Sweet Tea and Secrets (5 page)

Tears welled, stinging her already tender eyes. For the first time in over a year, she took a good look at the house in the daylight. A fresh coat of paint in a historic shade of sage green gave the house she grew up in a completely different look than the muddy white it used to be. Manicured shrubs provided a rich green backdrop for clumps of bright Gerber daisies that danced like the Rockettes in the light summer breeze, reflecting bright yellow, orange and red against the long country porch. Amazing what a little paint and early summer blooms can do for a place.

“I can’t believe she’s gone.” Jill’s bottom lip trembled. “Are you the reason this place looks so good?”

“Right now, you’re why it looks so good.”

“Stop it.” She rigidly held her tears in check. “Just leave. I’m tired. I’m sad. Devastated. I can’t...”

Garrett pulled her into his arms. “I know.”

She sobbed into his shoulder. Feeling lost. Alone.

He held her. His touch soothing the raw pain as he stroked her back and held her close.

Garrett pressed his lips to her forehead.

She looked up and his mouth moved to hers.

His lips touched her like a whisper. For a moment, there was nothing else but that kiss.

Then the butterflies in her gut turned on her. Their colorful wings dimmed to shades of gray and the familiar excitement turned to panic.

She pulled back and shoved him away.

Garrett went airborne off the step and into the flowerbed, landing on his butt with a thud.

“What?” She sucked in a breath trying to recover. “What do you think you’re doing?”

“I’m...I....” Garrett gasped. “What the...” He tried to catch the breath that his diaphragm just squeezed out like a dirty sponge. He looked up at Jill and studied her.
She responded. I felt it. All the warmth of a year ago.

“I’m...I....” He sat in the middle of the flowerbed trying to focus on her and not the kiss.

She dragged the back of her forearm across her lips.

Garrett cringed.
I know that look. That’s not good.

“You need to leave. I don’t want you here.” Jill’s voice trembled.

She’s pissed. Why’d I do that?

“Bad timing. I’m sorry.” He shook his leg, checking to be sure he hadn’t broken anything in the fall. “Look, I know you’re hurting, but you’re not the only one who cared about Pearl. And you. I still care about you, too. I’m trying to help.”

Her expression didn’t soften any.

“Don’t. I’m her family.” Jill avoided his stare.

I blew it. Again. Why can’t I catch a break here?
“No one has seen you for nearly a year. You were in and out, visiting Pearl in stealth mode. Too good for us now?”

“I was here to see Pearl. I’ve been busy. I didn’t have time to hang around.”

He brushed cut grass from the top of his shoe. “No one’s that busy,” he muttered half under his breath.

“Just leave.”

He sat there stunned, wondering how he’d ever make progress with her at this rate.

“You were the one that ruined everything.” Her lips held a tight line. “You betrayed me.”

“I never did anything to betray you, and I never lied to you. Bradley Kase brainwashed you into believing that line of bull.” The old argument made his stomach churn.

“Bradley had nothing to do with my decision. Why would he? He had nothing to gain.”

“Don’t be a fool. He had everything to gain. He got you, didn’t he?” Garrett’s jaw pulsed. “If you’re so happy, then why are you still so upset with me?” Looking up from the flowerbed, he watched for a reaction.

“Whatever,” Jill said and looked off toward the trees. “I can’t argue with you. I’m tired. I didn’t even get four hours of sleep.”

She couldn’t have missed the old spark in that kiss.
“Admit it. You’ve missed me,” he said. “At least a little.”

“I have
not
!” She shook her hair away from her face. “You are an arrogant...jerk face...jerk.”

“Got it. I’m a jerk. I’m annoying, and you don’t want my help.” Garrett lifted himself out of the flowerbed and brushed the mulch from his jeans. “I have to finish the lawn. Pleasure talking to you.” He righted a tousled daisy with the tip of his shoe and headed back to the mower.

“I’ll finish the lawn,” she yelled after him.

“No. You won’t. It’s going to be over ninety degrees today. You don’t have any business out here pushing a mower in this humidity.”

“Afraid I’m so sweet I’ll melt?”

“No. But I know you, and you’ll be burnt slam up.”

“There you go again, trying to tell me what I can and can’t do.” Jill lifted her hair off her neck. Tendrils stuck to her neck.

“Like it would matter.” He pulled the starter on the mower and revved the throttle. Without having to look he knew she was heading his way.

“You can’t make decisions around here,” she shouted. “Please. Just leave.”

Garrett ignored the tantrum and started mowing again.

“I hate you!”

Garrett spun around. Jill stood in the middle of the yard with both fists clenched at her sides like she was about to snap.

He turned back, released the mower handle and threw both hands in the air. Standing there for a long moment, he shook his head and pushed the lawnmower toward his truck.

Why do I try so hard?
I’ve really screwed it up this time.
I’ll never get her back without your help, Pearl.

He heaved the mower into the back of the big four-wheel drive GMC truck in one motion, slammed the tailgate and hopped in the cab, spinning dirt as he wheeled down the lane.

Chapter Four

Jill touched her mouth where Garrett had landed the unexpected kiss. Why did he still get under her skin?

“Good riddance,” she murmured, but an unexpected guilt nagged at her.

She went back inside and started a pot of coffee. If she was going to make it through the day on no sleep, she’d need the caffeine. Once the coffee began to drip, Jill went to get dressed.

