The Lure of White Oak Lake (16 page)

Morgan grinned and rubbed her brow. “I’m still reeling from the image of Maddie nailed to a board.”

Jaclyn nodded. “I had to cut up the base she’d made for her manger display. We went to the hospital, plank and all. I don’t know why it surprised me. She hot glued a chunk of her hair to the kitchen table once. She always seems to stick herself to something. What did you and Austin do while I was away?”

Morgan shrugged. “He napped a lot and I watched movies. You have a thing for Johnny Depp, don’t you?”

Jaclyn grinned and nodded as she chewed a bite of pizza. “He makes me laugh, even when he plays serious parts. You kind of look like him in a feminine sort of way.” She dropped the pizza as her eyes went wide. “Oh, my God, the store. I was supposed to give Bailey a few breaks.”

“It’s okay,” Morgan said quickly. “I went down to get some Sprite for Austin, and Chet was there having coffee. I told him that Maddie had an emergency and you went to help her. He helped Bailey and came back when it was time to close up.”

Jaclyn put a hand to her forehead and sank back down. “I need to do something special for him and you, for that matter. You both really came through for me today.”

Morgan waved her off. “I can’t speak for Chet, but you don’t owe me anything. You and Austin have done plenty for me. I should confess, though, I looked at all your photo albums. That’s right,” she said with a grin when Jaclyn looked at her in horror. “Loved the Christmas picture of you when Austin was four. It’s his favorite too.”

Jaclyn rolled her eyes. “I was wearing the Grinch jammies and my hair was all over the place. Maddie caught me mid-yawn?”

Morgan nodded. “That’s the one. He’s gonna scan it for me in case I need blackmail material.”

“That’s not fair. I have no way of obtaining incriminating photos of you.”

“I’ll volunteer them.” Morgan picked up her beer and moved to the swing with Jaclyn. “Brad sent these to me,” she said as she pressed a few buttons on her phone.

“Aw, how old were you?” Jaclyn took it from her and stared at the photo.

“Six, I think.”

Jaclyn smiled as she stared at the little girl in a yellow dress and matching ribbon in her hair.

“I was scowling because I didn’t want to wear that dress, according to my dad.” She slid her thumb over the screen, and the next picture appeared. “This was high school graduation.”

Jaclyn stared hard at the picture. There was a light in Morgan’s eyes as she stood beside her father in her cap and gown. She looked at Morgan and noticed it had gone out and wondered what it would take for that look to return. “You were very happy.”

Morgan looked away. “I was. I had my diploma, next stop was college. I couldn’t wait to get out on my own.”

“Are there more?”

Morgan glanced at her and smiled as she advanced to the next photo. Jaclyn threw back her head and laughed as she gazed at Morgan in a pair of cutoffs and a stained football jersey with a ball tucked under her arm. She looked to be about nine. “You were a total tomboy.”

“Oh, yeah, I didn’t have one girlie bone in my body.” Morgan winked at Jaclyn. “I bet you did, though.”

“Honey, you’d lose. Getting me into a dress for church was a battle my mother dreaded every Sunday. By the time we got there, we were both furious. Dad, Maddie, and Gayle would go into hiding until they had to get into the car. I wore the stupid dresses, but underneath, I had on cutoffs and a slingshot in my back pocket. When I was around thirteen, she relented and let me wear pants just to keep the peace.” Jaclyn pointed to a tree in the backyard. “Before my teens, I practically lived in a tree house up there. The rest of the time, I was wading into the lake to catch turtles.”

“We would’ve been best friends had we known each other then,” Morgan said with a smile.

Jaclyn nodded. “There’s no telling what trouble we would’ve gotten into.”

Morgan met her stare for a second, then her eyes looked unfocused as if she were pondering something. The kiss came so quickly, every inch of Jaclyn’s body stiffened. In shock, she didn’t respond to the soft kiss on her lips, then Morgan was on her feet backing away.

“I’m sorry.” Morgan looked surprised and confused as she stumbled backward. “I’m not sorry that I kissed you…I’m sorry that…I know I shouldn’t have.” Morgan hung her head. “You make it so easy, Jaclyn.” She leapt off the top step and jogged away without looking back.

Stunned, Jaclyn could only watch her go.

M
onumental overreaction, dork, idiot!”

