He paused a few feet from her, and motioned for her to step away from the group. She glanced at Nadine one more time, only to see the very pregnant woman looking justified in her hostility. Unsure what any of Nadine’s issues had to do with him, Ned waited for Gloria to join him, then motioned for her to follow. When they were far enough from the group to not interrupt Elliot’s discourse, he stopped.
Everything about Gloria’s demeanor said she did not want to talk to him. Her shoulders were hunched and tight, and she wouldn’t meet his eye. One quick glance over her head revealed Nadine as she elbowed the woman beside her and pointed toward Gloria, then whispered behind her hand.
Ned frowned, his irritation with the whole situation blooming into near rage. He may feel uncomfortable talking to Gloria, but compared to her situation, he considered himself lucky to only have a stutter.
“I’m g—going out the back door,” he said quietly. “You w—wait a minute then head out the front door. I’ll meet you by the locker room.” Then with a hostile glance toward Nadine, he turned on his heel and walked away.
* * *
Gloria wandered back toward the group, counting off seconds in her head. When she reached fifty-Mississippi, she reached down to dig in her purse for her phone. Pulling it from the bag, she pretended to have a call and put it to her ear, hurrying toward the front door of the gym.
Once the door swung closed behind her, she took a deep breath, wondering what this was all about. Why on earth did the deputy want to meet her by the locker rooms?
As she neared, he grinned, and her concern ratcheted back a few clicks. Now that no one was looking, she could actually think about sets and costumes once again.
“What’s up?” she asked, moving closer to offer Ned a smile.
He glanced over her shoulder. “What’s up with N—Nadine?”
Gloria blushed, feeling guilty. “I don’t know. She—”
“Never m—mind,” he interrupted. “So, paint colors?”
* * *
The moving truck stopped in front of the Uniontown hardware store, and Ned pulled around it to park. Chad jumped from the driver’s side of the truck, followed by Bobby, who climbed down from the passenger door.
Ned ran his fingers through his hair to smooth it back, then tugged his uniform cap back on. A quick glance at his watch assured him that he had plenty of time to get the lumber delivered to the shop in town, and still be home in time to get ready. As with every day he had business in Pittsburgh, it was hard not to think about the upcoming evening. Today, however, he’d been distracted for a whole different reason.
He braced for the cold weather, then climbed from the patrol car and slammed the door. Bobby trotted alongside Chad, his coat flapping open, working to keep up. The tall dark-haired Chad had an easy grace, Ned noted, for such a large guy. When they met at the door, Bobby pushed up his dirt-streaked glasses with one finger, contemplating the deputy through the thick lenses.
“Bobby,” Ned said, offering a nod.
“Hey,” Bobby returned.
“I really appreciate you hauling this stuff with your t—truck,” Ned said to Chad. “I know it’s your day off, but I don’t know how else I’d g—get this wood to the shop.”
“Not a problem,” Chad replied with a grin. “Julia said you could use a hand, and Bobby and I are always happy to help, right?” he asked, with a glance toward the small man.
“That’s right,” Bobby nodded, his expression serious. “We always try our best to be helpful.”
“I’m sure you d—do,” Ned agreed. “Well. Shall we?” he asked, putting out one hand to suggest that his friends go first.
The three men headed into the huge box-style hardware store. Once inside the door, Ned paused, looking to his left and right. It looked as if Christmas had erupted in the store, with trees, wreaths, ornaments, and yard decorations filling nearly every aisle. It was hard to see anything past all the holiday spirit.
Admittedly, he could manage to make sets without much trouble, but he had little to no experience with big stores like this. Justin had texted that the lumber was ready to pick up, but he didn’t have a clue where to start. His talents fell more to law enforcement, sports, and music.
“We should check with the contractor desk,” Chad said, interrupting Ned’s thoughts. “But I need to grab some calking while we’re here. I’ve been working on the upstairs bathroom, and it may be the death of me. Seems like our house will never be finished.”
