The Magnolia Inn(34)

“God could hear you if you were prayin’ in the ladies’ room at the Gator. And when you repent, you ain’t supposed to go out and do the same damn thing again,” Dotty said.

Lucy shook her finger at her. “You haven’t got any right to preach to me. We had to have an intervention to get you off alcohol after Bruce died.”

“That’s what gives me the right, chère.” Dotty dragged out the endearment.

“Miz Lucy?” Tucker pulled out a chair for her.

“Thank you, and Jolene, I’m sayin’ grace,” Lucy said.

Tucker seated Flossie, Dotty, and Jolene before he took his place at the head of the table.

The moment he sat down, Lucy dropped her head to her chest and rested her forehead on her hands.

Dotty rolled her eyes toward Flossie, who just winked and smiled.

“Our most gracious heavenly father in heaven’s glory,” Lucy started, and she went on for a good two minutes before she finally blessed the food with an amen.

“If this food is cold, then it’s your fault,” Dotty said.

“But God is happy that we graced it,” Lucy said.

Flossie pushed her chair back, went to the kitchen, and returned with a bottle of wine. “Almost forgot this. Jolene, darlin’, would you pour for us?”

“Wait a minute,” Dotty said. “This is our first Sunday dinner with Jolene at the Magnolia. Let’s do it up right.” She went to the china cabinet in the corner of the dining room and brought out four stemmed glasses.

“Be glad to.” Jolene poured for all three ladies. When she reached Tucker, he put a hand over his glass.

“Not much for wine, but I’ve got beer in the fridge. Anyone else want one while I’m up?” he asked.

“Lucy can’t have one. And she shouldn’t have the wine. I’ll drink it for her. She might not get her wings and halo if she has wine and beer both,” Dotty said.

Lucy glared at her. “You can shut up about that now so we can have a nice, pleasant dinner. And Tucker, I would love a beer. Wine with my dinner and a beer with the chocolate cake.”

Flossie whispered into Jolene’s ear, “She can’t hold her liquor worth a damn.”

Tucker returned and set a glass and a bottle of beer beside Lucy’s plate. “I take mine straight out of the bottle, but I got you a glass.”

“Bottle is just fine,” Lucy said.

He sat back down. “When we get done eating, we’ll give you a peek at what we’re doin’ upstairs.”

“Oh, really?” Dotty raised an eyebrow and winked at him.

Lucy downed her wine while the food was being passed. “If you’re going to think lewd thoughts, then I’ll need another glass of wine to get through this day gracefully. And I don’t like it that y’all are tryin’ to tell me how to live my life, what church I have to go to, and that I’m a repeat offender to God askin’ for forgiveness.”

Jolene wondered if her mother had ever asked for forgiveness or if she’d just barreled on ahead with her life, not giving a damn whose life she was ruining on the journey. Had she even realized or cared that she was breaking her daughter’s heart? Jolene could see her mother dancing through the trailer, music blaring on either the radio or the CD player. She’d be flying high on street drugs before she even hit the lowest-class bars in the area to add alcohol to the mix. Almost without fail she’d bring a different man home with her, the two of them leaning on each other and giggling as they stumbled back to her mother’s bedroom.

“Now, darlin’.” Flossie’s tone sounded like she was talking to a child. “You know that you don’t do well on two glasses of wine. Remember the last time you splurged?”

“That wasn’t the wine. It was the medicine I was takin’ for my blood pressure. I can drink both of you under the table,” Lucy declared. “Pour me another one, Jolene. I’ll prove to these two doubters that I can hold my liquor.”

Jolene picked up the bottle and handed it across the table. “Sorry, Miz Lucy, but it’s empty.”

Lucy glared at Dotty. “I saw two bottles in that oversize tote bag that you carry everywhere.”

“Now, chère—I mean, darlin’—one glass plus a beer is your limit. Jolene will have to take your keys if you have any more. Just think of all those angels in heaven who will be cryin’ if you fall off the wagon. You’ve only been ridin’ it a couple of weeks,” Dotty said.

Looking back, Jolene would’ve been glad if her mother had cared enough to put her problems aside and be a mother, or even a friend. Before her husband had died, Elaine had been so self-absorbed that she hadn’t had much time for her daughter. The only thing she really enjoyed doing with her daughter was shopping for clothes, so Jolene did have a few good memories from those years. After her dad was gone, most of the time Elaine just screamed at her for not paying the bills or for not having her favorite food in the trailer.

“You open that bottle right now,” Lucy demanded.

“Okay, but I thought you were going to church tonight to flirt with the preacher.” She pushed back her chair, disappeared into the foyer, and returned with a big bottle of red wine. “I’m giving you this because you are my friend, but you know very well you can’t drink.”