Grant was shaking his hand and slapping him on the back as the three women were exclaiming how happy they were for their mother and hugging both of them.
“And, Grant, my boy, it’s your turn to hold down the fort for a spell. With Della’s time so close, Maude won’t leave until that baby gets here. And we have to get this town a new mayor. Then we’re going to go to all the places that both of us have ever wanted to see – may be gone a long time.”
“Maybe not too long,” Grant said. “There may be some changes at the fort,” And his eyes were again locked with Henrietta’s. And there was a knowing smile on the other’s faces, including Maude and Della’s.
Chapter Forty-nine
When Addie had said good bye to all of them to go to her little house to get ready for her job as hostess at the Stonegate Dinner Club, Della cautioned her to drive careful. “And call me when you are ready to leave Stonegate, and thank Mattie again for me for all the wonderful food.”
“I’ll even toot my horn as I go by,” she promised kissing her mother.
“Do, because I always listen for it.
Since she had taken the place as hostess when her mother thought it best to quit her job, Addie was always in a stew about what to wear. All those long, beautiful gowns with ‘appropriate jewelry’, of Wilhelmina Stone’s, had been just right for her mother, but they didn’t look right on her. That new long dress with the emerald green top and floral skirt should be just right. Besides, she had to stop at Donnie’s. She wanted to look her best. She didn’t know why she bothered where he was concerned. She still liked him very much, too much, she thought. He still made her tingle all over when she was near him, but she saw very little of him. He had finished his two credits to get his high school diploma, and he and big Bud worked ten hours a day, and sometimes more. She wondered what he wanted to talk to her about? She sure hoped he wasn’t going to quit working for her. They had so many unfinished houses going. The two of them had done such an excellent job on her little house, she thought as she entered her front door. They had made it into so much more than she would have ever thought possible. The remaking of the little house had been a lot of fun for the three of them, but still, it had been all business. Donnie and Bud had tried to outshine each other with ideas to make it better, roomier, more efficient.
She admired again the squares of pearl gray tile that covered the floor space from the front door to the stairway. The same tile covered the floor of her small dining area and kitchen. The carpet of her living room, the stairs, and her bedroom was just a slight shade darker. It had been chosen to match the small sofa that she had found on the fourth floor at Stonegate. It was a beautiful sofa covered in a textured material with fringe around the bottom. Her mother had found colorful pillows for it and the one comfortable, upholstered, mauve colored chair to go with it.
They had added some gray paint to a soft white for the walls, telling her that it would make the house look bigger. But Donnie’s idea that pleased her the most was making use of the wall space under the stairs to recess a space for her TV, VCR and radio, and shelves for her tapes, books, movies, and a few of the dust catchers that she had weeded out of Tobias’ collection. Still, Bud would not be bested. He had claimed the last thirty-two inches of the stair wall that faced the back of the house for a laundry room. That was all that was needed for the small, stack washer and dryer. There was even room for her ironing board, and a shelf for laundry products and the iron behind folding, louvered doors.
She loved her little house, but it saddened her to move from the beautiful bedroom of grandpa’s, and Miss Mattie’s loving care. Jo Ann Simmons was paying her more money for the rent of grandpa’s rooms than she could have ever imagined, but grandpa had assured her that they were well worth it. And she missed being able to run to grandpa for his advice and companionship at anytime. He probably didn’t miss her as much as she missed him, now that he had all the people of Miss Mattie’s dinner club to watch and listen to. Maybe she would be able to spend some time with him before she had to report for her duties at five o’clock.
Chapter Fifty
As Della napped and Johnnie tended to her two sons, and Henrietta and Grant sat on the porch, Maude and Sully finished up their lunch. “When am I going to get to see her and tell her I’m her father?” Sully demanded.
“I told you she’s going to try to get Clyde to let her go grocery shopping as soon as he comes in from golfing and she’ll stop by. She wants to see Henrietta. She’s not seen her sister since she left the Willis house. And she feels like she owes Henrietta a lot of apologies for the way she had been taking out her own unhappiness on her. I don’t think Henrietta realized just how miserable Jimmy Lee had become in that marriage.
