The Curl Up and Dye (10 page)

***

LilyAnn was freezing by the time she got home. If it stayed this cold, she was going to start driving to work again, at least through winter. She changed quickly and went to the kitchen to make her supper and cornbread for tomorrow’s dressing.

The phone rang while she was grilling chicken. She answered absently while keeping an eye on the stove.

“Hello.”

“Hey, Lilybug, it’s me.”

“Mama!”

Grace laughed. “I miss being called Mama. I should call you more just to hear you say that word.”

“I second that,” Lily said. “What’s going on?”

“Just checking in to make sure it’s still okay for us to come.”

“Of course it’s okay, and guess what? Don and Carol Dalton will be here, too.”

Grace squealed. “I am thrilled to hear this. I haven’t seen them in ages. How do they look?”

“The same, but it’s because of Mike that they’re even here. He fell in the shower a couple of weeks ago, ruptured his spleen, and nearly bled to death.”

“Oh dear God!” Grace cried. “Is he okay now?”

“Yes, getting stronger, anyway. He’s home. They’ll stay with him until after Thanksgiving for sure, maybe longer. It’s been great to have them next door again. Almost like old times.”

“Yes, like old times,” Grace said, and Lily knew her mama was thinking about her daddy’s passing. All of their lives changed after he died.

“So, you’ll be at work tomorrow, right?”

“Until 5:00 p.m. You know where the extra key is kept if you get here before I get off work. I love you, Mama, and I can’t wait to see you.”

“Love you, too,” Grace said.

Lily hung up the phone. Her chicken looked done, and the cornbread was in the oven. It was time to eat.

***

It was just after 3:00 p.m. the next day when Mike saw Grace and Eddie Gleason pull up in LilyAnn’s drive. He moved to the window for a closer look at Eddie. Ever since he learned Eddie had taken verbal potshots at LilyAnn, the urge to confront him had been huge. But, he didn’t have the right to interfere on LilyAnn’s behalf, and that ate at him, too.

Grace was a shorter, older version of LilyAnn. She was still a blond and always stylish. Eddie Gleason was about six feet tall, with a head full of thick gray hair and a bit of a paunch. He reminded Mike of Alex Trebek, the TV host on
Jeopardy
.

He watched Eddie saunter toward the house with their suitcases while Grace retrieved the spare key and opened the door.

Moments later, Mike saw his mom and dad running across his front yard. The meeting between the old friends was heartfelt. He could hear the laughter and chatter, even from where he was standing.

He sighed. And so it begins.

***

LilyAnn left the pharmacy on the dot of five and drove home without making any extra stops. She was as prepared as she could be for the holiday meal, and whatever she’d forgotten, they would never miss.

When she saw her mother’s car in the driveway, she giggled. Mama was home, a simple fact that had a huge impact on her world.

She didn’t know Mike was watching from the window when she parked and got out, and probably wouldn’t have acknowledged him if she had. She didn’t want to play nice with Mike Dalton. He’d hurt her feelings. His apology had sucked eggs, and as far as she was concerned, he could go boss the new girlfriend around instead of her. That’s what Mike Dalton could do.

She ran into the house, yelling as she went.

“Mama! I’m home!”

And just like the old days, Grace came out of the kitchen with an apron over her shirt and slacks and a smile on her face.

“LilyAnn! Oh child, how I have missed you,” Grace cried.

Lily wrapped her arms around her mother’s neck and held on because she could and because it felt so right.

Then she felt someone patting her on the back and looked over her shoulder.

Eddie.

“Hey, don’t I get a hug, too?” he asked.

Grace was beaming, thrilled that he was showing her daughter affection.

Lily smiled grimly, her eyes narrowing as Eddie started to hug her.

“Great to see you,” she said, gave him a hit-and-run hug, and then spun out of his grasp. “Mama, did the chicken cacciatore get done in the Crock-Pot?”

“Yes, and it tastes wonderful,” Grace said. “You’re turning into a great cook.”

Lily beamed. “Give me a couple of minutes to change out of my work clothes, and I’ll help set the table.”

“Eddie can do that,” Grace said. “As soon as you get back, we’re ready to eat.”

“Great,” Lily said, and bolted out of the room.

She changed clothes quickly, anxious to get to the kitchen. But the jeans she’d laid out were so loose they wouldn’t stay up, so she dug in the back of the closet for some of her older clothes that had been too small. Not only did they pull up over her hips, but they also zipped comfortably. She looked at herself in the full-length mirror and then grinned and patted her butt.

“Way to go, missy,” she muttered, then put on a long-sleeved T-shirt, slipped into some soft-soled shoes, and headed back to the kitchen.

