Sumter Point

by K. G. MacGregor

  Beth laughed, relieved at hearing Audie make a casual joke. “I can’t believe you picked this up by yourself.”

  “Me neither.” Audie balanced her end on her knee as she opened the glass door.

  “Let’s set it down here and I’ll ask the movers to come get it when we’re ready for it.” Beth stood up straight and clutched her back. “They just took the bed down to the other room. I told them to leave the little TV where it was.”

  “Grammaw said somebody else could have it if they wanted it.”

  “That’s nice of her. I bet Mr. Skelly would like having it in his room.”

  “I can carry it in there if you want.”

  “No, I’ll get the movers to do it. Your grandmother’s in the sunroom.”

  “I’ll go say hi. I’ve got some more boxes in the car.”

  “Can I help?”

  “Thanks, but I think I can manage.” She started down the hallway toward the sunroom and stopped. “By the way… I thought about what you said… that part about letting Grammaw know it was okay for her to be sick.”

  “I’m sorry about that. I shouldn’t have stuck my nose where it didn’t belong.”

  “But you were right.” Audie stepped closer again so she could lower her voice. “I guess I just thought if I kept acting like everything was okay, then it would be.”

  Beth could see how hard it was for her to talk about her grandmother’s declining health. “Who am I to argue with the power of positive thinking? It sure is working on your grandmother. She’s doing great here.”

  “I… you guys… I think she likes it here.”

  “I think she does too, but a big part of that is you coming by every day. When I bring her back from breakfast, it’s like she can’t wait to see you.”

  Audie’s face lit up at first, but then she frowned. “Is she okay after I leave?”

  “She’s fine, Audie.” Beth clutched Audie’s shoulder and shook it gently. “Let us do the worrying, okay? We’ll let you know if anything comes up.”

  Audie glanced at the hand on her shoulder. “Am I driving you crazy?”

  Beth laughed, grateful for the change in mood, and dropped her hand. “No, but I’ll let you know that too.”

  Audie grinned. “What are you doing here today? I thought you were supposed to be off until Wednesday.”

  “Glenda called in sick. She’s going to trade me for next Saturday.”

  “Good deal. Hope you get to do something fun.”

  “So do I.” More likely, her day off would involve house cleaning and errands. As Audie turned, Beth glimpsed for the first time part of a tattoo between the top of her low-slung jeans and the bottom of her T-shirt. Before she could make out what it was, Audie had sauntered down the hall.

  Everything seemed back to normal between them again, like it had been a couple of weeks ago. Beth was immensely relieved to have their misunderstanding behind them, but she didn’t understand why. All she knew was she wanted to be Audie Pippin’s friend.

  “I was wondering where you were,” Violet said, giving Audie her best smile.

  “I spent the night at Regan’s. But I brought everything for your new room. Beth just helped me carry in the new TV.”

  “How’s Regan?”

  Grammaw knew most of her friends, but Audie had never talked much about her personal relationships, particularly with “special” friends like Regan. She had always been understanding and accepting when it came to Audie’s sexual orientation, but that didn’t mean Audie wanted to share details.

  “She’s good. She said to say hi. I heard you had a visitor yesterday afternoon.”

  “Dennis. Did he tell you he brought me flowers?”

  “Yeah, and he said you hugged his neck. So then I hugged it too.”

  “He’s a sweet boy.”

  Dennis was a perverted pothead, but her Grammaw did not need to know that. “Are you excited about your new room?”

  “I can’t wait.”

  “Oh, good! I found you both.” Clara Cummings, the social worker, appeared in the doorway of the sunroom, a small stack of folders in her hand. “I hear they’re getting your new room ready, Miss Violet.”

  “That’s right.”

  “Maybe this would be a good time for us to talk and take care of some business.”

  Audie looked at her Grammaw and shrugged. “Sure.”

  “Why don’t we go down to my office?”