“Life’s too short to spend it being miserable. I won’t tell her what to do, but I’ll help her do whatever she wants to do about it. What time does Willis get in from golfing?”
“I’d say she should be coming by anytime now,” Maude answered looking at the kitchen wall clock as the phone rang. Sully was clearing the table, so Maude grabbed the phone on Della’s kitchen desk before its ringing could disturb the napping grandsons.
“Mama,” Jimmy Lee said, “it looks like I’m not going to get to come. He says I can’t have anymore grocery money for a week or so. Says, I’m spending too much, and we need to cut down. He’s out in the garage now. I’ll try to think of something, but will you explain to Henrietta for me. Tell her I’m so glad she’s back and doing so well.”
“Oh, Jimmy Lee, you’ve got to come. There’s something very important we need to see you ab...”
“I have to go, Mama.” And Maude heard the phone click.
Chapter Fifty-one
Addie’s mind was busy as she drove to South Street. She hoped no one had turned off the TV over the bar in the library, although she didn’t believe that it was all that important to grandpa anymore. The place was such a beehive of activity now, that he wasn’t bored anymore. He thanked her over and over for putting Stonegate to some good use.
She had to keep reminding him it was his doings. Then she wondered if grandpa would be jealous now that she was going to have a real, live grandpa. That would be funny, she thought. Maybe she wouldn’t tell him. But she told him everything. Still, she would never do anything to hurt him in anyway, for she loved him. But she could never tell him. He might go away, and her life would be incomplete without him. She needed him. He was the one thing in her life that was all hers.
As she neared South Street, her thoughts turned to Donnie. Maybe he knew something about his mother and her daddy’s plans. Was her daddy going to divorce her mother and marry Denise, who would also have to get a divorce? How could she cope with it if he did? Her mother seemed to be accepting life without her daddy pretty well.
She parked her car at the back of Donnie’s house and got out. The back door was open, and she saw Donnie, through the screen door, coming down the stairs from the second floor. She knew they had opened up the wall to the stairs and was making a small apartment out of the three rooms and a bath up there. Donnie had shown her his drawing for the apartment. Then he saw her.
“Come on in, and thanks for coming. I would have stayed and waited for you this morning, but I wanted to check out the work those heating and air conditioning people had done before gramps paid them.” They went through the door that Donnie had built into his kitchen. The apartment now had its own private entrance via the hallway he had created to the original back door. “Have a seat at the table and I’ll pour you some of gramps’ special tea. It’s spicy and cold. I think you’ll like it.”
“Is the apartment about finished?”
“Still have a bit of electrical work to do, but it’s about ready, and believe it or not, already rented.”
“Great! Anybody that I know?”
“You might. It’s Gene Harlan. He graduated three years ago. He works for us. He’s getting married in two weeks in Wylene’s chapel. The girl is Tina Young. She works for M
attie taking reservations. And as soon as I get their rent money, I can increase my house payments to you.”
“Oh. Is that what you wanted to talk about? I wish you wouldn’t insist on paying me for the house.”
“I told you that’s the only way, Addie,” he said as he placed two glasses of amber liquid on the table and now sat down across from her. “When I came in, mom was here. She’s in her room with the door shut. I tried talking to her, but she didn’t want to talk, wouldn’t even tell why she didn’t go to work.” The sound of the front door bell reached them. “Now who could that be?” he muttered in annoyance as he got up to go down the hall to the front door, leaving the hall door standing open.
She soon heard him exclaiming, “What are you doing here?” And she wondered who it could be? She heard a man’s voice, but couldn’t tell what he was saying. Then Donnie said, “Well, come on in.” Then she heard him knock on his mother’s bedroom door. “Mom,” he called, “there’s someone here to see you!” And he didn’t sound pleased with whoever it was. Could it be my daddy? She wondered.
