Sweet Gone South

by Alicia Hunter Pace

  Confusion assaulted his face. “That’s what you thought? No. I want her to keep calling you mommy. I want you to be her mother.” He reached out and cupped her cheek with his hand. She leaned into it. Oh, God. How she loved his hand on her cheek. “Lanie, you’re good for us.”

  To be Emma’s mother. To be Luke’s wife. Her heart lifted. It sang songs. It did a tap dance.

  It sank.

  “I’m not sure you’ve thought this through.”

  “I can assure you I have. I think everything through. Every day.”

  “You do remember that I told you I can’t have children.” Also, I’m no good at sex. I might do okay at submarine racing, but when it’s the real deal, well …

  He nodded. “I know that a doctor, who you saw one time, told you that you couldn’t. I assume that you’ve never seen a specialist.”

  “No.”

  “Then I’m not convinced that you can’t. But even if it’s true, we have a child.”

  We have a child.

  “Also,” Luke went on. “If we do decide we want to expand our family, there’s adoption. I have connections. We probably wouldn’t even have to wait very long to get a baby.”

  We, family, baby.

  Was it possible? Maybe he wouldn’t care that she wasn’t like other women in bed. Maybe he wouldn’t notice. Maybe she should tell him.

  We, family, baby. Emma. We have a child.

  Luke took her left hand and teased the tip of her finger with the ring, smiling and biting his bottom lip the whole time.

  “Say the word, Lanie. Say the right word.”

  We, family, baby.

  “Yes, oh, yes.” He slid the ring onto her finger and she threw her arms around his neck. He kissed her hard and sweet. Suddenly, she was ravenous. She hadn’t eaten since Missy had made her that peanut butter bagel three years ago.

  She laughed into his neck. “Will you order me that pizza now?”

  “All in good time.” He rose from the ottoman and pulled her to sit on his lap on the sofa. “First we need to talk about a few details. Now, about that Candy Land floor … ”

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  4:30, Thursday afternoon. Lanie had been engaged almost twenty-four hours and no one knew except the two of them.

  That was about to change. Luke hadn’t wanted her to tell anyone, including the book club girls, until after the senator’s press secretary released a statement but she had been adamant. Her friends had always been there for her and she would not have them learn of her engagement by reading about it in the paper. Though, she had to admit, that might have its upside.

  She entered the bar and grill of the Merritt Country Club. Almost empty. She’d been right. This was a good place to tell them. In another hour, it would be getting dark and all the men on the golf course would be in here settling bets and drinking, but by then she’d be gone. Maybe.

  She slid into the round corner booth and ordered a pitcher of margaritas, a platter of nachos, and another of stuffed mushrooms. On impulse, she added an order of fried green beans. If she fed them well enough, they might not turn on her for not returning any of their countless calls. Oh, and a virgin margarita for Missy. Missy liked to pretend she was drinking, especially in public. She liked to shock people without actually doing anything wrong.

  Just as the food and drinks came, all three of them arrived together. That meant they’d ridden together and talked about how they were going to handle her. The last she had talked to any of them, she’d been crying on Missy’s shoulder, which meant Missy had told them what a mess she was. When they went to sit down, there was a little power play to see who would sit beside her. In the end, Lucy and Tolly won, hemming her into at the center of the round booth. Missy had to settle for the seat on the outside next to Lucy.

  They all gave her pitying looks. They felt so sorry for her, they weren’t even going to fuss at her for not calling them back.

  Tolly broke the silence. “Are you all right? I was in court all day long. Thank goodness it was city court and I didn’t have to see that devil from hell.”

  “I suppose you mean Luke?” She passed around drinks.

  “How are you?” Lucy asked, laying a hand on her arm.

  “How is she?” That was Missy, of course. She liked to answer for other people. “I’ll tell you how she is. She’s — ”

  “Why don’t you let me tell you how I am?” Lanie said. “Here, have some nachos. I had them put the guacamole on the side since Tolly doesn’t like it.” She handed the platter to Lucy.

