Fit to Be Tied

by Debby Mayne

  “Lovey-dovey?” Mama’s eyebrows go up to her hairline as she twists her mouth to the side. “No, I don’t know about her yet, but I will soon.” She tips her head forward with her Mama-means-business expression. “Won’t I, Brett?”

  “Yes, ma’am.” As soon as Mama turns back to the basket of muffins, I make a face at Wendy, who is working hard not to laugh out loud.

  “Wendy, do you want one or two?”

  “One is fine. I’ve been puttin’ on some weight lately, so I have to be careful.”

  “I understand.” Mama puts one muffin on a plate and looks at me. “How about you, Brett?”

  “I’ve changed my mind. I’m not hungry.” I back toward the door. “I think I’ll go finish my homework.”

  As I turn and run toward my room, I hear Mama and Wendy laughing about something—probably me. If I could have a do-over, I would have ignored the doorbell.

  Wendy is a few years older than me, but I used to think she was the prettiest girl in the family. In fact, if she weren’t my cousin, I might have had a crush on her. Now I can’t stand to even be in the same room with her. She still looks the same, but these days she acts all high and mighty, since she’s in college now. If that’s how college girls act, I don’t want any part of them.

  I look at myself in the mirror Mama put over my dresser, even though I told her I didn’t want it there. What I see is a scared boy, when what I want to be is a confident man. Trey still hasn’t figured out who he is, so I don’t have high hopes for myself any time soon.

  I pick up my books and carry them over to the beanbag chair I’ve had since I was in middle school. Before I open my math book, I look at the history project that’s due next week, and then I lean back and close my eyes. I hate history, but then I hate math too. In fact, there’s nothing about school that I like anymore. It used to be fun, but all I ever feel when I go there now is humiliation. I went out for football because Daddy said that would be good for me socially. I’m not so sure about that, though. Julius gets a lot of attention from the girls, and he doesn’t play on any teams. That girl Wendy saw me with is new at school, and as soon as she found out I was a football player, she got friendly with me. But someone must have said something on Monday, because now she won’t give me the time of day.

  When I hear Mama’s voice saying my name, I open my eyes and try to focus in the near darkness. She flips the light on and looks at me for a few seconds. “May I come in?”

  “Sure.”

  She walks over and sits on the edge of my bed, folds her hands in front of her, and leans her elbows on her knees. “I think it’s time for you and me to have a mother-son chat.”

  I shrug. “I don’t feel like talking.”

  “Oh, but I do. Whatever is going on with you needs to stop. First, you blow up a barn. Then we find pot in your room—”

  “I told you that wasn’t mine.”

  Mama shrugs. “And Julius told his mama and daddy it wasn’t his either. Who should I believe?”

  “You don’t believe me?”

  “Why should I?” Mama pauses. “At first I believed you, but now I know you’re not bein’ truthful with me and your daddy. You’ve clearly been holding back secrets, like about that girl Wendy saw you with.” She tips her head forward and does her look again before letting her eyelids droop a little. “Want to tell me about her?”

  Ever since Sara and I started talking about the incredible opportunity I have to move to my own place that just happens to be in the same neighborhood, I’ve seen a sense of relief in her eyes. In all fairness, she’s the one who should move out, but I know that she’s not up to moving. There are still some things we need to work out.

  First of all, Jeanine has come way down in her price, and she’s offering to throw in most of the furniture for nothing extra. And to top it off, she actually told me I can stay there for a couple of months for free if I want to try it out before signing a contract. When I asked why she’s doing this, she said she found out how much money she’d be able to save on the real estate commission, and then there’s the matter of waiting for it to sell.

  “At least you know you like the neighborhood,” she admitted. “The one time I rented it out with an option to buy, the couple decided condo living wasn’t for them.”

  “You know I like it. Let me think about it for a couple of days, and I’ll get back with you.”

  When Sara’s expression changed, I knew I had to accept the offer, so I called and accepted the offer right away. Now Sara and I are sitting in the living room we share and talking about when and how to make the move.

