Great, Will, you’ve qualified for attention from Ruby.
I walk to the table, ignore Ruby, and slide into the booth beside my son. “Thanks for getting a table. Any of the berry muffins from Saturday left, Ruby?” I ask with that light, innocent voice that says everything is fine, go back behind the counter.
“No,” she answers. But after a quick look at me, she studies the young people. And she sees what everyone can see. They like each other. They aren’t even trying to hide it. Will is an idiot, but Rose?
Ruby leans to the side where her wiry arm is bent and planted on her bony hip. “Where’s Anna?” she asks.
I see Rose connect that name with who Shannon asked about. She looks at my son and asks, “Who’s Anna?”
Ruby brightens and answers. “His wife, his baby mama.” With a look toward the front, she adds, “Here, this is Anna’s grandmother now. Missus, got a seat for you right here.”
My back is to the front, but I can feel the frost forming as you-know-who nears. Will and I neither one look over our shoulders, but Rose’s good raising surfaces. She smiles and scoots over. Oh, poor, poor Rose. The young woman offers her hand to Missus. “Hi, I’m Rose.”
“Of course you are,” Missus says, ignoring her hand and the one offering it. “Carolina.” She barely nods at me before nailing my son with her gaze. “Will.”
We sit in silence for only a couple beats. However, it’s long enough for the Rose I met in the hospital, the one with the thorns, to appear. She pulls herself tall in the seat. “I don’t know what’s going on, but Will and I are only friends.” Again, I only get a moment of her look, before she turns it on Missus.
Missus, however, smiles, “Oh, so you know his wife is pregnant?”
Rose handles it well. “Why would that matter to me? We are friends who just met.”
Except none of the women in the booth miss Will dropping his head and letting a small groan escape. Yep, we did neglect a crucial part of his education. Small Town 101.
“I brought y’all some chocolate-chocolate muffins. And they’re still warm.” Ruby is serving our table and that is as odd as it sounds. Ruby and serving in the same sentence. “Honey, where do you live?” Ruby asks Rose.
Rose answers. “Up on the mountain on Webster Road. Can I get some more coffee? Muffins look delicious.”
“Of course, sugar. Up on Webster Road? You mean Laurel Cove Road?” Ruby asks as she pours coffee into the girl’s half-full cup.
Rose shrugs. “If that’s what you want to call it.”
Missus pulls back. “You’re a Webster.” It wasn’t a question, and Missus doesn’t wait for an answer. She lifts her cup and takes a sip. “Should’ve known. Websters think everything belongs to them. The mountain, the road, other people’s husbands.”
“Wait, now,” I interject. However, there’s nothing to interject in to. Rose and Missus are calmly eating their muffins and drinking their coffee.
Ruby laughs and pats me on my shoulder. “Lord, Lord, things just never do change, do they?” She walks off, still laughing.
I look at Will, figuring we’ll meet eyes and share a moment of confusion. But, no. He’s eating his muffin and looking at his phone.
Missus speaks up. “Quit looking at Will. He doesn’t know about any of this, and he can’t help being attracted to a Webster woman.”
Rose looks at me and grimaces a bit. “I’m not like that. I’m not like my mother.”
“And grandmother,” Missus adds. “Although she never acted on things like your mother did. I guess LaVada couldn’t help being, well, a Webster. But now I know, I’ll be watching. This boy here is married to my granddaughter and the father to my great-grandchild.”
Rose chews for a moment and nods. “Okay, but we’re just friends. I’m not interested in anything else.”
Then Will blows it by looking up from his phone, and finally, there’s that look of confusion. Missus closes her eyes and purses her lips. Rose widens her eyes at him and clears her throat. I elbow him into not being confused. Hurt, maybe, but no longer confused.
“Hey,” he yelps. “That hurt.”
“Good. I’m going back to work,” I say and move out of the booth. I’m only one booth away when Will calls, “Mom?”
I turn around. “Yes?”
He’s tilted around towards me and asks, “You got any money for this?” He waves his hand at the table.
