Chapter 10

Peanut had known Jewel Easley since grade school and had worked with her whenever a case involved a family with underage children. She was a by-the-book caseworker for the County Department of Human Services and a woman with a good heart. He wasn’t sure how she’d react to what he was going to ask, but he’d soon find out.

He called her cell, hoping she was in the office and not out on a visitation somewhere.

“Hello, this is Jewel.”

“Hi, Jewel. Peanut Butterman here. Are you busy, or can we talk?”

“I’m just leaving a visitation, so talk away.”

“Good. I need a favor.”

She chuckled. “When do you not?”

“Yes, well…this is a big one.”

She sighed. “I’m listening.”

“How do you handle emergency services for a family in dire need?”

“How dire?”

“A widow and two kids here in Blessings have been living in a house with no utilities, no food, and she’s sick.”

“Oh good grief, Peanut. It’s winter. Are you serious?”

“Unfortunately, yes,” Peanut said.

“Where’s the husband?”

“Blew himself up making meth and burned their house down in the process. I don’t know how they got to Blessings, but they’re here and destitute.”

Jewel cursed softly. “Drugs. Drugs. Drugs. If this epidemic did not exist, my job would be so much simpler.”

“Yeah,” Peanut said. “Just so you know…we just found out about them today. The chief has already had their utilities turned back on. Knowing him, he’s paid whatever it took to make that happen, but that won’t help next month when payment is due again.”

“And food?”

“That’s being taken care of as well, but again, when it’s gone, they have no money for more.”

“You said the mother is sick. Do you know what with?”

“The chief just said she was sick. I’m sorry, I don’t know details.”

“It doesn’t matter,” Jewel said. “You already know I won’t be able to sleep tonight. I will consider your phone call an official report of a family in need, which I will write up, and since I am less than an hour away from Blessings, I will put on my caseworker hat and make the necessary official interview happen. That way I can get them in the system and get the ball rolling on how to help them.”

“Thank you, Jewel. I really owe you for this.”

“What’s the woman’s name and address?” she asked.

“Alice Conroy, living at 440 Milway in Blessings. It’s at the far end of town on the street behind the Blue Ivy Bar. The power should be on by the time you get there, and if I know my girl, there will be food on their shelves.”

Jewel gasped. “Oh my God! You have a girl? When did all that happen?”

“Not so long ago.”

“Do I know her?”

“Ever been to the hair salon here in Blessings?”

“Well, who hasn’t? Oh wait! Is it Ruby? It’s Ruby Dye, isn’t it? She is a cutie. I’ve wondered for years why she was still single. Way to go, Peanut.”

He grinned. “Thanks. Please let me know if there’s a problem getting Alice Conroy and kids into the system. I need to know they’re going to be okay.”

“Yes, I will,” Jewel said. “Now I have to get off the phone so I can turn my car around, because at the moment I am going the wrong way.”

Peanut laughed. “You rock,” he said.

“Yes, I do, and don’t forget it.” She disconnected.

He was still grinning as he sent the chief a text to let him know what was happening.

* * *

Gertie Lafferty had stitches in her head and a spreading bruise across the top of her face. They were treating her for hypothermia and mild frostbite on her fingers and ears—and hoping nothing turned into pneumonia. She had yet to regain consciousness, but she was hanging on, and that’s all Lon Pittman could ask of someone her age who’d undergone such physical trauma. They still didn’t know why she’d left the nursing home, but in the long run, it didn’t matter. She had been lost, and now she was found.

Lon was on his way to deal with unpaid utilities when he got Peanut’s text. Knowing that was being taken care of was one more burden off his shoulders.

* * *

Ruby left the Conroy home full of purpose. She wanted to get back to work, to be useful in the world again. Helping them had been the best medicine she could have taken to heal the emotional damage Jarrod had caused. She was driving without thought when she realized how close she was to her home. Before she could talk herself out of it, she turned down the street toward home and pulled up in the drive.

But the fear she was expecting didn’t happen as she walked in. Everything was clean and in its place. There was a bouquet of fresh flowers on the dining room table, and the air smelled like lemon oil. God bless Laurel Lorde for her diligence to detail! The house was still home.

Ruby went straight to the kitchen where the initial knife fight had taken place, but there was no feeling of fear. As she moved down the hall to the bedroom, she was all but certain that would be the trigger to a flashback like she’d had before. To her relief, there was none. Even the old bedspread on her bed was a welcome and familiar sight. It was from the time before the abduction, and if not for the marks on her face and hands, it was almost as if the incident had never happened.

“I’m home,” she said aloud, and walked back through the house, announcing her return in every room to let the house know she was here.

Now it was a matter of leaving Peanut—which had to happen because she wanted their relationship to breathe and grow, rather than having happened from desperation.

