“Did Dill send a car for you?” Charlotte asked.

“No, Lettie loaned me her truck for the day, but I need to be back by evening so I can drive her and Nadine to the fireworks.” Jennie Sue took a sip of the mimosa.

“Sweet Lord! Housecleaning and chauffeuring around those two old bats,” Charlotte gasped. “And driving that truck onto my property? Have you lost your damn mind?”

Jennie Sue took a big gulp. “Mama, I want to forge my own path. I don’t want to try to fill the mold that you have all these years. Let’s agree to disagree and get along.”

Charlotte’s expression almost had the plates and cups flying on their own. But she managed to compose herself and say, “You look like crap in that outfit. I swear, you’ve gained another ten pounds since yesterday, and your hair needs to be styled. Did you do your own toenails? You smeared the polish onto the skin on your pinkies.”

“But she’s goin’ to look better when we take her to the spa tomorrow, right?” Sugar sat down beside Jennie Sue.

Mary Lou came up on the other side and laid a hand on her shoulder. “You need to stop this nonsense. Let’s do lunch tomorrow, and afterward we’ll all get our nails done and maybe hit that new little boutique in Sweetwater for some decent new outfits.”

Jennie Sue set the remainder of her drink on the table and stood up. She bent down and kissed her mother on the forehead. “Thank you both for the invitations, but I have to work tomorrow. You look beautiful as always, Mama. Call me when and if you ever change your mind about what I’m doing. Y’all have a wonderful day.”

With her head held high, she walked back into the house and, avoiding even Mabel, went out the front door and circled around to the garage. Frank met her at the truck with his white handkerchief held out. She took it from him and wiped at a brand-new rush of tears flowing down her cheeks.

“Mabel heard what they all said and called me. I’m so sorry, darlin’,” he said. “I should call Dill.”

“No, don’t do that. It would just work Mama up more. He’ll be home today and I’ll talk to him then. Nadine and Lettie have invited me to their party, and they could use some help getting things ready the rest of the day.” Jennie Sue handed back the hankie. “Thanks, Frank. You and Mabel have always been here for me.”

“Couldn’t have no kids of our own, so we kind of adopted you.” He smiled through sad eyes. “We’re right proud of the way you’ve grown up.”

“Thank you.” She gave him a quick hug. “I’m glad you’ve been in my life.”

“Not been, honey—are in your life. If you need anything, you can call me or Mabel anytime, night or day. We’ll always be here for you,” Frank said.

Jennie Sue patted him on the shoulder, got into Lettie’s truck, and drove away from the house. How could so much happen in only two days? It seemed like six weeks since she’d gotten off that bus.

Chapter Five

Rick dressed in his best jeans and a mossy-green shirt that matched his eyes. He combed his dark hair straight back and laid a hand over the scar under his jawline on the left side. It had taken sixteen stitches to close that gash, but that was nothing compared to all the scars under his clothes. He looked like a Frankenstein character, with a total of more than a hundred stitches on his body. That didn’t count the scar that ran the whole length of his bad leg. Thank goodness for clothes.

A picture of Jennie Sue flashed through his mind. The streaks down her cheeks reminded him of the black on his face that he’d been wearing when he went on his last mission. A warrior in those days, he’d been somebody, not just that farmer’s kid from Bloom, Texas.

I wonder what brought tears to Jennie Sue’s eyes this mornin’. What kind of mission would make her cry? He picked up his phone and keys.

“Are you about ready?” Cricket yelled.

He made his way to the living room and whistled through his teeth. “Well, it does look like all that primpin’ paid off. I just got one question. Who are you trying to impress?”

“Oh, hush.” She smoothed the sides of a cute little sundress. Her hair had been curled, and her makeup was perfect. “I might ask you the same question. You even ironed those jeans.” She tilted her chin up a notch. “And that’s the aftershave you save for church. You thinkin’ that Jennie Sue might give up her place at the Baker party and join us low-class folks? Think again. She’s too hoity-toity to stay in a little place like Bloom, and when she leaves, all of us peons will be left in the dust.” She picked up her purse and led the way out of the house. “You drivin’ or am I?”

“You need to calm down about Jennie Sue. I’m a pretty good judge of character, and I’d bet money that you are wrong about her. I don’t think she’s doin’ any of those things you just said or that she’d treat her friends so hatefully,” he said as they went out into the hot night air.

“You’ll see. When the time comes, her true colors will come out like a good ol’ American flag blowin’ in the wind.” Cricket got into the passenger seat and fastened her seat belt.

“And if you are wrong, will you admit it?” Rick fired up the truck and started toward town.

“I won’t be wrong,” Cricket answered.

Rick noticed Jennie Sue’s truck parked behind Nadine’s van. That meant that Jennie Sue had left the Baker place and would be with them. Cricket wouldn’t like it, but he sure did. “Let’s not argue. Let’s just go have a good time this evening with all our friends.”

“I can get into that for sure. You did bring the wine and beer, right?”

“In the cooler in the back of the truck. You go on inside and I’ll bring it,” he answered.

“Hey, hey.” Amos held the door for him. “Nadine said you were bringing the good stuff to go with her brisket and baked beans.”

“And I’ve also got macaroni and cheese, and Jennie Sue’s made her fabulous potato salad,” Lettie called from the kitchen.

Rick caught Cricket rolling her eyes on the other side of the room and almost laughed out loud. Sometimes karma really did whip around and bite a person right on the butt.

Cricket frowned at her brother and then turned away to find Jennie Sue right beside her. There was nothing to do but speak to the woman, even if she would rather have slapped her. She knew that was the wrong attitude. Just last Sunday the new preacher at the church had delivered his sermon on having a sweet, positive spirit and never letting bitterness into the heart. But dammit! He hadn’t had to live under Jennie Sue’s shadow all these years. If Cricket had cleaned houses or worked at the bookstore, it wouldn’t even be noticed, but let Jennie Sue do the same thing and the phone lines buzzed for days.

“Hello again, Cricket,” Jennie Sue said softly. “You look so pretty tonight.”

Cricket didn’t want to be taken in by Jennie Sue’s compliments, but she couldn’t help it. “Well, thank you. I thought you’d be at your mama’s for that big party.”

“I went, but I didn’t stay. I’ve had a really good time helping Lettie and Nadine this afternoon. They’re such a hoot.” Jennie Sue picked up a plate of chocolate-covered strawberries and cubes of cheese. “We have these little appetizers until Nadine says the brisket is ready. Want one?”

Well, la-di-da! Jennie Sue was now a house cleaner, a chauffeur, and a waitress. Didn’t life turn round? “I’d love a chocolate strawberry. These came from our farm. Did you dip them?”

“Yes, but I promise I didn’t lick my fingers,” Jennie Sue whispered.

Why did Jennie Sue have to be so nice? It sure made it hard not to like her, but Cricket was determined.

“I used to help Mabel and Frank in their small garden when I was a kid. I loved getting my hands dirty and gathering in the vegetables. We never had strawberries, though, and when Mama decided to add a big porch onto the house, the garden had to go. I missed it,” Jennie Sue said.

Cricket had just finished eating the strawberry when Nadine said for everyone to gather around and hold hands for the blessing. Cricket made sure that, among the twenty people, she wasn’t standing beside Jennie Sue. Yet when she saw that Rick had wiggled in between Jennie Sue and Amos, she wanted to wring his neck. Didn’t he have a lick of sense? That’s it. He was going to have to find out for himself—the crash would be terrible.