She hadn’t used a third of the cookie dough and had already filled up two cookie sheets when she turned her attention on me again. “So, you gonna ask what Donnie wanted, or you jist plannin’ sittin’ there droolin’?”
“Oh, sorry, Maudra, I’d forgotten.” Changing my mind, I reached out and snagged a small mound of cookie dough.
“Yer lucky I like ya so much, boy. Last person ta reach into my bowl without warnin’ lost an arm.” She shook her spoon at me again. “Donnie wanted you ta go ta dinner with him. He wants ya to meet his girl, Mandy. She’s a cherub, that girl. I don’t think I’d seen Donnie so happy in years. She’s good fer ’im. Makes him actually spend time fer himself. Well, he thinks he does it fer her, but it makes him jist as happy.”
“Oh.” I did want to meet her, sometime. “I’ll call him in a few minutes, see if we can do tomorrow or Monday or something.”
“Now, you listen up. You and Jed are welcome ta stay here s’long as you like, but there ain’t gonna be no mopin’ around like a dejected school girl. Least as long as nobody died, and even then it’d better not take too long.” By this point she had both of her hands on her hips, and in her old-fashioned dress and full-length ruffled apron, she looked like she had just stepped out of an old movie, calling the cowhands to dinner. I struggled not to snigger. “I already told him that you would meet them at the restaurant. Six thirty.”
My jaw dropped.
“Now, don’t ya look at me like ’at. You need to get out there and do somethin’. Quit wanderin’ ’round feelin’ sorry fer yerself.”
I cocked my head at her. “You sure you didn’t catch the details of my phone call last night?”
“Brooke Morrison, I am about to whup ya. I don’t go ’round eavesdroppin’ on other people’s private conversations.” This time when she shook her spoon at me, cookie dough flew off the tip and splattered on the baseboard behind my chair. Thurston hurried over and began to pick it off the wall, his sullen mood forgotten.
We both laughed. Thurston glanced over at us, then returned to his feast. “Fine, Maudra. Fine.” I raised my hands in surrender. “Where am I supposed to meet them?”
“Gringos. They have real fine Mexican food.”
“Gringos? I don’t remember that place.”
“It’s where Birchtree used to be. ’Member?”
“Yeah. Although Birchtree went out of business when I was a little kid, but I remember their fritters. Peppers, the place with the buffet, went in there after Birchtree closed.”
“Oh, that’s right. Well, now it’s Gringos. Order the four cheese enchiladas. They put bleu cheese in it. Couldn’t make ’em better maself.”
“You’ve got my whole night planned, don’t ya, Maudra?” I smiled at her. It was ridiculous how much I loved this woman. “Anything else about my life I need to be told about?”
“Don’t you be gettin’ smart with me, child. I’ll use this spoon fer more than shakin’ and stirrin’.” She opened the oven door and put the first two trays of cookies inside. “But, s’long as we’re on the subject, there is another thing. Yer goin’ to church with me tomorra. We got threemornin’ services now, so I’ll let ya choose the time, but I’d rather go to the late service, as we’re havin’ a potluck directly after the last morning service. I’m not makin’ a ton a cookies jist fer you, ya know.”
I shook my head emphatically. “No way, Maudra. Don’t even think about it. The last thing I want to do is go somewhere I have to see a ton of people and answer a ton of questions. Especially if y’all are having a dinner afterward. I’d be trapped there for hours.”
Maudra looked like her feelings had been stung. She returned to stirring before she looked back at me. “Okay, then. I’ll let ya slide, this time. I’ve never believed in forcin’ someone through the doors of a church.” I thought she was finished, but her voice took on new strength. “But you need to figure this out. Yer gonna have ta face these people sooner ’r later. Might as well be sooner. You know better ’n ta think that jist cus you don’t show yer face that they ain’t talkin’ ’bout ya.”
I just sat there. She was right. I hated to think about what they were already saying.
She motioned to the door with her spoon. “You’ve got a couple hours till yer ta meet Donnie and Mandy. Go take a nap and a bath. You don’t wanta meet a pretty girl lookin’ as bad as you do, even if ya are a fairy.” Her eyes looked moist, but they twinkled with affection.
Fifteen
I wasearly, of course. I parked my car in the paved lot of Gringos. I would draw less attention sitting in my car than circling around the streets trying to kill time. The nap and getting cleaned up had done me good, at least physically. I looked almost myself again, all the puffiness and splotchiness gone. I was in a better mood as well. More rested, anyway. I checked my phone after my nap, and the only messages were from Donnie. I was starting to get worried. It wasn’t like Jed to not call. No matter what argument we had, he always wanted to talk. He never gave me the silent treatment. Maybe he had decided I was right, that he didn’t have to come down here, that seven years was long enough. Maybe he was already moving to an apartment or making plans to move back to his family, or maybe somewhere else. We had always dreamed about moving to San Diego. Maybe he was with some other guy. He had said he was horny. I couldn’t imagine Jed cheating. No matter how bad things got, it just wasn’t in him. You never know, though; given the right timing and circumstances, even archangels could be persuaded. Once again I picked up my phone and hit his speed dial. Before it even had a chance to ring, I shut the phone again.
At six thirty, I walked into the restaurant. With the exception of the alteration of color scheme, the building looked just like I remembered, complete with a walk-in vestibule with old wooden pews along either wall and a single chicken coop hanging on the wall with straw inside the cubby and three plastic eggs placed in the middle of the homemade nest. Donnie and Mandy weren’t there yet. Iwished I would have been paying attention to the cars in the parking lot. I let the hostess seat me; the last thing I wanted was to sit in the vestibule while a parade of townspeople traipsed by, wondering who the stranger was. The hostess weaved me through the entire restaurant to a little table in a tiny offshoot area that had a full wall of windows on each side. Sure enough, at every filled table, the patrons turned their heads to gawk at the unknown man invading their restaurant.
This had always been my favorite table to eat at when I was a kid, especially at this time of day. The stars were just starting to shine, and the blanketing darkness made the little space seem cozy and safe.
Thankfully, I didn’t have to wait long. Shelly, the waitress, had just brought me a cherry Coke when I saw Donnie walk into the restaurant and down the steps that led into the main eating area.
He caught my eye and waved cheerfully. After, as he made a small gesture with his hand toward the entrance, a petite brunette rounded the corner and gracefully floated down the stairs to take his hand in hers. The top of her head barely came to his chest. I took her in as they walked toward me. She wore a simple white button-down blouse and a denim skirt with white lace at the hem that hit just below her knees. As she got closer, I was able to better see her face. She was beautiful. Not stunning or gorgeous, but beautiful. She looked fresh, childlike. Her bright blue eyes were framed by mahogany-brown hair that fell in delicate waves just above her shoulders. Her smile was wide and brilliantly white. Maudra’s comparison to a cherub wasn’t far off. She was lovely, the way Betty outshone Veronica and Mary Ann bested Ginger.
I stoodto greet her, but Donnie got to me first and gave me a quick, tight hug. “Thanks for shuttin’ off your phone, Brooke. Jeesh!” He winked at me. “Hope Maudra’s plans were agreeable to you.”
“Yes, of course they were. I told you I wanted to meet Mandy. Sorry, I just needed time to myself this morning. I left my phone at the house.”
“It doesn’t matter. Everything worked out.” He stepped back and placed his arm around the girl. “This is Mandy.” He beamed with undisguisable pride. “Mandy, this is my favorite and infamous cousin, Brooklyn.”
