“I told him not to, but oh no. He wouldn’t listen to me, of course most men don’t listen to women, a trait they must be born with, and lo and behold, he fell into the slimy, stinky goo and weeds and mud and bugs, and God knows what else. Speaking of mud and bugs, there might be some of those tasty mudbugs in the ditch we could wrestle out of their holes sometime to make some gumbo, but never mind, so getting back to the little boy who fell in the cesspool, his brand new little boy cowboy duds and boots were ruined, and I still remember his mama runnin’ out of the house, waving her arms, yelling and carryin’ on about this and that, and—”
“Granny!”
“Yes, darling?”
“Maybe now’s not the best time.”
“I’m sorry to be rattling on. Just come on in, won’t ya? And bring in that gorgeous dog you have. He must be a great judge of character because the whole time I’d been talking, your dog never growled or showed any type of aggression towards me. Yes sir, that’s a find dog. Is he yours because if he ain’t, I’d love to have a good guard dog.” Debra Sue waited for an answer. “Well? Speak now or forever forgo your claim to the dog, because I’d love to have a dog. Okay then, I’ll take him.”
“Granny, the dog’s name is Oscar and he belongs to my friend here.”
“Then that solidifies my observation. He’s a good judge of character.”
While Debra Sue fawned over the dog, Ethan waited for Becca’s response regarding the offer to stay, or to go to her home as soon as possible. If it was up to him, he’d stay and eat. Becca offered no clue about her thoughts. He took that as a sign she’d like to stay.
“Becca. I don’t know about you,” Ethan said, “but I could use a hot meal.”
“Me too.”
“Great. I’m starving.”
Becca glanced at her children. “Kinsey, Tyler, this nice woman is gracious enough to offer us hospitality. I’m for staying.”
“I’m okay with it if you are, Mom,” said Kinsey.
“Miss Sue, do you have any sausage from the hog by any chance?” Tyler asked.
“Got loads of it,” Debra Sue replied. “Oh my goodness, it’s been a long time since I’ve been called Miss Sue.” Debra Sue smiled bashfully. “Ma’am,” she said addressing Becca, “you’ve done raised your kids right.”
“Thank you. My husband would be proud.”
“Tell me, is the fine gentlemen sitting next to you, your husband?”
Becca shook her head. “My husband passed away last year.”
“My condolences.”
“This gentleman next to me is helping us,” Becca explained.
“It must be comforting to have his help. A woman needs a man as much as a man needs a woman.”
Becca smiled.
“Well then. Tyler, right?”
“Yes ma’am.”
“Would you mind if I drive that fine example of American ingenuity up close to the house?”
“You can drive this?”
“I learned how to drive my great-grandpappy’s old Ford in a pasture not far from here.”
“It’s okay with me,” Tyler said.
“Great. Better put your seatbelts on.” Debra Sue winked. “I’ll set a table for all of us.” Debra Sue paused, eyeing over the group’s haggard appearance. “If you need a shower, there’s running water and a bar of soap behind the tool shed. Clean towels too. I don’t got no running water in the house or a fancy bathtub, so it’s the best I can offer. Come to think of it, you could take a bath in the water trough the cows use, and if you need to take a shi—”
“Granny!” Lexi cut in. She hung her head and covered her face with her hands.
“What?” Debra Sue’s annoyance was obvious. “Everybody’s gotta go.”
“Granny, be nice okay?”
“Alright. What’s the big deal?” Debra Sue huffed and rolled her eyes. In the poshest voice she could muster, she said, “If you need to use the men’s or ladies’ restroom, you’ll find it behind the house.” Debra Sue pointed to an outhouse. “There’s also a bidet to clean sensitive areas, and a wash basin to cleanse your hands afterwards with a lovely bar of lavender scented soap I made.”
“Thank you, Granny.”
“Now let’s get on home. I slaughtered a wild hog the other day, and cooked a delicious rump roast. Damn hogs, tearing up everything and gettin’ into my vegetable garden. I’ve been killin’ as many as I can, but one old woman can only do so much. Maybe some of you able bodied men can—”
“Granny, there’s something I need to tell you. It’s weighing heavy on my mind,” Lexi said.
“What is it, hun?”
Lexi stepped over to her grandmother and gave her a hug. A lump welled in her throat as she thought about how to tell her grandmother about the death of her only daughter. A deep pang of regret had hung over Lexi like a black cloud, and Lexi’s guilt was eating at her. When the Blue Angels’ jet crashed into the stadium, it had clipped the upper deck where the private rooms were, including the one where Lexi and her mom would have been guests. The deck had been obliterated. If only Lexi hadn’t mentioned the hors d’oeuvres or the fact Wanda only needed to mention she was Lexi’s mom to be allowed into the room. If only the jet hadn’t crashed. If only…
“Hun, you’re crying. What is it?”
Lexi sniffled and wiped her eyes. “Granny, I don’t know how to tell you this.”
“What? You’re worrying me now.”
“Mom is…” Lexi hiccupped, took a big breath and glanced at Joe for help, pleading with her eyes for him to help her.
Joe squeezed Lexi’s hand to let her know everything would be okay. His silent gesture indicated she was the one who needed to break the
