“Obviously not, if you’re working three jobs just to get by.”
“This isn’t to get by,” she said, then added, “This is to dig myself out of a hole so deep the whole blasted town could be buried in it.” She knew the bitterness in her voice would set Mitch off again, but she couldn’t hide it. It came over her in waves.
As expected, Mitch regarded her with genuine shock. “It’s that bad?”
She nodded, her ever-present tears welling up and spilling down her cheeks. “It’s that bad.”
“Then I’ll ask again. What can I do to help?”
She let his offer hang in the air, absorbing the kindness behind it like a sponge in need of water. “Just your wanting to help is enough for now.”
He pulled into her driveway, shut off the truck’s engine, then turned to face her. There was a quick flash of anger in his eyes when he saw her tears.
“Not if you’re crying, it’s not,” he said gently. “It’s not nearly enough. Come here.”
He pulled her into his arms and let her cry herself out, all the tears of anger and frustration and panic that she’d been holding back for days.
When she was finally done, she managed a wobbly laugh. “I’ve drenched your shirt. I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be,” he said gruffly, rubbing the dampness from her cheeks with the pad of his thumb. “You’re killing me, Lynnie. I want to help, but I have no idea what to do. I have a feeling that if I offer you money, even as a loan, you’ll turn me down flat.”
She smiled. “You know me too well.”
“Just know the offer is there. You need cash, it’s yours. You need me to pummel some sense into Ed, consider that done, too.”
She smiled a little at that, then drew in a deep breath and allowed herself to sink once more into the comfort of his arms. “Just this,” she told him. “For now, this is more than enough.”
With his strong arms around her and the steady beating of his heart against her cheek, she felt secure for the first time in days.
As terrifying as her current financial crisis was, it was dealing with it all on her own, trying to keep her panic from the kids, that had taken the heaviest toll. Knowing that she had Mitch in her corner as backup…well, it meant the absolute world to her.
Even if she knew she’d never allow herself to take advantage of him like that.
18
Donnie worked with the volunteer rescue squad, so he kept a police scanner in the house. Ever since she’d moved in two days ago, Flo found herself listening to it whenever she was in the house alone.
While she was ironing a blouse to wear to the senior center, she was reminiscing about how many blouses she must have ironed over the years for other people. Suddenly the mention of a familiar address caught her attention. Panicked, she listened more closely. Something about a fire. Possible injuries.
“Please don’t let it be Frances,” she prayed as she unplugged her iron, grabbed her purse and cell phone and ran to her car. She called Liz en route and told her what she’d heard.
“Want me to pick you up?” she asked. “I’m already on my way.”
“No. Travis is home,” Liz said, sounding every bit as shaken as Flo. “I’ll have him drive me straight over there. You’ll be there quicker if you don’t have to detour to get me.”
“Okay, then. I’ll see you there.”
Five minutes later, Flo squealed to a stop a block away from Frances’s apartment building, unable to go any farther because of the fire trucks and emergency vehicles in the road. She barely remembered to cut the engine before getting out and running.
A neighbor and former colleague of Frances’s at the school spotted Flo. “She’s over there with the EMTs,” Naomi said quietly. “She’s shaken up, but basically okay, I think.”
“What happened?”
“I’m not really sure. I smelled smoke, opened my door, and the smoke was pouring from her apartment into the hallway. I called the fire department, while I was pounding on her door. Thank goodness she’d given me a key. One of the volunteer firefighters arrived ahead of the trucks, and he went inside and got her out.”
Flo gave the retired teacher a fierce hug. “Thank God you were home and reacted so quickly. I need to go check on her.”
Naomi laid a restraining hand on Flo’s arm. “Wait one sec,” she said, looking Flo in the eye. “She’s getting worse, hon. I know you and Liz must see that, too.”
Flo drew in a deep breath and reluctantly nodded. It was time to call Frances’s kids, if Frances wouldn’t do it herself. Time, more than likely, for assisted living, too. Just thinking of it brought tears to Flo’s eyes.
On her way to the ambulance, Flo stopped and composed herself, dabbing at her cheeks and praying that her eyes weren’t red-rimmed from crying. Thankfully, she spotted Liz and Travis arriving just then.
Travis helped Liz up the street. She looked as if she’d aged just since Flo’s call.
“She’s okay?” Liz asked, looking around at the scene with a terrified expression.
“With the EMTs, I’m told. I haven’t seen her yet.”
“Was the fire in her unit?” Travis asked.
Flo nodded. “I’m not sure how it started, though.”
“It hardly matters, does it?” Liz said wearily. “We have to do something.”
“I know,” Flo said, dabbing at her eyes again.
“You two go to her,” Travis said gently. “I’m going to call Karen and Elliott Cruz. They’re like family to her. Maybe she can stay with them until someone gets in touch with her kids.”
