She shook her head and decided to skip all pretenses for once. “Actually, you can bring me a beer, too.”
Sonny stared at her when Becky moved off. “You want a beer?”
She nodded, then leaned forward. “Can I tell you a secret?”
“Sure,” he said, looking intrigued.
“I never have liked wine.”
He regarded her with astonishment. “Then why on earth have you always made such a production about drinking it?”
She shrugged. “Because I thought I should,” she admitted. “I thought it made me seem more sophisticated and worldly.”
Sonny shook his head. “Sugar, you’ve always been the most sophisticated woman I know. It didn’t take wine to make you seem that way.” His expression turned thoughtful. “It was because of your daddy, wasn’t it? He drank beer, and you never wanted to do anything to make anyone think the two of you were alike.”
Her eyes misted over at his insight. “Damn you, Sonny Lewis,” she whispered in a choked voice. “You always did know me better than anyone.”
She stood up and hurried toward the ladies’ room before anyone could catch her bawling her eyes out.
She spent ten minutes composing herself and repairing the damage from her tears. When she walked out of the restroom, Sonny was standing right there waiting for her.
“Another minute and I was coming in after you,” he said. “You okay? I didn’t mean to upset you.”
“What upset me wasn’t what you said,” she told him candidly. “It was you knowing what goes on inside me.” She met his gaze. “I miss that, Sonny. I honest to God do.”
For an instant, he seemed to go perfectly still. Then he warned, “You shouldn’t say things like that, sugar. You’ll turn my head.”
“Would that be so awful?” she asked before she could stop herself.
He took her hand in his and gave it a squeeze. “You know the answer to that,” he chided lightly, but when she looked into his eyes, what she saw was regret.
Seeing that filled her with sorrow that she’d once been so careless with this man’s heart. It also made her resolve to do everything in her power to make amends. It might be too late for their marriage, but maybe they could somehow salvage the friendship that they’d shared.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Jeanette had been just going through the motions at the spa for nearly a week. She’d been irritable for days, snapping at her friends and barely civil with her clients. The worst part of her uncharacteristic mood was that she had no idea what had started it. She was usually the most even-tempered person she knew.
She was on the patio at the spa, wrapped in a sweater to ward off the chill in the air, staring morosely into a glass of tea she didn’t really want, when Maddie, Helen and Dana Sue descended on her.
“Uh-oh,” she murmured, regarding the threesome worriedly. “Am I in trouble?”
“You tell us,” Maddie said. “You haven’t been yourself all week. Today you insulted Emily Blanton.”
Jeanette stared at Maddie in horror. “No, I didn’t.” She tried to remember the conversation she’d had with Emily. Nothing even remotely insulting stuck out. “Honestly, Maddie, I’m sure I didn’t.”
“You told her it didn’t make a bit of difference which product she bought,” Maddie said, her lips twitching with amusement.
“That’s not an insult,” Jeanette said, looking to the others for support. “Is it?”
Dana Sue giggled. “It is when the implication is that absolutely nothing could help her.”
“And naturally that is exactly the way she took it,” Maddie said, breaking into a full-fledged grin.
Helen regarded Jeanette with sympathy. “Of course, the truth is probably your best defense. Nothing is going to help that woman’s skin. She spent the last fifty years baking herself in the sun and now she’s hoping some cream will enact a miracle.”
“But Emily is a sweetheart,” Jeanette said. “I would never intentionally hurt her feelings.” She buried her face in her hands. “I don’t know what’s happening to me. I really don’t.”
“When was the last time you saw Tom?” Dana Sue inquired, her expression innocent.
“A week ago today,” Jeanette said, not sure what her friend was driving at. “At the Christmas festival committee meeting. We were supposed to have lunch, but Teresa called and canceled.”
“And you haven’t seen him or spoken to him since then?” Dana Sue persisted.
Jeanette shook her head.
“Well, there you go,” Maddie said. “Tom’s got you all confused and twisted up inside.”
“I am not twisted up inside about Tom McDonald,” Jeanette protested, annoyed by the suggestion that any man, especially Tom, could affect her mood. “I can’t be.”
Helen regarded her with a mystified look. “Why can’t you be?”
“I just can’t be, that’s all,” she said stubbornly.
“We’ve all been there,” Helen said. “Even me. It’s nothing to be embarrassed about.”
“I’m not embarrassed and I am not twisted into knots just because some man hasn’t called me,” Jeanette retorted.
“Okay, let’s back up,” Maddie suggested. “Why would it be such a big deal if Tom is getting to you? From what we’ve seen, he’s a great guy.” She turned to the others. “Right?”
“Absolutely,” Dana Sue said. “Ronnie likes him, too. Thinks he’s a stand-up guy.”
“So does Cal,” Maddie added.
“Well, there you go,” Helen said. “A Sweet Magnolias’ and friends’ stamp of approval!”
“Isn’t my opinion the one that counts?” Jeanette inquired testily.
“Well, of course,” Maddie said. “But you need to explain what the problem is so we’ll understand. You know we’ll provide backup.”
Jeanette really didn’t think she had any obligation to explain herself, but because these were her friends, she tried. “In a nutshell, it’s because I’ll wind up taking a backseat to his career. The second he gets a chance at a better job in a bigger city, he’ll be gone. Obviously he’s finally seen the light and agrees with me that it’s pointless to start something with absolutely no
