my surprise, Daisy, who was holding a dark-brown lamp that resembled a ship’s wheel, was in a heated discussion with Emmie Atwood. There were a few household items scattered about the lawn.