Thirty and a Half Excuses
Page 4
His face hardened in determination. “Because it needs to be done.”
I knew that look. Joe wasn’t usually a stubborn man, but when he’d made up his mind about something, he was going to do it. There was no convincing him otherwise.
A loud engine revved as a big muscle car sped down the street past my house.
Joe watched the car pull into the driveway of the house on the corner across the street. “That boy drives too fast.”
I watched Thomas get out of his car and slam the door shut. “The only good thing about having a teen with a loud car who drives too fast in the neighborhood is that he gives Mildred someone else to complain about besides us.”
Joe’s eyes lit up in a playful challenge. “Is that right? Then I’m not doing my job well enough.” He pulled me back to his chest and lowered his mouth to mine.
I laughed and pushed him away. “Oh, no you don’t. I’m hungry. Do you want me to cook dinner?”
He grinned. “I’ve already got it started.”
One of the perks of having Joe as a boyfriend is that he not only cooked, but he cooked really well. “What are we having tonight?”
“I fired up the grill. We’re gonna have steaks.”
“Be careful. Mike will think you’re invading his territory.” The words were out before I thought about what I was saying.
Joe sobered. “What’s the latest on Violet and Mike’s separation?”
“Vi thinks he’s about to file for divorce.”
Joe winced. “And how’s she doing with that news?”
I shook my head, twisting my mouth to one side. “Better than I expected. She’s devoting all her attention to the nursery and the kids.”
“I guess it’s good that she’s got something to focus on.”
“Yeah.” The breakup of her marriage still shook me up. I had thought Violet and Mike had the most stable, happy marriage of anyone I knew. But it turned out their relationship wasn’t all peaches and cream. There were problems she and Mike had been sweeping under the rug for years. It made me even more determined to make sure Joe and I were honest with one another.
I looked around. “Where’s Muffy?”
“She’s playing with the boys.”
My little dog was an ugly mutt nobody wanted until I saved her from a farmer about to take her to the pound. She looked like a cross between a rat and some sort of terrier with her pointy ears and snout. Her short gray and black fur had become softer and less wiry since her adoption. She had been timid and scared at first, a lot like I was at the time. Both of us had come a long way in the last four months.
She loved playing with the little boys who’d moved into the house next door. The house where Joe had lived for a little over a month while he was undercover. Remembering that piece of information set my stomach rolling. “How long can you stay?”
“I’ll be around for the grand opening ceremony, but I have to leave by noon.”
I grabbed his face between my hands, holding back tears. “I’m gonna miss you.”
He sighed. “Me too.”
We were subdued for the rest of the night. Joe reassured me multiple times that the nursery would be a success. But I knew he couldn’t guarantee that. No one could. Besides, since my visions made me the town pariah, I couldn’t help thinking that my involvement could potentially hurt our business. My vision about the televangelist gave me hope, but when I told Joe about it, a frown wrinkled his forehead. “Be careful in any dealings with Jonah Pruitt, Rose.” The way he said it caught my attention.
“You know something about him?”
He’s eyes leveled with mine. “You know I can’t discuss state police matters.” His voice lowered, making sure his full meaning came through.
Jonah Pruitt was being watched by the Arkansas State Police. That was interesting news. We’d just have to make sure he paid up front.
Chapter Two
The next morning, I was so anxious I could hardly eat breakfast. The nursery opening had me on edge, but Joe’s assignment worried me more. If the nursery failed, it was only money. But there was only one Joe.
“I’m gonna be fine, Rose.” Joe could read my mind like a book, or more accurately, he could read my face. “This isn’t the first time I’ve gone undercover. Or even the tenth. I know what I’m doing or I wouldn’t be doing it.”
I nodded. He was right. But I was still scared to death.
I let Muffy out one last time before we left, my gaze drifting to the end of the street. School had already started for the day, but Thomas’s car was still parked in the driveway. His mother was going to be fit to be tied. He already had a raging case of senioritis, and it was only September. It would be a miracle if he graduated in May.
After I put Muffy in the bathroom, Joe and I drove to the nursery separately. Violet was already there when we arrived at around 8:30. As I started uncovering the flowers on the sidewalk, Aunt Bessie pulled into the parking lot. She wouldn’t have missed this for the world, so Violet and I had recruited her to work the register after the ribbon cutting ceremony.
When she got out of her car, she was grinning ear to ear. “Look at you, Rose! A business owner!”
“I know, hard to believe isn’t it?”
She pressed her lips into a smug smile. “Not so hard for me. You’re smart, and you love flowers. And if you use your gift to your advantage, you’ll increase your sales even more.”
