Dana patted him on the knee. “I hear a vehicle pullin’ up in front of the store. Go on and get that tow sack out, because none of us is fit to live with today. Brook’s even in a snit. I don’t think a trip to the mall would even help, especially when her two aunts—”
He cleared his throat and gave her a sidelong look.
“Okay, all three of us are in a pissy mood.”
“Chocolate ice cream is in the freezer. You take a half gallon home with you and hand out four spoons. You can’t stay mad at each other forever when you’re eatin’ out of the same ice-cream box,” he said.
CHAPTER TWENTY
Night breezes ruffled Tawny’s wet hair as she walked barefoot from her cabin to the edge of the lake. After the day she’d spent, she probably should wade right out there like her sister Harper had done and leave everything in the water. But Tawny didn’t like swimming in anything other than a nice clear chlorinated pool where she could see the bottom and know exactly how deep the water was.
Her flowing gauze skirt floated out around her when she sat down. She was glad she’d brought along her denim jacket, because the air was turning cool. Stretching out her legs so her toes were in the water, she was amazed to feel the water warm her skin. No monsters rose up out of the water, either, which was something.
She didn’t even glance at Harper when she sat down beside her, kicked off her shoes, rolled up the legs of her jeans, and stuck her long, long legs out into the water. There are miles and miles of shoreline along the lake, so why does Harper need that spot for a few minutes of quiet mediation?
Then Dana copped a squat on the other side of her, pulled up the skirt tail of her sundress, and put her feet in the water.
What does a woman have to do to get a few minutes’ peace? All Tawny wanted was to sit a few minutes before she had to go to Dana’s and eat ice cream. To appease Brook, she’d go, eat one bite, and then leave just to prove that it was an insane idea even if it did come from Uncle Zed.
Not a one of them said a word but just sat there in quietness for fifteen minutes, and then Dana drew her feet out of the water and started past the cabins toward the house. Harper followed her, and with a long sigh, Tawny did the same. She was the last one in the house, but no one was talking or eating. All three of the others had claimed one side of a quilt that had been spread out on the living room floor. With only one left for her, she sat down and crossed her legs, yoga-style, and stared at the container of chocolate ice cream right in the middle of the quilt. A spoon was stuck in each of the four corners. One container—one family. Four different spoons, but they all came from the same set—the sisters and niece.
Brook was the first one to dig deep into the ice cream, Tawny the last. They finished off the ice cream with only a few sighs. Brook carried the empty container to the kitchen and brought out one with pecans, pralines, and cream. She set it down and said, “I started the last one. Aunt Tawny gets the first bite of this one since she’s the one that caused this pissy mood day.”
“Hey.” Tawny raised her voice and then lowered it. “But—”
“But be honest,” Brook said.
Tawny dipped into the ice cream. “I guess I did get it started, but I had a reason. Y’all are just pissed because your fellers didn’t make it to the party. And I’m pissed because I don’t even have a boyfriend to get mad at—among other things,” she added.
“I haven’t got a boyfriend, either, so that won’t float.” Brook brought a big spoonful to her mouth and licked it like an ice-cream cone.
“Honey, you’ve got two guys who think you are a little princess—Payton and Wyatt both—and you don’t have to do anything but be adored.” Tawny started for another bite, but Harper shoved her spoon out of the way.
“That’s mine. It’s in my corner and I’ve had my eye on that pecan.” Harper’s tone was as cold as the ice cream.
Using her spoon as a battle sword, Tawny shoved Harper’s away and grabbed the bite with the pecan half and shoved it into her mouth.
“You brat!” Harper sank her spoon into Tawny’s corner and brought up two pecan halves. “See what you get for that stunt.”
Dana leaned over and took the whole bite off Harper’s spoon. “What got your panties in a twist this mornin’ anyway, Tawny?” she said when she finally swallowed.
“Matt came to see me last night,” she said.
“And who is Matt?” Brook asked.
“He’s my Ryson, only I was Cassidy instead of you.” Tawny was amazed at how easy the words came out.
“And what did your Matt want? For you to sell drugs?” Brook asked.
“He wanted me to go to Europe with him for a summer of luxury. But there would have probably been drugs and for sure a lot of alcohol.” She reached over into Dana’s part of the ice cream and got her hand slapped.
“Please tell me you aren’t going. Is that why you’ve been an old bear? You don’t want to tell us?” Brook stuck her spoon in the ice cream and folded her arms over her chest.
“I’m not going, darlin’ girl. I’m stayin’ right here, and the reason I was so cranky is because”—she took a deep breath—“y’all have been open about your problems. I haven’t and . . .” She went on to tell them the whole story.
“So that’s why you got so mad at Ryson. You done been there and done that and got in more trouble than I did,” Brook said.
“Yes, ma’am.” Tawny stuck her spoon in the center of the ice cream and leaned against the sofa. “Must be the calories and sugar, but that wasn’t as hard to tell y’all as I imagined. I can’t stand that Granny is gone, but—” Tears welled up in her eyes, and there was no way she could get the lump in her throat to go down.
“But if she hadn’t died when she did, we’d all be in trouble, right?” Dana said. “Y’all ever watch that television show Saving Grace? Uncle Zed was talking about it today.”
Harper raised her hand. “It was showing when I was in the unwed mothers’ home. I wished I had an Earl in my life.”
“Who’s Earl?” Brook asked.
“He was this big, burly angel who took care of the leading lady, Grace, in the show,” Harper said.
“I’ve never seen it,” Tawny said.
“Me neither,” Brook said.
“Wild child. Second-chance angel,” Dana explained. “So I feel like Granny left Uncle Zed behind to be our Earl. He’s kind of stepped into her boots as best he can and helped us get to this place. We’ve survived a day when we’ve all been a hell of a lot less than our best.”
“It was the chocolate ice cream,” Brook said. “That will fix anything.”
“Amen!” Harper said.
Dana sighed. “I was fired from my job. I didn’t quit like I let y’all believe. My boss got the mistaken notion in her head that I was sleeping with her husband and stealing money, too. She said she’d give me a bad recommendation wherever I went, so I was between a rock and a hard place. Then Uncle Zed called and, Lord, I felt guilty for being grateful that Granny had left this place for us. I still do.”
“Amen.” Tawny raised a hand.
“Well, hot damn,” Brook said loudly, raising both hands into the air.