Sweet Tea and Secrets

by Nancy Naigle

  Garrett slowed at the town square stoplight. Railroad crossing arms blocked the intersection as a freight train rumbled down the tracks.

  Jill silently counted train cars as they swept by, chugging and clanging. Even is good, odd is bad.

  Garrett put the truck in park.

  Jill held her eyes fixed to the rambling train, keeping count.

  Garrett reached his arm across the back of the seat and dropped two kisses on her unsuspecting lips.

  “What are you doing?” She twisted away.

  “We used to kiss at the train crossing. You said you could keep better count that way.”

  She unclicked her seatbelt. “Well not anymore. Are you crazy? You didn’t get the hint last week?” She opened the door and slammed it behind her as her feet hit the pavement.

  “Why are you still mad at me? You know I didn’t swindle Pearl.” He slapped the steering wheel.

  Thunder moaned from the sky, and nickel-sized raindrops splattered against the sidewalk. She tucked her chin and marched down the street.

  Garrett rolled down the window and hollered her way. “Hey lady, you want a lift?”

  She glared at him. Not funny.

  “Stop, Jill. I’m sorry.” He edged the truck forward keeping pace with her. “What are you doing? C’mon, I said I was sorry.”

  She threw up her hand and kept right on walking.

  “I won’t let it happen again. Get in. It’s too far for you to walk. Look, you’re getting wet.”

  “I’m fine.” She squinted through the raindrops dripping from her bangs. Hiccup.

  “Don’t be so hard headed.” Garrett idled alongside her.

  “Look who’s talking.” She edged closer to the buildings, trying to put more space between them.

  A car honked behind Garrett. He waved them around. “You’re going to catch pneumonia. You’re hiccupping. I know what that means. You’re mad. I’m sorry. Really.”

  “Leave me alone.” Too many unexpected changes made her feel off balance. The size of Pearl’s property and how she wanted to distribute everything was almost too much to take. Hearing that her grandmother had been married had been the tipping point. Garrett was the last thing she needed to deal with today. She touched her lips where he’d just kissed her. Why did he keep doing that? And why hadn’t she stopped him before he did? She’d known what he was about to do.

  Garrett tossed something bright orange her way from the truck.

  She instinctively snagged the object out of the air. “A ball cap?”

  “At least it’ll keep your head dry,” he explained.

  She tugged the hat down over her head, and dipped her head forward to get the rain out of her face. Peeking from the side, she saw Garrett talking on his cell phone, the truck still idling alongside her. Leave already, would you?

  “You sure you won’t let me take you home?”

  “I’m sure. Go!” She picked up her pace. He finally gave up and drove off.

  A truck drove by kicking a spray of muddy street water up onto her already damp clothes. “Great.”

  The sound of a horn startled her. She resisted turning around. Why can’t he just leave me alone? The vehicle slowed. She turned to give him a real piece of her mind, but it wasn’t Garrett’s truck. It was Macy. The limo swerved to the shoulder just ahead of her. Macy jumped out of the driver’s seat in her Outback duster slicker, and rounded the front of the vehicle to swing the back door open.

  “Heard you needed a ride,” Macy shouted over the rain. “Come on.”

  Jill stepped up to Macy, shivering. “I can’t get in your car. I’m soaking wet.”

  “Give me some credit. I’m prepared.” Macy motioned to the inside of the car.

  A quilt covered the fine leather seats. “My hero. Thanks, Macy.” Jill slid into the back seat.

  Macy shut the door and jogged back to the driver’s seat.

  “Garrett called you, didn’t he?”

  Macy snickered. “I don’t care where I get my customers from. You don’t need to explain. You sit back and relax.” She raised the privacy window between them.

  Jill clung to the blue and white quilt. The Jacob’s ladder pattern was supposed to represent a path or direction, just like the one that had been on her bed when she was a young girl. She closed her eyes and cried softly into the quilt. “God knows, I need some direction right now.”

