She hadn’t seen or talked to George since the pawnshop incident. Every time she picked up the phone to text him an apology, her fingers literally felt numb, and she couldn’t bring herself to do it. She wanted to tell her dad about Claire, too. She wondered if she did the right thing by telling Claire what she saw in the first place. Maybe she could have spared her cousin the pain.
“I’m fine,” she said instead. After all, her dad had bigger things to worry about, like his next doctor’s appointment and his latest test results.
Allen put a frail hand on her shoulder. “By the way, your mom and I ran into George last night at the grocery store.”
Madison’s eyes snapped up.
“He was in the frozen food aisle looking like kind of a wreck.” He crossed his leg. “Baggy eyes, disheveled clothes, messy hair . . .” Allen put his arm around her chair. “Reminds me of someone else I know.”
She looked down at herself. “Who . . . me?” she asked defensively. “It’s seven in the morning. What do you expect?!”
Allen snickered. “I don’t know what happened between the two of you, but he asked about you.”
“He did?” Her heart started beating faster. “What did he say?”
“I believe it was, ‘How’s Madison?’ ” He smiled.
She slumped down in her chair. “Oh, that doesn’t mean anything.”
“Why don’t you go visit him today? It seems like he could really use the company.” Allen patted her on the knee.
She dangled her spoon in the bowl. “What gave you that impression?”
“The fact that he was buying twenty frozen dinners for one.” He took a sip of coffee and raised a brow at her. With a sigh, Madison stood up and threw her leftover cereal in the sink, the little mushy Os sticking to the scratched-up stainless steel, then kissed her dad on the cheek before trudging to her room.
After sitting on her bed, stewing over the possibility of going to see George for half an hour, she finally walked to the bathroom and took a shower. The scent of her eucalyptus body wash was relaxing, but she couldn’t wash the guilt away.
Stop thinking about it, she kept telling herself. But George’s face was still there, as was the memory of him driving away in his Porsche looking heartbroken. And beyond the guilt . . . if she was being honest, she missed him. Odd as it was, she’d really enjoyed his company. She’d liked his phone calls and how he’d always say, “Just callin’ to say howdy.” She liked sitting on his porch and hearing about his travels abroad, or making him laugh with stories about her epic fishing trips with her dad. She closed her eyes and shampooed her hair, the water and suds running down her cheeks. The pipe squeaked in the wall, causing scalding hot water to run from it and burn her skin. “Owwww!” she screamed out loud, jumping out of the water. “I deserve that . . .” she muttered under her breath.
As she dried herself off and combed her knotty hair, she stared at her reflection, her dark eyes looking back at her as if they, too, were judging her. And why wouldn’t they? She was scum. No, she was that nasty mold that developed on top of the scum in her bathroom.
I can’t take this anymore, she said to herself, running to her bedroom, stepping into a pair of ratty jeans, pulling on a black sweatshirt, and grabbing her keys.
As she drove into George’s driveway, she noticed his silver car sitting in the open garage. Her mind reeled with nervous thoughts as she slowly got down from her truck and walked up the sidewalk to the front door. Her fingers trembled when she knocked on the door, then waited. Silence—save for the leaves rustling from the breeze. Madison sighed. Guess he doesn’t wanna talk to me, she thought. Who can blame him?
She walked back to her truck with her head held low, started the rumbling engine, and began driving back home. But about a tenth of a mile down Egret Lane, she spotted George out walking Charlie. Her stomach twisted with nerves.
“Hey,” she said softly through her open window, as she pulled up slowly.
George looked at her, his expression unreadable. “Hey.”
Charlie barked and ran up to her truck, dragging George along with him on the leash.
She took a deep breath. “Mind if I join you?” she asked, turning the engine off.
“I guess not.” He focused his attention on his dog, who was now greeting Madison with licks as she knelt down beside him.
Madison stood up and looked at George apologetically. “I just came to explain that day outside the pawnshop. I’m sorry it’s taken me so long to come to you. I’ve just been really embarrassed.” She shuffled her keys back and forth from one hand to the other.
