Son of a Preacher Man (7 page)

She hung up the phone and sat heavily on the bed. What to do? She could drive up to Dale today and say goodbye to Mary Ellen and J.T. and forget all about the letter Hornblower had. Or she could take Mary Ellen up on her offer to stay at her place and buy herself some more time to make a decision.

If she wasn’t going to find out what her father had to say to her, there was no point in staying in Georgia. She could take that road trip she’d considered or book a vacation somewhere with cool breezes and palm trees and nice men who brought her drinks.

Or she could stay and risk the unknown.

Nadya wasn’t a big fan of the unknown.

Her phone chimed with an incoming text message. It was from Mary Ellen.

U still able to come 4 dinner 2nite?

The moment of truth. Her finger hovered over the reply box. Did she stay or did she go? J.T.’s words floated back through her mind. If she ignored her father’s words, did it hurt him or her?

Considering he was dead, she doubted it would bother him much. And it didn’t mean she would suddenly feel this amazing bond between herself and her father. All it would be was information. She’d been in the contract business enough to know that the person who had the most information usually had the upper hand.

Before she could lose her nerve, she texted back.
U bet! Mind if I stay over?

She hit send and jumped off the bed. Okay, no big. She could stay for just the night, which actually made sense if she was going to have a drink or two. If things went well, she could play it by ear and stay for a little longer, at least until the hotel got its air conditioning fixed.

Her phone chimed again.

Squeeeeeeee!!!!!!! Can’t wait!

Butterflies danced in the pit of her stomach, and she decided to hold off before making any more decisions. Over the years, she’d learned the wisdom of taking things one step at a time instead of jumping in headfirst. She could put off calling Hornblower for another day. For now, she’d shower and check out of the hotel then go shopping for something for Mary Ellen and the boys, since they were the closest she’d get to nephews.

It was almost four before Nadya got up to Dale. While shopping for toys and a belated house-warming present, she’d found the cutest little boutique and picked up a bracelet for Sandra as well as a halter-top sundress for herself. The white eyelet dress showed off her tan and her curves, and she loved the daisies along the hem. She found a pair of wedges that had daisies on the straps that wrapped around the ankle. The outfit was cool and feminine and too cute to pass up so she wore it out of the store. She’d instantly felt more comfortable than she had in her blouse and slacks, even if they were summer weight.

By far, her favorite purchases of the day had to be the big hoop earrings and bangle bracelets she’d found. With her hair piled on her head because of the heat, the earrings gave her a bit of sparkle. The bangles chimed whenever she moved her arm and gleamed against her olive-toned skin.

It had been a while since she’d worn less-than-conservative jewelry, and she missed how much fun it was. There were hundreds of places in the city that sold costume jewelry, maybe when she got back she’d pick up some things for when she wasn’t dressing for work.

She didn’t have to be at Mary Ellen’s until five o’clock, so she decided to drive around the town a bit. Maybe she’d stop in at the library and see how it had changed. The library had been her sanctuary almost as much as her spot by the creek. Whenever the barbs from the other girls had been too much to bear, or when she’d felt left out and angry, she’d retreat to the coolness of the library and lose herself in a book.

The library was between the elementary school and the secondary school. With a town as small as Dale, the secondary school held grades six through twelve. There had only been twenty kids in her graduating class, and except for J.T., she’d known them all since kindergarten.

As she turned down School Street, her heart sank to see the secondary school boarded up. The library was closed as well, but a sign in the front indicated it would re-open in August. How small had the town gotten that it couldn’t support a secondary school and a library? She’d have to ask Mary Ellen tonight.

The turnoff to Mary Ellen’s neighborhood was just up School Street, so Nadya kept driving. She’d be early, but there really wasn’t anywhere else to go. Quite purposely, she’d avoided driving down Main Street in front of the police station and Hornblower’s office.