  Audie pushed the wheelchair down the hall, passing Beth again.

  This time, she flashed a wide smile. “Thanks again for your help.”

  “No problem,” Beth said. “I’ll come down later and check out the decorating.”

  They continued on to Clara’s office, where she closed the door and took a seat behind her desk. Audie positioned the wheelchair in front of the desk and slumped into a chair by the window.

  “Audie, your grandmother and I were talking the other day and she asked me some questions about finances that I thought the three of us should talk about together.”

  “Whatever… I can go get the checkbook if you want. It’s in the car.”

  “No, we’re okay about all that. We need to talk about some more serious things, starting with the house.”

  “The house?” Audie looked at her Grammaw and back at Clara.

  “I’m advising your grandmother to sign her house over to you. You’ll probably want an attorney to handle the transfer and register the new deed. I can recommend one.”

  “Why does she need to do that?”

  “It’s just part of planning ahead. It’s always a good idea to go through these things when we’re all feeling fine and getting along. That way, we have time to think things through and make the right decisions. And once they’re made, we don’t have to worry about them ever again.”

  “But what’s the hurry?”

  Violet took her granddaughter’s hand. “Audie, it was my idea for us to talk about this. I just want to make sure you don’t have to worry about your future.”

  “Miss Violet, I think you’re being very smart to plan ahead like this,” Clara said. “Audie, you have no idea how much heartache and chaos goes on when people don’t answer these questions ahead of time.”

  Audie stood, wishing she hadn’t sat near the window. She wanted to be by the door, where she could walk out without having to go through these questions.

  “Sit down, hon. Your grandmother needs for you to deal with this. Up to now, she’s been doing all the worrying by herself. Give her what she needs to let this go.”

  Audie sat back down, nervously wiggling her fingers to tamp down her agitation.

  “I’m recommending the house transfer now so that you won’t have to worry in the future about someone else trying to stake a claim.”

  “What?”

  “She tells me that her daughter—your mother—might be out there somewhere. Now from what she says, you’ll probably never see her again, but you’d be surprised how many people turn up when they sniff money.”

  “And she gets nothing from me!” Violet said, banging her good fist on the arm of the wheelchair for emphasis. “I want Audie to have everything.”

  “You’ll need to spell that out in a will, Violet. The attorney can handle that for you, too.” Clara pulled a business card from her desk drawer and passed it to Audie. “When you take over the house, you’ll need to move all of the associated expenses into your name. That’s also to keep people from making a claim against your grandmother.”

  Audie sighed.

  “I have money in a CD, sweetheart. You can cash it in to pay for everything.”

  “I don’t need money. I can pay the bills.”

  “I looked at the records, Audie. When the transfer goes through, they’ll probably reassess the value of the house. Your tax bill might be a couple of thousand dollars next year. You have to plan for that.”

  “Whatever.” Audie had sat through more than she cared to hear.

  “It’s a big deal to pay your
taxes on time. If you don’t, somebody can come along and take your house—and you won’t get a dime for it.”

  “Audie can manage that.” Grammaw took her hand and squeezed it tightly.

  “I can see how much this is bothering you, Audie. Nothing we’ve talked about today means that we expect anything bad to happen. On the contrary, we’re looking forward to having Miss Violet with us for a long time.”

  “I know.”

  “Then I need to ask you to bear with us so we can get through the rest of these decisions. Can you do that?”

  Audie nodded, not even looking up.

  “Okay.” Clara pulled a form from the folder. “There’s still the matter of this durable power of attorney. Your grandmother wants to give you the power to make all the decisions concerning her affairs, no matter what happens to her.” She pushed the paper across the desk. “She’s already signed it. It just needs your signature right where the arrow is.”

  Audie took the offered pen and scratched her name on the paper.

  “Thank you. Now I know Beth Hester also mentioned to you the DNR form. This one doesn’t have to be signed today, or any time, for that matter. But you two need to discuss what kind of action you want us to take in the event of cardiac or respiratory failure.”

