you too.”
Lizzy looked from Connor to her mother and back again. “Did you two accidentally fall asleep in the same place again?”
Even though Holly and Charlie found her question amusing, Jordan and Connor were mortified.
Chapter Seven
“What’cha got there?”
Bobby Ray looked up to see Bennett’s friend, Doris Pritchett, approaching. He folded the small notebook closed and placed it, and his new pencil in the pocket of his shirt. She was the last person he’d share his art with. He suspiciously surveyed the visiting area for anyone listening.
“Has Bennett found out anything yet?”
The middle-aged, bleached blonde sat on the opposite side of the picnic table. She lit a cigarette. He could tell by the heavy mascara flaking under her eyes that she had been working all night on a street corner downtown. Her hands shook from the need for her current drug of choice.
“She’s in a small town down south called Mayville,” Doris informed him. “She works at the Mayville Merchants Bank as a teller.
“Word is, she just inherited a house and a sizeable bank account from her granny.” Doris took another long draw from her cigarette and coughed. “We’re lucky she was named in her granny’s obituary or Bennett never would have found her. All he had to do was put her name on the internet thingy.
A waitress at the diner there was a big help too. The people in that place love flapping their gums about other people’s business.
“Bennett said he’s been following her all over town and she’s never caught on. What an idiot. She thinks she’s all safe and cozy there. Or at least she did before he made a couple of anonymous calls to her house. Hell, he even knows where the kid stays during the day.”
“Is he having any trouble with the paperwork we talked about?”
“He says it’s been a piece of cake. She should be getting it soon.” She threw the cigarette butt on the ground and twisted her dirty sandal over it. “I’ll be here on Wednesday to pick you up. It’ll take at least a week to get this thing going. You’re welcome to stay at my place if you want.”
“Thanks, Doris. I’ll think it over.” He suppressed a cringe. God only knew how many diseases she carried. She probably lived in a crack house. He wouldn’t need her after Wednesday afternoon.
****
Jordan sat with Connor on the porch while Lizzy took her afternoon nap. They were silent for a long time, lost in their own thoughts until it became awkward.
“I really liked your friends,” Connor blurted. “How did you meet Holly? She seems so much different than you.”
“We were a couple of misfits in school.” Jordan looked out over her freshly cut lawn and reminisced. “I guess that’s what brought us together. We were in second grade when I moved here. Holly has always been a little overweight. You know how kids are. They teased her something awful. I was the new kid. They just didn’t have much to do with me. Later on, we hung out when the other kids were having parties and dates. You know how it is.”
“You must have gotten to know the other kids after a while. Why weren’t you out on dates too?”
“I didn’t usually get asked.” She smiled. “I was a whole head taller than most of the boys and had a face full of freckles. My nickname in school was Spot.”
“If they could only see you now.” Connor cupped her chin and brought her face to meet his. “You sure outgrew your awkwardness.”
“Are you kidding? It’s even worse now.” Jordan pulled away. “I’m taller than most of the men I know. My hair is a mass of curls and I still have the freckles. Everything on my body is starting to slide south. I have a huge butt and stretch marks. Everything a man looks for in a woman, right?”
“I didn’t notice any of those things.” He frowned as he tugged her face back around. “Well, I did see the freckles and they’re absolutely fantastic. And, if you’re really worried about your hair, I met
Lizzy looked from Connor to her mother and back again. “Did you two accidentally fall asleep in the same place again?”
Even though Holly and Charlie found her question amusing, Jordan and Connor were mortified.
Chapter Seven
“What’cha got there?”
Bobby Ray looked up to see Bennett’s friend, Doris Pritchett, approaching. He folded the small notebook closed and placed it, and his new pencil in the pocket of his shirt. She was the last person he’d share his art with. He suspiciously surveyed the visiting area for anyone listening.
“Has Bennett found out anything yet?”
The middle-aged, bleached blonde sat on the opposite side of the picnic table. She lit a cigarette. He could tell by the heavy mascara flaking under her eyes that she had been working all night on a street corner downtown. Her hands shook from the need for her current drug of choice.
“She’s in a small town down south called Mayville,” Doris informed him. “She works at the Mayville Merchants Bank as a teller.
“Word is, she just inherited a house and a sizeable bank account from her granny.” Doris took another long draw from her cigarette and coughed. “We’re lucky she was named in her granny’s obituary or Bennett never would have found her. All he had to do was put her name on the internet thingy.
A waitress at the diner there was a big help too. The people in that place love flapping their gums about other people’s business.
“Bennett said he’s been following her all over town and she’s never caught on. What an idiot. She thinks she’s all safe and cozy there. Or at least she did before he made a couple of anonymous calls to her house. Hell, he even knows where the kid stays during the day.”
“Is he having any trouble with the paperwork we talked about?”
“He says it’s been a piece of cake. She should be getting it soon.” She threw the cigarette butt on the ground and twisted her dirty sandal over it. “I’ll be here on Wednesday to pick you up. It’ll take at least a week to get this thing going. You’re welcome to stay at my place if you want.”
“Thanks, Doris. I’ll think it over.” He suppressed a cringe. God only knew how many diseases she carried. She probably lived in a crack house. He wouldn’t need her after Wednesday afternoon.
****
Jordan sat with Connor on the porch while Lizzy took her afternoon nap. They were silent for a long time, lost in their own thoughts until it became awkward.
“I really liked your friends,” Connor blurted. “How did you meet Holly? She seems so much different than you.”
“We were a couple of misfits in school.” Jordan looked out over her freshly cut lawn and reminisced. “I guess that’s what brought us together. We were in second grade when I moved here. Holly has always been a little overweight. You know how kids are. They teased her something awful. I was the new kid. They just didn’t have much to do with me. Later on, we hung out when the other kids were having parties and dates. You know how it is.”
“You must have gotten to know the other kids after a while. Why weren’t you out on dates too?”
“I didn’t usually get asked.” She smiled. “I was a whole head taller than most of the boys and had a face full of freckles. My nickname in school was Spot.”
“If they could only see you now.” Connor cupped her chin and brought her face to meet his. “You sure outgrew your awkwardness.”
“Are you kidding? It’s even worse now.” Jordan pulled away. “I’m taller than most of the men I know. My hair is a mass of curls and I still have the freckles. Everything on my body is starting to slide south. I have a huge butt and stretch marks. Everything a man looks for in a woman, right?”
“I didn’t notice any of those things.” He frowned as he tugged her face back around. “Well, I did see the freckles and they’re absolutely fantastic. And, if you’re really worried about your hair, I met
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