Flo nodded. “Thanks, Travis.”
When she took Liz’s arm, Flo realized that Liz was trembling. Her complexion was ashen, too. She and Frances shared a lot of history. This had to be even harder on her than it was on Flo.
Flo studied her with concern. “Liz, are you okay? Maybe you need to sit down a minute.”
“After we’ve seen Frances,” Liz said with determination. “I’ll be fine once I’ve seen for myself that she’s all right.”
“She’s not, you know,” Flo said with regret. “The fire may not have caused any injuries, but she’s not fine.”
Liz’s eyes filled with sorrow. “I know. We knew this day would come.”
Flo nodded. “I just hoped it wouldn’t be quite so soon.”
“Me, too,” Liz said, then drew herself up. “Okay, I’m ready.”
They found Frances sitting on a stretcher in the street behind an ambulance, holding an oxygen mask over her nose. She blinked when she saw them, then removed the mask.
“What are you doing here?” she asked as if this were some casual drop-in visit.
“I heard about the fire on the scanner at Donnie’s,” Flo said. “That thing is better than going to Wharton’s for finding out what’s going on around town.”
Frances rolled her eyes. “I think Grace concentrates on secrets, not emergencies.”
Liz sat down on the stretcher beside her. “Well, you sound feisty enough,” she said, her own color finally improving. “What on earth happened?”
“I put the tea kettle on,” Frances said with a shrug. “I decided to rest my eyes a little while the water came to a boil. I knew the whistle would alert me when it was ready. Apparently, I fell back asleep and never heard it. The whole apartment was filled with smoke before I woke up. The firemen say there was a bit of smoke damage and that the stove may have to be replaced, but otherwise I s
hould be back in there in a couple of days.”
Flo glanced at Liz, who nodded. It was Liz who took the initiative.
“Frances, I think this is it,” Liz said gently.
Frances looked disconcerted. “What are you talking about? It was a foolish accident. It could have happened to either one of you, and no one would think a thing of it.”
“Maybe so,” Flo said. “But it happened to you. It goes along with other things that individually might not mean much. Added together, though, at the least it’s time for you to call your family and tell them what’s going on. Then you can decide together what you want to do next.”
“What I want is to stay right here in my own apartment,” Frances said firmly, though tears were gathering in her eyes as she apparently grasped the unlikelihood of that happening.
“You promised us,” Liz reminded her. “It’s time. You said when we told you that, you’d make the call.”
Frances’s glance went from Liz to Flo and back again. “I suppose you’ll make that call if I don’t,” she said, sounding resigned.
“We’d have no choice,” Flo confirmed, hating that the time had arrived for this next step.
Just then Elliott and Karen arrived together, looking shaken. Karen sat on Frances’s other side and held her in a tight embrace.
“You scared us to death,” she told the woman that Flo knew Karen thought of as a mother figure. Tears were streaming down Karen’s cheeks.
Elliott pulled Flo aside. “Is she really okay?”
“Physically she seems fine, but Liz and I just told her she needs to explain what’s been going on to her children. Even her neighbor seems to think we can’t put that off any longer.”
“I was afraid of this,” Elliott said. “It’s going to break Karen’s heart. That woman has played such a huge role in my wife’s life. She was there as the only support Karen had when her life was spinning out of control after her divorce.”
“Frances has always stepped in whenever she saw a need,” Flo said, regarding her friend with admiration.
Elliott nodded. “I told Karen that Frances could come and live with us, but I honestly don’t know if that’s a good idea. It would be tricky with the kids. I wouldn’t feel comfortable leaving her alone with Daisy and Mack, even though they’re getting old enough to look after themselves to some degree. And with Karen pregnant…”
“You can’t take the chance,” Flo said for him.
Elliott nodded, his expression sad.
Flo walked back toward Frances with him and heard Karen arguing with her.
“You’re going to stay with us until this is all sorted out,” Karen insisted. “That’s that, right, Elliott?”
He grinned at Frances. “Don’t you know by now that there’s no point arguing with my wife once she’s made up her mind?”
Frances gave him a considering look, as if trying to gauge whether he really was in agreement with his wife or had reservations. “If you’re both sure,” she said at last, “then I’d love spending a day or two with you.”
“We’re sure,” Karen confirmed. “And I’ll help you make those calls to your family, so they’ll know what’s going on. Invite them this weekend. We’ll have a big Sunday dinner for them. I’ll talk to Dana Sue and make sure I’m off so I can cook.”
Flo caught her eye and mouthed a silent, “Thank you.”
Liz stood up then. “Why don’t you two take Frances on out to your house to get settled?” she suggested. “Flo and I will pack up a few of her things if the firemen say it’s safe for us to go inside. If they don’t want us in there yet, we’ll run to the store and pick up a few necessities until we can go in.” She turned to Travis. “Could you check with the firemen and see what they think?”
