Marilee could tell the girl was upset. “Working. I was hired at the Pickford Inn, and the owner asked me to start tonight.”
“Is’ pose it was too much trouble for you to inform me. I didn’t know if you’d had an accident or some drunk pulled you into an alley. Clara and Ruby have been calling all night to see how the interview went. I don’t mind telling you they’re worried too.”
“I’m sorry, Winnie,” Marilee said, noting the genuine concern on the girl’s face. “I was so excited about getting the job that I never thought of calling.”
“All this fretting can’t be good for the baby,” Winnie said, sniffing, much like Clara did when she was annoyed. She turned for the kitchen. “I made you a sandwich since you didn’t eat your pizza. I figured you’d be hungry by the time you got back from your interview. How was I to know you’d be out all night?”
The girl made it sound as though she’d been standing on a street corner picking up men until the wee hours of the morning. “Thank you, Winnie,” she said. “Why don’t you go to bed?”
“That’s exactly where I’m going. I need my rest, what with being pregnant and all and trying to do well in school. I can’t be pacing the floor and wringing my hands and wondering where you’ve run off too. You need to call Clara and Ruby.” She climbed the stairs slowly, as though she carried the weight of the world.
Marilee called Clara and Ruby, each of whom answered on the first ring. She apologized for causing them to worry, then told them about her new job. Once she hung up, she went straight for the refrigerator where Winnie had indeed prepared her a snack. The girl had quartered a pickle and placed each wedge around a ham and cheese sandwich and covered it in plastic wrap. As Marilee ate, she counted her tips. Thirty dollars! That, plus the fifty she’d made, equaled eighty. Eighty dollars! Not bad for three hours of work. She was on her way to replenishing her savings account.
It was almost midnight by the time Marilee had showered and climbed into bed. Setting the alarm, she pulled the covers high. She had cried a little in the shower while thinking of Josh, but now she felt calmer. Thank God she had her friends. At least she wasn’t alone.
MARILEE ARRIVED AT THE funeral home early for her first day of work, where she found a frazzled Debbie still in her bathrobe, picking up toys and dusting as Bennie toddled behind her. “There was a traffic fatality last night,” she said. “Irby picked up the body first thing this morning. The family is coming in at ten o’clock. I wanted to make sure the place is presentable.”
Marilee helped get the reception room and parlor in order while they took turns answering the phone and directing calls to Irby, who was dressed in a dark suit and wearing what Debbie referred to as his somber look.
He looked happy to see Marilee. “I’d like you to sit in on this one and take notes,” he said. “Debbie will watch the phones.”
By the time the deceased’s family walked through the front door, everything was ready. Marilee watched as Irby welcomed them and offered his condolences. He led the grieving family into the parlor as Debbie reappeared, dressed in a simple black shift. Marilee grabbed a notepad and followed, sitting in a chair at the far side of the room so she wouldn’t interfere with the meeting.
Irby introduced her as his assistant, and the family nodded. Marilee could see the grief etched in the lines around their eyes and mouths. She’d seen it before. For the next hour she watched and listened quietly as Irby helped the family make funeral arrangements. This was a side of Irby she’d never seen. By the time the family left, they seemed relieved that someone was in charge.
“I’m impressed with how you handled everything,” Marilee said to Irby once the group left. “You were on your best behavior.”
He reached for his baseball cap and plopped it on his head. He grinned. “Hey, I’m a sensitive guy. What’d you expect me to do, tell knock-knock jokes?” He glanced at his wristwatch. “Well, I’d better get to work on that poor joker. The family viewing is this evening. Going to take me that long to pry the windshield off his face.”
Marilee shuddered. “That’s the Irby we know and love.”
Debbie spent a couple of hours training Marilee while Bennie napped. She hadn’t realized all that was involved in running a funeral home. As she shared her lunch with Debbie, they chatted. Debbie complimented Marilee on the lavender perfume she always wore, and Marilee asked about Debbie’s children.
