The Lure of White Oak Lake (31 page)

Jaclyn’s eyes bugged as she looked at the empty jar in the trash can. “Did…did you ask her what was in it?”

“Healthy stuff, chamomile, some kind of root, and some Hawaiian herbs.”

Jaclyn peeked into the den. Her folks were guzzling away on the coffee as they talked to Brad and Tonya. Morgan sat on the floor playing with Legos and the kids. When Jaclyn caught her eye, she waved Morgan into the kitchen.

“What’s wrong?” Maddie asked when Jaclyn pulled the jar from the trash, opened the lid, and sniffed.

Morgan walked into the kitchen, and Jaclyn stuck the jar under her nose. “Smell this, and tell me what it reminds you of.”

Morgan’s brow furrowed as she looked at the jar. “It smells like the tea Clarice had us drink.”

“That’s what I was afraid of,” Jaclyn said in a whisper.

“What’s wrong?” Maddie asked again impatiently.

“Clarice made me and Morgan a batch of this when Morgan was bitten by the ants. We were fucked-up big-time.”

Maddie looked genuinely confused. “It gave you the runs?”

“It’s full of marijuana,” Morgan said lowly.

“Aw, bullshit. The rumors about Clarice and pot have been going around town for years. Y’all are screwing with me.”

Morgan and Jaclyn peeked into the room again. “Oh, it’s tasty, and I bet really smooth in coffee,” Morgan said.

Jaclyn walked in and looked at their cups. Both were empty and sitting on the coffee table. “Dinner will be ready in a few,” she said as she collected them and went back into the kitchen. “They drank it all!”

“Okay, don’t panic. We can…we…oh, boy.” Morgan looked at the empty jar and sighed.

Maddie looked at them both. “You’re really serious?”

“Yes, Madeline, you just slipped our parents a mickey.”

A
sking the blessing over Christmas dinner was usually a lengthy process in which their father preached minisermons while the food grew cold. So it came as a surprise when he said, “Lord…hey…thank you for this turkey. We are gathered here today…Amen.”

Maddie’s hand shook as she spooned food onto her children’s plates. All the while, she stared at her folks.

Jaclyn watched them too. Her father began to eat stuffing before half the bowls were passed around while staring at the Christmas tree. Liz seemed unaffected, and Jaclyn met this with mixed emotions. It might’ve been kind of nice to see her a little giddy.

“It moved. The tree, it moved.”

“It does that, Dad,” Jaclyn said with a nervous laugh. “Every time the heater kicks on.”

“So, Tonya, when are you due?” Maddie asked.

“April twelfth is the due date. This is delicious, thank you for having us.”

“You’re welcome,” Maddie said. “We’re so glad y’all joined us, and I hope you can come back early spring because we’d like to have a baby shower for you. But if you’re not up to traveling, we’ll certainly come to Baton Rouge.”

“Oh, baby showers,” Liz said suddenly. “So much fun, the silly games and the boutonnieres with the mustard in it to look like a poopie.” Dawn and Caleb giggled. Liz looked at them both and said “poopie” again, causing them to laugh harder.

“Mom, less poopie at the table,” Maddie said with a smile.

Heath, who was sitting on the other side of Cliff, looked at him suddenly. “Hey, man, you okay?”

Cliff was running his fingers up and down the sleeve of Heath’s shirt. “Such a nice material. Liz, you should feel this.”

Liz busted out laughing and pointed at her son-in-law. “Your name is Heath, and his is Cliff. Heathcliff. Get it?” She pounded her hand on the table.

Brad raised a brow and looked at Morgan, who pointed at her wineglass and held up five fingers and pointed at Liz and Cliff. Brad nodded slowly and grinned. To Tonya, he whispered, “Too many Christmas spirits.”

“Tonya’s having a little boy, did I tell you that?” Jaclyn said to Maddie.

“Oh! A boy!” Liz clapped her hands together. “Congratulations! Cliff and I wanted a boy after Jaclyn, but hard as we tried, little split tales popped out all over the place, and we just finally gave up.”

Morgan was the first to lose it and covered her face with her napkin. Maddie choked on her turkey, and Heath nearly had to do the Heimlich on her.

“It’s way too quiet in here and hot.” Liz stood. “We need Christmas music.”

