Can't Fool Me Twice: Sweet Contemporary Romance: Belles in the City Book 1

by Mayne, Debby

  "She certainly does," Miss Lucille agreed. "I forget that she's not one of my nieces. I was so happy when she agreed to move in with me."

  Mama took the opportunity to look around. "Your house is so beautiful. I've only dreamed of livin' in a place this nice."

  "Since you're unemployed, why don't you plan to stay a bit longer? Sunny works a lot, so when I'm not doing therapy, I'm all by myself."

  "I wouldn't want to impose."

  Sunny watched Mama and Miss Lucille go back and forth a few more times, until Mama finally agreed to extend her stay. "I'll have to call the lady who runs the trailer park and get her to check my mail a little longer. At least I'm paid up on the lot rent for the rest of the month."

  Miss Lucille pulled her walker over toward her chair. "Why don't we go take a look at the spare bedrooms so you can pick the one you like?"

  Sunny stood. "I can show her around."

  The older woman flopped back and let out a sigh. "That would be great, if you don't mind. I have a few things I need to do in here, and then I think I might take a short nap before supper."

  As soon as Sunny and her mother got out of hearing distance, Mama started chattering again. "You told me it was nice, but I didn't realize just how nice. And I'm so happy about being able to stay here a bit longer, but you know me. I don't like to be a nuisance."

  "Trust me, Mama, you're not a nuisance. Miss Lucille loves being surrounded by people, and this is going to be good for her since I'm gone a lot."

  "It'll be good for me too," Mama said. "Ever since you've been gone, I've had these strange feelings."

  Sunny stopped. "Strange feelings?" Mama had always been so cheerful, in spite of her often-dire circumstances. "Like what?"

  "Like a piece of me is missin'. It's been so hard not havin' you to talk to."

  "We'll have a good time while you're here."

  "And you know I wasn't kiddin' when I said I'd come in and help out at the diner. In fact, I think it'll be a blast."

  "It's hard work, though." Sunny thought about how the stress levels were off the charts on certain days.

  "Honey, I've worked hard all my life. When you were in school, I worked three jobs." She held Sunny's gaze. "Remember?"

  "I do." She often felt bad that Mama had to work so many jobs, because she didn't have the skills to make enough money with one position. "I just wish you could slow down a bit."

  "I've slowed down quite a bit. Until yesterday, I only had one job." She held out both hands. "And now I have none."

  "When you're ready to go back, I'll see what I can do. Remember that guy I told you about who used to tip me twenty dollars for just a cup of coffee?"

  Mama nodded. "That guy sure was generous."

  "He owns a car parts store not far from your mobile home park. He might have an opening or at least know of something. He said if I ever wanted to stop waitin' on tables to call him, and he'd give me a job."

  "But you're a pretty young woman. He might not want your ol' mama workin' for him."

  Sunny laughed. "You're anything but old. And you're every bit as pretty as I am." She took her mother's hand. "In fact, you're even prettier."

  "Oh, Sunny, you're such a silly girl. You must take after your mama."

  They stopped, and Sunny gestured toward one of the bedrooms. "What do you think of this one?" This was the larger of the two spare rooms, but it wasn't Sunny's favorite. "It has two closets—one a walk-in and the other perfect for stuff like handbags."

  "This is lovely," Mama said. "It's about three times as big as my room back home."

  "Before you decide, let me show you the other room."

  As soon as Sunny showed her the second room, Mama gasped. "This is it. It's such a cheerful place."

  "I thought you might like it." She looked directly at Mama. "It's not as big as the other one, but it's brighter."

  "Are you sure Miss Lucille doesn't mind which bedroom I pick? In fact, I could even stay in the room with you if someone else needed this one."

  "I'm sure she doesn't mind. These bedrooms have been sitting vacant ever since Bethann moved out." Sunny paused. "Where's your luggage?"

  "Dante put it in the sitting room, wherever that is." She made a funny face. "Whatever that is. I thought any room with a chair was a sitting room."

  Sunny laughed as she gestured for her mother to follow her. "Let's go get it so you can unpack and get settled."

