Thirty and a Half Excuses

by Denise Grover Swank

  “Ready to get a truck?” he asked, sitting across from me.

  “Yeah.” Trying to find enough excitement to match his.

  His eyebrows lifted. “Are you having second thoughts? We don’t have to do this today if you want to take more time to think it over.”

  “No.” I looked into his face and smiled. “That’s not it. The more I think about it, the more I know getting a truck is the right thing to do.”

  “So what’s the problem?”

  The waitress came over and took our order before I could answer Mason. A vision popped into my head. When it was done less than a second later, I was staring up at her. “Your mother-in-law is going to call you tonight.”

  “Excuse me?” she asked.

  Mason’s eyebrows rose.

  The waitress put her hand on her hip. “Why would you say that?”

  I cringed in embarrassment and lowered my gaze to the table, my hands shaking in my lap. “Just call it a hunch.”

  “What a strange thing to say,” she muttered, walking away.

  Mason studied me for several seconds as I willed my racing heart to slow down. It had been inevitable that I’d have a vision in front of him sooner or later. How he reacted to it would determine if he’d remain my friend.

  He ignored the bizarre interaction, picking up the thread of our previous conversation instead. “Rose, I can’t help noticing that you’re not very enthusiastic about this. If you’d rather go alone, I understand.”

  “No, I want you to come. I just wish my sister understood.”

  “Ah.” He picked up a sugar packet and twisted it around with his fingers. “What’s the real reason she doesn’t want you to get a truck?”

  “Honestly, I don’t know.”

  Mason set the sugar on the table and lowered his head so his eyes were level with mine. “The relationship between siblings is fascinating, don’t you think?”

  “I’d never really given it much thought.”

  “I bet you and your sister fight? Right?”

  “You don’t know that half of it.”

  “And you drive each other crazy.”

  “Yeah.”

  “But you’d do anything to protect her if you could, right?” he said with a hitch in his voice.

  Something in his eyes grabbed my heart. “Yes,” I whispered.

  I wanted to ask him about his sister. Mason had told me something really bad had happened to her, but I didn’t know what. I couldn’t help thinking that Joe was somehow involved. I wasn’t sure why, maybe because this was Mason’s deep, dark secret, and Joe had a secret too. How many deep, dark secrets could there be? But somehow I knew what had happened to Mason’s sister was twined with Joe. It was a deep, gut instinct. And that knowledge scared the bejiggers out of me.

  “Well, look at you two!” Neely Kate squealed next to me. She must have seen us and ducked into the restaurant, and I’d been too busy in my staring contest to notice. “Got room for one more?”

  Mason looked up at her with a friendly smile. “Of course. You must be the infamous Neely Kate.”

  She put a hand on her hip, grinning. “One and the same, Mr. Deveraux.”

  “Call me Mason, please.” He stood and grabbed a chair from another table, holding it behind Neely Kate and waiting for her to sit. “I know we’ve seen each other before—the time you applauded after Rose told me off outside my office comes to mind—but I don’t think we’ve been introduced.”

  If I were in Neely Kate’s position, I’d probably die of embarrassment, but she was an entirely different girl. “It seems to me you deserved every bit of that tongue-lashing. In fact, there are still people all over the courthouse who lament that it wasn’t caught on video.”

  Mason burst out laughing. “Maybe next time Rose will alert someone to whip out their cell phone.”

  As Mason slid in Neely Kate’s chair, she shot me an amused and surprised look. The waitress gave our table a wide berth, casting a wary glance my direction, but Mason grabbed her so Neely Kate could make her order.

  After the waitress left, Mason turned his attention to my best friend. “We were just talking about you yesterday.”

  Her eyebrows shot up. “Were you, now?”

  I laughed, thankful Mason was being so nice to her, especially after her declaration. But there was no denying that several months ago he’d been a bear in the courthouse. He was better now, but he was still the assistant DA. His position was probably considered higher than hers. It could have been awkward, but he was going out of his way to make sure it wasn’t.