  “Aren’t you the slightest bit suspicious of her wanting to do this so quickly?” She gives me one of her half smiles that almost seems apologetic. “And the fact that she’s willing to cut the price so quickly and for so much . . .” She shrugs. “I don’t know, maybe it’s me, but it seems mighty fishy, since she barely knows you.”

  I have thought about that, but the offer is so good I’m afraid not to jump on it. “What do you think she might be up to?”

  Again, Sara shrugs. “Who knows? Maybe she has a body buried somewhere, and she wants out before—”

  “Ew, gross. Don’t even go there.”

  “Just sayin’.” Sara stands and staggers for a couple of steps before she gets her footing. She’s barely showing a tiny bump, but she says she’s off balance with the extra weight. “Want some ice cream?”

  “I’m not hungry. Besides, isn’t it too cold out for ice cream?”

  “It’s not cold in here.” She holds out her bare arms. “Ever since I found out I was pregnant, I’ve been hot when everyone else is freezing.”

  I laugh and point toward the kitchen. “Go get your ice cream.”

  As soon as she leaves me alone in the living room, I pick up my phone and punch in Jeanine’s number. “I want you to know how much I appreciate your offer, but I am concerned about a couple of things.”

  She clears her throat. “Like what?” I can tell she’s nervous.

  I voice my concerns, like why she’s so eager to drop the price and why she’s letting me stay in the place for free before we close on it. She whimpers for a couple of seconds and then bursts into a sob—a very stunning, loud sob. It’s clear that there’s something else going on here.

  It takes me a couple of minutes to calm her down. Finally, she tells me a long story about how she’s fallen onto hard times, and she doesn’t know what else to do.

  Sara finally walks back in with a heaping bowl of ice cream. She gives me a questioning look, so I mouth that I’ll tell her when I hang up.

  Finally, I press the Off button and put the phone on the coffee table. “You were right.” My shoulders sag from the weight of disappointment. “There is more to the condo than I realized.”

  “Like what?” She scoops a spoonful of ice cream and shoves it into her mouth while she waits for me to explain.

  “She’s eight months late on her mortgage payment, and she got the notice that the bank is foreclosing next month.”

  “I’m surprised they let her go so long without kicking her out.”

  “I know. I asked her how she was able to stay so long, and she said she told them she’d have the money any day now.” I shrug. “I suppose they got tired of hearing that and decided to move forward with the foreclosure.”

  Sara swallows and gives me a look of confusion. “Then how did she think she could sell it to you if she won’t even own it after next month?”

  “She obviously wasn’t thinking clearly. That’s not even the half of it. She hasn’t paid her power bill, water bill, or association fee in a couple of months, so whoever buys the place will have to cover all that.”

  “Oh wow.” Sara stares at her ice cream for a few seconds before meeting my gaze. “What are you gonna do now?”

  “I really like her place, but until I know how much I’ll have to pay, I can’t go through with our plan. I told her to make an appointment with an officer at the bank, and I’
d go with her to figure out something.”

  “I’m really sorry, Sally. I know how much you want that place.”

  “Yeah, it’s a bummer, but maybe something can be worked out.” I’m not holding my breath, but I don’t need to let her know I doubt I’ll be able to go through with it.

  “Don’t get your hopes up. Besides, it’s not like you don’t have a place to stay.”

  “I know, but I was hoping—”

  “It might still work out, so don’t lose hope.”

  I smile at my sweet sister, who has completely turned the tables on me. I’ve always been the voice of reason, and when that becomes too difficult to handle, I find a silver lining. Now she’s doing it for me.

  “Speaking of hope . . .” Sara pauses as her smile widens. “Justin is now able to walk a few feet completely without a walker. The head of the physical therapy department said that as soon as he can make it across the room and finish his speech therapy in the hospital, he can come home.”

