"Bitch," she snarled.
"Enough!" Bev barked, making both of us shut up. "I invited Violet today. If you don't like it, Jodi, you don't need to stay. Same goes for anyone else. This woman has been nothing but kind and tolerant, and how many of you can say the same thing? Vera Dawson was a dear friend of mine. Bea Schnider as well."
"The proper term is that they were lesbians," I said. "Fag? Dyke? Those are both rude."
"Like those guys," Jodi muttered under her breath. "Disgusting, and God doesn't tolerate that."
"And God is the one to judge," Bev told her. "Not you. David has welcomed them into the church, so your duty is to love your neighbor, Jodi."
"It's just nasty," Jodi shot back.
But I was done. My patience had officially reached its end. I slammed my hand down on the back of the couch, making half the room jump.
"You people complain because I don't make friends, but when I try, all you do is make me feel like shit. Do you honestly think you can tear me down any more, Jodi? I make over a million dollars a year from my shares of that company. I helped found it with my best friend. We came back here because Southwind is our home. We hoped to share a little of that wealth with Cats Peak, but not a damned one of you seems to want us here. I'm more than happy to open this operation in Hillsboro, Bowie, or somewhere else. We can do it, too. We'll keep the house here, live in it, and just run the camp in another town, but all those jobs? The counselors, the catering, the laundry, house cleaning, and everything else? It won't go to the people who could use a good paying and steady job."
"Like you'd hire me anyway," Jodi grumbled.
So I pointed at Maisie. "No, but I might hire her." Then another. "Or her. Go back and ask your parents how many of them worked for Southwind before my grandmother got sick." I raked my eyes over the crowd. "I want to make this my fucking home, but don't you dare think that I need you people."
"Violet..." Bev said.
"No," I told her, but my tone was a little more gentle. "Bev, I appreciate everything you've done for me, but since I got here, my best friend was attacked. My boyfriend got arrested in the process. Those aren't words, and that's a lot more than sticks and stones. I'm justsickof it! I'm so tired of being told that I need to play nice while it feels like this whole town is trying to run me out. But here's the thing. I'm not leaving. I can close those big gates. I can plant my ass right here, and we can haul in kids on our dime instead of the state program that used to operate. We can fucking afford it! That place saved my life when this 'God-fearing' town tore me apart. When you all called yourselves good Christians and almost killed me in the process. So who's next, hm? Tell me just how good and wholesome all of you are."
"Violet," Bev tried again. "Breathe, girl. You get just like Vera when your heart's behind something. We're not trying to run you out."
I looked over at Jodi. "No?"
An older woman on the other side of the room scoffed. "Jodi's a pain in everyone's butt."
"We just want to get to know you," Bev assured me, patting the spot beside her. "Come and sit down."
Pushing out a breath, I obeyed, feeling like a little girl all over again. Granted, that seemed to be why Bev had so much control in this town. She wasn't ancient, but she was old enough and proud enough to put just about anyone in their place. It might also be why I liked her.
"I'm sorry," I told her. "I just..."
"Feel attacked," she finished for me. "And I don't blame you at all." Then she patted the catalog she held. "But I really do want to know about this."
A little laugh slipped out. "Um, we wanted to make lingerie that looks beautiful and seductive, but is comfortable enough to wear all day. I mean, the first thing I learned on the catwalk is that an outfit goes all the way to the skin. What we wear under our clothes is what empowers us as women. Garters, pretty colors, or whatever else we want, we can't find it without spending a small fortune, but men? Their underwear costs five bucks."
"So this stuff isn't made in China or something?" a younger girl asked.
I shook my head. "No, all American. We do have some things that come from Canada, but like the bra hooks. It's all sewn here."
"And designed by a man," Jodi muttered under her breath.
I paused, almost letting that go, but I just couldn't. "Yeah, Ash is the lead designer for most of it. He managed to tour Europeandget a degree in fashion design. He apprenticed with some of the best names in the industry. Most designers are men, actually. There's a glass ceiling preventing a lot of women from making it higher, and Ash keeps hiring them."
Jodi lifted her chin and glared. "Like that girl from the article? The child who clearly isn't old enough to have a degree yet?"
"Leslie," I told her. "She's nineteen, working on her degree, but she's spent her life following fashion. Ash took a chance on her because the whole time we were busy with Gran's funeral, that girl ran the company. She was a temp, and she kept that place from falling apart, so yeah, he hired her. Now he's training her while she continues to go to school. He said she's like a little sister."
"Which means he's sleeping with her," Jodi taunted.
"I'm so confused," I snapped. "You're pissed off because he's gay, and then pissed off because he's supposedly sleeping with a woman? Really? How the hell does that even work in your mind?"
"Is he?" she demanded.
"No! Neither one!" I almost stopped there, but I couldn't. "It's not my place to out anyone, but those guys made it clear they're fine with it, so here you go. Neither Ash nor Cy are gay. Ash is bisexual. He likes women a lot more than men, but he loves Cy. And Cy? He doesn't care what body they come in, so long as they have the right heart. They were high school sweethearts. What, don't like that term being applied to two men?"
