She internally braced herself for what she knew her brother was going to say. Damon fixated his deep gaze on her for a brief moment before adding, “But John is not here, Ellie. You need to accept that he’s more than likely dead.”
“So he just said that? Damon just told you that John was dead and that you needed to get on with your life?” Brisa asked her sister. She continued shuffling the playing cards, but she rotated her head from side to side and hissed a tsk-ing sound. “I love our brother, but Damon is just, oh, he’s just such a man.”
Ellie sat across from her sister. She took a sip of water as Brisa began to deal the cards. Off to the left side of the table sat Tutu Monroe. Ellie glanced at her former college roommate with affection. The vibrant Tutu resembled the very piece of apparel she was named after; she was girly, fluffy and had a unique presence.
Now the short-statured woman was eyeing her poker cards and glaring at Brisa. “Oh, Brisa, sweetie, if you weren’t such a nice person, I would smack you upside the head because these cards suck.”
“You say that to me every single week,” Brisa said, not the least bit offended by her friend’s remarks. “Then you tell me that I don’t know how to deal cards and-”
“You don’t know how to deal cards,” came Tutu’s comeback.
Thea Scarlett placed a bowl of circular rice cakes upon the table and took a seat.
Tutu inspected the contents in the bright red bowl. “What the hell is this? Are you trying to tell me something?”
Thea Scarlett lifted her cards off the poker table, examined them and then placed the hand in front of her. “A healthy low-fat snack. I told you I was trying to lose weight.”
“Wait a minute,” Ellie began, her voice on the verge of full-fledged laughter. “I watched you eat some of the peach cobbler that I brought to work earlier this morning.”
“Oh, I’m sure I worked off those calories already by now.” Thea waved her hand in the air as if she was waving off and dismissing Ellie’s thoughts.
Tutu shifted her short body on her chair. “These are like rice cake things. What the hell am I suppose to do with these? Can I dip them in ranch dressing or chocolate?”
“Oh, for Heaven’s sake.” Thea could only laugh at her friend. “It’s not like I am serving you poison. Look I brought rice cakes and fruit to kind of level out the banana pudding cupcakes, chicken and waffle type of nachos and your peach pie pops. ” The office assistant pointed toward the kitchen. “If you would like something else you can help yourself.”
Tutu rested her elbows on the table. A sassy look crossed her dark features. It was Tutu that often described herself as ‘pint-size’ because she was barely five feet tall. Her voluptuous body only added to her massive amount of sass. The bright blue Afro-dyed hair fit her vibrant personality perfectly. “Okay…now it’s time to girl talk. We need to talk about what Damon said to Ellie this morning.”
Thea took a bite of her rice cake. “I think it’s romantic.”
It was Tutu that eyed Thea as if she were crazy and said, “What the heck is romantic about Damon telling Ellie that this man named John is probably dead?”
“Not that,” Thea said. She sat up a little straighter in her dining room kitchen chair. “I mean I think it’s romantic that Ellie received flowers.” Thea glanced around the table at her friends. “It’s romantic that the flowers are daffodils.” The woman shrugged her shoulders. “I mean possibly from John, that is something, y’all.”
Brisa peered at the woman over her cards. “I agree with Thea on this. You always get a beautiful bouquet of flowers when you have a book about to be released… there’s never a card….it’s romantic.”
“Thank you!” Thea announced as she placed two blue poker chips in the middle of the table. “Now let’s get this gambling started. I bet my two chips.”
“I see you two and raise you three,” Tutu stated and then added, “You know maybe a note dropped out of the flower arrangement.”
“I asked about that,” Ellie said as she counted her poker chips and then matched the bet by adding more tokens in the middle of the table. “The front desk clerk said that no card or note was attached. There is never, ever a card attached.”
“And you have no idea what company delivered the flowers or where they came from?” Brisa asked her sister.
