CHAPTER TWENTY
Night breezes ruffled Tawny’s wet hair as she walked barefoot from her cabin to the edge of the lake. After the day she’d spent, she probably should wade right out there like her sister Harper had done and leave everything in the water. But Tawny didn’t like swimming in anything other than a nice clear chlorinated pool where she could see the bottom and know exactly how deep the water was.
Her flowing gauze skirt floated out around her when she sat down. She was glad she’d brought along her denim jacket, because the air was turning cool. Stretching out her legs so her toes were in the water, she was amazed to feel the water warm her skin. No monsters rose up out of the water, either, which was something.
She didn’t even glance at Harper when she sat down beside her, kicked off her shoes, rolled up the legs of her jeans, and stuck her long, long legs out into the water. There are miles and miles of shoreline along the lake, so why does Harper need that spot for a few minutes of quiet mediation?
Then Dana copped a squat on the other side of her, pulled up the skirt tail of her sundress, and put her feet in the water.
What does a woman have to do to get a few minutes’ peace? All Tawny wanted was to sit a few minutes before she had to go to Dana’s and eat ice cream. To appease Brook, she’d go, eat one bite, and then leave just to prove that it was an insane idea even if it did come from Uncle Zed.
Not a one of them said a word but just sat there in quietness for fifteen minutes, and then Dana drew her feet out of the water and started past the cabins toward the house. Harper followed her, and with a long sigh, Tawny did the same. She was the last one in the house, but no one was talking or eating. All three of the others had claimed one side of a quilt that had been spread out on the living room floor. With only one left for her, she sat down and crossed her legs, yoga-style, and stared at the container of chocolate ice cream right in the middle of the quilt. A spoon was stuck in each of the four corners. One container—one family. Four different spoons, but they all came from the same set—the sisters and niece.
Brook was the first one to dig deep into the ice cream, Tawny the last. They finished off the ice cream with only a few sighs. Brook carried the empty container to the kitchen and brought out one with pecans, pralines, and cream. She set it down and said, “I started the last one. Aunt Tawny gets the first bite of this one since she’s the one that caused this pissy mood day.”
“Hey.” Tawny raised her voice and then lowered it. “But—”
“But be honest,” Brook said.
Tawny dipped into the ice cream. “I guess I did get it started, but I had a reason. Y’all are just pissed because your fellers didn’t make it to the party. And I’m pissed because I don’t even have a boyfriend to get mad at—among other things,” she added.
“I haven’t got a boyfriend, either, so that won’t float.” Brook brought a big spoonful to her mouth and licked it like an ice-cream cone.
“Honey, you’ve got two guys who think you are a little princess—Payton and Wyatt both—and you don’t have to do anything but be adored.” Tawny started for another bite, but Harper shoved her spoon out of the way.
“That’s mine. It’s in my corner and I’ve had my eye on that pecan.” Harper’s tone was as cold as the ice cream.
Using her spoon as a battle sword, Tawny shoved Harper’s away and grabbed the bite with the pecan half and shoved it into her mouth.
“You brat!” Harper sank her spoon into Tawny’s corner and brought up two pecan halves. “See what you get for that stunt.”
Dana leaned over and took the whole bite off Harper’s spoon. “What got your panties in a twist this mornin’ anyway, Tawny?” she said when she finally swallowed.
“Matt came to see me last night,” she said.
“And who is Matt?” Brook asked.
“He’s my Ryson, only I was Cassidy instead of you.” Tawny was amazed at how easy the words came out.
“And what did your Matt want? For you to sell drugs?” Brook asked.
“He wanted me to go to Europe with him for a summer of luxury. But there would have probably been drugs and for sure a lot of alcohol.” She reached over into Dana’s part of the ice cream and got her hand slapped.
“Please tell me you aren’t going. Is that why you’ve been an old bear? You don’t want to tell us?” Brook stuck her spoon in the ice cream and folded her arms over her chest.
“I’m not going, darlin’ girl. I’m stayin’ right here, and the reason I was so cranky is because”—she took a deep breath—“y’all have been open about your problems. I haven’t and . . .” She went on to tell them the whole story.
“So that’s why you got so mad at Ryson. You done been there and done that and got in more trouble than I did,” Brook said.
“Yes, ma’am.” Tawny stuck her spoon in the center of the ice cream and leaned against the sofa. “Must be the calories and sugar, but that wasn’t as hard to tell y’all as I imagined. I can’t stand that Granny is gone, but—” Tears welled up in her eyes, and there was no way she could get the lump in her throat to go down.
“But if she hadn’t died when she did, we’d all be in trouble, right?” Dana said. “Y’all ever watch that television show Saving Grace? Uncle Zed was talking about it today.”
