Deserts, Driving, and Derelicts

by Tonya Kappes

  “Mae,” she gasped. “Did you hear about Ron?” She asked and leaned her five-foot eight inch frame on the counter.

  “I did. It’s awful.” I shook my head. “I was over at the Laundry Club and Betts Hager got the call. How is he?” I eased down onto the last stool at the end of the counter.

  Trudy lifted the lid on the glass pie stand in front of my seat and scooped out a piece of peach cobbler, setting the plate in front of me.

  “He was frying some catfish and he got to talking through the window to the regular old geezers who come in here. They were gabbing about hunting season and Ron forgot about the fish. The fire alarms went off and without thinking he grabbed the fryer basket with his bare hands.” She shook her head and put a napkin and fork in front of me. “I’d warned him so many times that he needed new ones with the grip handles that don’t get hot, but he never listens to me. Nobody ever listens to me,” she grumbled, wiping down the spot next to me after the customer left.

  Trudy swiped his ticket and money, putting it in the front pocket of her apron.

  “You enjoy that. Carol down at the farmers market sold Ron her fresh peaches and it’s to die for. Of course if you talked to Pam Purcell, she’d say that her peaches are better. But they ain’t.” She grabbed a wet rag from behind the counter and wiped down the counter. “Plus, Pam’s cost more. I don’t know why. They grow in the same limestone and soil. Watered with the same tap water.”

  She rambled on about people I didn’t even know. I nodded like I completely understood her and took a bit of the pie.

  When she came up for air, I said, “I don’t know Pam or her peaches, but Carol’s are delicious. Did you call Ty?”

  Trudy stopped dead in her tracks. She swung her hip to the right and planted her hand on her tiny waist.

  “Mae West.” She shook a finger at me with her free hand. “You’ve got something for him, don’t you?”

  “Who do you have something for?” Detective Hank Sharp sat down next to me on the empty stool.

  “Ty Randal.” Trudy shimmied her shoulders.

  “No, I don’t. I just asked if someone had called Ty about his dad. That’s all.” I had no idea why I was explaining myself to Detective Hank, as I liked to call him. Although the last time Ty was in town, the uncomfortable situation I’d thought about earlier was interrupted by an unexpected visit from Detective Hank.

  “What about Ron?” Hank asked. He’d obviously not been privy to the gossip about Ron’s fryer incident.

  “Didn’t you hear?” Trudy scooped Hank a big piece of cobbler and put it in front of him. “He got real bad burned on his hand. Had to go to the emergency room,” she nodded with big eyes.

  “Carol’s peaches?” He asked between bites.

  “Mmhhhmmmm,” Trudy hummed and grabbed a pot of coffee. She walked down the long counter to refill all the mugs lined up, leaving me alone with Hank.

  “You’ve got a thing for Ty Randal?” Hank turned his head, his green eyes piercing through me.

  “Are you serious?” I blew him off. “His father is raising his two younger brothers. He’s in the hospital. The last time Ron Randal was in the hospital. . .”

  “The prodigal son arrived home to save the day. Or should I say diner?” He tried to joke.

  “I hardly think Ron’s open heart surgery is something to be made fun of. Besides, Ty did come back here to run the diner and raise his brothers. Remember, their mother died years ago of cancer. You could have a little sympathy.” I took the last bite of cobbler and pushed the plate away, taking a five dollar bill from my pocket. I stood and dropped the money on the counter. “It was good seeing you, Detective Hank.”

  “Did you forget that Ron had a heart attack because your ex-husband almost took this diner from him?” Hank’s jaw tensed.

  “You know what?” I sucked in a deep breath, calming myself. “Never mind. I don’t have time to fuss with you.”

  “What?” He smiled. His pearly white teeth, green eyes, and black hair against his olive skin were almost perfection, if only he didn’t have this macho attitude. “I gave you a coffeepot as a peace offering.”

  “What’s your problem with Ty Randal?” I asked.

  “I don’t have no problem with Ty.” He tried to convince me, but I’d seen them together when Ty was in town and there was definitely something off between them. His phone buzzed. He yanked it out of the clip on his belt and took a long look at it before he put it back.

  “I don’t believe you.” I shrugged.

