The Strawberry Hearts Diner(52)

“Then Nettie it is.” Jancy polished off the last bite of doughnut, downed the rest of her coffee, and threw away her trash. “Y’all about ready?”

“I am.” Shane popped up.

Ryder did the same. “Me, too. Thanks, Shane. That was good, but not as good as tarts and cupcakes. Y’all should think about making them all the time, Jancy.”

“No, sir!” She said. “Nettie is the tart queen. The cupcakes would steal part of her thunder. As soon as she’s able, hopefully on Monday, she can come in and make tarts, and then we will only make cupcakes for picnics and church dinners.”

Nettie’s eyes were wide open when they arrived in the room. She was still hooked up to monitors and to an IV, but she looked right at Ryder. “Did you bring me a beer?”

“No, but if the doctor says you can have one, I’ll go to the store right now,” he said.

Her eyes fluttered shut, but she had a smile on her face.

“Is she okay?” Jancy whispered.

“The nurse said she’d be like this most of the evening,” Emily answered. “She’ll drift in and out and may fall off to sleep right in the middle of a sentence. It’s pretty normal. She’ll be fully awake come mornin’.”

“I’m glad y’all were all here with me,” Vicky said. “And I’m really happy that they did the surgery in the evening instead of early morning. Now she’ll sleep through the night and . . .”

“Well, where did all y’all come from? Shane, I want a burrito with extra chili and cheese,” Nettie said.

“If the doctor says you can have it, I’ll go get one for you. W-want a beer to go with it?”

“No, I want a shot of tequila.” Her eyes fluttered shut again.

“Forget about sleeping through the night,” Emily whispered.

Vicky waved to include all of them. “Y’all can go on home now. It’s late, and you’ve all got work to do tomorrow.”

Despite Vicky’s words, Jancy sat down in a chair beside the bed. “Could we have a welcome-home party for her?”

Nettie’s eyes opened, and she looked straight at Jancy. “Yes, you can, and I’ll make a sheet cake. No more than two tarts can walk out of the diner. I don’t care if you are Jesus. Where’s the party? If it’s at our house, y’all better go home and get it ready.” That time when she shut her eyes again, she began to snore.

“I think she’s out for good this time,” Vicky said. “Give me a good-night hug, Emily, and scoot on out of here. She thinks she has to talk if she’s awake. If no one is here and the lights are dimmed, she’ll stay asleep.”

“What about someone being here when Andy comes and y’all want to go out to get something to eat?” Ryder asked.

“Did I hear my name?” Andy said from the door. “I brought a couple of sandwiches and some bottled water in case Vicky didn’t want to leave.”

“Thank you,” Emily said. “I don’t think Mama has eaten anything all day but vending machine food or whatever is in those fruit baskets.”

Andy handed Vicky the brown paper bag. “Fresh-made chicken salad straight from my kitchen.”

“Sounds great.” Vicky opened it up and sniffed. “Smells wonderful. I want hugs from all of you before you go. And thank you so much for all you’ve done.”

“Good night. See you tomorrow evenin’,” Jancy managed to get out after she’d hugged Vicky. “If you need us, call and we’ll be here soon as we can.”

“I know that,” Vicky said. “You’ve been great, Jancy. I haven’t even worried about Emily since I know you are there to support her through all this.”

Hand in hand, Ryder and Emily went from the hospital to his truck with Shane and Jancy behind them. Shane’s arm was around her shoulders and her hand was tucked into his right above her right breast. When they were in the truck and on the way home, she leaned forward and air slapped Emily on the shoulder.

“What’s that all about?” Emily asked.

“I’m mad at you. Why’d you tell me anything at all? Now I feel guilty because Vicky trusts me to support you and I’m keeping secrets from her.”

“Only for three more days, and then it’ll be out in the open. Please, Jancy, I know I’ve put you in a tough position, but I need a friend so badly,” Emily begged.

Jancy had never expected to hear such sincerity in her voice when she said friend. She’d had friends, but they weren’t the kind that lasted more than a few phone calls or texts after she’d left a place and moved on.

“I’m your friend?” Jancy whispered. “But what about Sarah and Waynette and Teresa?”

“I can have more than three friends,” Emily answered. “I love my friends, but you are . . .” She hesitated.

Ryder finished the sentence. “More like a cousin to her. I’m told that siblings argue a lot but that cousins get along pretty good.”

Related? The only kin Jancy had was Minnette in Louisiana, where she’d been going when she got stranded in Pick. She needed to call her in the next few days.

“If you don’t tell on Sunday, I’m going to,” Jancy said.

Emily stuck her little finger over the seat. “Pinkie swear.”