“No,” I answer and keep walking. We are most definitely overdue for a talk with our oldest son. He has too much time on his hands. You hate to see your kids scratching and clawing for a living, resulting in them being occupied and fearful.
But you know, that just doesn’t sound that bad right now.
Chapter 32
“You invited Kimmy and her husband?”
I’m whispering, but I don’t know why. This house is so big I could be shouting, and no one at the party would hear. Susan removes another tray from the shelf refrigerator. Not to be confused with the regular refrigerator. The shelf refrigerator is for platters of food. Like the platters left by the caterers earlier. Not to be confused with the caterers that are still on site and cooking on the deck in the outdoor kitchen.
See, this is why I can’t be rich. I can’t remember to clean out one refrigerator, and hiring a caterer makes me fear them actually looking inside that one refrigerator (which isn’t cleaned out). Susan, however, seems to be handling it astonishingly well.
There are over a hundred people here for Laney and Shaw’s baby shower. We have valet parking, which is how everybody in The Cove does it. (Obviously.) There are two sets of caterers, one for the BBQ and one for the platters of appetizers, veggies, and other finger foods. Then Alex has set up a dessert area with cookies and candies from the Bistro. Another entrepreneurial idea he’s trying. He’s as enterprising as he is good-looking. Angie’s working the dessert bar with him, and Savannah is pouting. Oh, it doesn’t look like she’s pouting, she’s much too Southern for that. No, she’s playing croquet with the younger kids on the lawn below the decks (and well in sight of the dessert bar).
Some teenage girls willingly play with younger children, but most likely if they are attractive teenage girls they are making a play for a guy in the area. Yes, I know that sounds cynical. Have you met me? Better yet, have you met Savannah? Or any attractive teenage girl in the South?
Susan steps up to me and reaches for the dish towel I’m holding. “Here, let me dry my hands. Yes, I invited Kimmy and Kyle. Zoe has become Laney’s right arm. Why did you ask? They behaving?”
I shrug and admit that they are. “They just don’t seem right. She gets on my last nerve, and he, well, I think he’s mean.”
Susan leans against the wall next to me. “How does Savannah like working for him?”
“Yeah, right. Like Savannah tells me anything. But you’re right. She hasn’t said anything bad. Anna, of course, adores him.” My scowl deepens and maybe I’ve found the true source of my annoyance at Kyle Kendrick.
Susan squints at me, reading my thoughts. “Anything on the Anna and Will front?”
“No. He’s with that Rose whenever he’s not working. I’ve been meaning to ask you. So Rose is a Webster, what’s their story? Missus alluded to it Monday, but the week got so busy I forgot. Plus, I was waiting for Jackson to come home so we could talk to Will about everything. Who are the Webster’s?”
Susan smacks me with the towel and exclaims, “No way, Rose is a Webster? I didn’t know that. Oh my word, no wonder Missus has been so cranky. Does Peter know?” She pushes away from the wall. “How did I miss this? I did not put two and two together. I’ve got to tell Laney. Come on, let’s find her.”
I follow but say, “I don’t know how hard it’ll be to find her, she’s sprawled out in your chaise lounge with her varied assortment of presents arrayed around her. Who knew she could be even more self-absorbed?”
Susan turns to me as we walk down a hallway lined with lit lantern fixtures and calls me the B word. Like, th
e whole word. Out loud. Who is this woman? First she moved up here on the mountain, out of her hometown, now she’s talking like the Yankees that live up here. And I wasn’t being a bitch, just honest.
Okay, maybe with a little b.
As we near the end of the hall, passing the sunroom off to the side of the front living room where Laney is, Grant comes running to us from off the deck. “Mom, Dad says it’s time to eat. He wants you to tell Aunt Laney. See what she wants to do.”
Susan stops and asks him, “Do about what?”
Grant shrugs, then adds, “I don’t know. Dad said to ‘Ask Laney if she wants to come outside to eat or should we bring the food in on a golden litter for her blessing.’ But why would there be litter? We have garbage cans, right?”
Susan laughs and looks at me.
I shake my head and grin. “See? Told you.”
