They both laughed. “Absolutely.” Charlie loved this woman who was so good for her grandfather.
“And why wouldn’t he? I’m the best thing to ever happen to him. No offense to your grandmother. Lila was a lovely woman.”
Charlie leaned a hip against the counter and cupped her mug in her hands. “None taken. She was lovely, and I miss her every day, but she’s been gone a long time now.” Bitterness mixed with the coffee she’d drunk, making a nauseating concoction. Of all the things her mother had done, she’d never forgive her for not letting Charlie come back for her grandmother’s funeral. Because of a stupid television show, she’d missed the opportunity to comfort her grandfather and say goodbye to her beloved Grams.
Honey patted her on the arm. “I know you do and so does Wardell, just like I miss my Joe, but life goes on. I think in the beginning Wardell just chased me to have something to do, and I told him so. I told him I wasn’t interested in being anyone’s second choice. But he kept pursuing, and I kept resisting. Then he was in the accident, and I almost lost him.” Her bottom lip wobbled, and Charlie had to force down her own emotional lump. Honey waved her hand in front of her face. “Anyway, I knew it was time to fish or cut bait. And as you can see, the fishing is fine.” Honey’s happy laughter filled the kitchen.
Charlie wrapped her arm around the older woman’s shoulder. “I’m so glad.”
Honey leaned her head against Charlie’s. “I’m glad I could be here to help, especially with you in your condition.”
“What?” Charlie jerked her head back and chuckled. It sounded more like an admission than a nonchalant giggle. Suddenly she was very interested in the contents of the pot on the stove.
“Darlin’, I may never have been pregnant, but I know the signs.” One of Honey’s drawn-on eyebrows slipped up her forehead.
Grits? Oatmeal? What was Honey cooking?
Don’t make eye contact or she’ll know.
Charlie turned and rested her butt against the counter. In a way, it was a relief that Honey knew, or suspected. But could she trust one of the town’s biggest gossips with her secret? Doubtful. Then she remembered that Honey’s niece, Scarlett, was married to Gavin Bain, superstar rocker. They had to have things they didn’t want made public knowledge, and there hadn’t been one bit of gossip from that camp, so maybe Honey could be trusted.
She glanced at the woman patiently stirring her concoction and took a chance. Frankly, it wouldn’t be long before everyone knew. “Yes, I’m pregnant.”
Honey threw her arms into the air and squealed. Then Charlie was wrapped in a fierce hug. “Oh, how wonderful!”
The scent of gardenias had nothing to do with the tears stinging her eyes. Someone besides herself was happy about the Pea Pod. She’d never be able to tell Honey how much that meant to her. She clung to her grandfather’s girlfriend and let a few of those tears loose. “Thank you, Honey.”
Warm, soft hands cupped her cheeks. “What’s this?”
“It’s just…” She choked on a sob. “That…”
“You’re afraid?”
Charlie nodded as much as she could with Honey holding her head. “Yes. I’m by myself.”
“Awww, darlin’.” Honey pulled her back in for another soul-fortifying embrace. “You aren’t alone. You’ve got Wardell and me, and that’s all you need right now.”
Charlie melted into the woman and stole as much strength as she could. Then she pulled away and gave a half laugh. “I’m sorry. I guess I needed to tell someone.”
Honey handed her a tissue. “Wipe your face and sit down. We’re gonna have a talk.”
“Okay.” She sat at the worn table and tried to get herself under control. Eventually, her shaking breaths evened out. A plate of food was placed before her. Eggs, two biscuits, and oatmeal. “Honey, I can’t eat all of this.”
“Nonsense. I see that bird food you’ve been eating, and now I’m gonna fatten you up. You’re eating for two now.”
“I only need an extra three hundred calories a day, according to what I’ve read online.”
“Oh.” Honey reached over and took one of the biscuits from Charlie’s plate. “I’ll eat this one then. I’m a giver like that.” She winked one blue-shadowed eye.
Charlie snorted coffee out her nose.
Honey handed her a napkin. “Lord, girl, you’re a mess.”
