Waking Up Joy

by Tina Ann Forkner

  No wonder he is still single.

  Chapter Fifteen

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  When I walked into the kitchen, my arms laden with the apple branches, Ruthie rushed to take them from me.

  “I have them, but thanks, honey.”

  “Where’s the doc?” She set the branches in the sink and I smiled at how she took a moment to bury her perky little nose in the apple-blossom scent that wafted through the kitchen.

  “His beeper went off.”

  “Do all doctors carry those?”

  “I don’t know,” I said. “I think so.”

  I lowered myself in the chair and let Ruthie pour me a tall glass of mint iced tea and fix me some lemon cake. I wouldn’t have admitted it to my sisters, but at that moment I was worn out, and not from the work, but from all the pitter-patters Doc had caused me.

  “You need to rest,” Ruthie said. “I’m supposed to be taking care of you.”

  “For now, let me finish my tea.” But before I could take a sip, the screen door banged open and Bobby charged in, ball cap on, Nanette trailing right behind him.

  “Just look at you in those cowboy boots and ratty blue jeans. And what happened to your shirt?” Bobby glanced down at the black Hank Williams, Jr. t-shirt with the sleeves torn out of it. “What is wrong with the kids’ styles these days?” I teased.

  “Just like his uncles,” Nanette said. “Thank goodness Ruthie has you and Carey to copy.”

  “No, no. Ruthie dresses much better than her aunts.” Ruthie was too busy staring out the window to hear me. I knew that look. It was called “smitten” in my romance novels. Her cheeks turned pink as apples when the screen door burst open and Bobby’s best friend, Carl, breezed in. He was dressed almost like Bobby with a Motley Crüe t-shirt on, except unlike our Bobby, he stamped the dirt off his feet and politely took off his ball cap and hung it on a hook by the door. Ruthie’s cheeks flooded with color, as she stared down at her legs clad in denim shorts.

  “Brain! How you been?” His smile was easy as he greeted all of us, but his eyes never left Ruthie’s. Bobby noticed too.

  “Hey, man.” Bobby clapped him on the shoulder. “Come out back. There’s something I want to show you.” Carl looked disappointed as he said goodbye to Ruthie.

  I sent Ruthie a smile when the screen door slapped shut. Her eyes begged me not to say anything, but of course there was no need. Nanette just started jabbering about Bobby like something gigantic hadn’t just happened in Ruthie’s love life. My heart ached a little for Ruthie. It wasn’t her fault that Bobby’s wild streak took most of Nanette’s time.

  “I’m worried about Bobby,” Nanette said. “Did I tell you he was caught smoking pot while you were in your coma?”

  Ruthie’s eyes bugged out in alarm. “Mom,” she said under her breath.

  Nanette patted her arm. “It’s okay. She needs to know this so she can keep an eye on your brother when he’s here.”

  Now, that was odd.

  Nanette and I didn’t usually keep big secrets from each other. I didn’t know what Ruthie was worried about.

  “That boy is taking the same path as our brothers,” I said. “And they turned out fine.”

  “Well, I wish he would take a different path. I don’t remember them ever getting arrested for pot, even if they did smoke it.”

  “My uncles smoked pot?”

  We both glanced at Ruthie, surprised she didn’t know.

  “What I want to know is, who sold him the pot in the first place? I swear if I find out, I’ll shoot him. I have a gun in my purse, you know.”

  “Nanette!”

  “Mom!”

  I couldn’t believe Nanette would ever even step on someone’s little piggy toe, let alone shoot them.

  “You shouldn’t just carry it in your purse. That’s dangerous.”

  “Okay, maybe I’ll just shoot his foot or something.”

  “Maybe just punch him?” Ruthie suggested.

  “Or pinch him? Really hard?” I asked.

  “Sure,” she said. “But whoever it is will be sorry. Mark my word.”

  “Never mind all that,” I said. “Bobby’s going to be fine. He just needs some direction. Heaven knows, the boys were worse than him.”

  “I think Bobby needs a distraction,” Nanette said. “And so I’m giving him one. He’s staying with you and Ruthie all week. I know you can use help while you are recovering.”

