Miss Janie’s Girls

by Brown, Carolyn

  “What’s that?” Will asked.

  “One day she’s sixteen, and the next she’s seventy,” she explained. “No, that’s not right. She skips around several times in a ten-minute time frame.”

  “Are you going to be around for a while even after she’s gone?” Will asked.

  “Maybe,” Kayla said. “Teresa and I have this idea, but . . .” She wanted to tell him, but she was afraid she’d jinx it.

  “This is like Las Vegas,” Will said. “What’s said here stays here, but I understand if you don’t want to talk about it yet. Just remember when you do, I’m a good listener.”

  Maybe it was the eagerness in his eyes, or the way he leaned forward to hang on her words, or perhaps it was just that she wanted to talk about her idea, but whatever it was, she couldn’t hold it in.

  “We’re talking about starting a senior citizens place in Birthright,” she said. “We’d like to serve lunch and take food to the shut-ins that couldn’t come out that day. And the old folks could have a place to gather and play dominoes.” She stopped for a breath. “It’s a crazy idea, isn’t it? Birthright is such a small place.”

  “Crazy, hell!” Will said. “It’s a great idea. You know Sam Franks, don’t you? He’s Miss Janie’s neighbor.”

  Kayla was amazed that he hadn’t laughed at her. “Yes. Sam is in and out of our place almost daily.”

  “Talk to him. He’s got a couple of empty houses for sale right there in town. He might rent one of them to you. I’ve been thinkin’ about buyin’ the one on the outskirts of town, to get away from the city,” Will said.

  “You don’t think I’m totally insane?” she asked.

  “I think it’s downright sweet and kind to think about doing that for the elderly in that community. A lot of them can’t get out. If there’s anything I can do to help out, please let me know,” he said.

  The way that Will was staring at her, she felt like she’d won the lottery.

  Teresa pushed the rocking chair close to Miss Janie’s bed that evening. She had her sketch pad in her hands, but nothing came to her mind, so she hadn’t picked up her pencil yet. Noah was in the living room with a book in his hands, and reruns of The Golden Girls played back-to-back on the television in Miss Janie’s bedroom. Miss Janie was busy picking at the edges of her blanket when suddenly she looked up and clamped a hand over her mouth. “That woman looks and sounds like Aunt Ruthie did before I lost her.”

  The stringy-chicken character, Sophia, did look a lot like the pictures Teresa had seen. “She kind of does. Do you miss her a lot?”

  “I did when she first died, but the last couple of days, she’s come back to see me,” Miss Janie said.

  “Oh, really?” Teresa asked.

  “Don’t you doubt my word,” Miss Janie scolded. “She’s come and sat on the bed with me in the night hours. She says that it’s time for me to go home with her, but I keep telling her that I want more time with you girls.”

  “Have I ever told you how much I love you?” Teresa had heard the old folks in the nursing home where she worked talk about seeing loved ones who had already passed away, and then a few days later they would die in their sleep or have a heart attack. Her heart clenched at the idea of Miss Janie’s time drawing to an end.

  “Not in so many words, but I know it in my heart.” Miss Janie reached through the bars in her bed.

  Teresa took the frail hand in hers. “I do love you. I love you for taking me in when my own mother didn’t want me and then for giving me so much. I’m so sorry I didn’t come and see you after I left. I was ashamed of the decisions I’d made, and I sure didn’t want you to know what a mess I’d made of my own life. I’d had two mothers. You were amazing and kind and good to me. The other one was the opposite, and there I was acting more like her, rather than using your example.”

  “Were you drinking? Were you ignoring your daughter? Were you bringing men into a dirty house and sleeping with them with your daughter right there?” Miss Janie asked.

  “No, but I let a man use me, cheat on me, and treat me like trash because I thought I didn’t deserve any better,” Teresa answered.

  “Don’t ever let it happen like that again.” Miss Janie yawned. “And, darlin’, I love you, too. You girls brought so much sunshine into my life. Those were the best years I ever had.” Her eyes fluttered shut, and she began to snore.

