RG2 - Twenty-Nine and a Half Reasons (22 page)

I whispered, “Mike wants us to come over for dinner tonight to sort this all out.”

A murderous gleam filled his eyes. “I think that’s a great idea.”

“But… I don’t—”

Joe grabbed the phone out of my hand.

Oh, crappy doodles.

“Mike? Joe here. What time should we come over?” He used his Detective Simmons, no-nonsense-tolerated voice. There was a long pause. “We’ll be there at six. And we
will
be bringing our dog home.” He slammed the receiver onto the phone on the wall, then stood in front of it for several seconds. “We’re going over at six.”

“So I heard.”

Joe turned around to look at me, his anger fading a bit. “It’s time to get this all out in the open.”

I twisted the bottom of my shirt. “I suppose.”

“Violet needs to accept the fact that I’m not going anywhere. The only person who can run me off is you. Do you want to run me off?” Insecurity flickered across his face before determination replaced it.

I wrapped my arms around his waist and rose on my toes to kiss him. “No, Joe. I most definitely don’t want to run you off.”

He held me tight, his breath whooshing out in relief. “You might have to choose. Violet may force you to choose her or me.”

I buried my head into his chest. “You’re a better cuddler.”

He laughed and rubbed my back.

I looked up at him. “You called Muffy ‘our dog.’”

He cringed in embarrassment. “Yeah, sorry about that. It’s just that I’ve known her as long as you have and I love takin’ care of her when I’m here. And I miss her.”

I kissed him again and smiled. “I like us sharing something so important. It makes us more permanent.”

His smile lit up his face. “I like the sound of that.”

We spent the rest of the day finishing the bedroom and for the first time, I let my mind cross my self-imposed line. I let myself consider a future with Joe. But I worried about our confrontation with Violet later. Joe said he wasn’t going anywhere, but he’d never been on the full receiving end of Violet’s wrath. It wasn’t fair that Joe had to endure her meddling. I couldn’t help wondering if I was worth the aggravation.

Chapter Seventeen

“Joe, we don’t have to do this.”

We stood on Violet’s front porch and Joe held my hand so tightly my palm began to sweat. He wore the new dress shirt and jeans we’d bought him earlier. Since he’d left Little Rock in such a hurry, he hadn’t gone home to pack anything.

“Yes, we do. We’re sortin’ this out.” He gritted his teeth, mumbling his words.

The front door opened and Mike filled the opening, an apologetic look on his face. He held two beer bottles and handed one to Joe. “You’re gonna need it.”

Joe took it and stepped through the door, dragging me behind him.

Mike mouthed “I’m sorry” as we passed.

I was walking into World War III. “Got another one of those?”

Mike grinned. “Comin’ right up.” He disappeared into the kitchen.

Violet sat on the deck and watched the kids play with Muffy in the yard. Her sunglasses hid her eyes, but she lifted a glass of wine to her mouth.

Joe stopped outside the door. “Violet, we need to talk.”

Muffy saw us and ran over, jumping on my legs and begging me to pet her.

Violet lowered her glasses, eyeing Joe up and down before she pushed them back up and turned her gaze to the kids. “I don’t know about manners where you’re from, Joe Whatever-your-name-happens-to-be-this-week, but here in Henryetta we don’t tolerate rudeness.”

I gasped. I hadn’t seen Violet act that catty since high school. What in the world had gotten into her?

Mike walked out with my beer and I took a big gulp, nearly choking on the fizz.

Violet turned her judgment on me. “Beer, Rose? Really?

“There is nothing wrong with beer, Violet.” Since I still held Joe’s hand, I put the hand holding my beer on my hip, hoping to look indignant. Not an easy task while trying not to tip the bottle. The contents sloshed out as Muffy jumped up my leg. I’m sure it lost some of the effect, but I didn’t want to let go of Joe’s hand. It was important I showed her that we were a couple, whether she liked it or not.

“Joe, have a seat.” Mike’s tone was friendly but direct.

I sat in the wicker love seat, pulling Joe down next to me. Muffy leapt into my lap, covering me with licks.

I set the bottle down and buried my face into her neck. “I missed you too, girl.”

Mike lifted the lid to his grill and turned his steaks. “This has gone on long enough and we’re gonna put a stop to it tonight.”

