“A speakeasy, a bar, a joint right next door!” she says when she finally spots me in the work area. “That woman is going to get us all arrested!” She’s barely got that out when FM comes barreling in the door.
“Now, Missus. It’s all going to be okay. No need to get all riled up. Hey Carolina, can you believe all these people coming to Chancey? Must’ve been some amazing article. Have you been busy?”
Missus draws up and squares her shoulders. “Carolina, do you know what’s going on in that Andy’s Place?”
“No,” I answer. “I mean I guess a lot of stuff folks like looking at. Is that where you’re talking about there being a bar?”
FM hangs his head. “Missus, you’re going to ruin it all.”
She turns to her husband, “It’s illegal. Of course I’m going to ruin it!” She turns back to me. “That Gertie Samson is selling moonshine in the basement. Has a bar set up there! Next door to my home!”
I turn to look at FM, hoping he’ll laugh and explain how ridiculous this crazy notion of his wife’s is. However, he just grins and shrugs. “Well, you know, that was her family business here a ways back. And she’s not ‘selling’ it, she’s giving out samples. That’s all.”
Missus sits down on the stool near her. “FM, samples or shots, whatever you want to call it. There’s a fee to go to the tasting room, correct?”
He nods and then turns as the door opens. Zoe comes through the door and holds it open for Laney and the stroller.
“Hey, y’all,” Laney says. “We decided we’d come to town and see what all the fuss is about.” Laney heads toward us, but Zoe meanders over to the bookshelves.
I look around FM and Missus and ask, “Laney, did you know what’s going on at Andy’s Place?”
Laney laughs. “Oh, the tasting room? Isn’t that a great idea? Wish I’d thought of it.”
Missus sniffs. “Well, of course, the accountant who thought gambling away our very town was a brilliant idea would approve.”
“But, Laney,” I try to explain. “It’s completely illegal. I mean, I guess it’s illegal, and she could get in so much trouble!”
Zoe comes around the table with two paperback books. “Hey, Miss Carolina, how much are these?”
“You can have them for free for being such a big help to everyone. How’s Kimmy doing?” I ask.
The young girl leans against the worktable. “She’s okay. It’s happened before.”
It’s obvious from the looks Missus and FM give each other that they’ve heard the news about the K family’s drama. The awkward conversation drags a bit, and we all watch Laney bend down and pick Cayden up from his stroller.
As she straightens up, she puts a burp cloth on her shoulder and says, “He seems gassy today. Can’t get him settled down.”
I finally have to ask. “Zoe, what do you mean it’s happened before?”
She leans over to rub Cayden’s fuzz-covered head. “Dad moving out. He’ll get to missing the kids and Kimmy and come back.” She coos to the baby, then says to Laney, “Let me try.”
Laney hands him over explaining, “Zoe is the baby whisperer. She’s got such a way with him.”
We watch as Cayden begins almost immediately to settle down, then Missus stands up from the stool. “FM, let’s go. Carolina, I can’t get a straight answer out of Anna. Since I paid the deposit and first month’s rent, the least I should be able to expect is a simple answer, but I’m assuming Will is moving into the apartment today?”
The picture of Will and Rose kissing comes to mind, and my face grows warm, so I turn it down and take a drink through my straw. But my head snaps up when Zoe says, “Isn’t Will going with that pretty girl with the braid?”
Missus inhales. “Who? I don’t believe he’s going with anyone except his wife. Maybe you’ve got Anna confused with someone else.”
Zoe bounces with the baby and speaks quietly, confidently. “No, Anna works at the Dollar Store with my dad. It’s that girl, Rose, who stayed at your house when you were on vacation, Miss Carolina. I saw her pretty much every day when I’d walk down under the bridge. They’d snuggle on the front porch or have picnics on the hill. I wasn’t spying, they just didn’t know I was there.”
“But…” is all I can say. Missus and FM don’t even get that much out.
Then FM lets out a long breath and laughs a bit. “No, I saw boxes being moved into Anna’s apartment this morning on my walk. She even waved as she was holding the door open for the moving man. Will’s definitely moving in.”
