***
“Theodore Ezra Dawson, you get that thing off my table!” Mama Dawson had turned a scary shade of magenta, but the rest of the family belted out in laughter, the sound filling the room until my ears ached.
“She’s back to her old self,” said Mr. Dawson.
Ted put the turtle into his shirt pocket and then went into the kitchen where I heard the water running. No doubt he was in there washing his hands, but he returned before the laughter died down. “I thought you’d like him, Mama.”
“He’s beautiful, and he’d be much happier down at the creek than on my table.” His mother’s color was fading to normal which, since the cancer, had turned a much paler shade.
Mason straightened up in his seat. “It’s good to see you’ve still got it, Mama.”
“It will take more than cancer to kill this old bird or to take my spirit.” She flashed Mason a wink and stuffed a piece of roll into her mouth.
Ted returned to the table beside me but didn’t pay me much mind. When dinner was over, he hurried from his place and headed out to the field to help Mason. I guess I shouldn’t feel bad. I was an employee after all, and he had better things to do than dote over me all day.
On my way back out to the office, I noticed a car was parked where Katie’s had been and there was a woman standing by the barn entrance that led to the office. Her hair was blond, and she held herself with a certain confidence that made me suspicious. Ella spun around and smiled as I approached.
“Hello,” she said giving me the up and down with her eyes. “I suppose you work here? Would you be a darling and ring Ted to the barn.”
“He’s gone out to the field, is there something I can help you with?” I clenched my jaw as well as my fists at my side.
“Did you hear me? I asked for you to call him up here. I need to speak with him about some business. I would have called, but there’s been service issues since the storm.”
The tower on our land had been glitching and affected every phone in a hundred-mile radius.
“Can I tell him what it’s about?” I wanted to know what the whore wanted with him and just what kind of business she and Ted still shared. I walked into the office, and she lingered by the door.
“Tell him I’m late. That’ll get him here.” The syrupy laugh that followed gave me a sick feeling in my gut. What if Ted had gotten her pregnant? “Why you look positively green, dear. Are you feeling well?”
“What are you doing here?”
She spun around to face Mason, who had walked up behind her.
“I’ve come to see your brother. It’s business and personal.” She glanced over her shoulder toward me, and Mason gave me an apologetic look.
“He’s busy,” Mason practically snarled at the woman.
“He’ll want to see me. I know he missed me.” She stepped up and stroked his cheek causing him to flinch away. “You miss me, don’t you, lover?”
Mason met my eyes at about the time my jaw popped open. He’d slept with her too. The guilt averted his gaze to the floor, and he stepped back. I noticed his fists were clenched and the muscle tightened in his jaw. I’d never seen him so pissed off. “You need to leave. I’ll tell Ted you came by.”
“No. I’ve come here on business and I’m not leaving until I speak with him.” She was more insistent, and I’d listened to about enough of her demands.
“He said leave.” I stood up straight and glared down my nose at her as her mouth popped open.
“And who the hell are you?” She extended a sharp purple-nailed finger in my direction and turned to Mason. “Who the hell is she?”
“That’s Ted’s wife,” said Mason, deadpan. The smirk slowly spread across his face as the anguish flared to hers.
I stepped forward, nose to nose with her. “That’s right, and if you don’t get your bitchy blond ass back to your car, I’m going to drag you out of here by your skull.” I pushed a hard finger against her breastbone as anger burned in her eyes. The look she gave me could have sharpened daggers as she turned and pushed past Mason at the door.
She paused on her way out. “You better hope I bleed, baby brother. I’ll own your ass.”
Mason’s grin faded, and she glanced back at me and then turned her nose to the air and left. I watched out the window as she stumbled through the yard, avoiding puddles and disappeared into her car.
“Don’t say a word to Ted,” said Mason, still shaken.
“Do you think she’s bluffing? She joked about being late before you showed up. I thought she meant Ted.” I fell back into my chair.
“Ted hasn’t had anything to do with anyone since you came back into the picture.” That made me happy, but then again, he’d asked for Katie’s number. I was certain he had. What else would she be doing with his phone?