For a moment, I thought he was talking about the steaks. Mike never meddled in other people’s business. Ever. But then again, he was probably tired of taking cover during Violet’s tirades.

Turning around, he pointed his tongs at Violet. “Rose is a grown woman and she’s entitled to date who she wants, whenever she wants. You may be her older sister, but that doesn’t give you the right to run her life.”

Violet gasped. “Am I supposed to sit back and say nothing while I watch her make the biggest mistake of her life?”

“You need to respect her decisions.”

Her mouth pursed as she shook her head. She leaned on the chair arm, turning her attention to Joe. “We don’t know anything about you. You waltz into town and put my sister in danger, then make her fall in love with you. Then you come and go as you please, makin’ her miserable during the week. Now she’s thinkin’ about running off with you.” She turned her stare on me. “I’m not a fool, Rose Anne Gardner. I know what you’re thinking. But he could be a serial killer for all we know.”

“Violet!” If I hadn’t already told Joe that I loved him, I’d have been seething with anger that she mentioned my feelings so casually, as if they weren’t mine to tell. Well, seething with more anger than I’d come over to her house with. And how did she know I loved him, anyway? I’d never told her. “You know good and well he’s a state police officer. How can he be a serial killer?”

She squinted. “Stranger things have happened, Rose. What’s he hiding?”

I tried to stand, but Joe pulled me back down.

“No,” Joe squeezed my hand. “Let her talk. You say you don’t know anything about me, Violet, but that’s your fault, isn’t it? Since that night you walked into Rose’s house and found me helpin’ her paint, you’ve had it out for me. Why?”

“I already told you. We don’t know anything about you.”

“Then ask.”

For once, Violet was speechless.

“What do you want to know?”

She quickly recovered and lifted her chin. “Your family, for one thing.”

“Oh Lordy, Violet!” I snapped. “That again? Can’t you just let it go?” Joe wasn’t comfortable talking about his family and I wasn’t going to let her bully him into exposing his past.

Joe tensed, involuntarily digging his nails into my hand.

“Joe,
do not
tell her anything you don’t want to share.”

He took a long swig from his bottle then leveled his gaze at her. “I’m not sure what my family has to do with me and the choices I’ve made with my life, but so be it. You’re Rose’s sister. Your blessing is important to me and I know it’s important to her even if she won’t admit it. But let me tell you this,” He leaned forward, resting his elbow on his knee. “I don’t
need
your blessing. I love Rose and I’m not goin’ anywhere. I’m proving it by sitting here endurin’ your inhospitality and condemnation when the only thing I’m guilty of is lovin’ your sister.”

Her mouth opened as though she was about to say something, but she closed it without making a sound. Joe had left her speechless twice. I couldn’t be more proud of him.

Mike tipped his beer with a grin and took a drink.

Joe’s voice lowered into a growl. “Now what do you want to know?”

Violet inhaled, then a smug smile twisted her mouth. “Where are you from?”

“Little Rock.”

“But where were you born and raised? Who are your people?”

“
Who are his people
?” I screeched.

Joe dropped my hand and put his arm around my back. “El Dorado.”

“So you were born there and lived there your whole life.”

“Until I went to college in Little Rock and stayed there when I joined the state police.”

“And did you finish college?”

What was with her haughty attitude? She and Mike didn’t go to college. Most people in Henryetta didn’t. Surely she wasn’t going to hold that over his head.

“Yes, Violet, I did. When I set out to do something, I do it.”

That was clearly a challenge.

“So what was your major?”

“Pre-law, then law school.”

I tried to hide my surprise, but Violet didn’t, her mouth falling open as she peered over her sunglasses, reassessing him with this new piece of information.

“Then why are you an Arkansas State Police detective? Why aren’t you practicing law?”

“Because I never wanted to be an attorney. I only went to law school to appease my father. I always intended to be a police detective.”

“What does your father do?”

“He’s an attorney in El Dorado.”

“And your mother?”

Joe’s arm stiffened.

“Joe, you don’t have to answer her questions.” I turned to my sister. “That is enough, Violet. This is not the Spanish Inquisition.”

“What is he hidin’, Rose? Your face is like an open book, and it’s obvious that this is the first time you’re hearin’ all this yourself. How can you build a relationship on secrets?”

