by Rebeca Seitz
“I already told you, she’s fine.”
“Yes, you did. And I want to know how you know that.”
“I did some digging, asked around.”
“Dug where? Asked who? Meg says she’s only been in Stars Hill for a year. There can’t be that much to say about her.”
“No, but she lived in South Carolina before here. I knew her when I went through boot camp on Parris Island and then, by some fluke of fate, she and her husband ended up on another base I was sent to.”
“You knew her when she was married? How?”
“She worked on base at the grocery store. Made flower arrangements and inflated balloons, that kind of thing.”
“So what happened to her husband?”
“He was killed during a training exercise. I came in the store one day and there she was, arranging flowers with tears rolling down her cheeks. I asked her what was wrong and found out it was her husband who had died.” He shrugged. “She’s a good person, Tandy.”
“Why’d she move to Stars Hill?”
“I was as surprised to see her as anybody. It had been years, but she remembered the stories I told her about this place and wanted to come see it for herself. She loved it so much, she picked up and moved here.”
“What about her family? She couldn’t go live with them?”
“She doesn’t have any children and, as far as I can remember, only has one sister who lives out in Arizona somewhere. Her husband had a brother. He was killed in Desert Storm.”
Tandy digested that information as the birds sang overhead and the breeze rustled new leaves on the trees.
Clay reached back and took her hand. “When she came to town, I was surprised but happy she’d found somewhere to fit in. And the first time I saw her with your dad, I had a talk with her. Even called some buddies who live around the base to see if anything had happened while I was gone. She doesn’t have ulterior motives, Tandy.”
She took a deep breath, blew it out. “I had a feeling she wouldn’t.”
“Then why the third degree?”
“Because she’s spending a lot of time with Daddy.”
“I think he’s okay with that.”
“He is.”
“But you’re not.”
“I don’t know if I am. It’s … weird.”
“Weird how?”
“Just weird. She’s not exactly average looking.”
“I’ll give you that.”
“Joy’s ready to tie her down to a chair at the salon and fix that hideous red hair. And Daddy, well, I wouldn’t have pictured him with a short, big-jewelry-wearing woman.”
“Have you ever pictured him with anybody besides your mom?”
“No.”
“Then Zelda’s as good an image to plug in as any other.”
She focused on his thumb tracing circles on her hand and listened to Cooper snoring. Anything but why she was struggling so with this.
“I suppose.”
She tried to open her mind to the possibility of Daddy and Zelda. It was like tasting a new food—strange texture, odd experience, but perhaps acceptable.
“Does your dad date?” She readjusted the leash on her shoe.
“He might. We talk about once a month, and if he does, he doesn’t mention it.”
“Do you ever go out to visit him?”
“I flew out there last Christmas. New Mexico in the wintertime, though, isn’t Christmas. I stayed a few days, met some of the folks who live there, came home.”
“Is he doing well? I just realized I haven’t asked you at all about him.”
“It’s okay.” He let go of her hand and leaned back, bracing his arms behind. “He and I never had what you and your parents had. Most of him died that day in the car with my mom.”
She didn’t know what to say to that, remembering their long talks in high school where he shared with her the pain of starting junior high without a mother. It was what had made her cling to him when Momma died. Only someone who’d walked the road knew the pain of the loss.
“He’s good, though. In an assisted-living community, only has to punch a button and someone’s there to help if he needs it.”
She scooted toward him. “Thanks for telling me about Zelda.”
He turned his head, meeting her eyes. “You’re welcome.”
All the things they wanted to say, needed to say, couldn’t say hung heavy between them. Today was Thursday. In three days she’d be going back to Florida. But the sunshine, the breeze, the perfection of the day, couldn’t be marred by talk of decisions.
“Let’s go get some funnel cake.”
He blinked in surprise. “Okay, but I think Cooper might have a thing or two to say about that.”
They glanced down at the snoring dog. A bird hopped a foot away and he didn’t even twitch.