Susan waves her son away. “Tell Dad to go ahead and start serving.”
When we turn the corner into the living room we are brought up short by the stacks and stacks of gifts. Then an even more shocking sight causes us to catch our breath. Laney is crying.
“Laney! What’s wrong?” Susan and I rush to her side. She’s laying back in the reclining chair, perspiring so much that her hair is wet. Her face is red and shiny.
“Oh, Susan. I sent Zoe to find you and Shaw. My water broke, and I think I’m in labor. I forgot how much this hurts. I’m too old to have a baby. Why didn’t I stay home like my doctor told me?”
Shaw runs into the room and hears that, and he roars, “What do you mean? You said the doctor said you were good to come.”
She moans and reaches a hand to him. “I couldn’t miss my party. Oh, Shaw, this is awful,” she says as she begins sobbing.
Suddenly the room is filling, and I begin the sorting of who needs to leave. “Everyone just go on and eat. Shaw and Susan are here now.” I herd folks in front of me and make my way to Jackson to whisper, “Call 911. She’s in a lot of pain, and her water broke.”
Grant sees Jackson dialing his phone and comes to us. “Are you calling 911? Want me to give them our address?”
Jackson explains the situation then hands the phone to Grant and we walk back towards the small group around Laney. Jenna and Angie are there and both look scared to death. Laney is never out of control, often dramatic and usually loud, but never out of control. However, now she’s in obvious pain and her clothes are soaked through with sweat. This is not good.
“Girls,” I say as I come up behind them. “Your mom needs a little air. The paramedics are coming. Why don’t you move right over here?” I steer them to the loveseat to the side of their mom. They sit down, and Jenna starts crying as Angie wraps her arms around her sister while we wait.
Suddenly a man comes running in from the front entrance area. “Grant came down to the house and said you need a doctor?”
Susan exclaims, “Tom! Thank God. Yes, this is my sister.”
The man enters their little circle, and Grant, along with Bryan, comes to stand with us. Grant explains, “He’s our neighbor. He’s a veterinarian, but I thought he’s better than nothing.”
Jackson pats his shoulder. “Good thinking. Let’s move out of here and give them some room.”
In the doorway, a woman I know from town meets us. “Need a nurse? Just heard there’s a problem. Is it Laney?”
We all nod our heads as she moves past us.
In the same hall lined with lanterns, there’s a bench that I sink on to. Jackson tells the boys to go on and eat, that everything is going to be fine. As they leave, he leans down to hug me and says, “I’ll get you something to drink. You want any food?”
“No, but a drink would be nice.”
Just as he leaves, Susan comes out of the room with Angie and Jenna and heads toward me. “Tom says we need to clear the room. Girls, you sit here with Carolina, okay?”
They sit huddled together on one side, and then Susan comes around to my other side and bends down to whisper in my ear. “Baby’s coming. Paramedics won’t be here for a bit. Pray.”
The sounds from the living room get louder and scarier. When I hear Shaw start crying, I get up and force the girls to come with me into the sunroom next door. As we walk, I call Savannah on my phone. “Honey, can you and some of Angie and Jenna’s friends come up to the sunroom? They need y’all.”
“Sure, Mom,” Savannah answers, then whispers. “I love you.”
“I love you, too.”
I look up to see Will. “Mom, is there anything I can do?”
“Yes, go out front and watch for the paramedics. Then direct them in here.”
He starts toward the door then dashes back and gives me a hug. He looks in my eyes and says, “Mr. Conner is crying. Miss Laney’s going to be okay, right?”
He looks almost as scared as Jenna and Angie, and I realize. He’s next for having a baby. He’s probably never given one thought to childbirth, and here it is in all its awesome glory. Tears, screams, 911 calls. It’s scary even when things goes as planned.
Growing up comes to our kids whether they, or we, are ready. So I’m honest. “I don’t know, son. I just don’t know.” We hug again and hold tight, then I push him towards the front door. Just as he gets to it, it opens wide, and a woman in a striped golf skirt with a matching pink sleeveless tank top, wearing only ankle socks, comes in. She’s small and has her black hair in a ponytail. Great, one of the neighbors is coming to the party late. Apparently straight from the golf course. I rise to meet her and steer her away.