“No idea,” Ellie told her friends as she placed another chip, this time a red one, in the center of the table. “The flowers are both baffling and comforting at the same time.” It was similar to a surreal experience that kept repeating itself.
It was Tutu that could read Ellie’s thoughts this evening. “You’re hoping those flowers are from the man named John …from years ago.”
It sounded crazy, even to Ellie, but she wanted to daydream for a moment. Every single time she received the giant vase of flowers a hue of brightness massaged her soul. Just seeing the vibrant yellow flowers provided a time of soothing calmness and then festered her curiosity.
Ellie glanced at her dear friends. “I’m thinking of flying down to Daffodil either this weekend or next.”
That was news to Brisa. “Before cousin Savannah’s wedding?”
“Yes,” Ellie answered. She tried to keep her concentration on the poker game, but her mind kept revolving back to the flowers. There was meaning in the flowers….someone sent them to her….someone was proud of her…and someone was watching over her.
“If I can arrange my work schedule, I plan to leave for Daffodil a little earlier than originally planned,” Ellie stated. It was her deep inner curiosity that sparked her elaborate imagination. “I keep thinking my answers are in Daffodil…and perhaps I want my answers to be found there. I visit that place whenever I get the chance….but…nothing.”
“Okay…I’m going to ask the non-romantic question here,” Tutu stated and then cocked her head and added, “Do you think it’s odd or stalker-ish that you get a huge vase of flowers right before a new book release?” The outspoken woman snapped her fingers. “I mean… how does this person, who I’m not calling a stalker yet, know that you’re releasing a book?”
Ellie had already given that plenty of thought through the years, but there had been no explanation…only remaining questions.
“Tutu!” Thea threw a poker chip at her friend. “Don’t ruin this for me. I still think it’s very romantic that Ellie gets daffodils right before a book release…and don’t you have a book tour coming up?”
“This fall I’ll be attending about ten book signings.” The publisher actually wanted more appearances, but Ellie had only agreed to ten.
Thea looked delighted. “Maybe you’ll receive more mystery flowers at your book signings and then-”
“Or you could get a morbidly obese sixty year old man who decides to open his trench coat and flash the audience and then the police will have to escort him out.” Tutu noticed the women now all looking in her direction as if she had been caught shoplifting. Tutu shrugged. “What? I’m just being realistic.”
“A morbidly obese sixty year old man flashing the audience is realistic?” Ellie thought for a moment. “I’m going to use that description in my next book.”
“Do I get a percentage of your royalties?”
“No,” Ellie confirmed but added, “However, I will definitely add you as a character in an upcoming story.”
“Can you make me a few inches taller?” Tutu asked. “You know, keep my curves, my blue dyed hair and sass…but if you could add just two inches to my height, I would appreciate it.” Tutu took a sip of her hot pink daiquiri. “Just last weekend my moron of a date thought it was cute to place his arm on top of my head like it was an arm rest of his car.”
“So what did you do?” Brisa asked.
“I told him I wasn’t a freaking Smurf and to get his damn arm off my head… the moron was lucky I didn’t pepper spray his ass.”
Ellie grinned. “Just another detail going in my story.”
“At least I have a dating life,” Tutu quipped.
“I don’t see any of you guys dating much, which brings me to my next question…why the hell not? Has anyone been on a date this last month?”
Brisa ignored the question and placed her playing cards down on the poker table and said, “I’m out.”
Thea kept her grin to herself, but stated, “You’re always out.”
“I don’t have good cards,” Brisa told her as she got up from her chair and headed to the kitchen. She grabbed a small plate and began piling fruit and veggies on top.
“Brisa, sweetie,” Tutu began “In the couple of years that we’ve been playing poker here, I have not once ever seen you bet on your poker hand.” Tutu glanced at the woman standing near the counter top in the large designer kitchen. “Not once, Brisa.”
“I’m still waiting for some good cards,” Brisa acknowledged as she reached for a small handful of baby carrots. “Ellie, are you really going to fly to Daffodil?”