  “Are we really sitting here talking about guacamole?” Tolly asked. “We have been worried sick about you.”

  “Don’t worry for me.” Lanie felt a little giddy. “I was wrong. Luke didn’t end things with me. In fact, I’ve got a secret.”

  “Not for long, you don’t,” Missy said. “You’re going to tell us and right now.”

  “Luke proposed. But you can’t tell. It’s a secret for now.”

  Three pairs of eyes widened and three mouths fell open.

  “What?” Tolly said. “You hardly know Luke Avery. You can’t just hop up and marry someone you don’t know.”

  “I do know him,” Lanie said firmly. “Besides, we’re going to wait a little while to set a date. His parents won’t be back from Japan until June. We’ll talk about it then.” They hadn’t actually talked about when they were going to set a date, but that made sense.

  “When do you think it will be?” This was from Lucy. Knowing her, she was already planning showers and picking a bridesmaid dress in her head.

  “Next year some time.” Actually, she’d made that up too, but it sounded good.

  “Wait just a minute here,” Missy said. “I’m having a hard time catching up. The last time I saw you, you were a basket case, sure you’d never see Emma or Luke again.”

  “I was wrong. He didn’t want me to stop Emma from calling me mommy.” Her stomach flipped over.

  “Where — ” Missy narrowed her eyes “ — is the ring?” Everything about her tone said, He had better have given you a ring.

  Lanie giggled. She wasn’t usually a giggler. She looked around to make sure no one was looking. Then she fished the ribbon around her neck from under her shirt.

  “See?” she whispered.

  “You’re wearing it around your neck?” Tolly said. “Are you sure you aren’t going steady?”

  “This is no class ring.” She opened her palm.

  Missy reached across Lucy, grabbed it, and gave it a close inspection. “Wow.”

  Lanie let Tolly and Lucy have a closer look before she dropped it under her shirt again.

  “Why all the secrecy?” Lucy asked. “I don’t understand.”

  “It’s only a secret for a couple of days. Tomorrow afternoon, we’re leaving to go to Luke’s parents’ bayside house in Fairhope for the weekend, so we won’t be accessible to the press. After we get there, we’re going to call our families. Luke is going to ask his father to have someone in his office release a statement to the press on Saturday. He’s hoping if it’s handled right, there won’t be a rehash of the whole mess of Carrie and Jake’s accident. By the time we come back Sunday night, it won’t be a secret.”

  Lucy smiled. She was the only one who was beginning to look pleased. “So you’ll have a little romantic weekend.”

  Yeah. The only fly in the ointment … Well, she wouldn’t think about it. Maybe it would be okay. She’d read a lot of books since Alexander. She knew how she was supposed to respond. Maybe she could practice between now and then. One thing was for certain: Luke was expecting to have sex in Fairhope. He’d made that clear.

  “I’ll bet you’re taking Emma, aren’t you?” Tolly asked.

  “Of course,” Lanie said.

  “So much for romance,�
� Missy said. “I can tell you about a three-year-old in a strange house and a strange bed.”

  “And I can tell you about a former nanny named Rhonda who is going to open the house and meet us there. Then she and her new husband are going to keep Emma in the guest house.” Luke was a planner, all right.

  “I just don’t know what to say.” Tolly poured herself another margarita.

  “What time are you leaving tomorrow?” Missy asked.

  “About two. And we’ll be back Sunday.” She hesitated. “I guess I need to tell you this. If you see anyone coming in and out of the shop Sunday, it will be the painters.”

  “Painters?” Lucy frowned. “Why do you need to paint?”

  Lanie looked at the table. “I’m having the floor painted.”

  “Your Candy Land floor?” Lucy said. “You love that floor.”

  “Well, turns out, I’m in violation of copyright law. It needs to be painted over. It’ll be dry by the time we get back Sunday.” She did hate to lose that floor. Still, it was a small price to pay for what she was getting.