  “Don’t be going around using those investigation skills you think you’ve got on trying to dig up something that’s not there,” he warned, reminding me how I’d stuck my nose into the death of my ex-husband. “Gotta go. Duty calls.”

  “What? A bear is breaking into someone’s car?” I joked and watched him get up.

  “Not on Park duty today.” He wasn’t going to give me any juicy gossip about the text. “Thanks, Trudy. Loved the cobbler.”

  I twisted the stool around and watched Hank leave the diner. From the first day we met, there’d been a little tension. There was tension between us when we were alone and not talking about his job and there was tension when we were alone and talking about his job. It was something I’d yet to put my finger on but didn’t go unnoticed.

  To let my cobbler digest before I headed over to Tammy Jo’s to clean her toilets, I decided to go to the hospital to see Ron Randal’s condition for myself. I’d actually gotten close to Ron since I moved to Normal. Maybe it was his sad story and how I admired him for raising his sons on his own and running a business. Not that his oldest son, Ty, with his messy blond hair, crystal blue eyes, and southern charm, had anything to do with my feelings.

  I gulped back the images of the last time I’d seen Ty. We were interrupted by my lawyer, Stanley. Stanley had popped into Happy Trails to tell me that he’d found a buyer for the campground.

  At that time, everyone in Normal and Happy Trails thought I was staying. Stanley didn’t know that I’d already decided to stay, but that’s not what Ty heard. He must’ve thought I was abandoning the campground like my deceased ex-husband had done, making me no different than Paul. But he didn’t stick around to hear me tell Stanley that I wasn’t selling. I’d found a home and friends in Normal, something that didn’t have a price.

  When I went to tell Ty, he was nowhere to be found. The next day I found out that, since his dad was home and better, he’d gone back to San Francisco, where he had been a pretty popular chef. When I saw Ron in the diner and a few times at Happy Trails where he’d brought Ty’s two younger brothers fishing. I couldn’t bring myself to ask about Ty. Surely Ty knew from his dad that I didn’t sell the campground, but that was now water under the bridge.

  Lester Hager was in the emergency waiting room. He stood up to greet me. I motioned for him to stay seated. He looked tired. The dark circles under his eyes were a shade of gray. He had black hair that was always so neatly parted to the right and clean cut. He stood about six foot and had a slight gut that I was sure came from all the good food the Bible Thumpers, what we called the church ladies, made. He and Betts were young and they had so many great ideas for the community and the world.

  “Pastor,” I greeted him and sat on the edge of the chair next to his. “How’s Ron?”

  “They are working on getting the skin cleaned up so they can bandage it. They are talking skin grafts and some sort of oxygen chamber. Those poor kids.” He folded his hands in his lap. “I’ve got Betts over at his house staying there. I know she’s got all sorts of houses to clean and she’s just a saint.”

  “She is. We are glad to have you both here in Normal.” I sat back. I wasn’t sure how long I was going to stay, but he seemed like he could use the company. “Can I get you something?”

  “Nah. I’m good.” His phone rang. “It’s Ty.” He stood up and walked across the emergency room where there was a little more privacy.

  The mention of his name made my stomach drop. I
sucked in a deep breath to get oxygen to my brain. While he talked, people started to show up": Alvin Deters, owner of Deter’s Feed-N-Seed; Buck, owner of the Tough Nickel; and Joel Grassel, owner of Grassel’s Gas Station. They were regulars at the diner as well as lifelong friends of Ron.

  “Any news?” Alvin asked. The other two looked at me over his shoulder.

  “I just got here. Pastor said that they are trying to clean it up, but nothing yet.” I gestured where Pastor had walked away. “Ty was calling so he stepped away.”

  “The boys?” Joel asked.

  “Betts is with them.” It was times like these that all the gossip and tales weren’t important. This was when the community came together. I should know. Even after what Paul had done to them, they still accepted me and supported everything I needed to bring the campground back to life.

  “I’m going to head down to the cafeteria and get a cup of coffee. Anyone want anything?” Buck asked his friends.

  “I’ll go with you. They got good coffee.” Joel nodded. All three of them went to get coffee and Pastor was still on the phone.