Tears came to Nadya’s eyes as she pulled into Mary Ellen’s driveway. She’d spent a lot of time at this house as a kid and had some wonderful memories. Mrs. Farley had taken plenty of flak for allowing her daughter to be friends with
gypsy trash
.

If the Farleys hadn’t owned the only grocery store for miles, Mrs. Farley could have been ostracized by the good ladies of the church. The hypocrisy of the so-called God-fearing ladies was something she and her mama argued about. Growing up a gypsy, Talaitha had seen her fair share of “God-fearing” churchgoers asking for curses to be put on their neighbors or blaming the gypsies for perceived curses. To her, it was to be expected from the
gadzé
.

Nadya wasn’t quite as understanding. She’d longed to publicly call out women like Orleane Campbell who would sniff and make comments like, “You better count your change drawer with this one working for you,” when she came into the store. Yet, on Sunday she’d be out in front of the church selling baked goods to raise money for the “less fortunate”.

Even with the cushion of time and maturity, thinking about the last day at the cabin with Pansy and Orleane still pissed her off. She figured they were still in Dale, although neither Mary Ellen nor J.T. had mentioned them. Somehow she didn’t think the Campbells would move somewhere they wouldn’t be the big fish in a small pond.

She parked her car behind a green minivan with a
Plant a Tree
bumper sticker and left the spot next to it open, assuming it was for Bill. As she unloaded the packages out of her trunk, she saw a towheaded boy with the biggest blue eyes she’d ever seen staring at her from the screen door. A shorter version, wearing only a diaper and a Batman cape, ran into him and laughed as they both bounced off the screen.

“Hunter William Michaels! You get over here and get dressed this instant!” Mary Ellen marched to the door holding a pair of pint-sized shorts and a T-shirt. Her hands fluttered around her face when she saw Nadya standing on the walk with bags in her arms.

“Oh. Hi, Nad. Since when do you show up early for anything? You were always ten minutes late.”

The younger boy, who Nadya figured was Hunter, clung to Mary Ellen’s leg and popped a thumb into his mouth. The older boy, who must be Billy, continued to look at her like she was an alien species.

“It must be the influence of those New Yorkers. Time is money and all that.”

“I was hoping for an extra few minutes to make it look like a bomb hadn’t gone off in the house. Well, come on in out of the heat before you melt. What were you thinking wearing white to a house with two boys? Although it is darling. I saw the perfect necklace to go with it. A gal sells her jewelry on consignment at the store—remind me tomorrow and I’ll show you.”

Nadya juggled the bags in her arms and wheeled her suitcase up the wide porch steps. The swing looked newly painted, and a fan spun lazily over a wicker loveseat and table set. Geraniums wilted a bit in window boxes and pots but added a splash of color and welcome to the white porch.

“God, it’s like nothing’s changed. I keep expecting your mom to yell for me to close the door before the flies get in.”

“We’ve redone some of the inside, but I couldn’t improve on Mama’s gardens, so I left them as they were. Sometimes she takes pity on me and weeds the beds when she comes on Sundays. Oh! I was just on the phone with her, and I told her about you coming for a visit. She said if you leave before Sunday you’d better stop in and see her or she’ll follow you to New York and tan your hide.”

“I will absolutely make sure I see her before I go back to New York. I owe your mama an awful lot. I don’t think I ever thanked her for standing up to everyone so we could be friends. That wasn’t an easy thing to do.”

Mary Ellen wiped tears from under her eyes even as she wrestled a wiggling Hunter into his clothes. “Will you stop saying stuff like that? I’m already a watering pot with all these pregnancy hormones flooding my system. I don’t need you making me worse.”

She sniffed again then set Hunter on his feet. “You two go on and watch TV. Dinner will be a while yet.” She shooed them off to the den before grabbing a bag out of Nadya’s arms. “I usually don’t let them watch more than an hour a day, but this will give us a chance to talk for a few minutes uninterrupted.”

