Dancing Naked in Dixie (35 page)

In the moonlight, we press our hands together. We are alone. Outside. Under a canopy of glittering stars.

“I missed you,” Shug says, his lips finding mine again. His arms circle my waist and draw me close. When he lets go, I’m trembling. My heart thumps, sounding out the pulse of my breath.

“I missed you, too,” I whisper as he presses his forehead against mine.

Inside Ella Rae’s, the music grows louder. A champagne cork pops, there’s a whoop of excitement, and glasses clinking.

“I have another surprise for you,” Shug tells me, sounding mysterious. He puts a finger to his lips. “Wait right here. I’d like to take the credit for this one, but I can’t.”

As I sway to the music, Shug returns with my father in tow.

“I’ll let your dad explain.”

My father holds out an album. For a second, I don’t understand. He opens the first page. It’s full of postcards. Eufaula, the Pilgrimage, and places in Alabama I haven’t visited yet.

“Turn the page,” my father urges.

When I lift the corner and let go, I can’t speak. Somehow, my father kept all of the postcards my mother and I collected. The cards I threw at him that day in his office. All of the memories I was sure he’d just thrown away.

My father holds up both wrists and twists his hands in the air. “You can have the cufflinks, too.”

I’m laughing and crying, shaking my head, hugging the album to my chest. It’s the best gift anyone could have given me.

“Oh,” I clasp a hand over my heart. “Thank you.”

“So have you changed your mind?” My father eyes me, winks, and then looks over at Shug.

I raise an eyebrow.

“About Alabama,” he prompts. “Your assignment here, remember?” He wiggles his eyebrows.

Oh, no. He wouldn’t.

But when I see the grin on my father’s face, it’s clear he’s never going to let me forget what I said. Very slowly, I set the album down on the closest bench, flushing red from my toes to my head. “Don’t you dare—”

But my father keeps talking, “So, after I tell my daughter she’s not going to Bali and inform her that she’s traveling to Eufaula, she looks me straight in the eye, puts her hands on her hips, and has a good, old-fashioned hissy fit. You won’t believe what came out of her mouth next—”

“No!” I shriek and hold up both hands, signaling him to stop.

My father, playfully batting me away, keeps talking. “She says—”

“Dad, no!” I am jumping up, trying to clamp a hand over his face. I’m making a total fool out of myself, but it doesn’t matter.

Shug looks positively bewildered. And I’m doing my best to keep it that way.

My father takes a step back, satisfied he’s made his point. He puts a hand to his ear and leans to one side, listening for an apology.

“You’re right. You were right about everything,” I say, breathing hard. It took almost getting fired to find myself. It took coming to Eufaula, Alabama to find love. It took everything in between to trust my father again.

“Julia?” Shug takes my hands in his and squeezes. “Would you mind explaining?”

“Well,
Dad
, where should I start?” I say, taking David by surprise. A look of amazement spills over his face. He’s glowing. It’s the first time I’ve called him ‘Dad’ since my mother passed away, but it feels right. We’re family again. And this time, I’m not letting go.

“Aw, shucks,” my father reddens and grins sheepishly. “I’ll let you explain. I have my own amends to make. And I’m long overdue.”

He means Aubie, but neither Shug nor I say a word. We watch him turn, smooth the sleeve of his sport coat, and head back toward the party. As he rounds the corner, my father begins to whistle.

I was wrong.

So wrong.

About my career. My father. My life.

I summon all of my energy and look into Shug’s eyes. “Ever since my mother died, work has been total chaos. I was always late, I missed deadlines. My career was on a crash course.”

Shug is staring intently at me, his brow creased with concern.

“In November, just back from Rome, David—my dad—became my boss and he handed me an ultimatum. Pull myself together or find a new job.” I close my eyes for a moment, praying Shug won’t hate me.

“What happened?”

“I behaved like a child. When I was told I was going to Eufaula, Alabama to preview the Pilgrimage, I said something awful.” I wrinkle my brow, trying to crumple up the memory. “And if I don’t tell you, my father will.”