That sobered her. “I’ve certainly made a mess of my life.”
“No, you haven’t. No more negative talk. This baby is precious, and we’re going to celebrate it. Can you tell me who the father is?”
The delicious food suddenly lost its appeal. “I don’t…it’s complicated.”
“Ha! If I had a dime for every time I’d said that about a situation that wasn’t really that complicated, only took some courage to address, then I’d be as rich as one of them housewives on TV. Can you imagine? The Real Housewives of Zachsville, now that’d be a show. Instead of fightin’ over men and where to go to lunch, we’d be fightin’ over who got the biggest cucumber at the farmer’s market, or who had the right to sit in the front pew at the Baptist church.” She rested her forearm on the table. “What I’m saying is that most things aren’t complicated, they’re just hard, and it’s easier to ignore them than tackle them head on.”
She pushed her plate away and studied Honey. Oh well, in for a dollar, in for a married sheriff. “Hank Odom.”
Apparently, that wasn’t the answer Honey was expecting. She blinked several times like the words wouldn’t compute in her brain. “Hank? Sheriff Hank Odom?”
Charlie bit her lip. “Yep.”
“But when? How?”
“The how was the traditional way.”
Honey gave her a look. “You know what I mean.”
“The first weekend after Pops’ accident. I ran into him at the hotel where I was staying.” She shrugged. “Things…happened.”
Honey reached for the remaining biscuit on Charlie’s discarded plate and took a big bite. “This is… So, you and Hank? Did you know who he was?”
Charlie took mercy on the woman and told her the story. The whole story, including always being in love with him and the little matter of his wife.
“Oh, darlin’.” Honey’s liver-spotted hands covered hers. “He and Karen were legally separated. And I did hear she’d filed for divorce too. There’d been infidelity.” Honey whispered the last word as any good Texas woman would.
“By Hank?” Had she just been one of many?
“No, by Karen. She and Matt Allen were having an affair. We were all shocked when she and Hank got back together.”
A humorless laughed escaped Charlie’s mouth. “Yeah, me too. Wait. Karen? Karen Williams?”
“Yes. That was her maiden name. Did you know her?”
Charlie rubbed her tired eyes. Did she know her? “Yeah, I knew her.” Karen had been Hank’s age and Miss Everything. Had had everything, except Hank. And she’d made no bones about the fact that she’d wanted him. Old jealousy slithered around Charlie’s body. The competition between her and the other woman had been vicious.
Looks like you won after all, Karen.
Honey wrapped her in another hug. “I’m so sorry. Are you going to tell him?”
She disentangled herself from the embrace. “No.”
“But why? Don’t you think he’ll figure it out?”
She shrugged. “I’ll deal with that at the time. The boy I knew always did the right thing, no matter how hard or unpleasant it was. I can only assume he’s the same as a man.” She looked to Honey for confirmation.
“Yes, that’s Hank.”
“If he knew, then he’d try to do the right thing, and I don’t want to be the reason for trouble in his marriage. I also don’t want anyone in The Pod’s life just because it’s something they think they have to do.”
“The Pod?”
“That’s what I’ve been calling it.” Her cheeks pricked with heat. Honey would probably think she was already the worst mother aro
und.
“Isn’t that adorable.”
She couldn’t stop the smile that spread across her face. “Yeah?”
Honey’s warm hand cupped her face. “Yeah.”
“Thank you for understanding.”
“Oh, darlin’, I don’t understand. And for the record, I think you’re wrong, but I’ll support you no matter what.”
Lovely streams of warmth spread through her chest. “Thank you, Honey. I…um…also need to ask you not to tell Pops until I’m ready.”
Honey rose and took their dishes to the sink. “Well now, that will be tricky.”
“I know. I hate to ask you to lie.”
“It’s not that, though I’d never outright lie to him. As much as I hate to admit it, the man is perceptive. He knows something’s up.” A quick rinse and the plates were loaded into the dishwasher. “That’s why he insisted on going to that joke of a wedding yesterday. We had the heart attack scene planned and would’ve used it to keep you from getting married. As it turned out, you came to your senses on your own.”
