Gloria’s Secret

by Robin Alexander

  Chapter Twelve

  The taste of Mom’s gumbo and homemade bread warmed my bones. I was acclimated to the warmth of the island, and even though New Orleans was not known for brutal winters, I couldn’t manage to get warm. Adrienne suffered from the same and wore several layers of clothing. Neither of us had much in the way of warm clothes, and I’d made up my mind we were going shopping the next day.

  Wanda joined us at dinner; she sat across from me, next to Jeff. She never said much, but her huge blue eyes took in everything. Blond and fair complexioned, she was in stark contrast to my brother.

  Jeff looked like a miniature version of my dad. Dark brown hair, almost black, but without the gray patches at the temple, like the elder Tate. He was thin like Dad but lacked the height and broad shoulders. His face, however, was Dad’s, right down to the dark eyes and olive skin.

  I took after Mom. Her fair skin, curly brown hair, and eyes that were sometimes green, sometimes blue were passed along to me. My height came from my father, but that’s the only thing I’ve ever been willing to agree came from him. We were as different as night and day.

  “This is delicious, Mrs. Tate,” Adrienne said after she’d enjoyed a few bites of the meal.

  “Please, call me Margaret, and thank you.”

  For a fleeting moment, I thought we might manage to break tradition and have a peaceful meal, but one look at the shit-eating grin on Jeff’s face made it clear that was not to be.

  “So, Adrienne, what’s it like living and working with my sister day in and day out?”

  “An adventure,” Adrienne said with a smile. “She keeps me laughing most of the time.”

  Jeff chuckled. “Her temper is legendary. I’m sure that keeps things interesting.”

  Mom gave Jeff a look, but he ignored her and went on undaunted. “She murdered a lot of lawn equipment when she had the landscape business.” He turned his attention back to me. “Remember that trimmer you couldn’t get to start? As I remember, you threw it and broke a customer’s window.”

  I could tell it surprised Jeff when I laughed. “Yes, it deserved to die. I just didn’t count on it bouncing into a double-paned picture window. Cost me nearly all my profits for a week.”

  “How many inanimate objects have you killed on your new job?” Jeff asked.

  “Sixteen glasses, eight plates, and a wooden spoon,” I shot back. “But those weren’t murders, just clumsiness. And the wooden spoon died when I stuck it into the blender while trying to make daiquiris.”

  Everyone, with the exception of Dad and Jeff, laughed. Dad had no sense of humor whatsoever, and Jeff was realizing that his usual tactics weren’t working, so he switched gears.

  “I imagine it was an adjustment for you when Gloria passed away, and you were blessed with my sister.”

  Dad cleared his throat, letting Jeff know he was getting into dangerous territory. Gloria’s name wasn’t brought up in the Tate household. It was obvious to me that even though his sister had died, he still resented her, and this caused my blood to heat.

  “Gloria was precious to me,” Adrienne said. “She took me in, taught me the business, and gave me a career and home, but most importantly, she loved me as though I was her own child. I was devastated when I lost her.” Adrienne looked at me and smiled. “And then came Hayden, she really was a blessing.”

  “What kind of profit does the inn make?” Dad asked, changing the subject before Jeff could regain control.

  “The business stands on its own two feet,” I said. “We pay our bills and manage to stay afloat.”

  “Are you satisfied with just getting by?” he asked. “If a business over time doesn’t make money for you, then you need to reconsider your options.”

  I knew where this was headed and I wanted it out in the open, so it could be discussed and finished.

  “And what do you consider my options to be?”

  Dad looked me dead in the eye. “Sell it. Take the money you make off of it and invest in something more lucrative.”

  I nodded. “The object in business is to trade up until you’re making maximum profits.”

  Dad nodded and smiled. I shot Adrienne a quick glance and an almost imperceptible smile graced her lips.

  “I guess I’m not a business woman by your definition then,” I said and paused to butter a slice of bread. “The inn supports my way of life, and quite frankly, a number of CatIsland residents. I have no desire to change that.”