“Hmm, this could pose a problem.” They stared at the dog for a few seconds.
“We could leave him at my place for a while.”
“Is your place dog-proofed?”
“There isn’t anything I’d mind him chewing on, if that’s what you mean.” He stepped onto the bench seat of the table and climbed to the ground. Dusting off his hands, he said, “Come on. We’ll hook him up with a big floor pillow and go see what this fair has to offer.”
She took the hand he was holding out and let him help her down off the table. “If he tears something up, I’ll replace it.”
“Deal.” He stopped and looked at her for a second, then cupped his hand under her cheek. “Tandy Ann, you are the most beautiful girl here.”
A blush crept up her neck at the blatant desire in his eyes, but she couldn’t look away. Stepping toward her, he murmured, “What will I do when you’re gone?” and kissed her.
She knew everyone in the park could see them but for now didn’t care. His question broke something inside her, and she felt a tear trickle down as she kissed him back, straining to imprint this moment on her memory.
“Hey, none of that,” he whispered, wiping her tear with his thumb.
“I’m sorry,” she whispered.
“Don’t be.” He kissed her again, then guided her head to his chest. His arms came around her, and she closed her eyes, resting in his nearness, allowing a few more tears to fall before summoning the courage to stop. Momma’s face, pale from sickness and swollen from medications, flashed through her mind. She couldn’t stay here. Daddy had already left Momma behind for Zelda. If Tandy came home, where would that leave Momma? Or her, for that matter?
She straightened and stepped away from Clay. “I can’t wait to hear what the busybodies have to say about this.” She swiped at her cheeks.
His tender look told her he knew she hurt, but he let her change the subject. “Come on, let’s get this lazy dog to my place.”
She tugged on Cooper’s leash and he stood up, stretched, and began plodding along behind her.
Twenty-Three
That night Tandy walked into the living room and sat down in Momma’s old recliner by Daddy. A still-exhausted Cooper could be heard snoring upstairs from his chair in her bedroom.
“How’d the ice cream giveaway go?”
“Fine as frog hair, split three ways.” He set down his book. “We have half a bucket of vanilla left. I put it out in the chest freezer if you want some.”
“Ugh, I made myself sick on funnel cake.” She reached for the recliner handle and flipped the footrest out. “That’s enough sugar for one day.”
“How’s Clay?”
“He’s good. The diner was nuts with all the visitors to the street fair. We didn’t get much time together.”
“From what I saw in the park, I’d say that could be a good thing.”
Tandy’s face turned bright red. “You saw that, huh?”
“I did.” He didn’t sound mad. “You still leaving on Sunday?”
“Yeah.” She’d thought about staying longer, but that would only make it harder. “If I call Mr. Beasley, he may let me come back in early.
I’d guess the worst of it has blown over by now, and I’m going to have cases in court soon.”
The tick of the clock competed with a creaking spring in Daddy’s recliner as he went back to his book.
“Daddy?”
He looked up at her. “Hmm?”
“You and Zelda? That’s, um, that’s okay with me.”
He set his book down on the table at his elbow. “Want to tell me why?”
“No, I don’t think so.” She nibbled her lip. Daddy waited. “I know that this—” her hands swept out to encompass the room—“can feel empty after a while. Can get lonely. I don’t want you to be lonely.”
“Are you sure you want to go back to Florida?”
“I can’t stay here, Daddy. What would I do? I worked hard to be an attorney, and in a few years I’ll probably make partner. Can you imagine? I’ll be a partner in one of the biggest firms in the city whose streets used to be my bed.”
“Will that give you what you’re looking for?”
She turned to him. “What?”
Wisdom filled his sparkling sea-green eyes. “I remember when we first saw you, honey girl. You were dirty and thin, so thin, and sitting on a sidewalk off of I-Drive. I asked you where your mother was, and you told me she’d be right back. Do you remember that?”