  Audie swallowed hard. “Is there anything else?” Since she was still leaning forward, she could see the last form in the folder, labeled “Funeral Arrangements.” She knew those were finalized back when Grampaw died, so there was nothing left to discuss.

  “No, that’s about it. Thanks for doing this, Audie.”

  “Yeah, at least it’s over with.”

  “That’s right. Just call that attorney and she’ll get the paperwork going. There’s really nothing else to it.”

  “Okay.” Audie stood and grasped the handles on the wheelchair, glad to finally be exiting the room, which had felt more like a torture chamber than an office. “I can’t sign that DNR, Grammaw. Please don’t ask me to.”

  Her keys and purse in hand, Beth stopped by Miss Violet’s new room to admire the decorations. Audie had done a fantastic job hanging pictures and arranging knickknacks on the bookshelf she had brought from home. The new TV was now mounted on the wall, and Miss Violet watched comfortably from the adjustable recliner.

  “This looks great, Miss Violet.”

  “It’s like home, but without the dirty dishes.”

  “I told you you’d like it here.”

  “You just missed Audie.”

  “I bet she’s tired. She worked hard today.”

  “It was a hard day for her all around, I think.”

  “I saw you both going in with Clara this morning. Was that tough?”

  “It scares her to think about things.”

  “I’m sure it does, Miss Violet.” Beth had seen that fear for herself when she followed Audie outside the first day. If there were some way to help out, even if it was just lending an ear, she would.

  But Audie seemed to have her own friends. “I’m leaving for the day. I just wanted to stop in and see your new home. You have a good night.”

  “I will.”

  Beth headed out through the front doors and squinted in the bright sunlight. As she put on her sunglasses, she spotted the familiar SUV still sitting on the lot. Audie had the cargo door open and was arranging the empty boxes. “Hey, need a hand with something?”

  “Nah, just flattening these boxes. I thought I’d stop by the recycling center on the way home.”

  “I went by your Grammaw’s room. You do good work.”

  “Thanks.” Audie managed a feeble smile. “And thanks for moving her down there. It’s nicer, and I bet it’s quieter too.”

  “Anything’s better than being across the hall from the laundry.”

  Beth started for her car at the other end of the lot.

  “Where are you off to?”

  Startled by the question, she turned and lifted her sunglasses. “I was going to head home and do some reading for my class. What about you?”

  “I thought I’d go get Buster and head out to Sumter Point. Want to come along?”

  The invitation surprised her. It must have taken a lot for Audie to reach out like that, and the chance to lend support and friendship was exactly what Beth had wished for only moments ago.

  “Yeah, sure. I need to run home and change.”

  “Me too. Why don’t we meet in the parking lot at the Point in half an hour?”

  “See you then.”

  Chapter 6

  Audie had no idea what Beth would be driving, but recognized her immediately when a blue Mazda Protégé pulled in next to her SUV. The car was several years old but appeared to be in good shape, its paint job still like new. “There she is, Buster. Be good.”

  Beth got out and clicked the lock on her car door. She was wearing sneakers, pressed white shorts and a sleeveless blue cotton shirt. Audie looked down at her own attire, sloppy by comparison—baggy khakis that hung just below her knees and a tank top.

  “Been waiting long?”

  “No, just a few minutes.” Buster tugged on his leash to greet the new arrival. “Watch out for him. He likes to jump.”

  Beth approached slowly with her hand outstretched. “Hey there, Buster.”

  “He won’t hurt you, but I don’t want him to get your clothes dirty.”

  “It won’t matter.”

  Audie hoped she was telling the truth, because as soon as Beth got close enough, the dog lunged upward, leaving dirty streaks down her front. “Buster, down!”

  “It’s okay,” Beth assured, brushing her shirt and shorts in vain.

  “I should have warned you to wear old clothes.”

  “It’s fine.”

