The Strawberry Hearts Diner(11)

“Not that! About inviting Jancy to stay here. She’s lived a hard life. What if she’s addicted to drugs or what if she’s got crazy people out lookin’ for her? Maybe we’ve brought them right here to our home.” The handkerchief was knotted up into a ball. “I’ve never done something so impulsive in my life—other than getting married when I was past forty, and you know what happened there.”

“Emily is having a fit about it, too, but I don’t have any bad vibes. If it was my child on the road like Jancy, I’d sure be glad if a couple of old women gave her a job and a bedroom,” Vicky answered.

“Who are you callin’ old?” Nettie shot a dirty look her way. “And you’re right. I knew when I was standing beside that sumbitch at the courthouse that I was making a mistake, but I didn’t want to admit it to my mama. She always hated him. I should’ve listened to her.”

Vicky sat down beside her and took the bandanna from her. “Until we got home this evening, you didn’t worry, did you?”

“Not a bit. She’s a hard worker, an excellent waitress, and everyone that came in felt right at home with her. Her grandma was the salt of the earth, even if she did wind up with a worthless son-in-law.”

Vicky put an arm around Nettie’s shoulders. “So your intuition has never really been wrong. Don’t doubt yourself now. She’s not going to kill us in our sleep and steal our van.”

“Thank you. Now give me back that old hankie. I was dustin’ my dresser with it when I started doubtin’ myself.” She took the bandanna from Vicky and smoothed it out before she stood up. “I’m going to bed now. Tomorrow will be as busy as it was today. Some folks were doin’ Bible school at the church and they didn’t get to see Jancy.”

Vicky smiled and then chuckled. “And next week the other church has Bible school. Crazy, isn’t it? They coordinate so all the kids in the community can go to both, but they have to have separate buildings for Sunday morning worship.”

“Tarts and chocolate cake.” Nettie started for the door.

Vicky frowned. “What?”

“Some folks like tarts. Others like chocolate cake. They’ll argue which one is best until the cows come home. Same with religion. Some folks like it served up one way, others like it another, but when it’s all said and done, it’s just dessert.”

“Amen!” Vicky said.

She waited until she heard Nettie’s bedroom door shut and then turned the latch to lock her door. “It’s for Emily’s peace of mind,” she told herself as she picked up the book she’d been reading.



The diner did not have a break room for the staff like the steak house in Amarillo. When the morning rush was over, Nettie came from the kitchen, put a platter of pancakes on the counter, and sat down on one of the stools. Vicky brought out three plates of bacon and eggs along with a small side of sausage gravy and biscuits for each of them. Jancy poured three cups of coffee.

“I’m goin’ to gain fifty pounds eatin’ like this.” Jancy slung a leg over the stool and got comfortable.

“Skinny as you are, it wouldn’t hurt.” Nettie poured warmed maple syrup over the stack of pancakes. “You’ve mentioned Louisiana a couple of times. Did y’all go there when you left here?”

“Yes, ma’am. Daddy had a brother down there, but we only got to stay three months. I do have one blood relative left in those parts, though. A girl cousin that I really liked. We stayed in touch over the years. That’s where I’ll be going when I leave here.” She took a bite of food. “These are some really good biscuits.”

“Homemade, not frozen,” Nettie said.

“Will you teach me how to make them or is the recipe as secret as the tarts?”

“Nope, it’s my mama’s biscuit recipe and I don’t mind sharing it,” Nettie said.

Woody arrived and went to the coffee machine to pour a cup. He sat down, back to the counter, and crossed one leg over the other. “Sorry I’m late again. I swear to God, I’m busier now that I retired than I ever was as a workin’ man. I brought news. That fancy man who was in here yesterday, Carlton something or other, went down to Leonard’s convenience store and offered him a fortune for his store and the thirty acres he’s got down south of town. He said that he’d already made a deal with Vicky and they’d be signin’ a contract here in a couple of days. I can’t believe that you are sellin’ out, Vicky. This here is your home place. Why, you was raised in that house back there—” He paused to take a breath.

Vicky laid a hand on Woody’s thin arm. “Honey, I’m not sellin’ to anyone.”

“What did Leonard tell him?” Nettie asked.

“That he could take his offer and shove it where the sun don’t shine. I’m spreadin’ the news that we’re havin’ a town meetin’ at the fire hall tonight at eight o’clock. We got to stand together or before long there won’t be a Pick, Texas. They’ll change the name to something like Pecan Grove or whatever the hell they name their estates.”

“Estates?” Vicky asked.

“Leonard did some askin’ around after he left and found out he’s one of them fellers who buys up land and puts in them fancy houses so the folks in places like Tyler can get out of the bigger cities to raise their kids,” Woody said.