Laney has moved behind Zoe and is lifting her sleeping baby back into her arms.
Zoe rubs her arm like it’s fallen asleep. She nods at FM. “Was he a big, bald guy? That’s Jim J. He works for my dad, too. Drives a truck and helps set up new stores. Dad said he was going to help him move this weekend.”
And then—I put my hand on the girl’s shoulder and try to get my breath. With a swallow I squeeze out, “Where is your dad moving to?”
Zoe curves one side of her mouth up in apology and says it. “In with Anna.”
Chapter 42
“I thought Missus was going to throw up, right there,” I say to Jackson.
We’re standing on the front porch watching evening clouds gather over the river. We went outside to sit in the rockers, but the image of Rose and Will in them stopped that.
I sigh. “I’ve often read the description of someone ‘blanching,’ but never actually witnessed it. All her color drained in an instant.”
Jackson hits his palm on the porch railing. “How did this happen? Our son has lost his mind. Explains why we’ve seen so little of him lately.”
“I know. I thought he was at the apartment with Anna. And Rose knows Anna’s pregnant.” I stop and turn when I hear a car coming across the tracks.
“It’s Will,” Jackson breathes and we steady ourselves. Our son parks on the other side of the driveway and takes his time getting out of the car. Between the thickening clouds and the lowering of the sun, the porch is in heavy shadows by the time he comes up the steps.
“How was work?” I ask with an edge. “Do you even still work at the dealership?” At the sharpness of that line, Jackson puts his hand on my arm.
“Work was fine. And yes, I do still work at the dealership.” Will looks at the rocking chairs. “Can we sit down?”
Jackson moves to sit down, but I shake my head and say, “No. I’ll stand. Do you want us to ask questions, or do you just want to tell us what’s going on? Like we can believe anything you say.”
Will’s shoulders are sharp, with his elbows on the rocking chair arms and his head hanging down. He stares at the floor, and I stare at him. I’m so mad right now, I’m shocked I am this controlled. My arms are folded like a straitjacket across my chest, and my tight fists are burrowed into my ribs. I had too long this afternoon at the store to think and stew and worry. Now the words press against my skull, but I can’t find any to come out of my mouth. Okay, that might be a good thing, so we’ll go with it.
Jackson looks in my eyes, and I blink at him. He turns toward Will. “Son, what’s going on?”
Will shakes his head and then shrugs. “I’m in love with Rose. It makes no sense, I’ve just met her. Oh, and she feels the same way.” He smiles and that makes my heart hurt even more. Every young person deserves to be in love. But…
My lips unseal. “But, that’s exactly what you said about Anna.”
His smile fades. “Yeah, I don’t know what happened there. We, uh, well, we thought…” He lifts his arms, and nothing comes out of his open mouth.
Jackson asks, “So she’s with this Kendrick, a married man? With four kids?”
Will jumps up and starts pacing. “Yeah, can you believe it? He’s scum. I tried to tell her, but she doesn’t see it. He’s got her under his thumb. She believes anything he says. Craziest thing I’ve ever seen!”
“Maybe this is just a woman’s perspective, and a mother’s perspective,” I say, “but maybe she felt left alo
ne when you decided to play around with Rose and ignore her. Maybe she felt she didn’t have a choice, that she needed someone on her side.” Oh, now I’m finding all those words I practiced all afternoon.
Will has his back to me, then he turns slowly. His voice is sad and slow when he says, “Maybe. And I’ve thought of that. I’ve apologized to her. I didn’t mean to fall in love with Rose. But Anna says ‘no.’ That she sees I’m just a boy, and she doesn’t want a boy.” His disgust takes over any sadness.
Jackson speaks up. “Well, what about wanting the father of her baby?”
Our son’s laugh is hollow. “Can you believe she thinks this will be easier having the baby, with us being apart? Honestly, that’s what she’s saying.”
Jackson, ever the logical engineer, scoffs. “Is she crazy? What is easier about that?”