“Yes,” Ellie confided. It was almost as if she needed to. There was a swift urgency within her. “I was going to talk to dad about it tomorrow and I need to check in at the Carrie offices in Daffodil anyway.”
“Speaking of Daffodil, Georgia, I see some fresh peach cobbler with my name on it,” Thea announced. She placed her poker hand on the table and announced, “Snack break.”
“I thought you were trying to lose weight,” Tutu pointed out to her dear friend. “And, while you’re at it, scoop some up for me.”
Brisa smiled as the other women took the opportunity to fill their small plates with more appetizers and desserts.
“Would you like any peach cobbler, Brisa?” Tutu all but hollered from the other room. The woman grabbed a knife and spatula and began digging into the gooey dessert.
“No thank you, Tutu,” Brisa answered as she walked around her sister’s apartment that their mother had helped decorate. Even though Sibby was a highly respected designer that often created masterpiece displays that were featured in home style magazines, Brisa knew that Ellie had designed most of the space.
Three light brown couches were positioned around the sleek mantle. Soft yellow throw pillows were nestled on the sofas. Rustic, vintage pieces were accentuated with a few touches of modern design elements.
Three designer area rugs covered the dark cherry laminated hardwood floors. High, vaulted ceilings gave the apartment a luxurious feel. There were several colorful photographs of various friends and family members prominently displayed throughout the living space. A few black and white photos created a welcoming appeal.
Brisa noticed the daffodils on the end table stationed right beside a childhood photograph of the four Carrie children. The photograph showcased the young kids on the beach in Daffodil, right in front of the beach house. Cray was standing on the wooden platform, out of the sand. Brisa stood just in front of Cray as Damon and Ellie were knee deep in wet sand, trying to build a sand castle. All of them were smiling at the camera.
A warm tide of love flickered within Brisa as she thought that single photo perfectly captured their personalities. There was Cray, who was analyzing the beach sand and trying not to get dirty.
The twins, Damon and Ellie, each with a mischievous smile and always in possession of their fearless nature. Then Brisa gazed a quick moment at herself.
There she was…clad in her favorite yellow and pink polka dot bikini, standing between her siblings, like a glue that kept everyone centered and everyone of them together.
“You okay, sis?” Ellie asked as she walked toward Brisa and placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. It was then that Ellie noticed her sister’s interest in the childhood photograph. “You know that is one of my very favorite pictures.”
“Mine too,” Brisa agreed. “I am still so thankful that you made a copy of this image for me years ago…such a nice gift to receive a photo from one’s past.”
“It is,” Ellie readily stated. “I was digging through a box of photos the other day and I found some of us at the Montgomery Peach Farms.”
Brisa tilted her head back as laughter bubbled from her deep and enduring heart. “Oh, my gosh! I just loved going to Montgomery’s Peach Farm and I haven’t been there in so long…”
“Let’s go there this summer, Brisa,” Ellie encouraged. “Once your school year ends, why don’t we go to Daffodil for a few weeks? We can go sailing, pick some peaches and I know you love the Hummingbird cake at The Coffee Attic.”
“Well, that cake is exceptional,” Brisa agreed and enjoyed the fact that when Ellie visited Daffodil, her sister made it a very special point to bring back an entire Hummingbird cake just for her. “I think we should arrange a lengthy trip to Daffodil this summer.”
“Good,” Ellie said as she glanced at her sibling. “By the way, I hear Ladd Montgomery has taken over his family’s peach farm.”
“Oh, bless your heart, Ellie” Brisa waved her hand in the air, as if dismissing the thought of the man. “But that is such ancient history. I’m certain Ladd has forgotten all about me…at least I hope he has.”
Tutu sauntered over to the sisters, carrying her small plate of food. She swallowed her bite of peach cobbler and waved her fork in the air. “Oh, good Heavens…who is Ladd Montgomery?”
“No one,” Brisa said as she placed the picture frame back on the end table. “Why don’t we start playing cards again?”
