Seven Sisters - Earlene Fowler [51]
“No,” she said, setting down the red-and-black megaphone painted with my high school mascot—a fire-breathing stallion. “But I’ve about come to the end of my tether, honeybun. Everyone’s counting on me to think of something, but whenever I do, they fight me the whole way. All these people want to do is eat coffee cake and complain about their bunions. We have to make some money fast or we’ll just have to settle for what the insurance company will pay us, and end up having to turn folks away who need a hot meal. I need to light a fire under their sorry old butts.”
I put my arm around her shoulders and hugged her. “Dove, you know I’ll do anything to help, and so will my friends. Maybe having some younger people involved will help your friends get more excited about it.”
Her mouth turned up slowly into a big, crafty smile. “Out of the mouths of babes. Honeybun, you have just given me an answer to my prayer. I asked the good Lord for a sign, and your suggestion is it.”
“What?”
“I wasn’t sure if it was okay with God, but I’ve got the green light now. Mac told me he thought it was all right, but now, after what you just said, I know it is.”
“What are you talking about?”
Her smile grew wider. “You’ll find out soon enough.” She leaned over and kissed my cheek. “Thanks.”
I followed her back to the house where her friends were indeed already halfway through the refreshments and comparing knee and hip surgeries. I was pleased that I’d helped her, though I had no idea how. After eating a tuna sandwich and a brownie, I went out to the porch and called for Scout. He came bounding down the driveway where he’d gone to mark some of the towering oak trees. Lydia’s shiny Jaguar slowly followed him. I stood on the front porch and watched Gabe step out of the driver’s side and Lydia climb out of the passenger’s side.
“Hi,” Gabe said, coming up the porch and kissing me on the cheek. “Lydia came by the office and wanted to know how to get out to the ranch, and I thought it would be just as easy for me to drive out here with her.”
She smiled at me. “I wanted to see where my son’s been living so happily for the last year.” She wore plum-colored slacks, matching linen top, and black, thin-strap sandals. Her hair was pulled back with large Hopi silver barrettes.
I smiled back, determined to stamp down the jealous feelings of seeing them together again with positive thoughts and the assertion that she had always been a part of Gabe’s and Sam’s lives and always would be. I’d better get used to it. It would have helped, though, if my husband hadn’t looked quite so happy.
“I can’t guarantee the cleanliness of the bunkhouse,” I said. “Dove stays on them, but between him and the other hands, it can get pretty grungy.”
She laughed, touching her smooth throat with her hand. A large diamond dinner ring flashed in the sunlight. “Benni, you don’t have to tell me that. I lived with his grime for eighteen years.”
That made me feel really stupid. Of course she knew what it was like to have a boy around. Better than me. The obvious fact that she was a mother and I wasn’t reared its head again.
“I have to get back to the museum,” I said to Gabe. “Do you need a ride back?”
“No, I’ll drive back with Lydia so she doesn’t get lost. You go on to work.”
I tried to quell the slow boil inside me. “Guess I’ll see you this evening at the wine thing.”
“Wine thing?” Lydia asked.
Gabe turned to her, his face animated. “It’s one of the harvest events. Zin and Zydeco. You might still be able to get a ticket. What do you think, Benni?”
“I have no idea. I suppose you can try.”
“Don’t worry,” he said to Lydia. “I am not without influence in this town. I’ll get you in.”
“Wonderful,” she said, beaming at him.
Oh, yes, wonderful, I thought.
“I am not without influence in this town. I’ll get you in,” I mocked Gabe to Scout while driving back to town. “What a pompous thing to say.” I growled and made a face at