The Empty Nesters

by Brown, Carolyn

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Happy Thanksgiving,” Tootsie said when Delores answered the phone that morning.

  “How wonderful to hear your voice,” Delores said. “Happy Thanksgiving to you, and I’m so glad you called. The kids all came home yesterday and surprised me, but it was for an intervention.”

  “You been drinking too much?” Tootsie was genuinely concerned.

  “No, it’s an intervention for me to move to be closer to one of them. They gave me a choice, and I thought about it all night. I don’t want to leave the country, so England is out, and I didn’t like New York when we were stationed there, or Arizona, either, for that matter. But I do like Florida, so I’m moving there to be near my daughter,” Delores said. “You are so lucky that your adopted kids live so close.”

  Lucky didn’t even describe her good fortune when Diana, Carmen, and Joanie had all moved to her block with their little girls that summer more than a decade ago. They’d brought life back into Tootsie and Smokey’s world and had truly been a blessing.

  “Remember, one of them is moving to Virginia pretty soon after we go home. Closer to you,” Tootsie reminded her. “But there’s a possibility that Luke will be moving into Sugar Run.”

  “And you don’t have to leave your home or your memories,” Delores sighed.

  “I hope I get to stay right where I am until they carry me out feetfirst,” Tootsie said. “But I’ve worried about you being all alone in that house; I’m glad you’re going to live near your daughter. Still, I know how tough it will be to leave it and all your memories behind.”

  “The only way I can deal with it is to pack them up and take them with me. Then when I get to my new house, which is actually the guesthouse behind my daughter’s place and is right on the beach, I’ll unpack them first,” Delores said. “I just want you to promise that you’ll come visit me.”

  “I promise,” Tootsie said. “And I’ve got room if you ever want to come to Sugar Run and stay a week or a month or as long as you can.”

  “You can bet I will,” Delores told her. “The kids are here for two weeks, and in that time they plan to get the house on the market. I’ll be going home with my daughter.”

  They talked awhile longer and then ended the call with promises that they would indeed visit each other. “Well, what do you think of that, Smokey? Aren’t you glad we bought our house in Sugar Run? I don’t have to go to some assisted-living care place when I can no longer take care of myself. The girls and Luke will be right there to help me out.”

  He didn’t answer, so she took that as a sign that he agreed with her.

  Diana awoke on Thanksgiving morning and was about to get out of bed when Carmen poked her head in the door. “You awake?”

  “Just barely.” Diana yawned. “Are you bringing coffee?”

  Carmen came on in and sat on the bed. “I’m worried, and I don’t want to discuss this at the Sunday-night therapy meetings we’ve been having. I know that you and Luke have reached some sort of agreement, because there’s no tension between y’all lately. And I’ve seen the way he flirts with you with little inside jokes sometimes. But he’s getting letters, and I think they’re from another woman. I don’t want you to go through the pain and hurt again that we’ve both had to endure.”

  Diana pushed back the covers and got out of bed. She went to the armoire and got out a pair of jeans and one of her nicer shirts. “Do you remember the first time we got mail from the girls? Remember that Luke got nothing?”

  “Of course. I felt sorry for him,” Carmen answered.

  Diana removed her nightshirt and got dressed. “I wrote to him and snuck it out to the mailbox. After that, he hasn’t been left out at mail call. I’m the other woman who’s been sending letters to him ever since. He’s answered every one of them but sneaks them into my purse.”

  “Well, hell’s bells!” Carmen fumed. “That’s why you carry your purse downstairs every morning and why he wants to go get the mail every afternoon. What in the devil do y’all write about?”

  “Everything.” Diana stood in front of the vanity, brushed her hair, and pulled it up into a ponytail. “It’s amazing how much more you can learn about a person with letters. I should have told y’all what we were doing at one of our therapy sessions, but it sounds kind of juvenile. Kind of like kids passing notes at school.”

  “But you’re going to tell it this week, right? Because if I’ve noticed it, you can bet Tootsie has, and we don’t want to worry her,” Carmen said.