What would she say if it was? Maybe she should just leave. Two sets of footsteps were approaching the kitchen door. When she could see the man following Donnie, she found herself looking at a man who looked very much like Donnie – same brown hair and blue eyes, the same build, only shorter.
“Addie,” Donnie said, “this is Gerald, my father. Gerald, Addie Martin.”
They both acknowledged the introduction, and Donnie asked, “Would you like some of gramps’ tea or a coke?”
“The tea would be fine. Is pa here?”
“Gramps lives here, but right now he’s gone to the hardware store. He should be back soon. Did he know you were coming?”
“No. I found you through your Uncle Nate. I have some news for Denise that she needs to know.” He looked at Donnie. “Did you know there is a man sitting on the bank across the street just watching your house? I missed the house and had to go down the street and turn around. He was still there when I came back.”
“He was there when I came in too,” Addie said.
Donnie looked from Addie to his father. “You mean he’s just sitting there looking at the house?”
They both agreed that seemed to be what he was doing.
The doorbell rang again, and Donnie excused himself to go answer it. But just outside the kitchen door, he said, “Go on into the kitchen.” And Denise came through the kitchen door. A look of almost shock crossed her face at the sight of her ex-husband. “What are you doing here?” she demanded. And Addie wished she was someplace else as Donnie’s father said, “Hello, Denise. It’s good to see you again. How are you?”
Before she could answer, they heard Donnie exclaiming, “You! Well, well, mom’s sure going to be surprised to see you. This must be old home week.” Then there was nothing from Donnie for a few moments. Then, “Come on in. This should get real interesting,” he said rather sarcastically, as Denise took a seat one chair away from Gerald at the table. And Addie wondered if she shouldn’t just get up and leave?
She was also wondering who on earth could Donnie be escorting down the hall now? As Denise was telling Gerald that he was the last person on earth that she expected to see. The woman was definitely in a depressed mood. She had barely said hello to her, and Addie wondered why? Was there a problem with her and her daddy? And she couldn’t help but hope that there was.
She didn’t like being in the same room with the woman. Had Gerald come in a car? Would it have her blocked in?
Donnie entered the kitchen with a rather nice looking, nicely dressed, blond haired man in tow – the man, who had been sitting on the bank across the street. Denise gasped. Her hand flew to her mouth.
“Well now, you have both husbands under one roof. Is Ben expected also?” Donnie asked with a smirk on his face.
Denise seemed too shocked to speak, but the man said, “I’ve had one hell of a time finding you!”
“Finding me!” she exclaimed. “Where have you been? Where did you go?” Denise demanded as she arose from her chair to face the man who was apparently her husband.
“I went out and got drunk, then tried to fight a police officer who wanted to arrest me. It got me thirty days in jail. When I got out you were nowhere to be found. The hospital said you had just been discharged. The landlady said you left no forwarding address, or she wouldn’t give me one. I am your husband, you know.”
“No,” Gerald Whitefield said. “You are not her husband.” Denise and her husband looked at Gerald in surprise. “I have recently learned that we were never really divorced. The man who was supposed to be a lawyer, who was supposed to have gotten me a divorce from Denise, so I could marry Sharon, was not a lawyer. He was a cousin of the man who is the real father of Sharon’s child. This is what I came here to tell you, Denise. You are not married to him, and I’m not married to Sharon. You and I are still married to each other.”
Denise looked at Gerald like she couldn’t believe what she was hearing, as a smile began spreading across the blond headed man’s face.
“Well, well,” he said, “that suits me just fine. I’m glad to see that you’ve recovered from the accident, Denise, and now I bid you good- bye.” And he turned and stomped back down the hall to the front door, went out and slammed the door behind himself.
Denise sank back down in her chair looking rather stunned. She was silent for a few moments, then asked Gerald, “Are you sure about this?”
“I wouldn’t have come all this way to tell you if I hadn’t been. I’m on my way to a small town in Michigan to open a branch office for the company. I’d like to stay until pa comes in, if I may?”
