Just Another Maniac Monday

by Jennie Marts

  He stood and held out his arm to walk her down the hall. She took his arm, feeling the warmth of his body through his sleeve. He really was here. Johnny Collins was alive and walking beside her.

  “I liked hearing you tell the story of how we met,” he said. “I had forgotten about the strawberry sodas, but I remembered everything else. Especially those funny pink socks and that polka-dotted swimsuit. Lord, you were a looker.” He looked down at her and squeezed her hand. “I remembered everything else like it was yesterday.”

  “Well, it wasn’t yesterday. It was a long time ago.” Edna waved at the guest-room door, trying to tamp down the fresh set of butterflies reeling in her stomach when he complimented her. “You should be all set. But if you need something in the night, go wake up one of those gals in the living room. Don’t bother me. I need my beauty rest.”

  She walked another few steps then turned back and pointed a finger at him. “Dredging up those old memories has me feeling nostalgic, and I’m too tired to think straight right now. But in the morning, I want some answers.”

  John raised his hand in mock salute. “Aye-aye, captain. We’ll talk in the morning.”

  ##

  Edna pounded the dough. She’d had a restless night’s sleep, and she looked around the living room at the women who were there to protect her. Sunny was just waking up, but the rest were still sound asleep, curled up on chairs and sofas, and Piper had sprawled out on the floor.

  Apparently, none of them had heard her houseguest as he had slipped out that morning before they woke. He’d left a note claiming he had unexpected business to take care of and would be back later that afternoon. He had taken the dog with him.

  Now there was a house full of women who all adored her cinnamon rolls and would be ready for breakfast soon. After rolling out a sheet of thick dough, she sprinkled it with cinnamon and sugar. She dropped thin slices of butter across the sheet before rolling it up and cutting it into neat round discs. After placing the rolls in a greased pan, she laid a towel across the top, and set the timer to give them thirty minutes to rise.

  She might as well get showered and dressed for the day. It would take another half an hour just to pick out an outfit. She slammed the dishes in the sink. Why did she care what she looked like? A layer of lipstick and a squirt of hairspray wouldn’t bring back the years they had lost. Wouldn’t tell her where he’d been and why he’d let her think he was dead.

  Picking out a shirt in John’s favorite shade of blue wouldn’t answer the question if he still loved her. Or if he ever did.

  An hour later, Edna was back in the kitchen, her hair combed and curled, wearing denim capris and a cotton blouse in a gorgeous shade of turquoise. She scooped warm, gooey cinnamon rolls onto plates and passed them out to the Page Turners.

  Sunny had run home and showered, then brought Jake back with her. That, or he had been lured over by the seductive scent of cinnamon filling the air. Either way, he was standing in the kitchen, pouring a glass of milk. His presence seemed to fill the kitchen. Between his muscled arms, his incredible-smelling aftershave, and his easy-going charm, he was hard to miss and hard to resist.

  Edna passed him a plate, a warm roll sitting in a pool of creamy icing. “So, Mr. Private Eye, how much would you charge me to do a little investigative digging into someone’s past?”

  Jake took a bite of the roll and closed his eyes in what looked like sensual delight. You could almost hear the gulp of every woman in the room as they watched him take another bite. He opened his eyes and winked at Edna. “I would do just about anything for you if you baked me another pan of these cinnamon rolls.”

  Edna whacked her palm on the counter. “Done! Now, what do you need from me? I know where he was born and where he grew up. I even know his social security number. But I want to know where he’s been all these years that we thought he was dead.”

  Jake licked some stray icing from his thumb. “I’ll start with the information you have and see what I can dig up. There weren’t a lot of electronic records in the fifties. But I can go back to old newspaper archives and police records. Would he have a police record?”

  Edna nodded. “Oh yes. He was wanted for murder and larceny when he died. Or when we thought he died. But I guess he’s just been missing.”

  “Speaking of something missing,” Maggie said as she lifted the sofa cushions and peered underneath, “has anyone seen my silver bracelet? I took it off last night and thought I laid it on the end table next to the lamp.”

