“Okay.” I sighed. “What’s the third thing?”
“I told you I’ll protect you, but in order to do that…” Aunt DeeDee took a long inhale. “I need you to stay away from Dr. Bellingham.”
“Who’s Dr. Bellingham?”
“The only male judge—and plastic surgeon to half of the ladies there.”
“I’m not sure how to avoid him if I’m competing.”
“You don’t have to ignore him, just don’t be alone with him. He’s a longtime friend of the pageant, but he’s… unsettling. He’ll tell you how much he admires you. Then, he’ll tell you everything that’s wrong with the way you look before he makes a pass at you.” Aunt DeeDee must’ve seen the ickiness on my face. “I’ve learned how to manage him after all these years, but you, you steer clear.” Something specific must’ve come to mind because she shuddered as she added, almost as an afterthought, “That man should’ve been castrated decades ago.”
“This is sounding better and better.”
Aunt DeeDee plastered on her smile again. “You’ll be fine. Just stick with the other contestants. Make friends. Safety in numbers.”
“Okay, but I’m not wearing the hats. That’s where I draw the line.”
Aunt DeeDee pursed her lips as if to communicate that we would see about that.
“I’m not,” I repeated. “Unless my old Stetson’s allowed?”
“No!” Aunt DeeDee practically yelled. “That thing is disgusting.”
Perhaps we’d reached an impasse, which was fine by me.
A nearby meow startled me, and I looked around for my sweet, ancient kitty, who was walking slowly toward me, stretching as she went. I sat up and ran my hand along Bucket’s fur before spotting the mail that had been dropped through the slot at the front door. One was a hot-pink envelope and, even without opening it, I knew the contents: Notice of Foreclosure. Shoot.
Every takeout meal, every full-bellied laugh, every game of Phase 10 flashed in my mind. This house was the only piece of my life with Momma I had left, and if that letter was like the last one, it meant I had less than a month to get my hands on a lot of money.
“Listen, dear.” Aunt DeeDee licked her lips and looked down at her hands as if she needed to confess something. “The money could really help… both of us. Your mother’s treatment… she wasn’t always able to… cover everything.”
“That’s why I took out the credit cards,” I said, thinking of the numerous voicemails from debt collectors that I’d received today.
Aunt DeeDee continued, averting her gaze. “But the travel, dear, and that specialist she saw in Houston. All of that cost even more.”
My mouth went dry. “Momma said she’d found the money.”
“Yes, well.” Aunt DeeDee looked me in the eye. “I told her thatI’d found the money, but in actuality I took out a line of credit on the business.”
A lie inside a lie. This family had once been transparent, open, honest, but now it seemed we were so busy trying to take care of each other that we’d neglected one thing: the truth.
“How much do you owe?”
“Forty grand, give or take, and I could really use it by the end of summer,” Aunt DeeDee answered. “So, you can see how important it is that you compete, and not only compete. Compete to win.”
WEDNESDAY
THE ROSE PALACE PAGEANT SCHEDULE: DAY 1
CHECK IN: 3 to 5 p.m. Please arrive on time as failure to do so may affect your ability to enter the gates. Because of the prestigious reputation of the pageant, as well as the fact that we are celebrating the one hundredth anniversary, security has been increased exponentially to enter the grounds. Once you arrive, you’ll settle into your comfortable quarters and won’t even notice the extra measures taken to ensure the safety of our contestants, our judges, our staff, and our visitors.
MEET & GREET: 6.30 to 8 p.m. We invite all contestants to join us in the Main Ballroom for an opportunity to mingle and bond with the other participants in this year’s pageant. You’ll see former winners, meet the judges, and perhaps even make a new best friend. Be sure to follow tradition by wearing your most fabulous hat for our first evening together!
ALL THAT GLITTERS…JEWELS & GEMS PARTY: 9 p.m. to midnight. We are excited to welcome you into the Primrose Ballroom for the All That Glitters… Jewels & Gems party, where a light dinner, drinks, and dancing will be in order.
After the party, be sure to get your beauty rest because we’ll have a packed few days of fun and festivities ahead as we prepare to welcome thousands of visitors to the Rose Palace at the Through the Decades Centennial Show this weekend.
Dakota’s To-Do List:
