“What’s that got to do with me?” Jennie Sue asked. “I could feel the icicles comin’ off her tone.”
“Jealousy,” Lettie said. “But don’t worry, she’ll get glad in the same britches she got upset in. Let’s go on to the frozen foods now. We don’t buy our fresh vegetables here. Rick’s are so much better.”
“Why would she be jealous of me?” Jennie Sue said. “I’m divorced and cleaning houses for a living.”
“Honey, you are the next Wilshire of West Texas whether you like it or not.” Nadine patted her on the arm. “Now let’s go get some frozen hash browns for the casserole I’m making tomorrow night.”
Jennie Sue picked up a few things as she followed the ladies, but her mind wasn’t on grocery shopping. It kept skipping from the chemistry she’d felt when Rick touched her hand to the idea that Cricket was envious of her and the fact that she’d rather be the next Baker of West Texas than inherit the Wilshire crown. She’d rather be known for bringing extra tomatoes to the church folks than having a hand in one of the biggest oil companies in the state.
“You were flirting with her. How could you do that when you know how I feel about her?” Cricket hissed.
Rick pushed the cart up to the express checkout. “Settle down. Your face turns beet red when you are angry. Why would you think I was flirting?”
“The way you were smilin’. I haven’t seen that expression on your face since before you got hurt,” Cricket said through clenched teeth.
“Jennie Sue is a pretty woman, but I wasn’t flirting.”
“Good, because she’s way out of your league. I hate her,” Cricket told him.
“Hate consumes love, sister,” Rick said. “The two can’t live in the same heart.”
“My heart is plenty big enough for both.” Cricket began to unload items from the cart.
Hoping to cool her down and get her mind off Jennie Sue, he said, “We could stop by the Dairyland and get a burger and fries for supper. I’ll treat.”
“I am hungry,” she answered.
“You’re like Daddy. Mama said there wasn’t anything crankier than a hungry Lawson.” He pulled bills from his wallet to pay for what they’d bought.
Cricket sucked in a lungful of air and let it out in a whoosh. “I’m not cranky. I just don’t like Jennie Sue and never will.”
“Never say never,” Rick said.
“I don’t believe that old sayin’.”
“We don’t get food in you, you’ll go postal right here in Walmart,” Rick told her.
She nudged him with her shoulder. “Okay, okay. You’ve always been the one who tried to keep the peace, like Mama was. I’ll calm down if I can have a hot-fudge sundae after we eat.”
“Deal!” He grinned.
They finished checking out and drove to the Dairyland to find the only booth left was a family-size one that would easily seat six. Cricket claimed it and sent Rick to put in their orders. When he returned with a tray of food, she had her phone up to her ear and a smile on her face. Other than food, gossip was the one thing that could tame the beast in her. She’d make an amazing columnist for one of those newspapers at the checkout counters. But to do that, a person needed a toe in the door.
“Don’t you even want to know what happened that caused Jennie Sue to leave her mama’s house?” Cricket asked.
“Nope. I don’t care why she left,” Rick answered.
“Not even a little bit curious?” Cricket bit into a french fry and squealed, “Hot!”
Rick pushed her root beer closer to her. “Right out of the grease. Drink some of that and it’ll help.”
She gulped several times and then spewed root beer out her nose and across the table on his shirt. “They’re comin’ in here.”
“Who?” Rick asked.
“The Cliffords and Jennie Sue.” She grabbed a fistful of napkins from the dispenser and handed them to him.
“She’s stalkin’ you.” He lowered his voice and wiggled his dark brows. “She’s jealous of you because you have dark hair and green eyes, and she always wanted to grow vegetables and work in a café. You got to do both of her dreams while she had to be a socialite.”
“Don’t be sarcastic,” Cricket hissed.
“Don’t be crazy.” He turned around and waved at the ladies. “Y’all want to join us? We got lots of room.”
“I’m going to shoot you.” Cricket kicked him in the shin under the table.
“I hid your rifle,” he said.