She paused in the kitchen long enough to check the contents of her refrigerator, making note of what she was out of, or what was out of date, and then headed for the front door.

“I’ll be back,” she said, then let herself out.

* * *

Thanks to the wisdom of the women who’d brought all the groceries, Alice Conroy was doing laundry. Not only had they brought food, but they’d brought things for the bathroom, and cleaning supplies, including soap to do laundry.

The cough medicine she took had helped a little, but she was still running a fever and had taken some medicine for that as well. The sound of Charlie and Pitty-Pat playing in the living room, laughing over a card game, brought tears to her eyes. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d heard them laughing.

She was putting her first load of laundry into the dryer and getting ready to start the second load when there was a knock at their door.

“I’ll get it,” Charlie called out.

She could hear his footsteps thumping as he ran to answer. She tossed the last handful of wet clothes into the dryer, started it up, then put soap in the washer and started the next load. It wasn’t as if they had all that much laundry to do, because they didn’t have many extra clothes to wash, but Alice took pride in being clean.

She heard a woman’s voice in the living room, and then Charlie asking her to sit down. Within seconds, Charlie was back at the door.

“Mama, it’s a lady from DHS,” he whispered.

Alice’s heart skipped a beat. Chief Pittman had sworn he wouldn’t turn her in on neglect, so she had to trust that someone else was here to help.

“Okay, I’ll be right there. Unless the lady wants to talk to you and Pitty-Pat, do me a favor and keep your sister occupied in your room,” she said.

“Yes, ma’am,” Charlie said, and bolted.

Alice paused a moment to smooth down her hair and straighten her clothing.

“Lord, please let this be one more step into a better life,” she said, and headed for the living room.

The woman on the sofa looked to be in her late thirties or early forties with short brown hair and kind eyes. She stood up when Alice walked into the room and immediately held out her hand.

“Mrs. Conroy, I’m Jewel Easley. I’m a DHS caseworker for this county. I got a call that you and your family are having some difficulties. Can we talk?”

Alice shook the woman’s hand and then sat down on the other end of the sofa.

“Yes, ma’am, we do need a hand up. I’ve never been on welfare before, and I’m sorry to have to be asking for it now.”

Jewel pulled some paperwork to make notes. “So, I saw your children. Are those the only two you have?”

Alice nodded.

“Okay, then tell me a little about the circumstances that got you to this place in your life,” Jewel said.

Alice folded her shaky hands in her lap, took a deep breath, and started talking. She went all the way from her husband’s addiction to meth to him cooking and selling it, then to him blowing up their house and himself, which had led to them winding up in Blessings.

She ended with Charlie’s desperate attempt to raise money for them, and how he and Booger had helped find a missing lady earlier this morning. By the time Alice was finished talking, Pitty-Pat was in her lap and Charlie was sitting quietly nearby, because he hadn’t been able to let his mother confess their fears alone.

Jewel had seen and heard plenty of stories during her job as a caseworker, but she’d never heard one quite like this, where the child in a destitute family had been the one to take the initiative to be the money earner. She glanced at the boy, then at the dog at his feet, and smiled.

“Good dog you have there,” she said.

Charlie nodded. “Yes, ma’am. So can you help us?”

Jewel’s heart tugged again. It was the boy who asked the hard question, not the mother.

“Yes, I can help your family, Charlie. Everything has to go through proper channels, but I’ll push everything through from my end. You will receive a SNAP card in the mail to buy food. Money will be reloaded onto that card every month, and your mother will get a direct deposit in the bank every month for your other needs, including rent and utilities.”

Alice broke down in sobs, which sent her cough into overdrive.

Jewel frowned. “You also qualify for Medicaid, which means when you or the kids are sick, you can get treatment and medicine.”

“We sure thank you,” Charlie said. “When I get older, I’ll get a real job to help out.”

Jewel felt obliged to add, “Just don’t quit school, Charlie Conroy. You have the makings of a really good man, but you’ll need that education. You and your sister too. Understand?”

“Yes, ma’am. As soon as I get some clothes for me and my sister, we’ll get enrolled in school here.”

Jewel nodded, then made a mental note to mention the clothes situation to Peanut when she called him back.

“For the record, let me have your shoe and clothing sizes. I’ll pass them on to people who can help,” she said. “Alice, can you help me with that?”

Alice wiped her eyes, blew her nose, and nodded, then quietly gave Jewel the sizes for all of them.

“Okay, I think that’s it,” Jewel said. “I will stop by periodically. If you have a problem, call the number on the card I gave you.”

“Yes, ma’am,” Alice said.

Jewel stood up, and then so did Charlie.

He opened the door for her. Towering over Jewel’s height although he was only twelve, he shook her hand and thanked her for coming, which sealed him in Jewel’s heart forever.

