“This is craziness,” Lizzie said when Esther walked back into the kitchen for the third time. She was cracking more eggs intoa bowl.
“They are like wild animals in there.” Esther pulled a stack of extra plates from the cabinet. “Might as well give them allsomething to eat off of.”
She carried the plates back into the room, handing them out to those standing and apologizing that there wasn’t enough seating. It was hard not to stare at some of the people, especially the women—young ladies in their twenties, made up with far too much makeup, but still so striking that their looks drew her in. Men were a minority in this crowd. She shuffled back to the kitchen.
“Craziness,” Lizzie said again as she stirred eggs over a flame that was much too high. Esther sure hoped her sister didn’tburn the eggs, but they were completely out and needed to get more on the table. Lizzie was making sure she cooked them asfast as possible. Can you even burn eggs?
Esther took out two more jars of jam, strawberry and apple butter. “They’ll be gone soon enough.” Pausing to rest, she sighed.“Then we can take a nap.”
“You can. I can’t.” Lizzie turned to her and lifted up on her toes. “I found us some help, and I’m going to pick her up assoon as everyone leaves.”
Esther held the jars to her chest and looked up. “Praise God.” She turned back to her sister. “Who?”
“Her name is Rose Petersheim, and she just moved here from Ohio. She’s kin to Big Roy and Katie Marie.” Lizzie turned up theheat another notch until smoke was rising from the skillet of eggs. Seconds later, she dumped them in the empty bowl.
Esther carried the bowl into the chaotic dining room, many of the guests talking over one another. Jayce stood quietly ina corner eating. With a mouthful, he nodded at Esther, then winked. She supposed that was a signal that the food was good.Although at the moment, it was more about quantity than quality.
“Why did the girl move here?” Esther asked Lizzie when she returned to the kitchen. “Why would she leave her family?”
“I don’t know her story, and I don’t care.” Lizzie dabbed at the sweat beads on her forehead with a napkin. “She can cook and clean, so she’s hired.”
Esther nodded in agreement. She and Lizzie could not keep up this pace. “Do you want me to go with you to pick her up? Willshe live here like Naomi did?”
“Ya. Big Roy and Katie Marie don’t have room. And no, you don’t need to go. Get a nap in. One of us should.” Lizzie spat herdentures into her hand, surprising Esther. Her sister rarely complained about them anymore. “Stupid teeth are giving me fitsagain.”
It had taken Lizzie a long time to get used to the dentures. Not wearing them or spitting them out in front of people hadbeen a common occurrence. Esther hoped this problem was temporary.
“We don’t have room right now either.” Esther pressed a hand to her forehead, which was also sweating. “All of our rooms arefull.”
“I figure you and me can bunk together. She can have mei room until this rowdy crew is gone.” Lizzie frowned before wrestling the dentures back into her mouth.
Esther thought about Lizzie’s snoring, but it was the only option. “Be sure to take out all those romance books you read andhide under the mattress.” Lizzie’s jaw dropped. “Ya, I know about them. Naomi too. She changed the sheets and, on occasion, so did I.”
Lizzie raised her chin. “There is nothing wrong with reading about love between two people.”
Esther tucked her chin and scowled at her sister. “I hope they are clean books and not filled with things you shouldn’t bereading.”
Lizzie huffed, then walked into the dining room. Esther chose not to follow in case her sister acted in character and told them all to hurry it up or keep the noise down, or something similarly inappropriate.
Esther set to making an apple pie since those seemed to go the quickest. These guests were midnight scavengers. By morningall kinds of food had been eaten. But at least it was being consumed and not going to waste.
* * *
Jayce crossed the front yard toward the two waiting limos. Everyone was packed in, and even though the drive wasn’t very far,he hoped he could choose the car without his father in it. Unfortunately, there was no way to know with the tinted windows.
Then he saw the grumpy old man, Gus, climbing into a rusty black pickup truck. He stopped and took a few moments to decideon the lesser of the two evils. He turned to Gus’s truck. He’d heard the cranky neighbor would be joining the crew. Apparently,Jayce’s father had promised him a part in the movie so the guy would stop complaining about the generators. A promise Jaycedoubted his father would make good on.
“You ain’t riding with me,” Gus bellowed when Jayce opened the passenger door. The crazy man flicked his arm at him, almostcatching the side of his face. “You go with your people in their fancy cars. They already said they only have enough roomfor one more, so I’d have to take my truck. I’m guessing you’re the one more.” He scrunched up his face until his gray eyebrowsalmost touched in the middle of his forehead. “So get out.”
“You go ride with them, and I’ll drive your truck.” Jayce pushed his hair out of his face and grinned. “You’ve probably never been in a limo anyway.”
“As a matter of fact, you snot-nosed kid, I have been in plenty of limousines. And you got yourself a deal.” He pushed openthe rusted door, causing it to squeak and whine.
“Oh, wait.” Jayce eyed the stick shift on the floor. “I don’t know how to drive a standard.”
Gus pulled the door closed, glowering at Jayce, his jowls moving back and
