Sweet Gone South (11 page)

“Purr Kitty! Needs a hair bow!” She waved the ragged gray stuffed cat she’d had all her life in the air.

Saved by Purr Kitty. He let his hands drop to Lanie’s shoulders and squeezed them in a friendly way. “You’re not going to jail.” He was in
take over mode, judge mode, caveman mode
. “I’m going to make a call to Mrs. Bumpus. She will not be calling the police or anyone else. When I get through with her, she will understand that she’d better thank Jesus and Buddha that you — and not me — came in on that little scene. Go get dressed. And I need your car keys.”

“Why do you need my keys?”

“We’re all going out to dinner at this fish place on the lake out near our farm. I need to put Emma’s car seat in your car.” She didn’t question him. After giving Purr Kitty a hair bow, she fished the keys out of her soiled apron pocket and gave them to him.

It was then he remembered that he was back to square one.

It was as if Lanie saw it in his face, or read his mind. “Luke, I’m sorry about this. I’m going to help you with Emma until you find someone new.”

“It’s not your fault or your responsibility. And you don’t have time. Even I can see you’re making Easter candy from dawn to bedtime.”

“I wasn’t apologizing. I was expressing regret. I can spare some afternoons. Also, Lucy and Miss Annelle have a girl — Pam Carson — who took off a year from college to work for them. She’s trying to decide if she wants to go into interior design. She sits for Beau sometimes. I’ll talk to Lucy and see if they can arrange her schedule so she can give you a couple of afternoons a week.”

Luke balked. The last thing he needed was Lanie Heaven underfoot. It would be like holding a gamblers’ anonymous meeting at Caesars Palace. But then Emma threw her arms around Lanie’s leg and looked up at her, adoringly. Lanie looked down and stroked Emma’s cheek. What passed between them was unmistakable. Emma had been the captive of an evil witch and Lanie had saved her.

“Thank you,” Luke said — partly because of the tenderness between the two and partly because he had no choice. He reached in his pocket for his phone.

“Lanie? Will you take Emma across the hall with you while you dress? I don’t want her to hear me make this call.”

Lanie was taking the day off — not the morning, not part of the afternoon, but the whole day. Easter was a week from tomorrow, sales had been good, and she was exhausted from making candy and filling mail orders. And, she smiled to herself, from helping out with Emma. She’d spent some of her best afternoons with the child, but she had to admit a three-year-old was exhausting, so she needed today. Next week promised to be even more hectic and she needed to do laundry, clean house, and buy groceries. Best of all, she was going to cook a meal — a real bad-for-you meal, and she was going to eat it in front of the TV.

Groceries first, and then she could stay in for the rest of the day. On her way out, she stopped to put in a load of laundry and found the machine full of clothes. Luke was always doing that. Sometimes he’d leave them there until they were dry crinkled up slabs. At least these were somewhat freshly washed. She began to move them to the dryer. He knew nothing about sorting. White towels, little t-shirts and nightgowns, sweatpants, blue jeans and — what was that? — oh, black boxer briefs. She shoved them in and turned on the dryer. She didn’t want to think about his underwear.

It was bad enough that he had almost kissed her the day of the nanny debacle. At least she thought he had. Unless you counted the couple of concrete kisses she and Nathan had shared before admitting they had no interest in each other, she was way out of practice. But no matter how much everyone carried on about how beautiful he was, she hadn’t wanted to kiss Nathan. She could have so easily slipped into Luke’s arms and opened her mouth, her soul, and maybe her heart. And that could never happen because she couldn’t open her body.

She shook it off, turned on the dryer, and put her clothes in to wash. Laundry, groceries, clean apartment, dinner. That was her life today. Not Luke and not kisses.

At the Big Starr, Lanie got a cart and balanced her list on top of her purse in the child seat. She was reaching for a pint of whipping cream when she heard the happy baby laughter that had become so familiar.

“Lanie, Lanie, Lanie!” Emma sang out. She was perched in the child seat of Luke’s cart, holding a purple colander.

He wheeled his cart up alongside hers.

“My daddy got this for me!” The child held out the colander.

“Really? What a nice daddy,” Lanie said, and nodded to Luke. “Are you going to make some spaghetti? Or wash your grapes in it?”

“No!” She put the colander on her head. “It’s my hat for when I go fast.”

“Oh, right. You’ll be safe —
and
look pretty when you ride your tricycle.”