  Sunny popped up from her seat at the kitchen table. “I’ll help you look. I’m sure it’s around here somewhere.”

  They searched the living room but found no sign of the bracelet. Edna knew what they were all thinking, but no one spoke the accusation aloud. She had a hard time believing Johnny would come into her home and steal from her friends. But, she couldn’t believe that he had faked his death and robbed a bank either, so maybe she wasn’t the greatest judge.

  Maggie shrugged. “Maybe I left it at home. I’ll check there.” She reached for her purse. “I’ve got to go into the office this afternoon and get caught up on some cases. What time are we meeting back here tonight?” Maggie was a defense attorney but had taken the morning off to participate in the sleep over.

  “What do you mean tonight?” Edna asked. “I am perfectly capable of handling myself in my own home. I have Mace, ya know?”

  Sunny rested a hand on Edna’s arm. “Of course you are. But we want to avoid any instances in which you need to use the Mace.”

  Edna grunted an acceptance.

  “Besides,” Sunny said. “I’m making baked ziti, and Cassie said she would bring a pie.”

  It was hard enough to turn down baked ziti, but when she threw in the pie, that sealed the deal. “Okay. Okay. You can come over again. But someone better be bringing garlic bread.”

  Cassie raised her hand. “Piper and I will be in charge of garlic bread too. I need to get home and work on the pie so we’re taking off.” She hoisted a pillow and the empty cake container onto her hip. “We’ll see you all back here around six tonight.”

  Jake swiped one last cinnamon roll before heading for the door. He held it open for Cassie, Piper, and Maggie to walk through. “I’ll get to work on seeing what I can dig up on Mr. Collins today. Edna, email me the info you know, and I’ll report what I find out at dinner tonight.”

  “Who invited you?” Sunny asked as she followed Jake out the door.

  “You said baked ziti. That’s all the invitation that I needed.” Jake waved and pulled the front door shut, leaving Edna in the quiet house alone.

  She sighed and collected the plates from the kitchen counter.

  Not wanting to miss out on Johnny coming back to the house early, she skipped Zumba class for the afternoon and instead putzed around the house, cleaning and straightening up. She figured running the vacuum would count as her exercise for the day, then completed her workout by taking a nap on the sofa.

  It took everything she had not to sneak into the bedroom and rifle through his belongings. Twice she caught herself standing in front of the guest room door. Each time, something stopped her from going inside. Maybe she was worried about getting caught if he came back unexpectedly, or maybe she just wanted to hear the truth from his own lips. Either way, she resisted the temptation, and his room remained untouched.

  She was freshened up and had the table set by five thirty. Sunny arrived a few minutes before six, a bouquet of fresh-cut flowers from her garden in her hands. On her heels followed a freshly showered Jake carrying a steaming casserole dish in his potholder-covered hands. Edna couldn’t decide which smelled better, the ziti or Jake’s shower gel.

  She directed him where to set the pasta and within fifteen minutes, the rest of the Page Turners had arrived and were seated at the table, ready to dig in.

  Edna reached for the basket of fresh bread, the delicious aroma of garlic and butter wafting up as she took a slice. “So Jake, what did you find out today?”


  “Not a lot,” Jake said. “He’s covered his tracks pretty well. I think I got a few hits on him in Europe. I’ll keep after it and let you know what I find out.”

  Piper lifted a forkful of pasta to her mouth, a thin strand of cheese clinging to the tines. “I’ve been waiting all day to hear more of the story of that summer, Edna. I have a feeling you were just getting to the good part.”

  If Piper only knew how true that statement was. That whole summer was full of good parts. Edna set down her fork and took a sip of water. “Where was I?”

  “You had just gone to the drive-in and told us that Johnny had stolen your heart.” Piper spoke around the bite of ziti she had stuffed into her mouth. “You said he was a thief. What else did he steal?”

  “Well, my virginity for one thing.” Edna laughed and wiggled her eyebrows. “But I’m sure you don’t want to hear about that.”

