IN FOR A PENNY (The Granny Series) (10 page)

“Betcha there ain’t five-hundred women traipsing in and outta your shitters every day though.”

Lillian closed her eyes. Just the very idea of cleaning up after all those people exhausted her, especially after everything she’d done trying to get Summer Haven ready for her absence. “Surely they can’t make us work all the time.”

“Nah, lots of other stuff going on around here after work hours. Kickball in the rec area, bingo, aerobics, church and stuff.”

“What about personal hygiene?”

“I’m sure they already told you that you can buy stuff in the commissary.”

“Yes, but—”

Dixie cocked her head. “Sweetheart, if you think we got a mani-pedi chair around here or one of those salons, then you’re SOL.”

“SOL?”

“Shit outta luck.”

Lord, yes, I am so SOL.

“What are you doing here?” Dixie was staring over Lil’s shoulder.

Lil turned to find a woman—probably in her forties with black hair, acne scars and big, rough hands—standing hipshot in the so-called doorway.

The woman pointed at Lillian. “You need to come with me.”

“Janisse, leave her alone,” Dixie said.

“Who’re you to tell me what to do, Dixieland?”

“One of these days, girl—” Dixie, her chest puffed out, crowded the other woman, “—you are going to be so sorry you ever spoke to me that way.”

Oh, no. These two women were obviously not friends. It wouldn’t do to be caught between them.

“By that day, I’ll be long gone.” Janisse motioned at Lillian.
“C’mon with you then.”

Lillian took a step forward. “Where are we going?”

“Big Martha wants to chat with you. Now.”

Like the Welcome Wagon? How nice. “Excellent.” Lillian tucked her hair behind her ear and plastered her smile back on her face. “Shall we?”

With her mouth open and eyebrows raised, Janisse stared at Lillian and finally said, “Well, let’s go then.”

Janisse strode out of the dormitory and through the courtyard. Lillian tried to take in the small patches of grass and anemic flowers, but Janisse’s stride was so long, Lillian had to darn near jog.

“Excuse me,” Lillian called out. “Can you slow down?”

“Can’t you speed up?”

“Are we in a hurry?” Lillian asked. “Because I’m quite sure I’m not going anywhere for fourteen months, or less if I get lucky.”

Janisse spun around, loomed over Lillian. She raised her hand and Lillian swallowed, but didn’t flinch.

Never let them see you sweat.

Janisse grabbed Lillian’s wrist and lifted her hand, then smacked it in a high five. “Put it there, sister. Love your spunk.”

Lillian relaxed. Well, fine then. She could do this.

They entered a cottage and Janisse stopped at door 7C, grabbed the knob and pushed open the door but didn’t enter. “Go on in.”

Wasn’t that sweet? Lillian stepped through the door. But when the door slammed behind her, she jumped two feet in the air.

“Welcome to Walter Stiles Federal Prison Camp.”

“Thank you.” Lillian scanned the room to find a woman sitting on the left-hand bed with her back propped against the wall. Her uniform was nicely pressed, her hair needed a trim but was recently washed, and her nails looked freshly painted. Maybe the federal prison system should do a little roommate Match.com to pick bunkmates in these places because this woman looked more Lillian’s style. Maybe she’d suggest it when she met the warden.

“Have a seat.”

The command in her voice shot through Lillian and made her knees shake. “Who did you say you were?”

“Martha. They call me Big Martha around here mostly.”

“Well, Martha, as much as I appreciate your hospitality, I really can’t stay. Count is in less than fifteen minutes and it took me ten to walk here from my dormitory.” Which meant she had a five minute cushion, if that.

“Sit.
Down.”

“If you insist.”
Lillian’s knees gave out and she plunked down on the other bed. “But only for a minute.”

“I heard Dixieland is your
bunkie.”

Lillian just nodded.

“That girl is no good. You hang with her, she’ll get you into trouble.”

“Hang with her?” Dixie had certainly seemed nice enough.

“Do you understand what I’m saying?”

“Not entirely.”

“I’m saying, Miss High and Mighty, there are a couple things you need to know. One, you need to mind your own damn business. Two, if you throw your loyalty to Dixie, then you’ve declared yourself my enemy.”

Prison politics already?
And just when she’d sworn she was going to keep her head down and mouth closed. Worked so well for all of an hour. Sure hadn’t seen this coming.

