by KG MacGregor
Justine and Carly traded a look of understanding. They knew all about falling for one’s chemistry partner.
"And this driving by Dale Farlowe’s house…you want to tell me about that part?"
"It’s nothing, Mom." Emmy turned back to her friend with an exasperated look. "I can’t believe you told my mother about that. I’m going to tell your dad about you and Dickie Underwood after the basketball game."
"Never mind, Mrs. Hall. I made all that up about Dale Farlowe."
Justine didn’t believe that for a second, but she helped her daughter gather up her things.
"You may stay the night with Kelly. And you may drive by Dale’s house…but you may not stop. You may drive very slowly, though."
The daughter rolled her eyes in embarrassment, knowing that her mom would want to know all about this crush on her lab partner. She would have told her eventually, though.
"Thanks for all your help, Carly. You want us to drop you off?"
"Nah, I’ll drag these old bones over the hill. If I don’t make it, I’m sure they’ll find my body in the spring thaw."
"I bet we smell you a long time before spring," Emmy quipped.
"Not with all that perfume you’ll be wearing for Dale!"
Emmy groaned again and hurried out the front door to join Kelly on the porch, slamming the door behind her. As they pulled out, the lime green Volkswagen belonging to Trey took their spot in the driveway.
Inside, Justine and Carly were finally enjoying a private moment, standing in the darkened foyer. Carly no longer wanted to leave, and it was almost as though she could feel an invitation from Justine. She just didn’t know what the invitation was for.
"I don’t like to think about you having to go to Madrid."
"Me neither." Carly took a step closer to the redhead and held out her arms, her eyes never leaving Justine’s. Not hesitating, the redhead walked into the embrace, wrapping 185
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her own long arms around Carly’s waist and pulling her closer. The intensity of the moment left little doubt as to what was going to happen next.
Or what might have happened next.
"Mom?" Trey stood in the open doorway, his face a mask of anger. "What are you doing?"
Carly and Justine separated as though the other were aflame.
"Trey, it isn’t–"
Carly made a quick exit to the kitchen, not sure if she should wait or leave through the back door. There was no telling how ugly the scene in the foyer was going to get, but she didn’t want to listen to Justine’s denial. It isn’t…. It isn’t what? The sick feeling in her stomach answered her question, and out she went into the night.
But that wasn’t the conversation taking place between mother and son.
"I can’t deal with this," the youngster groused, unable to meet his mother’s eye. "Why are you doing this?"
"Honey, I’m not doing anything." Immediately, she regretted her dishonesty. Justine put her hand on her son’s arm, willing him to look at her. "At least I’m not doing anything wrong."
"How can you say that? You know what people are going to say." The embarrassment of what had happened in school three years ago was not forgotten; and it would be even worse now.
"Trey…I know what they’ll say. But I just can’t live my life for all of those narrow-minded people. I know it’s not what you want–"
"You can’t do this to me, Mom."
"Please try to understand this, son. I’m not doing this to hurt you."
"But it does…more than you know."
Justine could see that the anguish on her son’s face was real. But it was time to ask him to rise above what he wanted for himself. All he needed was a little push, a word of encouragement.
"Please, Trey."
The pressure was more than the teenager could stand; his mother was asking for too much. Without another word, he walked back out the front door.
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Justine slumped against the wall, her feet giving way as she slid to the floor. What have I done?
**********
The redhead squirmed uncomfortably in the pew, feeling the eyes of the congregation on the back of her head. Everyone in the place had to be wondering why her son chose to sit by himself on the opposite side of the aisle instead of in his usual seat at his mother’s side.
"What’s with Trey?" Emmy whispered. She knew that her brother had gone to the house last night, but presumed it was to apologize for missing the party on Friday night.
"He’s angry with me."
"How come?"
Justine reached for the hymnal and opened to the proper page, her silence a signal that her daughter’s question would go unanswered. Throughout the service, the mother stole glances in her son’s direction, catching his eye only once before he hurriedly looked away.
As they sang their closing hymn, Justine prepared to catch Trey on his way out so she could ask him to come to the house and talk. He hadn’t actually seen anything, and with Carly leaving in just a few weeks, there really wasn’t any sense in pushing this right now.
Trey would have to deal with it eventually, but why not put it off for as long as she could?
So if Trey would hear her out, she could explain it all away. Emmy would back up her claim that Carly was only a friend. Crisis over.
"Mom, can we go for a walk today?"
In the split second that she turned to hear her daughter’s request, Trey slipped out along the outside aisle. Justine sighed, knowing he would be long gone before she got through the crowd waiting to shake the minister’s hand.
"Sure, honey."
**********
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The blonde woman ducked beneath a pine branch and gave it a good shake. The sun never hit this spot, so the snow and ice that had accumulated over the last week still clung to her favorite perch. Instead of climbing the branches, she had to settle for leaning against the sticky trunk. If someone knew to look for her, she was out in the open. But she couldn’t resist the urge to watch the house below. She needed a vivid reminder–proof positive–that there wasn’t anything down there for her. All of her ideas about having something with Justine Hall were silly, stupid pipe dreams. Justine had spelled it out for her in plain English–she just hadn’t listened.
