The Right Time (65 page)

The last customer drove away at seven thirty. Luckily, Sunday nights always ended early. Rather than get the kitchen table dirty, Hennessy brought the food to the shack, and they all settled down at a picnic table.

Townsend seemed a little twitchy, which endeared her all the more to Hennessy. Having someone who’d rubbed elbows with a boatload of millionaires and assorted celebrities show some nerves over pleasing Gramma was darned cute.

Hennessy started to take the Styrofoam containers out, with Townsend warning, “They looked at me funny when I asked for side dishes, so there’s only pulled pork and pork hash over rice.”

Grandaddy jumped up and made for the kitchen. “Cole slaw and corn bread, coming right up.”

Hennessy opened the first container. “Hot damn, this looks good.”

Gramma reached over and snagged a piece of glistening, fat-flecked meat. Her eyes closed briefly as she chewed. “Now, those people know how to cook a pig.” Then her gaze landed on Townsend, who looked like she was trying to keep herself from squirming. “You’ll never be a native, but if you can sniff out good barbecue, you’ll fit in just fine.”

The smile that lit up that Yankee face made Hennessy’s heart swell. “Welcome home to South Carolina,” she said, not even trying to hide the few tears that skittered down her cheeks.

Townsend leaned against her, just like she used to do when they were kids. “I’m already a homeowner,” she declared, flinching when Gramma let out an audible gasp. In her world you inherited the house you grew up in when your momma and daddy died. But Townsend didn’t shy away. “My grandmother and I looked at nearly every house for sale, and found the perfect one on Tuesday. I didn’t bring much, but my clothes are already in my new closet.”

Hennessy knew her mouth was hanging open, but she couldn’t disguise her shock. “It’s Sunday!”

“I know. But the place was empty so they allowed me to rent until closing.” She turned her focus to Gramma. “I want you all to come down and visit. You’re closed on Mondays, right?”

“That’s right,” Gramma said, clearly pleased that Townsend knew that. “Every Monday.”

“Let me know when you can get away. I’ll make lunch for us all, and you can see where the baby girl’s going to spend her days.”

“I’ve never been to Hilton Head,” Gramma said, her brow furrowing a little. “I guess we could get down there, couldn’t we?”

Grandaddy nodded. “We sure could. The baby girl can draw me a map.”

Hennessy just about burst with excitement. This was going to be a year to remember. No doubt about it.

Hennessy insisted on cleaning the kitchen, leaving everyone else to chat and hopefully stay cool. It was hotter than blue blazes, with the one fan doing little more than drying the sweat on the backs of her legs. As soon as she got her first paycheck, she was gonna make some changes.The shack was too full of holes for air conditioning to work, but a few industrial fans would make a world of difference.

Gramma walked in to get a refill of tea, but instead of returning to the dining area, she came over and leaned against the wide, chipped, cast iron sink as Hennessy scrubbed the biggest pans. “You make sure Townsend gets regular meals up there.”

Hennessy turned and gave her a puzzled look.

“She needs some more meat on those bones.” Her attention fixed on a determined fly and she shooed it away. “She’s a good girl—especially for a Yankee.”

Smirking, Hennessy said, “She’s a
real
Yankee, Gramma. Her people were here early on. Seventeenth century.”

Dismissively, she waved a hand. “You can’t hold that against the girl. It’s not her fault her people didn’t have the sense to head South.” There was a significant pause, the kind her grandmother made use of when she was about to say something that made her uncomfortable. “What’s…what’s she got up to these days?”

Given that Gramma knew every detail of the writing program, and what both of their jobs were, Hennessy was pretty sure the question was a personal one. “Are you asking if she’s dating anyone?”

Sharply, she said, “I asked no such thing. You know I don’t like to stick my nose where it don’t belong.” She pushed away from the sink and went to grab her book of recipes, gathering dust atop a flimsy metal locker that held supplies. Thumbing through the pages, she said, “I’m just askin’ ’bout her. She’s been a good friend to you for half your life.”

That wasn’t technically true, but Gramma didn’t know about the years of silence. “She’s the best friend I’ll ever have.”

“Tell me next time she’s gonna come and I’ll make something special.” A second significant pause made Hennessy twitch, wondering what was going to follow. “She could bring somebody…if it’s like that. Doesn’t matter who. Boy or…girl,” she added, mumbling the last word.

Hennessy stood there, dumbstruck. Townsend was being invited for a special meal, and was going to be allowed to bring her girlfriend! In all their years together, Kate had never been offered anything special. Why was Townsend the prodigal daughter? That was the big question, but Hennessy didn’t have the nerve to ask. It wouldn’t have done any good anyway. The sphinx revealed his secrets much more easily than Gramma.

