Where Azaleas Bloom (9 page)

* * *

Flo regarded her daughter with real disappointment. “How
did I raise a woman who could be so judgmental?” she asked wearily after she and
Helen had gone round and round about what Helen termed her inappropriate
behavior.

“I’m not being judgmental,” Helen insisted. “I’m just worried
about your making a complete fool of yourself.”

“By dating a man who treats me with respect and genuine
affection?”

“Don is at least ten years younger than you.”

“Twelve, if you must know, but what’s your point?”

“It can’t possibly last, Mom. He’ll break your heart.”

“And you don’t think I know a thing or two about broken hearts?
Most of the men who stole my heart for a minute or two over the years weren’t
worth spit compared to Donnie.” She gave Helen a defiant look. “And I’m sorry if
this makes you uncomfortable or embarrasses you in some way, but it’s my life. I
intend to live it any way I choose.”

“I swear to God,” Helen began, but she didn’t finish the
thought.

Flo almost smiled at that. “You’ll what? Have me
committed?”

Helen sighed heavily. “Okay, I know that’s crazy. There’s not a
judge around who’ll buy that you’re not in your right mind, even if I happen to
think you’ve lost it.”

Flo gave a nod of satisfaction. “Glad to know you have limits
and that you recognize that much about me.” She hesitated, then said, “I have a
proposition, if you’d like to hear it.”

Though she still looked agitated, Helen gestured for her to go
on.

“You and Erik have dinner with us one night,” Flo suggested.
“We’ll go to Rosalina’s.”

“You want to go on a double date with me?” Helen asked
incredulously.

“And Erik,” Flo stressed, knowing that he’d be the voice of
reason if Helen got herself all worked up and wasn’t behaving politely.

“Oh, sure, because you have him wound around your finger,”
Helen said.

Flo smiled at her frustration. “That’s one reason, for sure. I
was also thinking you might enjoy a night out with your husband. I’ll even pay
for a sitter, so you won’t have a worry on your mind.”

“I’d rather you stay home and sit with Sarah Beth,” Helen
muttered.

Flo dared to laugh at that. “It would defeat the purpose of
this double date, don’t you think? Come on. What do you have to lose, except
maybe being forced to admit you’re wrong about me and Donnie?”

“I hate being wrong.”

“I know you do,” Flo soothed. “I’ll make it easy on you. I
promise not to say I told you so even once.”

A smile finally tugged at Helen’s lips. “You’ll never be able
to pull that off.”

“I can,” Flo insisted. “Cross my heart.”

Helen studied her, then finally shook her head. “I suppose it
will be worth it just to see you try to keep from rubbing it in. First, though,
I have to admit I’m wrong. There’s no guarantee that’ll happen.”

“It’ll happen,” Flo said confidently. “I have faith in Donnie,
but I have even more faith in your being fair and just. That is why you went
into law, isn’t it, to make sure trials are fair and impartial?”

Helen gave her a long look, then chuckled. “I swear every now
and then I get a glimpse of just where I learned to manipulate a witness into
saying what I want.”

“Thank you, Mama,” Flo coached.

“Thank you, Mama,” Helen said dutifully, though she didn’t look
entirely happy about it.

Still, though, she’d come a long way since the beginning of
their contentious conversation. Flo was content with the progress they’d made.
She just had to keep reminding herself that some victories required baby
steps.

* * *

Mitch frowned at the way Lynn was avoiding making eye
contact when he stopped by on Wednesday to go over the payroll instructions one
more time.

“Something wrong?” he asked eventually.

“No. Why?”

“You haven’t once looked at me since I walked into the house,”
he said.

“Because I’m focused on this blasted computer screen,” she
claimed. “You want me to get the payroll done before your crew quits on you,
right?”

He wasn’t buying it, but prolonging the discussion was unlikely
to get him anywhere.

“I saw Ed the other day,” he mentioned casually, wondering if
that was behind her stiff behavior. “He’s back from his trip.”

“I know,” she said tersely.

“You’ve seen him?”

She did turn to him then. “Why do you care about this?”

