The Sweet By and By (14 page)
Jade went to the door. Mama still sat behind the wheel of the Corolla. She was nuts. Reaching for the knob, Jade looked at Willow, who added a pink tie-dyed top to the clothes draped over her shoulder, and whispered, “Help me.” Then with a resigned sigh, she stepped outside.
Mama cracked her car window an inch when Jade rapped lightly, hovering against the chilly wind. “You can't sit out here all day.”
“I thought I'd go back to the bed-and-breakfast.”
“Are you coming into the shop or not?” Two cars lined up at Main Street's single traffic light. The drivers stared.
“What's Willow doing?”
“Shopping.”
Mama rolled up the window, then popped open her door. She followed Jade inside, the large leather bag slung over her shoulder, banging against her hip. She wore a pair of loose jeans with a hem that bounced around her ankles, a tucked in T-shirt with a large, loose sweater, and a pair of white sneakers.
“So this is it?” She surveyed the Blue Umbrella, turning in a small circle.
“There's a storeroom in the back and a loft upstairs, but yeah, this is it.”
Mama's gaze stopped on Jade. “You look well.”
“You came.”
“You invited me, didn't you?”
“To my wedding, yes.”
“Jade, I'm going to try these on,” Willow said. “About time you came in, Beryl.”
“I needed a break from you.”
Jade glanced at her sister. “Not the beige dress. Wrong color for you.”
She dropped the dress over the rack. “What about this teal?”
“No,” said Jade.
“Yes.” Mama's yes crashed into Jade's no.
Jade peered at Mama, then Willow, who draped the teal top over the rack. “Hang them up when you come back.”
“I will. Are you buying? It's my birthday soon.”
“No more than a hundred dollars.”
“Cheap-o.” The door to the small dressing room, a former broom closet, clicked shut.
“Will you talk to her about going back to school?” Beryl said.
“She said she was bored.” Jade walked slowly toward the sales counter, offering Mama the stool.
“Everything bores her.” Mama remained standing, arms folded over her middle. “She gets bored two seconds into her morning shower. She's too brilliant for this game. Talk to her for me, will you?”
“Haven't I always?” Jade moved to the clothes rack, hanging up the teal top and the beige dress. “I was there for her when you weren't, reading her stories, tucking her inâ”
Prairie City, June 1996
“Willow, come on, which jammies?” Jade held up Ariel in one hand, Barbie in the other. “Granny said Mama might call tonight.”
Jade leaned to see Granny's hall clock. Ten minutes. Dustin would be here in ten minutes. It was an hour's drive over to Deep River with no minutes to spare. A quiver weakened her knees. Tonight all their plans came together.
“I hate her.” Willow fell on her bed, tugging on her yellow lace panties, her wet hair tangled about her shoulders, then reached for a book under her pillow and held it over her head, flipping the pages.
“Don't say âhate.'” Jade yanked the book from her sister's slender fingers. “Which pajamas?”
“Hate, hate, hate, hate.” Willow kicked her feet against the mattress.
Jade raised her hand. One pop on the behind, just one. Willow could be so impossible. “I said, don't say âhate.' Here, you're wearing Ariel.”
“You say âhate.' I heard you.” Willow sat up with her arms raised, and Jade slipped the nightie over her head.
“I was mad at Mama.”
“Me too.”
“Mad at her for what?” Jade shoved onto the bed next to Willow, surfing under her pillow for the rest of the books she'd stashed there. Most six-year-olds slept with dolls or stuffed animals. But Willow curled up with
The Little House in the Big Woods
,
The Secret Garden
, and Granny's worn copy of
Little Women
. The little bugger could read them herself too.
“'Cause she's never here. Always going off with some stupid man, or asking Rolf for long trips in the truck. Or going with Carlisle. She doesn't care about us.”
Oh, boy.
“Pick a book.” Jade spread them across the bed. Willow had just rattled off every word Jade had said to Granny last week when she thought Willow was in bed.
“This one.” Willow tapped
Blueberries for Sal
, by Robert McClosky.
“What? You've read this a hundred times. You recite the next part of the story before I can turn the page.”
“It's my favorite.”