  “Family of Ron Randal,” a nurse called from the sliding glass window.

  “I’m with Ron.” I wasn’t family, but there was no family and Pastor didn’t look over.

  “He can have a visitor now.” She pushed a button and the double doors slowly started to open. She met me on the other side. “He’s going to need a minor surgery. I just wanted to warn you before you see him. He’s in a lot of pain.”

  I followed her down the hall. She stopped in front of Room Ten, whipping the curtain open.

  “Mae?” He had a surprised look on his face. His hand was dangling up in the air like it was on a hook. When he tried to push himself up a little, a groan escaped him. “I wasn’t sure who was out there. They said someone was here.”

  “You just lie there and don’t move,” I instructed him. “You’ve got a whole crew out there.” I walked over to his bed. “Everyone went to get coffee, so you got me.” I smiled. “How are you?”

  “From what I hear, I’ve got to have a quick surgery. Then they want to put me back in that darn nursing home for physical therapy.” He seemed to be in better spirits than I expected. “I guess I’m going to have to find a babysitter for the boys.”

  “I’m not much of a babysitter, but they can stay with me until we can find someone. I know that Betts has them now. Really, she’s the best.” Not that I had to convince him, but I was putting my foot in my mouth as soon as I opened it. I didn’t know a thing about kids.

  “She’s so busy. I mean the boys know the campground and you really don’t have to watch them much. I can get Betts to clean Ty’s camper.” He let out a long sigh. “Ty. Has anyone called him?”

  “Pastor was on the phone with him when they called for someone to come back.” Just as the words left my mouth, Lester came in.

  “Pastor Lester, thank you for coming.” Ron was still a polite man under these circumstances. “Mae said you talked to Ty.”

  “Yes. He’s booked a plane ticket for tomorrow. He’s getting in around ten in the morning. Flying into the Bluegrass airport.” I tried to keep my face from doing some sort of contortion while I continued to listen to Lester give the details of Ty’s arrival. “I’d be happy to pick him up from the airport, but Betts and I have a funeral at church. Your younger boys can go to the children’s room and play. Me and Betts love having them.”

  “Mae, can you get him?” Ron asked.

  “Me?” My eyes jumped open. “Yeah, sure. I can take the boys with me.”

  “They wouldn’t do good on the couple hour drive. They can stay back at the campground with Henry.” Ron was much more trusting of Henry than I would be, but then again, they were his kids. “I hate to ask you to do that, keep the boys tonight, and clean Ty’s camper. That’s a lot.”

  “I live there anyways.” I gulped. What had I just done to myself? “It’s not a problem.”

  When the other men came in, I excused myself, but not before Pastor Lester gave me the information I needed to be at the airport to pick up Ty. The entire way across Normal to Tammy Jo Bentley’s house, I rehearsed how I was going to greet Ty when I did pick him up. I found myself apologizing to my imaginary passenger.

  FIVE

  Getting used to driving Betts’s minivan was my first adventure of the afternoon, but that was only the beginning. I pulled into Tammy Jo’s neighborhood and noticed all the beautifully manicured green lawns with billowing white dogwood trees.

  Tammy Jo Bentley’s house was on the right behind a big concrete wall with a wrought-iron gate with a B in the middle. The gates started to open before I could even push the button to announce my arrival. Betts didn’t tell me that Tammy Jo obviously had money.

  Right off the bat I recognized the black car parked close to the house. It was Hank Sharp’s. Was the text he’d gotten at the diner about Tammy Jo? There was only one way to find out.

  I opened the back of the van and looked down Betts’s list.

  “Vacuum the vents.” I looked into the back and took out the cart, popping into locked position. I dragged out the vacuum and stuck it on the bottom of the cart. “Dust all furniture and the baseboards in the family room. Be sure to clean the kitchen and the dining room thoroughly along with the guest bathroom on the first floor. No other rooms this week,” I read out loud.

  There were a couple of buckets that had tags with names attached to the handles. There was one for TJB, which I figured had to be Tammy Jo’s. When I looked into it, there appeared to be everything I needed from furniture polish to toilet cleaner.

  “Betts, how are you doing?” Hank Sharp’s voice startled me. I jumped around. Both of us equally shocked to be standing in front of the other. “Mae?”