  “Rose was telling me about all the intel you’ve gathered about the goings on in the courthouse, and I confirmed that most of it was true. You have a remarkable accuracy rate.”

  She pursed her lips into a smug smile. “I have a way of knowin’ things. But not like Rose. Hers is a true gift.”

  Mason’s smile faltered. “What do you mean?”

  Neely Kate was lifting a glass of tea, and her hand froze. “He doesn’t know?”

  The blood drained from my head, and I struggled with what to say. How could I talk my way out of this one?

  Mason continued to watch me, his face becoming expressionless. Every second that passed made it even more impossible to escape this conversational black hole.

  Neely Kate set down her glass and turned to me. “I’m so sorry, Rose. I thought he knew.”

  “So I’m not the only one with secrets,” Mason finally said, indecision in his eyes as he scooted his chair back, his gaze on me.

  I wanted to cry. I had to tell him now. We’d finally started talking again, and now he was going to either call me crazy or think I was lying. Any way I sliced it, this was sure to end badly.

  Neely Kate turned to Mason, steeling her back. “If you want her to tell you, you better wipe that hurt look off your face. She’s only told a few people. I only thought she would have said something since you two are friends…”

  “He’s been avoiding me since the trial.” I pushed out.

  She rolled her eyes. “Well there you go. You haven’t been around for her to tell, have you?” Her eyes narrowed. “She only tells people she trusts. Can she trust you with her secret, Mason Deveraux?”

  He turned to me, leaning his forearms on the table. “You can trust me with anything, Rose.”

  The way he said it made me think he meant something more than just this secret. But it still wasn’t easy.

  A lump burned my throat. “You know I don’t have a lot of friends here in Henryetta. But you don’t know the reason why.”

  “I thought it was because you tried your best to annoy them all,” he joked, but it fell flat. The fact he was trying to help ease me into this gave me hope he’d understand.

  “Ever since I was a little girl, I’ve known things I shouldn’t know.”

  He watched me, waiting for me to continue.

  “I don’t ask for it.” I looked down at the table and took a deep breath. “They’re visions, like a movie playing in my head. But it’s never for me. It’s always for whoever’s next to me.” I paused, still shocked that I was telling him this. “And after the vision is over, whatever I saw just falls out of my mouth.” I bit my lip and looked up to him hesitantly. “When I told you yesterday that your mother was going to like the plant, I’d just had a vision. I saw her—she’s very pretty by the way—and she was thrilled when you handed it to her.”

  Mason swallowed, offering me a weak smile. “Well, that’s good to know.”

  At least he hadn’t run away yet.

  “And the waitress when she took our order?” he prodded.

  I nodded, wanting to cry. “That was a vision.”

  “She can’t usually control the visions,” Neely Kate added. “They just pop into her head. That’s how she got into the whole Daniel Crocker mess. She was working at the DMV, and he was her customer. She had a vision of herself dead.”

  His eyes narrowed in confusion. “But you didn’t die, obviously.”

>   “My visions aren’t set in stone. They can change if I alter my behavior based on what I see. I saw visions of myself dead three times during that whole mess, and I—or Joe—did something different than what we would have normally done to change things. The second time, Joe disobeyed orders from his supervisor and saved me when I went to meet Daniel at The Wagon Wheel. Crocker had threatened to kill Violet if I didn’t show up. He thought I had a flash drive with information. Joe gave me a flash drive with false information, but he still suspected Crocker was going to murder me, and I think he was right. I had seen a vision of myself lying in the woods at night with a bullet hole in my forehead. Joe snuck me out the back and hid me when Crocker’s men came looking for me.”

  Mason paled. “That had to be terrifying. Seeing yourself dead.”

  “You think I’m crazy.”

  He shook his head and swallowed. “No. I don’t. This is just a lot to process. Give me a chance to catch up.”

  “Okay.”

  After several seconds, he sighed. “You told me that you knew Bruce Wayne Decker was innocent because you’d overheard a conversation about the case in the men’s bathroom. You really had a vision.”

