by Lin Stepp
His words washed over her painfully. “Well, Boyce Hart, you’re going to get your wish. I’ll soon be out of your hair and on my own back in New York. And as for you, your life’s been so sweet and simple and full of love and kindness that you lack empathy with people who have not had your emotional advantages. That are suffering or hurting or going through some crisis. It’s easy to judge and think how a person should act until it’s you. Then it’s not so simple anymore.”
It had been a nasty evening between the two of them in the end. They threw insults and said things they probably should not have said. Jenna wept buckets afterwards when she returned to Sam’s. She felt no better than her mother and father who always lost control and screamed at each other in their unpleasant scenes.
She slept fitfully and woke the next day with a splitting headache. She swallowed an aspirin, dressed, and headed for the gallery after a scanty breakfast. Jenna considered calling in sick, but decided it would probably be better to have something to do today to occupy her mind.
At eleven o’clock, Boyce walked in the gallery, looking tired and disheveled. He waited until Jenna’s customer left, and then said simply, “I was out of line last night. I came to say I’m sorry. You were right about some of the things you said. I hope you’ll forgive me. ”
Jenna stood there stunned for a moment. Elliott had never apologized after they had a quarrel. Not ever. Neither had her mother or her father. Elliott’s way of handling small disputes was to tell Jenna, “I think we’ll go out to dinner tonight, Jenna. It will make you feel so much better for losing control last night.” Or acting foolish, or crying, or something. He always turned it around on her so that it seemed like only she had been at fault. When it was her mother, she simply acted as though it never happened at all. It was never mentioned again.
“Is there anything else I can say to make things right?” Boyce asked softly, when Jenna hesitated so long to make a response.
She shook her head. “No. It’s all right. I’m sorry, too, for some of the things I said, as well. I hate fighting. I hardly slept at all last night.”
“Me, neither. You should have called me.” He gave her a teasing look. “I would have come over and we could have kissed and made up so you could have slept better.”
“If you’d come over in the night, we probably wouldn’t have gotten any sleep at all,” Jenna said flippantly.
“Now that you mention it, I think that’s probably right.” He raised an eyebrow and gave her a long, considering look.
They grinned at each other then, glad to have the argument a thing of the past.
However, as Jenna worked in the gallery through the day, she thought about what Boyce had said the night before. She did need to grow up and get over her timidities and fears. She didn’t want to always be a silly, helpless woman someone else had to look after.
Chapter 12
Jenna rose early the following day to get some household chores done before Charlotte came to pick her up to go shopping. After breakfast, she made sugar cookies for Tyler Dean. She knew they were his favorites, particularly with colored sprinkles on the top. Besides, whatever cookies Tyler Dean didn’t eat on their trip, Boyce would make quick work of later.
Charlotte arrived at about nine o’clock and they were soon on their way. “I figured I’d better drive today, since we have the kids,” Charlotte told her. “Their seats are already in the back and all their junk. This car here is not as pretty and new as yours, but she sure is a sentimental friend to me and full of memories. Her name is Theda.”
“Your car has a name?” Jenna looked at her in surprise.
Charlotte grinned. “Sure, I name all my cars. This one’s Theda Thunderbird. I call your car Catalina Cadillac. It seemed like she needed a fancy name.”
Jenna’s mouth quirked in a smile.
“I got this car back when I was sixteen years old,” Charlotte continued. “Daddy has an auto shop and repairs cars, and he found me this black Thunderbird at a car auction, only six years old and not many miles. Whoo-ee, girl. I thought I was hot stuff driving Theda T. to high school after daddy got her fixed up for me. I can remember a lot of fine times with my girlfriends piled into Theda going to the drive-in or to a football game. And then me and Dean dated in Theda. He had a Chevrolet truck, so we often took my car instead. I have some serious memories of young passion in this vehicle, plus all these new memories of carrying my children around in it. I’ll probably have myself a good cry when I finally have to trade ole’ Theda in.”
They drove in silence for a minute, enjoying the spring day.
Charlotte looked over her shoulder to check on three-year old Tyler Dean in the back seat. “Tell Miss Jenna what we’re going to do today, Tyler Dean.”
His face brightened. “We’re goin’ to shop for Easter clothes, and if I’m good, I get a new bucket and a shovel and we get to go to the park for a picnic. I get to play in the big sandbox at the park and swing on the swings and climb on the jungle gym.”
“That’s right,” said Charlotte, approvingly. “And what if you’re bad?”
A little frown crossed his face. “We don’t get to go to the park for a picnic,” he said, with a pout in his voice, “and I don’t get a new bucket or a new shovel, either. I might even have to take an extra long nap when we get home, too. If I’m real bad, I might even get a spanking.”
Charlotte nodded. “I’m glad you remember all that, Tyler Dean. Now, I want you to know that no little boys like to go shopping for clothes, but it’s a necessity sometimes. It has to be done. Life is like that. We have to do some things we don’t like much in this life, but then there are usually good times to look forward to afterwards. It’s good to learn that right off.”
