by Hearn, Shari
After the day we had had we felt in the mood to celebrate, so Gertie suggested a party. A few texts later and Carter, Walter and Ally were all on their way.
“You hungry?” Gertie asked.
“I’m starving.”
She and Ida Belle dropped their bags on the island.
“Good,” she said. “I’m going to prepare my mother’s special recipe jambalaya. While you’re waiting for the feast to come together, you can munch on some toasted pecans, a plate of fried green tomatoes and a bowl of grilled shrimp.”
“I brought beer,” Ida Belle said, pulling two six-packs from her grocery bag. “The finest craft beer New Orleans has to offer. I bought these a few months back and have been saving them for a special occasion.”
“Escaping death seems like a good enough occasion,” Gertie said.
Ida Belle nodded. “It always is.”
“Speaking of close calls…” I retrieved a small note card from the kitchen table. “We’ve come close to getting killed several times since I came to Sinful, so I think it’s about time I have a proper ‘In Case of Emergency’ card for my wallet. I hope it’s okay, I put both your names down.”
Gertie placed her hand over her heart. Her eyes moistened.
Ida Belle took the card from my hand and read it. Smiled. She passed it back to Gertie.
“Relationship: Honorary Grandmas,” Gertie said, choking back her tears.
“Now, don’t go crying on me,” I said. “It’s just… I love my partner, Harrison, but you two have become family, and family is who should be notified first, in case anything happens. In the event we all die together, which, at the rate we’re going… I’ll also include the special number Harrison set up. The outgoing message sounds as if it’s coming from Sandy Sue’s uncle.”
Gertie ran her fingers over the card as if it were a winning lottery ticket. “You still want me listed, even after I slapped you?”
Ida Belle shook her head. “She won’t let it go.”
“Gertie, I asked you to do it. We needed to make Millie identify with you.”
“I know, but… still.”
Ida Belle opened my utensil drawer and pulled out a bottle opener. “A long time ago, during our Vietnam spy years, we had to pretend to be at odds, so it was her job to shove me hard against a wall.” She popped a top off one of the beers. “It took her damn near six months to get over it.” She handed the bottle to Gertie. “Have a beer and forgive yourself.”
“I can still see the mark on her face.”
“Gertie, I don’t have a mark on my face.”
Ida Belle popped the top off another beer. “The important thing is, she sees it. The good news is you won’t have to cook a meal for the next six months. If I were you, I’d request some fried oysters for tomorrow. Not even Francine can touch Gertie’s fried oysters.”
Ida Belle held up her beer bottle. “To being honorary grandmas.”
“To being alive,” I said.
We toasted with our beer bottles and took swigs.
“How we came out alive is another question,” Ida Belle said, “especially when it was obvious Gertie read Miss Gertrude’s map correctly.”
“Yeah, how did you do that?” I asked.
Gertie shrugged. “Well, for one thing, I grew up hearing rumors about a meteorite that might have landed near Shreveport. Plus, I remembered Miss Gertrude’s biography. I figured some codes were personal to her. I just guessed correctly.”
“Code breaking was Gertie’s specialty in Vietnam,” Ida Belle explained.
“I was tops in my class. Code breaking even came in handy when I taught. No kid could ever get a coded note past me.”
My cell phone rang. I glanced at the screen. “Oh, jeez, Harrison. I should take it.”
I took a deep breath and answered the call. I barely croaked the word “hello” when Harrison started in.
“What the hell happened at that camp?” he asked.
“It’s kind of involved,” I said.
“Tell me you didn’t kill the camp counselor.”
“Nope, not me.”
“One of the old ladies pop her?”
“No. Not them either. We had nothing to do with it.”
“Let’s get this party started!” Ally called from the living room.
“We’re in the kitchen!” Gertie called out.
“They’re there, aren’t they?” Harrison asked.
“Gertie’s cooking,” I told him. “And Ida Belle brought beer.”
Ally stepped into the kitchen carrying one of the most delicious-looking chocolate cakes I’d ever seen.
“And Ally brought a decadent cake.”
“Ally? Who’s Ally?”
Walter sauntered in behind Ally, carrying a bowl of…
“It’s my famous black-eyed pea salsa,” he said, noticing me salivating at the sight of it.
“And Walter brought a black-eyed pea salsa.”
“Walter?” Harrison asked. “Who’s Walter? You never mentioned a Walter either.”
A few seconds later Carter appeared in the doorway. “Is there room for peach pie?”
“It depends,” Gertie said. “Did you make it or did Francine?”
“Francine.”
“Then there’s room.”
He set the pie on the island and rushed over, took my face in his hands and planted the biggest kiss he could give me with people around. An appetizer portion. Later we’d slip outside and he’d give me the dinner-sized portion. If we were a normal couple I’d get dessert after everyone left. But we weren’t and despite living through another ordeal with Gertie and Ida Belle, things were still complicated between Carter and me. That wasn’t going to change anytime soon.
He noticed the phone. “Oh, sorry, you’re on the phone.” He backed away to give me privacy.
“And Carter brought pie,” I said to Harrison.
In the background I heard Gertie telling the story of how the frog ended up tangled in her underwear.
“Redding…” Harrison’s voice sounded stunned. “Was that a kiss?” he asked. “Dear God, Morrow wants you to keep a low profile. You’re not supposed to be kissing and going to anger management camp and inviting the whole town over for a party!”
“Not the whole town, just some friends and family.”
“What did you say?” Harrison asked.
I was stunned myself. Friends and Family. I, Fortune Redding, was having friends and family over for dinner. Granted, I’d had the same people over before, but I’d never used that phrase. It felt good.
“I said I’m having friends and family over,” I said into the phone. I caught Carter’s eye and he winked at me. “Look, I’ll call you tomorrow and tell you all about Camp Happy Frog, but right now my family is here, and there’s a friend I’m dying to sneak outside and share the hammock with. Call you tomorrow.”
I ended the call and turned my cell phone off.
And joined my friends and family.
THE END