With a fresh cup of coffee in hand, she sat at the kitchen table and dialed Aunt Milly.

“How are you, dear?” Aunt Milly asked.

“Sad.”

“Oh honey, I know. I just talked to them down at the funeral home. You know Pearl didn’t want nobody staring at her all dead and gray, but I thought you might want to spend a little time with her. They said you could see her after two o’clock.”

Jill tensed at the thought of seeing Pearl that way—lifeless.

Milly rambled through the list of tasks. “And she’d already written her own obituary, so I dropped that off at the paper. She had everything in that envelope she’d given me. Songs to be sung at the church, and even the instructions to call Carolanne for you. So, I can’t really take that credit.”

“Thank you. I guess there’s not much for me to do.” That left her feeling more sad and helpless.

She sipped her coffee and fidgeted with the corner of one of the yarn lap-weave placemats on the kitchen table. She and Pearl had made them for the annual Christmas bazaar a few years ago.

“Everything’s under control. Anything I can do for you?” Aunt Milly asked.

“No. I still can’t believe it.”

“Well, you run over and visit with her this afternoon. You can check in with me tonight. Love you, sweetie.” Aunt Milly made a kiss sound and hung up.

Jill stacked the placemats in a pile in front of her and leaned forward, resting her cheek on the soft yarn. The back of her throat tightened.

Pearl would hate for her to be such a prisoner to this sadness.

I have to fight this. Think good thoughts. Happy memories.
But the mantra wasn’t powerful enough to push the gray from her day.

She had to focus on something else. Nose stuffed up, lips swollen, and eyes feeling puffy, she headed to the bathroom to wash her face. As she passed the telephone table in the hallway, Pearl’s old metal flip-top telephone index caught her eye. She slid the tarnished selector to M to get the number for Markham’s Lawn Service and dialed them. Someone answered on the first ring.

“Macy’s Limo Service.”

Jill straightened. “Macy? Macy Markham?”

A hearty chuckle came across the line. “Right gal. Wrong last name.”

“Did I misdial? I meant to get your dad. It’s Jill Clemmons.”

“Hey, girl. You got the number right. I took over his store front.”

Macy had graduated a year ahead of Jill, then started her cosmetic and makeover business. That girl had the Midas touch when it came to business. Every girl in town glopped on the goods to be more like Macy, the coolest chick in town. It wasn’t long after that Macy met and married a mortician and put her makeup skills to work on the dead.

Jill pushed her hair behind her ear. “When did you get back in town? Last I’d heard you were down in Carolina somewhere.”

“Came back a few months ago. Reggie decided he wanted to broaden his horizons, and
broad
is the operative word there. I decided three was a crowd.”

“Ouch. Sorry. I hadn’t heard.”

“Don’t tell me the kudzu telegraph is out of order. But hey, I’m okay. I took one of the limos from the funeral parlor and headed home. Presto chango—Adams Grove’s first limo service.”

“Welcome home and good luck with the business venture.”

Macy rattled on like she always had. “Yeah, yeah. I know a limo service isn’t quite a fit for Adams Grove, right? But I’ve got no overhead and nothing better to do. I’ll be wheeling you and Milly around later this week. Sorry to hear about Pearl, by the way. She was a grand lady.”

“I miss her already.”

“I imagine so. That why you’re callin’? About the arrangements for Saturday?”

“No. Milly has all that under control. I’m trying to avoid dealing with the details as long as I can. I guess I keep hoping this is a nightmare, and Pearl will be here to comfort me when I wake up.”

“I wish that was so, sweetheart. It’s a terrible loss for all of us.”

“Yeah. It is. I was hoping to catch your dad about getting Pearl’s lawn cut. She’d hate for people to be stopping by with it not looking its best.”

“Oh, honey, Daddy shut down the lawn service at the end of last season. He and Momma are spending all their time on the B&B now. After ten years of business, Daddy had to finally admit Markham House Bed and Breakfast was going to make it. Ya’ know, one of those ‘if-ya’-can’t-beat-em-join-em’ decisions.”

“Well, I guess I’ll be mowing the lawn myself, then.” She could do that. Garrett couldn’t tell her what she could and couldn’t do. She was perfectly capable of pushing a mower. No problem. She said goodbye and headed to the back yard.

Next to the back door, the familiar sight of Pearl’s yard sneakers with the backs pushed down stopped Jill in her tracks. She stretched her leg forward and pushed the tan shoes along the floor with her toes. Finally, she took a deep breath, slid her feet into them and headed out back to get the mower out of the shed.

When she slid open the door, she was surprised to find the shed empty, except for a few hand tools and a garden cart.

“No mower and I’ve run off the only help.” Jill slammed the shed door.
What else could go wrong?

She went back to the house to look up the number for another lawn service. Hopefully, someone could work her in today. She still had the mess from the vandals to clean up, too.

As if on cue, Garrett’s truck idled back up the lane.

Give me a break here, God, would you?
Then it struck her. She’d have to suck it up and apologize, but he’d finish the lawn. Feeling better, she strode toward the truck.

Garrett never looked her way. He climbed out of the truck with his back to her and slapped his thigh. “Come on, boy.”

Jill stopped mid-step as one of the biggest dogs she’d ever laid eyes on dropped to the ground by Garrett’s side. She scanned the bed of the truck.