Welcome to the World, Baby Girl! (23 page)

“Is that why you became a psychiatrist?”

Diggers laughed and looked at the clock. “Ah-ha, saved by the bell. You’re time’s up! And good riddance. You never stop interviewing, do you?”

As Dena left, she said loud enough for Diggers’s housekeeper to hear: “You’re responding to treatment extremely well, Doctor. Just keep it up and I’m sure we will be able to get to the root of your problems. Just keep writing those dreams down. See you next week.”

Diggers had to laugh. She usually didn’t let her patients get around her like that. But she could not help being impressed with Dena Nordstrom. She could see how Gerry could be in love with her. There was something very appealing about her, very sweet, really.

What a shame she was so shut down.

For the past six months Dena had been working at a breakneck pace and almost every night J.C. had her going from party to party, from one event to another. Lately she was having a hard time trying to keep up with what seemed to be his boundless energy. Her stomach was beginning to hurt again and she could not face the several parties that he had lined up for them this weekend. She needed a rest, but she knew she would not be able to hide from J.C. in New York. She had to get away, make up an elaborate lie about something and go somewhere far off the beaten path.

But where? Where would be the last place on earth she could go without a chance of running into any of his crowd? Then it came to her.

“Hello.”

“Sookie, it’s me.”

“Hey, how are you? What are you doing?”

“Listen, Sookie, will you be home next Friday afternoon?”

“Of course. Why?”

“You’ve been asking me to come for a visit and I thought I would.”

Sookie screamed, “
Really
? You mean to Selma?”

“Yes.”

“Oh my God, I’m about to faint. I can’t believe it. How long can you stay?”

“I’ll fly down for the weekend. Is that all right?”

“All right? It’s wonderful.”

“Look, Sookie—I’ll come but you have to promise me one thing.”

“Of course. What?”

“You won’t tell anybody I’m coming.”

“Why not?”

“Sookie, I am exhausted, really. I need to rest. I need to get away from people for a few days.”

“Oh, well, of course. Can I tell Earle?”

“Oh, sure. I just mean the press, anybody I don’t know. I just want to visit with you.”

“Do you want me to send the girls to Mother?”

“No, I mean just you and Earle and the girls. I just don’t want to see anyone else.”

Sookie was disappointed. “Wouldn’t you know? My one famous friend turns out to be a recluse. And I don’t know why, everybody just loves you. They all think you are just the nicest, friendliest, smartest person, and that you would just love to meet them. I don’t tell them the truth, naturally, that you couldn’t care a thing in the world about meeting them.”

“You should be glad they won’t meet me. If they did, they’d find out that I’m not very nice these days.”

“Oh, you are too nice. Now, how can everybody think that and be wrong? You were voted the most popular female on television just last month. Did it ever occur to you that you might be wrong and everybody else is right? No, it’s just silly … but I’ll do it.”

“Thank you.”

“But just remember, this is a small town—so you’d better fly in with a sack over your head.”

Dena laughed.

“I really am excited, and if you need to rest, then that’s just what you can do. I won’t let anybody bother you. I’ll even wear a muzzle.”

As Dena stepped off the plane in Selma, a gush of hot, almost tropical heat engulfed her. The sun was blinding but she soon saw Sookie, wearing a large black hat and dark sunglasses. Sookie quickly called out, “Miss Smith, oh, Miss Smith, over here.” Dena had to laugh at Sookie’s idea of keeping a low profile. As they walked to the car Sookie went down her list. “Now, Dena, I have done everything you said. Not a soul knows you are coming, except Earle, and Toncie—she works for us—and the children have been instructed not to say a word. So I promise you, you are going to be left alone. I want you to rest. Tonight we’ll have a quiet dinner. Tomorrow I’m making Earle go down to the club and you and I will just laze around all day by the pool or you can sleep or do whatever you want to. My wish is your command.… I mean, oh, you know what I mean.”

“Is it always this hot?”

“Honey, this is nothing. Wait until July and August.” They got into an enormous blue Lincoln Town Car the size of a limousine. “Is this yours?” Dena asked.

“No, it’s one of Mother’s rejects. She bought it and then hated it and gave it to the girls.”

“But the girls are still little, aren’t they?”

“Yes, but she said it would be nice for them when they grew up. Don’t ask. That’s Mother.”

“Will I get to see her?”

“You
want
to see Mother?”

“Sure, I like your mother, you know that. Didn’t you tell her I was coming?”

“No! If she knew you were here an elephant gun couldn’t stop her from crashing through the door to get at you. But, all right … if you want to see her, I’ll call her and let her come over tomorrow for half an hour. But you might be sorry. She’s like being hit by a tornado. God knows she will be thrilled.”

“Is your brother here?”

“Buck? No, he’s over in Saudi Arabia doing some oil thing.”

Sookie turned down a road that seemed to run right through the middle of a pecan grove. Dena said, “Are those cows out there?”

“I told you I lived out in the suburbs, honey. We’re just old Alabama hillbillies.”