  Behind him stood a woman about five feet ten inches tall with frosted blonde hair that was short on the side but styled high on top. Back in my day, we called that the public-school poof - big hair from the 80’s. She wore a pleated pair of white pants along with a sleeveless, hot pink polka dot shirt. The poodle she was holding had on a bow the same color pink as Tammy Jo’s polka dots.

  Fifi.

  “Who are you?” Tammy Jo eyed me suspiciously and pulled her dog closer to her like I was some dog thief.

  The dog yipped and wiggled around in Tammy Jo’s arms before it squirmed right on out, scurrying over to me. A man walked out the front door and stood on the porch.

  “Fifi!” Tammy Jo screamed and bolted down the steps, almost walking out of her heeled shoes with the pink pom-pom on the top. “What did mama teach you about stranger danger?”

  Apparently, Fifi was fond of me. She continued to jump nearly up to my waist, her furless tail helicoptering around each time. I bent down to get a quick little rub down her back before Tammy jerked her back up into her arms. The man stood close to her side. He rubbed Fifi like my smell had harmed her and he was checking to see if she was OK.

  “This is Mae West, owner of Happy Trails, and I’d like to know what she’s doing here too.” Hank glared at me suspiciously. “Mae, this is Norman Pettleman. He’s an insurance man in town.”

  Norman offered a slight smile. His neat and tidy short blond hair was parted to the side with such precise detail that the part showed his scalp. He could use a little sun, I thought, looking at his pale skin. The light brown suit seemed to hang off of him. I’d heard of Normal Pettleman. He’d actually left a message on the Happy Trails answering machine about insurance for the campground, but I went to Heidelman Insurance Agency. I felt like Mr. Heidelman gave me a good deal since I ended up giving him a good deal on his new yearly lease for his lot space.

  “Nice to meet you.” I nodded at Norman. He lifted his dark brown briefcase towards me in a welcoming way. “I’m filling in for Betts Hager while she takes care of Ron Randal’s boys.” I pushed the toe of my shoe down on the brake of the cart to release it and began to push it around to the side of the house where Betts had written to enter,

>   “Wait just a second.” Tammy Jo’s voice was terse. Her hand lifted and tried like heck to push back some of her bangs, but the hairspray was like cement. Then my mind wondered if the sun was going to bake her hair in that position.

  “She didn’t tell me anything about this. I don’t know your cleaning skills. I have a huge party here tomorrow with the local KKA and I can’t let anything go wrong.” Tammy Jo wore a bird thin scowl on her heavily roughed pink lips. Her lashes fluttered as fast as a hummingbird’s wings.

  “KKA?” I asked as if it mattered, but my curiosity got me.

  “Kentucky Kennel A-soc-ee-ation,” she announced her words just like a true southerner drawing out each syllable. “I’ve spent the better part of the last year getting them to let me host the annual meeting and I’ve got to have an immaculate house.” Her eyes drew up and down me as if she were assessing my cleanliness. “And an immaculate Fifi.” She put the poodle up to her face, making kissy noises.

  “I promise you that I’ll do a wonderful job.” Not that I wanted to kiss Miss Fancy Pants’ hiney in front of Hank Sharp. By the look on his face, he was clearly enjoying this. “I assured Betts I’d take care of you.”

  “It’s fine,” Norman spoke up. “Let her do her job. We don’t have time between now and tomorrow to find someone you think can clean better.”

  “Hank?” She looked at him like he was going to give me a recommendation right on the spot and as if his opinion was the only one that mattered.

  “Aww, she checks out fine, Mrs. Bentley.” His southern drawl was as thick and sweet as molasses.

  “Fine. But you need to get up that dirt stain on my carpet in front of the mantle. Do you got it?” She glared at me. I nodded. “Go on then. And stay out of my way,” she threatened before I got the cart pushed around the corner of the house.

  There were big white tents set up in the backyard. In front of each tent was a big ice block with ice carvers chipping away. The middle tent ice sculpture was definitely in the image of Fifi. The Daniel Boone National Park was the backdrop beyond the tents and it was breathtaking, even though the day was a scorcher.