Shortly after three, two children bounded through the front door. Debbie frowned. “How many times have you been told to use the back door?” She introduced them to Marilee and ushered them upstairs, leaving Marilee on her own. Marilee took calls; when the party asked for Irby, she told the caller he was tied up, but promised to have him return the call as soon as possible.
As Marilee was cleaning her desk and preparing to leave a tired-looking Irby appeared. She handed him his messages, and he thanked her for doing a good job.
“See you tomorrow,” he said.
She nodded. “Tomorrow.”
When Marilee came through the door, Winnie was putting dinner on the table. “Gee, Winnie, I didn’t expect this.”
“You can’t go running out of here every night without your dinner,” the girl said. “And you need to hurry. Ruby will be here any minute to do your makeup.”
As if acting on cue, Ruby sailed through the front door with her makeup kit in tow. As Marilee gobbled her dinner, she held a handheld mirror to watch Ruby apply her eye makeup, all the while answering questions about her new job. “You know, I think I can do this on my own next time,” she said, once they’d put the wig in place.
“You sure?” Ruby asked. “I don’t mind stopping by. Tell you what, I’ll leave some of this stuff. If you have trouble, give me a call, and I can be here in no time.” Thanking her, Marilee slipped into a blue sequined dress and bade Winnie and Ruby farewell as she headed out the door.
SAM COULD NOT STOP THINKING about Marilee. As he stood on the damaged roof of Blessing Home trying to figure out how many cartons of shingles to order, he kept seeing in his mind the way she’d looked in that red dress.
The woman was an enigma, to say the least. One minute she was trying to hang herself, next thing he knew she was caring for his mother like a loving daughter. The dress and wig didn’t make sense. There could only be one reason Marilee was disguising herself: she was obviously lonely and out looking for companionship. He shook his head.
Dressed like that, he could only imagine what she’d find.
Sam muttered a series of four-letter words at the possibility of Marilee checking out what he used to refer to as meat markets. And here she was, so prim and proper, and far too naive for her own good. He cursed again when he noted the rotted wood in one section of the roof. Looking through the hole, he saw the living room and several buckets that had obviously been placed there to catch the rain. Sam thought of the girls who’d had to live under such conditions and felt sorry for them.
He climbed down and sat in his truck. No matter what, he wasn’t going to allow Marilee to assuage her loneliness with some no-account man who would only end up using her and breaking her heart. He would repair the damn roof. He’d do whatever necessary in order to see her.
JOSH SAT IN A LAWN CHAIR in front of LaFonda’s trailer and waited for his dad to arrive home from work. The slab of broken concrete that served as LaFonda’s patio—she pronounced it paw-tio—was littered with plastic containers of dying plants. It would never occur to her to throw them away. Just let them stay there, in case she needed them for something else, she’d say, which was why the inside of her trailer was so cluttered you could barely walk through it. He thought of the house he’d lived in the past ten years. His mother, as busy as she’d been with church activities, would never let a place go. He pushed the thought aside. He didn’t want to think about his mother.
Josh stood as he spied his dad’s car turn into the trailer park and pull in beside LaFonda’s old heap. “Hi, Dad,” he said the minute the man started toward
him.
“Hey, son. How was school?”
Josh shrugged. He hated school. “Okay, I guess.” His dad made for the trailer.
“Uh, Dad?”
“Yes?” Grady turned.
Josh could see that he was tired. The suit he wore was crumpled, as though he’d slept in it. His dad had always been so particular before. “I don’t have school tomorrow. I thought maybe we could do something tonight. Like go to a movie? There’s a good action-adventure playing. Tommy Lee Jones is in it. He’s cool.”
Grady shook his head. “I don’t know, son. My day wasn’t so great. Business was slow on the car lot, so the boss put us to washing cars. Not exactly what I expected to be doing at this stage of my life.” As if sensing his son’s disappointment, he smiled. “Why don’t we see how I feel after dinner?” he suggested. “Or maybe I can grab a nap, and we can take in the nine o’clock show.”