Harper raised her hand. “It was showing when I was in the unwed mothers’ home. I wished I had an Earl in my life.”
“Who’s Earl?” Brook asked.
“He was this big, burly angel who took care of the leading lady, Grace, in the show,” Harper said.
“I’ve never seen it,” Tawny said.
“Me neither,” Brook said.
“Wild child. Second-chance angel,” Dana explained. “So I feel like Granny left Uncle Zed behind to be our Earl. He’s kind of stepped into her boots as best he can and helped us get to this place. We’ve survived a day when we’ve all been a hell of a lot less than our best.”
“It was the chocolate ice cream,” Brook said. “That will fix anything.”
“Amen!” Harper said.
Dana sighed. “I was fired from my job. I didn’t quit like I let y’all believe. My boss got the mistaken notion in her head that I was sleeping with her husband and stealing money, too. She said she’d give me a bad recommendation wherever I went, so I was between a rock and a hard place. Then Uncle Zed called and, Lord, I felt guilty for being grateful that Granny had left this place for us. I still do.”
“Amen.” Tawny raised a hand.
“Well, hot damn,” Brook said loudly, raising both hands into the air.
“Brook!” Dana scolded.
“Hey, after the way y’all been today, I’m entitled to one cuss word. I had to live with the bunch of you moping around like a bunch of babies,” she said.
“Girl’s got a point.” Harper got one more bite of ice cream, then put her spoon in the middle of what was left.
“Thank you.” Brook did a mini bow from a sitting position. “I’ve been dyin’ to tell y’all my news all day, but I didn’t want to say anything until you all made up.”
“Made up?” Dana asked.
Brook waved both hands in the air. “That’s what I said. I have a new friend. That’s my news.”
Tawny was happy for Brook. But in that moment she realized that she didn’t have any friends. The ones that she and Matt had partied with distanced themselves from her when she was expelled from college. The ones she had before Matt had already taken a step back because they weren’t included in her new circle of rich friends.
“Good. What’s her name?” Dana asked.
“Not her. His name is Johnny Eagle and he’s a Native American boy.”
“Oh, really.” Tawny’s eyebrows shot up as she remembered her best friend in high school. She crossed her fingers behind her back and hoped that Dana didn’t react to this new person the way that Retha had when she brought Andre home for a study night. The yelling when he left that evening was almost as bad as the one right before Harper left.
“Yep, he was in suspension for being late to class too many times. He gets all wrapped up in a book at noon and doesn’t hear the bell.”
“And he’s just a friend?” Harper asked.
“Yes, Aunt Harper. He likes a girl, but he’s too shy to tell her.”
“If he’s that shy, then how come he talks to you?” Dana asked.
“Because I talked to him first. He was reading a book I just finished and I asked him how he liked it and we got to talking and he and his uncle are coming to the lake to fish tomorrow and I invited him to come meet all y’all at the end of the day. He lives with his grandma and two uncles,” Brook spit out before anyone could say another word.
“A friend that’s a guy, huh?” Dana asked.
“Don’t judge him until you’ve met him,” Tawny said.
“Why would you say that?”
“Because I had a best friend in junior high school and when I brought him home, Mama threw a hissy because he was black and came from a poor side of town. He was a good kid, sang in the church choir and made excellent grades, by the way. If she’d let us be friends, who knows what path my life might have taken,” Tawny said.
“Kind of like Granny and Uncle Zed?” Brook asked.
“That’s right,” Tawny said. “They had such a sweet friendship. It would be easy to be jealous of them. No wonder he misses her so bad.”
“I wasn’t going to judge him, but thanks for tellin’ me that,” Dana said. “It’s not his race that made me flinch. It was the fact that he’s a guy.”
Brook frowned. “Girls are whiny and gossipy and bitchy. Boys are different. We talk about books we’ve read and our favorite movies and he even likes to fish. So?”
“Well, I would like to meet your new friend,” Dana said.
“Thanks, Mama, and I’m real sorry about you getting fired. You should have told me, and I wouldn’t have thrown such a fit about leaving the ranch.”
“Water under the bridge. What does this new friend look like?” Dana moved around the quilt to drape an arm around her daughter’s shoulder.
“He’s a nerd. Glasses that won’t stay up on his nose. Black hair that’s too long. He’s taller than me but only a little bit, and he’s got braces. His folks are originally from somewhere in Oklahoma. Don’t start, Mama.” Brook gave her a knowing look.
“He can be your friend, but not on the Texas-Oklahoma football weekend. Not if he’s rootin’ for the Sooners,” Dana said.