Carly fingered the Dunhills in her pocket, wanting one right now more than anytime since she’d set them aside a couple of weeks ago. If not for the fact that she’d disappoint her mother terribly, she’d chuck the whole idea of quitting and light up right here in Stony Ridge Park. There was no point in not smoking to please Justine.
They’d been so close to sharing a kiss last night, and it wasn’t just some lust-filled moment. No, for those scant few seconds, Carly thought she had seen inside Justine’s heart, and that what was there mirrored what was inside her own.
And just like that, it was gone. Justine wasn’t going to give herself permission to share her heart with someone…at least not someone like Carly. And if Carly couldn’t give her heart to Justine…well, then…she might as well smoke.
She pulled a cigarette from the pack, passing it underneath her nose to inhale the inviting tobacco scent. When she wrapped her lips around the filter, the temptation grew too great and she pulled out her lighter. Flick...flick…. It sparked but wouldn’t catch.
The dark blue Acura suddenly appeared on Sandstone and pulled into the carport below.
Carly watched as Justine and Emmy climbed out of the car, both wearing dresses and long, heavy coats. Obviously, they had been to church this morning. She watched as they walked up the steps to the kitchen door, the same door that Carly had used last night to make her escape.
Justine held the door as her daughter went inside. Then she turned instinctively and met the eyes that watched her from so far away.
Carly shivered as the woman lifted her hand slightly in a wave that only the two of them could see. She pock
eted her lighter and pulled the cigarette from her lips, snapping it in two.
What is that woman doing to me? Carly smiled to herself, knowing that Justine had her permission to do anything she wanted.
**********
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With Emmy behind the wheel, mother and daughter parked at the trailhead where Justine and Trey usually ran on Saturdays.
"It’s pretty out here," the teenager noted. Running wasn’t her thing at all, but Emmy would admit to being just a little bit jealous that her brother got to spend this special time with their mom and she didn’t.
"It is nice. You’ve never been out here before?"
"I’ve been to the lake, but I didn’t know about this trail until Trey told me about it." The teenager buttoned her jacket all the way to the top and turned up her collar. "It’s cold."
"Not when you’re running," her mother joked. "I know, you hate to run." She was glad to have this time with Emmy, even more so because it had been her daughter’s idea. Justine couldn’t shake the feeling that Emmy wanted to talk about something, Dale Farlowe perhaps. "You got something on your mind, honey?"
"Yeah…I wanted to ask you about Carly."
Justine’s stomach dropped as though she’d topped a Ferris wheel. Not you too. "What about Carly?"
"Well, about you and Carly."
Her worst fears now realized, Justine drew a ragged breath. "I thought you might want to talk about Dale Farlowe."
Emmy wouldn’t be derailed. "Is Carly just a regular friend? Or do you like her more than that?"
"Honey, did Trey say something about Carly and me? Because he’s got the wrong idea–"
"What’s Trey got to do with anything?"
Justine dug her hands into her pockets and stared at the ground as they walked deeper into the woods. "Emmy, I don’t think this is the kind of conversation I should be having with you."
"Why not? Are there things I shouldn’t talk about with you? Things like boyfriends or dating…or sex?"
"Of course not. You know you can talk to me about anything. I’ll always listen, and I’ll try to help you work through stuff however I can. And I won’t give you any advice unless you ask for it."
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"Well this ought to work both ways then. You should be able to talk to me about stuff too. Otherwise, I’m going to feel like I can’t bring things to you that are personal."
Justine stopped in her tracks and stared incredulously at her too-smart daughter. Starting up again, she shook her head in resignation. "Emmy, you’re pushing me into a corner here, and I don’t like it at all."
"Why can’t you just answer my question? Are you a lesbian?"
"Honey!" Justine felt the walls closing in, like her whole life was starting to unravel again. Sometime between the near-kiss last night and this morning in church, she’d come to the conclusion that JT was wrong about the kids being ready to accept something like that. "Look, no matter what I feel about Carly–or anybody–I’m not going to do something that’s going to come between all of us like it did last time. I don’t want to go through that again, and I’m not going to put you and Trey through it."
The teenager groaned in exasperation. "Put us through what? I don’t see what the big deal is. Just tell me how you feel about Carly."
Justine could feel her façade–the one in which she portrayed Carly Griffin as just a friend–crumbling with each pointed question from her daughter. "Okay, I…like Carly. I think she’s interesting…and she’s very kind. We were friends a long time ago, and it’s been really nice seeing her again, and spending time with her." All of that was true.
"But do you like her as more than a friend?"
"I told you, Emmy. I’m not going to pursue something with Carly that would cause problems for you or your brother."