  “Of course I will,” Diana agreed. But I’m not telling y’all that I’ve been spending almost every night in the motor home with him. That’s just too damn personal to share, even with my best friends, and besides, I don’t want to jinx it before he even meets Rebecca.

  “Well, I sure feel better.” Carmen stood and started out of the room. “Now let’s go get some breakfast. I hear Tootsie and Luke in the kitchen already.”

  “Hey, where are you going?” Joanie almost ran smack into Carmen.

  “To get dressed,” Carmen answered.

  “Then wait a minute. I’ve got something to tell y’all. Brett called first thing this morning to tell me happy Thanksgiving, and guess what, we’ve got an offer on the house.” She clasped her hands together and looked up at the ceiling. “Thank you, Jesus! Things are working out so well that I know I made the right decision for sure now.”

  “That’s great,” Diana said.

  “I hope we don’t get fussy neighbors,” Carmen said.

  “Well,” Joanie went on, “our agent said some guy called and said he wants to buy it sight unseen. We don’t even have to negotiate a deal. He bid the asking price. She’s getting all the papers ready, and we’ll close the deal when we get home. Brett is already looking at apartment websites in Arlington. He figures we’ll live in one for six months while we figure out the best place to buy.”

  “Well, happy, happy Thanksgiving to you. That’s amazing news,” Carmen said. “Let’s tell Luke and Tootsie over breakfast.”

  She and Joanie went on down to the kitchen to find Tootsie making her breakfast burritos. Luke was sitting on the sofa with a cup of coffee in one hand and Simba in the other. Nala and Sugar were both sleeping on his lap.

  “Happy Thanksgiving, and happy birthday.” Diana wanted to stop and kiss him, but she just patted him on the shoulder and then sat down on the sofa beside him.

  He set his coffee mug on the end table and handed Nala over to her. “They’re going to be lonesome when we separate them.”

  “Yes, they are, but they’ll adjust real soon with all the love they’ll get.” Joanie took Sugar away from him and loved her for a moment, then gave her back and went to the kitchen. “Tootsie, what can I do to help?”

  Diana stole a quick kiss while they were out of sight and whispered, “Joanie has news, but we’ll talk about it more tonight.”

  Carmen took Sugar from him once she made it downstairs. “Come here to Mama, you pretty little darlin’ girl,” she said in a voice usually saved for talking to babies and cuddling kittens and puppies. “You know what I’m thankful for besides the final divorce papers arriving yesterday? I’m grateful that Diana and Luke brought you to me.”

  Tootsie raised her voice. “Breakfast is ready. It’s on the table, so put down the kittens, wash your hands, and get on in here. I don’t make my famous breakfast burritos except on special occasions, and it’s best to eat them while they’re hot.”

  Tingles danced down Diana’s spine when she and Luke reached the kitchen sink at the same time and Luke covered her hands with his and lathered them. “Do you realize that it’s only five days until we head for Lawton?” he asked.

  She’d known the time was coming, but where had the weeks gone? Nothing would ever be the same again. Carmen was single as of the day before. Joanie was moving. Tootsie seemed to be accepting the fact that Smokey was truly gone. And she was in a relationship.

  “We’ve got a lot to do before we leave, but today
we’re having Thanksgiving and your birthday. Diana is in charge of making a butter rum cake to celebrate both.” Tootsie picked up the pitcher of orange juice and carried it to the table.

  “Yes, I am, but if you’d rather have some other kind, I can make it instead, or I can make both.” Diana rinsed her hands.

  Luke handed her the other end of the towel he was using to dry his hands. “Butter rum is my very favorite.”

  She pulled the towel from his hands. “That’s great. It’s my specialty. You never mentioned liking it.”

  “You never said that you made it.” He leaned in and whispered softly, “I like all of your specialties.”

  Diana’s blush was so hot that she covered her face with the towel. He tugged it away and handed her a cold cloth. “It’s the truth.”

  “Y’all stop flirtin’ out there and come say grace so we can eat,” Tootsie called out.