  “Oh, you know we do,” Cassie said. “I love hearing first-time stories. Tell us.”

  Edna wiped her mouth with her napkin and settled back in her chair. “It was several weeks into the summer and I had been spending a lot of time with Johnny. It was a Sunday afternoon and one of the hottest days of the summer. And I mean that in more ways than one.”

  Chapter Six

  1955

  Coopersville, Kansas

  Edna reached into the straw and pulled out a warm egg. She’d thrown seed into the pen of the chicken coop like Aunt Janice had taught her, then ducked into the little coop to collect the eggs while the chickens were busy feeding.

  She wore a pair of her aunt’s rubber boots and had an apron tied around her waist. Her aunt was quite tall compared to Edna’s five-foot-two stature, and the boots were several sizes too big. But they beat getting the chicken mess on her only pair of white tennies, and she stood on her tip-toes to reach into the top row of cubby holes.

  Trying not to think about the chicken poo in the straw, she quickly reached into each cubby and pulled out the eggs, gently placing them in the basket she held. She had promised Janice that she would collect the eggs and get them washed and to the market by that afternoon.

  Janice had errands to run in the city that day, so she had shown Edna how to package the eggs and get them prepared for the grocer the night before.

  “I can do all that,” Edna had said, “but the only problem is that I don’t know how to drive.”

  “That doesn’t seem like too big of a problem,” Janice had said. “Get that boy Johnny out here to help you take them into town. Or better yet, get him to teach you how to drive. You can use that old blue truck. There’s not much you can hurt in that south field if you want to start out there.”

  Edna thrilled at the idea of learning to drive and of having Johnny be the one to teach her. “But you’re going to be gone for the day. Aren’t you worried about Johnny and I being out here alone together?”

  Janice had smiled and touched Edna’s cheek. “I wish you would see yourself as I see you. You see yourself as a child, still stuck in a house caring for your dying father and your alcoholic mother. And as much as I love that you took care of my brother till his dying breath, you are a grown woman now. One who can make her own decisions and do what she wants.”

  Edna’s eyes filled with tears, and she was too choked with emotion to speak. How much did Aunt Janice really know about her mom? She could only look at her aunt and nod.

  Janice grinned. “And if I had a beau like Johnny Collins and could spend an afternoon alone with him, I sure know what I’d want.” She laughed heartily and gave Edna an exaggerated wink. “Just make sure you get the eggs to the market.”

  Edna smiled at the thought of her aunt, with her big laugh and her dirty mind. Talking about sex was taboo, and certainly never discussed by a woman. But nothing seemed off limits with Janice; she would gab about anything.

  Edna had never met anyone like her and had never had an adult treat her as an equal before. It was a heady experience, and Edna loved it. She loved everything about her experience on the farm this summer.

  Well, maybe not the chicken poop on the side of her hand.

  Her heart leapt as she heard the familiar drone of Johnny’s motorcycle coming down the driveway. She wiped her hand on the straw and grabbed the last egg, then stepped from the chicken coop, latching the door behind her.

  She raised her hand to block the sun as she watched him ride toward her. He wore jeans, a white t-shirt, and a serious expression on his face. His eyes were covered with dark Aviator sunglasses, and Edna’s pulse raced as he drew to a stop in front of her and pulled the sunglasses from his face.

  She watched as his eyes surveyed her from her loose, curly ponytail to the clunky boots, and his face broke into a grin. “I hope you’re wearing a pair of shorts, because from my vantage point, it looks like all you have on is an apron and a pair of rubber boots.”

  Edna looked down and saw that her aunt’s apron completely covered her outfit of shorts and a sleeveless top. She grinned at the thought that Johnny was imagining her in only the apron and wiggled her hips a little. “It’s the latest style. All the girls are wearing this.”

  He laughed and dismounted the motorcycle, kicking the stand into place. He reached for her, pulling her against him in a tight hug. His voice sent delicious waves of pleasure through her as he spoke against her ear. “It’s good to see you, doll.”