“Hi, I’m—”
She cuts me off. “I’m Doctor Yang. Mrs. Conner’s doctor. She’s here?”
“Yes, in here,” I say stepping back and directing her into the living room. As she enters she tells us all that she was on the golf course when the service called her. Just happened to be the golf course at Laurel Cove. She laughs with an easy confidence, which immediately relieves some of the tension in the room, and lifts one of her sock-covered feet saying, “My shoes are at the clubhouse, couldn’t wear golf shoes in here. Hey, Miss Laney. What are you doing? I was playing a great round today!”
The veterinarian and nurse apprise her of the situation as Will calls to me from the entrance.
“Mom, EMTs are here!”
They rush in, and I point them in the right direction. Then Will and I go back to the bench and perch on its edge. We barely sit down before two of the EMTs come running back past us. Will jumps up to hold open the door, and they race inside again pushing a collapsible stretcher. Griffin comes out of the living room and asks me, “The girls?”
“Sunroom,” I say as I head there with him.
He steps into the room. “Girls, come with me. They’re taking your mom to the hospital. We’ll follow the ambulance.”
In one long exhale of people and equipment, the living room empties, then the driveway empties. Susan flew by at one point saying, “I’ll call you from the car and tell you what the doctor said.”
Then all is quiet.
Will closes the front door and leans back against it shaking his head. He’s still pale, and when I try to talk to him, he just shakes his head harder and walks into the living room. I follow him.
The beige recliner is ruined. The room is too warm, the air smells metallic and salty. And the fear is palatable. Will stands, still shaking his head. He finally speaks up. “I had no idea it could go so wrong. I mean, I know it can, but I guess…”
“It’s not normal,” I say. “Usually everything happens at the hospital, and it usually takes longer. But sometimes it doesn’t.”
He turns and tries to smile as he says, “This makes it all real.” As my phone rings, he points to it. “That’ll be Susan. I’ll let you talk to her. I’m going out back.”
“Hey Carolina, the doctor said things were looking okay for the situation. Thinks they’ll get her to the hospital before the baby comes. Laney calmed down a lot when she saw her doctor and that helped. Can you believe she was on our golf cours
e? Apparently, she lives up here. How’s everything there?”
“Everything is fine,” I say. “We’ll take care of it all. Did you call your mom? Need someone to get her?”
“No, she and her neighbor are going to meet us at the hospital.”
We’re both silent for a few moments. Finally, I say, “Man, that was scary.”
She agrees, but her voice is muffled and full of tears. After a deep breath, she finishes, “I’ll let you go, now. I’ll call when anything happens.”
Chapter 33
“We’re on our way home. Laney is resting, and the baby is doing okay. Will you still be there when we get there?” Susan asks.
“Yes, the boys are swimming,” I tell her from my seat on her back deck. Only a few of us are still here. I’ll make sure we have a bottle of wine chilled for you.”
“Oh, perfect. See you soon.”
Savannah comes over to where I’m seated with Jackson, Peter, and a couple others. “So Miss Laney’s okay? What’s the baby’s name?”
“Yes, she’s fine, and Susan didn’t tell me his name. Have to wait until she gets here.”
“Well,” she says with a glance behind her, “I helped Alex clean up the desserts since Angie left. Think I’ll go help him unload it all at the Bistro.”
“Yo, Savannah, you coming?” Alex yells down from the upper decks. She turns and waves up at him.
“Yes, I’ll follow you in my car.” When she looks back down at me, she’s already backing up towards the stairs. “Tell Miss Laney I’m glad she’s okay. Bye!” She runs up the stairs, to Alex, in her flat sandals, khaki shorts, and black sleeveless shirt.
Mumbling so only Jackson and Peter can hear, I opine, “How convenient for Laney to have an emergency delivery to take Angie out of the picture for my daughter. When is Alex going back to New York?”
Kids are Chancey Page 23