Eddie was the first one who saw her entrance, and his eyes widened perceptibly.

“Dang, girl, you’re not nearly as big as you were last time we were here.”

Grace’s mouth dropped. The shock on her face was painfully visible.

“Eddie Gleason! I cannot believe that just came out of your mouth. I’m sorry, LilyAnn. I have yet to meet a man who could breathe and make sense at the same time, and it is obvious my husband isn’t one of them.”

The shock on Eddie’s face was obvious, and Lily doubted her mother did much disagreeing with him. She laughed. It was the best thing that had happened under this roof in years.

“No biggie, Mama. He stated a true fact. I’m a little over fifteen pounds lighter, and I’m hungry. Did you find the rice to heat up?”

“You look amazing,” Grace said, giving Eddie another hard look. “And yes, I found the rice. Let’s eat while everything is hot.”

The silence that ensued was awkward, but it slowly passed as Lily guided the conversation toward Carol and Don.

***

It was almost dark when LilyAnn heard a car engine revving over and over, and thought it was in her driveway. But when she went out on the porch to see who it was, she got a jolt of reality.

Between the glow from the streetlight and the beam from Mike’s porch light, she had a very good view of the red sports car in Mike’s driveway. There was a cute little redhead leaning against it, engaged in animated conversation with Mike. He had his hand on her arm in a possessive manner, and the look on his face was shocking. She’d never seen that expression and didn’t quite know how to interpret it. It was something between a look of lust and longing. She shifted focus to the woman, trying to figure out who the hell she was.

If this was Mike’s new girlfriend, she could already tell she wasn’t going to like her. Not only was she about a foot shorter than Lily, but she was younger and cuter, to boot. Lily stomped back in the house.

Whatever!

Thanksgiving morning dawned early for LilyAnn. By 5:00 a.m. she was in the kitchen putting the turkey in the oven. It gave her a sense of familial continuity, remembering her grandmother doing this every holiday until her passing. Her mother had taken over and hosted the family meals until she remarried and moved away. After that, the tradition had stopped.

This was the first time since her mother moved away that she and Eddie had been back for Thanksgiving, and Lily was the one putting the turkey in the oven. It was a fact of Southern tradition that women who amounted to anything had to have an affinity with their kitchens and the food they made in them.

She had a breakfast quiche already baked and ready to reheat when her mom and Eddie woke up. In the meantime, she had the kitchen to herself.

About an hour later, her mother walked in yawning, still wearing her robe and nightgown.

“Morning, Mama,” Lily said. “There’s coffee made and quiche when you get hungry. Just heat it in the microwave and it’s good to go.”

Grace poured coffee and sat down, sipping carefully while watching Lily going from task to task.

“What’s going on with you?” Grace finally asked.

“What do you mean?” Lily asked.

“Seeing you like this now, so vibrant and happy. It’s like you woke up, honey. I used to worry about you and how you seemed to be living in the past, but it wasn’t my place to put an expiration date on grief. So whatever has caused this change, it is a godsend and I’m happy for you.”

Lily smiled. “I did wake up, Mama. I want to get my figure back and start dating again.”

Grace frowned. “Date who? What about Mike?”

Lily’s stomach knotted. “What about Mike?”

“I don’t know. I guess I always hoped you two would—”

Lily rolled her eyes. “Mike? Mother! Seriously?”

Grace shrugged. “Never mind. So do you have someone in mind you would like to date?”

LilyAnn thought of Lachlan, but she was no longer as intrigued as she’d first been.

“No, there’s no one, really, but I’m not getting any younger. People are dying all the time around here, and I don’t want to be an old maid when it happens to me.”

Grace frowned. “Who died?”

“Lots of people have died in the years since you left town, Mama. Just this year two ladies from the nursing home have passed. The high school basketball coach died in a car wreck, Mr. Bissell passed away, and a little over a week ago I found Mr. Gerty sitting on the bench in the cemetery. He was dead. That was a shock, I can tell you.”

Grace gasped. “
You
found him?”

Lily nodded. “I thought he’d fallen asleep. He’s always in the cemetery visiting Ina’s grave. But when I sat down to talk to him, I realized he was… he was gone.”

Grace was stunned. “You still go out to the cemetery to visit Randy Joe’s grave?”

“Hardly ever,” Lily said. “I only went that day to tell Randy Joe I was moving on, and I found Mr. Gerty instead.”

“Good Lord,” Grace muttered.

At that point, Eddie walked in, bleary-eyed and silent. He went straight for the coffee and then sat down beside Grace to finish waking up.

“Would you two like a piece of breakfast quiche? Dinner probably won’t be ready until around 1:00 p.m. That’s a long time to go without eating.”

