Brenda gasped, releasing Nate’s arm to latch on to Eileen’s basket so hard it knocked over the open bag of popcorn. “I knew there was something I needed to tell you. Did you know Nancy and Lottie are friends now? They went and saw a movie together last night.”
“What?” Now Eileen was gripping Brenda by her cat sign. “I didn’t know that. Nate, does your mom know that?”
Nate shook his head and took a step out of gripping range. “I have no idea what my mom knows.”
But one thing he did know—next time he needed more clothes, he’d be making the forty-minute drive into Murfreesboro.
Friday afternoon McKenna set down her pencil and shook her hand out from taking minutes for another meeting. At least she assumed it was a meeting. Maybe it wasn’t. She’d just gotten used to taking notes whenever Georgie started up a conversation. This most recent one had been about where to find the best peaches and cantaloupe in the area and how much Gus loves cheese curds.
Taking a moment to stretch her legs while Evie excused herself to the bathroom, McKenna walked over to a window in the dining room and lifted the screen so she could lean out and yell, “Nate, you doing okay?”
After repairing the roof on the toolshed a little bit ago, he’d now climbed up onto the main roof of the house so he could repair a few areas and clean out the gutters. She hadn’t heard his footsteps tromping above them for a minute or two. With as hot as it was today, she couldn’t help imagining a worst-case scenario where he’d gotten heat stroke, passed out, and tumbled to his death while they obliviously talked about cantaloupe and cheese curds. “Nate? You still up there and alive?”
“What?” his voice yelled back from somewhere above.
He was still up there and alive. Good. She lowered the screen back into place.
“So, Georgie,” Gus was saying as Evie waddled back to the table and McKenna settled back into her seat. “I’ve been chewing on your clues, and I think I’ve got it figured out. I think I know who the celebrity is.”
“Shh-shh-shh. Don’t say it in front of the others. Not yet.”
“How about if I just whisper it to you and see if I’m right?”
She batted her hand at him. “You’re a terrible whisperer. Everyone will hear.”
“Well, then let me give a secret clue that only you would understand, and you can nod your head discreetly if it matches the right person.”
“Or you could just step out of the room for a minute and talk,” said Evie, motioning to the doorway with her knitting needle.
Georgie ignored Evie’s suggestion, locked in on Gus. “Does the person you’re thinking of have a really nice voice?”
“Oh yeah,” said Gus, his eyes lighting up. “The person I’m thinking of also has a name that starts with the letterH. Does yours?”
Georgie nodded.
“Thought so. Does this person’s last name start with aC-o-n—”
“Stop! You’re giving it away,” Georgie said.
“Thought so,” said Gus with an air of satisfaction as he reached into a bowl of pretzels. “I saw part of the name written down on a paper sticking out of your folder the other day and figured it out. Good choice. Great voice. Not sure I’d count him as a real celebrity though.”
“What do you mean? Of course he counts as a real celebrity,” said Georgie.
“Don’t get me wrong,” Gus whispered, making it clear why Georgie said he was a terrible whisperer. Nate could probably hear every word from up on the roof. “He does a great national anthem. I’d just say he’s more of a local celebrity than anything.”
“Who are you talking about?” said Georgie.
“The guy you’ve been talking about,” said Gus. Then in anotherloud whisper, “Harold Connor. The guy who sings the national anthem at all the high school football games in the area.”
“That’s not the guy I’ve been talking about,” Georgie said.
“Then who’s the guy you’ve been talking about?” said Gus.
“The guy I’ve been talking about,” said Georgie. “The celebrity!”
“Which is...” McKenna waved her hand in a circular motion, hoping Georgie would spill the big secret.
Georgie’s face flushed pink, then dark red before she burst out a big breath of air and said, “Okay, fine. I’m actually dying because I heard back from him this morning and he said he was coming and I can’t wait to tell everybody, especially Lottie. Lottie’s going to die! But I still want to keep it a secret, so you have to promise promisepromisenot to tell anyone yet.”