“That we’ll share the baby. I’ll have it half the time, and she’ll have it half the time. That way she says there’s always someone to keep it when one of us has to work or wants a weekend off.”
I twirl around and shout. “For crying out loud, you people are idiots! This is a baby, not a pet goldfish!” I walk down to the end of the porch and look out at the river. There’s one little sliver of bright sunshine at the horizon underneath the layer of clouds. Humidity and the smell of rain wrap around us. I slap at a mosquito and turn back to face my son and husband.
Jackson pats the rocker where Will was sitting. Will takes his seat again. His daddy says, “We’ve only got a couple more minutes before the mosquitos arrive to carry us away.” He laughs a bit, but he’s alone in finding any humor. He continues. “So you are planning on having the baby and keeping it. How’s that going to work?”
Our oldest leans forward on the edge of his seat. He puts his elbows on his knees and brings his hands together. He looks at both of us and says, “I want to teach. Talking to Rose, I’ve decided that’s what I want to do and with just an extra year of school I can. History. You know how much I’ve always loved history and there’s courses in Georgia that use your degree, even if it’s not in teaching, to get licensed. Like I said, it’ll take about a year.” He’s nodding and smiling, like we’ve not seen this movie before.
I mumble, “I can’t,” and turn away from him. He looked just this earnest and excited when he told us about law school and again about marrying Anna.
Behind me, I hear Jackson saying exactly what I’m thinking. Then he adds, “And where will you live while you go back to school?”
My eyes close as I wait for the answer, because I know what it is.
And he says it. “Here. I’ll keep working, and then we can all help with the baby when I have it. Rose still has another year of grad school, so it’s not like we can get married now.”
“And the little fact that you’re already married might be a problem, too,” I say with a lilt in my voice, but it’s a mean lilt. Accompanied by rolling eyes, which he can’t see in the darkness.
Proving he’s no longer in possession of his God-given senses, he answers me. “Of course, but we’ll just get a divorce. Shouldn’t be a problem, right?”
I slap my arm again. Not because there was another mosquito, but because I’ve got to get away from this and mosquitos give me an out. “I’m going inside,” I say. As I pull open the screen door, a car pulls across the crossing and lets Bryan out. Griffin waves as he turns the car around. Bryan walks up the steps as Griffin’s taillights disappear.
We’re all standing as Bryan walks through and leads us into the living room. He heads to the kitchen, and we follow him there. No one says anything, but each of us start looking for something to eat or drink. I guess it is dinner time, but I know I don’t feel like eating. Jackson pulls a frozen pizza out and says, “I’m going to pop this in if anyone wants to join me.”
Bryan has taken a couple slices of cheese from the lunchmeat drawer. He sits down at the table, eating them while I try not to look at his grimy hands holding the cheese. Will settles for a bottle of water. When the congestion clears in front of the fridge, I’m going straight for the wine.
Between pieces of cheese, Bryan tells us he made twelve dollars, and he’s decided he wants to be a professional golfer. Will rolls his eyes, and when Bryan catches him, he growls at his brother to “Shut up!” He then looks at me through narrowed eyes and asks, “Miss Susan tell you? Grant’s going to Darien.” He sniffs. “Just so you know, I’m not going to Chancey High without Grant.” Jackson and I sigh in unison, but the front door opening distracts us.
The front door slams closed, and the lack of noisy chatter says it’s not our B&B guests back from their dinner yet. Savannah comes in and looks around the kitchen. She has on her Dollar Store work clothes, which are wrinkled and dirty. Her face is puffy and her eyes are surrounded by dark circles. Standing to the side she looks around at us for a minute before walking to the snack cabinet. She pulls out a Little Debbie Nutty Bar and opens one end. She leans against the counter and pulls one of the pieces out.
As she takes a big bite, she surveys our cozy family scene while she chews. Then, puffing out pieces of chocolate, wafer, and peanut butter, she says, “Don’t know about y’all, but I’m kind of sick of this summer.”
Amen.
The End
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Kids are Chancey Page 29