CHAPTER 6
Jess slid lipstick over her mouth, puckered her lips, then checked her face in her bedroom mirror. There. She looked great, if she did say so herself. This summer’s tan was just the right toasty color.
She sighed and looked into her own green eyes. “Stupid Camel.”
With a flip of her blonde hair she turned on her heel to leave the bedroom. She needed to get back into the kitchen and help with supper.
The minute she stepped into the hallway the noise and smells hit her, all the way from the kitchen. Someone must have opened the sliding glass door to the backyard. The ribs’ tangy-sweet barbeque scent filtered into the house. The potatoes and corn and all were cooking in the kitchen, Mama’s and her sister’s voices chattering over each other. In the family room Don and Jake were deep in some never-ending discussion about everything that was wrong with politicians these days. Did those two men ever shut up? She sure was glad she had a room to herself, no husband yakkin’ like that.
“Aunt Jess!” Alex’s high little voice called from the living room, at the front of the house.
“What?” Jess stopped at the end of the hall.
“Tamel’s here!”
Oh, spiffy.
“Wow, he’s got a big yellow car!”
Jess cast an annoyed look toward the entryway. What in the world was Camel driving now? Last time she’d seen him, it was an old black VW bug. Guy had absolutely no taste.
Muttering under her breath, she headed toward the door.
The bell rang. Alex bounded to her side as Jess opened the door. Hot, humid air filtered into the house.
“Hi, beautiful.” Tamel offered her a smile big enough to ratchet up both dimples. His sandy hair looked like it had just been cut. And those brown eyes of his looked as full of mischief as ever.
“Hey.” Jess caught sight of a yellow apparition parked at the curb. She pushed Tamel to one side to get a better look. Then wished she hadn’t. She gaped at the thing. “Where in the world did you get that?”
“Wow.” Alex ran outside and down the porch steps for a closer look.
Tamel grinned. “Like it?”
“Like it? It’s a banana-yellow hearse, for heaven’s sake. How could anybody in their right mind like it?”
He cocked his head. “I think she’s a beauty. I call her Chiquita.”
“How original.”
“Chiqui for short.”
Jess gave him a look.
“Holds lots of luggage.”
“Hm. If you’re travelin’ to a funeral.”
Tamel mouthed a ho-ho. “Wanna go for a ride?”
“Tamel Curd, I wouldn’t be caught dead in that thing.”
He raised his hands. “Yeah, well, a lot of people were, you know.”
“Oh, great, that really makes me want to get inside.”
“At least I painted it yellow. I figured black was just too depressin’.”
“So you took an old hearse from the family business, and now you’re drivin’ it for fun?”
“Yeah. It was Dad’s oldest. And my old Bug had about had it, so I figured this would do me good.”
Do me good. What kind of talk was that for a man who’d passed the bar? He sounded like a hick.
Tamel eyed Jess, that teasing little smile playing around his mouth. So annoying.
Alex had opened the rear door of the yellow hearse and was crawling around the back. “Alex!” Jess folded her arms. “Get out of there!” No telling what germs were still around inside.
Alex stuck her face out of the beast. “I wanna go for a ride with Lacey!”
Tamel glanced sideways at Jess as if to say See? “Later, Rugrat. It’s probably ’bout time for supper.”
Frowning, Alex slipped out of the car and banged the door shut.
“Hey, you don’t have to close it so hard,” Tamel called. “You might wake the dead.” He looked at Jess, then burst out laughing.
Jess rolled her eyes.
They waited for a pouting Alex, then headed for the family room. At which point the noise level only grew. Everyone had to greet Tamel with such effusion, as if they really liked the guy. Pogey’s and Lacey’s eyes lit up at the mere sight of him. Alex bounced on the balls of her feet. “You should see his car!”
So naturally everybody had to pile outside and take a gander at the ugly thing. They all thought it was hilarious. “No commitin’ a crime in that,” Dad said. “The police would beat feet to your door.”
“I don’t know, it sets me to coffin.” Don held a fist to his mouth and faked a hack.
“Yeah, pretty grave sight.” Jake shook his head solemnly.
