“First off, tellin’ anyone that they can relax is only gonna cause them to do the exact opposite. Second, don’t boss me around. And third, well, I was a little preoccupied last night with gettin’ fired and then drugged and all, so you’ll have to forgive the fact that details are a little fuzzy,” I say.
“We can assure you, darlin’, no one drugged ya,” Flint defends in that soft twang of his. The way he calls me darlin’ sets loose some butterflies in my belly. Which is stupid, because I’m sure he calls all the girls that.
“Then how else do you explain why you two and everyone in your bar looks like somethin’ out of a carnival sideshow?” I ask him, wavin’ a hand in the direction of Flint’s marble skin.
“Sideshow?” Flint drawls. “Surely we’re more of the main attraction. Right, darlin’?” he says with another teasin’ smirk that I really wish wouldn’t keep makin’ my nipples pebble.
I give him a glare just so that they don’t see they’re affectin’ me, glad that Mama’s still talkin’ away on the phone in the other room.
“Am I in some sort of trouble?” I ask, anxious to get the words out there and strung taut as I wait for their answer.
But to my relief, Alder shakes his head slowly. “No...”
I try not to visibly deflate in front of them. “Then what do you have to say to me?”
Alder opens his mouth to answer, but Mama comes walkin’ back over, fresh off her phone call. “Sorry about that!” she says with a smile as she returns. “So, what can we help you boys with? You said you wanted to talk to my Medley here.”
“We have a job opportunity for her,” Alder cuts in, and the two of them share a look.
I rear back, completely taken off guard. I stumble into my seat, mouth gapin’ like a fish. “What?”
“Oh, how nice!” Mama beams from across the table. “See, Medley? The Lord works in mysterious ways. It’s good that that woman fired you. Now you can move on to somethin’ better!”
I swing an incredulous gaze over to her. “They own a dingy bar down by the swamp,” I tell her.
“We prefer rustic to dingy,” Alder quips, and I roll my eyes.
“You know what I always say,” Mama tells me as she sips her tea. “There are no bad jobs, just bad attitudes.”
Flint grins and shoots her a wink. “Too true, ma’am.”
I scoff and then have to dodge the swat my mama sends my way. “Lemme walk you two out, and we’ll set up a meetin’,” I lie as I get back to my feet and start walkin’ out of the kitchen, hopin’ that they’ll follow. I need to get them away from here. I don’t know what exactly they want from me, but I need to speak to them outside, away from my mama’s ears.
“Oh, but they just got here!” Mama says with disappointment, and I nearly facepalm. She looks positively smitten with the two of them. “And they’re so handsome, Medley, don’t you think?”
Oh, God. My face feels like it’s on fire.
“Mama, can I talk to you for a minute?” I grit out.
“Alright, HB,” she says, gettin’ to her feet just as I round the table and practically drag her all the way to my bedroom. I lock the door too, just in case.
“What in the world’s gotten into you?” Mama asks, bewildered.
“I don’t trust them. What did they say to you when they got here?”
“Well, they introduced themselves. Told me they made sure you weren’t too intoxicated last night, made sure you were fine and well before you drove yourself home.”
“Yeah, but I don’t remember any of it, so that could all be a lie!” I whisper-shout.
“You’re just jumpier than a cat on a hot tin roof. What’s gotten into you?” Mama demands.
“I don’t know,” I say, lettin’ out a sigh as I swipe the back of my hand against my forehead. “I haven’t had a tribulation in a while. It makes me nervous, and...”
“And? And what?” Mama presses, her eyes fillin’ with concern.
I chew on my lip for a moment. “And...they look strange.”
Mama tilts her head with exasperation. “Medley Bell, I raised you better than to judge someone by the way they look.”
“Yeah, but...they don’t look strange to you?”
Mama’s red eyebrows pull together. “If you mean strange as in a couple of handsome, strappin’ boys with muscles you could bounce a quarter off of, then yes. Very strange.”
I snort. Well, I guess that answers that. Mama doesn’t see what I’m seein’. No way could Flint’s marble skin get overlooked.
“There’s nothin’ wrong with talkin’ to them about this job opportunity. Don’t ignore signs that the good Lord gives you,” Mama says, but I’m only half listenin’, my mind whirlin’ with what the hell to do.
“Just hear them out,” she says.
“You’re too trustin’ for your own good,” I tell her with a shake of my head.
“Heavenly Bell,” she begins before comin’ up and placin’ her hands on my shoulders so she can look in my eyes. “I trust that things are gonna be okay, because of you. Lord knows that you were left on our doorstep for a reason, and your daddy and I have loved you ever since. So yeah, I might trust the things that find their way to us without our askin’, but that’s because that’s how we got you, and you’re the best thing that ever happened to us.”
A sheen of moisture coats my eyes at her words, and I swallow thickly. “Thanks, Mama.”
She pats my shoulders and then places a kiss on my forehead. “Now go talk to those two very fine male specimens who have brought themselves to our door. At the very least, I’ll get to have a few more minutes of lookin’ at them.”
My mouth pops open with a surprised laugh. “Mama!”
“What?” she says with a shrug. “I think your daddy hangs the moon, but that don’t mean I don’t have eyes. Those two out there are