  Teresa tiptoed out of the room and crossed the hallway to the living room. Noah looked up from the sofa and laid the book to the side. “Wonder how things are going for Kayla?”

  “So far, so good. The police department hasn’t called yet.” She sat down on the other end of the sofa. “Miss Janie was lucid for a few minutes, so I got to tell her how much I love her. It felt good to get to say the words even if tomorrow morning she’s probably going to be sixteen again.”

  “I had a talk with her a couple of days ago,” he said. “I don’t think she remembers much of anything, but it does us good to bare our souls.”

  “Amen,” Teresa agreed. “When are you hanging out your shingle?”

  “Soon,” he said. “Six years ago, when I hit bottom, I’d been thinking I wanted to be a big-shot criminal lawyer. I was going to set the world on fire, and by the time I was thirty, I’d be a household name. People would come from far and near to get the great Noah Jackson to represent them.”

  “You weren’t even through law school at that time,” Teresa said. “We all dream big at some time in our lives. You did become a lawyer, so what makes you think you hit bottom?”

  “I already told you that I’m a recovering alcoholic,” he answered. “I was twenty-two, had my bachelor’s degree, and had been accepted into Texas A&M University School of Law. They have only a twenty percent acceptance rate, so I was feeling pretty damn good about myself. I stayed about half-lit most days, and I still had the smarts to get into the best law school in Texas. Two years later, everything changed.”

  “How’s that?” Teresa asked.

  “I was one notch away from being kicked out of school for bad grades. My girlfriend told me that she was in love with my best friend, and they’d been having an affair behind my back for six months. I went out and got so drunk that I woke up in jail the next morning,” he said. “I was sweating bullets by the time my mother bailed me out. I didn’t know if I’d killed someone in my drunken stupor, or raped a woman, or had gotten in a fight and put someone in the hospital. The entire previous two or three weeks were a blur.”

  “And?” she asked.

  “Mother bailed me out of jail, took me back to school, and told me that the next time she was sending the General. I suppose she thought that would scare me into not getting drunk again,” he said.

  “Did it?” Teresa asked.

  “I went out that very night, intending to go to the liquor store, but I saw a light in the window of a church, and something drew me over to peek in the window. The folks were having an AA meeting in one of the basement rooms. Maybe a dozen people were sitting in a circle, and this guy looked up and saw me. He motioned for me to join them, and I shook my head. I wanted to go buy a bottle of whiskey, but my feet were frozen to the cold ground. The man who had invited me in with a flick of his hand came outside and sat down beside me. I wound up attending my first meeting right then, and Jeff became my sponsor. I might add that he was one of my law professors. I haven’t touched a drop of liquor since then, but I have had issues with trusting women.”

  Teresa scooted closer to him and laid a hand on top of his. “And, I’ve told you before, I’m afraid to drink because I’m afraid I’ll turn out like my mother if I ever start. And, honey, trust is hard for me, too. Even though you’re educated and I’m only a glorified nurse’s aide, we’re a lot alike.”

  “I guess we are.” He tipped her chin up with his fist and brushed a sweet kiss across her lips.

  “What was that for?” Her voice sounded breathy.

  “For listening and not judging me,” he said. “You are a good perso
n, Teresa Mendoza.”

  “I should probably go back to Gonzales now that I have the time to do the paperwork.”

  “I know a good lawyer who’s about to start up in town,” he said as he brought her lips to his for a long, lingering kiss.

  Teresa wrapped her arms around his neck with a smile and tangled her fingers in his hair. Every nerve in her body tingled as she pressed closer to him, wanting more. Each kiss got deeper and hotter. The temperature jacked up at least twenty degrees, and not even the cool night breezes helped cool her down.

  Finally, he drew back, traced her lips with his fingertip, and whispered, “Ever since you arrived in Birthright, I’ve wanted to see if that first kiss we had as teenagers was as good as I remembered.”

  “Was it?” She smiled.

  “No, darlin’, this was ten times better, but if we don’t stop now . . .” He paused.

  She put her fingers to his lips. “You are right.”