  “Oh, who cares?” Missy said. “It’s not like the Candy Land Nazi is coming.”

  “Luke said he can’t be engaged to that floor. Eventually it would come back to haunt him.”

  “So, really, the Candy Land Nazi did come,” Tolly said. “Though, he’s got a point,” she added grudgingly.

  Missy threw her napkin on the table. “Lanie, I just don’t know about this.”

  “I don’t, either,” Tolly chimed in.

  “First, you think he’s dumping you,” Missy said. “Then he gives you that ring. Though, I have to say, as rings go — ” She shook her head to bring herself back on point. “Now it’s a big secret and he’s making you paint your Candy Land floor.”

  “Listen,” Tolly said. “You don’t have to have it announced this weekend. Go on to the bay house. Have a good time, see how it goes. There’s no hurry.”

  “I agree,” Missy said. “No hurry.”

  “Or you could just put the whole thing off until next weekend,” Missy said.

  Tolly nodded.

  It all became a roar in Lanie’s head until Lucy said, “Stop.”

  Then she turned to Lanie and whispered, “Lanie, are you in love?”

  Lanie closed her eyes and thought back to the night before when Pam had brought Emma home. Emma had run to Lanie squealing, with her arms outstretched. Lanie could still smell her baby smell and feel her chubby little arms around her neck. She didn’t need a mirror to tell her that a goofy expression settled on her face.

  “Oh, yes. I am in love — totally and completely.”

  “Then we know everything we need to know.”

  Tolly and Missy nodded. They didn’t want to, but they did. For now, that had to be enough.

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  Luke glanced at his watch. Two o’clock. The prosecutor was in the middle of cross examination. If there was a way around it, Luke wasn’t going to interrupt him. He’d always hated to have his momentum broken. He’d give him fifteen minutes. Even at that, they could be on the road before three. Lanie had said she was packed. He’d sent for his dad’s Cadillac Escalade to be brought up from Montgomery today and it was clean, gassed up, and ready to go. The sooner they got out of town, the more likely he could control when the news got out.

  There was silence. There should not be silence in his courtroom, especially not when he was supposed to be leaving town. He’d already had to instruct this witness to answer three times. He consulted his notes for her name.

  “Ms. Harper,” he said in his lecture tone. “I appreciate that you were in the wrong place at the wrong time and saw something you would rather not have seen. However, that is the situation we have and you are going to have to tell this court what you saw. Now please continue.”

  “Yes, your honor,” she said sheepishly. The DA met his eye and gave him an appreciative look. Suck up. He knew that look. He’d used it. It wouldn’t help. Just when he had three minutes to spare, the DA announced he had nothing further. Luke excused the witness and made a few notes. When he looked up again, he could see the defense was chomping at the bit to get on with it. That was a shame. This was one parade he was going to have to rain on.

  “Ladies and gentlemen, we’re going to call it a day.” No one said anything. No one ever did. That was one great thing about being a judge. “Let’s see.” He looked at his calendar. Monday was free but maybe he should take off. Likely, they would all come home tired and Lanie would have to work. He should be available to help her — do what, he wasn’t sure. “I’ll see you all back here Tuesday morning at nine o’clock.” The attorneys looked surprised. He had the reputation for never dismissing mid-afternoon.

  “All rise!” The court clerk’s voice boomed. He loved the sound of that. He hoped no one ever found out. He gathered his things and exited through the door behind the bench to the sound of scraping chairs and rising voices. With any luck, no one would want anything from him and he could be on his way.

  He hurriedly exchanged his robe for his jacket in the small alcove outside his courtroom and entered his chambers through the rear door. Then he stopped. Missy, Lucy, and Tolly were lined up on the leather sofa like cheerleaders in mourning for a dead quarterback.

  Damn it all to hell. He’d tried to persuade Lanie not to tell them. And why had Olive let them in, anyway? He was going to fire her yet.

  “Ladies,” he said.