Oh, good grief.
Ben hung off to the side, his arm around Christina. When Ben got the chance in all the hubbub to introduce his fiancée to Tamel, what did the guy do? Took her hand and kissed it, like some knight in shining armor. “What a beautiful addition to the family.”
Christina looked taken aback, then gave him a warm smile.
Terrific. He’d brainwashed even her.
“All right, time to get supper on the table.” Mama turned toward the house. “Sy, are the ribs done?”
“To perfection, my love.”
Tamel rubbed his palms together. “Oh, boy, the Dearings’ cookin’. Can’t wait.”
Tamel’s mama had died when he was ten. Henry Curd never was much of a cook. Nor a father, either, for that matter. They pretty much lived on frozen dinners and macaroni. Except, of course, whenever Tamel could get himself invited to the Dearings’. Which was often. Once in a while Mama convinced Henry to come too. The man just sort of dried up when he lost his wife. He threw himself into his funeral home business, and it grew—until people from surrounding small towns came to him in their time of grief.
Mama smiled at Tamel. “Sorry your dad couldn’t come.”
“Yeah. You know how he is. Besides, he’s not feelin’ all that well these days. He works a few hours a day, then needs to rest.”
“Oh, I’m so sorry to hear that.”
Henry was only sixty-six, but years of smoking had taken their toll. He had bad lungs and a bad heart. All-around bad combination.
Mama patted Tamel on the shoulder, then headed up the steps. “All right, family, let’s eat.”
“Yeah.” Maddy prodded her daughter, Alex, toward the house. “Let’s get this meal on the road.”
Sarah guffawed. “On the road, Maddy?”
Jess poked Sarah in the shoulder. “Doesn’t she mean ‘get this show on the table?’”
They both laughed loudly.
Maddy raised both hands—I give up.
Still giggling, Sarah prodded Pogey to pick up his shoes from the lawn. “They’re dry now. And wash your feet for supper.”
“I just did wash ’em!” Pogey’s chubby cheeks were red with the heat.
“That was three hours ago. Do it again.”
“Man.” Pogey stomped across the yard, shoulders rounded.
Jess caught Christina’s eye and shrugged as if to say The joys of family. Christina smiled back. Tentatively, but a smile all the same.
Well. That was something.
It took another fifteen minutes for glasses to be filled with sweet tea, and the long dining table to be loaded with caramel-red ribs, corn on the cob, Mama’s biscuits and homemade jam, and the mouth-watering fried potatoes and onions. Mama did her typical table check to see if she’d forgotten anything. Her eyebrows rose. “Maddy, fetch a jar of pickled watermelon rind from the fridge. Then we’re ready.”
Lady Penelope withdrew to the family room couch, where she sat watching the goings-on. Jess walked over to pet her. “Yeah, you know what’s comin’, don’t you.”
Penny held her head high, as if to say Fine by me, I need some alone time anyway.
“All right, come on, Jess, we’re ready.” Mama’s face looked flushed.
Jess pointed a finger at Penny. “Okay, family’s eatin’.”
Penny gave her a disdainful look—I’m
on the couch, what more do you want?
“Go on now.”
It had been Dad’s rule since they’d gotten Penny. No canines at the table. To make sure she stayed away, the Yorkie had to retreat to her bed and could not get up until the meal was done.
With a martyred sigh, Lady Penelope jumped off the couch and headed to her bed. She fussed around in circles three times, then flopped down with her back to Jess.
In the dining room everybody crowded around the table, ready to take their regular seats, Mama and Dad on each end, and the kids near their mothers. But Lacey insisted on sitting next to Christina, which threw off the balance, so Sarah’s and Maddy’s families switched sides. Ben sat on the other side of Christina, who was across from Jess. And—of course—Tamel ended up next to Jess. Terrific. He gallantly pulled back her chair. She allowed him a smile. “Thank you.”
He threw her a you-know-you-like-me look.
Uh-huh.
