Honeysuckle Summer (The Sweet Magnolias #7)(65)

“Are you saying yes?” Tom asked.

“I’m saying yes,” he confirmed.

“Then work out your schedule with the sheriff, so he’s not left in the lurch, and give me a starting date.” A worried expression crossed his face. “Or do you want to stay in uniform and on duty with the sheriff’s department until this situation with Raylene’s ex-husband is resolved?”

It told Carter a lot about his new boss that he would think of something like that. “I’d like to stay on there, either until Paul’s gone for good or we have this department up and running. I’ll give you as much of my spare time as I can to put together the department. Frankly, the sooner our own force is in place, the better I’ll like it.”

“How about we pay you hourly for the time you put in until you come on board full-time?”

“That’ll work.”

“Just so you know, the public-works guys and the local utility crews will do whatever they can to pitch in when the time comes. Some of them knew Raylene in high school. They were furious when I told them she might be in danger from an ex-husband.”

Carter worried about untrained men getting too enthusiastic about protecting Raylene. That could be as dangerous as whatever crazy thing Paul decided to try. “You don’t think they’ll get carried away, do you? Maybe take the law into their own hands? The last thing we need is a bunch of vigilantes taking over.”

“You’ll meet with them and set the rules,” Tom said at once. “They’re good men. They just want to help.”

Carter nodded. “I’ll schedule a meeting as soon as I have a clear idea of the timetable for Hammond’s release. You’ll be able to get them in place on short notice?”

“I can have them there within twenty-four hours. Will that work?”

“It should.”

Having extra eyes keeping close tabs on Raylene’s house might not prevent Paul from getting into the area, but it should go a long way toward keeping him from getting anywhere near Raylene.



After spending a couple of hours in the yard, Carrie and Mandy came back into the house looking hot, tired and bedraggled just as Walter arrived unexpectedly for a late-afternoon visit. They regarded him warily.

“You were at the picnic,” Carrie said, her gaze narrowed suspiciously. “I thought you were with Rory Sue.”

“I was,” he said, looking amused.

“Then why are you here now?” Carrie pressed.

Raylene stepped in before Carrie could continue grilling him. It seemed she had potential as an investigative reporter, but she probably needed to channel the skill in a different direction. “He’s Tommy and Libby’s dad, remember? He stops by a lot to see his kids.”

“Oh, yeah,” Carrie said, but she still looked suspicious.

“I think I’ll see if they’re up from their naps,” Walter said, backing out of the kitchen.

“Does Carter know he comes by here?” Carrie asked, still determined to protect her brother’s interests.

“I think so. Walter and I are just friends,” Raylene reassured her. “Now, how about some iced tea? Or would you prefer lemonade? There are cookies, too. I baked oatmeal raisin while you all were weeding for me.”

“Just water for me,” Carrie said.

“But you barely touched your sandwich at lunchtime,” Raylene said. “You must be starved by now.”

Carrie immediately frowned. “You’re not going to start on me, too, are you?”

“Why shouldn’t she?” Mandy demanded. “Anyone can see that you’re not eating right.”

“Because it’s none of her business,” Carrie snapped at her sister. “I’m going home. You stay here, if you want to.”

Raylene stepped in front of her, then shot a warning look toward Mandy. She’d practically been handed the perfect opportunity to discuss eating disorders, but it was about to blow up in her face.

“Please don’t go,” she said to Carrie. “I didn’t mean to upset you. I told you the other day about what happened to Annie. I probably worry too much when I see someone your age not eating.”

Carrie didn’t look pacified by the apology, but she did sit down. She even took a cookie off the plate. She broke it into at least a dozen tiny pieces on her napkin, then forced down one of them. It took an obvious effort, which spoke volumes about her attitude toward food.

“I don’t know why everyone’s so freaked just because I don’t want to eat a bunch of stuff that’s bad for me,” she muttered.

“You don’t eat at all,” Mandy blurted.

“I’d eat if I were hungry,” Carrie said, turning to Raylene for support. “Isn’t that the way it’s supposed to be? Food is fuel for your body. You don’t need more until you’re running on empty.”

Raylene shook her head. “That’s only true up to a point. Sometimes, for whatever reason, people can’t sense when their body needs more fuel. That’s when there’s trouble.”

“I’m never hungry,” Carrie said. “So what’s the point of eating a bunch of extra calories?”

“Because your body needs some calories every day in order to function properly,” Raylene said. “Without the proper nutrients, your kidneys and other organs can get all out of whack before you even realize what’s happening.”