Brook got one more bite of ice cream and then carried the container back to the kitchen and put it in the freezer. “He’s not into football, so you don’t have to worry about that.”
“Braces hurt when you kiss. I’m speaking from experience,” Tawny giggled.
“Johnny is my friend, not my boyfriend. I don’t want to kiss him,” Brook yelled.
Another stab of jealousy hit Tawny in the middle of her heart. Brook had a new friend, and both her sisters had someone promising in their lives. She took a long, hard look at her niece chattering away about some book she and her new friend were both reading, then at Dana, who had to be happy that Brook hadn’t let the drama with Cassidy hold her back. After that she let her eyes shift over to Harper, who was actually wearing a smile. Granny Annie would be proud of them that evening, for sure.
Sunday was always busy at the store, but there was usually a ten-minute break a couple of times a day. Not so that day—if a guest wasn’t checking out, then the store was full of folks needing supplies. From the time Dana opened the doors that morning until noon, she hardly had time to even sip on a cup of coffee.
Pretty weather had brought folks out in droves—on the edge of the lake and out on it. Kids’ laughter and the buzz of conversations filled the air. But about three o’clock in the afternoon, there was a lull that let Dana sit down on the stool behind the counter. She’d barely gotten her aching feet propped up when Brook popped into the store with a teenage boy right behind her. “Mama, this is Johnny. Johnny, this is my mama, Dana.”
“Nice to meet you, Miz Clancy.” The poor kid looked like he could easily either faint or run. His hand trembled when he shook hers. “I was wonderin’ if it would be all right if Brook came fishin’ with me.”
That’s when the guilt trip struck Dana. Brook went to school and worked. She and Cassidy had giggled on the telephone a few times and had talked about having a sleepover, but the child hadn’t had time to play since they’d arrived.
“I can’t, Johnny. Aunt Tawny needs help in the laundry,” Brook answered for her mother.
“If you’d like the afternoon off, I think we can manage,” Dana said. “Tawny and I can finish up after we close down the store and café this evening. You go on and have a good time. Y’all fishin’ from the bank or do you have a boat?”
“From the bank today, down on that big flat rock. You know where it is?” Johnny asked.
Dana nodded. “And we’re plannin’ on you comin’ back to the house with her this evening for pizza.”
“Thank you.” Johnny finally smiled, showing off orange braces. “You ready, Brook? Me and Uncle Nick brought extra gear so you don’t need to bring anything.”
“You sure about this, Mama?” Brook asked.
“Yes, but I do think you should let me braid your hair. It’s awfully warm out today and the wind is blowing. You’ll be fighting it in your face all day. Johnny, you mind waiting about three minutes while us ladies make a trip to the bathroom?” Dana asked.
“Not a bit. Uncle Nick is gettin’ us some burgers from the café and he’ll be a few minutes.”
Dana grabbed her purse, followed Brook into the restroom, and closed the door. “So do you want to go fishin’ with him? Do I need to worry about you? And I’d like to meet his uncle before you leave,” she whispered as she removed a brush from her purse and began to work on Brook’s tangled hair.
“Yes, I want to go with him, Mama. And you don’t have to worry. These are good people. I just know it in my heart and I’ll fix it so you can meet his uncle—you’ll see what I mean. Now let’s braid my hair.”
Dana really studied her daughter as she quickly put her hair into two Pollyanna-type braids. She was fourteen going on twenty-one, but with that hairstyle and the baggy Hard Rock Café T-shirt she wore, she didn’t look a day over twelve. When they left the restroom, Johnny handed Dana a piece of paper. “This is my cell phone number.”
“Thank you. That’s sweet.” Dana tucked the paper into her pocket.
A tall, dark-haired man poked his head into the store and looked right at Johnny. “Did you get the worms?”
Johnny groaned. “I forgot.”
The guy came inside and clamped a hand on Johnny’s shoulder. “I’m Nick, Johnny’s uncle. We need about three dozen worms and a dozen minnows. Is this your new friend?”
“This is Brook and this is her mother, Dana. This here is my uncle Nick.” Johnny continued the introductions. “Brook gets to go with us.”
“Well, that settles it.” Nick smiled, deepening the angles in his face and putting a twinkle in deep, dark-brown eyes. “We’ll be talking about books and movies rather than baseball.”
“Yes, we will.”
Johnny’s whole body language changed from tense to comfortable now that his uncle was beside him.
“I don’t know much about baseball anyway, but I can talk football with either of you. Are you going to watch the draft on television?” Brook asked. “And who do you root for in the Texas-Oklahoma game?”
“Texas!” Nick and Johnny said at the same time.
“My kind of fellows.” Dana nodded. “Y’all got plenty of water and soda for the afternoon?”