“I’ll have some,” Grace said.

“Me, too,” Eddie said, and when Grace kicked him under the table, he winced and added, “Uh, LilyAnn, about yesterday. I’m sorry about what I said. What I was thinking was that you were looking nice and trim, and it came out wrong.”

“It’s already forgotten,” Lily said. “Sit tight and I’ll get that quiche warmed up.”

As soon as they began to eat, she went back to work. She still had the celery and onions to sauté before she could begin the dressing—so many things to do and so little time.

It wasn’t until breakfast was over and Grace and Eddie had gone to get dressed that Lily stopped long enough to eat a bite. She’d skipped the buttery quiche for a bowl of cereal with a banana and was chewing the last bite when the phone rang. She swallowed quickly, washing it down with a drink of water, and then answered.

“Happy Thanksgiving.”

It was Mike. “Happy Thanksgiving to you, too. Mom wants me to remind you she’s making candied sweet potatoes and deviled eggs, and I’m asking you if it’s all right if I bring a guest. I have a friend who’s going to be alone for Thanksgiving otherwise.”

“Sure, it’s fine with me whoever you bring,” Lily said. “So, what’s his name?”

“Oh, it’s not a he, it’s a she. Her name is Honey Andrews, that masseuse I was telling you about. Anyway, thanks. I’m sure you two will hit it off. See you later.”

Lily’s mouth was agape, her thoughts in free fall. What the hell just happened?

Grace walked in.

“What can I do to help?” she asked.

“Set another place. Mike’s bringing his girlfriend,” LilyAnn snapped.

Grace’s eyes widened, but she had the good sense to keep her mouth shut as she went to lay another place at the table.

***

T. J. had the day all planned out. He was going to eat dinner at Granny’s Country Kitchen, stock up on beer to get through a day of nonstop football on TV, and if he was lucky, find someone to fuck before the night was over.

He had options in the fuck department, but it all depended on who was still in town for the holiday and who was willing. If he had his druthers, he’d pick wild-ass Rachel Goodhope, but he doubted she could pull off a disappearing act on a family holiday, which left him with either the waitress at the Eight Ball pool hall or the carhop at Charlie’s Barbeque. Whatever worked out was fine with him.

And there was that big blond at the pharmacy. He didn’t know what it was about her, but she interested him. Maybe because she didn’t fall all over herself every time she saw him. He liked it when they played hard to get. The pharmacy was probably closed, but he’d cruise town a bit before heading home for the day. Who knows? He might get lucky.

***

The guests began arriving a little before eleven. Grace moved into hostess mode as if she’d never been gone, taking the pressure off LilyAnn, although Carol and Don didn’t need entertaining. This house was as familiar to them as the one they’d left to Mike. As soon as they hung up their coats, they headed to the kitchen to say hello to LilyAnn.

“Hey, gorgeous! It sure smells good in here,” Don said.

He kissed Lily’s cheek and swiped an olive from an open jar on the cabinet while Carol stowed her deviled eggs in the refrigerator.

Lily laughed. “You only said that so you could steal food. Appetizers are in the fridge, and there’s hard lemonade and a pitcher of iced tea in the living room in Daddy’s old wet bar.”

“Carol, you get the food. I’ll play bartender,” Don said, and backtracked to the living room.

Carol slid a hand along LilyAnn’s arm. “The candied sweet potatoes are on the sideboard. Are you okay?”

LilyAnn beamed. “I sure am! Why wouldn’t I be?”

Carol blinked. “Well then, I’ll get the appetizers and get out of your way.”

“You’re never in the way. If you run out, there’s always more.”

“We don’t need more, or we will be too full to enjoy all this food you’re making.” Then she paused. “Mike said he invited his friend to dinner. I hope you’re okay with that.”

Lily threw back her head and laughed. “Look at all this! There’s food for even ten more of Mike’s friends. One little bitty redhead won’t make a dent in all this… bless her heart.”

Carol’s eyes widened. She bit her lip and then held her breath.

Lord, Lord, Mike has gone and put his foot in it this time.

Without saying a word, she took the appetizers to the living room, then grabbed Grace’s arm.

“We have to talk,” she hissed.

Grace gasped. “What’s wrong?”

Carol shook her head and pulled her by the arm down the hall and into Grace’s bedroom.

Grace was frowning. “Carol, what on earth is the matter with you?”

“Mike invited the woman who works for him at the fitness center to dinner today.”

Grace’s heart sank. “Really? Oh, well, I’m sure it will be fine with LilyAnn. She seems to be fixated on anyone
but
Mike.”