“His past is for him to share with me when he’s ready. It doesn’t change a thing, Violet.”

“Rose, it’s fine.” He glared at Violet. “I hadn’t told Rose because I am so completely different from my parents that I didn’t want Rose to hold my family against me.”

Violet’s hand covered her mouth. “Oh, dear Lord. You’re from white trash, aren’t you?”

“Violet!”

“If your father is a lawyer, he must be an ambulance chaser.”

“
Violet
!” I jumped up, but Joe pulled me back down, his arm wrapping around my waist again. He gripped my side as though he was afraid I was gonna leave him alone to face her.

“No,” Joe’s voice was tight. “My family is the furthest you can get from white trash. To answer your original question, my mother is not employed but keeps busy with her society work.”

Violet was speechless again. Joe was going for a home run.

“My family is
the
Simmons family from El Dorado.”

My head swung from Joe to Violet, unsure what that meant.

But Violet knew. Her face paled. “
The
Simmons family?”

“One and the same.”

“But…but…”

My heart sputtered. “Wait. I don’t understand.”

“His family…” Violet swallowed. “His family is the richest family in all of Southern Arkansas. They fill the
Inviting Arkansas
society pages.” Violet would know, since she subscribed to the magazine that covered all things society in Arkansas. She pored over it every month when it showed up in her mailbox.

Fear coursed through my veins. Joe was from a rich society family and I… I was from Henryetta and worked at a DMV. How could I fit into that?

Joe’s arm pulled me closer. “Rose, I didn’t tell you because I’m not like them and I don’t want to be. I’ve made my own life and you’re part of it. They aren’t.”

Violet pulled off her sunglasses, studying Joe with a suspicious look. “Why not?”

“That’s not the life I wanted. But since you now know that I come from an
acceptable
family, I want to drop the subject.”

Violet’s entire attitude changed, which nauseated me. Was my sister really that shallow?

Dinner was tense, but more on my part than Violet’s doing. She was syrupy sweet to Joe, probably trying to make up for all the meanness she’d heaped on him. I kept thinking about Joe’s family and Violet’s discrimination.

“How’s business, Mike?” Joe asked. “Your construction company still doin’ well?”

“Yeah. We’re bidding on a big job involving the new superstore going in over by the Forest Ridge subdivision.”

My head jerked up at the mention of Frank Mitchell’s neighborhood. “What does that mean exactly?”

Mike stirred his salad around on his plate. “It means they’re tearing out part of the neighborhood to put in the parking lot for the store.”

I set my fork down and wrung my hands in my lap. “So…that means someone is buying houses for the parking lot?”

“Well, yeah.”

“Who’s buying them?”

Joe shot me a glance with narrowed eyes but kept silent.

“The corporation that owns the store. They’re in the process of finalizing the deals. Demo will start in about six months.”

“What happens to the people who don’t want to sell?”

“They don’t have much choice in the matter. The city approved it. They have to accept a fair price.”

“And is it fair?”

Mike shrugged and stabbed a baked potato from the bowl on the table, plopping it onto his plate. “I suppose it is. Most of those houses are damn near condemnable.”

Violet’s mouth pursed and she nodded to Ashley, who ate her food, ignoring all adult conversation. “Mike. Language.”

Mike scowled.

Violet shot me an icy stare. “Why the sudden interest in real estate, Rose?”

I looked down at my steak, feeling Joe’s gaze on me. “I don’t know. I’m interested in old houses.”

“Well, you should take Austin Kent up on his offer to show you his photos of Italy. I’m sure it still stands.”

Joe’s threw his fork down on his plate, the clang filling the room and stunning Violet into silence.

Oh mercy, she’d gone and done it now.

He stood up, his body stiff. “Rose, I think it’s time we left.”

Tears blurred my eyes as I turned to her. “How could you, Violet? Your biggest concern was that Joe’s family wasn’t good enough and now you know they are, so what is it?”

She placed her hands on the table, leaning forward. “Rose, honey, you know how much I love you and I can’t stand by and watch you get hurt.”

“What are you talkin’ about?”

Lifting her chin, she shot a glance at Joe then back at me. “I don’t think tonight is a good time to discuss this, Rose. How about we talk about it after Joe goes back to Little Rock?”