She left with a lump in her throat and called Peanut to inform him the Conroy family was set with DHS, but they still needed clothes. She gave Peanut the sizes and hung up, then said a prayer for the family’s well-being as she drove out of town.

* * *

Ruby parked next to Peanut’s car, thinking to herself how much she was going to miss being under the same roof with him, and then grabbed her purse and hurried inside.

She left it on the sideboard and went through the house room by room until she found him. The smile on his face when he saw her come into the room tugged at her heart.

“There’s my girl!” Peanut said as he got up from his desk to give her a big hug. “Did you get the Conroy family fixed up with groceries?”

“Yes, but I’ll continue to drop by little things like bread, milk, and eggs until I know they’re getting assistance through DHS,” she said.

“My friend, Jewel Easley, who is a caseworker at DHS, has already started that process rolling,” Peanut said.

“Oh, I know Jewel!” Ruby said.

“She knows you too,” Peanut said. “She gave me a verbal high five because I had the good sense to snap you up off the open dating market.”

Ruby smiled, but Peanut noticed she seemed preoccupied.

“I have another mission for you,” he said. “Jewel gave me clothes sizes. Do you think we could organize some kind of clothing drive like we did for Dori Grant and her baby after her granddad’s house burned?”

“Absolutely. I’ll call the preacher and get permission to use the church as a drop-off site, then have Lovey put a notice on the bulletin board at Granny’s, and I’ll put a few signs in some of the businesses on Main Street, including ours.”

“You’re the best,” Peanut said.

“Can we talk a minute?”

Peanut frowned. Here it comes. He knew she was bothered and was about to find out why.

“Of course, let’s get out of this office, though. My coffee cup is empty.”

He grabbed his empty cup as he left. Once they were in the kitchen, he set the cup aside as he turned to face her. “So talk to me,” he said.

“Come sit,” Ruby said. “I’m exhausted, and this isn’t an easy thing to say.”

His gut knotted. “You don’t get to back out of loving me.”

She reached for his hand. “It’s not that at all,” she said.

“Then what?” he asked.

“It’s time I went home,” she said.

He frowned. “I was just getting spoiled by knowing you were here. Tell me why so soon.”

“I came here out of desperation. I want us to happen by choice…because we finally can’t bear another day apart. We’ll still be in each other’s pockets. We’ll still do everything we’ve been doing, but without pretending we weren’t attracted to each other.”

He sighed. “I can’t say I want to hear this, but I honor your feelings and understand the wisdom.” He tilted her chin. “I do so desperately want to kiss you senseless. When do those damn stitches come out?”

Ruby sighed. “About seven to ten days, and tomorrow is Thursday so that’s barely four days, counting from Monday.”

“Okay then. You’re well worth the wait, and now I have a date upon which to focus.”

She grinned. “I sure do love you,” she said.

He cupped the side of her cheek, looking past the purple and green bruises to the wide brown eyes of the woman he loved and letting the beauty of those words settle deep within his heart.

“I sure do love you too, Ruby Dye. Since my belly is growling, and it’s a bit early to get naked and make love, what say you and I order in? Do you think you can handle pizza, or would you rather have pasta?”

“You order whatever you want most, and I’ll have baked ziti with meat sauce, not Alfredo sauce.”

“Deal,” he said, and reached for his cell phone, but it was still on his desk.

“Be right back,” he said, and left the kitchen at a lope.

Ruby sighed. That hurt even more than she’d expected. It was going to be a painful break for her too.

He came running back, slipped his arm around her waist, and pulled her into a quick hug.

“One baked ziti with meat sauce coming up,” he said. “And you do know, if you don’t want—”

She laughed. “Yes…if I don’t want to eat it all, you’ll eat my leftovers,” she said.

He gave her a thumbs-up and then made the call as she went to change clothes.

Their dinner was peppered with conversation ranging from Gertie Lafferty’s rescue to the Conroy family to Ruby’s imminent return to work. What they didn’t talk about, but what was uppermost on their minds, was how much they were going to miss the closeness of falling asleep in each other’s arms.

Even though it felt like it, tonight wasn’t the end of anything. It was the beginning of the courtship of Ruby Dye.

It was late before they finally went to bed, and when they did, they fell into each other’s arms and made love as if it was never going to happen again.

Ruby cried.

Peanut held her, resisting the urge to beg her to stay. They fell asleep, and woke to a bright, sunshiny day.

They had breakfast together, refusing to discuss the inevitable, and when Peanut left for the office, Ruby packed up her things and went home.

By mid-afternoon, Peanut had his office set up for the reading of Elmer Mathis’s will. There was no way to guess how the news would be received, but come ten a.m. tomorrow morning, he was going to find out.