  She laid her head on his shoulder and was satisfied just knowing that maybe in the future there would be a time and a place to go beyond making out.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Teresa and Noah wandered hand in hand through a field of wildflowers. She liked the way her small hand fit right into his and the sizzle between them when he caught her staring at him and smiled. Someone whispered her name, but she didn’t want to share the time she could spend with him, so she didn’t turn around to see who was calling out to her. Then he let go of her hand and disappeared into a gray fog. She awoke from the dream in a horrible mood and got out of bed. On her way across the floor, she stopped long enough to see that Miss Janie was still breathing and then cracked open the door to see Kayla out in the hallway.

  “Did I wake you? Can we talk?” Kayla whispered.

  “Yes, and yes.” Teresa left the door cracked. “Kitchen or living room?”

  “Kitchen,” Kayla answered and led the way. “I made a pot of hot jasmine tea, and there’s cookies. I couldn’t wait until morning to tell you everything that happened tonight. I had a wonderful evening with Will, and I put Amanda Carson in her place. I’m so glad y’all talked me into going. And then Will and I sat out in his truck and talked for hours and hours.”

  Teresa sat down in a chair and poured herself a cup of tea. Kayla told her all about what she’d said to Amanda, ending with, “And she was hugged up to Denver’s brother, Bowie. I sure didn’t see that coming.”

  Teresa laughed so hard that she had to grab a tissue to wipe her eyes when Kayla was finished with her story. She was still giggling when Noah came in from the back porch and got the milk from the refrigerator.

  “I thought I heard voices, but I’d been dreaming, so I wasn’t sure.” He smiled. “I fell asleep in the chaise lounge on the back porch. What’s so funny in here?” He poured himself a glass and carried it to the table. There were two empty chairs, but he chose the one right beside Teresa. She caught a whiff of something woodsy and musky that reminded her of the make-out session they’d had just hours before, and it sent her senses reeling.

  Kayla repeated the story. Noah chuckled all the way through the tale, but Teresa laughed as hard the second time as she had the first.

  “And why was Denver at the reunion, and who is Amanda?” Noah asked.

  “Amanda is one of Prissy’s posse, and she wasn’t there, by the way. And Denver actually graduated with me—by the skin of his teeth, but he did graduate,” Kayla explained. “I’m surprised that Amanda wasn’t one of the call girl ring that Prissy had going, but I don’t want to talk about her or those people. I’d rather talk about Will. Guess what he told me?”

  “That he’s always been in love with you?” Teresa teased.

  “No.” Kayla blushed. “He said that we should talk to Sam about our senior citizens idea. Sam has a couple of houses here in Birthright for sale, but he might rent one to us.”

  “Well, ain’t it a small world.” Teresa wanted to hear more, but Kayla veered off in a different direction.

  “I’m so glad Denver came because now I know he’s not going to show up and kill me, like he threatened to do if I ever left him. He’s married to a woman who is probably twice his age and a thousand times as rich, so I don’t have to worry about him coming looking for me ever again. He was acting like a big shot—same as if he’d been chosen king of the prom back in high school.”

  Teresa spewed tea across the table. “Are you lyin’ to me?” She hopped up and grabbed a fistful of paper towels from the dispenser by the stove.

  “Honey, I might have done some bad things in my life, but I’m not a liar,” Kayla protested. “I wish you could have seen her. I’m not sure, but her hands are as veined as Miss Janie’s, and the hands never lie. She might not be seventy-five, but she’s old enough to be his mother. Her name is Dorothy, but she very proudly said that Denver nicknamed her Dotty, and she got all moony-eyed when she said it.”

  Teresa cleaned up her mess, sat back down, and poured herself another cup of tea. “I’m so glad you went to that reunion.”

  “Me too, and guess what else?” Kayla asked.

  “There’s more?” Noah picked up a cookie and dipped it in his milk. “That must’ve been some reunion.”

  Kayla’s eyes glistened with excitement. “Will asked me out on a date next Saturday night. We’re going to have dinner and go to a movie, and he danced with me and told me the news about each of our classmates, and he’s so nice.” She stopped for a breath.