After about five minutes of pecan groves, Dena saw a huge house at the end of the road and suddenly realized the road they had been driving on was Sookie’s driveway. Sookie pulled up and said, “Here we are.”

Dena looked up at the rambling two-story white building with columns.

“
This
is a little house out in the suburbs? Good God, Sookie, it looks like a governor’s mansion.”

Sookie dismissed it with a wave. “Oh, honey, it’s not that big. You should see Buck’s house.”

They got out of the car and a woman in a white uniform came out. “Dena, this is Toncie.”

Toncie beamed from ear to ear. “I know who you are and I haven’t said a word, no, ma’am.”

“Thank you.”

They stepped into the vast entry hall with a grand staircase leading up to the second floor. Sookie said, “Where’s my brood? They are so excited you are coming, I almost had to sedate them.”

Toncie took Dena’s bag. “They’re upstairs. I’m keeping them in prison till Miss Nordstrom gets a chance to catch her breath.”

At this point three little redheaded girls all starched and pressed with big bows in their hair appeared at the top of the landing, peering through the railing at Dena.

Sookie looked up. “Uh-oh … here they are. Too late now—you’ve been spotted.”

Toncie said, “I told them not to come down till you called them.”

“Well, you might as well get it over with. Dena, they’re just dying to get at you.” She called up, “All right, girls, come on down but don’t run.”

The three wide-eyed girls were down the stairs like a shot and stood staring up at Dena in awe. Sookie said, “This is Dee Dee, this is Ce Ce, and this is the baby, Lenore … but we call her Le Le. Girls, this is your Aunt Dena.”

Dena looked down at them. “Well, hello, girls.”

They all looked at their mother, wide-eyed with excitement.

“Well, go on and say hello.”

“May I shake your hand?” Dena said.

They all looked at their mother again, who said, “I can’t believe my children have suddenly gone shy. Go on, girls, shake hands with her.”

The two oldest were delighted and giggled like shaking hands was the funniest thing they had ever done. The smallest walked over and hugged Dena’s leg, then all three began babbling and tugging at her. “Come on and see our room,” they said and tried to pull her up the stairs. Le Le had attached both hands to Dena’s belt.

“All right, girls,” Sookie said, “that’s enough. She’ll go upstairs later. Let go of her.” They disappeared with Toncie.

Off the kitchen in the back of the house was a long, screened-in brick patio filled with white wicker furniture and floral pillows. Sookie said, “Excuse the mess but during the summer we just practically live out here. It’s so nice and cool at night.” They walked across a courtyard with what seemed like an Olympic pool to where Dena would be staying—a charming, smaller version of the main house, decorated in gentle pastels with overhead fans and filled with fresh flowers. The minute Dena walked in, Sookie started to apologize. “It’s not much but I thought it would be quieter out here.”

“Sookie, all I ever see is the inside of hotel rooms. To me, this is great, believe me.”

“Really?”

“Yes.”

Sookie brightened up a little. “Well … good. Now I’m going to go, like I promised, and drag myself away so you can take a nap or watch TV or read … or whatever.… There’s iced tea in the fridge … and I thought we’d eat around seven. Is that too early?”

“No. That’s fine.”

“I hope you like fried pig’s feet and hog snouts.”

Dena looked alarmed. “Just kidding,” Sookie said, “you’re going to get ham biscuits, grits, and a nice congealed salad … and Toncie’s made a pecan pie. Hope that’s all right.”

Dena said, “It sounds delicious,” wondering how you congealed a salad.

Sookie left, saying, “Rest now.”

Dena unpacked and went out on her screened-in patio and noticed that Sookie had neatly placed a stack of old
Kappa Key
magazines and
Southern Living
on the end table. She turned on the fan and laid down. She closed her eyes and before she knew it, she was in a deep sleep.

Dena did not wake up until eleven o’clock the next morning. She stumbled into the living room and smelled fresh coffee. A note was on the coffeemaker.

After an hour she got dressed, put her sunglasses on, and headed over to the big house. Sookie was in the kitchen. “Sookie, I’m sorry I missed dinner.”

“Well, thank heavens you are alive. I was beginning to worry. I could see the headlines, ‘Dead Celebrity Found in the Pooles’ Pool House’!”

“No, I’m not dead but I swear I feel drugged. Did you put dope in my iced tea?”

“Oh, yes, you found us out. We’re doping you up good so we can keep you here with us, and sell tickets for people to come and look at you.”

Sookie went over to the refrigerator and pulled out a small, frosty silver cup and handed it to Dena. “Earle made you a mint julep before he left. He thought you might need a drink.”

“This early?”

“Yes, you’ll need it. I called Mother this morning and she is making her command appearance at two. I had to threaten her with the lives of her grandchildren not to tell anyone you’re here. And of course, Earle was furious that I made him leave; he wanted to stay and hang on to your every word.”

“I like Earle, he’s sweet.”

“He is, bless his heart. He wanted to know if you needed any dental work done, said to tell you he’d be happy to do it.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.”