  As they carried the luggage from the sitting room to the bedroom she chose, Mama chattered about everything they passed—from the massive sized rooms to the exquisite furniture. "I've seen this kind of place on TV, but I never actually thought people lived this way. I can't even imagine how it must feel to always be in the lap of luxury."

  "You'll be surprised by how normal it feels after a while," Sunny said.

  "Oh, trust me, this can't possibly be normal. Miss Lucille must be somethin' special to be able to call this place home."

  "She is somethin' special, and deep down, she's like us."

  Mama's chin dropped again as they entered the bedroom she'd be staying in. "I feel like I done died and gone to heaven." She walked around the room, her arms open. "This puts my dream doublewide to shame."

  "It shouldn't."

  Both Sunny and Mama glanced over toward the voice at the door. "Oh, hey, Miss Lucille. I was just tellin' my daughter how much I love your house."

  Miss Lucille glanced around the room as though just seeing it for the first time. "It is a nice house, isn't it?"

  "Is it ever!" Mama sighed. "Must be nice to be so blessed."

  "It is nice to be blessed, but my real blessings came from having lots of love. The house is just a place to live."

  "Maybe to you, but I've never been … fortunate enough to be able to live in a place like this. I grew up in a small shack near the railroad track, and when I moved out to get married, all we could afford was a small apartment a few streets over. Then I got …" She glanced over at Sunny who smiled and nodded. "I got divorced. Times were tough, but I finally managed to scrape enough money together to buy a small, 2-bedroom mobile home for my little girl and me."

  Miss Lucille walked over to one of the chairs in the corner of the room and plopped down. "I've never lived in a mobile home, but I've seen my share of shacks and small apartments. When I married my first husband, we somehow managed to get by on canned beans and whatever vegetables that came from seeds I managed to grow in a tiny window box. Occasionally someone would bring us some meat, and that was such a luxury for us."

  Sunny tilted her head. "I didn't know that about you. I thought your first husband was a successful businessman."

  Miss Lucille nodded. "He was, but that came later." She tilted her head back and laughed. "There was never any doubt in his mind that I married him for love because he certainly didn't have much money when we courted." She shrugged. "We knew each other since childhood, and we managed to find inexpensive ways to entertain ourselves."

  Mama shook her head. "I never would've thought you came from humble beginnings. You seem so refined."

  Miss Lucille cackled and winked at Sunny. "I sure have got your mama fooled, haven't I?"

  Sunny opened the closet door and pulled out some hangers. "Let's get your stuff hung up so it doesn't wrinkle."

  "I'll leave you girls alone," Miss Lucille said as she slowly stood. "Oh, before I forget, I've ordered pizza to be delivered. No point in anyone having to cook the first night we have company." She took a couple of steps toward the door before turning around. "I wasn't sure what kind you liked, Twila, so I bought several. We can refrigerate what we don't eat and have leftovers tomorrow." And then she left.

  Sunny grinned as she and Mama went to work putting away the contents of the luggage. "Miss Lucille will use any excuse to eat pizza."

  "I just hope I'm not a nuisance. I'd like to cook a few meals if that'll help."

  "It absolutely will. Miss Lucille loves downhome cooking. I think that's probably the best way I've been a
ble to pay her back for her hospitality."

  "Do you plan on being here forever?" Mama asked as she draped a sweater around a hanger. "Or are you comin' back home eventually?"

  "I haven't really given it much thought. When I first got here, I was so homesick all I could think about was going back to Charleston. But now …" She tilted her head. "I really like it here."

  "No wonder." Mama gestured around the room. "This place will make you forget about where you came from."

  The sound of female voices coming down the hall caught their attention. Mama's eyebrows came together. "That doesn't sound like Miss Lucille."

  Chapter 11

  "Bethann!" Sunny motioned for her friend to come on in.

  Right behind her were Cissy and Charlene. "Hey, girl. We heard your mama was here, and wild horses couldn't keep us from checkin' things out." Charlene turned to Sunny's mother. "Hey, I'm Charlene, and this is Bethann."