Christina leaned into Ben’s shoulder, and he gave her a wink. Girl looked all tight-muscled, as much she tried to hide it. Jess felt the waves rolling off her. Ben didn’t seem to notice in the least. All he could do was beam that sloppy I’m-so-in-love grin around the table. Thing about Ben was, he had the biggest heart. And when he was happy, he just assumed everyone else in the world was happy with him.
Well. Nothing like throwing Christina into the fire. If she survived a Dearing supper, she could survive anything.
CHAPTER 7
Christina held Ben’s hand under the table. Chairs stuttered across the carpet as everyone else got settled. Christina saw Mr. Dearing catch his wife’s eye down the length of the table, then make a point of looking right and left. Lips curved, he gazed back at his wife and raised his eyebrows in a silent message. Whatever he meant, she understood perfectly. She gave him a smile so full of love it rattled Christina’s heart.
Why did she have to feel so stupid around these people?
The whole family was nice, including Tamel, who was really friendly, not to mention hot. Even if Jess tried to pretend he wasn’t. His face was amazing, and then there were those dimples. And he had this half smile most of the time, like he loved the world and the world loved him back. Kind of like Ben. Tamel and all the Dearings were so … easy with each other. And with themselves. How did it feel to be like that? To be so confident in yourself?
“All right, let’s pray.” Mr. Dearing held out his hands, and everyone else did the same. Lacey’s little fingers reached for Christina’s. All heads bowed, including Ben’s. Christina looked around the table, then quickly dropped her chin.
“Lord Jesus, thank you for bringin’ all the family home and safe.” Mr. Dearing’s voice had a strong ring to it. “And special thanks for bringin’ Christina to us. We ask your blessin’ on this food and this conversation. Amen.”
Amens repeated around the table.
There was so much to eat. And the food was incredible. Christina had never tasted ribs like Mr. Dearing’s, even though she lived in Texas, known for its barbeque. All the dishes went around once, then a second time. The biscuits were melt-in-your-mouth. And the homemade jam was wonderful.
Christina could hardly keep up with the various conversations. Mrs. Dearing—Mama Ruth—asking Pogey about his school. Mr. Dearing and Tamel talking about the funeral home. Sarah was telling Maddy about some difficult client in her conference-planning business. Maddy talked about her work at the preschool Alex had attended.
“You still likin’ retirement, Dad?” Ben asked. Christina knew Mr. Dearing had sold his Ford car dealership in Jackson early that year.
“Yup. Didn’t think I would. But it’s nice to get up and think, ‘I don’t have to work today. Maybe I’ll just read. Or play golf.’”
“The life of Riley, huh.” Ben grinned. “Sounds great. That’ll be me in … oh, forty years.”
Sounded like forever.
“Oh, need to be takin’ pictures.” Jake scooted back from the table and picked up a camera lying on the sideboard. He moved around, clicking off shots. Everyone just kept on talking and eating, like it was no big deal. Christina kept her head down.
“Come on, Christina, look up.”
Heat sizzled through her nerves. She hated pictures of herself. Raising her chin, she tried to smile as the camera flashed.
“There, thanks.” Jake nodded at her.
“Say, who’s got the picture this year?” Mr. Dearing’s voice boomed down the table.
“We do,” Sarah said.
“Know what you’re gonna do yet?”
“We’re workin’ on it.” Jake sat down and picked up his fork.
Sarah shook her head. “We should have had this planned long ago. But Mr. Detail Man here just can’t get it together.”
Ben leaned over and whispered. “Sarah’s not only a conference planner, she wants her total life planned out.”
“I heard that.” Sarah threw him a look.
Christina licked her lips. “What’s ‘the picture?’”
She meant the question for Ben, but it pinged around the table.
“Ben hasn’t told you about our family calendars?” Maddy frowned at her brother. “Why haven’t you shown them to her?”
Ben shrugged. “Hey, we’ve only been dating for ten weeks.”
Jess raised an eyebrow, as if she knew that fact all too well. Christina focused on her plate.
“I’ll tell you, Christina,” Maddy said. “Every summer reunion we take a crazy photo of everybody together. Each family has their turn at figurin’ out where the picture’s gonna be taken. It can get pretty wild.”
