Queen Bee (Lowcountry Tales #12)(57)

“I understand. Like showing up at the wedding, uninvited and unannounced, all glammed up?”

“Exactly. I’m thinking if I could tell myself that when he dresses up, he’s putting on his work clothes, like a costume, then maybe we could work something out. There’s a time and place for everything, right?”

I didn’t say a word. I could only imagine what she had put herself through to come to that conclusion.

“I don’t know if that is how this works, Leslie. It may be that he wants to be Charlene more and more. Or it could be that Charlene gets boring and he’d prefer to be Charles. In a smoking jacket. With velvet slippers. I have no idea. But I sure do admire the hell out of you for trying so hard to find a solution. This is not your regular marital problem.”

“I know, but I can’t just throw us away, you know?”

“I know. You shouldn’t. And look, not everybody wants to be a stevedore. People come in every size, color, and way we can imagine.”

“Well, that’s sort of the way I’m seeing it,” she said.

“Look, you’re my sister. Whatever you want to do, you know I’m going to support your decision.”

This may not have looked like progress to the conventional world, but it was. Leslie had gone from an emphatic this ain’t happening no more to a let’s talk about it. Even Momma was going through some kind of evolution in her thoughts.

“I give my girl a lot of credit,” she said over coffee the next morning.

“Yeah? How come?” I said and peeled four strips of bacon into my favorite cast-iron skillet.

“Because she’s willing to really dive into this and try to resolve something instead of just running away, although she did have a couple of runaway nights there.”

“Momma!” I said. “I think it would be best to view those few indiscretions another way, like maybe therapeutic?”

“If you say so. Want to bring in the paper? I forgot.”

“Sure,” I said. “I’ll be right back. Watch the bacon for me, okay?”

I went outside and picked up the paper and here came Archie with the boys. Another day was beginning.

“Good morning! Not much school left!”

“Nope!” Tyler called out. “Five more days!”

“Freedom!” Hunter yelled.

“In the car,” Archie said. “How are you, Holly? I haven’t seen much of you lately.”

“You mean since my bees dropped their you-know-what on Sharon’s car?”

“That was unfortunate,” he said. “And of course, it wasn’t your fault.”

“Duh, Archie.” I gave him a smirk. “So, listen. That young man in your back seat is having a b-day soon, if I recall. Is there a party? Can I do the cake?”

Tyler had a huge grin on his face.

“Gonna be eight!”

“I know! That’s so amazing!” I said.

Archie got the funniest look on his face.

“It’s probably best if you discuss that with Sharon,” he said.

I wanted to talk to Sharon like I wanted to have dinner with Satan and all his buddies.

“Well, maybe just ask her to let me know,” I said. “Y’all have a great day!”

I turned and walked over to our house and climbed the steps without looking back. So that’s how it was now? Sharon was the go-to person? I told myself if I didn’t hear from her in a few days, I’d go over and see what the story was.

“What kept you so long?” Momma said. “Your bacon is done.”

I told her about our exchange. She shook her head.

“Will you pour me some more coffee, please?” she said. “Sharon is the worst.”

I refilled her cup and said, “This is news?”

Leslie walked into the kitchen, took a mug, and filled it.

“G’morning! What’s going on?” she said.

We told her the story and she rolled her eyes somewhere up in her head.

“Oh, God. It’s always going to be something with that beast,” she said. “And she’s cut off Archie’s cojones. He’s going to go along with whatever she wants.”

I thought it was funny that Momma used to be the beast. Now Sharon was. But why was Archie letting Sharon call the shots?

“It’s a shame,” Momma said. “Such a shame. Do you think you might share your bacon, Holly?”

“Sure,” I said and gave her half of what I’d fried. “You want toast?”

“I think I would,” Momma said. “Thank you.”

Hello? Who are you aliens that took my mother? Can you keep her? This one’s halfway nice.

“You’re welcome,” I said and dropped two slices of white bread in the toaster.

“I’ve gotta go and pack,” Leslie said.

“Really? Where are you going?” Momma said.

“Vegas, to see my husband. I’ll be back Sunday,” she said. “He has been begging me to come since the first day he got there.”

“Well, you tell him I said, if we’re going to have a female impersonator in the family,” Momma said, “he’d better be the best damn one the world has ever seen!”

“Oh, Momma!” Leslie said. “That is like the sweetest thing you’ve ever said to me.”