Thea took her seat at the poker table and continued eating the rich dessert. “I feel a story coming on, Brisa,” Thea began to coax. “A good story….”
“There is nothing to tell about Ladd Montgomery,” was Brisa’s only response. Judging by the look on Tutu’s face, Brisa knew the very outspoken woman was about to open her mouth and ask a question. Thankfully the door buzzer chimed. With a spirited ray of gratitude for friendship, Brisa turned and noticed Julia Sherry entering the homey apartment.
“Hello, hello, hello!” Julia maneuvered her way into the room, her arms full of pastries, and kicked the door shut behind her. “Sorry I’m late for poker night.”
Ellie grabbed the top two containers that Julia held in her arms. Together they walked toward the kitchen, chatting along the way.
“Did Stack bring you? He’s more than welcome to come in and eat. We have plenty of food and-”
“Ah, sorry to interrupt you, Ellie, but I want you to know that Stack submitted his letter of resignation this morning,” Julia said. Her voice was steady, as if she had tried to acknowledge the depth of the changes and circumstances all day. “Mr. McGregor will be leaving in a couple of weeks.”
“Whoa!” Ellie stopped in her tracks. Her intense look of disbelief was dramatically showcased across her features. “What?!? Why? Did Stack give any reasons?”
“No.” Julia tried to smile, but knew she failed. “He did not give a reason. He’s just…leaving.” Julia knew her entire sunny demeanor and smile were false, but that is how she accepted changes in her life.
Stack McGregor was leaving….would she be able to accept that?
Then Julia realized that she did not have a choice.
Ellie’s Georgia Peach Cobbler
Ingredients
8 fresh peaches – I have my peaches pitted, peeled and sliced into thin wedges.
1/4 cup white sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
two shakes of ground cinnamon (1/4 teaspoon)
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
a few squeezes of fresh lemon juice (about one teaspoon)
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup white sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, chilled and cut into small pieces
1/4 cup boiling water
MIX TOGETHER:
3 tablespoons white sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Directions
Always Preheat the oven. So walk to your oven and Preheat it to 425 degrees F or (220 degrees C).
Make certain the peaches are coated evenly, and pour into a 2 quart baking dish. Bake in preheated oven for 10 minutes.
While that is baking, get out a large bowl. Combine flour, 1/4 cup white sugar, 1/4 cup brown sugar, baking powder, and salt. Blend in the butter. Yes- you can use your hands and get a little dirty. Dirtiness in the kitchen is a must. Mix these ingredients together. Stir in water until just combined.
Remove peach dish from the oven, and drop spoonfuls of topping over them. Sprinkle entire cobbler with the sugar and cinnamon mixture. Bake until topping is golden, about 30 minutes.
Feel free to serve with ice cream, whipped cream or anything else that sounds sassy.
Poker Night Chicken & Waffles Nachos
Ingredients
1 lb. frozen breaded chicken breast
2 boxes frozen toaster waffles
at least 1/4 c. honey (I use more)
2 tbsp. Hot sauce (Again- sometimes I use more)
2 c. shredded Cheddar (I’m a cheese person, so you can always add more! Who doesn’t love cheese?)
1/2 lb. bacon
1/4 c. finely chopped chives
Directions
Always Preheat the oven. So waltz to the oven and Preheat that bad boy to 375°. Spread frozen chicken breasts on baking sheet and bake until cooked through, about 25 minutes. Let cool slightly. Then start chopping the chicken into bite-size pieces.
Divide waffles between two large baking sheets and bake until toasty, about 6 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool before cutting into wedges.
Make bacon: In a large skillet over medium heat, cook bacon until crispy. Drain slices on paper towels, then break into smaller pieces. Sometimes I just bake the bacon in the oven or microwave it. The bacon does tend to get quite crispy in the microwave.
Divide toasted waffle wedges and cooked chicken between baking sheets and toss to combine.
Humping Her Hero Page 20