  It was still morning, but the sun had been up for hours, and the warm fabric of his t-shirt brushed against Edna’s sweat-damped skin. “Sorry, I’ve been collecting eggs, and I’m all sweaty.”

  “It’s summer in Kansas, we wake up sweaty.” Johnny brushed a quick kiss on her lips. His voice softened to a whisper. “I don’t mind a little sweat.”

  Oh goodness. Now she really was sweating. She pushed against him with a nervous laugh. “Be careful that you don’t break the eggs. I’ve got to get them to the market before lunch.”

  “All right, let’s take care of the eggs. I can drive us in to town. Then, this afternoon, I’ll teach you how to drive that old pickup.” He took the basket from her as they headed up to the house. She had called him the night before, using the need for help with the egg delivery and driving lessons to get him out to the farm.

  “You don’t mind spending the day with me and teaching me how to drive?” Edna asked.

  He stopped and looked down at her. “Mind? Heck no. It’s all I’ve thought about since you called last night and asked me to help you out.” He reached an arm around her and leaned down to nuzzle her neck. “You’re all I’ve thought about. You keep me up all night just thinking about this spot on your neck right here.”

  He laid his lips against her skin right under her ear, and Edna let out a breathless sigh. “Yeah, that sure is a good spot.”

  Johnny laughed. “Let’s get these eggs to town so we’ll have more time this afternoon for me to spend exploring that spot.”

  She loved to hear his laugh, full and hearty, and she loved that she was the one who brought him enough joy to invoke that laugh. The thought of him exploring any spot on her body had her pulse racing and her heart thrumming in her chest. Yes, let’s get these eggs to town. Quick.

  They took care of the eggs, dropping them off with the grocer and collecting her aunt’s earnings.

  Janice had left them the makings for lunch, and Edna and Johnny sat on the porch, eating thick-sliced ham sandwiches and drinking Janice’s sweet and tart lemonade. They laughed and talked, Edna telling stories of Colorado and hanging on every word of Johnny’s tales of growing up in rural Kansas.

  Edna collected their plates and ran a sink of soapy water, dumping their few dishes in to wash. The front screen door slammed and then Johnny was behind her, sliding his arms between hers and dunking his hands into the warm, sudsy water.

  His hard, muscled chest was tight against her back. He leaned in, laying his hands on hers and guiding the dishcloth across the plates. His hands gently directed hers in the washing motion, his chin on her shoulder an
d his breath against her ear. “We’ll get done faster if I help.”

  His voice was like velvet in her ear. She was glad he stood behind her, afraid her knees might buckle from the nearness of him.

  She had read historical novels where the damsel was always swooning from the touch of the handsome knight and for the first time in her life, Edna understood the meaning of the word “swoon”. His hands on hers, his body touching hers in the most intimate way, the sensuous feel of the warm water—she was afraid she just might swoon into a puddle on the floor right in front of him.

  She swallowed, afraid to move, afraid to break the spell of the moment. The wonderful moment of being in his arms. She would never look at washing dishes the same way again.

  She wished they had more than six dishes to wash. They could only wash the same plate so many times. She pulled the drain on the soapy water and turned to look up at Johnny. “So, you wanna teach me how to drive?”

  He laughed and was still laughing thirty minutes later when she stalled out the pickup for the fifth time.

  Edna banged her fists against the steering wheel in frustration. She was too short to reach the pedals and see over the dashboard, so Johnny had wired wooden blocks to the pedals and found an old Sears and Roebuck catalogue for her to sit on.

  He’d patiently explained the gears and how to start out in the lowest gear called the “grandma gear.” He shrugged and sat calmly in the bench seat next to her in the old pickup. “It’s no biggie, Eddy. It can take a while to get it, but once you figure it out, it’ll be a breeze.” He pointed at the gear shift. “Put it back in ‘grandma’ and try again.”

  Edna blew her damp bangs off her forehead and set her jaw, determined to get this. “I know why they call it the ‘grandma gear,’ because I am going to be an old lady before I figure out how to drive this thing.”