Lillian buried her hands in her lap to hide the nerves making her fingers twitch. “I take it the two of you have differing interests.”

Big Martha’s laugh wasn’t pleasant. “I figured you for a smart one.”

“Well, thank you for your concern, but I’m not interested in pledging loyalty to anyone. I plan to do my work, do my time and that’s it.” Lillian slid off the bed and stood to leave.

“No, Miss H&M, that’s not it. You can’t make up your own set of rules around here. You play by what we’ve already set. Understand?”

Lillian lifted her chin but refused to respond.

“Tell you what, I’ll be generous, give you a little time to think about which decision is in your best interest. Understand?”

Oh, she understood all right.
Understood that she’d already landed in a big ole heap of horse dung. Lillian nodded and shot out the door. Janisse was standing guard and Lillian lifted her hand in a little wave. Then she took off as quickly as she could toward the dormitory, every running hop-step ramming her toes against the steel plate in her shoes.

As she hustled through the courtyard minding her own business, a big busty woman hip-checked her, causing her to stumble.
She didn’t even give the woman a second glance, just kept rushing back to her cube.

By the time she made it back, she had less than a minute to spare before count and she was pretty sure she’d lost a toenail.

Chapter Eleven

On the Fourth, Maggie woke up to a sunny day but in a dark and cloudy mood. She’d slept in Lil’s bed, needing to feel close to her. First she’d lost George, and now she might well have lost Lillian.

Lillian, how could you leave me in this position? This isn’t the kind of seventy-second birthday present I expected.

Caring for this big ole place and figuring out
what the heck she was supposed to do to help her best friend was way more than she’d ever bargained for when she moved to Summer Shoals.

Dear God, was this happening because she’d been so whiny about having personal freedom and space? She’d just wanted to use the carriage house. She hadn’t meant to get it like this.

She rolled out of bed and shoved her feet into her slippers. “Careful what ya wish for, I guess.”

When Angelina Broussard had seen the Torpedo parked in front of Summer Haven yesterday, she’d been so excited that Maggie hadn’t even realized what she was agreeing to until the woman was walking away. Lillian must have told Angelina the car was going to be in the shop to cover her absence. That also meant Lillian had known she wouldn’t be around for the parade when she spoke to Angelina weeks ago.

Would have been really swell if you’d have shared that little tidbit with me, Lil.

That was what she got for neglecting to park the Torpedo back in the garage. Now she had to come up with a plan to cover her mistake. How was she supposed to pull off Lillian leading the parade with no Lillian?

She sure couldn’t tell anyone Lillian Summer Fairview was in prison.

Prison.
And prison sure wasn’t a place for a William & Mary girl.

If
people found out Lil was up the river, it would be the biggest scandal to ever hit Summer Shoals. And if Lil thought Harlan’s scratcher tickets were worth keeping hidden, then Maggie sure knew to zip her lips about Lil’s little
vacation.

Maggie jumped to her feet
. Lil’s parade outfit, that’s the key!

She ran across the room, threw open the double doors to Lillian’s closet and shuffled through the clothes. Although she’d never personally come down for the Fourth of July parade, Lillian had sent her enough pictures over the years for her to know that Lillian wore the same red, white and blue outfit every year. It had to be in here somewhere.

She pushed past a dry cleaner bag of clothes, then paused. “There you are.” She peeled away the thin plastic and admired the red-and-white striped jacket with silver stars embroidered on the epaulets.

Off went her nightshirt and she tried to pull the jacket over her bulky shoulders.
“Oh, yeah. That’s not going to happen.”

She tossed the jacket on Lil’s four-poster bed and plopped down beside it.

Suddenly, her brain conjured up the image of Sera coming out of the creek looking as fit and perfect as Bo Derek in that movie where she wore those cornrow braids. “Sera, you’re doing Lil a favor this time.”

Maggie shimmied into a red shirt decked out with appliquéd flags and rhinestone stars. She tucked it into a pair of khakis,
then hurried to get to Sera. They had not a minute to lose.

She started to head for the back door, but caught the shadow of movement out the windows flanking the front door.

Oh, no. People were here for the parade already!

Hoping to head them off, Maggie hotfooted outside. But the crowd gathered on the Summer Haven lawn was worse—much worse—than early birds for the parade.