  Another teen to baby sit. Lord almighty.

  She slipped her arm around Ruthie. “I figure that between the two of them helping, you won’t over-extend yourself.”

  I sighed. “I’m not over-extending myself, am I, Ruthie?”

  “No. She’s been, um, resting.” It was partly true.

  “You haven’t been digging through those charms in the basement again. Has she Ruthie?”

  Yes, I had, but I wasn’t saying anything. Not much was left that the boys hadn’t hauled away with all the debris, but I’d sifted through what was left and so far, no lost charm.

  “There was never anything in that mess that I need anymore.” I lied. “Just forget what we talked about in the hospital. It was silly to begin with.”

  “Sis, I’ve been meaning to ask. Is that really what you were, you know . . . ?” She cast a glance at me.

  How’d Nanette finally get so smart? “What made you think of that?”

  “Well, Fernie came in the shop the other day. I swear, as soon as I saw her, she looked more like her dearly departed snotty mother than herself.”

  “Nanette. Don’t be disrespectful of the departed.”

  “Sorry,” she said. “So, when she came into Momma’s Curls, she was the only customer. I thought it was a good time to just grill her a little about her dad’s love life, why he never takes off that wedding ring.”

  “You didn’t!”

  “Of course I did.”

  “What did you find out?” I hurried to pour three glasses of iced tea, gesturing for them to sit. Nanette noted the three glasses, looked at Ruthie, and I knew she was going to tell that poor girl to skedaddle.

  “It’s okay,” I said. “Let her stay. She’s practically a woman.” Maybe including her in these little chats would keep her from being so bored and feeling left out since her best friend was spending the summer at her dad’s.

  “So, what did Fernie say?” It felt good to gossip with my sister again. It was one of the more trivial things I’d missed in my coma.

  Nanette could get anyone to talk about anything. Hers was the chair to avoid if you didn’t want to spill what was troubling you. She always came across as if she really cared, and she did, but she also liked to gossip with me and Carey—but only a little, so when you made her promise not to tell, she always crossed her fingers behind her, one for me and one for Carey, whom she kept no secret from—ever.

  “Well,” she said. “It was weird, to tell the truth. She claimed that before her momma died, she told Fernie that her father used to love someone else, someone that he’d never really gotten over.” Nannette smiled. “She made me promise not to tell. She claimed it was you.”

  I felt my face flood, and it wasn’t sweet like under the magic apple tree with Doc. It was more like I felt the time Momma made me drink a shot of pepper sauce to ward off the flu, it had turned out to be a terrible idea, as was this conversation.

  “That’s what she claimed, but I told her it was ridiculous, because you were barely friends with her dad for the past twenty-five years. Am I right?”

  “And?” Ruthie asked. She was obviously feeling grown up being part of the conversation.

  “She claims that you and Jimmy have a secret together that you’ve never told anyone, even though she didn’t know what it was.”

  “And why was she telling you? Besides the fact that you nearly hypnotized her to divulge her secrets like you do all your clients.”

  “Because, she wants me to help figure out what is going on between you and Jimmy. She likes you. Thinks you and her d
ad need to make up or something.”

  Make up?

  “I didn’t know we were fighting.”

  Nanette gave me a pointed look.

  I glanced back at Ruthie. “What do you think of all this, sweetie?”

  “Me?”

  I smiled, happy I wasn’t the one in the hot seat anymore. Besides, this would be good practice for her if she wanted to be a grown up.

  She cleared her throat, looking adorable, like a little girl wearing a tiara crooked on her head and gloves that were too big. “I think Fernie is weird.”

  Her mother and I laughed. “Well put,” I said.

  “But I do think she’s right about one thing. The mayor likes you. And it does look like you two are in a fight, or like you can’t decide whether to kiss him, or hit him.”

  “Ruthie.” I was unable to hold in more laughter. She was one smart cookie.

  Out of nowhere it seemed, the screen door slammed and Carey breezed into the kitchen, tossing her oversized black faux crocodile purse on the kitchen counter.

  “Now, where do you keep the chocolate these days? This has been a horrible afternoon and I need something, quick.”