Things went from bad to worse as Cliff and Liz began to dance while grabbing handfuls of turkey in between songs. Jaclyn lifted her glass of wine and smiled. “Merry Christmas, everyone.”

~~~

“Oh, God, I messed up my kids,” Liz howled. Jaclyn and Maddie had her hemmed up in Jaclyn’s bedroom after they’d chased her around the house. Cliff was a little easier to manage since he was passed out on the couch. “One is a Lebanese, one is uptight, and the other is a garden-variety slut.” Liz threw up her hands. “It’s my fault, it’s all my fault. I should’ve stayed at home like a good mother.” Tearfully, she looked up at Jaclyn and Maddie. “Do you think they hate me?”

“You could be nicer to them.”

Maddie rapped Jaclyn on the arm. “She’s freaking out.”

“I’ll tell you who is freaking out. Brad and Tonya are probably packed up by now and racing out of town.” Jaclyn pointed to Liz. “She might not remember a thing, but they sure as hell will.”

“I like lavender,” Liz said as she ran her hand over the comforter on Jaclyn’s bed.

“Why don’t you kick off your shoes and take a nap? You look really tired,” Jaclyn suggested.

Liz continued to run her hands over the bed. “It reminds me of saltwater taffy.”

“Lay on the taffy, daffy, and take a nap,” Jaclyn said as she knelt and pulled off Liz’s shoes.

Liz grabbed her firmly by the ear and gazed at Jaclyn’s face. “You were always so beautiful.” She flopped backward and started laughing, nearly pulling Jaclyn’s ear off as she did.

“I’m sorry,” Maddie said as she hugged herself. “I’m so damn sorry. I just wanted this day to go easy. I just wanted us to have a good time.”

Jaclyn started to giggle as she stood and watched her mother making snow angels on the bed. “Honestly, Maddie, this is the best Christmas we’ve ever had.”

~~~

“Those people are crazy, and you’re crazy, Morgan!” Brad said angrily. Tonya sat on the couch looking bewildered as he packed up their stuff. “I’ve seen drunks before, but they took the cake. And you want to turn down a great job and stay here. Well, you’ve lost your damn mind, too.”

Morgan’s shoulders sagged as Brad grabbed two of their bags and hauled them out to the truck. There was no use in explaining what had really happened, the truth was a lot worse. She closed her eyes as the image of Cliff tackling the Christmas tree wafted through her mind.

“He’ll calm down,” Tonya said softly. “He believes a man’s role is taking care of his family, and the way to do that is to have a good job. He’s always longed for what you had, and to see you let it go mystifies him. Despite what we just witnessed, I think you’re doing the right thing, and Brad will come to see that, too.”