“Don’t mind if we do, and thank you,” Nadine said. “Lettie, you know what I want. Jennie Sue can help carry it back here to us.” She scooted in beside Cricket and waited until Lettie and Jennie Sue had reached the counter before she whispered, “So I hear that the Bloomin’ Flower Shop sent a bunch of flowers out to Charlotte today.”
“Six different bouquets, says one of the girls that works there.” Cricket lowered her voice. “Mostly roses, but the last one was a big basket of gladiolas. The Sweetwater Belles sent that one. Guess everyone thinks that Jennie Sue’s decision to work for y’all is going to cause Charlotte to die.”
“Well, I did wonder when I heard the ambulance goin’ through town, but it was just one of Elaine’s boys that stuck a bean up his nose and couldn’t breathe. They had to take him to the emergency room and sedate him to get it out,” Nadine said.
Rick shook his head. “Poor little guy. I remember when Cricket did that. She couldn’t get air, and Mama was in a panic.”
“Don’t you dare tell that story in front of Jennie Sue,” Cricket hissed. “They’re on the way with the orders.”
Nadine patted her on the arm. “Your secret is safe with us, but Jennie Sue seems to be a really nice person. Y’all could be friends.”
“You ever goin’ to be friends with Charlotte?” Cricket asked.
Nadine sent a dirty look her way. “Maybe when they let Lucifer back in heaven for a visit.”
“There’s your answer,” Cricket said.
“Burger basket with everything for Nadine and one with no onions for me,” Lettie said as she set a tray down. “Jennie Sue, you go on and slide in there beside Rick, honey. These old knees like the outside better than havin’ to work their way out of the booth after I eat.”
Rick wasn’t ready for the jolt that shot through him when Jennie Sue’s entire side plastered up against his. His tongue knotted up, especially when he thought of the talk that would be flying around the next day.
“I love big old greasy burgers,” Jennie Sue said. “This is such a treat.”
“It’s the one thing I missed the most when I was deployed,” he said.
“Where were you?” Jennie Sue asked.
“I could tell you, but then . . . Well, you know the rest.” Rick grinned.
“He won’t even tell me where he was on that last mission,” Cricket said. “You’d think he could tell his sister.”
Jennie Sue nudged him with her shoulder. “I always wanted a sister.”
“Oh, honey, trust me when I say that you didn’t really.” Lettie shook her head slowly in disagreement. “They’re nothing but a pain in the ass most of the time.”
“Especially if you get an older sister who stays in so much trouble that she ruins your name right along with hers,” Nadine said.
“So how much older was the other sister?” Jennie Sue asked.
“Flora was two years older than me. If she was alive, she’d be ninety-two, and I’m two years older than Lettie, who is older than dirt,” Nadine said.
“What does that make you, smarty-pants?” Lettie shot a dirty look her way. “If she wasn’t old and worn-out, I’d give her to you, Jennie Sue. But you deserve a younger sister.”
“If you still want one, I’ll give you mine,” Rick offered.
Cricket shot a dirty look his way. “Better yet, I’ll give you a brother. They’re twice the pain in the ass.”
“For real?” Jennie Sue asked.
“Oh, yeah.” Cricket nodded seriously.
“I really love bein’ around young folks. Makes me feel young all over again,” Lettie said.
Makes me feel like a king, just sitting here with Jennie Sue Baker beside me, even if it does create more rumors, Rick thought, but he didn’t say a word.
Chapter Four
The blazes of hell could never compete with Texas in July. Jennie Sue arose even earlier than usual the morning of the Fourth. She took a glass of iced coffee to the balcony, where she propped her long legs up on the banister and watched the sunrise. There wasn’t a city, state, or country in the world that could lay claim to a prettier sunrise or sunset than West Texas. That was one of the many things she’d missed when she moved to New York.
Her cell phone rang, and her father’s picture popped up on the screen. “Good mornin’, Daddy. Are you on your third cup of coffee?”
“Fourth, baby girl. What’s all this talk I’m hearing?” Like always, his deep drawl made her homesick to see him. He might disappoint her horribly with his lifestyle, but there was no doubt that he loved her.
