Chapter Six
A crowd was already gathering in the nursery parking lot when I pulled up a few minutes after noon. My phone dinged and I checked to see I had another message from Mason. He'd been checking in with me all morning to make sure I was safe. His latest text told me he was running late, but he’d be at the nursery by one.
Violet burst out of the door as I walked to the entrance, Muffy trotting along behind me. “Where have you been?” she said through gritted teeth. “You’re late.”
I glanced at my phone. “By three minutes.”
“I needed you here, Rose. People are already showing up.” Her gaze took me in from head to toe. “Have you spent all morning getting dressed? Because I know you weren’t building Mrs. Miller’s retaining wall. Which means you weren’t working.”
After leaving Jonah’s, I’d run by our latest job to check on the site and tell the homeowner it might be a few days before we wrapped things up. When I got home, I spent five full minutes staring at the clothes in my closet. Did I want to wear jeans and a sweatshirt and try to make Joe think this was no big deal? Did I want to put on a dress and curl my hair? But would he think I was trying to win him back? I ultimately decided to dress for me. I was going to be on camera and I wanted to look good whether Joe was there or not. I chose a suede skirt and cream-colored sweater with dark brown boots. I’d even curled my hair and fixed it into a style Neely Kate had tried out the weekend before.
I knew Violet lashed out when she was stressed, but I was stressed too. “Violet, I’m already going above and beyond by doing this today. Don’t push me.”
Her mouth fell open in shock, but she quickly closed it and gave me a disapproving look. “I don’t know what’s gotten into you lately, Rose Anne Gardner, but I’m not sure I like you very much right now.”
“Well, that makes two of us, because I haven’t liked you for a good month.”
Tears welled in her eyes. She started say something but then turned around and walked into the back room, leaving me to feel like the worst sister in the world. What I said may have been true, but that wasn’t the way to tell her. At least not according to the role-playing games Jonah and I had practiced when preparing for this confrontation.
I glanced around the shop and wondered why she had freaked out about me being late. I couldn’t see a single thing that needed to be done. But then again, I had no idea what we were supposed to do in the first place.
She came back out after a few minutes, her smile screwed on and her eyes shining bright, pretending like nothing had happened. “The campaign people won’t be here until close to one, but the SBA people should be here at any moment.”
My stomach flip-flopped. “Do you know who’s coming with the campaign people?”
She turned to give me a smug smile. “Nope.”
It was my turn to gasp.
She glanced out the window, her eyes lighting up as the front door opened. “Mayor MacIntosh. It’s so wonderful that you could make time in your busy schedule to come today.”
Brody sauntered through the door and shook her extended hand, holding on longer than necessary. “I wouldn’t dream of missing it, Violet. What’s good for the Gardner Sisters Nursery is excellent for all of Henryetta.”
I glanced around, wondering who they were putting on their little show for. There were a few customers in the store, but I was the only one watching, and I wasn’t falling for it. I cleared my throat. “Muffy, let’s go in back.”
“That’s right,” Violet called after me. “You run off and hide like you always do, leaving me to do all the work.”
I stopped in the doorway and spun around while Muffy ran for the dog bed I kept in the back room. Smart dog.
Brody stood next to her, looking like someone had just pointed a shotgun in his face.
I put my hand on my hip. “Is that what you think I do?”
Brody took two careful steps backward as though he was worried he was about to step on a landmine.
She put both hands on her hips and cocked her head. “Isn’t it?” she asked in her syrupy sweet voice.
I took several steps toward her. “I do plenty of work around here. I work six days a week, and I’m out doing manual labor while you stand around behind a cash register all day.”
She gasped. “I do more than that!”
The customers had stopped perusing the store, turning their full attention to Violet.
Brody had his hand on the door. “I’ll just wait outside.”
Violet spun her head around to him so quickly it was a wonder it didn’t fly off her head. “No you won’t! You wait right there.”
My sister’s raised voice had attracted the attention of several busybodies outside and they stood in rapt attention outside the windows, as if they were watching an episode of the Real Housewives of Fenton County.
“You’re right,” I conceded. “You do more than run a cash register. You let everyone think that I’m some evil tyrant who’s made you into an indentured servant.”
Her face reddened. “You know full good and well that I’ve been trying to set the record straight since I confessed that to you.”
I took several steps closer. “Really, Vi? How hard are you trying? Because Mrs. Hershel’s eyes nearly fell out of her head while she was glaring at me at the bank last week.”
“How can you be sure that it was over my little misunderstanding? It could be because of the company you keep. Think about it! Jonah Pruitt’s mother killed five women and tried to kill you, but you spend more time with him than me. Then take Bruce Wayne. He’s a criminal, for heaven’s sake. I’m sure we’d get even more landscaping jobs if someone more respectable worked with you. Joe was right. No wonder he broke up with you.”
