Riverbend Reunion(25)

“Thanks, but are you sure you can afford that even before the bar opens?” Risa asked.

“I told you that Uncle Elijah left his entire estate to me,” Jessica said and Risa nodded. “There was a lot of money in addition to the church building. Mary Nell says she can take care of the business end of this, so she’ll be doing payroll every Friday at the close of business. So yes, ma’am, I can afford to pay you. How about double what minimum wage is?”

“Holy cow!” Risa gasped.

“Hey, the bunch of us couldn’t go out to eat three times a day for what we’ll be paying you to cook for us. Just keep track of your hours and give them to Mary Nell on Friday evening,” Jessica said. “I’ll see y’all soon as I get into some work clothes.”

“And run a brush through your hair?” Daisy giggled.

“That too.” Jessica smiled and waved as Risa rolled up the window and drove across the lot to park in front of the church.

Jessica started back toward the RV, but heard another vehicle, so she waited. Mary Nell came to a stop, sending dust rolling up behind her. She rolled down the window and said, “You look like crap. We could sure use a rain to cool things down around here. I see that Risa beat me, so I guess she’s going to open up the church.”

Jessica leaned down to talk to Mary Nell through the open window. “You didn’t have to get up so early.”

“I’m used to getting up before the sun,” Mary Nell said. “I had to make a living for Kevin. That meant working an early shift at the doughnut place, getting to my office job from nine to five, then hitting the bar on the strip for a four-hour shift after that. I’ve got my laptop in the back seat. Does it matter which Sunday school room I take over for my office?”

“Not one bit, and put yourself on payroll at whatever you made as an accountant in Nashville.” Jessica didn’t care if they used every bit of the money Elijah had left her getting things set up and ready for the bar to open.

“Thanks,” Mary Nell said. “A job, a free place to live, three meals a day that I don’t have to worry about cooking or getting yelled at if I don’t make Kevin’s favorite food. It don’t get no better than this.”

“I hope we’re all as happy a year from now as we are right now today. You do know we’re going to face a lot of . . .” Jessica searched for the right word.

“Bitchin’?” Mary Nell finished the sentence for her.

Jessica nodded. “What do you bet they ask us to keep our degenerate asses off the homecoming float for the cheerleaders?”

“Maybe we’ll just make a float of our own.” Mary Nell did a head wiggle. “We’ll be a true local business.”

The morning breeze blew Jessica’s blonde hair across her face as she went back into the RV and gave the bed a dirty look. She’d thought the RV would be ideal when she bought it from her friends in Maine, but she hadn’t figured in getting into and out of the loft bed. She got dressed in a pair of old jeans and a faded olive drab T-shirt, brushed her hair up into a ponytail, and took time to brush her teeth.

She was almost to the church when Wade fell in beside her. There were vibes again, sending sweet little sparks dancing all around them. Evidently, Wade didn’t see or feel them, which was probably a good thing, since if he flirted, she might not be able to resist the temptation to flirt right back.

“This remind you of going to the mess hall?” he asked.

See there, the voice in her head said. He’s not feeling anything. Talking about the mess hall is about as romantic as talking about weaponry or bombs.

“Little bit.” She opened the door and the scent of coffee wafted out. “That does smell good, doesn’t it? Did you get up for breakfast every morning when you were in the service?”

“Oh, yeah.” Wade flashed a brilliant grin. “I believe what they say about breakfast being the most important meal of the day.”

Jessica led the way through the foyer and across the sanctuary. “Do you make a hot breakfast every morning?”

“Nope, I just grab a bowl of cereal and add a banana to it if there’s one layin’ around,” Wade admitted. “But that doesn’t mean I won’t be first in line every day that Risa cooks for us.”

“Even after we don’t get home until three o’clock in the morning when we open the bar?” Jessica asked.

Wade drew his eyebrows down into a frown. “Maybe when that happens, it’ll be like working the midnight shift, and we’ll have breakfast at noon every day.”

“That’s an idea.” Jessica followed her nose straight to the coffeepot.

“What’s an idea?” Risa cracked eggs into a bowl.

“That we have breakfast at noon when the bar opens,” Wade answered. “We’ll all be going home at three in the morning.”

“Except us,” Lily reminded them as she finished setting the table for eight.

“I’ll pick you girls up for school,” Mary Nell said, “and after I drop you off, I’ll come to work in the office. Haley’s place is right on the way from my house to here. You can have leftover biscuits for an after-school snack when your mama comes and gets you once school is done for the day.”

“Y’all have got it all planned out, don’t you?” Daisy set a bottle of orange juice and a gallon of milk on the round table she and Lily had set up close to the kitchen.