8
LIKE SO MANY moments when her life seemed to be smack in the middle of an eight-way crossroads, Marianne sat at the end of the dock, staring over the water. The lake was oddly calm and quiet for a warm afternoon. Or maybe Marianne was just feeling quiet inside.
Mr. Pritchett had been more than happy to hire her on as his legal assistant. She would start the next week, unless his voice mail filled up again sooner. If it worked out, Marianne intended to make this her full-time, permanent job.
Calling the law school to defer her placement was much easier than she’d anticipated. For the first time in months, possibly years, she felt at peace with where she was, where she was going. For now, she was content. Maybe, one day, if she ever felt the need, she could pursue law school. Helping the Trinkitts settle their problems with Mr. Burt had given her a feeling of accomplishment that she hadn’t felt, well, ever. She had a purpose in Mr. Pritchett’s office, in a way that she’d never felt at her family’s business. A purpose on her own terms.
But she was not going to embrace Frankie’s whole estate planning idea. Because she was pretty sure having those few miles of separation between her office and the mortuary was necessary for her sanity.
She also needed some space from her mother. While Junior and Donna had both accepted Marianne’s withdrawal from law school with grace, even enthusiasm, pulling her mother outside for a private conversation hadn’t been as productive. Donna failed to see why Marianne was angry with her. After all, if Marianne had called more often, she would have known about her father’s medical tests and been kept up to date.
“You can’t do that,” she’d told her mom, pacing the dock behind E.J.J. and Tootie’s house. “You can’t use guilt to push me around when giving me the truth would have worked better and faster.”
“Well, if you’d just come home instead of avoidin’ us because of some boy, this wouldn’t have been a problem,” Donna shot back, in a sterner tone of voice than Marianne had ever heard her use.
“He wasn’t some boy and it didn’t— You know what? This isn’t about me. This is about you and your repressed emotions turning you into someone I don’t even recognize. You need to talk to someone, Mama. Because right now, I’m havin’ a real hard time forgivin’ you.”
“Well, pardon me if that’s not a big worry for me when I’m carin’ for your sick daddy,” Donna called after her as Marianne stomped into the house.
Marianne was gonna have to get her own place soon.
The radio in the Snack Shack switched from an old Patsy Cline song to “Can’t Help Falling in Love,” her favorite Elvis love song of all time. She and Carl had spent hours arguing over whether it was better than his favorite, “Love Me Tender,” which Marianne had always found vaguely whiny.
Marianne could really use fewer cosmic messages from Elvis in her life right now.
She sighed as she heard boots clomping down the wooden slats behind her. “Duffy, I don’t care what Aunt Leslie says, I’m not going to eat deep-fried Kool-Aid.”
“Well, that sounds disgustin’.”
She turned to find Carl standing behind her, backlit by the sun. Pig was sitting on his haunches, rubbing his head against Carl’s knee. “Hey.”
“Car parts are here and I got started this morning,” Carl drawled. “I’ll have it done by next week. I thought you’d wanna know.”
“Great,” she said with little enthusiasm.
“So I guess that means you can just drive on back to school anytime you want.”
“About that,” she said. “I’m probably not gonna be leavin’ for a while . . . a good while.”
“What?” He sank onto the dock next to her. Pig took this as an invitation to crawl into Carl’s lap and lick his face.
“With Daddy being sick, there’s just too much goin’ on to leave right now. I got a job working for Mr. Pritchett in his office this summer.”
“But what about law school?”
“There’s a paralegal program at UGA. I can apply some of my undergrad credits and get my certificate in less than a year. Mr. Pritchett said I could keep my job at his firm while I’m in school and take on paralegal duties when I qualify.”
“Is that what you want?”
“I think it is,” she said, nodding. “I think I would be happy doing that. I like the work. And I can do it now rather than waiting three years until I’m qualified,” she said. “And . . . you’re here. And if you’re interested, after we spend more time together and work out what I’m sure are a lot of issues still hangin’ over our heads, maybe we can talk about datin’ again. If you’re interested, that is.”
He smiled. “Well, of course, I’m . . . Naw, naw, I won’t accept that. I know you’re not staying just for me, but in a year or two, I’m gonna want to marry you all over again. And you’re gonna get antsy. You’re gonna get scared and feel trapped and you’re gonna blame me or your family because you didn’t go. And I can’t take you leavin’ me again. Or worse, stayin’ and hatin’ me. I’d rather not have you at all than have you leave now.”
“It’s not because I’m scared. It’s because I’ve seen the outside world and I know I can live without it. I don’t think I can live without you or this place or the time I have left with my dad.”
“Well, we ain’t gettin’ married right away. You’re living here for a while on your own, to make sure you can stand it. And you’re not going to turn down law school, you’re going to do one of those deferment things, so if you decide you want to go in a few years, you can.”
She lifted her eyebrows and he added, “Duffy told me about it.”
“Okay,” she said. “I have already decided to defer, but thank you. I will stay here. And when you’re ready, I’m gonna marry the hell out of you.”
He chuckled, kissing her lightly. “Sounds good.”
“Wanna go to Deer Tick Bay and do some ‘fishin’?” she asked, nodding to Duffy’s boat.
He smiled at her. “Yes, I believe I do.”
“And if we’re gonna get married, you’re going to have to move up your renovation schedule, because I insist that my house have floors.” She stood, pulling him up to his feet.
Pig barked sharply and put his paws on Marianne’s thigh. Again, she suspected that Pig was actually trying to push her off the dock due to canine jealousy. She was going to have to start keeping beef jerky in her pockets.
“Are you going to be picky about every little thang?” Carl asked, helping her climb into the boat. Pig barreled in behind her.
“Just about floors. And ceilings and indoor plumbin’.”
Duffy came ambling out of the bait shop and startled at the sight of his sister and best friend stealing his boat. “Hey, what are y’all doin’?”
“Should we tell him?” Marianne asked.
“Naw, he punched me in the teeth senior year when he realized I’d ‘deflowered’ you. My jaw still aches when it rains. He’s got this coming.”
So Marianne just waved at her brother while Carl started the outboard engine. Duffy jogged along the dock, yelling, “Carl! Do not take my sister to Deer Tick Bay! It’s indecent! It’s against the Bro Code! Manny! Resist his charms! Do not defile my boat!”
“Tell Daddy I’ll be back after dinner!” she yelled.
“Manny!”
Carl laughed as he steered the boat toward the sunset. “This is gonna be fun.”