“Will do,” Travis said.
Elliott spoke to the EMT, who confirmed that Frances was well enough to leave the scene.
“We’ll see you at Karen and Elliott’s,” Flo said, giving her friend a hug. “We won’t be long.”
“Just one thing,” Frances called after her. “If you have to go shopping, Liz, I want you to promise me that you’ll choose my lingerie. Flo will just bring me a bunch of that lacy stuff that’s way too sexy for a woman my age.”
“Just imagine what a few sexy undergarments might do for your social life,” Flo taunted. “They certainly seem to be keeping Donnie’s interest alive.”
“Flo Decatur, you’re outrageous!” Frances said, but there was a welcome twinkle in her eyes when she said it.
As terrible as the morning had been, Flo thought maybe Frances had come through it better than any of them had imagined possible, with her good spirits and spunk firmly intact. Too bad there was so little hope for her ever truly being her old self.
* * *
Mitch was going over his final punch list for Raylene’s addition, making sure that every last detail had been completed. The cleaning crew he’d hired had vacuumed up all the drywall dust and debris, the floors had been polished, the windows left spotless.
He was about to go into the kitchen to get her when Raylene walked into the expansive room.
She stood on the step, looking across the room, first toward the fireplace, then to the gleaming windows that soared from the floor to the vaulted ceiling.
“Mitch, I think this may be the most beautiful room I’ve ever seen. We may have to have you remodel the entire house now to live up to the standards you’ve set in here. Everything else is suddenly looking awfully dated.”
He beamed at her reaction. “You have my number. Call whenever you’re ready.”
She crossed the room to join him. “It really is finished, isn’t it? I can’t believe how perfect it is, just the way I envisioned it.”
He smiled at her enthusiasm. “I’m glad you’re pleased.”
“Pleased doesn’t even begin to describe it. I can’t wait till Carter gets home tonight to see it now that it’s all spiffed up and ready for furniture.” She grinned, a wicked glint in her eyes. “Come to think of it, I wonder if he can take an extended lunch break.”
Mitch held up his hands. “I really do not need to know about any plans you have for your husband that put such a sparkle in your eyes.”
Raylene laughed. “You’re actually blushing.”
He winced. “It’s a curse. Comes with the red hair.”
Raylene linked an arm through his and held his gaze. “You are not to be a stranger around here, you understand? Just because the addition is finished doesn’t mean we don’t expect you here for dinner at least once a week.”
“I won’t say no to that,” he agreed readily.
Her expression turned more serious. “Now, are you rushing off or do you have a minute? I came looking for you to talk to you about something.”
“Sure, I can always spare some time for my favorite client.”
In the kitchen, she automatically poured a cup of coffee for him. “I’ve been thinking a lot about Lynn since the last time we talked,” she said. “How about you?”
“Loaded question,” he responded wryly.
“Okay, you think about her all the time. I get it,” she said, grinning. “I was thinking more in terms of her situation. Working three jobs isn’t going to solve her problem, and it’s wearing her out.”
“No question about that,” Mitch said at once.
“And she won’t accept help,” Raylene added.
“Not a chance.”
“What she needs is a business of h
er own,” Raylene said. “I know because opening the boutique was the perfect fit for me. It was exactly the fresh start I needed, something all my own that would be an exciting challenge.”
Mitch stared at her incredulously. “Raylene, I know your heart’s in the right place, but opening a business requires capital. Lynn can barely pay for groceries, as near as I can tell.”
“True,” Raylene said, then added excitedly, “But there are small-business loans to be had, especially for women. Or there can be investors. None of that would require her to come up with a lot of cash up front.”
Mitch still had his doubts. “But she would need to have her personal finances in order,” he said. “I don’t think that’s the case.”
Raylene clearly wasn’t daunted by the obstacles he saw. “Not if the investors were people who knew the situation and knew what an excellent risk she would be,” she said.
“You’re talking about people like you and me,” Mitch concluded.
“And a few of the other Sweet Magnolias who are in a position to help,” Raylene said. “I think I can convince her that this is what we do—help our friends when they need it, no matter what it is that they need. It’s what Helen and Dana Sue did to help Maddie out by opening The Corner Spa as a joint venture. A bunch of the guys were backing Elliott as a partner in Fit for Anything, too.”
“But Lynn’s never expressed the slightest interest in opening any kind of business,” Mitch said, even though the idea was slowly starting to grow on him. “What would she do?”
Raylene stood up, grabbed a pad of paper from the counter and sat back down. “I was hoping you’d at least be intrigued enough to ask. Sarah, Annie and I did a little brainstorming a few nights ago.”
“Over margaritas?” he asked skeptically. “Can you trust anything you come up with while you’re drinking those things?”
“We were perfectly sober,” Raylene informed him haughtily. “All three of us are trying to get pregnant, so we’ve been behaving.”
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