  "What about me?" Cissy piped up. "If it weren't for me none of us would know Bethann, and we wouldn't have met Sunny because it was my idea to go to the diner where she works and—"

  Charlene held up her hands to shush Cissy before turning to Mama. "If you haven't already figured it out, she's the one nicknamed Motor Mouth."

  "Or Mouth of the South," Cissy added, "but since we're not in the South anymore I guess you can't call me that, but Tom says—"

  "See what I mean?" Charlene interrupted.

  Mama clapped her hands together. "You girls are all so cute. No wonder Sunny likes it here so much. How did y'all know I was here?"

  Cissy thrust a hip out and took on a jaunty look. "Well, let's see. Dante told Judd, and Judd called Bethann while she was working … she works for me, ya know … and I just happened to be in the office when he called. I couldn't very well leave Charlene out, so I called her, and …" She held out her hands. "And here we are."

  Sunny grinned at her friends. Mama laughed. "Cissy, you and Sunny are two peas in a pod."

  "I know, right?" Cissy walked over to Sunny. "Twins separated before conception."

  Charlene made a face. "I never heard that one before."

  "That's on account of I just made it up," Cissy said. "So Bethann's great-aunt let us in. She said she's havin' a bunch of pizzas delivered and to call our guys to join us. Nothin' more fun than an impromptu party."

  "That means we'll be having two parties for you," Bethann added. "As soon as Aunt Lucille found out you were coming, she started calling everyone she knows."

  "Oh my." Mama placed her forearm on her forehead. "I haven't had a party in my honor since my ten-year-old birthday."

  Sunny mostly listened as the other women bantered about parties they'd had. All sorts of things flickered through her mind, like the question of whether or not Dante would be coming back while Mama was here. But she didn't have to wonder long.

  "Judd said he'd come if Dante does," Bethann said. "So I think they're arriving together."

  "I bet Ms. Chambray is in hog heaven." Charlene turned to Sunny's mom. "I hope you like socializing because that's what Ms. Chambray does best."

  "Oh, that's another thing. Some people call her Miss Lucille and some say Ms. Chambray. What does she prefer?"

  "Anything you want to call me but late for supper." Everyone looked up at the doorway. "I go by almost anything. You can even call me Gorgeous if you want to." Before anyone had a chance to respond, she shook her head. "Nah, better not do that. I don't want to make anyone jealous. Just call me whatever feels comfortable."

  "When will the pizza be here?" Bethann asked.

  "Just like my great-niece to be thinking about food. But she comes by her healthy appetite honestly. All the women in our family enjoy good food." She paused. "But to answer your question, I told them to get here as close to seven as possible."

  "Let's go make some tea," Bethann said. "I checked, and you don't have enough for that many people."

  Everyone followed her out the door. On the way to the kitchen, Mama leaned toward Sunny and whispered, "This is a fun place to live. No wonder you don't wanna leave."

  *

  Dante's stress level was off the charts. Riley would be out of commission for several days, and he only had one other cook competent enough to handle the large crowds at Bubba's, but he still wasn't as efficient as Riley. Without two high-level cooks, he worried that things would get too crazy.

  He sat at his desk trying to think of a solution, and the only thing he could come up with was to go into the restaurant and bumble through it. The main problem was that, although he could follow recipes, Riley didn't write every step down. He'd been cooking for so long he knew everything by heart.

  The sound of someone clearing his throat made Dante glance up. "Oh, hi, Judd. Ready to go to Ms. Chambray's house?"

  "I am, but from the look on your face, I'm not sure you are."

  Dante shook his head as he scooted his chair away from the desk. "I don't know if you heard about what happened, but we're in a pretty big bind."

  "Are you talking about the cook who cut himself?"

  Dante nodded. "He can cook in his sleep without missing a beat, and the customers have come to expect the best."

  "And you don't have the confidence in your backup cook?"

  "I hate to admit this, but yes." Dante grimaced. "I should have known better than to go so long without training someone else."

  "Why don't we pray about that before we leave?"

