“Nydia got so tired of us preaching to her about getting rid of her deadbeat boyfriend that she finally did kick him to the curb.”
“Good for her. Nydia has too much going for herself to deal with a parasite. I don’t think she realizes how bright she is. Did you know she passed the CPA exam on her first attempt?”
“No, I didn’t,” Jasmine replied. Whenever she and Nydia got together, her friend never talked about her accomplishments. Jasmine suspected Nydia downplayed her intelligence so that she would not bruise her boyfriend’s ego. Danny had barely made it out of high school. If she had known this Jasmine would’ve told Nydia about Raymond’s disdain for anyone with a college degree.
“I’m really looking forward to Tonya’s wedding so the gang can get back together again,” Hannah said. There was an obvious tone of longing in her voice.
“Once Nydia gets here the gang will be complete.”
“Has she said anything about joining us as innkeepers?”
“She says she’s thinking about it.” Jasmine repeated what Nydia had said.
“At least she didn’t say no.”
“I’m hoping she’ll change her mind after she’s here for the wedding,” Jasmine said. “She’s planning to spend a few days in New Orleans after the wedding before returning to New York.”
Hannah headed east on Interstate 10 toward the city, accelerating into the flow of traffic. “After you rest up we’ll go out for dinner. When I told Tonya you were coming today, she invited us to Sunday dinner with Gage and his son. By the way, I don’t want to take up all of your time while you’re here. I know Cameron wants to see you.”
Jasmine recalled Cameron’s promise to be her tour guide. “I’ll call him later to find out what he’s planned for us. He volunteered to show me the city.”
Hannah gave her a sidelong glance. “If you want to go out with him tonight, I don’t mind canceling dinner.”
“That’s not necessary. Cameron’s not going anywhere and neither am I.”
Jasmine didn’t want to tell Hannah she didn’t have the energy to do much more than shower and then take a nap. She’d gotten up early to make it to the airport ninety minutes before her departure, only to discover the terminal teeming with travelers intent on getting a head start on the long holiday weekend. There were delays boarding and even longer delays taking off. She had an hour layover in Miami before finally arriving in New Orleans.
Hannah glanced at Jasmine again when she covered her mouth to conceal a yawn. “You must be exhausted from traveling. I think we should skip going out tonight. How does salad with either grilled shrimp or chicken sound to you?”
“It sounds wonderful. I’m sorry to be a party pooper, but I was up before five to get to the airport for seven-thirty. And to top it off, the terminal was packed with folks trying to get out of town before the holiday weekend.”
“Were you aware it was the Memorial Day weekend when you made your reservation?”
“Not really. When you don’t work a traditional job you tend to forget the date and days of the week,” Jasmine admitted. “I find myself looking at my cellphone for the date.”
“I hear you,” Hannah crooned. “Sit back and close your eyes. If you fall asleep I’ll wake you once we get to the house.”
Shifting into a more comfortable position, Jasmine closed her eyes, and soon succumbed to the lulling motion of the moving car and fell asleep.
* * *
A shower, power nap, and the green salad with chicken, apple, and maple walnuts in buttermilk dressing had revived Jasmine as she reclined on a cushioned chaise in the sunroom. She’d called Cameron to let him know she was in town and they made tentative plans to meet Saturday.
Dusk had descended on the countryside, but she still could see the expansive garden where Tonya and her new husband planned to hold their wedding reception. The year before St. John had hosted a family reunion in the garden where she got to meet the members of his family. Many of them spoke French or Haitian Creole of which she understood very few words or phrases, in addition to English.
Smokey, the McNair’s cat, jumped up on the chaise and settled down next to Jasmine. The last time she saw the sooty blue-gray feline with strikingly beautiful gold eyes he had been a kitten. They had engaged in what Jasmine thought of as a stare-down before the animal flicked its tail and walked away. Hannah had explained her pet tended to intimidate strangers with a simulated death-stare, but if they didn’t show fear, then Smokey would retreat.
She ran her fingers over velvety fur. “So, you do remember me. You’ve grown up to be a big, beautiful boy. And it looks like you eat well because your belly is nice and round.”
“Everyone in this house is getting round,” Hannah remarked as she entered the sunroom with tall glasses of lemonade. “I’m getting round, St. John is getting round, and our pet is also getting round.” She handed a glass to Jasmine and sat on a matching chaise.
“That’s because y’all are eating good in the neighborhood.”
Hannah smiled at Jasmine over the rim of her glass. “Now you sound like the rest of us when you saidy’allfor you all.”
Jasmine took a sip of the icy, slightly tart liquid. “Y’all keep forgetting that I have Southern roots, and that I used to spend part of my summers with my Daddy’s family in North Carolina. The reason I decided to invest in the DuPont Inn is because my folks are selling their home and relocating to North Carolina.”
“What about your condo?”
