Secrets in the Lowcountry--The River (20 page)

Jeff shook his head.
“Please don’t apologize.
D
ad’s better, getting stronger every day.
He
hoped to come,
but he
still takes a nap at least once a day.
T
he
combination of the
servi
ce and the reception
made the
day
too long
.
I offered to take him home if he tired, but he decided to pass.
”

Mary nodded then looked directly at him.
“I realize this is an imposition, but could your father come over?
I’ll drive over and pick
up
Trey
.
Even if he only stayed for a short
visit
, he
’d
help.
Not only have
Martin and he
been friends forever, but
Doc
needs someone
w
ho’s experienced
w
hat
he’s going through.” A
touch of sorro
w
flavor
ed
her
w
ords.

“Mom’s
ill
ness lasted
for a long time.
T
he situations are
very
different, but they do respect
and enjoy
each other
’s company. I
f Doc has
questions, my dad might be the best one to ask
.
I
’ll bring him over, so d
on’t
w
orry about transportation,
”
Jeff promised then
snickered
.
“No doubt, Dad
’ll
tell me that he’ll drive himself.”

“Proba
bly.” A smile sho
w
ed in her tone of voice.
“Ho
w
are the arrangements for the funeral coming?”

“
Al
W
hite
’s handling everything.
He told Ma
rtin that
’s
w
hy one has friends
.
After the service
at St. Helena’s, the guests
w
ill
come
back to the house for lunch.
Fancy Catering’s handling
that part.”

He nodded then asked,
“I realize this is a strange question, but
w
hat happened to all the food from the
w
edding?”

“
Not so strange.
I froze the cake. After they called off the search,
w
e donated most of the dinner to Free Meals for Beaufort. At least, the food
w
ent to a
w
orthy
cause.”

“
G
ood idea
. Mom al
w
ays gave her leftovers from big parties to that organization.” He paused before adding, “Sounds as if everything is
under control.
”

“Normally, t
hat
’s
one of the things I do best.”

S
he
stopped drying off the peaches and took a deep breath.
“Julia Ann and I shared a
room in college
.
We were inseparable for a while.
If I had
w
aited. . .
”

“M
iss M
ary, you’re not responsible. According to my dad
and my own observations
, Mrs. Harris lived her life
w
ithout regarding
others. If you had
w
aited for her to go inside, she’d
no doubt
head off as soon as
the
beams
of your
tail lights
faded from
her
w
indo
w
.”
Jeff gave her a hug.
“Hang in there.”

She sniffed and stepped a
w
ay.
“
I’m be
tter
w
hen I’m
w
orking
.
W
hat
w
ould
y’all
like for lunch?”

“Sand
w
iches,
s
w
eet tea and a blanket
w
ould be great.”

“I believe I
can
add a fe
w
mor
e items
.
”
             
             
             

“If you’ll excuse me
for a minute, I’ll call Dad
and see if he up to coming over.
W
hat time
w
ould be best?” Jeff pull
ed his cell off
his belt.

“Four, probably.
I’ll be happy to pick him u
p.
”
She
repeat
ed
her earlier offer.

Jeff stepped out of the kitchen and onto the small porch on the side
of the house
.
“Dad, it’s me.” He
explain
ed
w
hy he’d called.
After clicking off
, he
strolled back into the kitchen.
“Miss Mary. . .”

“Just Mary, please.”

He nodded.
“
I’ll try. Mary,
it sounds strange to my ears.
” H
e sent
her
a smile. “My
dad said four is fine.
He
w
anted to drive himself, but I told him I’d bring him over.
He hopes he can help.”

“I’m sure he can. Having good friends, especially old friends around during times of trouble is a plus,
” Mary replied
.
“Your picnic’s ready.
The blanket’s on the top of the food.”

Jeff gave her a quick peck on the cheek.

“Hey!” Taylor interrupted.
“Stop flirting
w
ith that beautiful
w
oman!
I’ll report you.”

“To
w
hom?”
His amusement sho
w
ed
in his
face and
voice.

“I’m
w
orking on it.”
She scre
w
ed up her face,
w
hile in
w
ardly she laughed.

He
w
inked at Mary.
“Don’t
w
orry about her. H
er threats mean nothing.”

“Then she
w
on’t fire me for fooling
w
ith a guest?” Mary asked going along
w
ith the teasing.

“As if she’d dare dismiss you, her father
w
ould force her to give up mucking out the stables and forbid her from leaving the house.
She
w
ould have to cook, do the
w
ash, iron the clothes, clean, take out the garbage, and everything else,” he said,
w
ith mock sincerity.

Taylor chuckled.
“Stop.
I’m not sure
w
ho
w
ould suffer the most
,
Dad, me, or Mary.”

Jeff eyed her carefully.
Strolled to her side and ran his fingers through her hair.

“
W
hat are you doing?” she asked in a small voice
, as her cheeks turned pink
.

“C
hecking to make sure you
w
ashed all the manure out.”
He kept hold of her hair and took a deep breath.
“Yes, she’s clean, Mary.
I think
w
e can go.”

Taylor
stared at him.
The red of her face deepened and confusion sho
w
ed in her eyes.

Jeff smiled in
w
ardly. He enjoyed her discomfort. Anything he could do to drive her thoughts a
w
ay from Rod pleased him. For a fe
w
seconds,
guilt threatened his plan. H
e pu
shed the emotion
aside. Rod
never deserved her.

Mary laughed as she looked from one to the other.
“Jeff,
w
hy did you stay a
w
ay so long?
W
e’ve missed your humor.”

“
Life happens
.
”
H
e shrugged, un
w
ill
ing to share the real reason. Forcing a lighter tone, he teased, “
If
w
e don’t have lunch soon, you’ll find me collapsed on the
floor from lack of nourishment.
”
He faked a s
w
oon.

Taylor grabbed the large, s
w
eet-grass basket.
“
Thanks, Miss Mary.
You, carry the the
rmos.” She directed her last
w
ords
to Jeff.

He saluted, picked up the jug of s
w
eet tea and headed to the side door.

Once outside, Taylor asked, “Have you decided on a spot?”

He grinned.
“Yep!”

“
W
here?”

“Just follo
w
me.
I’ll lead the
w
ay.”

He headed
across the grass
to
w
ard the camellia garden
and the river.
Just before they left the la
w
n and entered the path that
w
ended through, he stopped. “My mother loved this garden. I remember coming here as a little boy. Your grandmother
w
as still alive.” He glanced at her.

She stood as if rememberi
ng. “She planned and started this
w
hole area,
w
anting flo
w
ers in the
w
inter.”

“My mom loved the idea and began one of her o
w
n.
Nana Harris
gave her
cuttings to add to the
collection. My job
w
as to
w
ater the ne
w
plants. I hated that. Yet,
w
hen I came home, almost the first thing I did
w
as check Mom’s camellias.” He studied the area for a fe
w
minutes.

“Nana Harris
. Everyone called her that.
”

“Her bro
w
nies surely are in the hall of fame for best cookies,” he added, before strolling
further
do
w
n the
dirt covered path
. The
w
idth
allo
w
ed for single file
only
.
On either side, ro
w
s of camellias stret
ched fifteen feet in the air,
their circumference ten or more feet
,
s
o thick one couldn’t see beyond the next bend in the trail. Although bare of their beautiful flo
w
ers,
Jeff remembered ho
w
they looked in full bloom. The memory sharply brought back his mother’
s smile,
w
hich he matched
w
ith
his o
w
n.