  “He gets excited with new people… with all people, actually.”

  She unhooked his leash and tossed a Frisbee across a grassy field.

  “Nothing wrong with a friendly dog. Did you get him from the shelter?”

  “Yeah, after Grampaw died.” When Buster returned with the disk, Audie steered them toward the trail that ran alongside the Cumberland River. “Didn’t I see you down at the shelter a few years ago?”

  From the look on her face, Beth was thrown off-balance by the question. “You might have. I came in to pick out a dog.”

  “You were with somebody, I think. And you adopted a dog together.”

  Beth nodded. “A rat terrier.”

  “How’s he doing?”

  “It was a she. We called her Diva. I guess she’s doing fine. I haven’t seen her in a while.”

  “Your friend has her?”

  Beth sighed. “If you mean the woman I came in with, yes. But she isn’t a friend of mine anymore.”

  Beth’s hostile tone seemed out of character, but it explained why she had said she spent her time at home alone, studying for exams. “An ex-friend, I guess.”

  “An ex, period.” Beth sounded a little tentative at the admission.

  “You knew I was gay, didn’t you?”

  “I…” Audie bobbed her head all around, as if saying yes and no at the same time. “I thought maybe you were.”

  “In fact, you and I came to the same Fourth of July picnic right here in this park a few years ago.”

  Audie grinned. “I don’t remember that one. Must have been a good party.”

  “We left early… Shelby and I. She got freaked out about being seen in public with a bunch of lesbians.”

  “Ah… paranoid.”

  “Among her other personality disorders.” Beth shrugged. “She wasn’t comfortable unless everyone around her was more miserable than she was.”

  “Hey, I just realized something. You’re talking about Shelby Russell, aren’t you?”

  “Attorney-at-law, in case she didn’t mention that part.”

  “I met her at a party once. I didn’t really talk to her, but now I know why she looked so familiar.”

  “Because you saw her at the shelter?”

  “I guess. I recogniz
ed you that day because I knew you were Kelly’s sister. And I remembered you two getting the dog together, so I sort of assumed you were a couple.” Audie tossed the Frisbee ahead for Buster. “I heard a story about her from one of my friends. He works at a finance company and he said she came in one day screaming that one of their Hispanic customers had just rammed her car. Dennis said they walked out to look at it. It was barely scratched, but she demanded they call the police. He said she was a real bitch, like she wasn’t going to be satisfied unless this poor guy bought her a brand new car or got sent back to Mexico.”

  “Sounds like the Shelby I try to forget.”

  “Then you’ll really like this part. When the police got there, they impounded her car because she had a bunch of outstanding parking tickets.”

  “Oh, that’s rich.”

  “It’s good to see assholes get what they deserve, isn’t it?”

  “Believe me, she deserves a lot worse than that.” Beth laughed aloud. “But it’s a good start.”

  “So how long were you two together?”

  “About three years. We split up not long after we got Diva.”

  “How come she got to keep the dog?”

  “It wasn’t like we discussed it. I came home one day and found a For Sale sign in the yard. Diva was gone and so was Shelby and all her stuff.”

  “Ow! That’s cold.”

  “It’s pretty classic Shelby Russell. She always does it her way.”

  “I guess it’s good to be rid of her then, huh?” Audie hadn’t picked up on even a trace of sadness or disappointment.

  “Absolutely! I don’t even think I realized what a total control freak she was until she wasn’t there anymore. All of a sudden, I had so many choices I didn’t know what to do.”

  “So when are you coming in to get another dog?” She laughed as Beth rolled her eyes. “Hey, it’s only fair. I patronize your business. You should patronize mine.”

  “I don’t know about a dog. I think cats might be less trouble.”

  “Either one’s good company. I’d have gone nuts at home by myself if I hadn’t had Buster there.”

  The path grew narrow as it wound into the woods by the river, forcing Audie and Beth to walk closer together.