George rubbed the back of his neck. “Yeah, that . . .”
“I know what’s probably going on in your mind,” she rushed on. “Hell, I know what you’re probably calling me in your mind. But I promise I didn’t want to hurt you. That necklace was the nicest thing anyone’s ever given me, and I appreciated it more than you’ll ever know.”
“So then why did you pawn it?” He kicked some dried-up mud with his stark white Reebok tennis shoe. Charlie let out a sharp bark and strained at the leash as a squirrel ran up a nearby tree.
She lowered her head. “We’re about to lose our house. I was tryin’ to buy time.” She took a deep breath, her eyes watering. Spring was officially only a day away, and pollen hung heavy in the air. “It’s been a really shitty year, George.”
George’s expression softened instantly. “Oh, Madison. I had no idea it was that bad.” He put his arms around her and pulled her to him. She felt herself relax in his embrace, the weight she’d been carrying around since she’d seen him outside the pawnshop abating slightly. “Here, come with us for a walk.”
Madison wiped her eyes and started walking with them along the dirt path. “For what it’s worth, I am really sorry.”
“So, do you still need money?” He looked at her with concern, leaves crunching under his feet.
“We’re making do with what we got.” She put the keys she had been fidgeting with in her back pocket. “What I care more about right now is that you and I are cool. I know I really messed up and should have apologized sooner, but I’m . . . I’m just not good with this kinda stuff.”
“You’re doing an okay job,” he said, urging Charlie away from a patch of wildflowers with bees buzzing around it.
She gave him a half-smile. “ ‘Okay’ is better than I expected.”
He laughed before growing serious once more. “So, level with me. Are you gonna lose the house?”
She pushed her bangs out of her eyes. “I’m trying to pick up extra jobs cleaning houses. And we’re having a yard sale next weekend. You should come!” She put her hand on his shoulder and put on her best auctioneer’s voice. “The animatronic singing bass and peeing angel fountain will go fast. Come early before they get snatched up by the little old couple who roam the town in their van.”
“Ha!” He stroked his clean-shaven chin. “That sounds like a pretty good deal. Maybe I’ll have to go.”
“You should,” she said, nudging his arm and smiling up at him.
They turned onto a paved path that ran along the lake. The sun shone brightly overhead, reflecting off the calm surface of the lake. A few ducks swam through the lily pads and patches of algae near the edge, honking loudly.
“I’m really sorry that you guys are going through this, especially when your dad is so sick,” George finally said, running his fingers through his hair. “He’s one of the nicest people I know.”
“I feel like all the bad karma in my life is coming back to haunt me,” she admitted. “Seeing my dad like this is heartbreaking.”
George stopped to let Charlie poke in the underbrush. He leaned against a wooden post and regarded Madison. “I’ve been lucky to always have the money I need, but I know how hard it is to watch your parents slip away. I lived it myself not so long ago.”
“Any advice, then?” she asked, blocking the sun with her hand. “What do you think I should do?”
“Marry
me,” he said calmly. Charlie barked, as if echoing his statement.
Her eyes widened. “What?” She playfully hit his arm and laughed. “You tryin’ to get a rise out of me?”
He shook his head. “No, I’m serious. I know I sound crazy, and maybe I am, but this could work.” He took her hand. “I can’t make this time any less sad for you, but I can help make it easier. Your parents won’t have to worry about losing their house or their medical bills, and you can quit cleaning with your mom.” He smiled. “Madison, I have so much fun when I’m with you—I’ve never felt this happy with anyone else. Marry me.”
She gently tugged her hand from his and started pacing, turning tight circles in the little clearing, her mind whirling. Even if she really considered it, what would marrying George mean?
“This is crazy.” She stopped walking and faced him, taking in his green eyes, his fleece, and the jeans he wore a few inches too high on his waist. “You’re a little crazy.”
“I mean, yeah, a little,” he said with a grin. “But just think about it for a minute.” He took her by the shoulders. “I’m not asking you to love me. I’m just asking you to come live with me and keep me company.”