“Just trying to figure out this mood you’re in. I thought Ed’s
return might have something to do with it.”

“I am not in a mood,” she retorted, her eyes flashing with
indignation.

Mitch thought that fiery reaction was a whole lot better than
the indifference she’d been radiating earlier. “Sorry, I think you are.”

“You don’t know me that well.”

“I do,” he said mildly.

She regarded him with obvious frustration. “Mitch, we’ve barely
seen each other since high school.”

“Until the past couple of weeks,” he said agreeably. “I’ve seen
enough to know you haven’t changed that dramatically from the sweet,
even-tempered girl I knew.”

“That’s what you think,” she muttered. “Getting a divorce has a
way of changing things.”

“So this is about Ed.”

“No, it’s about my having a job to do and your not helping me
to get it done,” she said impatiently. “I have another job to get to in…” She
glanced at her watch. “Twenty minutes. Could you please explain this one more
time and do it in ten minutes, preferably in English, rather than tech mumbo
jumbo?”

He smiled. “Why don’t we just tackle it again when you get home
and aren’t in such a rush?” He stood up, then impulsively bent down and brushed
a kiss across her forehead. “Maybe your mood will be improved by then, too.”

He was almost to the back door when a wad of paper sailed past
his head. The next one struck him in the back. He laughed.

“Very mature, Lynnie,” he called over his shoulder.

“Just be glad I didn’t get my cast-iron skillet.”

He was beginning to realize that she really was annoyed with
him, either for some transgression she had yet to mention or because she thought
he was being presumptuous for calling her on her attitude. He turned around and
walked back into the kitchen, pulled a chair closer, then straddled it from
behind, resting his arms on the back.

“Okay, what’s this about?” he asked, too close for her to avoid
making eye contact without being any more revealing than she already had
been.

“Mitch, please, just go on over to Raylene’s so I can get to
work. It takes me ten minutes to walk to the boutique.”

“I’ll drive you. Let’s settle this, and then we’ll go.”

“There’s nothing to settle,” she said stubbornly.

“I beg to differ.”

“Beg to differ all you want to, but I’m telling you there’s
nothing going on.”

“You don’t suddenly have a problem with me?”

“No,” she said, but she managed to avoid his gaze when she said
it.

“You do,” he concluded, then sighed. “Tell me.”

“Mitch, really. I don’t have time for this.”

Reluctantly, he stood up. “Let’s go then. Grab your purse. I’ll
drop you off on my way to Ronnie’s hardware store. I have supplies coming in
this morning.”

“I can walk.”

“I know you are perfectly capable of walking,” he said, barely
holding on to his temper. “But I am willing to save you a couple of minutes and
give you a ride, since I’m going just a few doors down from the boutique. Do you
really want to fight about this, too?”

Apparently, her common sense finally kicked in, because she
gave him a chagrined look. “Thank you.”

“Anytime,” he said, managing to contain a smile since the
thanks had clearly cost her.

They made the drive in a couple of minutes. The silence in his
truck was deafening. After he’d stopped in front of the boutique to let her out,
he reached over and touched her arm as she exited. “We’ll finish this
later.”

Dismay flashed in her eyes, followed by resignation. “Is that
an edict from my boss?”

“Nope, just a promise from a concerned friend,” he said mildly.
“Have a good day, Lynnie.”

She hesitated, then said, “Yeah, you, too.”

Mitch watched until she’d gone inside, then drove down the
block and parked in front of the hardware store. He stayed right where he was
after he’d cut the engine, trying to puzzle out what might be going on with
Lynn, but if there were clues, he’d missed them.

One thing he’d learned during his marriage, though, was that
some puzzles shouldn’t be left unresolved. They tended to get more complicated
and difficult as time passed.

“Tonight, Lynn,” he murmured determinedly. “I’ll get to the
bottom of whatever’s going on tonight.”

Stubborn as she obviously was, he didn’t think she could keep
the problem to herself forever.

9

“I
was awful,” Lynn told Raylene during a
break between customers at the boutique. “There he was being all worried and
concerned that I was upset, and I was being standoffish and mean.”