I shook my head in disbelief, tears springing to my eyes. “You have no idea, Violet.” I clenched my fists at my sides. “No idea at all why we broke up.”
“Mason will see it too. He’ll see that you’re not like everyone else. I’ve tried to protect you, but you got a bee in your bonnet and decided to prove me wrong. And everything’s falling apart around you now, just like I knew it would.”
“Violet!” Brody said, his voice full of shock.
“Even Bruce Wayne is proving to be a disappointment. You actually believe he’s sick and not off getting high somewhere? You really are naïve. This is why you need to let me make all the business decisions, Rose. I’m the one with common sense.”
“You’re just like Momma,” I whispered.
“What?”
“Oh, my word.” I sagged against the counter. “How did I never see this before? You’re exactly like her.”
Her back became ram-rod stiff. “I’m nothin’ like her.”
“You think your way is the right way, and when I don’t do things your way, you berate me until I think I was wrong.” I shook my head. “I’m done. I’m done with letting you or anyone else tell me what to do.”
“Tell you what to do? Good heavens.” She scowled in disgust. “You haven’t done a thing I’ve told you to do since Joe Simmons showed up in your life! I knew he’d hurt you! When I found out about his family, I told you that you’d never be good enough for them. And who was right, Rose? It kills you to admit it, doesn’t it?”
“Is that what this is about?” I shouted. “Joe destroys my heart and you’re waiting for me to tell you that you’re right?”
The crowd outside the windows had grown larger and several onlookers dared to come inside and gather around the front door.
“Congratulations, Violet. You were right.” I took a step toward her, lifting my eyebrows. “I’m too white trash for the high-and-mighty Simmons family of El Dorado, Arkansas. But if I’m white trash because of my roots, stop and think about what that makes you.”
Her smile fell.
I leaned into her ear and whispered, “And the reason Joe and I broke up was to save you, Violet. His father has photos of you and Brody coming out of a motel room and was using them to blackmail Joe into running for office.” I took a step back, my heart dark with anger and bitterness. “But I don’t expect a thank you. You’ll just twist it around somehow so you won’t have to accept responsibility. Because that’s what you do.” I turned around and headed into the back room. “And for the record,” I said as I walked. “I’m not hiding in the back room. I’m trying to stay away from you.”
I left her standing in the middle of the shop, pale-faced and in obvious shock, but for once I didn’t care. And if that didn’t make me wicked, I wasn’t sure what would.
Neely Kate was sitting at my potting table, her eyes as big as quarters. “Did that just happen?” she whispered.
I had invited her the night before, but with all the commotion, I hadn’t seen her sneak in. My legs started to quiver as I nodded.
She hopped off the stool and grabbed my arm. “Let’s go out and get some fresh air.”
I let her pull me out the back door and Muffy followed us. I leaned against the brick wall, reminded of the night of Momma’s visitation when Joe and I had ducked out to escape the stares of the people who were certain that I’d bashed in my mother’s head and then hid the rolling pin in the folds of my skirt.
“Thanks for coming early, Neely Kate. You didn’t have to.”
“And miss that confrontation? That was the best thing I’ve seen in…well, ever.”
Muffy lay on the concrete next to my feet, looking up at me in confusion.
“It was horrible.” I squeezed my eyes, hoping all the mean, vile things I’d just said would somehow disappear. “I’ve never talked to anyone that way.”
She grabbed my arm. “Well, then that was a long time coming, wasn’t it? Besides, what about all the ugly things she said to you? She was much more hateful than you would ever even consider being. How can you work with her every day?”
“I’m not with her every day. I’m usually out at the job sites.”
“Well, there you have it. You can just stay away from the shop,” she teased, but my heart ached.
Spewing my anger had made me feel good temporarily, but now I felt hollow and sick to my stomach. “What am I going to do?” I turned to Neely Kate, her bright blue eyes gazing at me while her long blonde curls blew in the wind behind her. “I should apologize.”
Her eyes flew open. “No, you will not! Are you really sorry you told her how you felt?”
“Well, no. But I am sorry I was so hateful. I regret that part.”
“I suspect that’s the only language Violet Beauregard understands.”
I sighed. “It still doesn’t make it right.”
“I suppose.” She was silent for several seconds. “I heard about Daniel Crocker getting out.”
“Yeah, I’m surprised so many people are out front waiting for this press conference with a hardened criminal on the loose.”
She stepped away from the wall. “You don’t know, do you?”
“Know what?”