  “Eventually, you’re going to hit a rough spot, and since you’re just getting by, you’re going to need financial assistance—”

  “And you think that I’ll come running to you.”

  Dad said nothing, but cold eyes met mine.

  “That won’t happen,” I said evenly. “Besides, we both know that Jeff has tapped that well too many times with his ventures. Gloria stood on her own two feet and so will we.”

  “Is anyone interested in dessert?” Mom asked nervously. “I’ve made bread pudding.”

  No one answered. Dad and I sat with our eyes locked, neither willing to back down.

  “I’ll put on another pot of coffee to brew.” Wanda spoke for the first time since we’d sat down. “Coffee is always so good when it’s served with your bread pudding.”

  Mom and Wanda disappeared into the kitchen.

  “What’s that remark about my ventures supposed to mean?” Jeff asked, causing me to lose the staring contest with Dad.

  “Let me see.” I held up one finger. “The import business you began and Dad bailed you out of.” I held up another finger. “The driving range, again Dad stepped in.” Finger number three popped up. “The vending business. That’s just the ones I know about. I’m sure there have been more.”

  “What do you know about business?” Jeff demanded. “All you’ve ever managed was a lawn service, and you spent most of your time digging in the dirt.”

  “True,” I said. “I dug in the dirt, mowed grass, and pulled weeds right along with my employees. I did what I had to, to keep the business in operation. There weren’t that many leisurely days on the golf course unless I was mowing it. That’s the difference between me and you, Jeff. I was willing to work, and I sold that company for a profit.”

  Mom re-entered the room with dessert with Wanda trailing behind her with the coffee. Jeff was livid, made obvious by the red flush that covered his face and neck. I had one more point to make, and there was no time like the present.

  “From the time I left New Orleans, both of you have been on my neck to sell. It has nothing to do with profits, or lack thereof.” I looked from Dad to Mom. “I’d like to hope it’s because you want me close to you. But whatever the reason, I have to tell you up front, the inn is not for sale. I’m very happy there, and Adrienne is, too. Neither of us is willing to part with it. So I hope in the interest of us all getting along and enjoying the time we have together, this conversation is finished.”

  Mom gave me the most peculiar look for a split second, then nodded. “As you wish, honey.”

  Dad glared at her for agreeing, and for the first time, she looked back at him as if to say, Don’t challenge me, buddy.

  “Mom, if you don’t mind, I’d like to sit outside and enjoy my coffee. I need a minute for my dinner to settle before delving into your bread pudding.”

  “Sure, sweetie,” she said with a smile.

  Adrienne accompanied me to the porch where we once again sat on the swing. “This is becoming our refuge, isn’t it?” I asked.

  Adrienne draped her arm over the back of the swing and toyed with my hair. “I imagine that we’ll spend a lot of time out here.”

  We heard the door open and watched as Wanda poked her head out. “May I join you?”

  “Sure,” Adrienne and I said in unison.

  “I brought something to make our coffee a bit more tasty.” Wanda waved a bottle of amaretto.

  “Oh, yes, hit me.” Adrienne held out her cup.

  Wanda gave us all a liberal dose of the liqueur
and settled into one of the rockers facing Adrienne and me. “I come out here a lot when Jeff and I visit your parents. Sometimes your mom joins me, and we end up emptying an entire bottle.”

  “My mother sits out here and drinks?” I asked incredulously.

  “It’s not something we do often, but when Jeff and your father are in one of their moods to argue, we retreat to our happy place.”

  No sooner than the words were out of Wanda’s mouth, Mom came quietly through the back door and held her cup out to Wanda. Once her coffee had been doctored, she took a seat in the rocker next to Wanda.

  I couldn’t quite wrap my mind around the picture. My mom had always stuck to my father like glue, catering to his whims. This was a woman who every morning got up, bathed, dressed, and put on her makeup even, if she intended to hang around the house, to appease my father. Hiding out on the porch and drinking was an act of rebellion. I didn’t know she had it in her. My how things had changed, but then changes may have been happening over the years and I was too busy to notice.

  “To peace and quiet,” Wanda said as she raised her cup, and we all held up our own in toast.