  Dante bowed his head as Judd started the prayer, asking for wisdom and guidance in this very uncomfortable situation. Dante finished the prayer by thanking the Lord for the success of his diner. After they said, "Amen," and opened their eyes, Dante felt a peace flooding his veins.

  "Feel better?" Judd asked.

  "Much better. I need to trust God more, but sometimes it's hard, ya know?"

  "Oh yeah, I do know. I went through all kinds of anguish when I was with the Bradley and Marsh law firm. When Lucille introduced me to Bill Powers, I was reluctant to let go of what I always thought I wanted. But after many prayers, I realized that I was holding onto something that was very slippery and not solidly in line with my faith."

  Dante nodded. "Yes, I remember that."

  "There are no accidents when it comes to God's plan. He will present you with all kinds of opportunities that are better than what you think you want."

  "Thanks, Judd. So have you met Sunny's mom yet?"

  "No, but I hear she's a lot like her daughter."

  "She is, but I don't think she has Sunny's confidence."

  "That happens."

  Dante chuckled. "Ms. Chambray said she was going to order a bunch of pizza. My uncle has a pizzeria, but she didn't want to take advantage of me by letting me bring it."

  "Brace yourself for wall-to-wall pizza boxes," Judd said with a chuckle. "I've never known anyone who likes pizza as much as Lucille."

  When they arrived at Ms. Chambray's house, it looked like the party was in full swing. Swing music blared through the house, and all the women were circled around Sunny's mother, talking over each other and laughing. The lightness of the moment instantly lifted Dante's mood.

  About ten minutes after Dante and Judd got settled with their sweet tea, the doorbell rang. "Everyone's here," Ms. Chambray said, "so there's only one person that can be." Her eyes lit up. "Pizza man." She pointed to her purse over beside her desk. "Can someone bring me my handbag and help me to the door?"

  Bethann jumped into action. About a minute later, three men dressed in red and white striped uniforms walked in with boxes stacked way over their heads.

  "You weren't kidding about Ms. Chambray liking pizza," Dante whispered to Judd.

  "I know. She hates for anyone to go hungry."

  "We can feed the entire neighborhood on what she bought."

  "Come on, y'all!" Ms. Chambray's voice lilted as she motioned for everyone to follow her. "Come get your pizza. I got at least one of every kind they have and more of the ones I think will go first."

&nb
sp; "You sure know how to throw a party," Cissy's husband Tom said. "Is there anything I can do to help?"

  "Nope." Ms. Chambray patted Tom on the shoulder. "But thanks for asking. Just grab one of the plates on the counter and fill it up. I don't want anyone going home hungry." She paused. "Oh, and don't forget that we have banana puddin' for dessert."

  Bethann tilted her head and gave her great-aunt a curious look. "Where did you get the banana puddin'?"

  Ms. Chambray held her hand toward Sunny's mother. "Twila whipped it up while you were gettin' ready. Said it's her favorite recipe. I can't wait to try it myself. I've had a lot of banana puddin' through the years, so I think I'll be a good judge."

  Dante glanced over at Sunny and then at her mother. He wasn't sure if she wanted to be judged, but the women didn't seem to mind. In fact, he was pretty sure they were pleased. Southern women were still an enigma to him, but what he saw so far, he liked.

  His own mother was from the South, but she'd mostly lost her southern ways since she'd lived in New York City most of her adult life. And being in the restaurant business with Pop, she adapted to the environment enough to be considered a New Yorker by most. However, she was still the person who recommended bringing southern cuisine to the city so other transplants could get their fix on the foods they grew up with.

  Ms. Chambray touched his arm. "Would you be a dear and fill a plate with a couple of slices of pizza and carry it over to the table for me?"

  "Sure, what kind do you want?" Dante looked down at her eyes that flickered with excitement.

  "One pepperoni, one mushroom, and one with everything." She tipped her head toward the table. "I'll be waiting for it."

  The slices were huge, but if she wanted three slices, that's what she'd get. He filled her plate and carried it to her. "What do you want to drink?"

  "Don't worry about it. Bethann is bringin' it to me." She patted the spot next to her. "I want you to sit here. Go get your pizza before it's all gone."