  Tolly and Lucy muttered little greetings but Missy Bragg jumped to her feet like a woman on a mission. Clearly she was the spokesperson.

  “Now, you listen here, Luke Avery.” He thought she was going to jab him in the chest with her finger. He wasn’t sure what he would have done if she had. “I know you’re dying to get out of town, but this is what is going to happen. When you pick Lanie up, you’re going to tell her that Emma left Purr Kitty at my house and you have to come get her. Then we’re going to surprise Lanie with cake, champagne, and presents.”

  Who was this woman? He’d heard stories about her, but he’d only known the sweet compassionate Missy who helped him with Emma and called to remind him that it was his turn to bring snacks to school.

  He said the lamest thing that could have come out of his mouth. “But you don’t have Purr Kitty.”

  “Wanna bet?” My God, she had stolen Purr Kitty. He didn’t even want to know how. This woman was ruthless. Hurricane Missy railed on. “Pathetic as it is, it was the best we could do this morning, and Lanie is going to have this. Do you understand me? And you are not going to hurry her. She’s going to have this little celebration, this minuscule celebration, this almost non-existent celebration!”

  “But you could have a real party when we get back,” he argued.

  “We’re not talking about then. We’re talking about now. She deserves to celebrate, no matter what our misgivings are about this situation.”

  So now he was a situation.

  “She’s getting this,” Missy went on. “Let me ask you something? Did you do anything special when you proposed? A nice dinner? A bottle of champagne? Flowers?”

  Damn. He hadn’t done any of that. It wasn’t that he didn’t know better. He’d done those things when he’d proposed to Carrie, but he hadn’t had time to think of it for Lanie. He’d been too busy writing the proposal script, fighting to find the words that were true, but that would persuade her.

  Missy crossed her arms over her chest and looked superior. Apparently she took his silence as a no.

  “I thought not. She’s at least going to have cake and champagne before she leaves town.”

  “Lanie doesn’t like cake,” he said weakly.

  “Lanie doesn’t like cake?” Missy’s eyes widened in surprise.

  “Why doesn’t anybody know that but me?” And suddenly he felt
like he had the upper hand again. “All right, I’ll cooperate with you, but you’re going to have to make it fast.”

  • • •

  Luke fully expected to walk into Missy’s house to find a hundred people, but it was only the cheerleaders, Beau, and the woman who worked for Missy. The white homemade layer cake looked more suitable for a family dinner than an engagement party. Missy muttered something about “the best she could do” as she poured sparkling cider for herself and the children and champagne for everyone else. All this had to be preserved on Missy’s digital camera.

  Lanie was so genuinely surprised and pleased that it was hard to hold a grudge — at least much of one. Luke wasn’t sure if it was the champagne or Lanie’s pleasure, but by the time they sat down to open presents, the cheerleaders had softened a little. After more pictures and making proper noises over the gifts, he thought they were surely finished celebrating.

  “Well … ” He took Lanie’s hand. She smiled a happy smile. God and Missy Bragg willing, he was about to drive to the coast, so he’d barely tasted his champagne but Lanie had seemed to enjoy hers. When he called Rhonda later to tell her they were running late, he’d send her out for a nice dinner with her husband and ask them to pick up a bottle of Dom Perignon.

  “We just need a few more minutes, Luke,” Lucy said sweetly, and the cheerleaders hauled Lanie off to another part of the house, leaving him to entertain the children. He knew what those cheerleaders were up to; he’d been through this before. They were giving her underwear and nightgowns. Nice thought, but did it have to be now?

  Finally, Lanie reappeared. Surely, this time they could escape. It was after five o’clock.

  And in walked Harris Bragg, who couldn’t have looked more surprised if he’d found naked Benedictine Monks doing a fertility dance in his living room. Like some sort of Italian sorceress, Missy pulled pans of lasagna out of her oven and bowls of salad out of her refrigerator. She insisted that it would take no more time to eat at her table than to stop somewhere along the way — probably less. She had a point, but he would just feel so much better if he had even five miles behind him.