Hennessy wasn’t taking much—just a few pairs of shorts, all of her summer shirts, and a few T-shirts. There was no need for long pants until fall. While putting her meager belongings in Townsend’s trunk, she was glad she had such a streamlined wardrobe. Much more would not have fit.

For the first time in years, she didn’t have to hug Gramma and Grandaddy until they winced. In just five days, she’d be home again. Still, they carried on a bit, kissing her cheeks and tickling her as always. Gramma couldn’t stand to hold you close and not make you giggle.

“Townsend, you know you’re welcome any old time, right?” Gramma asked when they were finally released and settled in the car.

“I do, indeed. But this can’t be a one way street,” she said, leaning over Hennessy to be able to see Gramma’s face. “You’ve got to come to my house, too.”

“We will,” she beamed. “First chance we get. Now get moving. You’ve got a long drive in this little bug.” She put her hand on the car, regarding it curiously. “I’ve never seen anything so tiny that wasn’t cutting grass, but it’s awful cute.”

“Thanks,” Townsend said. “See you soon.”

Hennessy stuck her hand out and waved, then they started back out the crunchy drive. “A great meal, followed by a long drive usually puts me right to sleep.” She reached over and poked at Townsend playfully. “But I’m as happy as a tick on a fat dog, and too damned excited to relax.”

Townsend gave her a quick look, then nodded. “I’d have to say you look pretty pleased.”

“Well hell,” she sighed, letting her seat back another few inches. “I’m heading to a job I’m dying to start and we just had the most stress-free meal I’ve had with my family in years.”

“What? Why would your meals be—” Townsend raised an eyebrow. “Because of Kate?”

“Uh-huh.” Hennessy let out a long sigh. “Gramma’s cold as ice when Kate’s around, and Kate sure doesn’t try to make it better.”

“Do they fight or…?”

“Oh, no, Kate’s not like that.” She thought for a minute, careful to not say anything that would show Kate in a harsh light. “She’s warm and very friendly, but not much for extending herself if she feels she’s wasting her time. She and Gramma got off on a bad foot, and neither one of them seems to want to get past that.”

“I’m sorry,” Townsend said, sparing a sympathetic look. “That must make it hard to visit.”

“It does. It truly does.” She thought about their last visit, and how uncomfortable Kate had been. “I think from now on I’m not even going to ask Kate to come with me. God knows, she’d rather spend her vacation time with her own family.” Her mood began to sour. “In all these years, she’s met my mother once.”

Quietly, Townsend said, “I was going to ask, but I figured you would have said something if she was doing better.”

“Worse,” Hennessy said, confident that was a long enough summary. “After Kate met her, she pointed out, correctly, that visiting only seemed to hurt me.”

Townsend reached over and grasped her hand, giving it a brief squeeze. “But you can’t stop,” she said, her empathy settling right inside Hennessy’s heart.

“I know I’m a dreamer, but I won’t give up on her until she’s gone. I can’t,” she said, swallowing back the tears. “She’s my momma.”

“Hey,” Townsend said, her voice whisper-soft. “That’s what makes you a loving person. Don’t ever feel bad for having compassion.”

“I don’t. But I do set myself up for heartbreak. Kate’s right on that.” She stared out the window, familiar landmarks bringing a smile to her face. “By the end of the year, I’ll be sick of this drive. But today?” She let out a long, pleasured sigh. “I could hardly be happier.”

“Have you seen Mary Ann often?”

“Not often, no. Kate and I came down to have lunch with her last time we were home, but that’s about it. I can’t wait to see her.”

“She feels the same,” Townsend assured her. “When I told her you were going to be the program director she sounded like she’d won the lottery.”

Hennessy smiled at that. One more cherry on a perfect sundae of a day.

It was probably a mistake to arrive on the same day the kids did. The parents were all gone, and their first dinner was over, but they were running all over the place, blowing off a little steam before their ten o’clock curfew. Hennessy carried her bag into Spoonbill, stopping in her tracks when a girl emerged from the cabin leader’s room. “Can I help you?”

Hennessy had been teaching long enough to be very familiar with college freshmen, but this kid looked young enough to be her daughter. “I’m Hennessy Boudreaux,” she said, extending her hand. “Are you Shana?”

“Yeah. Welcome,” she said. “I’m really glad to have you.” Hustling over to a door, she opened it with a key. “Having you here means I’ve got two fewer campers to keep an eye on.” As Hennessy moved past her into the room, she added quietly, “One of the girls seems like she’s going to need some extra supervision. I caught her with cigarettes.”

Biting her tongue, Hennessy tossed her bag onto one of the twin beds. “I’ve got a little experience in keeping an eye on campers who aren’t fans of the rules. Let me know if you need any help.”