Page 83 of Life, Love and the Pursuit of Happiness

Her grandmother’s face flushed again, but maybe it was just rouge. “Who says I have to pay sales tax?”

“The government does. Jeez, Gram, don’t tell me you never paid sales tax in Jersey over all those years when you were an Avon Lady.”

“I did when I worked for the company, and they took it out of my checks, but it wasn’t necessary when I sold my own stock.”

“It was necessary, Gram.”

“I didn’t know that.”

“Ignorance is no excuse.”

“Are you callin’ me ignerent now? Good golly, girl, is this all the thanks I get for helping you out? Complain, complain, complain. Maybe I should go back to Jersey, after all. At least Jimmy the Goon never nagged.”

“Just threatened to break a few bones.” Delilah realized that she could have chosen a better time to lay out all her concerns and said, “I’m sorry, Gram. I do appreciate everything you do for me and Maggie.”

After that, Delilah gathered up all the dirty laundry in her apartment and added it to the huge piles in the back of Merrill’s pickup truck, and she and Maggie were off to the Laundromat. With the skies turning grayer, she wanted to get the truck emptied before the rains hit.

They filled three of the commercial-size washers and two of the regular ones, with Maggie getting great delight over being able to sort whites from colored or dark fabrics. Her stuffed dog, whom she’d named Randy—not to be confused with Annie’s dog, Sandy, which was impossible, since this one was more like Pluto—sat on the folding table while they worked.

The little girl hadn’t stopped talking since they left the motel parking lot.

“Is this Mister Merrill’s truck? Where is he? Will he tell me another story? Maybe Annie and Andy had a cousin named Lester, who was a clown in the circus, and his mommy and daddy were lion tamers . . . or act-o-bats.”

“That’s some imagination you have there, kiddo.”

“Can I have a dog?”

“Can I have a magic elf who could do painting, carpentry, electrical, plumbing, and general contracting work to fix up the diner and motel? All for free.”

“Huh?”

“It was a joke, honey.”

“Oh, will my new school have a playground?”

“Probably.”

“Can you get me a Grinch storybook? Ms. Patterson says they have a grinch contest here at Christmas.”

“You’ve seen the movie How the Grinch Stole Christmas, haven’t you?”

“Yeah, but I don’t have the book. Elmer says Gramma has a great butt.”

“He shouldn’t say things like that to her.”

“He didn’t say that to her. He was talkin’ to Rah-ool. But Gramma says that all the time anyhow.”

“It’s okay if a lady says it about herself, but other people . . . men, in particular . . . shouldn’t say it to her.”

“Huh? When I grow up, I’m gonna have a great butt.”

“I’d rather you have a great brain.”

“Huh?”

“You’ll understand when you’re older.”

“Can I have a dog?”