  ***

  By the time Macy and Jill got to the house, the sun had come back out. Chilled from her damp clothes, Jill went straight inside and escaped the shivers in a hot bath. While soaking, she decided she didn’t want to deal with Bradley while she made her decision about the property. It wasn’t his decision to make. She decided to spend at least another week here in Adams Grove. He wasn’t going to be pleased, but that was just too bad.

  She got dressed and headed to Roanoke Rapids to shop. Thank goodness there’d be no more granny panties. Underwear, a couple tops and a decent pair of jeans were a necessity. Three pairs of pajamas found their way into her keeper pile too, mostly because she couldn’t decide which she liked best. The shopping had lifted her mood to match the now sunny day.

  In the car, the bags fluttered noisily against the breeze coming through the driver-side window as she belted out the latest Toby Keith song, off key.

  When she got home, Garrett had made a first run on the repair of the ceiling over Pearl’s bed and gone. He probably thought she’d already headed back to Georgia. Through the open window, she could see that he’d hung the quilt on the clothesline next to the one that Macy had provided her earlier. She wanted to be mad at Garrett. What made him think he had could come in the house when she wasn’t there? However, fixing her mess was a nice gesture.

  Jill pushed Pearl’s hanging clothes tight to one end of the closet to make room for her new ones. She went ahead and boxed up all the contents of the dresser drawers, except for Pearl’s housecoats. She couldn’t part with those. The church would make sure the other things were put to good use.

  Seeing Pearl on the DVD had been strange, but comforting—in an odd way. Jill stripped the sheets from the bed and got a fresh set from the closet. Pearl had always refused to buy anything but white sheets, so the choice was easy. Jill pulled the fitted sheet tight and then fluffed the top one like a parachute above the bed, finishing with perfect hospital corners, just the way Pearl had taught her. After tossing the pillows back on the bed, she held a small rectangular one with tasseled fringe to her chest. Pearl had embroidered it years ago. Colorful needlepoint flowers framed the phrase,

  Too many tears of sorrow

  Precious memories tucked safely away

  Your love helps me get to each tomorrow

  Until we meet again someday.

  Jill wept aloud, clinging to the pillow. She’d never asked who or what Pearl had been thinking of when she stitched the delicate pillow, but the poem echoed Jill’s feelings today. Were these thoughts Pearl had embroidered memories of John Carlo? She plucked two tissues from the box on the nightstand. The mascara she had carefully reapplied after being out in the rain was making a mess of the tissues as she dabbed at the tears. She huddled on the bed against the pile of pillows.

  All of her memories of Pearl were joyful ones. She’d been blessed to have a happy life filled with love. Losing Pearl would be the first hard thing she’d have to go through without her. Memories pushed and crowded to the front, making it hard to quiet her mind even though she was exhausted. Finally, she drifted off to sleep with the damp tissues squished in her hand.

  Chapter Eleven

  Jill woke when the bed jostled. Without looking, she knew Garrett was in the room by the smell of his aftershave and the weight of his hand on her hip. She knew his touch. Strong, yet gentle. And cool. His hands were always cool. Why did he keep letting himself in like he owned the place? She should be mad, but she didn’t have any energy left in her to react. She opened her eyes to confirm her suspicions.

  “I came by earlier. I thought you�
��d already left, so I came back to get Clyde. When you didn’t answer I let myself in.” He pushed her bangs to the side. “You’ve been crying.”

  She closed her eyes and turned her face into the pillow.

  “I didn’t mean to upset you earlier.”

  She turned on her hip facing him. “It’s not that.”

  “Pearl?”

  She nodded.

  “I know. I miss her, too.” He rubbed his thumb across her cheek. “Pearl loved you. She will always be a part of our lives.”

  “She’s always been there for me.”

  “She always will be.” He tapped his fingers just above her heart. “In here.”

  Jill leaned up on her elbow. “Are you sure Pearl came up with this plan on her own?”

  “No one could manipulate Pearl. You know that.”

  Jill believed him.