“Standoffish under the circumstances I can see,” Raylene said.
“But mean? I can’t imagine it. Not you. You’re the most thoughtful person I
know.”

“No, that would be Mitch. The man has been nothing but kind to
me. He’s given me a job, for goodness’ sake, and what do I do? At the first hint
that he might have a drinking problem, I treat him like a pariah. And the truth
is, I’ve never even seen him touch a drink. All I have to go on is what Laura
said she saw.”

Raylene nodded. “I was shocked by that, too. It doesn’t fit
with the man I know, either. Still, it’s not something she’d make up.”

“I know that,” Lynn said in frustration. “That’s why I found it
so disturbing. Laura doesn’t gossip, and she was clearly uncomfortable telling
us about this.”

“Do you want my advice?”

Lynn nodded. She needed another perspective. “Absolutely.”

“You recall that when I met Carter he jumped to a lot of
conclusions about my being careless and irresponsible because Sarah’s little boy
had run away while I was supposed to be watching him. Until Travis explained to
him about my agoraphobia, Carter made some pretty terrible judgments about the
kind of person I am. He still says that taught him a valuable lesson about never
jumping to conclusions without facts.”

“I remember that day, and the way Carter reacted when he
brought Tommy back,” Lynn said. “He definitely made a rush to judgment.”

“If you can see that, then don’t do the same thing. Give Mitch
a chance to set the record straight.”

“Ask him if he drinks?” Lynn said, dismayed by the thought of
asking such an intrusive question when she’d personally seen no evidence to
suggest that he had a problem. “I can’t do that. How could I possibly explain
why I was asking? If it’s not true, it would totally humiliate him to think
people in town are saying otherwise.”

“Then here’s what I personally think is the better
alternative,” Raylene said. “You concentrate on what you know to be true about
Mitch—that he’s thoughtful and dependable and kind. Trust what you know until he
actually does something to shake your faith in him.”

“I know you’re right, but I’m scared,” Lynn said.

“Of what?”

“Falling for him,
then
finding out
he’s not the man I thought he was.”

Raylene looked unreasonably delighted by her response. “Then
you
are
in danger of falling for him?
Fantastic!”

“Is it fantastic?” Lynn wondered.

“I think so,” Raylene confirmed. “Look, I understand your
desire to protect yourself and the kids from getting hurt, but I honestly don’t
see it happening, not with the Mitch I know. Trust your gut.”

Lynn gave her a wry look. “My gut told me Ed was the perfect
man for me. It’s not terribly reliable.”

“I think you’re wrong about that. One mistake—”

“A
huge
mistake,” Lynn
corrected.

“Okay, I’ll give you that one,” Raylene conceded. “But I’d hate
to see you give up on something special happening with Mitch for no reason.”

But was it for no reason? Lynn wondered. It would be difficult
for Laura Reed to misinterpret what she’d seen with her own eyes. And she wasn’t
the kind of woman who’d spread rumors if she hadn’t been genuinely worried by
what she’d observed.

Raylene was right, though. The situation called for caution or
confrontation. Since confrontation, especially without firsthand evidence, went
against her basic instincts, caution was the only answer.

“Are you seeing Mitch tonight?” Raylene asked.

“Unless he thought about this morning and decided not to waste
his time on a woman who was being impossible,” she said.

“I doubt Mitch could ever look at time spent with you as a
waste,” Raylene said. “You’ll see him. Now let’s look on these racks and find
something fabulous for you to wear.”

Lynn immediately shook her head. “I can’t afford fabulous.”

“You can if it’s on the sale rack and we take off your employee
discount. I’ll practically have to pay you to wear it. Besides, for me, a
well-dressed employee is a walking advertisement.”

“But we’re just going to do payroll at my place,” Lynn
protested, even though her attention kept straying to the sales rack. When she’d
been straightening it earlier, there had been one dress that had caught her
eye—something in a cheerful lime green that would be terrific for summer.

“Not once he sees you in the perfect dress, I’ll bet,” Raylene
said, handing her a simple linen dress in peach that Lynn hadn’t even
noticed.

“Are you sure?” Lynn asked. “I like the lime green.”