* * *

Rachel Goodhope had just carried a fresh arrangement of flowers out to put on the table in the entryway and was about to go back to the kitchen when she caught a glimpse of three women coming up the walk, each pulling a small travel bag.

“Ahhh, Elmer Mathis’s nieces have arrived.”

She waited for them to ring the bell and then went to the door with a smile. “Welcome to Blessings Bed and Breakfast! I’m Rachel. Please come in.”

Loretta Baird entered first, talking in an assertive, almost strident tone of voice. “I’m Loretta. The blonde is my sister, Betsy Lowe, and the chubby one is Wilma Smith, the youngest.”

Betsy frowned. “Seriously, Loretta, that’s no way to introduce anyone. Sorry, Wilma,” she said.

Wilma shrugged, embarrassed she’d become the topic of conversation. “It’s okay,” she mumbled, then smiled at Rachel. “You have a very pretty place. I love the landscaping out front.”

Rachel smiled. “My husband does the gardening. He’s at a meeting tonight, but you’ll see him in the morning at breakfast. Follow me, and I’ll show the three of you to your rooms.”

“Are they all upstairs?” Loretta asked.

“Yes, the downstairs is our family home. The upstairs bedrooms are for our guests, but there is an elevator for handicap access.”

“I’ll take that,” Loretta stated.

“I’m fine with the stairs,” Wilma said.

“So am I,” Betsy said.

“Then up you go,” Rachel said. “Just wait for us at the top of the landing. I’ll take Loretta up in the elevator.”

Loretta lifted her chin, handed the handle of her overnight bag to Rachel, and waited.

Rachel had been in the business long enough to have seen all kinds of behavior from their guests, so Loretta Baird’s attitude didn’t faze her.

“This way, ma’am,” Rachel said, and walked off, pulling the little bag behind her.

Loretta eyed her sisters and then smirked as she walked away.

Rachel was at the elevator, waiting for Loretta to step inside, then she followed her guest and punched the button to take them up.

The car moved smoothly, and the trip was short. Rachel emerged first and then waited for Loretta to get out before catching up with the other sisters.

“You’ll be at the far end of the hall. Your rooms are close to each other. Two are side by side, and one is across the hall.”

“I don’t want to be down that hall. I want one at the front,” Loretta demanded.

“Sorry, those two are reserved for families with children. This way, please,” Rachel said, and led the way, refusing to discuss it further.

“I have Mrs. Baird in the blue room, Mrs. Smith in the yellow room, and Mrs. Lowe in the lilac room.”

“I don’t know if I want to be in a blue—”

Betsy turned to Loretta and glared. “Loretta Fay, you need to shut up. We’re not moving in. We’re here one night, and then we’ll all be going home.”

Loretta glared back at her, but she didn’t argue further.

Rachel opened the first door, then handed her a room key.

“Make yourself comfortable,” Rachel said. “There is a sitting area, as well as refreshments on the sideboard, and cable television. As I mentioned, the only meal served here is breakfast, but Granny’s Country Kitchen down on Main Street is a wonderful place to eat. The woman who does the baking is becoming famous for her breads and pies.”

“I love a good piece of pie,” Betsy said. “Sounds perfect.”

Loretta sniffed as she walked into the room. Rachel set Loretta’s bag inside the door and then let the other sisters into their rooms.

“If you have an emergency and need me, just dial nine on the phone by your bed. Everything you’ll need is in your room. Enjoy your evening. We lock the door at eleven p.m., so if you’re out later than that, you’ll have to call to have us let you in.”

“Why on earth would you lock up so early?” Loretta snapped.

“Granny’s stays open later than everything else in Blessings, and Lovey quits serving at ten p.m., so unless you’re leaving town, you won’t have anywhere else to go.”

“Oh,” Loretta said, and then closed her door in Rachel’s face.

Rachel ignored the snub.

“Ladies, welcome to Blessings,” she said, and calmly walked back down the stairs.

Wilma looked at Betsy, who rolled her eyes and shook her head. They were used to Loretta, but there were times, like today, when she was a true embarrassment.

“What time do you want to get together for dinner?” Wilma asked.

“Oh, how about six o’clock?” Betsy said.

“I won’t eat a bite before seven!” Loretta yelled.

“If you want to talk to me, open the damn door or shut your mouth,” Betsy said.

The door swung inward. “Seven o’clock,” Loretta said.

“Fine. It’ll already be dark. Hope you know how to get from here back to Main Street. And I thought you wanted to drive by Uncle Elmer’s house and look it over. Can’t see a dang thing in the dark,” Betsy said.

Loretta glared.

Wilma went into her room and closed the door. She’d let them fight this out. Decisions were not on Wilma’s radar.