Josh knew they wouldn’t be going to a movie that night or any other. His dad was so wrapped up with the woman inside the trailer that he had little time for anything else.
Grady opened the door to the trailer. “You coming in for dinner?”
“I’m not hungry. I think I’ll take a walk.”
“I’ll ask LaFonda to keep your plate warm, how’s that?”
Wordlessly, Josh turned and started walking down the gravel road that ran through the park, hands tucked deep inside his jeans. He walked every afternoon until he was too tired to do anything more than fall asleep. At least it kept him from thinking.
The smell of food wafted through the windows of the blue-and-white mobile home two doors down. Onions frying. Josh smelled them every time he passed that trailer. Across the street, a poodle was chained to a stake in the yard. It yapped wildly as he passed. Josh hated both the smell of cooked onions and that stupid yapping dog.
He turned a corner and saw the three guys who waited with him each morning to catch the bus. He stopped, started to turn around then decided against it. He would ignore them and walk along the highway as he usually did.
“Hey, look, it’s lard-ass,” one of the boys called out. “Ain’t you missing your supper, boy?”
“Don’t look like he’s ever missed a meal,” another one said.
The older boy shoved them. “Why don’t you two shut up?” He walked away, quickly catching up with Josh. “Ignore them, kid,” he said. “They’re just a couple of morons who have nothing better to do than insult people. What’s your name?”
Josh stopped walking and looked at him. “Why do you want to know?”
“Hey, I’m just trying to be sociable. You don’t want to tell me, that’s your business.”
“Josh.”
“My name’s Conway.”
“I know who you are. I’ve seen you at school.”
Conway lit a cigarette. “Now, there’s a hellhole if ever there was one. I’d quit if I didn’t think my old lady would have a bona fide conniption fit. She made me swear on a stack of bibles that I’d graduate, so I reckon I’ll hang in there and do her that one favor. How come I see you walking all the time?”
“Not much else to do around here.” Josh wondered why the guy was bothering with him. He was probably one of the coolest guys in school, although he seemed to be in trouble most of the time.
“Yeah, it’s boring. ‘Course, you gotta know where to find the action.”
Josh gave a grunt. “I haven’t seen much of that.” He watched Conway take a long drag of his cigarette.
Conway offered him the pack of Marlboros. “You want one?”
Josh shrugged and pulled one out. Conway lit it for him. One drag and Josh went into a fit of coughing.
Conway laughed and slapped him on the back. “You ain’t been smoking long, have you?”
“Not too long.”
“Know what your problem is? You’re too serious.”
Josh considered it. “I have a lot on my mind.”
“Problems at home?”
Josh looked suspicious. “Did somebody tell you something?”
“All I know is you and your old man are living with that LaFonda woman. She’s a piece of work, guys moving in and out all the time. Woman has a swinging door, if you know what I mean.”
“She rents out her spare room.”
“Sure she does.”
Josh looked at Conway. He wore a smirk. Josh would like to have known more so he could tell his dad, but he didn’t want to push Conway and end up with nothing. Sometimes, the best thing to do was remain quiet and let the other person do the talking. He took a short drag from the cigarette, dropped it to the ground and stamped it out. “Thanks for the smoke,” he said.
“Don’t mention it.” Conway looked around. “Hey, if you’re so bored, maybe you’d like to go to a party later.”
“What kind of party?”
“A Tupperware party,” Conway said, sarcasm dripping from his tongue. “What the hell kind of party do you think I mean? There’ll be women there. And cold beer. I know this cool guy named Mo. He’s got an awesome place on the edge of town. Nice house, nice cars, and he’s not even thirty. I work for him, detailing cars. Money’s good.”
Josh pondered it. He needed a job. That way he could save his money and hopefully get the hell out of Chickpea and away from his screwed-up parents. He might even find out more about LaFonda Bonaire if he went with Conway. Boy, he’d love to get the goods on her so he could tell his dad. “You think this Mo guy would give me a job, too?” Josh asked.
