Small Town Rumors(23)

I wonder what brought tears to Jennie Sue’s eyes this mornin’. What kind of mission would make her cry? He picked up his phone and keys.

“Are you about ready?” Cricket yelled.

He made his way to the living room and whistled through his teeth. “Well, it does look like all that primpin’ paid off. I just got one question. Who are you trying to impress?”

“Oh, hush.” She smoothed the sides of a cute little sundress. Her hair had been curled, and her makeup was perfect. “I might ask you the same question. You even ironed those jeans.” She tilted her chin up a notch. “And that’s the aftershave you save for church. You thinkin’ that Jennie Sue might give up her place at the Baker party and join us low-class folks? Think again. She’s too hoity-toity to stay in a little place like Bloom, and when she leaves, all of us peons will be left in the dust.” She picked up her purse and led the way out of the house. “You drivin’ or am I?”

“You need to calm down about Jennie Sue. I’m a pretty good judge of character, and I’d bet money that you are wrong about her. I don’t think she’s doin’ any of those things you just said or that she’d treat her friends so hatefully,” he said as they went out into the hot night air.

“You’ll see. When the time comes, her true colors will come out like a good ol’ American flag blowin’ in the wind.” Cricket got into the passenger seat and fastened her seat belt.

“And if you are wrong, will you admit it?” Rick fired up the truck and started toward town.

“I won’t be wrong,” Cricket answered.

Rick noticed Jennie Sue’s truck parked behind Nadine’s van. That meant that Jennie Sue had left the Baker place and would be with them. Cricket wouldn’t like it, but he sure did. “Let’s not argue. Let’s just go have a good time this evening with all our friends.”

“I can get into that for sure. You did bring the wine and beer, right?”

“In the cooler in the back of the truck. You go on inside and I’ll bring it,” he answered.

“Hey, hey.” Amos held the door for him. “Nadine said you were bringing the good stuff to go with her brisket and baked beans.”

“And I’ve also got macaroni and cheese, and Jennie Sue’s made her fabulous potato salad,” Lettie called from the kitchen.

Rick caught Cricket rolling her eyes on the other side of the room and almost laughed out loud. Sometimes karma really did whip around and bite a person right on the butt.



Cricket frowned at her brother and then turned away to find Jennie Sue right beside her. There was nothing to do but speak to the woman, even if she would rather have slapped her. She knew that was the wrong attitude. Just last Sunday the new preacher at the church had delivered his sermon on having a sweet, positive spirit and never letting bitterness into the heart. But dammit! He hadn’t had to live under Jennie Sue’s shadow all these years. If Cricket had cleaned houses or worked at the bookstore, it wouldn’t even be noticed, but let Jennie Sue do the same thing and the phone lines buzzed for days.

“Hello again, Cricket,” Jennie Sue said softly. “You look so pretty tonight.”

Cricket didn’t want to be taken in by Jennie Sue’s compliments, but she couldn’t help it. “Well, thank you. I thought you’d be at your mama’s for that big party.”

“I went, but I didn’t stay. I’ve had a really good time helping Lettie and Nadine this afternoon. They’re such a hoot.” Jennie Sue picked up a plate of chocolate-covered strawberries and cubes of cheese. “We have these little appetizers until Nadine says the brisket is ready. Want one?”

Well, la-di-da! Jennie Sue was now a house cleaner, a chauffeur, and a waitress. Didn’t life turn round? “I’d love a chocolate strawberry. These came from our farm. Did you dip them?”

“Yes, but I promise I didn’t lick my fingers,” Jennie Sue whispered.

Why did Jennie Sue have to be so nice? It sure made it hard not to like her, but Cricket was determined.

“I used to help Mabel and Frank in their small garden when I was a kid. I loved getting my hands dirty and gathering in the vegetables. We never had strawberries, though, and when Mama decided to add a big porch onto the house, the garden had to go. I missed it,” Jennie Sue said.

Cricket had just finished eating the strawberry when Nadine said for everyone to gather around and hold hands for the blessing. Cricket made sure that, among the twenty people, she wasn’t standing beside Jennie Sue. Yet when she saw that Rick had wiggled in between Jennie Sue and Amos, she wanted to wring his neck. Didn’t he have a lick of sense? That’s it. He was going to have to find out for himself—the crash would be terrible.

Amos delivered the shortest grace in the history of mankind, followed by Nadine’s loud amen. She continued, “Line up, heap your plates, and find a place to eat. If you like to be cool, then stay in the house. But if you don’t mind a little heat, there’s two long tables set up under the pecan tree out back. As for me, I’m going to sit in my rockin’ chair in the livin’ room and put my food on the end table right beside it.”

“Where are you going?” Jennie Sue asked Cricket.

Wherever you aren’t, she thought. But she looked around at all the elderly folks, and it wouldn’t be right for her to deprive any of them of a nice cool place to eat. “Probably out under the shade tree. Seems more like the Fourth of July if we eat outside.”