She did. Unbearable heat had radiated from the pavement, scorching her feet through the holes in her shoes. Her mother hadn’t come back to her the night before, but that didn’t mean she wouldn’t be back soon. “I do.”
“So we waited with you, and when your mother finally did come back that afternoon, she told us to take you and raise you.”
Daddy made it sound better than it was. Her mother had asked them if they wanted to buy her. She was that desperate for money to fund her next high.
“And we did. Your momma and I held our breath every day in this house until the last paper was signed and we knew you were ours. And then we determined to teach you how worthy you are in our sight and God’s.”
Over twenty years later she wasn’t sure the lesson had kicked in. If it had, why did she lash out at a client over his remarks about a man she didn’t even know?
“I hope we did, that, Tandy.” Daddy’s voice was soothing. “I hope you know how very special you are to God and to me and your mother and sisters.”
Did she know that? Searching her heart and mind, she knew they loved her, but were they proud of her? Had she given back to her parents by rising above the childhood they pulled her from? Did her present justify the sacrifice of their past?
She was on track for that. Making partner, succeeding— these things would give them something to point to and say, “See, we knew she could do something outstanding.” She’d wracked her brain trying to find a way to do that in Stars Hill but had come up empty. There was no other way than going back to Orlando. It might seem dumb to some people, but the responsibility of proving herself weighed heavy on Tandy’s shoulders. And having spent the first seven years of her life with a woman who wouldn’t know duty if it slapped her in the face, Tandy wasn’t about to turn her back on hers.
“I know, Daddy. I know.” Picking up the remote from the side table, she clicked on the television before he could reply. Talking about it wouldn’t make the next few days any easier.
* * *
FRIDAY MORNING TANDY worked with Daddy on the farm, harvesting the acres of winter wheat he had planted earlier and fixing various parts on the equipment. The corn seeds were in the ground in the back fields, and pretty soon the first sprouts would peek out of the dirt.
By lunchtime she was covered in sweat and dirt—and happy as a pig in slop. The hard work made her muscles burn, and she felt better than any time she’d spent in a gym. Knowing that in a few months her Daddy would have fields full of crops made her smile. Farming was a tough life, but seeing those first shoots of green appear was a thrill unlike any other. The miracle of life.
She trudged across the front yard, tugging off her gloves and smoothing back the curls that had pulled free of her braid. If her coworkers could see her now, they’d laugh themselves silly. She hightailed it up the stairs, shedding clothes on her way to the shower, anticipating the cool water on her sweaty skin. Pig-Out in the Park, or POP, would be starting right about now, and she didn’t intend to miss any more of it than it took to shower and change.
Clay, Darin, and the rest of their band would be playing tonight, too. Kendra was as curious as she to see if they were any good.
She hurried through her shower, put on her makeup, and left her hair to air dry. The open moon roof of the Beamer could have it dry before she hit town and wouldn’t frizz her hair like the blow dryer would.
Since there wouldn’t be time between POP and the night’s festivities, she decided a skirt would probably be best. Her fingers thumbed through the hangers in the closet, stopping at a sleeveless light-blue dress. It was cotton, which made it casual enough for POP, but a band of ribbon around the waist dressed it up enough for the evening. Perfect.
She pulled it over her head and slipped her feet into sandals. Good enough. Every minute preparing meant another minute missed at the park. Glancing at the sleeping Cooper, she decided to leave him here. He’d get too tired before nighttime, anyway.
“Be good, boy!” She left the room. “Daddy! I’m going downtown! You ready?”
Daddy stepped out of his bedroom door. “You go on ahead. I’m going to pick Zelda up on the way.” He wiped shaving cream from his face. “Thanks for your help today.”
“No problem. See you at the park!” She twirled and went for the door.
“Tell Clay hi for me,” Daddy called down the hall.