Morgan was halfway home before she realized that her Jeep was still sitting in Jaclyn’s driveway, and she didn’t want to go back and get it.

“This is stupid. Why do I have to make this so complicated?” Morgan heard a noise as she stepped onto her driveway. Someone moved in the shadows on the road nearby. She strained her eyes. “Betsy?”

“I was taking my evening stroll. I didn’t mean to eavesdrop on your conversation with…yourself.”

Morgan’s shoulders sagged. “Why am I always doing something stupid when I run into you?”

A shaft of moonlight fell on Betsy’s smiling face as she took a step closer. “Had you come by this morning, you would’ve found me having a long conversation with one of Clarice’s cats. I have a daughter around your age, she lives in Texas. I don’t get to see her much, but I still know when something’s troubling her by the look in her eyes—the same one you’ve had since you came here. I pour her a glass of tea, and we talk until her burdens are lifted or at least lighter. I’m a good listener.”

“I have tea,” Morgan said numbly. Betsy gently took her by the arm and led her to the house. “I came here in hopes that the change would do me good, help me clear my mind, but everything is just getting more convoluted.” She opened the door and held it for Betsy, who simply patted her cheek as she passed.

Morgan stood at the bar that divided the kitchen and den watching Betsy take two glasses from the drain basket next to the sink and fill them with tea. She handed Morgan one and went into the den where she sat down. “Now, sweetie, sit, and tell me what’s troubling you.”

Morgan sank into a chair, not knowing where to start. “I lost my dad and my job and my girlfriend. These things happened one after the other, and I came here because it was the only place I had.”

Betsy’s brows rose as she sipped her tea. She lowered the glass and gazed sympathetically at Morgan. “That’s a lot of change, sugar, and an awful lot of loss.”

“I don’t know who I am anymore, then there’s Jaclyn.” Morgan shook her head miserably. “I’m so attached—too attached—already to her
and
Austin. Celeste, who works at the company that canned me, thinks I may be offered my old job by the end of the year. I couldn’t have met her in Atlanta, no, I had to come to the swamp to find what appears to be the perfect woman.” Morgan lowered her voice and her head. “I kissed her tonight, then ran away like a dumbass. She has to think I’m a complete flake.”

Betsy was grinning ear to ear when Morgan looked up. She put a hand over her mouth and cleared her throat before asking, “Were you happy with your life before you came here? Do you miss it so much that you can’t wait to get back?”

Morgan couldn’t immediately answer the question.

“Have you stopped to consider you’re exactly where you belong?”

“No, I guess I haven’t. I pretty much have to go wherever employment takes me.”

“Not to get too personal, but do you have a lot of debt?”

Morgan shrugged. “Not really, but I’m certainly not retirement age. I have to work, and the jobs around here don’t pay anything near what I’m used to making.”

“Well, darlin’, what do you work for? A comfortable place to live, you have that already. Call me a romantic fool, but you’ve admitted that you’ve become attached to Jaclyn. Isn’t that worth exploring? You may just find that there’s no place you’d rather be than White Oak.” Betsy wagged a finger when Morgan’s expression went blank. “You won’t let yourself consider that because everything’s been a jumble lately. It happened to my daughter Diane after Katrina. She lived in New Orleans, and her house was, of course, flooded. They lost everything but what they took with them when they evacuated.” Betsy rolled her eyes and groaned.

“It was devastating to her and her husband, who had an electronics store that went under, as well. They were paying notes on the house and couldn’t live in it. The insurance company fought them tooth and nail over every cent. It seemed as though every time they thought they were going to get back on their feet, they were shoved down by something else. Ethan, her husband, got a job offer in Houston. He took it because they needed the income, but it broke his heart to give up his own business, and of course, their home. It all looked so bleak for them, but now, Ethan loves his job and he doesn’t have to worry about keeping the business running. Someone else does that. The house they live in is beautiful, and the schools are better where they live. What started out so terrible has turned out to be a blessing for them. You know, sometimes calamity forces us to reconsider what’s important, and sometimes change is a good thing.”

