“No, of course not, but can you imagine what would have happened if she’d seen the two of us together? She’d probably have skewered me with whatever sharp object she could find in her purse.”
“I don’t think rich society matrons from Charleston carry a lot of sharp objects,” Helen said wryly.
“You never met Mrs. McDonald,” Jeanette grumbled.
“Actually I have,” Helen reminded her. “Years ago at a charity event.”
Jeanette waved off the comment. “I’ll just bet she carries some kind of weapon around in that Gucci bag of hers.” She leveled a look at each of her friends in turn. “I hope this puts an end to any matchmaking ideas you all have. Clearly there is no way I can date the spawn of a woman like that.”
Helen laughed, but then swallowed it guiltily. “Sorry. I couldn’t help it. Spawn? Who says that about a man, especially one as gorgeous as Tom?”
“You know what I mean,” Jeanette retorted. “I cannot possibly date him, not when I want to stab his mother in the heart.”
“You seem a little obsessed with the whole sharp-objects thing,” Maddie said. “Here, have a margarita. You’ll feel better.”
“And you’ll be more mellow when Tom gets here,” Dana Sue added. “It’s probably not wise to let him see you like this, especially when the person you’re so worked up over is his mother.”
Jeanette took a gulp of the very strong drink, but it did nothing to settle her nerves. Struck by a thought, she turned to Dana Sue. “They were having lunch at Sullivan’s. You worked today. Did you see them?”
Dana Sue nodded reluctantly. “Tom introduced us.”
“And?”
She shrugged. “They raved about the food.”
“Well, of course they raved about the food,” Jeanette said. “It’s fabulous. Watch your back, though. If her stomach gets the least bit queasy in the next twenty-four hours, she’ll probably sue you, too.”
Maddie patted her shoulder. “You’re not getting mellow. Have some more of your margarita.”
Jeanette took another swallow of the icy, tart drink and waited for the alcohol to kick in. “I should have confronted her, that’s what I should have done. Instead, I ran off like a scared rabbit.”
“You were trying to avoid a scene that would embarrass Tom,” Dana Sue said. “There’s nothing cowardly about that.”
“Besides, the lawsuit incident is behind you. Bella backed you up, so no harm was done,” Helen said. “Of course, if you want me to file a suit against her for defamation of character, I can probably do that.”
Jeanette stared at her. “I can sue her?”
“Well, you could have at the time,” Helen said. “I’d have to check the statute of limitations.”
Maddie scowled at Helen. “Would you stop stirring the pot? Nobody’s suing anybody. The whole thing is over and done with.”
Jeanette was beginning to feel the effects of the alcohol at last. She sighed. “You’re probably right.”
“Of course I am,” Maddie said. “Besides, a lawsuit would be bad publicity for The Corner Spa.”
Helen winced. “I should have thought of that. What’s wrong with me? I’m spending way too much time at home playing mommy and not nearly enough in a courtroom ripping apart the bad guys. My head for business is turning to mush.”
“We love the new, more serene you,” Maddie soothed. “You finally have some balance in your life.”
As if on cue, Sarah Beth’s cries could be heard from the baby monitor on the kitchen counter.
“I’ll get her,” Jeanette offered, wobbling just a little as she stood. “Boy, I really do need to move around.”
She grew steadier as she walked down the hall to the baby’s nursery, which was as lavishly decorated as anything ever seen in a decorating magazine or designer showcase. Helen might have waited until her forties to have her first child, but she’d gone all out once she’d had Sarah Beth. Every piece of pristine white furniture was top-of-the-line. Every pink accessory had been chosen from the fanciest boutiques in Charleston. A dresser was filled with designer clothes that the six-month-old girl would outgrow in no time. And, like her mother, she already had an assortment of shoes for every occasion, from mary janes to tiny sneakers in every color of the rainbow.
The baby had pulled herself to a sitting position, her blue eyes filled with tears. Her soft curls were in a tangle, her diaper sodden. Jeanette’s heart melted at the pitiful sight.
“Hey, angel, looks to me as if you could use a diaper change and some fancy duds for the party,” she said.
Sarah Beth held out her arms to be picked up, a tearful smile breaking across her face.
Jeanette made quick work of changing her, then put her into the ruffled pink gingham dress that Helen had laid out. She added lace-trimmed socks and shiny pink shoes, then ran a soft brush through her curls.
The interlude calmed her nerves and pushed the near miss with Mrs. McDonald to the back of her mind.
“Okay, baby girl, let’s go to a party,” she said, picking Sarah Beth up and holding her close just to breathe in the powdery scent of her. The powerful emotions that swept through her whenever she held Sarah Beth, Jessica Lynn or baby Cole scared the daylights out of her. She wanted this. She really did.
Just not enough to risk her heart.
* * *
It was after dinner before Tom was able to corner Jeanette alone in the kitchen. She’d been very adept at avoiding him and now he called her on it.
“I have not been avoiding you,” she claimed defensively. “I’ve been helping Helen and Erik.”
“The table’s been wiped clean, the dishes are in the dishwasher and everyone has an after-dinner drink,” he said. “I think they can spare you for a few minutes.”
“Okay, fine. What do you want to talk about?”
He gave her a wry look. “Gee, what do you think? The weather?”
“I am not discussing your mother with you.”
“Do you want me to get the story from her?”
“I’m surprised you haven’t heard her version already.”
“She didn’t recognize you,” he said.
“Of
