The Barefoot Summer(62)

“I believe that spirits linger until things are settled,” Amanda said. “It’s taken a long time, but maybe us being here is bringing Iris and Darcy closure, and if it sounds crazy then so be it. I read those letters today and they are so sad that they made me cry.”

“I’ve got a couple more things to tell you while Gracie is out of earshot.” Kate told them they were still on the suspect list and then asked what they thought about the ranch day for the kids. “If they don’t win the fishing contest, it wouldn’t be such a big blow to their little egos.”

“Yes,” Amanda and Jamie said at the same time.

“Then that’s settled,” Kate said. “I’ll tell Waylon that it’s a date.”

“There’s nothing we can do but pray that the real killers do something stupid and get caught,” Amanda said. “I know I didn’t kill him. I also know that neither of you did. The cops just have to figure out the rest, and we’ll sit right here in Bootleg until they do. We’re protected here. I can feel it.”

Jamie stretched up her hand, and Amanda gave her a high five.

“I’m going up to Wichita Falls tomorrow, so I’ll be gone all day. Aunt Ellie and I are having supper together after she gets off work. I’ll try to be home by dark so I’ll be back in my safe place.” Amanda giggled.

“And I promised Gracie that we’d go back to Dallas after we get finished at the school and get some more of her clothing and toys, so we’ll be gone most of the day. Paul has given Lisa permission to go with us, and we’re planning on McDonald’s for supper. We’ll slip in and out and hopefully the police won’t slap the cuffs on us.” Jamie grinned and poured more wine in her glass.

“This is pretty serious stuff for y’all to be teasing about,” Kate said.

“Lighten up. We’re innocent.” Jamie held up her glass. “To never spending a day in jail.”

Kate poured more wine into her glass. “When I get this down, I’ll be mellow enough to call my mother back and talk to her some more about all this mess.”

Jamie chuckled. “I’d never get that mellow. Now my grandmother is a different story altogether. She raised me.”

“Why?” Amanda asked.

“Mama doesn’t have much sense when it comes to men, and most of her boyfriends didn’t like me. When I was four, she dropped me at Mama Rita’s place and never came back,” Jamie said.

“You mother didn’t fight for you?” Kate asked.

“No, ma’am. She signed the papers giving Mama Rita the right to adopt me.”

Amanda set her empty glass on the side table. “Sounds kind of like my situation, only my mama was sixteen when I was born and she lived with Aunt Ellie, who was her older sister. When she was nineteen, she married a man and she said she was coming back to get me in a few months. But then she had a couple of kids and she embraced his traditions that didn’t have room for a little red-haired stepdaughter,” Amanda said. “Aunt Ellie filed desertion papers when I was six and adopted me. I have no complaints. She raised me in a good home.”

“Where did your mom go?” Jamie asked.

“Iran. She met a man at a restaurant where she was working, and they fell in love. When he went back to his country, she went with him,” Amanda answered.

“Why would she leave you behind?” Kate asked.

Amanda shrugged. “Aunt Ellie said that she was pregnant again and the new husband wasn’t too keen on a stepdaughter.”

“Have you seen her since then?” Amanda asked.

Amanda shook her head. “No, she never came back to Texas. I get a Christmas card from her sometimes, but she never remembers my birthday. I have two half brothers I’ve never met. But you know what? It’s all good. Aunt Ellie was and is a good mother to me.”

“My father was a loving, sweet, gentle man,” Kate said. “My mother is the bulldog. I got a lot of my father’s trusting nature. Conrad never would have snowed Mother like he did me.”

“Or my Mama Rita, either, but I bet that he preyed on women who were vulnerable,” Jamie said.

“Probably so, but I’ve learned my lesson,” Kate said.

“Oh, yeah.” Jamie’s head bobbed up and down.

Amanda swiped at a lonely tear making its way down her cheek. “Damned hormones. Lately everything makes me weepy. I even cried over a television commercial about toilet paper, but those little bears were so cute.”

Kate picked up what was left of her wine and touched their glasses. “To the future.”

“To the future,” Amanda and Jamie said.

“And now to bed.” Kate stood up. “But first I’ll need an apple and a handful of Amanda’s sugar cookies.”

“Apple?” Amanda asked.

“If you eat fruit, it nullifies all the calories in cookies and wine. Like if you drink diet soda pop after or with a candy bar.” Kate grinned.

“She jokes.” Amanda pretended shock.

“Hey, now!” Kate teased, and it felt really good.





CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

Waylon and Johnny had spent the whole afternoon on Friday getting the stagecoach ready to roll—cleaning it up and hitching the horses to it, taking it from the ranch to Bootleg, which took three hours, unhitching the horses and putting them in the vo-ag barn. Thank goodness for Paul’s offer to keep them there overnight.