“Right. Because the last thing Church needs in her life is a YN. We want her to do better than me and Mama, . . . not the same.”
“Church is a grown woman, and she’s standing right here,” I reminded my oldest sister.
“But have you heard what they’re sayin’ about him?” she asked me.
If the rumors had made it to Perkins, they were definitely far-reaching because she spent all her time either at Collins’ salon or raising her three little girls.
“About what happened behind the barn?” I clarified.
“Wait! What happened behind the barn?” Mrs. Strong questioned, the knife she was using stopping mid-chop.
“Nothin’,” I said.
Collins shot me a look and gave me an expression that clearly read, “Aww.” I wasn’t going there with her, so I rolled my eyes in return. Since she didn’t take me seriously, she giggled.
“Why’re you taking up for him, Churchy?” Perkins probed.
“I’m not,” I lied, kind of. “Do you really think it’s a good idea to discuss him when he’s in the next room? Aren’t we supposed to be making him feel welcome? I mean, he’s a guest . . . and family.”
Perkins eyed me. She liked to act like she was my mother, but she wasn’t my mother. I eyed her right back, respectfully, of course, though.
“Church is right,” Mrs. Strong said, picking up her chopping where she left off. “He’s spent a lot of time hopping from place to place. If he’s thinking about making Jackson Falls his permanent home, I want him to feel loved and supported, not gossiped about.” She paused. “But I will be pumping Bright for any information he might have.”
We all laughed.
The following Saturday,Mari and I stopped at Butterscotch Café for breakfast before we headed to the lodge to finish up production on some products. The last of the outstanding orders needed to be filled before Jackson Falls’ Fall Festival started, and we received even more orders.
Saturday mornings were busy at the café. We had just been shown to an available booth when Jones and Lex walked in. They spotted us and motioned to the hostess that they would sit with us—without asking our permission. Lex slid in next to me. Jones slid in beside Mari. We had barely exchanged a goodmorning greeting when Jenna walked into the café. We must’ve been at the most popular table or something because she spotted us, too, and walked right on over. Her eyes fell briefly on each of us, but I was the only one she graced with a sneer. I ignored her, choosing instead to concentrate on one of the menus the hostess had left on the table.
“Hey, y’all,” she spoke.
“Hey, girl,” Mari said with a small smile, while Lex barely grunted.
“What’s up?” Jones asked, grabbing a menu.
“Slide over, Jonesy,” she cooed. “I don’t want to eat alone.”
“But you were gonna eat alone if we weren’t here,” Lex reminded her.
“Right. And now I don’t have to.”
Jones slid over.
“Did y’all order yet?”
“Not yet,” Mari said.
Jenna swiped the menu from Jones’ hands in atoo familiarmanner. He mugged her for a second or two but apparently decided to let her make it. He grabbed a different menu from the table. “It’s funny, seeing y’all here together. I mean, especially after hearing that y’all were riding around Red Leaf together.”
“What are you talking about?” Mari asked.
Jenna leaned up so that she could look around Jones and address Mari. “Let me find out that yourbestieis keeping secrets from you.” Jenna’s eyes cut toward me.
I stared her down. No blinking. No hesitation.
I guess my silence gave her the go-ahead to talk her shit. “Church was cruising around Red Leaf the other day, in the passenger seat of Jones’ truck.” She sounded like she was tattling on me or something, like Mari was going to give me a whupping or something. I couldn’t help but chuckle.
“What about it?” Jones asked her. “We were over there doing business, . . . and minding our business. What about it?”