  “Out with the old, in with the new, all in one night,” Noah joked.

  “Those were Miss Janie’s words when we did spring cleaning, except with the one-night stuff.” Teresa reached for a cookie at the same time Noah did, and their hands touched again. There it was—proof positive that time, situation, or place had no bearing on the sparks that danced between them. She could get that warm, fuzzy feeling in the pit of her stomach anytime, even at three o’clock in the morning.

  “I had to share all that,” Kayla said. “I was too wound up to sleep.”

  “I can see why.” Teresa nodded. “I can’t believe that Denver is a gigolo.”

  “Well, you should have seen all the diamonds Dotty was dripping with. I bet she had twenty carats or more in her ears, around her neck, and on her fingers. If Denver is a good boy, he’ll have all he’s ever wanted.” Kayla yawned.

  “We could send him a large supply of paper bags,” Teresa said.

  “What for?” Noah asked.

  “Because if he uses plastic bags to put over his gift horse’s head when he goes to bed with her, he might smother her.” Teresa giggled.

  “You!” Kayla’s finger shot up so fast it was a blur. “Are a bad foster sister, but that was funny. On that note, I’m going to bed. Good night to y’all. Turn out the lights when the party is over. How about we have breakfast at eight instead of seven? Miss Janie hasn’t been waking up until about then anyway.” She left the room without even taking her cup to the sink.

  Teresa cleaned off the table, put away the milk, and glanced over at Noah, who was staring at her. “What? Do I have cookie crumbs on my mouth?”

  “No.” He covered a yawn with his hand. “I was thinking about how cute you look in those Betty Boop pajamas. The night I kissed you for the first time, you were wearing a pair that had Minnie Mouse on them.”

  “You remembered something like that?” She certainly couldn’t remember what he’d been wearing that night, but she’d never forget the way that kiss affected her, or the ones they had shared more recently—like about four hours ago.

  “I’ll get the lights,” he said. “See you in the morning.”

  She touched her lips to see if they were still bee stung or as hot as they felt, but to her surprise they were cool to her fingertips.

  She stood up and crossed the hallway and was about to go into Miss Janie’s bedroom when he tapped her on the shoulder. When she turned around, he wrapped her in his arms and hugged her tightly. “I love having you and Kayla in the house. Please don’t mov
e out when it’s over.”

  “I don’t plan on it,” she whispered. “If Sam will rent us a house, Kayla and I can get started on making our dream a reality.”

  “This old house would get lonely without you.” He released her and kissed her on the forehead. “We’ll need each other to get through the tough times.” He took a step back and then disappeared down the hallway and up the stairs.

  “As friends or maybe friends with benefits?” she muttered as she went back to Miss Janie’s room and crawled back into the bed beside the hospital bed. She closed her eyes, but sleep wouldn’t come, so she opened them and stared out the window at the stars. She wanted to be more than friends with Noah, but they didn’t have to label whatever it was between them right now—just so long as there was a future somewhere up ahead that she could see, like the light at the end of a tunnel.

  Kayla groaned when the alarm went off at seven o’clock on Sunday morning. She could have slept until noon with no problem, but it was her day to do the cooking since Teresa had spent the night in Miss Janie’s room. Miss Janie might only eat a few bites or nothing, but Kayla would be sure that there was a good hot breakfast ready for her when she awoke.

  She wasn’t surprised when she found herself alone in the kitchen. She rather liked some me time, a few minutes alone when she could think about the night before. Knowing that Denver was out of her life was closure, but what was uppermost on her mind was the idea of starting a business, hopefully with Teresa, and those delicious kisses she had shared with Will. She hadn’t told her foster sister about that part of the night because she selfishly wanted to savor the kisses for herself for a while.

  She closed her eyes and relived the feeling of Will’s arms around her, and the fire he’d created in her body. No one, not even Denver, in those rebellious teenage years, had caused such heat inside her.

  “Good mornin’,” Noah said right behind her. “I’ll get the coffee going.”

  His deep voice scared her so badly that she got an adrenaline rush. “Sorry about not having it ready,” she stammered. “I was off in la-la land.”