“Time to go.” Brad marched back in and helped Tonya to her feet. He then grabbed Morgan by the shoulders. “I love you, get your head on straight.” He kissed her on the cheek and led Tonya out the door.

~~~

With Liz in her bed and her living room full of family, Jaclyn retreated to the only safe haven she could—The Lure. She pulled the bottle of bourbon from beneath the counter and fixed herself a drink. Brad’s truck was gone from the cabin, and she saw no sign of Morgan as she stared out the window. Jaclyn took a drink, thinking Morgan needed time to process everything that had happened, as well.

A silver sedan she didn’t recognize pulled up in front of the store. A black woman climbed out with a phone pressed to her ear. Jaclyn opened the door with the intention of telling her that she was closed, but the woman stepped inside. “Give me just a minute,” she said and continued to talk on her phone.

“I’m telling you, Keesha, I’ve driven around this town all day, and I haven’t seen that damn Jeep.” Her eyes widened as she listened to whoever Keesha was. “Do you think this is how I wanted to spend my Christmas? I am not leaving until I find Morgan and meet the hayseed that made her turn down a position that pays quadruple my salary.” The woman tossed the phone in her purse and looked at Jaclyn. “Can you tell me where I can find Morgan Chassion?”

Jaclyn could only point at the door as she saw Morgan walk up.

“Bitch! I have been looking for your ass all damn day!”

Morgan looked stunned. “Celeste, what’re you doing here?”

“Garret Healy called me yesterday and suggested I get on a plane, so I could talk some sense into you. Have you lost your damn mind?”

“Everybody keeps asking me that, and the answer is no.”

“Where is the woman responsible for this wanton lapse of judgment?”

“That would be me, I’m the hayseed,” Jaclyn said with a wave. “But I’m a little surprised because this is the first I’m hearing of this.”

“I didn’t say anything because my mind was made up when Healy called me. You had enough to deal with. When everything died down, I was going to tell you what happened.”

Jaclyn raised a brow. “What did happen?”

“Menagerie offered me my boss’s job, and I turned them down because I’m happy here, and I want to go to Fiji with you.”

“Fiji? Are you moving out of the country now?” Celeste asked.

“No, this is where I live, and this is where I’m going to stay.” Morgan held up a hand. “Now, Celeste, before you blow a gasket, hear me out. I told Healy where he could find a qualified replacement if they were determined to get rid of Stanton. If you can control that mouth of yours, you’ll probably be their next choice.”

Morgan turned as Clarice came barreling in the door. She threw a hand of white powder in Morgan’s face. “I speak clarity, devotion, and love,” Clarice said as she wiggled her fingers in front of Morgan’s eyes. “This is where you belong and here you will stay.”

“Step back,” Celeste said as she wrestled with her purse. “I got wasp spray in here, it’ll shoot ten feet and blind your ass.”

Morgan licked her lips. “Clarice, that better have been just flour.”

The side door opened and Liz stormed in with Maddie on her heels. “Jaclyn, you know your father and I don’t drink! How dare you and Madeline spike our coffee? Your poor father is still in there passed out on the couch covered in pine needles. Now I want to know what it was you poisoned us with and made him attack the Christmas tree.” She snatched a bag of chips from the shelf and ripped it open. “Dear God, I’m so hungry.”

The side door flew open again, and Austin raced in. “Mom, Grandpa just peed on what’s left of the Christmas tree, and now he’s eating the pecan pie right out of the pan.”

“Really, Morgan?” Celeste approached her. “This is where you really want to be—surrounded by nutcases slinging flour and pissing on things?”

“Who’re you calling a nutcase?” Liz demanded.

The room erupted with nearly everyone screaming at one another. Jaclyn looked at Morgan, who was still covered in flour. “Have you really thought this through? I would’ve…we would’ve gone with you.”

Morgan smiled and took her hand. “I couldn’t imagine taking you from all of this,” she said as she watched the group arguing. She looked back at Jaclyn. “In my heart of hearts, I know I’m meant to be right here with you. I’m finally home, say you’ll keep me.”

“Always,” Jaclyn said with a smile. She kissed Morgan and in doing so found herself covered in Clarice’s clarity powder. “Would you like to see the goldenrod field in the winter? There aren’t any flowers, but it’s peaceful.”

Morgan took Jaclyn’s hand with a smile. Together, they slipped out of the store unnoticed.

B
rad grunted as he shoved in place the last of six new shelves into the store. “I guess now’s the time to admit that I was wrong.”

Morgan mopped sweat from her brow. “About what?”

“I thought you were crazy and incredibly irresponsible for turning down that job offer to stay here. You were so resolute, and I just thought you weren’t thinking clearly.” He turned to Morgan with a smile. “I’ve never seen you look better or happier.”

“It’s the Fiji tan.” Morgan swept a hand in front of her body. “It’s all over, too. We didn’t wear clothes most of the time we were there.”

Brad laughed and looked away. “It’s more than that. How’d you know that this was where you truly belonged? Didn’t you have doubts?”

“At first, yeah.” Morgan looked out the window at Jaclyn, Austin, and Tonya sitting on a blanket in the backyard. Jaclyn was swatting at Austin who was trying to get the baby from her arms. “Sometimes, you just know when something’s right,” she said with a smile.

It was right, perfect. That fact was confirmed every time she spoke with Celeste, who sounded bedraggled. The raise her friend had gotten provided for a new, much larger apartment, but with money came great responsibility. Celeste and Keesha were fighting whenever Celeste found time to be home. The long hours were taking a toll on the relationship. It made Morgan regret suggesting Celeste for the job.

Morgan sighed as she looked at the new addition to The Lure. She’d opened her own store on the back of the building, taking a cue from Clarice. It had been a gamble because she wasn’t sure she’d find the right clientele in the backwoods of Louisiana. But surprisingly, they came in droves to buy organic produce, and gluten-free breads, pastas, jams, and jellies. Her biggest seller was Clarice’s “magic face cream” that smelled like cat shit but worked like a charm on lines and wrinkles. Morgan certainly wasn’t making the money she did at Menagerie, but she was happy and content.

Brad pounded the shelf with his fist. “Sturdy, these shelves will hold anything you want to put on them.”

“Good,” Chet said as he stood in the doorway, leaning on his cane. “I need a place to nap when this place gets quiet. And heads up, Jaclyn’s folks just rolled into town.”

Morgan sighed. Not all tales had happy endings, at least not where the elder Wyatts were concerned. The drama over Christmas had quieted down, but they had not even bothered to call on Jaclyn’s birthday. Morgan silently mourned for Jaclyn, who didn’t know what it was like to have a parent who loved her unconditionally. Morgan smiled, looked up the ceiling, and softly said, “Thank you, Daddy.”