I knew that look. Joe wasn’t usually a stubborn man, but when he’d made up his mind about something, he was going to do it. There was no convincing him otherwise.
A loud engine revved as a big muscle car sped down the street past my house.
Joe watched the car pull into the driveway of the house on the corner across the street. “That boy drives too fast.”
I watched Thomas get out of his car and slam the door shut. “The only good thing about having a teen with a loud car who drives too fast in the neighborhood is that he gives Mildred someone else to complain about besides us.”
Joe’s eyes lit up in a playful challenge. “Is that right? Then I’m not doing my job well enough.” He pulled me back to his chest and lowered his mouth to mine.
I laughed and pushed him away. “Oh, no you don’t. I’m hungry. Do you want me to cook dinner?”
He grinned. “I’ve already got it started.”
One of the perks of having Joe as a boyfriend is that he not only cooked, but he cooked really well. “What are we having tonight?”
“I fired up the grill. We’re gonna have steaks.”
“Be careful. Mike will think you’re invading his territory.” The words were out before I thought about what I was saying.
Joe sobered. “What’s the latest on Violet and Mike’s separation?”
“Vi thinks he’s about to file for divorce.”
Joe winced. “And how’s she doing with that news?”
I shook my head, twisting my mouth to one side. “Better than I expected. She’s devoting all her attention to the nursery and the kids.”
“I guess it’s good that she’s got something to focus on.”
“Yeah.” The breakup of her marriage still shook me up. I had thought Violet and Mike had the most stable, happy marriage of anyone I knew. But it turned out their relationship wasn’t all peaches and cream. There were problems she and Mike had been sweeping under the rug for years. It made me even more determined to make sure Joe and I were honest with one another.
I looked around. “Where’s Muffy?”
“She’s playing with the boys.”
My little dog was an ugly mutt nobody wanted until I saved her from a farmer about to take her to the pound. She looked like a cross between a rat and some sort of terrier with her pointy ears and snout. Her short gray and black fur had become softer and less wiry since her adoption. She had been timid and scared at first, a lot like I was at the time. Both of us had come a long way in the last four months.
She loved playing with the little boys who’d moved into the house next door. The house where Joe had lived for a little over a month while he was undercover. Remembering that piece of information set my stomach rolling. “How long can you stay?”
“I’ll be around for the grand opening ceremony, but I have to leave by noon.”
I grabbed his face between my hands, holding back tears. “I’m gonna miss you.”
He sighed. “Me too.”
We were subdued for the rest of the night. Joe reassured me multiple times that the nursery would be a success. But I knew he couldn’t guarantee that. No one could. Besides, since my visions made me the town pariah, I couldn’t help thinking that my involvement could potentially hurt our business. My vision about the televangelist gave me hope, but when I told Joe about it, a frown wrinkled his forehead. “Be careful in any dealings with Jonah Pruitt, Rose.” The way he said it caught my attention.
“You know something about him?”
He’s eyes leveled with mine. “You know I can’t discuss state police matters.” His voice lowered, making sure his full meaning came through.
Jonah Pruitt was being watched by the Arkansas State Police. That was interesting news. We’d just have to make sure he paid up front.
Chapter Two
The next morning, I was so anxious I could hardly eat breakfast. The nursery opening had me on edge, but Joe’s assignment worried me more. If the nursery failed, it was only money. But there was only one Joe.
“I’m gonna be fine, Rose.” Joe could read my mind like a book, or more accurately, he could read my face. “This isn’t the first time I’ve gone undercover. Or even the tenth. I know what I’m doing or I wouldn’t be doing it.”
I nodded. He was right. But I was still scared to death.
I let Muffy out one last time before we left, my gaze drifting to the end of the street. School had already started for the day, but Thomas’s car was still parked in the driveway. His mother was going to be fit to be tied. He already had a raging case of senioritis, and it was only September. It would be a miracle if he graduated in May.
After I put Muffy in the bathroom, Joe and I drove to the nursery separately. Violet was already there when we arrived at around 8:30. As I started uncovering the flowers on the sidewalk, Aunt Bessie pulled into the parking lot. She wouldn’t have missed this for the world, so Violet and I had recruited her to work the register after the ribbon cutting ceremony.
When she got out of her car, she was grinning ear to ear. “Look at you, Rose! A business owner!”
“I know, hard to believe isn’t it?”
She pressed her lips into a smug smile. “Not so hard for me. You’re smart, and you love flowers. And if you use your gift to your advantage, you’ll increase your sales even more.”