Luke’s lips parted and his eyes widened with understanding.

“My daddy will buy you the same as this,” Emma said.

“I will.” Luke spoke for the first time. “Go pick out a couple to match your work clothes. They’ve got bright pink and orange.” Why did she get the feeling he was looking at her like he knew a secret? She’d had that feeling more and more lately.

“Thanks. Maybe some other time.” She pushed Emma’s hair out of her eyes.

“Will you tie a hair bow?” Emma asked.

“I will. Later when we’re all home.”

“My daddy said a bad word when he tied my hair bow.”

“Emma!” Luke said.

“Grandma and Susie tie hair bows. They went to heaven.”

Alarmed, Lanie’s eyes flew to Luke’s. Though she’d watched Emma three afternoons in the last week, she and Luke hadn’t talked much. She’d always been on her way to make more chocolate chickens and marshmallow eggs, but surely she would have heard if his mother and their long time employee had died.

Luke closed his eyes and shook his head. “Emma, they are not in heaven. Remember? They’re in Montgomery with Grandpa. And where are they going tomorrow? On an airplane?”

Emma squinted her eyes and shook her head. “I dunno.”

“Japan,” Luke said patiently.

“Japan!” Emma sang out, smiling. “My grandpa’s gonna bring me — ” She turned her puzzled eyes to Luke. “What?”

“A pearl necklace,” Luke said.

“How exciting. Vacation?” Lanie asked.

Luke shook his head. “Official visit. Courting industry for the state.”

“No candy makers, I hope.”

“Not that I know of. I believe he said something about computer chips and cars.”

“That’s a relief. I put your clothes in the dryer.”

“Oh, sorry.” He didn’t sound sorry.

Lanie looked into his cart. There wasn’t much there. Chocolate milk, boxed macaroni and cheese, a six pack of beer, cheese goldfish, apples, yogurt, and frozen waffles.

“Those aren’t square waffles, are they?” Lanie asked.

“Oh, no.” Luke laughed a little under his breath. “I know the waffle rules now. Once I know a rule, I can follow it.” He gestured to the waffles. “I suppose I should buy you some of those.”

“That’s all right.”

He blatantly looked into her cart. “Hmm. Pork chops, squash, potatoes, macaroni, Velveeta, cheddar — looks like you’re going to have something good.”

She added the cream that she was still holding and reached for a pound of butter. “It’s bad food night.”

“Bad food night?”

“It’s how I control my weight. Every time I want something bad, I write it down. Once a month, I go to the list and make a meal out of the things I want most. Then I eat it once and only once.”

“And what’s on tonight’s bad food menu?” Was Luke Avery actually amused?

“Fried pork chops, squash, mashed potatoes, and macaroni and cheese.”

“Squash isn’t bad food.”

“It is if you fry it.”

“Yeah, that would do it. Is this going to be homemade macaroni and cheese?”

“Yes.”

“Sounds like good food night to me.”

“I want mac and cheese!” Emma sang out.

“I got you some.” He held up a box. “Not the same, but she doesn’t know.”

Should she? No. Emma smiled at her. Maybe. “I don’t suppose — ” she began.

“What?” Luke asked eagerly.

“That is, the worst thing about bad food night is the leftovers. I have to give them away or put them in the garbage.”

“We’d love to come,” Luke said.

“How did you know I wasn’t just going to offer you the leftovers?” Lanie asked but she felt a smile tug at her lips.

“I was hopeful. And I have a question.”

“Yes?”

“Any banana pudding on that menu?”

“I don’t eat sweets,” she said.

“Even on bad food night?”

“Believe me, if you were a chocolatier, you wouldn’t think sweets were a treat. Come about six.” Before leaving, she added another pack of pork chops, bananas, and vanilla wafers to her cart.

• • •

The laundry was done, the apartment clean, banana pudding chilling, macaroni and cheese ready to bake, iced tea made, pork chops and squash breaded and ready for frying, potatoes peeled in cold water waiting to boil.

She’d set the table and then do her nails. It wasn’t a question of using her best dishes. She only had one set. Her grandmother had left her sisters the china, crystal, and silver, which was only fair. “After all, you’re getting the shop,” Clarice said during her last few days. “And when you marry, you’ll get your own.”