Charlotte turned to smile at Jenna. “We always talk ahead about things we are going to do so Tyler Dean knows exactly what to expect and what is expected from him. If I’m clear with him and he knows what his choices are, then he handles it better when things don’t work out good. And he sees his responsibility in that. I don’t believe in lying to children, like in telling them a shot won’t hurt or that it will be fun shopping. Shopping for clothes isn’t fun for little boys.”
Jenna laughed. “Some men even hate shopping after they are grown. I wonder why that is?”
“Lord, I don’t know.” Charlotte waved one hand, while keeping the other on the steering wheel. “The ways and differences between men and women is one of life’s greatest mysteries. It says in the Bible that it’s past understanding. I do know that Tyler Dean’s daddy would rather take a beating before going clothes shopping any day. I’ve promised to get him a new dress shirt for Easter just so he doesn’t have to darken the door of a store this week.”
Charlotte drove them to a big thrift store over in Maryville first.
As she parked the car, she turned to Jenna. “I want to start here to look for what I need. If I’m lucky, I’ll find most everything here and save myself a lot of money.”
Jenna followed Charlotte and the children into the store. They were soon weeding through the racks of clothes to see what they could find. Charlotte told Jenna sizes so she could help her look.
The store had no similarity to the shops and stores in New York Jenna normally patronized. Jenna wrinkled her nose. There was even a slight odor of used clothing in the air.
“They don’t have things organized by size in here.” Charlotte sorted through a rack of children’s clothes while she talked. “You just have to look through. And watch for good brand names and clothes that are almost new. One way you can tell that is by the tag and how crisp it still is.”
After searching through the boys’ rack for a while, Charlotte found Tyler Dean a pair of navy pants with a little plaid vest. “Isn’t this cute?” She held it up with a grin.
Jenna had to agree and was amazed Charlotte had located such a cute outfit in all this disorder. They continued hunting until they found a small white dress shirt to go with it. Charlotte even found a child’s r
ed bow tie in a basket of odds and ends. For Jennie Rae, they found a fussy white dress with hand-smocked rosebuds on the front.
“Probably somebody’s granny did all this handwork here.” Charlotte lovingly examined the little dress she held. “I guess they didn’t have another little girl in the family to pass the dress on to.”
After locating outfits for the children, Charlotte found Dean a nice blue dress shirt and a tie, but they had more trouble finding something for Charlotte.
“I could just wear a dress I already have.” Charlotte told Jenna with a big sigh. “It’s vain of me to think I have to have a new dress, but everybody at church wears something new for Easter. And I hate to not have a new dress for myself.”
Jenna thought for a minute. “We could go over to the mall and buy one,” she suggested.
Charlotte gave Jenna a disgusted look. “No, you could do that, Miss New York City. I have fifty dollars here for Easter clothes that Dean gave me, and that’s it.”
Jenna felt ashamed then that she had even mentioned the mall. She busied herself looking through the racks for Charlotte a dress.
“Look here,” she said, after a few minutes. She held up a simple skirt and short-sleeved jacket in rose pink for Charlotte to see. “This is your size.”
“It’s real plain.” Charlotte studied it with a frown. “I was sort of wanting a floral dress if I could find one. But that would probably look real good on you, Jenna. You wear real plain-looking things like that.”
Jenna considered this. The simple suit did look like her. And the brand name was actually an expensive one. She knew it would cost a lot in a specialty store.
Because she hesitated, Charlotte said, “But maybe you think you’re too good to wear a thrift store suit.” She raised an eyebrow expressively.
“And maybe I don’t think so.” Jenna’s reply was saucy and she draped the suit over her arm while she kept looking. “You may not know me as well as you think, Miss Townsend Tennessee.”
They both laughed at that and kept looking through the clothes’ racks. Everything from women’s small to plus sizes were all bunched together, and the process of looking proved slow and tedious. But, then, on a side rack, Jenna found a floral princess-style dress in a soft yellow floral in Charlotte’s size.
“Ooooo! I just love it!” exclaimed Charlotte. “I hope it fits me.”
They went back into the store’s dressing room and found both their garments fit perfectly. Jenna had planned to wear a basic black dress she had brought with her to Boyce’s church, but this would be a better choice for Easter. She told Charlotte that.
Jenna smiled. “I brought a nice white blouse and some little white sandals with me that will be perfect with this suit, too.”
Charlotte tucked their items into her shopping cart behind Jennie Rae’s baby carrier. “So, you’re going to Boyce’s church for Easter and then over to his family’s for lunch.” She regarded Jenna with interest. “How did all this come about?”
Jenna shrugged. “His mother invited me when we stopped by there after hiking Saturday.”
Charlotte studied Jenna thoughtfully and seemed about to make a comment when Tyler Dean began to swing from the clothing rack bar.
“Tyler Dean!” Charlotte’s voice was sharp. “Get off that rack right now. Remember our agreement.”
He dropped off the rack immediately, looking thoroughly chastised.
“Come on now,” she said, taking his hand. “We’re going in the back to look for shoes for you and Jennie Rae. You can look at all the toys there while I look at the shoes.”