  “Are you equipped to deal with everything?” I ask. There’s no doubt in my mind he’s doing much better, but I’m still realistic and know it won’t be easy for either of them. “I mean, you are pregnant, and you shouldn’t be lifting heavy things.”

  “He’ll have some home health care until he doesn’t need it anymore.”

  I bite my tongue to keep from saying what I’m thinking—that this condo will get mighty crowded for a while, unless I’m able to move out soon. Based on her expression, I suspect she’s thinking the very same thing. But neither of us wants to actually come out and say it.

  After she finishes her ice cream, she leaves for the hospital. I walk around the condo and try to figure out where we’ll be able to work if I’m not able to move out. I finally have come up with a plan when my phone rings. It’s Jeanine.

  “I have an appointment for us to meet with someone at the bank tomorrow morning at 10:00. Can you be there?”

  That’s typically when I’m in full swing making hair bows, but I’ll get up early and try to knock out as many as possible. “Sure, I’ll be there.”

  “I’ve been warned that your credit will have to be impeccable for them to even consider making another loan on it.”

  I don’t bring up the fact that not only do I have great credit, I have enough money for a hefty down payment. I can actually pay cash if they’ll allow me to pay her rock-bottom price, but I don’t want to deplete my savings. She gives me the address of the bank in Hattiesburg, and I jot it down. The remainder of the day, I work on a spreadsheet with my income and expenses, and then I pull up my previous years’ tax information. This is one time I’m thankful for such a thorough accountant who annoyed me to no end about dotting all the i’s and crossing all the t’s. Now I get it.

  I lie in bed staring at the ceiling as all kinds of scenarios creep into my head. It’s strange to want something this badly but feel helpless about being able to get it. In the past, I felt as though I had more control, but now I realize that was just naive.

  I’m not sure when Sara got in last night, but I wake up to the sound of her clanking around in the kitchen. When I walk in there to get coffee, I’m taken aback by her energy.

  “You’re not supposed to have more than one cup of coffee per day,” I remind her.

  “I haven’t even had that.” She practically bounces over to the refrigerator, where she pulls out a carton of eggs. “Justin not only walked across the therapy room, he walked me to the nursing station when it was time for me to leave.”

  “Sounds promising, but what does that mean?”

  “He’s doing great with his speech therapy, so they’re thinking he should be home by the first of next month.” Her shoulders rise as she takes a deep breath. “And they’re letting him out to go to the family reunion with me.”

  “That’s great news!” I pour myself a cup of coffee and sit down at the table while she finishes filling me in on Justin’s progress. Then I tell her about my appointment at the bank.

  “I sure hope this works out for you. I know how much you want your own place, and it’ll be wonderful to have you so close.”

  I nod. “Yeah, but I still don’t want to get my hopes up too high.”

  She scrambles the eggs, dishes them out onto two plates, and carries them over to the table. I say the blessing before we dig in.

  As soon as we clean the kitchen, she heads toward the workroom. “Let’s see how many bows we can make before you have to leave.”

  With the two of us working, we knock out more than half of the orders that have come in before I have to go. “Why don’t you take a nap, and we can finish up when I get back?”

  She nods. “Let me do one more order, and then I’ll take a break. I’ll say an extra prayer for you.”

  I put on a nice pair of slacks, a silk shirt, and a blazer for my bank appointment. I rarely get this nervous, but my palms are sweating and my breathing is shaky. As soon as I find a parking spot in the bank lot, I lower my head and pray for the Lord’s will to be done.

  Jeanine and the mortgage officer are waiting for me when I walk in. It’s hard to read them, but it appears that they’ve already had a nice conversation.

  “I’m Nate Hawthorne,” the banker says as he extends his hand. “I’ve heard nothing but good things about you.”

  I turn to Jeanine. “Thank you.”

  She shakes her head. “Not from me. Apparently, you and Nate have some friends in common.”

  “Oh.” I can’t help frowning at the thought of this man who holds my future in his hands knowing more about me than I want him to know.