  Garrett tucked a wild curl behind her ear. “Pearl put all her cards...or in this case, all her acres, on us. It’s not like she’s trying to force us to be a couple—”

  Jill’s brows shot up.

  “Okay. She is, but why should that surprise us. She can’t do that, but we could at least be friends.”

  “It’s just all so confusing,” she said softly. “There’s so much I didn’t know.”

  “Me either.” Silence built between them. “I didn’t mean to bug you. I just came to pick up Clyde before you left,” he said standing up.

  She shook her head. “I’m not sure I’m leaving today.” She could see the hope rise in his expression.

  “Really?”

  “I need to figure this out. I don’t think I can do that from Savannah.”

  “Seeing you lying there on a tear stained pillow is killing me. I don’t want you to ever be this sad again.” He let out a loud breath. “Couldn’t we at least give us another shot, for Pearl?”

  “For Pearl?” Jill arched a brow.

  “Okay, and for me. I’m not going to lie. I’ve never stopped loving you. You have to know that when you left town, it hurt like hell. I’ve missed you every single day. Every day without you is like wasted time.”

  She wrapped the sheet tighter around herself as she turned on her side, away from the words that she wished she’d heard a year ago. “Things are confusing right now. I can’t think straight.”

  “Take your time,” he said.

  “I feel like everything is completely out of my control.”

  “It’s not. It’ll all work out fine. No matter what you decide.”

  “Bradley’s not going to be happy about this. He’s been so generous, and he is my boss. I may not have a job after I make this decision.” Jill covered her face with her hands.

  “Forget Bradley.”

  She uncovered her face and shook her head.

  “That’s not how I meant it. It’s you that matters. Forget Bradley. Forget me. Do what’s in your heart. I’ll respect whatever you decide. I promise. And if Bradley loves you, he will too.”

  He sounded sincere. “You better go,” Jill said.

  “Don’t make me go,” Garrett’s eyes were pleading.

  She glanced away, but she knew she needed to make this decision alone. “Please. I need some time.”

  “I’ll worry.”

  “I’ve got Clyde here with me. I promise to call if I need anything. I’ve got your number right by the phone.”

  He stood next to the bed. “I’ll give you the time, but please don’t shut me out.”

  “And the property?”

  “The property is secondary. Seriously.” He held her gaze then stepped away. “Okay. I’m leaving.” He backed out of the room, never taking his eyes off her until he turned to go down the hall.

  His boots clicked a steady rhythm down the hallway.

  Clyde tilted his head. In Clyde’s eye just then, Jill could see Pearl asking her what the heck she was doing letting that man leave. Pearl had never steered her wrong. As Jill heard the front door open and close, she bolted from the bed. She ran down the hall, her socks sliding the last three feet to the door as she yelled, “Wait!”

  Clyde was right behind her. He didn’t stop any quicker than Jill had. He plowed into the hall table sending the lamp toppling to the floor.

  She quickly righted the lamp so Clyde wouldn’t tromp on it a second time, then swung open the door.

  “Wait,” she hollered again, but Garrett didn’t hear her over the truck engine. She stepped on the porch and waved her arms to get his attention, but he never looked back.

  She sat on the step and propped her forearms on her knees. Clyde sat beside her and licked her ear.

  “Thanks, Clyde.” She rubbed his chest as she stared out into the yard. How had things become so complicated so quickly?

  A year ago today she’d been sitting in one of the finest salons in Savannah getting a manicure and pedicure at the same time, a surprise from Bradley. Her hair had been up in a towel, steeped with an aromatherapy conditioner that was custom-blended just for her. Robert, pronounced Row-bear—he’d corrected her, rather annoyed—had his people working magic on her, from toenails to root tips and everything in between. Robert had finished up by sweeping her long brown hair up into a diamond-encrusted claw clip. Sprigs of shiny soft hair tumbled from the top like fireworks. She’d never felt prettier or more special, until later that evening. When she’d gotten home, a beaded gown laid across the toile comforter of the antique four-poster bed. The gown was midnight blue and fell from rhinestone encrusted straps. The deep blue made her icy blue eyes look even bluer.