  Nanette grinned. That’s how the women in this family are. When rough times come, we stop everything and ask for chocolate.

  “What’s got you in a blither?” Nanette asked.

  She plopped into a chair beside us. “Well, let’s see. I’ve had to watch other kids in addition to my own.” She gave Nanette and Ruthie a pointed look, reminding me that Nanette hadn’t been doing much babysitting because of her assignment to help me out. “Plus, the twins nearly killed each other in the bathtub, Dawson tried to tie Mason to a tree, and Marie pooped on the floor. Anyone having a worse day?”

  No answer needed, I decided, and walked over to the closet. Poor Carey. She loved kids and kept having them, even when the doctor said she was past her child-bearing years. She was a great mom, but sometimes being forty made it just a little harder. I pulled on a barely noticeable knob. A small cabinet door that only the Talley women knew about swung open to reveal a jar filled with all manner of chocolates meant to heal all manner of problems. Some of them were made by Momma, but one of the things I’d done since I’d been home was take a whole day to teach Ruthie some of the old recipes I knew.

  I held out a piece of chocolate for Carey, who wasted no time popping it into her mouth. We all watched, letting her appreciate her moment. Then Nanette held out her hands to accept her chocolate. She sighed. “Some things about being a Talley are good.” She popped the chocolate in her mouth and I swear her whole face changed from worried to happy.

  “I agree. Momma’s recipes might be the best part of being a Talley, isn’t that right, Ruthie?”

  Ruthie’s face brightened. “Let me show you what Aunt Joy taught me.” She pointed out the chocolates in the jar and which recipe we used to make them and what the recipe was for. Nanette looked duly impressed.

  “For instance, the dark peanut clusters promote silliness, something I’m sure Grandma Bess made up, but I’ve always liked.”

  Nanette and I giggled in Carey’s direction. Carey looked at us, deadpan.

  Ruthie handed her a Sassafras Heart, which made us all smile. We all knew they were to heal a broken heart.

  Carey didn’t say anything, but her eyes glistened. The truth about Carey was that she had been hurt more than the rest of us, and that’s probably why she was so unbending at times. Not that I don’t get tired of her peacock-walk attitude, but at least knowing there is a reason makes it bearable.

  The only sound for several long seconds was the crinkle of the cellophane as we unwrapped our candy.

  “So,” Nanette said, obviously not ready to drop the subject. “Why do you think Fernie would say something like that, Joy?”

  “Say something like what?” Carey asked.

  Nanette took the moment to fill Carey in.

  “I thought we were supposed to take it easy on Aunt Joy,” Ruthie said, but nobody was listening, except for me, of course.

  “What?” I put my hand on Ruthie’s arm. She leaned over and whispered in my ear.

  “You know, to protect you. No arguing in front of you. No bad news.”

  I raised my eyebrows. “Oh, really?”

  Ruthie nodded.

  “Well, I think she’s nuts,” Carey said.

  “Like me?” I asked.

  “No. That’s not what I meant. Don’t put words in my mouth.”

  “Well, Joy,” Nanette asked, serious now. “What really went on between you and the mayor?”

  They were all staring at me.

  Ruthie spoke, before I could think of something to say. “I’m sure it was a long time ago before the mayor was married. It’s not like Aunt Joy wanted to jump his bones when he was married.”

  Carey almost choked on her candy. I wondered if it would still work on her attitude.

  Nanette glared at her daughter. “Jump his bones, young lady? Isn’t there a nicer way to say what you just said?”

  That girl was definitely growing up too fast and was way too smart to be a Talley. She didn’t have the story straight, but she had obviously been piecing something together.

  Carey clucked her tongue. “Are you sure about that, Ruthie?”

  Ruthie’s face turned red. They all looked at me for confirmation, but I had a feeling the look on my face said more than I was willing to admit just then.

  She looked away. “I’m sorry, Aunt Joy. I know you don’t want anyone to know you like Jimmy, but it’s plain to see you do.”

  I blinked, popped a chocolate into my mouth, waiting for the barrage of questions, but instead they each popped another chocolate in their mouth.