  I felt Adrienne shiver and scooted closer to her, hoping that we could share some body heat.

  “Me and Adrienne are planning a shopping trip for tomorrow. We realized when we were packing that we really didn’t have anything warm to wear. Are either of you interested in joining us?”

  “I’m always up for shopping, count me in,” Wanda said.

  “That’s an excellent idea. We can make a day of it and have lunch down in the Quarter,” Mom added enthusiastically. “We can show Adrienne the sights.”

  “We’ll have to wash these clothes tonight because the jeans we’re wearing right now are the only two pair we have,” I said. “Most of the time, we’re wearing shorts or a swimsuit.”

  Wanda sighed. “I can’t imagine living like that, it must be wonderful.”

  “It is,” Adrienne agreed. “You should visit us sometime. Island life will spoil you rotten.”

  “We really should consider that, Margaret. We could have ourselves a ‘girl’s only’ week and go down to the island.”

  My mother’s eyes sparkled at the thought. “We really could, couldn’t we?”

  “There’s nothing stopping you but Dad and Jeff,” I said.

  “Every now and then, Wanda and I team up and take a stand,” Mom said, clinking her cup with Wanda’s. “I think this might be something we’ll want to fight for.”

  “I’m serious, Margaret, let’s plan on this.” Wanda was nearly giddy with excitement. “We’d have so much fun.”

  Her excitement was contagious and soon all three of us hounded Mom until she agreed to make real plans to visit the island.

  “If y’all don’t mind, I think I’d like to take a shower. I’m freezing,” Adrienne said as she stood.

  “I need to clean up the dinner dishes, too,” Wanda said as she stood and stretched. “I’ll walk Adrienne in, just in case the two bears are in the mood to squabble. You two stay out here and catch up.”

  “Okay, I’ll be up in a minute to get your clothes for the wash,” I said to Adrienne, then asked her in my mind, Do you mind if I stay with Mom? I think she wants to talk.

  Adrienne nodded and gave me a smile. “Take your time. We can do laundry in the morning.”

  We watched Wanda and Adrienne go inside and Mom turned to me. “You’re not the same woman that left here a few months ago.”

  “Is that good or bad?” I saw the serious expression on her face.

  “It’s amazing. You handled yourself brilliantly at dinner,” she said with a grin. “Wanda and I listened at the kitchen door. You made your point with your father and put your brother in his place, all without raising your voice. The old Hayden would have been screaming at the top of her lungs and threatening her brother with the cutlery.”

  “You’ve changed too, Mom.”

  “How so?”

  I gnawed at my lip, unsure of what to say. “I don’t know how to put this other than just spitting it out, but I’m afraid it’ll sound bad.”

  Mom pulled her chair closer to me and patted my knee. “You’ve always spoken your mind, kiddo. You may as well do it now.”

  “Well…when you call me at the inn, you just start talking. I hardly get a word in edgewise.” I watched as the smile slipped from my mother’s face. “It’s like you want to talk to me, but not really hear what I have to say. You tell me what’s going on around here, ask about my health, and remind me that I need to sell the inn.”

  I hated to be so brutally honest with her, but if I had any hopes of having a relationship with her, I had to be blunt.

  “You’re right,” she said with resignation in her voice. “I wanted to make sure you were okay, but I was afraid to hear what you were really doing there. When you told me you were bringing Adrienne home with you, I wasn’t happy about it, and I wondered how I would make it through the week pretending that you weren’t romantically involved.”

  “I’m sorry I’ve made you so uncomfortable, but—”

  “Wait.” She took my hand in hers. “The minute you got out of that car, I noticed a change in you. Not just your physical appearance, but something else I can’t quite put my finger on. Maybe island life has calmed you down, but I suspect it has a lot to do with Adrienne. And I dare say I like it.”

  “I’m in love, Mom.” I met her eyes. “You probably didn’t want to hear me say it, but I think you know it. She’s an incredible person, and she’s my partner in every sense of the word.”

  “I’m trying really hard to understand, honey, but you’re gonna have to be patient with me. I don’t understand why you would choose a woman to love, but then you probably don’t understand why I wake up and choose your dad every day.”

