Small Town Rumors(52)

When Charlotte was upset with her, she’d always made a remark about either the lack of Wilshire blood or her grandmother Vera Baker, and it was never a good thing. So on her wedding day, Jennie Sue had felt like an ugly duckling the entire ceremony, much like she felt right then. She drove on, slowly, and lingered at every stop sign or corner.

At the city-limits sign, she stopped and pulled over to the side, laid her head on the steering wheel, and literally prayed for a sign to tell her whether to turn around and go back to her apartment or to go out to the house. When she opened her eyes, a big black bird sat on the side mirror of the truck and fussed at her.

“I don’t know if it’s a sign, but I think he’s tellin’ me not to look back.” She took a long breath and pulled back out onto the highway. The bird stayed with her for a few hundred yards and then flew off. “And there’s my second sign,” she said when she saw her mother’s vehicle in the multicar garage. She pulled the truck into one of the empty places and parked.

Frank grabbed her in a bear hug when she got out of the truck, and Mabel rushed out of the kitchen door into the garage to make it a group hug.

“Would you look at her, Mabel?” Frank grinned as he released them. “She’s got some color in her skin. I bet that comes from workin’ outside.”

“She always did love the garden when we had one here. And I just love knowin’ that she might’ve picked the tomatoes or the beans that I get from Rick. Makes them extra special. Come on in the house, darlin’ girl, and tell me all the news.” Mabel pulled her away from Frank.

Frank pretended to pout. “No fair. You always get to spend more time with her than I do.”

“I’ll remember every word she says for you,” Mabel promised. “Now tell me about this argument you had with Cricket because you fell asleep in the same room with Rick last night.”

“That didn’t take long to make it all over town, did it?” Jennie Sue grinned. “But sleep was all we did, honest. I was on the sofa and he was in a recliner. It’s not like we were in the bedroom or even together on the sofa.”

“Honey, if we had to vote on the best juicy bits of the past decade, these past few weeks would win the contest, hands down. You should buy stock in whatever company is offerin’ the most data on those cell phones, because folks are sure usin’ up a lot of it since you got into town. Now sit down at the table, and I’ll make you some breakfast. What do you want? You look thin. Have you been workin’ too hard and not eatin’ enough?” Mabel fussed.

“You do look like you’ve lost a few pounds,” Charlotte said as she breezed into the kitchen, leaving the scent of expensive perfume in her wake. As usual, her makeup was perfect and every hair was in place, prompting the ugly-duckling feeling to wash over Jennie Sue again.

“Good mornin’, Mama.” If she was going to act like nothing had happened, then Jennie Sue would follow her lead.

“I don’t suppose a fattening breakfast would hurt you this one time.” Everybody in Bloom had better bend over, grab their ankles firmly, and kiss their ass goodbye, because the apocalypse was about to be a reality. Either that or one of Lettie and Nadine’s aliens had entered her mother’s body.

“Thank you. Want me to make enough for both of us?” Jennie Sue asked.

“Nothin’ doin’!” Mabel said. “I’ll make the breakfast this mornin’, and you two can eat on the porch. It’s still cool enough that you won’t break a sweat. Just go on out there and get comfortable.”

“Thank you, Mabel.” Charlotte motioned toward the door. “I’ll have an egg-white omelet with mushrooms and tomatoes and low-fat cheese, dry toast, and a cup of lemon tea.”

“Yes, ma’am, and you, Jennie Sue?” Mabel asked.

“A whole-egg omelet with bacon, mushrooms, and tomatoes and double cheese, two pieces of buttered toast, a glass of milk, and one of those blueberry muffins you’ve got hidin’ under the glass dome,” Jennie Sue answered.

She expected at least a sigh from Charlotte, but she got nothing, which was downright scary. Much more of this and she’d believe in the aliens instead of teasing about them, but, like a dutiful daughter, she followed her mother to the screened porch.

“Don’t look at my toenails. Garden work is tough on them, but I’m going to give myself a pedicure tonight,” she said before her mother could make a nasty comment about them.

Charlotte waved the comment away with the flick of a wrist, but she did wince slightly when she glanced at her daughter’s feet. “When you lived in New York, even when you were pregnant, you took better care of yourself. Since you came back to Bloom, you’ve become—” Charlotte struggled with the words.

“What, Mama? What have I become?” Jennie Sue was almost glad to be back on argumentative ground, despite her mission of peace.

“White trash,” Charlotte spit out.

“And what makes me white trash?” Jennie Sue asked. What would come out of Charlotte Baker’s mouth now?

“Runnin’ with those low-class farmers and cleaning houses,” Charlotte answered without a moment’s hesitation.

“People like James?” Jennie Sue asked.

“Where did you hear that name? No, don’t answer. Those wicked Clifford women have been spreading gossip.” Charlotte laid the back of her hand over her forehead in a dramatic gesture as she stretched out on the lounge.