The other boy shrugged. “We could talk to him.”
Josh was beginning to like Conway. “Sure, I’ll go.”
CHAPTER SEVEN
MARILEE SLEPT UNTIL TEN O’CLOCK Saturday morning. When she opened her eyes and spied the alarm clock, she almost leaped from the bed, only to remember that she didn’t have to work at the funeral home that day. She let out an enormous sigh of relief. Because it was a weekend, she had worked until midnight at the Pickford Inn the night before, but it had been well worth it when she’d counted her tips. She had to work again that evening, but she had the day to herself until then.
She suddenly smelled sausages cooking in the kitchen, and her stomach growled in response. She climbed from the bed, grabbed her housecoat and made her way downstairs. There she found Nell Brewer, drinking coffee at the kitchen table.
“Good morning, Nell,” she said. “What a nice surprise.”
“Oh, I hope Winnie and I didn’t wake you with our talking,” the woman said.
“No, I never heard a thing. Good morning, Winnie. Breakfast smells delicious.”
The girl nodded. “There’s fresh coffee.”
Marilee thanked her as she made her way to the automatic coffeemaker and poured a cup. “How’ve you been, Nell?”
“Just fine. I wanted to drop off your cake plate and thank you for your help the other night. And to tell you the good news,” she added with a bright smile. “My son has decided not to hire anyone to take care of me right away. He said he’d hold off and see how things went.”
“I’m so glad.”
“He still doesn’t trust me in the kitchen, and he makes me leave the bathroom door unlocked in case I fall, but I don’t mind. At least I don’t have a nursemaid standing over me. I don’t know what you said to him, but it seems to have worked.”
“I really didn’t say much. Winnie, can I help you with anything? You’re supposed to rest, you know.”
“No, I’ve got it under control. And you worry too much. I feel great.”
“Winnie told me you’re working at Denton Funeral Home,” Nell said. “How do you like it?”
“I’ve only been there a few days, but I think I’m going to be happy working for the Dentons. I’ve known them since grade school.”
Nell leaned close. “You don’t have to do anything with dead bodies, do you?”
Marilee shook her head. “Oh, no. Irby takes care of that.”
“No way would I go near a dead body,” Winnie said, turning the sausage
over in the skillet. “Not after some of the things I’ve heard.”
Nell looked intrigued. “What have you heard, dear?”
Winnie paused, one hand on her hip, still holding the spatula. “Well, my cousin once worked in a funeral home. Said he saw a dead man sit straight up one night. Claimed it was some kind of muscle reflex. I don’t care what caused it, I would have made a new door getting out of that room.”
Nell shuddered. “Oh my.”
Marilee decided a change of subject was in order. “Winnie, are you sure there’s not something I can do to help you?”
“No, I’m cool.”
Nell turned to Marilee. “I don’t mean to pry, dear, but have you heard anything from your son?”
Marilee told her about trying to visit Josh at school. “He’s so angry.”
“He’s just going through a stage,” Nell said. “And I should know. My son put me through the wringer while he was growing up.” She paused and shook her head. “You just need to go slow. Perhaps you should send him a card, to let him know you’re thinking about him.”
Marilee pondered it. “I might just do that. Even though I hate sending it to that woman’s house.”
“Hey, you do whatcha got to do,” Winnie said. “At least he’ll know you still love him.” She opened the oven and pulled out a pan of biscuits.
Marilee wondered if Winnie’s parents had bothered to contact her, or whether they even knew where she was staying. Hearing from them would do the girl a world of good. “You’ve certainly gone to a lot of trouble this morning, kiddo,” Marilee said, noting the biscuits had been made from scratch. “Nell, I hope you’ll join us.”
“I’d love to.”
The women chatted while they ate. Winnie looked at Marilee. “I need to find a part-time job so I can start buying things for the baby.”
“What are you interested in doing?” Nell asked.
“I don’t much care as long as it doesn’t interfere with my studies. I’m an honor student.”
Nell smiled broadly. “Good for you!”
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