  We both had a laugh at that because I really couldn’t understand it.

  “It was never a choice, I am what I am. If I’d chosen to be this way, then I would have done it knowing it would hurt you.” I gave her hand a squeeze. “I wouldn’t have chosen to do something so mean to you…Dad maybe, but not you.”

  Mom chuckled and yawned. “Well, thank you for that.”

  “You look like you could use some sleep.” I stood and pulled her to her feet.

  Mom hugged me and held on to me for a minute or so. “I’m glad we had this talk. It’s a beginning for us, isn’t it?”

  I squeezed her tight, feeling emotions stir and my eyes tear. “I believe it is, and it makes me happy.”

  “Me too, sweetie.”

  “Oh, Hayden, I eavesdropped,” Adrienne confessed when I climbed into the bed fresh from my shower. “I tried not to, but I couldn’t help it.” A single tear slipped down her cheek. “You’re finally forming a bond with your mom.”

  I traced her jaw line with my fingertip, then wiped the tear away. “You were right, she’s trying really hard. I guess my moving away had an effect on her. I don’t think we would have ever had that conversation with me living close.”

  Adrienne opened her mouth to reply and I covered it with a kiss. A sweet kiss that grew hungry. She moaned softly and wound her fingers in my hair when my tongue slipped past her lips. The feel of her warm body beneath mine and her responsiveness spurred me on. I broke the kiss and began pulling at her shirt when she stopped me.

  “I’m not sure this is a good idea, your mom might not be as understanding about us making love in her house.”

  “I won’t announce it at breakfast if you won’t.” I nuzzled her neck, making her hips buck against mine. “Besides, your body says it’s a really good idea.”

  “Does your bed squeak?”

  I raised up and looked at her. “I don’t remember. Did it make any noise when you climbed in?”

  “Uh, I didn’t notice.” Adrienne sighed as I nibbled her earlobe.

  I maneuvered myself between her legs and thrust against her a couple of times to see if the bed would squeak under pressure.

  “Fo
rget the bed,” Adrienne whispered and pulled me down for another kiss.

  I felt Adrienne’s legs wrap around mine, and that’s all it took for me to forget where we were. She tugged my shirt over my head when I came up for air, then began pulling on hers. Her warm smooth skin felt so good, too good not to lavish kisses over every spot I could find. When my teeth grazed one of her nipples, she sucked in a breath between her teeth that sounded like a hiss. It sent chills down my spine.

  When she could take it no longer, Adrienne began pushing on my shoulders. I smiled against her skin as I kissed my way down her stomach. My mouth hovered over her most intimate places before I whispered, “You be quiet up there.”

  Adrienne’s stomach quivered as she laughed softly. “You be quiet, you’re moaning louder than I am.”

  All laughter came to a halt when my mouth descended upon her. She wound her fingers in my hair with one hand while clenching the sheets with the other. I was lost in a world of delightful sensations and tastes. At first, the cramped position that I’d wedged myself into wasn’t a hindrance. But the ornate iron foot board at the end of my bed was keeping me from being able to move.

  Adrienne’s hips had a life of their own and were moving with a more insistent rhythm, her breathing was becoming more erratic, and I didn’t want to stop and take away from the orgasm that was steadily building. I managed to wiggle a little and slip my ankles through the openings in the footboard. I wrapped my arms tightly around Adrienne’s thighs as her back arched off the bed.

  When she sank down onto the bed spent and whispered, “Come here,” I realized that my feet were still jutting through the footboard. I managed to pull my left leg free, but in the wrestling match, the arm bearing my weight slipped and sent me off the side of the bed. My right leg was still wedged in the footboard.

  “Oh, honey,” I whimpered.

  Adrienne sat up and tried to pull my upper body back onto the bed before I could beg her to stop.

  “What is it?” she asked while switching the lamp on.

  I could only imagine the sight she beheld—one hand on the floor balancing my upper body with my naked ass in the air and one leg still protruding through the end of the bed. An unplanned game of naked Twister. I laughed and cried at the same time.