Liddie, normally up before sunrise, actually slept until midmorning. She might have slept even longer, but the combination of bright Georgia sunlight and a nasty, too-realistic dream jolted her awake. After dressing, she went downstairs and discovered that everyone was already out and about. Never one to sit idle, Liddie decided a trip to the market for box lunches was in order, so she headed into downtown Hemlock Creek.
The farmers’ market in Hemlock Creek was a mishmash of fresh produce, meats, and dairy, along with baked goods, handmade crafts, and flowers. Today there was even a beverage truck serving a variety of fancy hot and cold drinks. Although Liddie was strictly a carbonated-beverage drinker, the rest of her family loved their lattes, so even though it was almost lunchtime, she loaded up on breakfast sandwiches, pastries, and fancy coffee drinks.
Liddie was trying to figure out how to retrieve her keys from her front pocket so she wouldn’t have to set anything down, when she felt a hand grip her shoulder and heard a voice that she’d prayed she’d avoid for a while longer.
“Liddie? Liddie Hopewell?”
Liddie turned her head and came face-to-Botoxed-face with Candace Bristol Harper, her supposed BFF from high school and Tobias Harper’s ex-wife.
“Oh my Lord, it is you. Mama said she could have sworn that she saw Liddie Hopewell coming out of the Piggly Wiggly the day before yesterday, and I said, ‘Mama, it’s a little bit early for you to be in the chardonnay. You are seeing things.’ But here you are!”
“That’s right—here I am,” Liddie chirped back. She cringed at the fakeness in her voice, but if Candy was anything like she used to be, and Liddie would bet cash money that the woman in front of her hadn’t changed a bit from the girl she was in high school, the only way to get out of this conversation quickly was to steamroll right over her with the biggest smile possible on her face.
“Look at you. You haven’t changed a bit. My Lord, you are the exact same size you were in high school, girl.”
Liddie’s awkward smile froze on her face. Well, at least she’d gotten the first dig out of the way fairly quickly. “I guess I am; I don’t really keep up. But you—wow. Just . . . wow.” Candy looked exactly as Liddie had imagined she’d look: frozen face, new extra-super-perky boobs, and lips that would make Daisy Duck jealous. At least her outside matched her inside now: fake, fake, fake.
“How long has it been, sugar? I mean, I can’t remember the last time I saw you.”
“It was at Micah’s funeral. I haven’t been back since.” Liddie pushed down the nausea that was threatening to escape. “Eighteen years.”
“My gosh, how time flies. So your daughter, she must be all grown up. She was so darling. Forgive me, what was her name?”
“Tally. Um, Tallulah. Yes, she’s all grown up with a little girl of her own.”
“You are a grandmother? At your age?” Candy slapped her hand over her mouth, her eyes wide. “Oh my Lord. I am so sorry. That was incredibly rude.”
“Yes, yes, it was, but that’s about par for the course. And before you ask, Richmond was my husband’s name, and no, he didn’t come out here with me. He passed away about five years ago.” Liddie took a deep breath, no longer bothering with the fake smile. “I need to get to the shop now. I’m sure we’ll be seeing each other around. I don’t think we can avoid each other, this place being so small. Goodbye, Candy.” Liddie set the now-cold coffee down with a thump, not caring at this point if it spilled a bit. She unlocked the car door, hoping Candy wouldn’t see her shaky hand. She retrieved the food and beverages from the hood of the car, got inside, and, without another look at Candy Bristol Harper, roared toward The Backward Glance.
She sure hoped there was some of that muscadine moonshine that Tally was raving about still stowed under the counter, because she needed a damn drink.
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Liddie pulled into the small alley between The Backward Glance antique and vintage shop and Hopewell Architectural Salvage, turned off the car, and sat still for a moment. The parking lot of the vintage shop was full, as was usual for a Saturday morning, especially a Saturday morning after the local auction. This was good. With lots of customer and lookie-loos, Liddie would be busy and wouldn’t obsess about her interaction with Candy. She could just pack it away and wait for her subconscious to unravel it with more wackadoodle dreams.
Tally met her on the steps of the 1920s farmhouse that housed The Backward Glance. “Oh, thank God you’re here, Mom. I do not know what is going on, but right now there are three huge men getting ready to have a throwdown in the carnival glass room. Uncle Ace and Uncle Bunny are doing that side-by-side thing they do, and Tobias Harper is—”
“Toby’s here?”
Tally nodded. “He pulled up about twenty minutes ago, right after we opened. Stood out by his truck for the longest time. I didn’t think he was going to come in.”
“His truck?”
Tally waved her hand in the direction of the parking lot. Liddie turned around, and her breath caught in her throat. He was still driving that truck. She huffed a laugh. The truck was old when Toby bought it when he was all of fourteen years old. Of course, out here in the boonies, the cops generally didn’t pay attention to teenagers driving, and since Tobias Harper topped six feet when he was in the fifth grade, he didn’t even look like he was another two years from getting his license.
Liddie pushed her bangs back from her forehead, her face and neck suddenly warm. Concentrate, Liddie.
“So what happened?” she asked while she plucked her damp shirt away from her chest.
“Well, he finally came inside. I greeted him, and he asked if you were working. But then the uncles appeared out of nowhere, and Uncle Ace said, ‘No, and even if she was, she wouldn’t want to see you.’ And then Uncle Bunny said, ‘And we don’t wanna see you either, to tell the truth.’ Can you believe that?” Tally scoffed at her uncles’ responses, but Liddie was actually surprised that Tobias made it through the door of the shop.
“He keeps saying, ‘I don’t want trouble. I just want to visit with Liddie for a few moments,’ and also, ‘I’m not my father,’ whatever that means.”
“I’ll tell you all about it when we’re not at the shop. It’s . . .” Liddie faltered, looking for the right word. Horrifying? Mortifying? Gross? Disgusting? “The situation is a little complex.” That’s the understatement of the year.
“Well, I think you ought to go in there. I mean, he said he wanted to see you.” Tally squirmed. “Dad’s been gone almost five years. And . . .”
“Oh my Lord. One thing at a time, Tally. Right now my goal is to intervene before fists start flying.” Liddie took a deep breath and then strode up the stairs and into the shop, hoping she looked more comfortable than she felt. The shop wasn’t that large, but the carnival glass room was located at the rear of the house, so she followed the sound of rumbling voices to the back.