“And then?” Shug argues.

I drop my arms to my sides. “It’ll come out. In public, at a party, in the least appropriate moment of my entire existence.”

Shug steers me down the sidewalk, away from the party. “It can’t be that bad.”

“I said…”
Get it over with, Julia.

Shug waits.

“I said that…I’d rather…
dance naked
for my next assignment than go to Alabama.”

I’m not breathing. I’m afraid to look at Shug. When I finally pry open one eye and peer at him through my lashes, his face cracks into a huge smile. He wraps his arms around me and pulls me close. His heartbeat is strong and steady, comforting.

It feels like home.

Shug reaches to caress my cheek. His eyes are twinkling.

“You’re not angry?” I choke out. “About what I said?”

He laughs, his entire face lighting up. “Are you serious? I want a full description. Will there be music? What kind of dancing? And let’s talk more about the nak—”

I kiss him before he can say another word.

“I forgot to tell you, there’s one more surprise.” Shug looks mysterious.

“Um…uh.” My insides flare with panic.

“Don’t worry. It’s a good surprise,” he says with a slow wink. “Do you happen to have your new key?”

That’s all?
Relieved, I pull the heavy iron key from my pocket, and dangle it between us. “Of course,” I flash a smile. “Do you have plans for this already?”

“Actually…” Shug leans in and whispers an address.

It takes only a beat and I make the connection.

“Really?” I squeal and pull back from his embrace, bouncing on the sidewalk with excitement. It’s a property in the historic district. The site of the first explosion, where construction crews are rebuilding. Shug Jordan is the investor. It’s going to be his new house. And he wants to share it with me.

I’m the luckiest girl in the world.

I’m in the very place where my father found love forty-eight years earlier.

Eufaula, Alabama.

Exactly where I was supposed to be all along.

Readers Guide

Dancing Naked in Dixie

Readers Guide

1. At the outset, Julia is harried and unorganized. How much do you think her mother’s death and her father’s subsequent absence affect her ability to focus on her job?

2. Is travel a way for Julia to escape her past and avoid dealing with the pain?

3. Julia is, at first, upset about her assignment in Alabama. Did it surprise you that a person so well-travelled might be unhappy about being sent to a small town in the Deep South?

4. Southerners, by nature, are open, friendly and gregarious. Contrast that with the people Julia encounters in New York city.

5. Shug Jordan’s relationship with his father is tense and strained. Should TJ have pushed Shug to follow in his footsteps or embrace the fact that his son wants to forge his own career path?

6. What was your initial view on Aubie? How did other women in the community and her own family handle her alcoholism?

7. Mary Katherine appears to be a superficial Southern Belle with aspirations to marry Shug and secure her portion of the Jordan family fortune, but it’s later revealed that she has a tough, scheming side. Why didn’t Shug see this?

8. When she first meets Julia, PD isn’t as warm and welcoming as the rest of Eufaula’s residents. Why do you think this is?

9. Julia is accident-prone and often lands in embarrassing or awkward situations. How do the people of Eufaula take care of her? How does that kindness change the way she sees her career and the focus of her article for
Getaways
magazine?

10. Does David Sullivan, Julia’s father, redeem himself with his daughter? How did you feel about David at the end?

11. Discuss a time when people were at odds with a new building project in your own community. What happened? At what point does “progress” interfere with an area’s history?

12.
Spoiler Alert!
In the last chapter, Shug tells Julia he’s bought property in the historic district and is building a home. What do you think will happen with their relationship? What else is next for Julia and her career?

