Small Town Rumors(40)

“You don’t know the half of it. What is that in your hands?” Cricket groaned.

“Italian bread. I’ll make it out into a loaf and let it rise again while I get things prepped for supper.”

“What’s your angle, Jennie Sue? My brother is off-limits, if that’s it.” Cricket’s tone was edgy.

“I’m sure your brother can do better than a divorced woman who’s the talk of the town right now. Why don’t you get Rick to drive you into town tomorrow morning and spend the day with me at the bookstore? Folks are comin’ in and out all day. There’s a recliner back in the office that I can push into the seating area. We can keep up with your ice packs, and it wouldn’t be any different than sitting here.”

Jennie Sue immediately wished that she could take the words and shove them back into her mouth. Putting up with Cricket all day would be as bad or worse than spending hours with Charlotte. The only difference would be that Cricket wouldn’t tell Jennie Sue that she was ten pounds overweight.

Cricket hesitated long enough to leave no doubt in Jennie Sue’s mind that she was weighing the pros and cons. She’d have to spend the day with someone she didn’t like, but she’d get to be in the middle of things, and folks would drop in to visit when they learned she was there.

Rick poked his head door. “You fit to live with, Cricket?”

“No, I’m even crankier than I was this morning, and now I’m hungry on top of it,” she answered.

“Supper will take care of that.” Jennie Sue set a cast-iron skillet and a steamer pot onto the stove.

Rick followed Jennie Sue into the kitchen. “Looks like we’ve got maybe two hours’ worth of harvesting to do after supper. That’ll give me plenty to do my Tuesday deliveries around town. What’s for supper? Can I help with anything?”

“Alfredo, steamed vegetables, salad, and fresh bread. This won’t take but forty-five minutes to get ready. I’m used to working alone,” she said.

“Sounds great,” Rick said. “If I can’t help, I’m going out to the watermelon field and finding a dozen nice ones for my deliveries in the morning. Cricket, you want me to help you out on the back porch so you can get some fresh air?”

“I’ll just stay put,” Cricket said. “I’m going into town tomorrow and spending the day at the bookstore. Jennie Sue invited me.”

“Thank you,” Rick mouthed as he closed the door behind him.

“You might want to call Nadine and Lettie and let them know your plans. They were planning on driving out here tomorrow afternoon to bring you the news.” Jennie Sue turned around so she could see Cricket.

Cricket’s whole expression perked up. “News about what?”

“I have no idea, but they were going to take notes so they didn’t forget anything.” Jennie Sue shaped the bread dough into a long loaf, cut a couple of slits on the top, and then boned out three chicken breasts.

She peeked around the edge of the refrigerator to see Cricket with her phone to her ear, and, sure enough, the woman looked happy.





Chapter Ten

Amos strutted around like a little rooster in the store. According to him, the place hadn’t been this busy since Iris had passed away. He didn’t seem to care that most folks weren’t buying a book but rather spending time visiting with Cricket.

“Look at her over there holdin’ court,” he said.

“She does look happy.” Jennie Sue was glad that folks didn’t want to talk to or about her. “And I’m gettin’ a lot of work done.”

“Store is beginnin’ to look like it did when Iris was here,” Amos said. “I love it, but I just don’t have the know-how to do what she did.”

“I can understand that, but, Amos, I was serious when I told y’all that this is temporary. I need to get busy on résumés next week, and I hope to be gone by fall.” She ducked around the end of the next row of shelves and started working on that section.

At noon the place had cleared out, and Amos announced that he was going to the café to buy lunch for all three of them and asked Cricket what she wanted on her burger.

“Mayo, no pickles or onions, and tots instead of fries,” she said.

“Same here,” Jennie Sue said from the other side of the first row of shelving. “And I’ll just have sweet tea from the fridge here, so you don’t have to carry so much.”

When Amos was out of the store, Cricket called out, “Thank you, Jennie Sue.”

Jennie Sue rounded the end of the bookshelf and sat down on the sofa. “Did it hurt to say those words? Do you need a pain pill?”

“More than you’ll ever know,” Cricket admitted.

“Why do you hate me?”

“Hate is too strong a word for what I feel for you, Jennie Sue.”

“Then what is it?”

Cricket inhaled deeply and let it out slowly. “I don’t know. Maybe I wanted all that acceptance you always had when we were growing up. You fit in and I didn’t.”

“You may have thought so, but I always felt like an outsider with every group,” Jennie Sue said. “Did I ever tell you that I loved it when your mama brought chocolate cupcakes to our class parties? I’d really like to have her recipe for that icing. It was like a layer of fudge resting on the top of the cupcakes.”