Jade curled her arm around Willow's narrow frame and, kissing her forehead, opened to the first page. “Willow, we don't hate Mama, okay? You're only saying those things about Mama because you heard me say them.”
She stretched out her long, lean legs, arching her feet and spreading her toes. “Why'd you say them?”
“I was just upset. Listen, you, Aiden's bringing home ice cream from Kroger when he gets off work tonight. If you go straight to sleep after reading, I'll tell Granny to let you have chocolate ice cream for breakfast.”
Willow stiffened her arms and squeezed her eyes shut. Jade wanted to laugh, but that would start a whole other routine of Willow-as-entertainer and she didn't have time for that tonight.
“How's it going in here?” Granny walked through the door, shoving her rinsed-red hair away from her high forehead. She sat on the edge of the bed with an exhaled
oomph
and squeezed Willow's toes.
“Jade's reading to me,” Willow said without moving, but cracking her eyes just enough to see Granny through long-lashed slits. “She says for you to let me have ice cream for breakfast.”
“Oh, she did?” Granny angled her head back to see Jade.
“Only if she's good and goes to sleep after this story.”
“All right, but you have to let me listen.”
“Certainly,” Willow said, closing her eyes tight again, stretching her body taut. She looked ready for a coffin.
Certainly? Where does she get this stuff?
“Here we go.”
Willow opened one eye. “Show me the picture.”
Jade showed her the book with a glance at Granny. Her eyelids fluttered closed and her hand was limp over her middle.
She was so tired. Raising Mama's kids for her so she could do what she wanted. The latest being a “rock tour” with a musician she'd met in Omaha.
Gig Parsons.
Gig. What kind of name was that for a grown man? A sour shiver crept through Jade whenever she thought of the gregarious, chain-smoking guitar player. He was too young and too smarmy for Mama.
“Have you heard from your mother?” Granny said from her half-sleep.
“We hate her.” The parrot, Willow.
Jade tapped her leg with the spine of the book. “Stop saying âhate.' No, we haven't.”
“I saw Rolf in town today, and he's pretty upset she isn't back from her leave of absence. It's been three months and counting.”
“She's a teamster. He can't fire her.”
“He can lay her off.”
“You think she'll care?”
Granny sighed. “Not until that musician husband of hers dumps her for someone younger and prettier.”
“Mama's ugly.”
“Willow, that's enough. You're not allowed to say another word unless it's nice.”
“Nice.” She giggled and snorted into her palm.
“Your mother . . .” Granny's voice faded. “She listens to a different beat than the rest of us, especially your Paps and me.”
The lullaby of tenderness in Granny's voice touched Jade. Granny loved Mamaâdespite all the pain.
“Granny,” Jade started, her plans with Dustin surfacing. She hated deceiving her. “Dustin and Iâ”
Shh. Don't tell.
She'd made a pact with him.
“Dustin and you what, sweetie?”
“Are, um, watching movies at Rachel's tonight. Stu's coming over. Like a double date. I'm going to spend the night there, if it's okay.”
“On a school night?”
A thump of Jade's heart jolted her pulse. “My homework is done.”
“Well . . .” Granny's voice faded again as if thinking this issue through wasted her last ounce of energy. “If Bonnie is okay with you staying over . . . I trust you.”
“She is. W-w-want me to have her call you?”
Please no, please no, please no.
Jade thumbed the pages of the book, her pulse carrying an anxious beat through her ears. Next to her, Willow was already halfway to dreamland.
“Don't bother her. But listen, I do need you to come straight home from school tomorrow and get supper. I'm working late again. Aiden's going to pick up Willow from after-school care since the babysitter can't keep her late on Tuesdays. Mercy, sixty-eight is too old to be working overtime.”
“Why don't you retire?” Jade closed the
Blueberries
book and tucked it under the pillow. Willow made a small, kittenlike noise and curled up on her side. “You talk about it.”
“Then what? Sit in my rocking chair and rot? I'd rather complain about being too old to work overtime.”
“Can Dustin come for dinner tomorrow?” Jade slipped Willow's legs under the covers.