“Only because everybody tries to outdo each other,” Ben put in.
Lacey grinned. “Last year Uncle Ben made us all climb a tree.”
Mrs. Dearing raised both hands. “I’m not doin’ that again.”
Jess looked smug. “Mine was the best, and y’all know it. Even if we did have to go kinda far.”
Tamel leaned forward toward Christina, as if sharing a secret. “Only because I gave her the idea.”
“Shut up, Tamel.” Jess elbowed him.
“You know it’s true.”
Christina looked questioningly from Tamel to Jess.
“We were sittin’ in pink bathtubs!” Alex burst out a high, loud giggle.
Bathtubs?
“Oh, ha, look at her face.” Don gestured toward Christina.
“Oh, y’all, now hush.” Jess waved her hand around. “We went to a Habitat for Humanity Restore in Jackson, about thirty-five minutes away. They had three big bathtubs, all pink, can you believe it—”
“Lacey and me were in the same one!” Alex’s pixie face lit up.
Jess nodded. “This guy who works there knows Tamel, so he let us get in the tubs. We all crammed in like sausages, and he took the pictures for us.”
Christina smiled. Sounded crazy but fun. “Does everyone get a copy?”
“You bet.” Jess waved a hand, nearly knocking over her glass of tea. “Every year I make a calendar with pictures of our reunions for each family. I’ve got my calendars goin’ years back. Great memories, lookin’ through ’em.”
What a fun idea. And to have memories worth thinking about … “I’ll bet.”
Things got quiet for about half a second. Then conversations started up around different parts of the table. More food was passed, and everyone kept eating. Christina chewed on the ribs, but her mind hung up on Jess’s words. Calendars and memories. People you wanted to be with. Her heart surged. She had to make this work. Not just survive the reunion and hurry back home. But really become a part of the family.
Jess was watching her, as if trying to figure out what she was thinking. “So, Ben tells me you work as an admin at the company?”
“Yes.”
“How long have you been there?”
“I just started three months ago.”
“Oh. So Ben and you two met pretty soon after that.”
All other conversation died away. Suddenly everyon
e was looking at Christina.
“Mm-hm. A couple of weeks.”
“The first time I saw her I flipped.” Ben picked up his glass of tea. “Took me two days to get up the courage to ask her out. I figured everybody would be hittin’ on her.”
Christina blinked at him. Get up the courage? She couldn’t begin to imagine laid-back Ben short on self-confidence.
“Was everybody?” Jess asked.
Yeah, right. “No.” Christina shrugged. “I just kinda kept my head down. It was a new job, and I had a lot to learn.”
Mama Ruth picked up the plate of corn and sent it around again. Not many ears left in the huge bowl. “Tell us about your family, Christina. I hear you’re the only child?”
Christina stiffened. Here it came. The questions. She pinned on a pleasant expression. “Yes.”
An awkward, roaring silence followed. Christina racked her brain for something else to say.
“How about your mom and dad? Do they live near you?”
For a nano-second Christina had a wild urge to spit out the truth—all of it—and get it over with.
“My father died last year.”
Christina felt Ben stiffen beside her. He exchanged a surprised look with Jess across the table. Panic spritzed through Christina’s veins. Oh, no. She hadn’t told him that, had she. She’d acted like they were both still alive …
“Oh, I’m so sorry.” Mama Ruth sounded genuinely sad. “He must have died at a young age.”
Christina’s heart banged around. Ben couldn’t stand being lied to, he’d told her that. “Fifty-one.” She didn’t dare glance at Ben.
Mama Ruth looked stricken. Christina knew she was ten years older than that herself.
“Is your mother in good health?”
Good enough to chase after every man she saw, even at fifty years old. At least that’s all she talked about whenever she called. “Yes.”
“Does she live close to you?”
Never far enough. “She’s in Austin.”
“Oh. Well, that’s not too far away to visit.”
Christina managed a nod.
More awkward silence.
Ben cleared his throat. Pointed to the potatoes. “Please pass those, Don.”
That Dog Won't Hunt (Dearing Family Series) Page 4