He skipped off excitedly beside her then, as they walked toward the back room of the store. “Can I get a dump truck, too?” he asked.
“Maybe,” said Charlotte. “And definitely yes if you can find your bucket and shovel here and save us some money. Why don’t you let Jenna help you look, while I try to find some shoes? ”
When they left the thrift store, Charlotte had all the things everyone needed for Easter morning. And Tyler Dean, with Jenna’s help, had found a big dump truck, and a bucket and shovel among the toys.
“I have sure been blessed today,” Charlotte pronounced, as they were putting the children into their car seats. “Plus I have money to spare that I can keep for another day.”
“And I have a great new suit,” added Jenna.
Charlotte looked up from strapping Tyler Dean into the back seat. “You ever shopped in a thrift shop before?”
“No.” Jenna answer was honest. “But I have been to used antique stores in the city and to auctions and flea markets out in the country.”
A big grin spread over Charlotte’s face. “Well, you can say you’ve had another fine, new adventure down here in rural Tennessee now. You can tell folks you found yourself a bodaciously beautiful Easter suit in an all American Tennessee thrift store.”
Jenna laughed as she climbed into Charlotte’s car.
After running a few quick errands, Charlotte drove them through some Maryville side streets to a pretty park set among big, spreading shade trees. Charlotte had fixed all of them a picnic lunch to share and Jenna brought the cookies she made earlier as her contribution. At the park, picnic tables clustered under the shade trees, surrounded by an expansive children’s playground filled with grassy play areas.
“I’d have gone out to eat,” Charlotte told Jenna. “But it’s really a lot easier for me to just picnic with the children. Tyler Dean can run and play after his lunch, and I can just put Jennie Rae to sleep right here in the car where I can watch her.”
Jenna pushed Tyler Dean on the swings and played with him while Charlotte fed Jennie Rae and eased her gently into her car seat for her nap. Then they had their lunch of bologna sandwiches, chips, chilled colas from the cooler, and fresh peaches.
Tyler Dean gave Jenna a big grin. “Bawoney sandwiches are my favoritest kind.”
Charlotte winked at Jenna. “I guess you know now why this was the lunch specialty today.”
After lunch and cookies, Tyler Dean settled down a few feet away from their table to play in the park’s big sandbox.
“He loves that sandbox.” Charlotte looked at him fondly. “He’s always begging to come here, and he’ll just sit and dig and build little roads and drive his cars for an hour if I’ll let him. I’m trying to get Dean to build him a sandbox of his own out in the backyard. But I wonder if it will be as exciting after he has his own.”
They sat companionably drinking their diet colas and enjoying the sunny April day.
Charlotte broke the silence at last. “You know, my momma says when you can sit quietly and contentedly with someone, and just enjoy being with them without needing to talk, that you’re becoming real friends.”
“I think that’s true,” Jenna said, smiling at her. “And we have become real friends. I’ll miss you when I go back.”
“When are you leaving?” Charlotte frowned at that thought.
“I guess the last weekend in April,” Jenna answered. “You’ll be ready to come back to work. And I need to start back to New York then.”
Jenna told Charlotte about her plans and about the apartment she planned to move into when she got back. “It feels good to have everything resolved in my mind, even if there is so much to do to get it all resolved in reality. My part-time employer said I can work more for him when I get back. So I’ll be able to make my way and take care of myself.”
“Yeah, I’ve heard something about that job.” Charlotte gave Jenna a disapproving look. “Una told me you were an artist but kept that news all to yourself down here. Hid it from everyone.”
Jenna looked up in surprise at Charlotte’s tone. “I’m not an artist, not really,” she argued. “ I just create greeting cards part-time for a press in New York.” She shrugged. “I didn’t think it was particularly important to tell anyone about it.”
Charlotte parroted her words back. “You just create greeting cards. Pooh. Do you know how many people wish they could write out a nice
, rhyming verse for a greeting card or draw anything better than a stick man? You need to do some real, serious thinking about the merit of your abilities, Jenna. You ought to be real proud of the work you do. Una showed me some of your cards, and they are really nice. It hurt all our feelings, you know, that you had this glorious gift in you and hadn’t even seen fit to share that with any of us.”
“I’m sorry, Charlotte.” Jenna chewed on her lip regretfully. “It didn’t come up right away when I first came and then, somehow, I didn’t know how to bring it up later. It’s not that I didn’t really want you to know.”
“That’s not true, Jenna. You didn’t want to share it for some reason,” Charlotte challenged, giving her a pointed look. “It’s about as easy for me to see when you’re telling a lie as it is for me to see when Tyler Dean is. You give it away with your eyes and the way you twist your hands.” She stopped to consider Jenna thoughtfully. “I bet you didn’t want to tell Una and me because of how much money you make at that job. Because of you having this fine professional job in the city while me and Una just work in a little country gallery part time. That’s it, isn’t it?”
Jenna’s reply was defensive. “I didn’t know what you or Una made until I got my first paycheck.”
“But when you did get your paycheck, you particularly avoided bringing it up after that, didn’t you?” Her honest eyes probed Jenna’s.