“Is there anything I can help you with?” Nadya asked, leaving her suitcase by the door but taking the other bags to the kitchen with her. “I picked up some chocolate éclairs and some wine. And this.” She handed Mary Ellen the beautifully wrapped package.

“Go on with you. Why did you bring me a present?”

“Because I missed your last twelve birthdays, your wedding and your house warming. I have a lot to make up for. Open it. When I saw it, I thought of you.”

“Well, if you insist. You know how I love presents.” Mary Ellen sat at the wide farmhouse table and carefully pulled back the ribbon and the tape. When she got to the box, she opened it with all the care of a brain surgeon, pulling the tissue-paper-wrapped object out slowly.

“Oh my. This is beautiful. Just like you used to have on your porch.” She held the glass ball up to the light. Swirls of blue formed waves inside the clear ball.

“I remember you used to ask my mama about them, and she told you they were for protection, so I thought I’d get one for your house.”

“Here I go again.” She sniffed and pulled Nadya in for a hug.

“Look at this section here. Doesn’t it look like a mother holding a child? That’s why I had to get it for you.”

“It does. It’s perfect. I’m gonna hang it right here in the window over the sink so it’ll catch the morning sun.” She removed a wind chime that was on a hook and hung the glass ball so the mother-and-child swirl faced the kitchen.

“Doesn’t it look like it always belonged there? I love it.”

“I’m glad. Can I help with anything? I’m not a cook, but I can make a world-class salad.”

“It’s already done. I brought some three-bean salad home from the store today. Really, all that needs to be done is to put the dumplings in the pot, and I’ll wait to do that until Bill gets home. He should be along in another half hour or so.”

“You’re making chicken and dumplings? Your mom’s chicken and dumplings?”

“Of course. She gave me the recipe when Bill and I got engaged. Said I needed to fatten that boy up.”

“Oh my God, I’m never going to fit into my clothes when I go home. I haven’t had chicken and dumplings in years.” Twelve years.

“You could use a few pounds on you. It’ll make the rest of us feel better. Now, tell me about your date with J.T. I want all the juicy details.” Mary Ellen took a peek into the den before plopping herself down at the table. “We’ve got twenty more minutes until their show is over. Spill it.”

Nadya laughed out loud. She’d known what she was in for when she’d texted that J.T. was taking her to dinner. “There’s not much to tell. He took me to a nice restaurant. We ate, we talked, he drove me back to the hotel.”

“That’s it? Nadya, I’m disappointed in you! You’re thirty years old, for heaven’s sake. It’s not like you’re some blushing virgin. How could you let a fine specimen of man just drive on home without trying to get a little something? You’re not still a virgin, are you?” She looked appalled.

“No, I lost that in college.” And would have gladly given it up to J.T. that day at the creek. “Mar, I don’t know how long I’m going to be in Georgia. I can’t get all wrapped up in J.T. again.”

“It’s different now though. You’re not eighteen and sheltered. You’re a woman of the world now. Surely you could have an affair with him before you go back.”

“Mary Ellen! If your mama heard you talking like that she’d wash your mouth out with soap.”

“Oh, please. You can’t tell me you haven’t thought about what it would be like to have sex with him. I remember talking to you about it when we were teens. If you recall, I was the first person you called after you went to second base behind the high school.”

“You were the only person I told about that. But I’m not eighteen anymore. I can look past the next moment and weigh the consequences of my actions.”

“Are you on the pill?”

“Yes.”

“Are you disease free?”

“Of course!”

“Are you seeing anyone else?”

“No.”

“Then what consequences are you worried about? I say ride that man like a prize stallion at the rodeo every chance you get until you go back to the city.”

“I cannot believe we are having this conversation in your mama’s kitchen with your two children ten feet away.”

“It’s my kitchen now, and one of those children was conceived on this very table.”

Nadya yanked her arms off the table, then made a face at Mary Ellen when she laughed hysterically. “TMI, Mar, TMI.”