“It’s the truth, Daddy. I’m cleaning house for the Clifford sisters two days a week and chauffeuring them around when they need it. The other three days I’m working for Amos in the bookshop, and I’m living in Lettie Clifford’s garage apartment,” she said.
“Your mama is pitching a hissy,” he said.
“I don’t doubt it.”
“You need anything? Money? A car?” he asked.
“I need to be independent, to stand on my own two feet and figure out exactly who I am. As far as money, I’ve got a couple hundred dollars left in my purse, and I get paid each week. Besides, Daddy, this town is so small, I can walk most of the places I need to go. Lettie and Nadine take me with them to Walmart, too. But thanks,” she answered.
“Why do you kids all have to get on this bandwagon about finding yourself? Why can’t you just be happy with what you inherit? And it’s three miles out here. You goin’ to walk that far?” he asked.
“After my marriage with Percy, I need to be independent, Daddy. I need to prove to myself that I can make it on my own. And yes, I can walk three miles. I used to jog farther than that every day.”
“Okay, baby girl. You’ll call me if you need help. Promise me that, and, honey, your mama will come around. Just give her time.”
“There is one thing, Daddy. You could hire me. I have a business degree.” She set her glass on the floor and crossed her fingers.
“That’s the one thing I can’t do. Wilshire money built my company, and your mama owns more than eighty percent of the stock. She says that she didn’t raise you to work in the company. You’ve been groomed to take her place in the Belles.” Dill’s tone sounded sincerely apologetic.
“After what I’ve been through, the Belles aren’t real high on my bucket list. Am I invited to the party this afternoon?” she asked.
“Honey, that’s one line I will draw in the sand. You come home anytime you want and stay as long as you want,” he answered.
“Can I eat bacon?” she asked.
“I’ll make sure there’s always five pounds in the refrigerator,” he said.
“Then maybe I’ll show up. Mama might not be able to stay mad at me if I’m right there, right?” She could always dream, couldn’t she?
“Don’t count on it. She’ll be nice in front of her Sweetwater Belles, though. Can I pick you up or send a car for you?” Dill asked.
“No, I’ll find my own way.”
“Just promise me one more time to call me if you need anything. Even if it’s only to talk,” Dill said.
“Promise. Love you, Daddy,” she said.
“Right back atcha, kid. See you later.”
Dill hated goodbyes and had always ended his conversations with her by saying that he would see her later. She’d asked him about it once, and he’d said that he’d had an argument with his mother and left by yelling goodbye and slamming the door. She’d died that night and he’d never gotten to apologize.
She laid the phone in her lap and decided that she would go to the party that afternoon, but she wouldn’t stay for the fireworks. Lettie and Nadine needed her to drive them to the football field for the public show. She finished her coffee and went inside to make breakfast.
“So Mama doesn’t work, but she practically owns Daddy’s company. I wonder why she puts up with his flings,” she mused as she got out a skillet and put half a dozen strips of bacon into it.
The Baker place really was three miles from where Jennie Sue lived now, but she had little choice other than to walk. No such thing as a taxi company in Bloom, population less than twelve hundred. She dressed in her best—khaki shorts, a navy-blue knit shirt, and a pair of sandals. She even took time to polish her toenails so she wouldn’t be a complete disappointment to her mother.
She was halfway down the stairs when she saw Lettie standing at the bottom. “Well, hello, Miz Lettie.”
“Same to you. Reckon you could drive me over to Nadine’s place? We’re goin’ to do our cookin’ over there this morning, and then you can have the truck for the day. Ain’t no use in it sittin’ here when you need a ride out to your folks’ place.” Lettie mopped the sweat off her face with a hankie that she pulled from the pocket of her jeans.
Jennie Sue gave a little silent prayer of thanks that she didn’t have to walk all that distance. “Yes, ma’am, I’ll be glad to drive you to Nadine’s. Thank you for the use of the truck.”
“Anytime. Wilma and her husband only had one vehicle, and her husband had to take it to get to work down in Sweetwater, so I let her drive it anytime she needed to. I miss her, but it was time for both of them to retire. They were both from Tennessee before they came here to Bloom about ten years ago, so they moved back.”
