Queen Bee (Lowcountry Tales #12)(95)

“You want lunch?” I said.

“Sure. Let’s walk over to Melfi’s. New place. Food looks amazing.”

“Let’s go.”

Melfi’s had the feel of a clubby but super hip Italian trattoria that welcomed all comers. It was a neighborhood place but also a destination. The food was wonderful. Their wide variety of pasta was all made in house. But Leslie and I were feeling like pizza. We ordered a Mrs. Melfi’s Pie to share and salads with Italian dressing.

“Iced tea is fine for me,” I said when our waiter was ready to take our drink orders.

“Me, too,” Leslie said.

“Very good,” our waiter said and left.

“What do you think the odds are that Momma will wake up and be pissed that we’re not there?” I said.

“We can say we went out to get her something to eat,” Leslie said. “That will make her happy.”

“Great idea. Let’s take her something,” I said. “So, Leslie, what are you going to do about Char?”

She sighed a huge sigh and looked at me with so much sadness.

“I’m going to let her open her show, send her a big bouquet of flowers, and pray she does great. And in a few weeks, I’ll call her and tell her that I think it’s best if we dissolve our marriage and go our separate ways. That’s my plan.”

“I sort of figured that’s where you were headed. I mean, divorce is messy, but you’ve got to settle things so you can move on.”

“Exactly. And let me tell you, she doesn’t want to be burdened with a wife, or a wife in name only. She needs to spread her wings and fly.”

“So do you,” I said.

“Um, so do you,” she said. “Look, for the foreseeable future, I’m going to be living at home. If there’s somewhere you want to go, you know, like, to live in Atlanta or something, now is the time you should give it some thought.”

“You want to know what’s funny?”

“God knows, I could use a laugh. What’s funny?”

“I’ve spent the last eight or so years, ever since I graduated from college, complaining about being stuck on the island. Why couldn’t I have Archie? And now that I can probably have him or move to anywhere that strikes my fancy, I want to stick around and see where this thing with Ted might lead. Besides, who would take care of the bees?”

“Oh, the irony of it all!” Leslie said with a lot of drama. “I think the bees could take care of themselves.”

We ate our pizza, moaning about how delicious it was, and there wasn’t so much as a piece of crust left. On the way back to the hospital we picked up a sub sandwich for Momma. When we arrived back to the family waiting area in the hospital, there was an old pirate sitting there reading a People magazine with a very large bouquet of flowers resting on the seat next to him, probably intended for his wench. I wondered who in the world he could be.

“Suzanne!” Leslie said.

I nearly fainted. This was Suzanne?

Suzanne Velour was in the building! She jumped up from her chair and hugged Leslie so hard, I could hear her vertebrae crunch.

“Leslie! Oh, my dear girl! I’m so glad to see you!”

“I can’t believe you’re here!” Leslie said.

“I took the first plane I could get,” Suzanne said and then turned to me. “Holly?”

“Yes. That’s me,” I said and giggled.

“Oh, sweetheart, I’m so happy to meet you!” Suzanne said.

I thought, You know what? Okay, she’s a little peculiar, but she’s very nice.

“Tell me about the queen. What’s the story?”

We told her all we knew, and her concern for Momma was real.

“So, this is not the cure. It’s just a treatment of this episode,” she said.

“Yes,” Leslie said. “At least that is how I understood it.”

“Well, then,” she said. “That settles it.”

“That settles what?” I said.

“I’m staying with her until the bitter end. That’s what.”

Leslie and I just looked at each other and then back to Suzanne in disbelief.

“I know what you’re thinking, but I’m going to tell you something you don’t know. I am so in love with your mother, I can’t see straight. Deeply and truly in love. She has more spunk and wicked sass in her than any woman I’ve ever met. She makes me laugh from head to toe and she makes me happy like I haven’t been since, well, in too many years.”

Leslie was the first to speak.

“Well, then, Suzanne Velour? Welcome to the Lowcountry!”

I thought, Oh boy. How’s this going to work?





“Did you know that monarch butterflies migrate?” I asked Tyler. “It’s another reason to plant goldenrod. They love it, too.”

“Where do the butterflies go?” he asked.

“Some go to Palm Beach,” Suzanne said. “The rest go to Boca.”

“Don’t listen to her,” I said and laughed.


Chapter Thirty-Three



Bee Leave

Momma opened her eyes and saw Suzanne before she saw Leslie or me. She closed her eyes again, opened them, and smiled.