  “Yeah, but I didn’t know what it meant until the lapel pin I saw in the vision came up as evidence in court.”

  He nodded, deep in thought.

  “You believe her?” Neely Kate asked.

  “Of course, I believe her,” Mason said softly. “Rose isn’t a liar, and she’s not prone to exaggeration. If she says this is true, then it is. But you have to understand that my world is based on black and white. What you’re telling me falls squarely into gray territory. I just need to wrap my head around it, is all.”

  “Thank you.” I choked out.

  His head shot up. “What did you think would happen when you told me?”

  “I thought you’d call me crazy and never talk to me again.”

  “No, Rose. Now that we’re friends again, it’s going to take a lot more than that to drive me away.”

  The waitress came to the table with our food, and we all watched as she put our plates in front of us. I’d lost my appetite.

  Neely Kate squirmed in her seat. I’m sure she was worried I was angry with her. I sort of was, but she was right. If Mason really was going to be my friend, he had to know. Especially if I was going to spend any considerable length of time around him.

  I picked at my salad with my fork. “People don’t like me knowing stuff. They think I’m a snoop or a gossip, but it’s like Neely Kate said—I can’t control the visions. They just happen. Other people think I’m demon-possessed. It just became easier to hide away and avoid people when I could. So now I’m the weird Gardner sister. I’d figured I’d probably grow old alone and live in my mother’s house with a pack of feral cats.”

  A smile lifted his mouth. “I can assure you that you won’t die alone.”

  “Violet has always encouraged me to hide the visions. She’s spent most of her life protecting me. But Joe thinks I need to trust people more. He’ll be happy to know I told you.”

  Mason snorted. “I highly doubt that.” He looked into my eyes. “But Joe’s right. Your visions are part of who you are and how God made you. Don’t hide that Rose. You need to find people you trust and tell them. You might be surprised to find they accept you, visions and all.”

  “Thank you.”

  He grinned, looking down at his sandwich. “I’m starving.”

  The tension still hung over the table as we ate. Mason was still adjusting and Neely Kate was palpably nervous. Finally Mason shot me an exasperated look. “Will you go ahead and tell Neely Kate you forgive her for spilling your secret? Otherwise, I’m sure to get indigestion from all the nerves at this table.”

  I laughed self-consciously. “Neely Kate, there’s nothing to forgive. You didn’t mean to let it slip, and I’m glad Mason knows. Really.”

  She pulled me into a hug. “Thank you.”

  I looked at the two people sitting at the table with me, wondering how I could have felt so lonely the night before. The good Lord was blessing me with more people in my life than I’d ever thought possible before Momma’s death. I needed to count my blessings.

  Chapter Ten

  Before Neely Kate went back to work, she told me in cryptic terms that she’d probably have the information I was waiting on later that afternoon. “I’ll call you. And don’t forget I’ll be working at the nursery with you tomorrow.”

  Violet and I hoped the weekends would be busier, so we’d decided to hire some extra hands. Neely Kate had agreed to help out, taking plants for her new house as payment. “Oh, wait.” I called after her.

  She stopped on the street corner, waiting to cross the street.

  “I might not be at the shop tomorrow. I’ll probably be working at the church.”

  “How’s that going?” she asked suspiciously.

  I hesitated, unsure of what to say, especially with Mason standing next to me. “It’s going good.”

  “What about the stoners?”

  I cringed at her choice of words, but Mason was well aware that Bruce Wayne and David were inclined to smoke pot recreationally. “Bruce Wayne seems determined to pay me back. He’s makin’ sure they do a great job.”

  “Well, there you go. You just never know a person, do you?” Waving, she crossed the street toward the courthouse.

  “You hired Bruce Wayne Decker to work for you?” Mason asked.

  I glanced up at him, surprised at the lack of recrimination in his voice. “You going to tell me you disapprove? Go ahead. Everyone else has.”