  She’d nearly fainted at the sight of the enormity of the mansion when she and Bradley arrived at the Independence Ball via black stretch limousine. It had been her first time in a limo, and the whole night felt like the celebrity treatment. They’d stepped out of the car and flowed into a sea of black-tied men and women in an array of red, white, or blue gowns. The women sparkled brighter than the fireworks at the Independence Ball that night.

  Guests had filled glasses of champagne from a fountain that must have been twelve feet high. When Bradley had led her out to the dance floor she’d been so nervous, but obviously he’d been schooled in the art of dance. He’d been a strong lead and she was waltzing, moving like a real lady in her strappy heels and beaded gown. It had been a fairy tale night. One she’d never forget, and only one of so many to follow.

  That might have been magical, but today, an Adams Grove Fourth of July seemed more appealing.

  Jill took out the ingredients from the pantry and fridge so she could fill in for Pearl tonight. Tradition and family go hand in hand, after all. She went to work on batches of chocolate-chocolate chip cookies. Tonight, she’d carry on Pearl’s tradition for the guys.

  Pouring, stirring, and shaping the secret recipe into two-inch balls shifted her mood. The whole house smelled sweet. Pan after pan, she baked and moved cookie after cookie off the large baking sheets to the cooling grids on the long kitchen counter until she was satisfied she had enough to fill Pearl’s largest Tupperware container.

  While the cookies cooled, she dressed in one of her new outfits and fixed her hair up in a clip, similar to last year, just for fun. Satisfied with the look, she headed to the kitchen to package up the goodies. She jumped in her car and headed for the gate near the pond.

  Connor’s face lit up when he recognized her behind the wheel of the BMW. He waved his orange flag, gesturing her to the front row.

  Now that’s service. She parked and gathered her blanket and balanced the large container of goodies against her hip as she scanned the grounds for a spot. Not just any place, but the one she and Pearl had claimed for so many years in a row. Thankfully, no one else had taken the spot under the oak tree. Jill spread out the blanket and settled in. Tears threatened as she watched all the folks enjoying this annual family event. Children ran through the crowd dressed in red, whites and blues. Dads tossed balls and threw Frisbees while moms relaxed nearby.

  A whistle blew, signaling it was time for teams to deli
ver their prize barbecue to the judging tent. Jill recognized most of the judges. Scott Calvin was at the end of the table and good ol’ Chaz Huckaby sat next to him.

  Chaz owned Huckaby House, a real estate, renovation/redecorating company, and a rifle range all in one, on what used to be his daddy’s cattle ranch. Most of the locals just called it the Triple R. Chaz had never met a stranger in his life, and he was the source for info on everything that went on in this town. There was never a concern about him playing favorites, because everyone was his favorite.

  Bert Fox and Jimbo Godfrey were the wildcard judges. They were easy to pick out from the panel of judges because they were wearing t-shirts with big jokers on them. They loved every minute of that honor, too. Every year in November and December, money was raised for the Holiday Happiness fund by selling raffle tickets. For one hundred dollars you helped a good cause and earned a chance to win the honor of judging the Fourth of July barbecue cook-off.

  Old Man Piper sat at the other end of the table. He’d been a judge as long as she could remember. He had to be ninety if he was a day. Even Pearl used to call him an old man.

  Jill surrendered to her growling stomach and bought a hot dog and a big cup of sweet tea from one of the 4-H tents. Juggling everything carefully as she walked, she settled back under the tree to read a novel on her Kindle, and wait for it to get dark enough for the fireworks.

  A few people stopped by, but most gave her some space. She was thankful for that. It was a hot, hot day like every Fourth of July, but the tree provided just enough of a break to make the heat bearable.

  Just as she got settled, her cell phone rang. Caller ID showed it was Bradley. She’d left a message for him at the house that she wasn’t coming home tonight. He’d be fit to be tied, but this time she’d followed her instincts, and her heart told her she was in the right place today. She let the call go to voice mail.