After the meeting at the lawyer’s office, Donny Joe said he had some immediate business to take care of but agreed to swing by their house after lunch so they could discuss all their options. Etta wasn’t looking forward to the meeting. Not in the least little bit. Too many things hadn’t been settled. And they weren’t likely to be settled by this afternoon.
Donny Joe Ledbetter?
Of all the people she didn’t want to be dealing with at a time like this. Good Gravy. What were you thinking, Grammy?
But Belle’s concerns, as usual, were all about Belle. “Well, I have zero interest in being an innkeeper in this backwater town. Can you see me decked out in a frilly apron, baking muffins, putting mints on pillows, and pointing the toilet paper? Not in this lifetime.”
Etta laughed at the horrified expression on Belle’s face. “I don’t know. You could probably make frilly aprons all the rage if you set your mind to it.” She stole another glance at her older sister and floated the idea she’d had earlier. “I thought it might be nice for Daphne if she could stay in one place long enough to finish the school year in the same city she started.”
“Daphne is fine. Moving around has made her adaptable.” Belle nudged Etta with her elbow. “Just like us.”
Etta stared at Belle as if she had two heads. She found Belle’s casual attitude appalling and without thinking exclaimed, “Not to mention neurotic and insecure. Just like us. You know I love Daphne like she was my own, but she doesn’t act like an eight-year-old kid. She acts like an uptight matron.” Etta winced, giving herself a mental kick in the shins. She had to learn to keep her opinions on Daphne’s behavior to herself.
Belle didn’t seem to be offended, though. “You worry too much. She’s an only child, and only children always act too grown-up for their age. Now if you’re through insulting my parenting skills can we get back to discussing Grammy’s house? Why don’t we just sell our share of the house to Donny Joe, and he can do whatever he wants with it. I could really use the money.”
“If you’d been paying attention this morning, I think the whole point was there is no money. Not unless we want to devote a big chunk of time and energy into Grammy’s B&B plan. And even then, there’s no guarantee we’ll see a profit.”
“So, we’re supposed to drop everything and move here because Grammy Hazel got a wild hair in her bonnet before she died? No thanks. I have a scrumptious new boyfriend waiting for me in Houston. I think he might be ready to pop the question. And what about your precious job at your precious restaurant in Chicago? I can’t believe Diego isn’t flipping out by now.”
Etta scowled at the mention of her friend–slash–partner–slash–ex-lover. As of nine months ago they had called it quits. As lovers, that is. But they were still bound together by their partnership in Finale’s. So, since then they’d been struggling to find an amicable way to work together at the restaurant. The tension between them had been building for a while and leaving suddenly for Grammy Hazel’s funeral hadn’t helped.
“He wasn’t exactly thrilled when I left.” Since then he’d been suspiciously and uncharacteristically silent. Etta nudged that uncomfortable thought from her head. Since their break-up, even though it had been a mutual decision, he’d been moodier, more of a bully to the staff than usual. Something she’d known she’d have to deal with somewhere down the road. The best she could do now was call Diego later and try for a temporary truce. “And you always have a scrumptious new boyfriend. What makes this one different from the last two or three?”
Belle sighed, the dreamy kind of sigh that always spelled trouble. “Roger Fisher. Oh, he’s nice looking, rich and he keeps hinting that he wants to take me to Paris for a long holiday. Of course, I told him I couldn’t go. Who would watch Daphne?”
“I thought rich was a given with all your boyfriends.”
Belle smiled. “True, but Roger has something else going for him. He isn’t married.”
“Well now, there’s an improvement.”
“Be sarcastic all you want, Etta. It doesn’t change the fact that I’m not going to do anything to discourage Roger. If I marry him Daphne will have all the security she needs.”
“That’s all well and good, but it still leaves the problem of cousin Beulah. Grammy Hazel would expect us to take care of her and you know it.”
Belle stood up. “Until we talk to Donny Joe there’s no point in trying to make any decisions, okay? I’m going to go find Daphne and see what she wants for lunch.”