“He's always welcome, Jade.” Granny smiled, her eyes still closed. “He's a honey, isn't he? I remember him from Sunday school. âHello, Mith Walker.'” Her laugh fell over Jade like a gentle summer rain.
“He loves you, Granny.”
With a sigh, Granny pushed off the bed, eyes bleary. “Better get ready for bed. My program's on soon, but I'm not sure I can stay awake to the end.” Yawning, she walked around and kissed Jade's forehead. “You're a good girl, Jade-o.”
Jade's eyes watered and she squeezed Granny's hand as she walked away. “I love you.”
“I love you too.”
Watching Granny's rounded back disappear around the corner, Jade smoothed her hand over Willow's damp, curly hair. She should've blown it dry for her. Tonight's plans had her so distracted . . . excited.
Kneeling beside the bed, Jade plugged in the string of Christmas lights that Willow had draped over the dresser last Christmas and clicked off the bedside lamp.
Easing out of the room, Jade peered out of the upstairs hall window just as Dustin's headlights turned into the drive. “He's here. Night, Granny.”
“Have fun.” Granny came out of her bathroom rubbing a thick white cream on her face. “Remember, straight home tomorrow.”
Down the stairs with her insides congealing like cold Jell-O, Jade ducked into the bathroom off the kitchen and changed into her skirt and top for her date. In an overnight bag, she had a change of clothes for school andâher breath went shallow, her cheeks burnedâsomething
special
for later in the evening. Tingles chased shivers down her spine.
Hurry, Jade, Dustin is waiting. Granny will be coming down any minute.
She tugged the top over her head. Dustin liked this one with the scoop neck. Said it made her look sexy.
At her neck lay the praying hands medallion Paps gave her so long ago. Jade unhooked the clunky clasp and slipped the medallion into her bag.
In the halo of yellow porch light, Dustin waited against the rail wearing jeans and a starched button-down. “Hey,” he said, low and warm, pulling her toward him.
The fragrance of Dial and Obsession seeped through her pores and into her memory bank. She wanted to remember everything about tonight. How he looked, how he smelled, how he tasted.
“You're wearing my favorite top.” His nuzzles against her neck were hot and inviting.
“Well”âshe kissed himâ“it's a special night.”
His hand slipped low on her hips, pressing her into him. “I love you, Jade.”
She pressed her forehead to his chest. “I'm counting on it.”
Music floated from under the door of the Blue Umbrella's storeroom. The faint tunes of Don McLean's “Tapestry.”
Jade knocked softly before opening the door. Mama sat in the pea-green and brown recliner circa 1974 with her head back and eyes closed, her toes tapping out the beat against the air.
“Excuse me. I just need to check something.” Jade jiggled the mouse of her inventory computer. A customer had e-mailed about the Baker book collection, and she'd forgotten the price.
Mama lowered the footrest and lifted the needle from the vinyl LP. “Where did you find this old album?”
“I have a connection in Memphis. Rumor was Elvis owned the album, butâ” Jade made a face. “Who knows.”
“Well, that proves it. He's not alive. If he were, he'd not let this album go.”
“Alert the media. Mystery solved.” Jade shuffled paper and pens around the desk without purpose.
“Do you have any Fleetwood Mac?”
Jade shook her head. “Never considered you for a Fleetwood fan.”
“Harlan and I saw them at the state fair right after we were engaged.”
“Really? So, you're feeling sentimental?” Jade remained focused on the computer, her tone bland and disengaged.
“Just about music. By the way, June has invited me to lunch.”
“Max told me.” The bent metal chair tossed Jade forward a bit when she moved.
Last night, the Bensons met Mama for the first time over pie at Sugar Plumbs. And so far, nothing between Jade and Mama had changed. Mae knew nothing about pies and peace.
“June's a bit over the top for my taste, but she seems likeable.” Mama slipped the record into the jacket.
“What time is lunch?” Jade ran her palms against her jeans. Mama needed to know something before dining alone with June.
“Twelve thirty. Guess I should get over to the B&B, get cleaned up.” Shoving out of the chair, Mama teetered for a second, hand to her forehead.
Jade stood, hand out to steady her. “Are you okay?” Mama's cheeks were bland and pale.