Charlie laughed. “You two are a dangerous pair. And thank you.”
Honey chuckled. “You’re welcome.”
“What do you think he’ll do when he finds out?” She asked the question that had been plaguing her since she took the pregnancy test.
Honey took the chair next to her again. “Baby, he’ll honor your wishes. I’ll make sure of it, if you know what I mean.”
Coffee shot from Charlie’s lips back into her cup. “I don’t think I want to know what’s involved in that.”
A smear of red lipstick on Honey’s front tooth flashed at Charlie when the woman let out a belly laugh. “I’m sure you don’t either.”
Chapter Nine
Hey, babe. Sorry, but I got tied up at work. I can’t make it to dinner. I’ll meet you at home later.
Hank listened to the message from his wife for the second time. He’d give anything to feel even one ounce of disappointment, but he couldn’t ignore the river of relief that rushed through him.
This was bad.
He was committed to his marriage, so he better find a way to make this work. He fired back a text.
No worries. I’m going to grab a bite, then I’ll be home.
He was about to exit his cruiser, when he noticed a commotion across the street. A group of reporters crowded around a car, yelling and snapping photos. In an instant, he knew it was Wardell’s car. From there it didn’t take long to understand that Zachsville’s newest celebrity in residence must be in the car too.
Now this was a situation he could take care of. He started his car and made the block. The squawk of the siren got the paparazzi’s attention as he pulled in behind the other automobile. He could see that Honey was in the driver’s seat, and she was yelling at the press.
He unfolded from his vehicle and waded into the fray. “Alright, what’s going on here?” The edge of anger in his voice wasn’t manufactured after he got a look at Charlie in the backseat. Christ, she’d put up with these vultures for the last couple of months, and it was time for them to go.
“Charlie! Look here.”
“Heard you were going to marry Ron Gaylord, why’d you call it off?”
“Are you pregnant, Charlie?”
These guys had to have the worse job in the world. Ninety-nine percent of what they reported was fabricated bullshit. He had no idea why she’d decided to marry her manager, but he was reasonably sure it wasn’t because that old guy got her pregnant. No way were they sleeping together. He didn’t know how he knew, just that he did.
Yeah, you don’t know shit, Odom.
He wedged himself between the paparazzi and the car. “That’s enough. Back off.”
“We have a right to be here, sheriff,” some big guy whose shirt didn’t entirely cover his belly said.
“You don’t have the right to harass the good citizens of Zachsville, son.” He didn’t feel one bit bad about the satisfaction he got from adding the ‘son’ to that sentence.
A skinny, pasty guy who looked like he was on vacation from his mother’s basement shouted, “Come on, sheriff. We’re just trying to do our job. Give us a break.”
Hank took off his cowboy hat and smoothed his hair back with the opposite hand. “I get that, but you can do your job from the other side of the street. Now.”
There was cursing and whining, but they did finally move like an amoeba to the opposite corner, where they restarted their barrage of questions and snapping cameras.
Once he was sure the coast was clear, he opened Honey’s door. “Y’all alright?”
Honey exited the car and fanned herself. “At first it was excitin’, but then they tried to open the car doors.” She straightened her frilly top and pushed her red hair from her face. “I’ll tell you right now.” A red-tipped finger waggled in his face. “I know how to handle those jackals, Hank Odom. You remember when they tried to come on our property when Scarlett and Gavin got married. I showed them.”
He bit the inside of his lip to keep a straight face. “Killer, I believe we’ve had more than one discussion about the concealed handgun license you have.”
The troublemaker’s hands went into the air to indicate her innocence. “I know, and I’m not carrying today. But that don’t mean I couldn’t introduce them to the redneck side of the Jenkins family.” She nudged him with her elbow. “Even though I don’t have my fightin’ shoes on, I’m pretty sure I could take that little pasty one.”
He lost the battle with the laughter building inside him. “I’m pretty sure you could too.”
