Small Town Rumors(65)

She nodded in agreement. “There’s going to be a stone with her name on it, too.”

His phone rang, and without letting go of her, he worked it out of his hip pocket. “Sorry about this,” he said to Jennie Sue before answering the call. “Hello? I’m pretty busy right now, Cricket.”

Several long seconds passed before he said, “Are you absolutely sure?”

When he finally shoved the phone back into his pocket, he grabbed Jennie Sue and held her so tightly that she thought she’d smother.

“Is everything all right?” she asked.

“No, it’s not, and I don’t know how to tell you,” he whispered into her hair. “Oh, Jennie Sue, I’m so sorry.”

“Is it Cricket? Did she fall on that bum ankle?” she pushed back and asked.

He shook his head.

“Spit it out,” she said.

“Your dad’s plane crashed about a mile from the runway.”

“Was anyone hurt?” Her heart moved up into her chest, and she remembered that it was Thursday. Her parents had left for Vegas that morning.

“Your parents were in the plane. I’m so sorry.” His voice cracked.

“Where are they? Where did they take them? Will you drive me to the hospital?” The words tumbled out of her mouth.

He shook his head, and a moan came from deep inside her chest—a sound that she didn’t even recognize. He wiped the fresh tears from her face with a handkerchief that appeared from nowhere, and she remembered her father doing the same thing.

“No!” she muttered. “Please tell me they’re not—” She couldn’t make herself utter the word.

“I’m so sorry, but they were both killed when the plane crashed,” he said.

“Take me to Mabel,” she whispered. “And stay with me, please.”

He stood up, bent forward, and picked her up, cradling her in his arms. She felt like a rag doll as he put her into the passenger seat. The trip from the cemetery to the house only took five minutes, but it seemed like they’d driven for hours, and she was totally numb when they reached the house.

Rick didn’t even ask if she could walk but carried her across the cobblestone walkway to the porch. When they reached the door, it swung open and Mabel ushered them inside, wiping her tears on the tail of her apron the whole way into the living room.

“Lay her on the sofa. I’ll get her a shot of whiskey,” Mabel said.

Jennie Sue was in denial when he laid her down. This had to be a nightmare. It couldn’t be real. Her mama said she loved her. She couldn’t be dead. They had to build on that love and start a new relationship.

Rick bent and kissed her on the forehead. “I should go. You’ve got things to do.”

She sat up, took his hand, and pulled him down beside her. “Tell me that you’ll come back tomorrow and help me.”

“Anything. Just tell me what to do,” he said.

The doorbell rang and Mabel disappeared, coming back with Lettie, Nadine, and Cricket behind her. Nadine rushed across the room and knelt in front of Jennie Sue. “We had to come. We just couldn’t stay away, but it doesn’t feel right for us to be here, so we’ll just give you a hug and leave.”

“I’m so glad you are here. Sit, please.” Jennie Sue motioned toward another sofa and love seat across from where she and Rick were sitting. She felt like she was floating above her actual body. The only other time she’d experienced that strange feeling was when she came home to an empty apartment and walked into the nursery. She’d picked up a children’s book and sat on the floor beside the crib, reading it and pretending that Emily Grace was in her lap.

“Thank you.” She laced her fingers in Rick’s hand.

“What can we do? What do you need?” Lettie moved across the floor to take a place on the sofa beside Nadine.

“Would you ladies stay with me tonight? I don’t want to be alone in this house,” Jennie Sue said. “And, Mabel, I don’t want to see anyone else.”

“The Belles,” Mabel started.

“Tell them to come tomorrow. I can’t handle them today,” Jennie Sue said. “Call Belinda. She’ll get the word out to all of them.”

Cricket crutched across the room and sat down in one of the wingback chairs. “I don’t know what to say,” she muttered.

“Me neither, Cricket. You just being here with me is a comfort.”

“How can you say that after the way I’ve acted?” Cricket asked.

“Because it’s the truth. You’ve lost parents,” Jennie Sue said.

Lettie pulled a tissue from her purse and wiped her eyes. “I’m so sorry that I let things be the way they were between us and your mother. I should have taken care of that instead of bein’ so stubborn.”

Frank came in from the kitchen with his hat in his hands. “Darlin’ girl, what do you need me to do?” His bent shoulders and the expression on his face said that he’d aged ten years in the past hour.

“Nothing right now. I want things to go on here in the house like normal until I can figure things out. Rick, you’ve got things to do.”

“It can all wait,” Rick said.

“There’ll be talk if we stay here,” Nadine said.