PD’s Pillow Pockets

2 packages Puff Pastry (frozen, let thaw slightly)

1 jar of Nutella Chocolate Hazelnut Spread

1 bag of Mini Marshmallows

1 Egg White plus 1 tbsp Water (whisk together in a small bowl)

Powdered Sugar (sift)

Cut each pastry sheet into four equal pieces. Spread a tablespoon of Nutella in the center of each piece, leaving an inch border. Add 6-8 mini-marshmallows to each piece and fold over to form a triangle. Press edges with fork to seal. Brush with egg wash and sprinkle with powdered sugar. Place on a parchment paper lined cookie sheet to prevent sticking. Bake at 350 for 22 minutes or until just golden. Remove and let cool, sprinkle with powdered sugar. Makes 16 Pillow Pockets.
Enjoy!

Acknowledgements

To my husband, Mark, my biggest supporter and partner in everything. Love you, honey! Patrick and John David—you are my world—forever and always. Loads of appreciation to my entire family, especially my Mom and Dad. We can’t wait to see you at the Lake this summer!

I am indebted to my wonderful early readers: Ashleigh O’Dowd, Kimberly Kinrade, Tara Turner, Laura Pepper Wu, and my mother, Maxine Kidder.

Further thanks go to Melissa Ringsted of
There For You
blog, and Kitty Bullard of
Great Minds Think Aloud,
for proofreading
Dixie
. Kitty, you were divine to work with, as always. Big Hugs! And Melissa—if you can dream it—someone can make a movie about it! Let’s find out if Reese is available…

To Laura Pepper Wu, my adorable and sweet publicist—I will try to quit emailing you fifty times a day. Thank you for your advice, guidance, and friendship! To Laura’s husband, Brandon Wu, technical expert extraordinaire, I can’t thank you enough for helping with my website.

Much praise goes to the very talented Damonza, who created the fabulous cover for
Dixie
in the midst of moving his family to a new home! You are amazing and so talented. A shower of appreciation to Guido Henkel for formatting
Dixie
.

To fellow author Emlyn Chand—a wave of my magic wand and three wishes. A late-night text message to Jen Neese…you always make me laugh! A bottle of wine and any missing Lego bricks go to Yvonne Edeker—the best neighbor in the entire world! Lisa Daughtry—thank you for listening—even at midnight.

A big
Hey, y’all!
to Lizz Gentry Woodrich, Lynnette Spratley, Doug McCourt, and Ron Smith for all of your support these past months! You have been unbelievable!! I am so blessed.

A plate of mystery rolls to Jane McEnerney, who shared delectable recipe ideas for PD. Hugs to Stacey Howell, who introduced us and welcomed me into her lovely home for book club.

I’m so fortunate to know Mary Epps Ellingwood, Rebecca Castillo, Jen Gallaspy, Jana Simpson, Karen Alford, Ashleigh O’Dowd, and Julie Flotte—who’s up for another Pensacola trip?

I raise a delicious latte to celebrate my favorite bloggers, among them Liz & Lisa at
Chick Lit is Not Dead
, Samantha Robey at
ChickLitPlus
, Marianne at
Goddess Fish
, Amanda LaConte, Roxanne Rhoads, Majanka Verstraete,
Novel Girl
Rebecca Berto, Julie at
AToMR
, Melissa Amster, Jessica Sinn, Ashley Wiederhold, Shah Wharton, Mandy Reupsch, Marie Borthwick, Lucy D’Andrea, Lindsay at
Turning the Pages
, and BK Walker.

It’s been such fun getting to know the gang at Page & Palette Bookstore in Fairhope, Alabama. A special thank you to Doug for believing in
Stay Tuned
and
Dancing Naked in Dixie
.

And finally, a perfect summer sky full of incredible fireworks for all of my readers. I adore getting your emails and I am humbled by your many lovely comments on Amazon, BN.com, and GoodReads. A heartfelt review is the highest compliment an author could ask for! Thank you so very much.

About the Author

Lauren Clark writes contemporary novels set in the Deep South; stories sprinkled with sunshine, suspense, and secrets.

A former TV news anchor, Lauren adores flavored coffee, local book stores, and anywhere she can stick her toes in the sand. Her big loves are her family, paying it forward, and true-blue friends. Check out her website at
www.laurenclarkbooks.com
.