  Diana felt another wave of heat moving up her chest to her cheeks. Luke followed her into the dining room and took his place at the head of the table. He bowed his head, gave a short prayer of thanks, and said, “Before we begin, Carmen told Sugar this morning that she was thankful for her. Let’s all do our ‘what we’re thankful for’ at breakfast instead of at the dinner. I’ll start. I’m thankful that I ever agreed to come on this trip with y’all.”

  “Why?” Tootsie asked. “And you have to answer in one word.”

  “Diana,” he said as he laid his hand on her knee under the table.

  “Luke,” Diana said.

  “Closure.” Carmen nodded.

  “Life,” Joanie added.

  “Kids,” Tootsie said. “Now let’s eat before my breakfast gets cold.”

  “No round of questions?” Diana asked.

  “Nope, we’re all just glad you two done figured out what I saw on the first day,” Tootsie answered.

  Diana looked around the table at her family—not blood related but heart kin.

  Thank goodness you’re not blood kin to Luke. Smokey’s voice was back in her head with a chuckle.

  “Amen,” she muttered.

  “What was that?” Tootsie asked.

  “Just agreeing with all the thanks for today.” Diana almost blushed again.

  “And now.” Joanie took two burritos off the platter and put them on her plate. “For my good news. We’ve sold the house. The buyer didn’t even haggle about the price but bought it sight unseen. I was so happy that step was done that I didn’t even think about asking what he was going to do with the place. What if we’ve said yes and he’s going to rent it out to vacationers and y’all get horrible neighbors? I’d just feel terrible if that happened.”

  “We won’t.” Tootsie poured a glass of juice and passed the pitcher around the table.

  “How do you know?” Joanie sighed.

  “I know the buyer,” Tootsie said. “He’ll be a fine neighbor.”

  “It’s me,” Luke announced. “Aunt Tootsie told me the agent’s name. I’ve been in touch with her several times, and I made the offer. You’d all have known it when we go to close the deal, anyway, so now you don’t have to worry about me being a bad neighbor.”

  “Oh. My. Goodness,” Joanie gasped. “That means . . .”

  “That I’ll be living on the same block with Aunt Tootsie so I can help her out when she needs it. And I’ll be close to Diana, so we can see each other whenever we want. I’ll start my new business in the garage as soon as I get it wired and set up for all my equipment.” Luke bit off a hunk of his burrito and gave Tootsie a thumbs-up sign.

  “In your garage?” Diana asked out of the side of her mouth. Everyone else was talking at once, so no one heard or even noticed.

  “Yep. I reckon it’s about the same size as Aunt Tootsie’s, and that’s plenty big for what I have in mind at the beginning,” he whispered. Then he said in a louder voice, “Hey, anyone want a heat-up on their coffee?”

  Three hands raised.

  “Hey, Diana, would you please go with Luke and bring out the dessert that I worked so hard over?” Tootsie asked.

  With a nod, Diana followed him to the kitchen, and he cornered her by the refrigerator. His lips came down on hers in a scorching-hot kiss. “I’m going to love living next door to you.”

  “I can be stubborn and independent,” she said.

  “I already know that. Got anything else to throw at me?” He backed away and picked up the coffeepot.

  “I’m sure I’ll think of something later.” She grinned as she picked up the chocolate doughnuts that Tootsie had taken straight from a bag and arranged on a lovely crystal platter.

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Diana put Nala in the basket with her siblings and Dolly and hurried into Tootsie’s bedroom, where everyone else was gathered for their Sunday-night session.

  Tootsie had already brought in the customary cookies and wine. “So this is the last meeting we’ll be having here. The next one will be back home in Sugar Run.” Tootsie passed the plate of Danish wedding cookies and the zinfandel around the group. “We’ve come a long way from the day y’all decided to come with me on this trip, and I don’t just mean in miles. It’s been a good journey for all of us. So now I’m calling the meeting to order. Old business?”

  “The butter rum cake that we had for Luke’s birthday was amazing,” Carmen said. “Made me homesick. Diana, you always make those little miniature Bundt cakes at Christmas, and I always look forward to having a slice while Natalie opens her presents. I guess that’s old business since we ate it three days ago.”