Ned took a moment to consider the beautiful Victorian home Chad and Julia were working to restore. Julia’s flower shop, run from the living room, was thriving, and Chad was making headway updating and refurbishing the second floor.
“I can get it,” Bobby piped up, eager to help.
Chad hesitated, clearly not enthusiastic about Bobby’s offer. “Are you sure?”
“Yeah,” Bobby said, nodding his head up and down, making his glasses slide back down his nose. “I can get calking for you. How many tubes do you need?”
Chad hesitated, scratching the side of his head. “Two,” he finally said, looking concerned. “Be sure to get the kind for bathtubs.”
Without waiting for more instruction, Bobby headed off through the store.
Staring after him, Chad sighed, loud and long.
“What?” Ned asked, watching the little man hurry away.
“It’s just that Bobby has a way of…” Then he appeared to resolve himself and shake off his concern. “Never mind; let’s go.”
Ned followed, and soon he and Chad were standing in line at the help desk. While they waited, Ned’s thoughts wandered. It was hard not to think about the pageant meeting the night before. He’d grown up in Smithville, but never had he seen such open hostility from town folks. It was almost as if Gloria were a leper or something, considering the way the women in town treated her.
She’d been so nervous when they talked outside the locker room. Every few minutes she’d glanced over her shoulder, and she’d jumped at every noise, afraid they’d be discovered. It would have been easy to assume she didn’t want to be with him, but finally she’d explained that she didn’t want to appear to be seen talking to any man, and of course, that made sense. She was avoiding him to prevent creating more gossip. It should have been obvious that she’d be sensitive to that. He’d have to be careful not to make her situation worse.
It was sad though, how tormented she was, the poor thing. Something about her pretty face, haunted and near tears, had his gut tied in knots. They hadn’t spoken for long, just a few sentences really, about paint colors and such. She’d agreed to stop by the shop on Monday and bring fabric samples.
The line moved, so they stepped up to the counter and Chad spoke with the clerk. The aproned man pointed over his shoulder toward a large pile of lumber on a cart. “Great!” Ned said, glancing at his watch. It looked as if they’d be out of there in no time.
Bobby ambled up with two tubes of calk under one arm and stood next Chad. But in typical Bobby form, his feet wouldn’t hold still, and he wandered a few feet away to check out a carpet cleaner display.
Ned watched Bobby for a moment, then turned his attention back to Chad who was talking with the clerk about the wood for the sets.
While the men chatted about the supplies, as well as Chad’s moving business, both of their families, road construction on Highway 9, and, of course, the weather, Ned distractedly checked out the rack of candy bars next to the counter. Nothing looked tempting, so he moved on to peruse the handy objects hanging by the register, ready to be a compulsive purchase. Not needing a tiny flashlight or a knife sharpener, he was about to turn away when he spotted a few greetings cards for sale. The front of one said ‘Thinking of You’ in a fancy scrolled font, and a spark of an idea lit in the back of his mind. By the time Chad finished talking, a full-blown plan was formulating.
“Where did Bobby go?” Chad asked, looking to the left and right. “Wasn’t he just right here?”
“He’s
over there.” Ned motioned toward the display, but Bobby was gone. “Oh, I guess he wandered off.”
Chad sighed and glanced longingly at the pile of lumber, then pocketed the receipt. “Well, let’s go find him. He could get into all kinds of trouble in here.”
Gaging Chad’s words and demeanor, Ned considered what he knew of Bobby, and he had to agree.
Chapter Five
The hanger clapped rhythmically to the left as Beatrice rifled through yet another rack of shirts. “This won’t do,” she muttered, shoving a hanger to the side. “Oh, dear God, no!” Another was slapped over. “What were they thinking?” Another one dismissed.
