Small Town Rumors(13)

“Where’s Daddy?” Jennie Sue asked.

“He’s at the office. Said he’d be back in time for food this evening. You want to call him?”

Jennie Sue sighed. There went her support if her mother was still mad. “No, I’ll just go get it over with.”

Mabel lowered her voice. “She did drink a whole pitcher, so she might be softened up a little bit. Tread easy, though.”

“Yes, ma’am.” Jennie Sue gave her a thumbs-up sign.

She went to the window and counted all eleven of the other Belles sitting on the porch with Charlotte. According to the charter that had been made when Charlotte’s grandmother and several of her friends started the Sweetwater Belles, twelve was the magic number. If a member had a daughter, when she died, that child inherited the prestigious spot. If not, then the remaining eleven had to agree on who was worthy to be admitted into the exclusive club.

From a very young age, Charlotte had instructed Jennie Sue to call all eleven of those women “aunt,” but standing back in the shadows, trying to gather the courage to go out there, she wondered if today she’d be disinherited. With her gaze on her mother, she didn’t even see Aunt Sugar coming her way until the woman touched her on the arm with a frown.

Sugar Cramer was Charlotte’s age, but she looked twenty years older. She wore her blonde hair in a pageboy cut, and she towered above Jennie Sue. Looking more like a rough old girl you’d see hangin’ around a lamppost on a bad street, she hardly gave off the impression that she could be a southern belle.

“Jennie Sue Baker, how could you upset your mama like this? I’m glad to see you back home, though. You go out there and make a public apology to her. She only wants what’s best,” Sugar scolded.

“She thought Percy was wonderful, so maybe she doesn’t know what’s best for me,” Jennie Sue argued.

“But he’s so cute and so rich and he treated you like a queen,” Aunt Sugar shot back.

“The only thing he ever did for me was teach me to keep a clean house, which got me a job to hold me over until I can find something,” Jennie Sue said.

“A southern woman, especially a Belle, holds her head up in adversity and never leaves her husband,” Sugar said stoically. “And she damn sure doesn’t clean houses. It will take a lot of redeeming for you to ever get into the Belles. If your mama wasn’t the good-standing member that she is, we’d all have some major doubts.”

Jennie Sue popped a hand on her hip. “I didn’t leave him. He left me with nothing. No man is worth what I went through, so believe me when I say I don’t want a husband anytime in the near future. The feds are after him for tax evasion and have confiscated my house, my car, my jewelry, and everything I owned. He’s also wanted for extortion. Don’t give me a dressin’-down over cleanin’ houses, Aunt Sugar. And FYI, which is for your information, I don’t give a damn about my place in the Belles.”

Sugar backed up a couple of feet. “You settle down, Jennifer. That’s no tone to take with your elders. You mama said you’d gotten a bad spirit since the divorce. If you’ll straighten up, we can forgive one little rebellious week. We’ve all had our bad days, and we could use you on a dozen committees, with your business degree,” Sugar said.

“And I can’t serve on those committees unless I’m livin’ at home?” Jennie Sue asked.

“That’s life, darlin’.” Aunt Sugar patted her on the cheek. “You got to decide what’s important in the long haul.” She disappeared toward the bathroom on the first floor.

Jennie Sue stiffened her spine and walked outside, went straight to the bar, and asked for a mimosa with double the champagne.

“Jennie Sue,” Aunt Mary Lou squealed, “I told Charlotte that you were just havin’ a little anxiety attack. You should see my doctor for that. He’ll prescribe a little capsule that will make you feel at peace with the world.”

Carrying her mimosa with her, Jennie Sue crossed the patio and sat down in a lounge beside her mother. “I’m just here for the party, not for good. I start the first of my two jobs in the morning.”

“Did Dill send a car for you?” Charlotte asked.

“No, Lettie loaned me her truck for the day, but I need to be back by evening so I can drive her and Nadine to the fireworks.” Jennie Sue took a sip of the mimosa.

“Sweet Lord! Housecleaning and chauffeuring around those two old bats,” Charlotte gasped. “And driving that truck onto my property? Have you lost your damn mind?”