  “I’ve heard that you have quite a successful business,” he states. “I’m friends with your cousin Shay, and she can’t say enough nice things about you and what a good business mind you have.”

  I let out a sigh of relief because Shay would never say anything to hurt me. “She’s one of my favorite cousins,” I admit.

  He holds my gaze, making my stomach do one of those roller-coaster flippy things. Nate’s close-cropped hair, piercing blue-green eyes, and wide smile with the slightly imperfect teeth nearly undo my attempt at a professional demeanor. He doesn’t look a bit like any banker I’ve ever met.

  Finally, he gestures for us to follow him. “Come on, ladies. Let’s go on back to my office where we can talk in private.”

  As soon as we sit down, Nate picks up a stack of papers and then looks at Jeanine. “You are fortunate that we’ve been too busy to do anything before now.” He states a number that she owes the bank, and I’m surprised by how low it is. Then he turns to me. “Based on the circumstances, I’m trying to get the underwriter to do something different to expedite this sale. We don’t want more properties on the books—especially condos. We already have more than normal.”

  I narrow my eyes. “So you’re saying we might not be able to do this?”

  “No, that’s not what I’m saying.” He leans toward me and holds my gaze for a couple of seconds. “If you can come up with what the bank is owed and cover the lien from the condo association and utilities, I think I can make a good case for you to purchase it.”

  I start to say something, but Jeanine interrupts. “Wait a minute. What am I going to get out of this? I put one-third down on the place, and I’ve been paying for years.”

  Nate puts down the papers, folds his hands over his desk, and gives her a long look. “What you’ll get is better credit for not having a foreclosure on your record.”

  She scowls. “Then I’m not letting the furniture go with it.”

  This whole scene is getting more uncomfortable by the minute, and I’m trying to figure out where to look. Then I come up with an idea. “I can buy your furniture.”

  She tilts her head and gives me a look as though I’ve suddenly become her worst enemy. “I’m not letting it go cheap.”

  Then I name a number, and her chin drops. She starts to say something, but only a squeak comes out.

  Nate grins. “That’s quite generous
, Ms. Wright. Do you feel that the furniture is worth that much?”

  Deep down, I know I’ve offered more than double what she would have gotten anywhere else, but if I can get the condo for what she owes, I’m still ahead. In fact, I can plunk down more than half of the balance from the cash I have saved without batting an eye or having to sell any of my investments. “I’m willing to pay that if she accepts.”

  Nate and I both look at her and wait. When she doesn’t say anything, he clears his throat. “Well, what do you think, Jeanine?”

  She swallows hard as she widens her eyes. “I’ll have to consider it.” She fidgets for a moment. “I don’t like the idea of losing money, but it looks like you’re playing hardball, and I don’t have a choice.”

  He frowns at her before he turns and focuses on me. “Are you sure this is something you want to do?”

  I nod. “Positive.”

  Nate picks the papers back up and stacks them. “If you ladies don’t mind waiting out in the lobby, I have a few phone calls to make before we have you sign the paperwork to get the process started.”

  As soon as we’re alone, Jeanine turns to me with a suspicious glare. “Why are you offering to buy my stuff?”

  I try to give her a reassuring look. “Because I think the condo is worth more than what the bank is willing to sell it for, and I want you to at least walk away with something.”

  She shakes her head and looks down at the floor before raising her gaze back to mine. “You wouldn’t happen to be interested in a two-year-old Jaguar, would you?”

  It’s a little more than two weeks until Bucky’s family comes for the reunion, but I still haven’t gotten through to Julius about what I’m sure he left in Brett’s room. He hasn’t broken down and admitted anything yet, but I think that’s only because Bucky is giving him the benefit of the doubt.

  “You need to have a long talk with him.” I look Bucky in the eye without blinking, something that never fails to get to him. Even after all the things he said about kids trying things, he says he believes our son.

  He glances down at the floor as he shakes his head. “If Julius says he didn’t do it, then I believe him.”