  He shook his head. “No, I think it’s a great idea. I firmly believe everyone deserves a second chance, and I’m thankful for it…otherwise, I wouldn’t be standing here next to you.” He grinned. “Where’s your car?”

  I pointed down the street, and we headed for it.

  “Who’s been giving you a hard time?”

  “Violet, Neely Kate.” I supposed that list wasn’t long enough to encompass everyone, but the reality was it included most of the people in my world.

  “Not Joe?”

  Pursing my lips, I shook my head. “No. I hired them after he left. He doesn’t know yet.” I suspected he wouldn’t approve either.

  “What are their objections?”

  “Neely Kate worried they wouldn’t get anything done. Violet said the same thing, and she also thinks they’ll steal the church blind.”

  “Do you think they’ll steal?”

  “No. Call me crazy, but I don’t. I trust Bruce Wayne to keep his word.” We reached my car, and I looked at him over the hood. “Do you think I’m foolish?”

  “No, definitely not. I’ve recently learned to go with my instincts. If your instincts tell you to trust him, listen to them.”

  “And did your instincts tell you Bruce Wayne was guilty? You were the one prosecuting him.”

  His eyes clouded. “My instincts were clouded by extraneous circumstances.”

  My eyebrows rose. “What does that mean?”

  “It means I needed someone to remind me that everything isn’t always as it appears. I knew it, I just needed reminding.”

  We got into the car, and I rolled down my window. The day was cooler and the air conditioner wasn’t working as well as it had in the beginning of the summer. I asked Mason if he thought it would hurt the trade-in value of my car.

  He shook his head with a smirk. “No offense, Rose, but this car is so old, I bet we could take it in on cinder blocks and still get you the same deal.”

  “Oh.” My heart fell a bit with that news. While I knew the car was old, it still had sentimental value.

  He cleared his throat, looking uncomfortable. “It’s probably a good thing I’m going with you to negotiate. I’m not sure you could get a good deal in town on your own.”

  Indignation rose. “Why? Because I’m a girl?”

  “No, because the town thinks you have money.”

  I pulled to st
op sign at the town square. “What?”

  “Word got out that you put a lot of money down on the business.”

  My breath came in short pants. “That’s personal information. How does anyone know?”

  “It’s a small town, Rose. People talk.”

  Didn’t I know that firsthand? My hands gripped the steering wheel. “What are they saying?” I shot him a glare. “And don’t sugar coat it.”

  He paused. “They say your mother left you a bunch of money, and that you stole it from your sister. You’ve opened the nursery, but you’re forcing you sister to work there, taking advantage of her vulnerable state.”

  I took in several deep breaths. This must be what Violet had alluded to the day before we opened the nursery. “Do you believe that?”

  “Are you really going to insult me by asking that question?”

  “Part of it’s true, but it’s not what they think. Momma left the house and everything else to Violet. But she left me the contents of a wood box.” I sighed. “The contents of that wood box got me into trouble with Daniel Crocker, and now it looks like it’s getting me into trouble again.”

  “What was in the box?”

  I looked at him. “The truth.”

  He didn’t answer, waiting for me continue.

  “My momma wasn’t my birth mother. I was adopted.”

  “Oh.”

  “But it’s more complicated than that. My father was my birth father, but he left my momma for someone else, Dora Middleton. She got pregnant with me, but she died in a mysterious accident when I was a baby, and my momma raised me. Everyone in town thinks I’m hers.”

  “Oh.”

  “I didn’t know until I opened the box. I was so hurt when I found out she left everything to Violet. Violet was always her favorite. Momma hated my visions. She was sure I was demon-possessed, but it turns out she hated me even before I started seeing things.”

  “What was in the box besides the truth?”

  I shot him a half-hearted grin. “You’re perceptive.”

  He shrugged. “It’s my job.”

  “My birth mother’s will was in the box. She left me her family farm and some oil stock. But my uncle had taken over the stocks and had made me over a million dollars by the time I found out. Turns out I had more money than Violet.”