The girl sighed deeply, frustrated at the way her mom kept dancing around the question.
"Look, Mom…I can’t speak for Trey…except to say that he can be the most selfish, stuck-up…jerk in the world. But if you’re happy with somebody, it isn’t going to cause a problem for me…no matter who it is."
Justine was bowled over by her daughter’s words. Did she just say what I think she said?
"Even if it’s another woman who makes me happy?"
"If it’s somebody as nice as Carly, then it’s okay with me."
The discomfort she’d been feeling with the vein of the conservation dissipated, and Justine found herself simply in awe of how a 16-year-old could be so mature. She and JT
had always known that this child was special, but up until right now, she had no idea of the compassion and insight her daughter was capable of. "Honey, come here." She stopped in the path and held out her arms.
"Now we’re going to be all mushy, aren’t we?" She stepped into her mother’s arms and returned the hug.
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"Yes. We’re going to be mushy." Justine hugged her daughter tightly, her eyes rapidly filling with tears. "Have I ever told you what a wonderful person I think you are?"
When they finally broke, they hooked arms and continued down the trail. The enormity of this breakthrough wasn’t lost on Justine, but winning Emmy’s support didn’t solve the problem of Trey.
Chapter 18
Carly ground the gears on the old truck, this time just to watch her cousin flinch. With her head out the window in the rain, she watched the corner of the building as she backed the truck into its spot behind the store.
Perry did the first run by himself while Carly helped at the coffee house, but she’d come on board to help finish up, knowing that her mom would have their Christmas Eve lunch on the table by one o’clock. It was a big day for Griffin Home Furnishings, and the big lug beside her still had no idea of their plan to turn over the store.
"Looks like Lloyd’s already locked up," Perry observed.
"Have you told them about your big plans for tonight?"
"No, I haven’t told anybody but you. What if she says no?"
"She’s not going to say no." Carly had told him that no fewer than a dozen times in the last week. She climbed into Perry’s pickup and waited while he double-checked the lock on the back door. A bag of wrapped presents sat in the floorboard.
Last night when they closed the store, Lloyd and Nadine went to the offices of Cobb, Finkle & Sharpe to sign all the papers they’d need to sell the store to Perry. All that waited was Perry’s signature and the bank’s official okay on his loan.
Perry pulled into the sparse traffic on Main Street, catching the stoplight…the only stoplight in downtown Leland. A blue Acura–Justine Hall’s car–turned the corner in front of them just as the light changed, and Perry drew up behind her as they both followed the main road out of downtown.
Carly hadn’t seen Justine since Saturday night, but they’d talked on the phone a couple of times. Emmy was staying over there this week, so there really wasn’t any comfortable way they could talk about what happened with Trey. But Justine seemed to be okay, and if she was worried about anything, she didn’t show it. But that didn’t mean they were going to just pick up where they left off. Having Trey walk in like that was probably a wake-up call for Justine that they were slipping into risky territory. If she’d managed to 191
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convince her son that nothing was going on…then she’d probably convinced herself of the same thing.
"That’s Justine Hall, isn’t it?" Perry observed.
"Yeah…guess she’s going home early too."
"That’s one pretty lady. Did you ever see her when she got really fat?"
"I saw her when she was heavier. I thought she was pretty then too."
"You’re right, even then she was good-looking. Some people have it, don’t you think?"
"Justine Hall has it…She’s always had it."
Perry got the strangest inkling at he recalled the delivery to Ma
rian Hall’s home. He hadn’t known about Carly’s preference for women at the time, but now that he did, it made him look at it all in a different light. There was just something about the way his cousin responded to Justine that he hadn’t seen in her dealings with other people. And if the rumors about Justine were true…. He was about to probe when he spotted the blue Chevy Lumina in the Griffins’ driveway. "Is that Debbie’s car?"
"Yeah, Mama invited her. Kevin should be here too."
"Why didn’t somebody tell me?"
"Duh…maybe they wanted it to be a surprise."
"Why would anybody want to surprise me? It’s not my birthday or anything."
"Why don’t you quit asking so many questions and get on in the house?"
The wonderful aroma of freshly baked ham filled the house, and Carly rushed in to announce their arrival. The Griffins had gathered in the living room with their guests, all of the paperwork for the transfer stacked on the coffee table.
Perry greeted his girlfriend and her son excitedly before he realized that all eyes were on him. "What’s going on?"
"Have a seat, son," Lloyd said, picking up the folder off the table. "Ever since Carly was fourteen years old and took to riding in the delivery truck with you, I’ve been thinking about what I was going to say when this day finally got here. I wanted to look her in the eye and tell her how glad I was to pass on thirty-five years of hard work down at the store, and that I hoped she was going to enjoy it as much as me and her mama did."
Perry looked over at Carly, suddenly getting a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach.
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"Now you can’t push Carly into something–she’s just too hardheaded. So I’ve been nudging her for about the last five or six years, and she’s finally given me her answer."