She turned to look at me, studying my face. “A good portion of Henryetta supports Daniel Crocker. He provided a lot of jobs that disappeared after he was arrested. Some people are happy he escaped. They think he’s innocent and that it was all a setup. You may have seen his evil side, but he was an excellent schmoozer and an even better liar. Heck, people loved him so much that I suspect he would have been the next mayor if he’d decided to run.”
“You’re kidding.” But I wasn’t too surprised when I stopped to think about it. Thomas had pretty much told me the same thing, only he’d added that a lot of people blamed his arrest on me.
“I wish I was.” She sighed and pressed her back to the wall again. “Aren’t you worried?”
“It makes me nervous knowing he’s on the loose, but Mason says the state police think he’s in Louisiana.” I paused. “Mason is taking this afternoon off from work to come to the press conference and spend the rest of the day with me.”
“Aww…”
I shook my head, but I couldn’t stop my grin.
“Will you just date the guy already?”
“I can’t, Neely Kate. Not yet.”
“I’m an old married woman now. I need to live vicariously though you.”
I laughed and bumped into her arm. “Yeah, you’re about to hit your four-month anniversary. That’s like forever.”
“When time does Joe show up?”
“I don’t know.” My chest tightened and my heart sped up. “I think right before one.”
“How are you doing? Really?”
I took a deep breath. “Honestly, I’m scared to see Joe. I don’t know what he’s going to say or do. He might ignore me for all I know.”
“The way you look? There’s no way that man could ignore you. I’m glad you’re showing him what he walked away from.”
“That’s not why I wore this.”
“I know. You don’t have a manipulative bone in your body. I think Violet got all the bitchy genes.”
“Neely Kate!” I chastised, but I couldn’t hold back my laughter.
“So what are you supposed to do at this thing anyway?”
“I have no idea how this works. I think I’ll hide back here until someone comes looking for me.”
“Good idea. Better steer clear of Violet right now, though. She’ll be on a war path.” Neely Kate moaned and leaned her head against the building, closing her eyes. “Something is not agreeing with me.”
“Still not feeling well?” I asked, worried about her. Neely Kate rarely complained of physical ailments.
“It’s probably those dog-gone hot wings. My grandmother made me take her to Big Bill’s Barbeque for buffalo hot wings last night and then to the VFW for bingo night.” She shot me a pretend glare. “Since it was Halloween and you were with your niece and nephew, I couldn’t use you as an excuse to get out of it.”
“Surely it’s not that bad.”
“Fine. Next week you go with her and help her set out all her good luck charms just so. Then every time she gets any kind of bingo, she tells everyone she’s a psychic and she knew she was gonna win. By the end of the night, she has several new clients for her psychic readings.”
“Do you think she’s really psychic?”
“I used to kinda believe. Until I met you.” She laughed. “In any case, those damn hot wings are my curse. Not only do they send my guts into a panic whenever they’re within ten feet of my mouth, but they seem to do the same to my grandma. Yet she still won’t give ’em up. Not even after the time she took them to the Maryville Southern Baptist Church Valentine’s Sweetheart Potluck and tried to pass ’em off as her own.” She shook her head with a laugh. “Oh, my word! The uproar! The church board had to call an emergency meeting to see about getting her kicked off the ladies auxiliary.”
We giggled over her grandmother’s antics for another twenty minutes before the back door opened and Mason poked his head around the corner.
“So this is where you two are hiding? Is it just me, or does Violet seem even more tense than usual?”
“It’s not just you.” Neely Kate laughed. “You missed the fireworks.”
Mason’s gaze shifted to the back room to see what he might have missed.
I walked toward him. “I’ll tell you about it later. Is Jonah out front?”
“I didn’t see him, but I wasn’t looking for him, either. I was more worried about finding you.”
“I take it that means they haven’t captured Daniel Crocker yet?”
“No, but they’re still pretty confident that they’ve tracked him to Shreveport.”
“That’s what you said this morning.”
“I’m sorry.” He grimaced apologetically. “I wish I had better news. Just get through this press conference, and then how about I take you to Magnolia for the rest of the day? We can see a movie and eat dinner. It’ll take your mind off of everything.”
I smiled up at him, my stomach fluttering. “I’d like that.”
Neely Kate moved behind Mason and waggled her eyebrows at me with a lascivious smirk. I shot her a glare.
Keeping his eyes on mine, Mason grinned. “You’re not helping, Neely Kate.”
She laughed and disappeared through the open back door.
Mason let it close behind her, hesitating. “Are you sure you want to do this?”
I nodded. Part of me didn’t want to, but I needed to for so many more reasons.
Too bad that didn’t make me any less nervous.
He stared into my eyes, his smile fading. “I hope you find what you’re looking for, Rose.”
“Me too.”