“Racing motorcycles on a dirt road without a helmet,” Emily said. “I grew up without a dad because he was wild.”
“But you had a mama and an aunt Nettie who adored you, so you don’t have much to bitch about,” Vicky scolded. “Are you trying to start a fight with me, Emily Rawlins?”
“Okay, you win. I’ll change the subject,” Emily said. “I researched Carlton Wolfe. I can’t find anything on the man. That’s probably not even his name. You should hire a private investigator and expose the sorry sucker for what he is.”
Vicky nodded. “I’m not wasting my money. That’s the same thing Andy Butler told me. Carlton will figure out that he’s not going to con any of us in Pick.”
Emily slid off the bed and headed toward the door. “So to sum up the weekend, Shane might be fallin’ for Jancy, who may or may not stay in Pick, Carlton’s a con man, and I’m not going back to school in the fall.”
“You got that right . . . what did you say?” Vicky stammered.
“I said that I’m not going back to college.”
“Good God, Emily Diane Rawlins. You’ve got one year left. Only twenty-four college hours! You cannot quit now.”
“I’ll get my degree in a couple of years. I’m going to work in the diner and do evening classes on the computer to finish that way,” she said. “And I’m not changing my mind, Mama. I hate being away from Pick.”
Vicky felt her world crumbling. “You could make it one more year. You come home every holiday, even just those single days off, so you are never away for more than three months at the most.”
Emily’s mouth set in a firm line. “I love you and I hate to disappoint you, but it ain’t happenin’. I’ll take two classes a semester until I get finished, and that will take two years. I’ll have the degree and I can be right here.”
“Why now?” Vicky groaned. “With just one year left?”
Emily started for the door. “Because it’s what my heart tells me to do. It shouldn’t come as a surprise. You know how I’ve felt since day one.”
“Can we talk about it later in the summer?”
“We can talk about it every day until I’m old and gray, but I’m not changing my mind.” She turned and planted a kiss on her mother’s forehead. “Good night and I love you, Mama.”
“We definitely will discuss this more.” Vicky wasn’t giving in to this crazy idea easily. She’d regroup and come up with a plan to keep her daughter in school one more year.
“I’m sure we will. See you in the morning,” Emily said as she closed the door behind her.
CHAPTER EIGHT
The diner was packed fifteen minutes after Vicky opened the doors the next morning. Emily ran the booths, and Vicky took care of the customers who were sitting at the bar. It might be Memorial Day, but except for Christmas, the diner was always open.
It wasn’t the first time the diner had served as a conference hall in the twenty-five years it had been in business. But Vicky had never answered the same question or reassured the residents of Pick more times in her life. No, she was not one bit interested in Carlton Wolfe’s offer, and she was not going to cave in no matter what he threatened.
“He’s a wolf in sheep’s clothing,” Ryder chuckled.
“Absolutely,” Vicky said. “If that’s his real name, he should change it. If it’s not, then he chose the wrong one.”
“He ain’t goin’ to fleece us, is he?” Shane asked. “Wh-where’s Jancy?”
“We’ll hang his sorry carcass on one of the barbed-wire fences in town before we let him get a toe in our town,” Vicky said. “And Jancy took a few minutes off to run up to the bank to do some business.”
“Mark the spot and me and Shane will take care of that mangy old wolf.” Ryder’s big brown eyes sparkled. “And we won’t even charge you for it. I hate it when someone like that sucker comes into our little place.”
“It makes us appreciate what we got and reminds us that we might have to do battle for anything that is worthwhile,” Vicky said.
“You got that right,” Ryder said.
Shane nodded. “Just sometimes the fight is kind of scary.”
“But if we stick together, we can win.” Vicky smiled, and Ryder unexpectedly weighed in with a yawn.
“Long night?” Vicky asked.
“Yes, ma’am.” Ryder blushed.
“Regular old roustabout.” A wide grin split Shane’s face. “He even m-m-missed church last night.”