Betsy smiled at Morgan sympathetically. “It’s not easy, darlin’. It took Diane a while to come to accept life for her wasn’t going to be the same. It’s gonna take a while for you, too. If she were here right now, I think she would tell you the one thing she would’ve done differently was not to fight it as hard as she did. Relax, and just see where life is taking you because you may find that you’re in a better place.”

~~~

Betsy’s foot was poised to step on her driveway when someone grabbed her arm. “You’ve broken the rules, Betsy Schaffer,” Ida spat out in a whisper as she dragged Betsy toward Clarice’s mobile home.

“She needed me,” Betsy protested.

“You know the leaves said ‘no meddling,’ and you meddled!”

“You make fun of the stupid leaves and stop squeezing my arm, Ida.”

Clarice looked aggravated when they walked in. “What have you done?”

Betsy threw her hands on her hips and bowed her shoulders. “I did what any compassionate soul would. That child needed someone to talk to. She’s under a lot of stress.”

Ida waved off the offered joint from Clarice and took a seat. “Well, sit down and tell us what you know.”

Betsy remained standing as she relayed the conversation. “I’m afraid we’ve made the potion too strong. That poor girl’s in a complete tailspin. She’s dealing with too much, and I’m afraid that she’s gonna…lose her mind.”

“I’m gonna offer her some comfort,” Clarice said, gazing at the joint in her hand. “She needs to see some hibiscus.”

“Now that would be meddling,” Betsy said sternly. “She may take off in the woods naked, then what would Jaclyn think?”

Clarice grinned. “She might run with her.”

I
know you’re bored, but you have to stay in bed and let your body heal just like the doctor told you. Hold on.” Jaclyn pulled the phone from her ear and looked at Austin. “Did you hear what I just told your Aunt Maddie?”

“Yes, ma’am.”

Jaclyn stabbed a finger at him. “Same thing goes for you. Haul it back to the couch and lay down.”

“Can I sleep on the porch swing? I’m tired of being in the house.”

“Nope, you’ll be in the yard next. Back to the couch.” Jaclyn put the phone back to her ear. “I cannot believe I’m having the exact same argument with you.”

“Half my toe is missing, I’m not an invalid. Heath can’t be alone in the store. There’s no telling what he’ll tear up, and he took my car keys. Bring me yours.”

Jaclyn squinted as she pinched the bridge of her nose. She’d gotten one hour of sleep the night before and was in no mood for bullshit. Like her grandmother, Jaclyn didn’t scream when she was angry. Her voice dipped lower, and she spoke softly. She began her next sentence just as Augie had done when she’d put up with enough. “Now you listen to me, Madeline. The doctor said to stay off of that foot for a minimum of three days, and that’s what you’re going to do. If I find you hobbling the streets of White Oak, I’ll run you down myself. Now prop up that foot and button that lip that I’m sure is hanging down to your waist right now. Call me only if you need me.”

“Jerk,” Maddie said like a petulant child and hung up in Jaclyn’s face.

Austin, who at that moment was much wiser than his aunt, had retreated to the couch when he heard “the voice.” Jaclyn filled a glass with juice and set it on the coffee table. Their visit to the doctor that morning confirmed her suspicions—Austin was suffering from a severe sinus infection. “I have to go relieve Chet at the store. I expect to find you right here when I come back at lunchtime.”

“Okay, Mom.”

“I love you,” she said as she kissed his head. “You call me, if you need me. Sleep, it’ll make you heal faster.”

~~~

The sky was blue, and a cool autumn breeze had chased away the humidity. The atmosphere seemed to be devoid of the haze brought on by the wet heat that permeated the air. Jaclyn inhaled deeply, letting the fresh air clear her muddled mind. She’d gone to the door many times with the intention of talking to Morgan the night before. The opportunity came when Morgan returned sometime after ten to collect her Jeep, but Jaclyn felt rooted to the floor as she watched her from a darkened window.

Whether they wanted to admit it or not, that kiss had changed everything. It made Jaclyn want things. Most of all, she wanted the freedom to let what she was feeling to grow at will. She despised complications, and that was just what this was—a complicated ball of emotions. She wanted to take the easy option, just get pissed off at everything, but she couldn’t find it in her heart to be angry at Morgan. And that signified to Jaclyn she was in deep trouble.

~~~

Ida was standing at the counter and looked startled when Jaclyn walked into The Lure. “I was just getting a gallon of milk, Clarke gets grumpy when we run out,” she explained in her typical brash manner as she looked back at Chet.

Jaclyn felt suspicion rise when she concluded that she’d walked in on a personal conversation. The way Ida fidgeted told Jaclyn that they’d been talking about her. “Okay,” she said with a shrug.