Small Town Rumors(2)

“Keep your hands away from your nose. If we’re careful, no one will know. We covered up all that about the baby last Christmas, and that was bigger than this. Where are the rest of your things?” She glanced at the single suitcase in the back seat.

A pang of guilt stabbed Jennie Sue in the heart. She hadn’t stepped up and taken charge of her stillborn child’s funeral like she should have done. She’d let her mother railroad her into not having a service, and she hadn’t even been to Emily Grace’s grave site. This was the first time she’d been back.

“That’s all of it in the back seat. The feds only allowed me to take one suitcase full of personal clothing, and they went through every item to be sure I wasn’t sneaking anything out that could be sold later. The apartment, my car, and the furniture are frozen until they locate Percy, which I doubt they’ll ever do,” Jennie Sue said past the lump in her throat.

“I thought when you signed the divorce papers, you kept your apartment and your car. And he was supposed to be giving you an alimony check,” Charlotte said.

“Turns out everything was still legally in his name. The last two alimony checks bounced. I had a few dollars put away in a savings account, but that dwindled pretty fast.” When her mother parked the car in front of the house, Jennie Sue tried to distract her. “What happened to Lester? That’s a new gardener over there.”

“I hated to let Lester go, but he’d gotten too old to keep up with the grounds. This new kid is right out of college, with a degree in architectural horticulture. He’s a big flirt, too, so you stay away from him. God almighty, the gossip would be devastating if you even looked at him cross-eyed,” Charlotte said.

Jennie Sue ignored her. “You haven’t gotten rid of Frank and Mabel, have you?”

“Lord, no! I couldn’t live without Mabel. She’s my right arm. She’ll be excited to see you, but stick to the story, even with her. Those damned Clifford sisters are her cousins, and she tells them stuff behind my back.” Charlotte got out of the car and tossed the keys at an elderly gray-haired man who came out of the garage. “Dust it off, Frank. There was construction going on down the street from the beauty shop.”

“Yes, ma’am.” Frank grinned at Jennie Sue.

In a couple of long strides, she crossed the distance between them and wrapped the old guy up in a fierce hug. “I’ve missed everyone so much.”

“Not as much as we have you, girl. And I got the first hug. Mabel is going to be so jealous.” He stepped back. “Bet you surprised your mama. How’d you get here? Fly into Dallas? Nicky, would you get that suitcase and take it inside for Miz Jennie Sue?”

“I came by bus and I believe I did surprise her. She was at the beauty shop when I called. And thank you, Nicky. We haven’t met.” She stuck out her hand to shake with him.

“I’ve only been workin’ here a few weeks,” Nicky said.

“Stayin’ awhile?” Frank glanced at the single suitcase Nicky was removing from the back seat of the car. “Or is this just an overnight trip?”

“I’m stayin’ for a long time,” Jennie Sue answered.

“That’s good. Place seems empty without you.” Frank got into the Caddy and fired up the engine. “Your daddy will be real glad that you’re here for his birthday bash. It’s comin’ up in a few weeks.”

“I’ll be here.” Jennie Sue waved as he drove away.

Mabel bustled out of the kitchen and across the living room floor, grabbed Jennie Sue in a bear hug, and kissed both her cheeks. A short woman who was almost as wide as she was tall, she wore her gray hair in a tight little bun at the nape of her neck. Frank had always been like a grandfather to Jennie Sue, and his wife, Mabel, had been a nanny and surrogate grandmother all rolled into one. “Darlin’ girl, if I’d known you was comin’, I would have made apricot fried pies for you.”

“Whatever you are cookin’ right now smells delicious. I’m starving. Haven’t had anything but a package of cheese crackers all mornin’. Is that fried chicken?”

“Yes, and this chicken had four extra legs,” Mabel teased.

“You used to tell me that all the time when I was a little girl.” Jennie Sue hugged her a second time.

Charlotte set her lips in a firm line. “She doesn’t need pies or fried foods, for God’s sake. She’s gained at least ten pounds since we saw her in New York last Christmas. We’ll have to work hard on getting those off. So she’ll have a salad with no more than a quarter cup of smoked salmon on the top and low-fat dressing.”

“She hates salmon.” Mabel winked at her. “So how about a side salad and a couple of chicken legs? You do still like drumsticks, right?”

“That sounds amazing. So Daddy is having lunch here today?” Jennie Sue asked.

“I am. Welcome home.” Dill stepped into the foyer and opened his arms. “Don’t get to see my baby girl often enough. Did you come home for my birthday?”

“Of course she did.” Charlotte perked right up. “She’s going to help me plan it, and we’ll have family pictures made.”

That gave her mother the perfect excuse, Jennie Sue thought as she walked into her father’s arms. The story of why she was home could also have something to do with her dad’s birthday. He smelled like bourbon and expensive aftershave, but what was that scent on his shirt? It sure wasn’t her mother’s Lalique perfume, but then, he probably didn’t buy the expensive stuff for his mistresses, since he changed them more often than Charlotte did Cadillacs—and that was once a year.