Carol sighed. “I don’t know what she told you, but I know what she just told me about Mike’s guest. When I expressed concern, she laughed, said one little bitty redhead wouldn’t put a dent in all the food she had made, and then she said, ‘Bless her heart.’”

Grace grinned. “Did she really?”

Carol nodded.

Grace sat down on the side of the bed. “She said, ‘Bless her heart’?”

Carol nodded again. “Southern code for everything from ‘you’re a bitch’ to ‘kiss my ass.’ She’s mad, Grace.”

Grace’s smile widened. “Then that means she’s jealous. She may not know it yet, but she is, which means there’s still hope for us yet.”

Carol sighed. “We did everything we knew how to do to throw them together when they were growing up, which now that I look back, was probably wrong. Familiarity breeds contempt, and all that. She sees him as family, not someone to be in love with.”

Grace patted Carol’s hand. “Be happy that Mike’s happy with a new girl.”

Carol snorted. “Mike will never be happy without LilyAnn. I don’t know what he’s up to, but he’s playing with fire right now. Lord, Lord, what a Thanksgiving dinner this is turning out to be.”

They heard the doorbell. Grace frowned. “Who might that be?”

“Mike?” Carol asked.

Grace shook her head. “He doesn’t ring the doorbell.”

Carol went to the door to listen. “Well, he did today because I hear his voice.”

Grace rolled her eyes. “Let’s get back. I’m thinking referees might be needed.”

They reached the living room just as Mike was beginning introductions.

“Mom! Grace! Just in time. This is Honey Andrews. She’s the masseuse at the fitness center. Honey, this is my mother, Carol, and the pretty lady in blue is Grace Gleason, Eddie’s wife. Grace is LilyAnn’s mother and like a second mother to me.”

Honey Andrews flashed smiles at both women, revealing dimples and snow-white teeth. Her dark red sweater made a statement against the copper red of her hair, and black slacks fit her curvy body like a second skin. When she walked, the heels of her black pumps clicked on the hardwood floor.

“It’s a pleasure to meet both of you,” Honey said. “Thank you so much for allowing me to share your holiday meal.”

“Well, hi, y’all. I thought I heard other voices in here.”

LilyAnn strode across the room with a smile on her face stretched from ear to ear and immediately thrust her hand forward.

“You must be Homey. I’m LilyAnn Bronte, the absent hostess, and it’s my home in which you will be dining, so welcome, welcome.”

Mike glared at LilyAnn, but she was ignoring him.

“My name is Honey,” Honey repeated, still smiling, still working the dimples.

Lily giggled. “Well, silly me. When Mike asked if he could bring you to dinner, I would have sworn he said Homey. I do apologize. Whatever must you think of me?”

Honey shook her head. “That’s fine. We all make mistakes.”

“Bless your heart. You are a sweetheart,” LilyAnn said, and then waved a hand at Mike as if he’d just committed the biggest faux pas. “Mike, for goodness sake. Get your honey Honey something to drink.”

Then LilyAnn giggled again. “Your honey, Honey… oh my goodness, I’ll bet people play with your name like that a lot. Well, so nice to meet you. Enjoy yourselves. If y’all get bored with all the man talk, feel free to join me in the kitchen. I promise not to make you work.”

She wiggled her fingers in a darling little bye-bye motion and strode out of the room with a toss of her head and her backside swinging.

Mike didn’t know what to think. She’d been so damn nice, and he’d been hoping for at least a frown. He glanced at Honey, who was already engaged in conversation with his dad at the wet bar. When he looked at his mom and Grace, they were grinning. He glared at the both of them. He didn’t know what the hell was funny and wished this day was already over.

On the other side of the room, Carol moaned.

“She said ‘bless her heart’ again.”

Grace sighed. “Temper does run in the family. LilyAnn’s great-great-grandma Delia once shot the hat off a Yankee general for pushing his way into her house on the plantation without taking it off first. At least Mike had the good sense to ask if he could bring a guest before he showed up with her.”

Carol’s eyes widened. “I need a drink.”

“Sweet tea or hard lemonade?” Grace asked.

“I believe I could do with a little hard lemonade. My nerves are shot. Oh. Lord. Poor choice of words. Not shot, but I do believe my nerves are a bit raggedy.”

Grace chuckled.

***

Lily was furious. The bitch was pretty, and her teeth looked like a billboard ad for chlorine bleach.

“Probably glow in the dark,” Lily muttered. “I could ask Mike. No telling what else on her glows in the dark.”

She was slamming lids and stirring sauces with all the vehemence she could muster. The extra heat in the kitchen had put roses on her cheeks and a damp sheen on her peaches-and-cream skin. When she heard footsteps behind her, she turned around, the knife she was holding aimed straight at Mike’s belly.