  “Mmm!” Carey squeaked.

  “Mmmm.” Nanette said.

  “Mmmmm.” Ruthie said, stretching it out like the chocolate was a secret.

  “Mmm-Mmm.” I said, thinking we sounded like we were doing some strange meditation together.

  Eventually, Ruthie was the one to break the heavenly spell in our mouths.

  “I’m going upstairs to read,” she said. We waved good-bye to her as we each reached for more chocolate.

  “So, Joy,” Carey said. “You and Jim did used to be friends, right?” She looked pointedly at me.

  I felt my pale cheeks go splotchy. That’s the problem with being a red-head. When you blush, there is no hiding it.

  “None of your business.”

  “Well,” Carey huffed, and just like that we were thirteen again. “You don’t have to be such a heifer about it.”

  “Did you just call me a cow?” I stood. For what, I wasn’t sure, but it made me feel meaner.

  “No,” Carey said. “I called you a heifer.”

  “Oh forget it,” I said, tired of being upset at my sister. “What do you really want me to tell you, girls?”

  “Ruthie’s right,” Nanette said. “This has something to do with Jimmy, right? And I know that whatever you wanted in the chimney had to have been lost when the tornado destroyed it.”

  I shrugged. I didn’t know if I was ready to tell them when I’d just started to get used to the idea that since it was destroyed, I could drop the whole thing.

  “Please, Sis.” I felt as sad as an old fence as the truth rose up around me. They could never handle it. I barely could. “Just forget about it. It doesn’t matter anymore.”

  Carey reached across the table and tried to take my hand, but I pulled it away. “We won’t judge you—if you ever want to tell us. If there’s something worrying you, we just want to help.”

  “You won’t judge, Carey?” I laughed out loud in her face. She looked shocked.

  “Well, I never . . .”

  “You always judge. I’ve been sick of it for years.”

  Her face turned so red that I worried she might be the one to have a mental breakdown right then and there.

  “Joy,” Nanette scolded. “Don’t be so mean.”

  “And you,” I sai
d. “I’m tired of you talking the big talk when Carey and the boys aren’t around, and then just caving in whenever they’re around. Stick up for yourself. For me!”

  “Joy, I—”

  “And trust me. It’s gone,” I said. “It doesn’t matter. I don’t want to find it anymore. I should have never tried to get it out of the chimney. Before then, it didn’t bother anyone but me and Jimmy probably never thought about it, but now everyone wants to know about it and it’s nobody’s business. Will you please forget about it?”

  We all reached for chocolate.

  “Okay,” Nanette said. “I’ll forget about it, but only if you’ll give Jimmy a chance. Ruthie said she saw him kiss you.”

  Were they not listening to me? Jimmy and I were not a thing.

  “On top of the head. It meant nothing.” I lied, although it wasn’t a full lie. I really didn’t know what it had meant, if anything.

  Nanette shrugged. “It would be nice to see you with someone, Sis. I know you don’t think you need a man, but . . .”

  “What makes you think that?”

  She shrugged. “I don’t know. It’s just that you never go on dates, Joy. And you’re the prettiest out of all us girls.”

  I laughed out loud at that. “You don’t have to butter me up, Nanette.”

  “It’s true,” Carey said, looking serious.

  “Spoken like Miss Spavinaw Junction herself.”

  Carey shot me a withering look.

  “Okay,” I said. The secret was partly out anyway. Maybe if I appeased their curiosity about Jimmy, they would stop asking more questions. As long as they didn’t know the whole truth, it was okay.

  “Yes, there used to be something with Jimmy, but it was a long time ago before Fern. We were barely out of high school. Momma didn’t approve. I’m surprised you didn’t hear her harping about it. But, it doesn’t matter anymore.”

  “I knew it,” Carey said, her eyes twinkling with mischief. “All that time you claimed the two of you were friends, you were dating.”

  “No,” I said, then revised my answer. “Yes, but trust me. There’s nothing there now. He’s been a widow for five years and that stupid kiss on my head was the closest we’ve been in decades. Besides, he’s a jerk.”