“So, let me get this straight: You’re cool with paying for my family’s debt if I marry you and make you laugh sometimes?” she clarified. Even to her, who had admittedly started hanging out with George for all the wrong reasons, this sounded completely ridiculous.
“Forget it, you’re right, it’s stupid,” he said. His cheeks flamed red and he bent down to wrestle a stick from Charlie’s mouth.
But now that he had taken it back, something insistent tugged in Madison’s chest. This incredibly insane, spontaneous decision could actually be the answer to all her family’s problems. “Wait. I mean, maybe it’s not stupid.” She put her hands in her pockets and rocked back on her heels.
He looked up at her with wide eyes. “So, what are you saying, then?”
Madison shook her head. She had done some crazy things in her life, like the time she went skinny-dipping in a lake that most definitely had alligators in it, or when she and Cash broke into Nan’s Diner at 3:00 a.m. to eat peach pie. But now she was officially about to do the craziest thing she’d ever done in her almost twenty years on Earth.
“Yes, I’ll marry you.”
28
gabrielle
AS GABBY OPENED the door of Dixie’s Thrift Boutique on Main Street, she was hit with the smell of mildew, old leather, and dust. Madison had texted her urgently the night before, telling her to be at the store the following morning—“Eleven a.m. SHARP!”—but she wouldn’t explain why, though Gabby hadn’t heard anything from her since Claire’s birthday dinner a week ago. Gabby walked through the rows of musty clothing, looking for her friend.
Madison popped her head out from behind a rack of dresses. “Hey!”
Gabby jumped. “Oh dear god!” She took a second to catch her breath. “What are we doing here?”
Madison emerged from the hanging clothes, holding a short white mesh dress. The gap in her front teeth showed through her beaming smile. She seemed infinitely happier and more energetic than last week. “Surprise! I’m a fellow bride!”
Gabby’s jaw dropped and she quickly realized she was gaping. “What are you talking about?”
Madison shoved the dress at her. Gabby took it, bewildered. “I’m getting married, too!” She looked up at Gabby expectantly.
Gabby tried to morph her shock into happiness for her friend. “Oh my gosh, congratulations!” She leaned in, squeezing Madison in a hug. “I can’t believe Cash went from noncommittal to ready for marriage. Men, huh?”
Madison wriggled out of the hug. “Actually, it’s not Cash, but thank you.”
She eyed the white dress that Gabby was holding. “Hmm, I want casual, but I think that’s too casual, what do you think?” Madison grabbed the dress out of Gabby’s hands and put it back on the rack.
Gabby felt like she was staring at her friend in a way that probably bordered on rude, but this was unbelievable, even for the typically impulsive Madison. “Um . . . sorry if I missed something, but if it’s not Cash . . . then who are you marrying?”
“George!” Madison laughed, digging back into the rack. “Can you believe it?”
“Actually, I can’t,” Gabby confessed. She had never even met the guy—although to be fair, the girls hadn’t met Tony either. She still had to get the courage to tell them they were going to have to keep her past a secret at the wedding in a few weeks. The thought made her a little nauseated. But this was different, right? She loved Tony. “I thought you insisted that y’all were just friends.”
“We are just friends.” Madison pulled out a long white dress that had some yellow stains on the skirt. She made a gagging face and quickly shoved it back in. “Funny how things work out, huh?”
Gabby leaned on the rack of clothes, more confused than ever. “How did this happen?”
“We were hanging out last weekend and it just came up. I know it sounds crazy—and it is—but it’s one of those things I just can’t explain.” She put her hand on Gabby’s shoulder and looked her in the eyes. “I’m doing the right thing for me, I promise.”
Gabby wanted to tell her friend she was certifiably nuts and that this was the most insane decision she had ever made, but instead she said, “Well, I’m happy for you,” and gave her a hug. After all, who was she to judge?
“So, I know your date is set for April fifteenth,” Madison said. “Do you care if I do it the weekend after?”
Gabby cocked her head to the side. “Not at all, but what’s the rush?”