Jennie Sue took a big gulp. “Mama, I want to forge my own path. I don’t want to try to fill the mold that you have all these years. Let’s agree to disagree and get along.”

Charlotte’s expression almost had the plates and cups flying on their own. But she managed to compose herself and say, “You look like crap in that outfit. I swear, you’ve gained another ten pounds since yesterday, and your hair needs to be styled. Did you do your own toenails? You smeared the polish onto the skin on your pinkies.”

“But she’s goin’ to look better when we take her to the spa tomorrow, right?” Sugar sat down beside Jennie Sue.

Mary Lou came up on the other side and laid a hand on her shoulder. “You need to stop this nonsense. Let’s do lunch tomorrow, and afterward we’ll all get our nails done and maybe hit that new little boutique in Sweetwater for some decent new outfits.”

Jennie Sue set the remainder of her drink on the table and stood up. She bent down and kissed her mother on the forehead. “Thank you both for the invitations, but I have to work tomorrow. You look beautiful as always, Mama. Call me when and if you ever change your mind about what I’m doing. Y’all have a wonderful day.”

With her head held high, she walked back into the house and, avoiding even Mabel, went out the front door and circled around to the garage. Frank met her at the truck with his white handkerchief held out. She took it from him and wiped at a brand-new rush of tears flowing down her cheeks.

“Mabel heard what they all said and called me. I’m so sorry, darlin’,” he said. “I should call Dill.”

“No, don’t do that. It would just work Mama up more. He’ll be home today and I’ll talk to him then. Nadine and Lettie have invited me to their party, and they could use some help getting things ready the rest of the day.” Jennie Sue handed back the hankie. “Thanks, Frank. You and Mabel have always been here for me.”

“Couldn’t have no kids of our own, so we kind of adopted you.” He smiled through sad eyes. “We’re right proud of the way you’ve grown up.”

“Thank you.” She gave him a quick hug. “I’m glad you’ve been in my life.”

“Not been, honey—are in your life. If you need anything, you can call me or Mabel anytime, night or day. We’ll always be here for you,” Frank said.

Jennie Sue patted him on the shoulder, got into Lettie’s truck, and drove away from the house. How could so much happen in only two days? It seemed like six weeks since she’d gotten off that bus.





Chapter Five

Rick dressed in his best jeans and a mossy-green shirt that matched his eyes. He combed his dark hair straight back and laid a hand over the scar under his jawline on the left side. It had taken sixteen stitches to close that gash, but that was nothing compared to all the scars under his clothes. He looked like a Frankenstein character, with a total of more than a hundred stitches on his body. That didn’t count the scar that ran the whole length of his bad leg. Thank goodness for clothes.

A picture of Jennie Sue flashed through his mind. The streaks down her cheeks reminded him of the black on his face that he’d been wearing when he went on his last mission. A warrior in those days, he’d been somebody, not just that farmer’s kid from Bloom, Texas.

I wonder what brought tears to Jennie Sue’s eyes this mornin’. What kind of mission would make her cry? He picked up his phone and keys.

“Are you about ready?” Cricket yelled.

He made his way to the living room and whistled through his teeth. “Well, it does look like all that primpin’ paid off. I just got one question. Who are you trying to impress?”

“Oh, hush.” She smoothed the sides of a cute little sundress. Her hair had been curled, and her makeup was perfect. “I might ask you the same question. You even ironed those jeans.” She tilted her chin up a notch. “And that’s the aftershave you save for church. You thinkin’ that Jennie Sue might give up her place at the Baker party and join us low-class folks? Think again. She’s too hoity-toity to stay in a little place like Bloom, and when she leaves, all of us peons will be left in the dust.” She picked up her purse and led the way out of the house. “You drivin’ or am I?”

“You need to calm down about Jennie Sue. I’m a pretty good judge of character, and I’d bet money that you are wrong about her. I don’t think she’s doin’ any of those things you just said or that she’d treat her friends so hatefully,” he said as they went out into the hot night air.