Gloria stood beside the older woman, miserable to the very core. The cheery Christmas music pumping from the speaker overhead and blinking decorations strewn through the mall had not been able to lighten her mood. She’d nearly forgotten all about the shopping trip, given all the pageant commotion. As a matter of fact, if the alarm on her phone hadn’t gone off and woke her up, she would never have made it to the spa in time to meet up with Beatrice. Damn that phone.
“I want you to try these on,” Beatrice announced, pushing an armful of clothes toward Gloria. “And, of course, I want to see how they look on you.”
“Of course, you do,” Gloria muttered, taking the hangers from the older woman. She could already tell that the items Beatrice had selected were unlike anything she’d worn in her life.
“And don’t dawdle. I’ll be over after I look at the furs,” Beatrice called after her.
Gloria’s steps faltered, but she kept moving. It was all she could do not to fling a dirty look over her shoulder.
“Are you ready to try those on?” the dressing room attendant asked, reaching for the clothes in Gloria’s hand.
She handed them over.
The woman smiled, but the sugary sweet grin didn’t reach her eyes. “What’s your name, dear?”
Caught off guard, Gloria blinked a few times in rapid succession. “Excuse me?”
“Your name?” the woman repeated, trying to appear interested.
“Oh, Gloria,” she answered, unsure what her name had to do with trying on clothes.
“Thanks for shopping with us today, Gladys,” the attendant said then motioned for Gloria to follow her.
“No, it’s Gl—” Gloria tried to correct, but the woman was on the move. With dragging steps, she trailed after the attendant. When they reached an open stall, the woman went in first and hung the items on the back of the door, then turned and motioned for Gloria to come in with her.
Feeling awkward, Gloria balked, but seeing no other option, finally complied. The dressing room was much plusher than she was used to, and the Christmas music far louder than it had been in the store. Or maybe it was the silence of the dressing room that made it seem so loud.
“Will you be needing any help with your… T-shirt?” the woman inquired, saying the word as if it tasted bad.
Blushing furiously, Gloria shook her head.
“Okay then, Gladys dear, I’ll be right outside the door,” the woman said, then she turned and marched into the hallway.
“That’s reassuring,” Gloria muttered as she closed and latched the door. “Let’s get this over with.” She sighed as she tugged her shirt over her head. The reflection in the mirror showed a fair-skinned, big-bosomed girl, looking pale and forlorn.
“How are you doing in there, Gladys?” the attendant called through the door.
“Fine,” she returned, lifting the first shirt from the hanger. The silk blouse was a pretty enough shade of blue, she supposed, but a long loop of silk at the high neck was designed to tie in a huge bow just under her chin. The style didn’t appeal to her, but she pulled on anyway.
“Are you ready, Gladys?” the attendant hounded. “Come on out, dear, and let us look at you.”
“Just a minute,” she called, buttoning the top button and tying the loop of silk. The bow was lopsided and choking her, so she adjusted it, then untied it and tried again. Finally, she gave up, leaving it longer on one side then the other. Collecting her courage, she swung open the dressing room door to see both the attendant and Beatrice staring at her.
“Oh, my!” gushed the attendant, clasping her hands to her chest.
“Oh dear,” said Beatrice, shaking her head.
“Well come on out here and let us get a look at you,” the attendant instructed enthusiastically, motioning impatiently with her hand.
Forcing herself to comply, Gloria stepped from the stall.
The attendant took her elbow and led her to stand in front of a full-length mirror. The first thing Gloria noticed was how ridiculous the blouse looked with her worn jeans and snow boots.
“The color is perfect for you.” The attendant began her pitch. “It brings out your eyes and brightens your cheeks.”
“The fit is all wrong. Horrible really,” Beatrice clucked. “It’s obviously too tight across her chest, and it’s not long enough.”
“Oh, I don’t think so,” the attendant said as she took the shoulders of the blouse in each hand and tugged it first one way, then the other.
Gloria jerked back and forth like a rag doll.
“Madam,” Beatrice said, her tone harsh. “I assure you, I know a good fit when I see one.”