There in the middle of the yard, Sera was leading a group through yoga poses. No less than ten men were out there in blue jeans and T-shirts sweating like pigs and looking anything but elegant or relaxed. She could barely see Sera on the other side of them.

“Lord, please let Sera be fully dressed,” Maggie whispered.

She hustled toward the contorted bodies, and relief streamed through her like a tall glass of her special tea. The tight little shorts and skimpy tank top Sera wore weren’t much, but they covered her essentials even if that diamond belly-button ring was peeking out with every move.

Maggie skidded to a stop next to a trio of women.

“Look like a bunch of jackasses, don’t they?” one woman said.

“I heard she’s from Cal-
ee-forn-i-a,” another added. “And you know what they say about those women.”

Wait a minute. Maggie might still be trying to make up her mind about Sera, but these women had no cause to be talking behind her back. “No, what do they say?”

“They’ll steal your menfolk in a New York minute.”

Maggie pointed to the group, where half the men, chests heaving, had collapsed to the grass. “You think she wants to steal the likes of that?”

The woman frowned and nudged her friend. “She’s got a point.”

Maggie marched across the lawn. “Sera,” she called. “Can I talk with you for a minute?”

“Friends, please move into triangle pose and I’ll be back.”

Maggie drew her out of folks’ earshot. “I need your help.”

“Of course, anything,” Sera said.

“You have to pretend to be Lillian and ride in the Torpedo during the parade.”

“But that’s dishonest. Why can’t you just explain that Lillian is in jail and can’t be here?”

“That’s not the way things work in a town like Summer Shoals.” Steam gathered in Maggie’s head and trickled out her ears. There was no time for debate. “Look here, Lillian brought you into the bosom of her home during your time of need and one good turn deserves another.”

“But—”

“But nothing.
Lillian has a reputation to uphold. If you want to stay at Summer Haven, you have to be loyal to her.”

“Fine, but I’m not wearing shoes.”

“Deal.” Maggie’s knees went loosey-goosey.
We can do this. Everything will be A-okay.

While the entire town milled around Summer Haven waiting for the parade to start, Teague stood by the fountain, but he kept his hands—and his loose change—in his pockets this time.

He eyed the whole damn fountain with suspicion. His last wish had apparently conjured up Serendipity, and he could do without any more mention of his sac chakra.

The water spewed high into the air, rode the breeze and sprinkled down on the kids nearby. They squealed and ran away, but came right back.

Nash Talley was around the other side tossing in pennies one after the other. Teague meandered over, but Talley had his eyes closed, apparently concentrating on all those wishes.

“What’cha wishing for?”
Teague asked.

Talley’s eyelids popped open. “I can’t tell you.”

“Why? You got illegal wishes?”

Talley swallowed. Why did skinny men have such big Adam’s apples?
“No…no, of course not.”

Teague slapped him on the back.
“Just messing with you.” He nodded at the shiny coins filling Talley’s hand. “Looks like you’ve got a few more to go.”

The guy nodded, but his eyes darted as if Teague had shined his flashlight into them. “Look, the parade’s starting.”

The kids and adults alike lined up along the side of the driveway.

Teague stepped closer. As she had every year since he’d moved to Summer Shoals, Miss Lillian rode on the back of her daddy’s convertible. But this time, she shaded herself with a giant red and white golf umbrella. She turned his way to wave at the crowd. If he hadn’t known who she was, he wouldn’t have recognized her in those huge movie-star sunglasses and with her hair covered with some kind of wild-patterned scarf that clashed with her patriotic jacket.

The children shouted and begged for the candy Lillian always tossed from the car. As she smiled and flung a handful, her jacket hiked up and something at her midsection winked in the sunlight.

Teague said to Talley, “Did you see that?”

“See what?”

“Nothing.
Never mind.” Like he was going to tell the guy he thought Miss Lillian was wearing a belly button ring. Reelection wouldn’t be so easy if folks thought he was losing his mind.

“Aww,” whined a nearby child. “What’s this? Where’s the suckers and chocolate?”

All the kids who’d hit the ground to scrounge for candy wore puckered lips and scrunched-up eyes. And every last one of them was holding a handful of unshelled peanuts and dirty raisins.

What the hell
was Miss Lillian thinking?