  “I finished off the last crumbs that were left just before I came in here,” Joanie admitted. “Diana, you’ve got to promise every Christmas to send me a whole Bundt cake or, better yet, to bring it when we meet for our get-togethers.”

  “I promise,” Diana agreed.

  “If that concludes our old business, we’ll get on to the new,” Tootsie said. “New business, anyone?”

  “Yes.” Diana raised her hand. “Since my birthday two weeks ago, I’ve been slipping out at night to be with Luke. And when we get to Lawton, we’re going to get y’all all settled—Joanie in the hotel with Brett, and Tootsie, you and Carmen in a trailer park with shuttle service. Then Luke and I are going to have a couple of days to ourselves in a hotel nearby. If you need us—”

  Tootsie slapped her on the knee and butted in before she could finish. “Praise the Lord! Now we can talk about it. We knew you were out there with him from the first, but we didn’t want to get all up in y’all’s business and maybe even jinx it.”

  “Do you know how hard it was not to say something the last two Sunday evenings?” Joanie laughed. “So tell us about it? Good? Bad?”

  “Ugly?” Carmen teased.

  “Wonderful. Amazing. And that’s all I’m saying. What goes on behind closed doors is our business. Now, does anyone else have any new business before I divide the rest of this wine into our glasses?” Diana asked.

  “Whoa! I’m not finished,” Tootsie said. “Have you truly gotten over the age difference, and how are you going to tell Rebecca about it?”

  “I’m going to introduce her to Luke and let them get to know each other. If and when she asks about his age, I’ll tell her then,” Diana answered. Hopefully, Rebecca wouldn’t even think about their ages, and if she did, she’d be like Joanie and think that Luke was about forty.

  “Sounds like a good idea to me,” Joanie agreed.

  “Now moving on.” Diana was eager to get the meeting over with so she could go on out to the motor home and snuggle up in Luke’s arms. “I make a motion we stop in Wichita Falls on the way home to do some shopping. I did a little checking, and there’s a Victoria’s Secret there. Joanie is going to need something other than sweat bottoms and tank tops the first night Brett is home. It’s been six months since she’s seen him. And we could all finish up our Christmas shopping. When we get home, it’s going to be two weeks until Christmas Day, and we’ll be busy helping Joanie pack.”

  “I s
econd that motion,” Tootsie said. “We’ll go from here to Wichita Falls on Tuesday. Shop on Wednesday, and go on up to Lawton the next morning. What time is Brett getting to the hotel room?”

  “He said he’d be there by noon.” Joanie picked up a Danish wedding cookie and put the whole thing in her mouth.

  “We’ll have you there in time for the two of you to spend the afternoon together,” Tootsie said. “Looks like it’s going to be me and you against the world for a couple of days, Carmen.”

  “We’re strong enough to whip it with one hand tied behind our backs,” Carmen told her. “I don’t know how I’ll feel or act when I get home, but right now I feel like I could fight a forest fire with a cup of water.”

  “You’re going to be just fine, and so am I,” Tootsie told her.

  “Any more business?” Diana asked as she poured wine for all of them.

  “Maybe just a little bit more.” Joanie took a drink and said, “Diana, I want to know how you really, really feel about Luke living next door. I’d just feel awful if things don’t work and things got all hinky between all y’all.”

  “I’m going to be just fine with whatever happens,” Diana said. “But if that’s all the new business, and since y’all already know where I’m spending my nights, I’m going to the motor home.”

  “Good for you.” Joanie gave her blessing.

  “And don’t try to sneak in before daylight,” Tootsie said. “You wake me up every time you put your weight on that third step. It’s always squeaked, even when I was a teenager and trying to slip in after my curfew. Now let’s hold hands. Joanie, it’s your turn to read the words on the plaque.”

  When that was done, Diana slid off the bed and left the room. She stopped long enough to pet Dolly and the kittens before she went outside and across the lawn to the motor home.