She all but skipped to the Beamer, not positive of the reasons behind her lighthearted feeling but determined to enjoy it while it lasted. She slid into the soft gray leather and shifted into reverse. As the car bumped down the driveway, she opened the moon roof and smelled the country breeze.
By the time she’d arrived in town, her hair was dry for the most part. She closed the moon roof and switched on the radio, realizing she hadn’t listened to the news since coming back to Stars Hill.
“Mr. Governor, are you saying you had no knowledge of the theft?”
Tandy rolled her eyes and moved to change the station when she heard the voice of the governor of Florida.
“I did not. I am deeply saddened by this turn of events and ask the good citizens of the state of Florida, and particularly those of the great city of Orlando, to hold their judgment until all the facts are known.”
What on earth … ? Tandy turned up the volume.
“Does that mean you have information not known to the public at this time?”
“I have known Levi Walker all my life. If he says he didn’t do this, then he did not do this.”
“There you have it, direct from the governor,” the newswoman said. “For those of you just tuning in, we’ve been talking with Florida’s governor about the recent discovery that Lieutenant Governor Levi Walker embezzled more than forty million dollars from Florida taxpayers over the past three years. As you’ll recall, Walker was instrumental in the creation of the new stadium in Orlando during his time there as mayor. Walker has not released a statement, and his attorney’s office, Meyers, Briggs, and Stratton, did not return calls for comment.”
Tandy pulled over and dug her cell phone out of her purse. Flipping it open, she nearly panicked when it showed twenty-one missed calls since she’d switched the ringer to vibrate last night. Why did she always forget to turn the ringer back on? Ignoring the voicemail icon, she dialed Anna’s direct line.
“Meyers, Briggs, and Stratton, how may I help you?”
“Anna, it’s Tandy.”
“Tandy! Where have you been? We’ve been trying to find you all day.”
“I know. I’m sorry. I turned my phone on vibrate and didn’t turn it back. What’s happening with Levi?”
“He’s in Mr. Beasley’s office right now. They’re trying to draft
a release to the press.”
“There’s no point in doing that now. It’s the end of the work week. Let the networks rehash their old stuff all weekend, and we’ll release something on Monday, then control the flow of information all week.”
“How about I put you through to him?”
Tandy sighed, feeling the pull of her life in Orlando and seeing Stars Hill shrink away. “Go ahead.”
She heard the hold tones click and then Mr. Beasley’s voice. “Tandy?”
“Hi, Mr. Beasley. I understand Levi is there with you?”
“Tandy, I swear I did not do this.” Levi’s voice hadn’t lost its power, but she detected a touch of panic.
“Of course you didn’t, Levi.” She ignored a twinge of doubt. She’d thought that about Harry Simons, too. “I’m out of state right now, but I’ll be back in the office on Monday. We’ll have a press conference that afternoon, in time for the evening news feeds. Can you be at my office at eight a.m.?”
“Of course.”
“All right. Stay home this weekend. Do not go out. Do not answer the phone. Do not talk to the press.”
“I can do that.”
“I’ll see you Monday, and we’ll get this thing handled. Mr. Beasley?”
“I’m here.”
“I assume it will be all right for me to be back on Monday?”
“Of course, of course. No need to bring that up. We’ll see you Monday.” He ended the call, and she dialed Anna.
“Meyers, Briggs, and Stratton, how may I help you?”
“Anna, it’s me. Can you set up a press conference for Monday at three p.m., please?”
“Sure, Tandy. You, Mr. Beasley, Mr. Walker, and who else?”
“The usual. Get the partners in if you can. Walker’s wife, Theresa, their kids. We’ll need to make him look human instead of like a money-grubbing bureaucrat.”
Anna laughed. “I sure have missed you around here, dear.”
“I’ve missed you too. I’ll be in on Monday. Try to keep Beasley from having a heart attack until then, all right?”
“Now that you’re handling this little upset to his calm waters, I’m sure he’s fine. Have a safe drive back.”