“Man! This is some turn of events,” Donnie said. “Stay as long as you like. I’m sure Gramps will be here soon. But if you’ll excuse us, Addie and I need some time alone.” He took Addie’s hand. “Come on. Let’s go to the living room and leave these two to fight out their problems. They’re good at it. Bring your tea.”
She followed as he still held her hand. It felt nice, him holding her hand. “Will they get a real divorce now?” She asked.
“Who knows? I know one thing though, Gerald has suspected from the first time he saw Sharon’s little boy, that he wasn’t the father. But I think he felt like he’d made so many mistakes, that he might as well live with this one.”
He led her to the couch, and they sat down. It seemed to Addie that he was careful not to sit too close. She would just wait – see what he had to say. She had to be going soon.
He didn’t hesitate, but said, “Addie, you know how I feel about you.” He was looking down at the floor holding his tea with both hands. “But you know how I feel about the relationship between my mom and your dad. I don’t know why she came back from Ben’s house this morning. She wouldn’t talk to me. But, Addie, while this business goes on between them, while Ben and your mother are separated because of my mom, there can’t be anything between us.” He looked at her. She sipped her tea in silence, waiting. She’d heard this before. Did he get her here just to remind her?
“Addie, you’ll be seventeen in December. You should be dating boys, having a good time, not sitting home on your nights off waiting for me to ask you out.”
“Oh. Is that what I’m doing?” she asked a bit irritated.
“You know you are. We’ve not even gone to a movie together. I want to be with you outside of business, to take you places, to talk and make plans, but every time I see Della, every time I even think about her, and her pregnant, my insides turn inside out. My mom separated her from her husband when she needed him the most. And it’s my fault for bringing her here,” he said angrily.
“Donnie Whitefield, that’s just plain dumb. You didn’t cause my daddy to fall for your mom, or your mom to fall for my daddy. But if you want to use that as an excuse to keep from dating me, well, there’s nothing I can do about it.” She was more than irritated now.
“It’s not an excuse, Addie, and you know it. I just want to
tell you that if you want to date other guys, I’ll understand. There are lots of fellows who would love to ask you out. Mooney is crazy about you, and he knows how I feel. But I’ve told him that you are free to date whom ever you please, that it won’t damage our friendship if you date him.”
This was too much. “Is that why he dropped by last Sunday night? Because you gave him permission to?” She asked heatedly.
“Not exactly. But Mooney will treat you with respect. He’s not like some of the guys who might ask you out. There’s very few of the ones I know that I’d want you to go out with.”
“Well, at the risk of putting a crimp in your matchmaking, Mooney came to see me on business. His dad is working for the new hotel. He’ll be head of maintenance. He gave Mrs. Mooneyhand twenty thousand of the money Mooney paid him for their house, and Mooney paid it on his debt. And as for Mooney’s social life, he wanted me to put in a good word for him with Deena.” She was getting angrier by the minute.
“You don’t want me, but you want to tell me who I can and who I can’t go out with. Well, I don’t need you picking and choosing for me. If I want to date, I’ll date whom I please. I don’t need your approval.”
“Now, that’s not what I meant. You know ...”
Addie slammed her glass down on the coffee table with such force the tea sloshed out of it and onto the table. She shot off the couch and headed for the front door.
“Addie! Come back here. We need ...”
She didn’t hear anymore. She was out the door, slamming it behind her. The long skirt of the dress was hampering her haste. She wanted to run. There was a red car parked in the drive at the end of the sidewalk from the porch steps. She rushed between it and the porch, to the back of the house and to her car as fast as she could. She yanked open the door, got in, backed it up, put it in drive and went for the grass beside the red car, then swerved back into the drive once she was around it, and out into the street. The screeching of tires to her right, startled and frightened her. She turned her head quick to look over her right shoulder, and the next thing she knew, her car hit the bank to her right and stalled. She hit the steering wheel, but not hard, and she was shaking. The black pick-up pulled up beside her. Gramps was at the wheel, the window rolled down. She turned the ignition off and then back on to lower the window. “Are you all right?” He called through the open windows.
The Daughters of Julian Dane Page 75