“We sure do,” Johnny answered.
“Need a couple of beers to finish your order, Nick?”
“Thanks, but no, thanks, ma’am. We ain’t a drinkin’ family. Our sister was killed by a drunk driver. Sweet tea and soft drinks are fine with us,” Nick answered. “I’ll have the kids back to your place at seven, and then come get Johnny around ten.”
“I’m sorry about your sister.” Dana nodded. “We’re plannin’ on pizza. You are welcome to stay if you’d like. Save you a trip.”
“Thank you. I might just do that.” Nick’s smile rang sincere.
That and his comment about not drinking quieted Dana’s fears. Still, at the next five-minute lull in business, she picked up the phone and called the café.
Zed answered on the first ring. “Need some help? I could send Harper. We’re all caught up.”
“No, but she might see if Tawny needs help. I let Brook go off with Johnny Eagle and his uncle Nick to do some fishing.”
“That’s a good family. Johnny’s mama got killed a couple of years back in a car wreck and her brothers, Nick and Drake, took it real hard. They were a lot younger than his mama—more like older brothers than uncles to Johnny.”
“What about his father?”
“His daddy is in the military and is doin’ another tour over in one of them war countries. I never can remember which one. When he can, he comes and stays with Johnny, takes him places and all, but it’s his grandma who is raisin’ him, along with lots of help from his uncles. Don’t worry about Brook. She’s in good hands. You’ll like that boy when you get to know him better. Brook’s got a real good friend there,” Zed said.
“Thanks, Uncle Zed. Here comes a truckload of guys who look like they’re needin’ more bait. See you later.”
Dana suddenly missed her friends at the ranch. The foreman who always came in to have coffee with her in the morning, the CPA that she had lunch with once a month when they went over the ranch books, the old veterinarian she’d learned so much from in the last ten years, and even her boss, who’d been her best friend until she’d accused Dana of horrible things.
“Hey, Dana,” a regular customer yelled as he led a parade of guys into the store. “We need four dozen minnows, a box of stink bait, and maybe six dozen worms. While you get that ready, we’ll get our snack and beer order on the counter for you to check out.”
“Plannin’ on stayin’ out all night?” She picked up a net and headed toward the minnow tank.
“Yep. All night or until the beer runs out. Lester’s wife says she’ll cook the fish up if we clean ’em, and we’ve all got the day off tomorrow. Catfish bite better at night,” he said.
She dipped up the minnows, giving them a few extra in the container, and then filled the rest of their order. By the time she got to the counter, it was filled with chips, sandwich meat, bread, candy bars, and beer. She rang it up as all the men began to throw money on the counter.
After they left, Tawny came through the door, wiping sweat from her forehead with a bandanna.
“I need an icy-cold Pepsi and a candy bar. I never realized how much Brook helped until she wasn’t there for the afternoon. That girl is a godsend. But I agree with you, she does need some time to play. We should give her every Sunday afternoon off, Dana. She needs to be a kid as long as possible. I sure didn’t have to spend all my time working when I was her age.”
“Neither did I,” Dana said.
The phone rang, and Tawny reached across the counter to grab the receiver. She stretched it too far and the base fell on the floor with a loud clang. “Lake Side Resort,” she said with a giggle.
“Dropped the phone, didn’t you? Can’t get used to these things with cords,” Brook laughed. “Can I talk to Mama?”
“How do you know this isn’t your mama talking?” Tawny asked.
“Because her voice is deeper than yours.”
“It’s Brook.” Tawny handed the receiver to Dana and rounded the counter to put the phone back where it belonged.
“You are kiddin’ me. Did you really?” Dana covered the mouthpiece and said, “She just caught a five-pound catfish and the guys are cleaning it up for her. They’re going to fillet it so we can have a fish fry sometime this week.”
Tawny gave her a thumbs-up sign.
“Tell them they’re all invited to supper that night,” Dana said, pausing to listen again. “Okay, thirty more minutes, but then you’d better come on home because Payton is bringing the pizza about then.”
She handed the receiver back to Tawny, who laid it on the base. “Where were we?”
“Talkin’ about her having a guy for a best friend. You comin’ to the house to meet Johnny and have pizza with us tonight?” Dana asked. “Harper called and said that she and Wyatt are going out on the boat this evening, so she won’t be there.”
“I’ve got to get cleaned up, but I’ll be there. Save me a slice.” Tawny picked up the bag with her snacks and disappeared just as the clock ticked to closing time.
Dana hurriedly locked the door, grabbed two large bottles of Coke, and rushed home to take a quick shower and change since Payton had agreed to join them and to pick up the pizza and pasta at his favorite place in Tyler.