Except there would be no marriage. Too bad she didn’t have flowers for the table. But why? Belligerently, she put the cloth napkins that needed to be ironed back in the drawer and reached for the paper ones. She had just settled into her chair with her manicure kit when there was knock at the door. It was barely four o’clock. Surely even Luke Avery didn’t think he could be two hours early and expect pork chops waiting on him. But when Lanie opened the door, she found Tolly on the other side.

“I was surprised you weren’t in the shop,” Tolly said as she let herself down on the sofa.

“I took the day off — completely off.”

“Do you and Nathan have a date?” Tolly asked tightly.

“No.” She didn’t have a date with anyone.

“Do you want to get some dinner and shop for Easter dresses?”

“I can’t. It’s bad food night.”

“Can’t interfere with that. Do you want something to drink?” Tolly moved toward the kitchen.

“No, but help yourself.”

“Well!” Tolly called from the kitchen. “I see the table is set for three.”

“Luke and Emma are coming,” she said nonchalantly. “Why don’t you stay? I have plenty.”

Tolly came back with a bottle of water. “So Luke Avery is coming for dinner. What does Coach Nathan say about that?”

“Luke
and Emma
are coming for dinner. And Nathan says he’s in Tuscaloosa for a coaching clinic.”

“Why didn’t you go with him?” Tolly narrowed her eyes. Lanie knew Tolly suspected she and Nathan were not really dating but this was as close as she’d come to challenging her on it.

“Uh … I’m not a coach. And I have business to run here.”

Tolly picked at her cuticle. “Oh, right.”

“Why don’t you stay and eat with us? We’re having pork chops and banana pudding.”

“No. I don’t want to be in a social situation with Luke. I’m arguing a case in his court right now and it would feel awkward.” Tolly laughed a little under her breath. “He threatened to hold me in contempt yesterday.”

“He did not! Why?”

“I asked a question the DA didn’t like. Luke sustained the objection. I rephrased — twice. After the last time, he told me that no matter what my vocabulary, it was still the same question and unless I wanted to find myself in contempt, I’d best move on.”

“Are you mad? If he’s been mean to you I’ll uninvite him.” That might not be a bad idea.

“Of course I’m not mad. It’s just business. Besides, I had it coming. But I had to test my boundaries, see how far I could push him. And Luke understands that too.”

“And how far is that?” Lanie asked.

“Not far at all.” There was admiration in Lanie’s voice. “He’s sharp. I like him. Even those who were most vocal about the unfairness of his appointment are backing down. Still, I don’t like to socialize with him or another attorney I’m going against mid-trial. It looks bad.”

“I understand.”

“You know what I think?” Tolly asked. “I don’t think you want to have dinner with Luke. I think you want to have dinner with Emma.”

“Maybe I’m just being a good neighbor.”

“Maybe.” Tolly got to her feet. “Do not go dress shopping without me. It’s time you had something that’s not too big for you. And it wouldn’t be amiss for you to show a little leg.”

Lanie smiled. “When you were a debutante, didn’t they teach you not to insult people?”

“They taught me to show off my best qualities. I feel I should pass my training on to those I love most.” She kissed Lanie’s cheek. “And nobody has better legs in this town than you. So no dress shopping without me!”

“We’ll see,” Lanie said. But she had no intention of buying a new dress, let alone one that made promises she couldn’t keep.

• • •

The knock came at exactly 6
P.M.

“Lanie, Lanie, Lanie!” Emma ran in with a stuffed yellow chick the size of a football tucked under her arm. “I’m going to eat at your house!”

“Yes, you are! And I’m so glad.” Lanie swung her into her arms and kissed her little cheeks until she giggled.

“I know we’re excruciatingly punctual but I couldn’t contain her any longer.” Luke followed, carrying a booster chair, sippy cup, and backpack.

“That’s fine.” Lanie set Emma on her feet. “Dinner’s almost ready.”

Emma pulled at Lanie’s hand and waved the chick in the air. “My grandma sent this. Come see what else!”

“Do you have time?” Luke asked. “The package just came. She wanted to bring it but I told her you might be willing to cross the hall.”

Lanie looked over her shoulder toward the kitchen. The pork chops, potatoes, and squash were ready and in the warming drawer but the macaroni and cheese was still baking. “The timer is about to go off for the macaroni and cheese.”

“Lanie! Come on!” Emma pulled her hand.

“Go ahead. The door’s unlocked,” Luke urged. “I’ll listen for the timer while I set up Emma’s booster seat.”