“Trust me,” Raylene insisted. “The lime green will be
overpowering. This peach will make your skin glow.” She grinned. “I’m predicting
there’s a fancy dinner in your future. And if he asks, don’t you dare say
no.”

Somewhat reassured by the conversation with Raylene and stunned
by the way she looked in the dress that Raylene had plucked from the rack, Lynn
left the store at midafternoon with a whole new attitude.

“Bring it on,” she murmured as she walked home. But even as she
uttered the brave words, a part of her couldn’t help worrying that she was in
way over her head.

* * *

Mitch stood beside his truck watching Lynn walk down the
block. He’d been alternately glancing at his watch and down the street around
the time he knew she usually left Raylene’s shop. In fact, lately, he seemed to
be paying a little too much attention to her comings and goings. He waited until
she was closer before calling out a greeting.

To his surprise, after the way she’d been acting earlier today,
a genuine smile lit her face.

“Well, now, that’s a sight for sore eyes,” he declared,
grinning back at her.

“What?”

“That smile of yours. It’s been a while since I’ve seen it. You
definitely weren’t too happy with me this morning.”

“You were right. I had something on my mind,” she finally
acknowledged. “Sorry.”

“No need to be sorry. Is the problem resolved now?”

“Not entirely, but I got my perspective back. Actually I had a
good day in general,” she said. “Ed called. He says he’s making progress on
getting a few financial issues straightened out. I made several good sales
today. I even bought myself a new dress.” She held up the boutique’s shiny bag
triumphantly. “To be honest, I feel hopeful for the first time in a very long
time.”

Though he probably should have settled for the evening they’d
planned working on the payroll, Mitch made a quick decision. “Feel like telling
me about it over dinner? Nothing fancy. Just Rosalina’s. I’m afraid I’ve just
about worn out my welcome with Raylene and Carter. I need to get out in the
world again.”

“Raylene and Carter love having you stay for dinner,” Lynn
contradicted. “She’s told me how much they enjoy your company.”

“Carter’s just tolerating it,” he insisted. “He’s counting on
that addition moving along a little faster if I keep longer hours.”

“You’ve said that before, but I honestly don’t think it’s all
about that,” Lynn said. “I think he likes having you around when he has to work
the late shifts at the police department. Neither he nor Raylene have entirely
forgotten about that business with Raylene’s ex-husband. He might be back in
jail now, but it’s left them jumpy.”

Mitch nodded. “That was a nasty business, all right. So, Lynn,
how about it? Pizza at Rosalina’s. We can bring the kids along if you like. You
can wear your new dress.”

For some reason he couldn’t fathom, she chuckled.

“What?”

“Raylene predicted I’d be having dinner out tonight. She all
but insisted I buy this dress just in case.”

“Well, bless Raylene,” he said. “The woman does have amazing
insight from time to time. So, is that a yes?”

She studied him with a worried frown. “Are you sure about all
this, Mitch? Do you really want the kids along, too?”

Though he’d prefer a more intimate evening with her, he knew it
was still too soon for that. The kids would add the buffer they both needed to
keep these fresh, unexplored emotions in check.

“I’d be glad to have the company,” he said candidly,
deliberately making it sound as if they’d be doing him a favor. “I’ve never
enjoyed eating out alone.”

She hesitated another minute, clearly wrestling between desire
and caution. “The kids won’t drive you crazy?”

He laughed. “Not if I give them a bunch of quarters for the
video games, they won’t. That always worked like a charm with Nate and
Luke.”

“That definitely ought to keep Jeremy and Lexie occupied,” she
agreed, smiling. “Okay, then. It sounds great. Should we meet you there?”

He knew that car of hers hadn’t left the driveway much lately
and suspected he knew why. The price of gasoline could play havoc with a tight
budget. And even though Rosalina’s wasn’t at the other end of the world, he
didn’t want her wasting any obviously precious gas to get there.

“No, just give me a half hour to run home, shower and change,
and I’ll pick you guys up.” He’d also need that time to run inside and leave a
note for Raylene, letting her know he wouldn’t be hanging around tonight. This
unexpected opportunity was way too good to pass up.