The attendant sniffed, and stepped back to tilt her head to one side. “What does Gladys think?”
‘I want to disappear’, was on her lips, but Gloria caught the words just in time. “I think I’d like to try a different blouse,” she said, her voice meek as if she were asking permission.
“Go, go!” Beatrice said, shoeing her along.
Gloria hurried back into the dressing room and latched the door. Tears threatened as she pulled the shirt off, but even lost in embarrassment and despair, she couldn’t help but notice how soft and luxurious the fabric of the shirt felt in her hands.
* * *
Ned and Chad tromped along the front of the store, their heads turning to look down each aisle as they passed.
“Where could he be?” Chad huffed, his irritation growing.
Ned glanced at his watch, with the first fissures of concern poking at his stomach about the time. “He was there just a minute ago, he couldn’t have gone far,” he assured his friend. But when they reached the end of the store they had not spotted the little man.
“Let’s look in the back,” Chad suggested, so they headed down the last row. “I knew something would happen. I can’t take this kid anywh—” His words cut off as he momentarily lost his footing and slipped. Quickly regaining his balance, he stopped to lift his shoe to inspect what he’d stepped on. “What the—”
Ned kinked his neck down to get a view of the bottom of Chad’s shoe. “Is that…”
“Ah crap,” Chad growled as he looked up, his gaze following down the row. “It’s calk!” Sure enough, a stop and start, wavy line of calk snaked along the floor all the way down the aisle.
It took another five minutes following the trail of goo, to find Bobby standing in the Christmas section, watching a mechanical Santa climb a ladder. And there, from under his arm, one of the calk tubes dripped onto the floor.
“Looks like he picked one that got cut when they opened the box,” Ned offered, but Chad wasn’t listening.
* * *
Pushing aside a sleeping dog, Gloria climbed the back steps and slipped silently into the mudroom. Her breath puffed around her like a cloud in the cold room, and exhaustion pulled at her like ankle weights. It had been a very long day dealing with Beatrice, and she was way past spent.
Not wanting to wake Fergus, she removed her boots and tiptoed through the living room, past the twinkling Christmas tree, in her stocking feet. In her room, she bit at her bottom lip as she pushed the old door closed, hoping to keep the creaks at a minimum. But when she flipped on the light, she was surprised to see something on her pillow.
Hobbling across the small room, wondering if she’d ever walked through so many stores in her ent
ire life, she plopped onto the bed and reached for the note. A small envelope tumbled off the edge of the bed and onto the floor as she read the note written in Fergus’ spidery script.
“A note left on the porch?” she said aloud, lowering the note to stare down at the envelope on the floor. “What on earth?”
She bent to retrieve the letter, her curiosity building by the second. Sitting back on the bed, she opened the sealed flap with her thumb. Then she froze. It had already been a long day, and if this was something mean, she didn’t think she could deal with it.
No one had stooped low enough to write her an unkind letter in the past, but Nadine was in fine form these days. Unsure, she laid the letter on the bedside table and stood. Deep in thought she hurried to tug her shirt over her head, then unbuttoned and kicked off her jeans, keeping one eye on the letter the whole time. As she pulled off her socks, hopping on the cold floor as she tossed her clothes into the corner hamper, she decided that even though she was exhausted, she’d never sleep if she didn’t read the letter.
Resolute, she yanked off her bra and slipped into a tank top. Clicking off the light, she dove into bed. Pulling the covers up to her chin, she reached out and clicked on the bedside lamp and snatched the letter off the nightstand, taking it under the blanket with her. Curled in a ball in the cold sheets, she carefully pulled a piece of fine parchment paper from the envelope.
The paper contained only four beautifully scripted lines.
Your momma may not care what I say, and that’s a shame.
Mozart said, “I pay no attention whatever to anybody's praise or blame,
I simply follow my own feelings.”
I see your hard work, your kind heart, and have faith in you healing.
Hometown Series Box Set Page 86