“Regardless of what the two of them are, I doubt he’ll like you telling her we’re married.” I only hoped Ted didn’t think I had said it and wondered if she’d try to say I did. I had played along. If word spread that he was off the market, that could work in my favor, or it could make him angry. I imagined him whoring around town trying to prove to people that he was still available.
“He won’t care. You two can try to avoid it all you want, but it’s a given. Like the sky is blue and the grass is green. You and Ted are meant to be together.” Mason seemed so sure, but before I could ask him why he nudged me. “You should come out to Kinsey’s later with me and Ted. There’s this girl I’m after. She’s gorgeous. I want to ask her over to the table, and it would really help to have a girl around who isn’t hanging on me.”
“What’s her name? I might know her.” I tilted my head and raised my eyebrows, but he was already shaking his head.
“She’s new in town. I didn’t get a name, but damn. She’s fine.” He sucked air through his teeth, and I couldn’t help but giggle.
The smile faded fast when I realized what had happened. “Mason, Ted’s going to find out. I don’t want to keep it a secret from him. Besides, she’s going to tell him. Especially if she sees us at Kinsey’s.” My nerves still shook with adrenaline. I couldn’t believe I’d gotten in her face. I’d never been so confrontational in my life, but knowing she’d had her claws in Ted had made it feel good.
He put his hands on my arms and slid them down to take my hands. “It’s okay. Relax. I’ll get a few beers in him and explain. He’ll be okay.”
“He’s a mean drunk.” I had a feeling his plan wasn’t as solid as he thought it was.
“You have a point. Maybe I’ll tell him on the way.” He pulled me into a hug. “Don’t worry, okay.” He held me there a moment, but then footsteps had him pushing me away.
As Ted walked in, I tried to act natural, but instead, he focused on his brother. “What the hell’s up with you?”
“Nothing at all.” He glanced over toward me, and his eyes widened with panic and what seemed like an apology. Then he spun around and faced his brother. “Ella was here, and Lauralee almost whipped her ass.”
You could have heard a pin drop, and Ted’s jaw went slack. “Why didn’t you call me?” He turned to face me with wide eyes. His hands rested on my shoulders, and I was suddenly smaller in his grip. “Did you threaten her, Lolly?” I wanted to think that anytime he used my special name that everything was right in the world, but I think he was only reminding himself not to kill me.
He dropped his hands and then raked one through his hair. “You’ve no idea what you’ve done.”
“She came in here talking shit to the both of us. Lauralee was only putting her in her place.” Mason stepped up to defend me, but it was a little late in my opinion, especially after that initial push in front of the bus. I glared across the room at him.
“I’m sorry, Ted.” My shoulders slumped, and he shook his head.
“Don’t be sorry. You didn’t know, and I should have warned you she might come around. I shouldn’t have trusted her to call me back. I should have known she’d show up here to make a scene.” He’d called her. He’d wanted her to call him back. That fact burned in my gut like hot coals.
“I didn’t realize you had business with her, man, or I would have. She was being a real bitch, talking shit to us as well as making threats and insinuations.” Mason was speaking ninety to nothing until his brother held up his hand.
“I said it’s okay.” He turned back to me. “I called her about Mr. Stutt’s farm. She’s his niece. I thought I told you that.”
I searched his eyes for any sign that he was kidding and could taste the bile in the back of my throat. I wanted to puke. “I didn’t know.” Part of me wanted to be angry that he didn’t tell me, and part of me was elated that he cared so much. Even though I’d pretty much given up on the farm, now I’d obliterated any hope that was left.
“I’m sorry. I should have told you or at least minded my own business, but when you sounded so upset on the phone last night, I wanted to see if there was a way to get a better deal now that there’s so much damage.”
“I guess I blew it.” I’d never considered Ella wasn’t lying about having business with him that didn’t involve sex. I noticed that Mason hadn’t told him about the possibility of Ella being late with his baby but decided that I’d let it go. Besides, there was that whole “wife” thing, and maybe that one was better coming from me with a few drinks.