He smiled to himself. Not that she’d be one bit surprised.
Apparently, she knew the two of them better than they knew themselves.

* * *

Lynn noticed heads turning when they arrived at
Rosalina’s. There was a rise in volume, too, as speculative comments were
exchanged. Though she loved Serenity, had spent her teens learning to appreciate
its close-knit ways, she’d never gotten used to this. Just like so many other
times since she and Ed had separated, she felt as if her smile was frozen in
place and her cheeks were hot with embarrassment. Thankfully, Jeremy and Lexie
appeared oblivious, already heading off to the area that contained a variety of
video and arcade games.

“Pay no attention to the gossip,” Mitch said quietly, leaning
down so that his breath fanned against her cheek.

“Hard to ignore the stares,” she replied, “and the
whispers.”

He winked at her. “Ever stop to think that it may be because no
one’s seen me out with a woman since Amy died?”

She gave him a startled look, then chuckled. “No, that never
once crossed my mind. How self-absorbed is that?”

“Just human nature, darlin’. When we have things going on in
our lives that are uncomfortable, we always think everyone else can’t wait to
talk about us.” He chuckled. “Sadly, in Serenity, it’s more than likely
true.”

Lynn finally allowed herself to relax, surprised by the
discovery that Mitch’s understanding not only of the situation but of her
reaction to it had settled her nerves.

After they were seated in a corner booth, she glanced at the
menu, uncertain what to order. She was so hungry these days, she would gladly
have sampled a little of everything on it.

“How about two large pizzas?” Mitch suggested. “That way there
will be leftovers to take home.”

“Sounds good to me,” she said, thinking of how eagerly the kids
would eat more than their share, just as they had when they’d discovered the
leftovers after Mitch had had pizza delivered to the house a few nights ago.

“And salad?”

“For me and Lexie, yes. None for Jeremy. He won’t touch it, no
matter how miserable I make his life.”

“My boys were the same way until Cal Maddox was coaching them
for baseball and insisted they eat their vegetables, right along with the meat
and other protein the football coach encouraged them to eat,” Mitch said. “They
finally got the message about nutrition fueling their bodies. Does Jeremy play
any sports?”

“Not yet. He hasn’t seemed interested in the various teams in
town and I haven’t encouraged him to try out. His dad wasn’t a big athlete, so
Ed hasn’t tried to influence him, either.”

“Seems to me team sports are good for boys,” Mitch said. “But
only if they’re interested. Nate and Luke couldn’t wait to play. They’re still
competitive, though they’re not involved in organized sports at college.” He set
aside the menu. “Now, tell me, what would you like to drink? Soda? Beer?”

She hesitated, considering her reply carefully. Was this the
perfect time to test the situation? “I’d love a beer if you’re having one.”

“Not me,” Mitch said easily. “But you go ahead if you want
one.”

And there was her answer, she thought with regret. Or was it?
She regarded him curiously. “You declined as if there’s a story there,” she said
carefully. “Is there?”

“Beer provided a little too much comfort right after Amy died,”
he told her openly and without even a hint of embarrassment.

“Oh,” she murmured, not sure what to say. He’d made the
admission with such complete candor that she was momentarily taken aback. “So
you don’t drink anymore?”

He shook his head. “I woke up one day to the horrifying
realization that I wasn’t one bit better than the drunk driver who killed my
wife. Only difference was, I had sense enough not to get behind the wheel.
Haven’t touched alcohol since then.”

Lynn wondered if it was even possible to quit just like that.
Her dad certainly hadn’t been able to. Then, again, had he ever even tried?

“You must be incredibly strong to just turn your back on it
like that,” she said. “Did you join Alcoholics Anonymous or some other kind of
support group?”

“No, though I would have in a heartbeat if I hadn’t been able
to do it on my own.” He gave her a serious look. “I don’t think I’m an
alcoholic, Lynn, not by any means. Before Amy died, I’d have a beer or two in
the evening from time to time, but even that wasn’t something I did regularly.
When I saw that I was relying on it to dull the pain after she died, though, I
realized that I could be on a slippery slope.”