“Do you need me to help carry anything out to take to Nadine’s?” Jennie Sue asked, not really caring to hear Wilma’s life story, but then, this was Bloom. Everyone knew everything about their friends and neighbors.
“Oh, no, honey, I done got it all in the truck. You can help me take it inside when we get there. Just be careful of that pretty shirt.” Lettie talked as she got into the passenger side and hit a button on the garage opener.
By the time Jennie Sue was inside, the door was up. “You could rent out this garage in New York City for a lot of money.”
“I wouldn’t live in that place for all the money in the world. I like it just fine here in Bloom where I know everyone.” Lettie touched the device, and the doors rolled down as soon as they were outside. “It’s goin’ to be a hot one. Maybe it’ll cool down a little bit by dark when we go see the fireworks. You goin’ to be back to drive us?”
“I sure will. Shall I bring the truck to Nadine’s and we’ll go from there?”
Lettie nodded. “That’ll be fine, and if you get bored over at your mama’s, come on to Nadine’s and you can help us get ready for our little party.”
“Who all’s comin’?” Jennie Sue asked.
“Much as Amos makes me mad with his constant chatter, his dear wife was my friend, so I invited him and the folks that go to our book club. Nadine always invites her Sunday-school class, so we’ll have quite a little bunch. Then afterward we have desserts at my house. Already got them made and ready to serve. If you’ll help me with them, I’ll keep track of your hours and pay the same as when you clean for me.”
“My benefit package includes the apartment. Your benefit includes anything I do other than the cleaning responsibilities.” Jennie Sue pulled into Nadine’s driveway.
From the outside, the house was shaped a lot like Lettie’s, only it had a carport instead of a garage with an apartment above it. And instead of being painted yellow, it had white clapboard siding. But the big picture window with lacy curtains drawn back to reveal a table with a lamp in the center was the same and reminded Jennie Sue of the stylized pictures that she’d drawn as a child.
“W
e’ll take the stuff in through the kitchen door.” Lettie got out of the truck and headed to the back to open the tailgate. “I put things close to the end, so neither one of us has to climb up inside. You get that box, and I’ll take these two sacks and then you can come back for the potatoes. So we can expect you back here by eight o’clock?”
“Or before,” Jennie Sue answered as she picked up the box in one hand and the potatoes in another. “Something sure smells good.”
“I’m smokin’ a brisket, two chickens, and a pork loin.” Nadine came from the back of the house. “I just put more pecan chips in the smoker.”
“Are you expecting an army?” Jennie Sue asked.
“Maybe, but if there’s leftovers, we can eat on them all week.” Nadine opened the kitchen door for them. “I love this holiday. Christmas is about presents. Thanksgiving is about families getting together. ’Course since it’s just me and Lettie, that’s a sad one. But the Fourth is a fun time when friends can all gather up and have a good visit.”
Ninety years old and still making a meal for a crowd—Jennie Sue wanted to grow up and be just like her. She tried to imagine her mother or any one of the Sweetwater Belles at ninety, wearing a pair of baggy bibbed overalls and a faded T-shirt. Nope, the visual wouldn’t appear, no matter how hard she squeezed her eyes shut.
“Just put all that on the table. Me and Lettie will get busy and make up the sides that go in the refrigerator first. We ain’t spring chickens anymore, so we sit as much as we work, but we always enjoy the day,” Nadine said.
Lettie poked her thin arm. “Speak for yourself. The only reason we do one big holiday a year is because you are so bossy.”
“Well, Flora was the oldest. She said that gave her the right to boss me. When you came along, it was my turn, so stop your bellyachin’. If you’d wanted someone to boss, you shoulda got married and had kids.” Nadine pulled macaroni noodles from the box.
“I didn’t want a husband tellin’ me what to do,” Lettie snapped. “Women don’t really need a man except for sex, and you don’t have to stand in front of a preacher and promise to love and obey to get that when you need it. Jennie Sue can back me up on that, can’t you?”
Small Town Rumors Page 6