Madison shrugged and began combing through the white dresses on the next rack over. “Why wait? It’s not like we need a lot of time to plan. It’s just gonna be a small party at his house.” She pulled out a long cotton spaghetti strap gown and held it up to her. The material was soft and had a bohemian flare to it.
Gabby nodded at the dress. “That’s gorgeous. You have to try it.”
As the girls wound their way back to the dressing room, Madison grabbed a dress that was on one of the displays. “Ooh, you have to try this one on,” she said, handing it over. “It’s only five dollars! Bridesmaid dress?”
Gabby glanced down at the item in her hands and burst out laughing. It was a short corset dress made out of green camouflage material. Neon orange tulle peeked out of the bottom of the full skirt. It was like someone wanted to go to a formal dance but also wanted to show off her love of hunting. “This is ridiculous . . .” She paused, staring it down. “Ridiculously awesome!” She walked into the dressing room, closed the curtain, and shimmied into the dress.
“Oh, this is special,” Gabby called out to Madison, who was in the dressing room next to her. For being hideous, the dress fit her surprisingly well. “I look like I’m going to Redneck Prom!”
“Okay, I’m ready,” Madison finally called out. The two opened up their curtains and faced each other.
Gabby put her hand over her mouth. “Oh Mads, you’re beautiful.”
The cotton gown hung just to the tops of her feet, and even though Madison was skinny and angular, it gave her the appearance of soft curves. The bright white made her pale skin look pearlescent, and her long dark hair contrasted beautifully with it. Madison smiled as she looked at herself in the full-length mirror.
“It’s great, isn’t it?” She looked back at Gabby and her eyes widened. “But not as awesome as yours, that’s for sure.”
Gabby sashayed up to the mirror next to her, her brightly colored dress contrasting with her deep red curls. “Don’t mean to steal your thunder and all, but I look good,” she said sarcastically. “Maybe I’ll wear this to my wedding.”
“I will literally pay you a hundred dollars if you wear this for your wedding,” Madison said, with an evil grin on her face.
Gabby looked up to the right and pretended to ponder it for a moment. “Nah, I think I’m good.”
“Your loss,” M
adison said, twirling in front of the mirror. “Tony wouldn’t be able to keep his hands off of you in that.”
Gabby let out a snicker. “So, is this the one?” she asked, nudging Madison’s hip with her own.
Madison smirked. “The dress or the guy?”
“Either!”
Madison looked at herself in the mirror again, an unreadable expression on her face. “They’ll both do.”
• • •
AS SHE PULLED into her apartment complex parking lot later that afternoon, Gabby prayed none of her neighbors would see her in the camo dress. When she’d tried to change out of it in the store, Madison had begged her to keep it on—”I’m buying, my treat”—and Gabby had let Madison’s enthusiasm override her own good sense. It seemed funny at the time and they’d left the store laughing, but as she got closer to home, self-consciousness set in.
Gabby parked and almost got inside without anyone seeing, but as she turned the corner to her apartment, she was surprised to find someone waiting by her door. The tall man stood erect, as if afraid that touching the walls would dirty his neatly pressed khakis and button-down. He looked familiar. . . .
She squinted. “Congressman Ford?” Panic bubbled up in her chest. What was he doing at her apartment . . . the apartment she’d hidden from Tony for the past ten months?
Mr. Ford slowly looked her up and down and Gabby’s cheeks went bright red. Her hands hovered over the dress awkwardly. Oh, who was she kidding? There was no hiding this ridiculous thing. She wanted to kill Madison.
“Hi, Gabrielle,” he said, stone-faced. “Mind if I come in?”
She nodded and opened the door. As they entered her tiny apartment, her heart was beating so fast that she was afraid he could hear it.
He looked around the small dim room, his lip curling as his gaze landed on the old futon that acted as both her couch and bed. Gabby’s morning coffee was still on the table, along with some candy wrappers and a half-burned vanilla-scented candle. Atop the cheap faux wood bookcase, a framed picture from Claire’s wedding—where she and the girls posed with cake-frosting mustaches—sat next to a photo of her and her mom on her eighteenth birthday, taken just a few months before Elaine went to jail.
The Young Wives Club Page 18