Small Town Rumors(87)

She looked around the kitchen. “Where’s Jennie Sue?”

“She stuffed a biscuit with bacon and said she’d eat it on the way to work,” he answered. “I hear you gave her verbal rights to cross our place to get to her land when she buys it.”

“Yep, I did.” She pulled out a chair and sat down. She absolutely loved this little house where they’d lived their whole lives. A cozy living room, small dining area, and kitchen built for two people at the most. Nothing like the huge place where Jennie Sue had grown up. Three bedrooms, one of which was still the same as the day her dad died, because she couldn’t bear to change what had been his and her mother’s. One bathroom that she and Rick had fought over in their teenage years. She’d sat in his bedroom for hours after he’d left for the military and wished that he’d stayed closer to home.

“So what are you thinkin’ about right now?” He set a plate of food in front of her. “You look like you’re seeing ghosts.”

“I think I just might be. We didn’t often have friends that slept over, Rick. I don’t know how to put it in words, but it doesn’t feel weird that Jennie Sue spent the night, that we are sharing our home with her,” Cricket said.

Rick turned around so quick that he almost dropped his plate of food. “Would you repeat that? I’ve been preparing myself for a lecture lasting from now until we get back from your appointment.”

Cricket frowned at him. “Brother, after the way you’ve acted the past few days, I wouldn’t fuss if you slept with the devil’s sister.”

He wiggled his dark brows. “Sleep?”

“I do not want or need to know details.” She covered her ears with her hands. “La-la-la. Changing the subject—I’m sure hoping that the doctor lets me throw away these crutches today. And when we’re finished, I’m buying Chinese takeout to bring to the bookstore to have lunch with Jennie Sue. Want to join us?”

“Love to, and since I don’t have a bookmobile trip today, I might just hang around for a while. Are you really going to take that job and be her partner in the store?” he asked as he sat down across the table from her.

“Yes, I am. I made up my mind last night. And Jennie Sue says we might start some programs, like a reading hour, a couple of times a week for children. I’d love that,” she answered.

“Think maybe I could read to them once in a while? It’d be a way to get them to visit the bookmobile, too.”

Cricket finished off the last of her biscuit. “I’m sure you could. If someone had told you a month ago that we’d be talkin’ about these things, would you have believed them?”

“Nope.” He set about eating his breakfast.



Lettie and Nadine were waiting by the bookstore door when Jennie Sue arrived that morning. Lettie had a covered pan of something that smelled like one of her famous breakfast casseroles, and Nadine carried a covered bowl of biscuits.

“You didn’t come home last night. You are wearing the same clothes you had on yesterday morning, although they do smell like they’ve been washed and dried, and you’ve got a smile on your face that suckin’ on a lemon couldn’t erase. Open the door and let’s hear all about it,” Nadine said.

Jennie Sue found the right key on her mother’s key chain to the door and stood to one side to let them enter first. “What happens on the farm stays on the farm, and I might not come home lots of times.”

“Did you sleep on the sofa because your good friend Cricket said you could have the easement? Or did you get lucky and sleep somewhere else?” Lettie wiggled her finger at Jennie Sue after she set the casserole on the table. “I’ll make some coffee and get plates.”

“Like I said, what happens on the farm . . .” Jennie Sue followed her.

“It was somewhere other than the sofa or she wouldn’t be grinnin’.” Nadine was right behind them.

“How many times have either of you stayed out all night?” Jennie Sue turned the conversation around.

“We’d have to take off our shoes to count, but it’s been years. We love living vicariously through you. So give us some details about something!” Lettie said.

“Well, Rick was whistling when I left, and when I was coming out of the bathroom with nothing but a towel around me, I ran into Cricket. And that’s all the details I’m tellin’.” Jennie Sue set three mugs by the coffeepot.

“Oh! My! God!” Nadine squealed. “I bet Cricket is givin’ him hell.”

“I don’t think so. She didn’t seem mad and even offered to bring takeout for us to share after her doctor’s appointment this morning. Coffee is done. Let’s go have breakfast.” Jennie Sue picked up three disposable plates and some plastic cutlery.

Lettie swept a hand through the air. “The Bloom News headline of the day will read, ‘Oil Heiress Loses Her Mind.’”

“And the picture would be one of you lookin’ like a drowned rat when you got back to the farmhouse from the creek.” Nadine filled three mugs.

Jennie Sue almost dropped the plates and forks. “How did you know that I got wet at the creek?”

“Didn’t until now.” Nadine picked up a couple of the mugs. “Never underestimate the powers of an old woman diggin’ around for details.”