“You okay, Wardell?” he asked the old man as he limped around the front of the car, leaning heavily on a cane.
“Just dandy. Thanks for the save. Unlike this lovely lady, I’m not in fightin’ shape.” He snuggled Honey to his side.
“No problem.” Hank glanced toward the reporters to make sure they were still across the street. Once he was sure she was safe, he opened Charlie’s door and extended his hand. “You alright, darlin’?”
She ignored his hand, and exited the vehicle. And elbowed him hard in the gut. “All you’ve done is made it worse. Now they think I’ve got something to hide. The best way to deal with them is to give them their pound of flesh.” She yanked the ball cap she wore farther down on her head and turned to Honey and Wardell. She took them both by the arm and walked to the City Cafe. “I’m sorry they scared you. They’re mostly harmless, but I know it can be overwhelming.”
Honey patted her hand. “We’re just fine. I’d say it’s the most excitement we’ve had all week,” she winked at Wardell, “but I can’t.”
Charlie choked. “Okay, you two, we’re going to have to come up with a list of things you can talk about in front of me. And I can assure you that’s not on it.” She stopped abruptly and snapped her head around to Hank. “What are you doing?”
“Going to the City Cafe.” Hank tried and failed to sound innocent. For whatever reason, he enjoyed the fact that his presence annoyed her.
“You can’t. We’re going to the City Cafe.”
He opened the door to the restaurant and ushered the family inside. “You see, there’s this thing called a public place. Do they have those in California?” He shouldn’t mess with her. He didn’t know why he was, but it was like when they first met. He couldn’t help himself. She was snooty then, like she didn’t have the time of day for him. It took months of picking at her to break her down.
The tight-lipped smile she shot him looked out of place on her face. It was so reminiscent of the girl she’d been that it hurled him back in time. Devastated and broken, he’d been nearly ruined when she left. It’d taken him years to get over her. It hadn’t helped that she was on TV seven days a week, tormenting him.
“Yes, we have public spaces in California. I mean, we’re having dinner as a family. Shouldn’t you be having dinner with your family too? Where is your wife, by the way?”
Bullseye.
“Working.”
She knew exactly how to hit the mark and make it count. That was the danger in fighting with someone who knew you well.
Hell, at least she’d fight with him. When he and Karen had a disagreement, she wouldn’t fight, she’d just leave. That was the reason for their legal separation. They’d had a disagreement about having kids. She didn’t want to try. He did. But instead of talking it out or fighting it out, she left and said she didn’t want to be married anymore. Now he knew it had nothing to do with having kids and everything to do with her affair with Matt Allen.
Let it go, man. That shit’s in the past.
“Shame. Well, enjoy your meal, Sheriff.” She led Honey and Wardell to a table in the corner, but Wardell dug in his heels.
“Let me buy you dinner, Hank. You shouldn’t eat by yourself.”
The mutinous look on Charlie’s face had him accepting when he knew damn good and well he shouldn’t. “I’d love to.”
Honey and Charlie did that silent communication thing women do. He didn’t understand what it was about. Maybe Charlie had told the older woman about what happened in Austin.
They took their seats, and Honey stopped him when he started to slide in next to the Hollywood celebrity. “I’d like to sit across from Wardell, Hank.” She motioned toward the other side of the booth.
Yep, she knew alright. Shit. “Sure, Honey.”
He scooted into the booth, followed by Honey, while Charlie and Wardell sat opposite them.
Honey clasped her hands on the table. “Well, isn’t this cozy?”
Wardell took her hands in his and the look her gave her scorched the paint off the walls. Damn, these two needed to get a room. Which gave him the willies and apparently destroyed his mental filter, because he blurted the first thing that came to his mind. “So, Charlie, you’re not as skinny as you were two months ago.”
What. The. Hell.
Was he insane? Of all the things he could’ve said, why did that come out of his mouth?
There was a flash of panic in Charlie’s gaze that was quickly replaced by annoyance. “Why, Hank, you say the nicest things.” Sarcasm marched the words across the space between them and punched him in the face.
Running From the Law Page 6
