won’t mind, Shug.”
Uh-oh, I’m already thinking. Shug looks a tad uncomfortable.
“Please join us for dinner tonight at the Jordan’s. It’ll be great. You can ask all kinds of questions about Eufaula. And meet the rest of the family. They have all sorts of photos and books from the old days. Don’t they, honey?”
“Sure. Good idea,” Shug chimes in, relieved.
What? He was supposed to disagree. I’m already shaking my head no. I need a bubble bath and a glass of wine. Then, sleep. Dinner can be Diet Dr. Pepper and a Hershey Bar.
They both look at me expectantly.
“I think I need to rest, with the long trip and all…” I start to explain.
Mary Katherine immediately pouts. Shug looks taken aback. Great, I’ve just broken some long-standing rule of Southern hospitality. Never say no to an invitation. “You need to meet MeeMaw. And Aubie and TJ.”
Who is she talking about? Does everyone have crazy nicknames?
My resolve crumbles. “Well, I suppose I can if it’s no trouble.”
“Good. Then it’s all settled. Say, about six-fifteen? See you then!” Mary Katherine reaches over and squeezes my hand like we’ve been best friends for years. “Can’t wait to see you tonight.”
Then she’s gone.
“Whew!” I don’t mean to say it out loud, but somehow it escapes from my brain and travels out my mouth before I can catch it.
Shug starts to chuckle. He throws a twenty and a ten on the table. “She’s something, isn’t she?”
“Um.” I’m not sure how to answer.
“Don’t worry about it. Mary Katherine operates at 150 percent all of the time. She tries to make a good impression. She wants everyone to like her. I’m sure she just wanted to make sure you felt welcome.”
“Oh,” I say and feel slightly guilty. Maybe I judged her too quickly.
“You ready to go?”
“Absolutely.”
“We’ll grab your bags and drop them off so you can get settled. Probably best if you leave the SUV at my office. No need to drive around with a shattered windshield.”
Balmy air hits me as Shug holds open the door. We step outside, and I am blinded, the way immediate bright light shuts down your senses. When I regain my focus, I get the strangest feeling. Then, I realize that the sidewalks are almost empty. One person wanders up ahead, window-shopping.
It’s so peaceful. So quiet. So not New York. In the City, there’s the rushed crackle of electricity on the streets. Everyone in his or her own little world. People too busy to strike up a conversation, every head on the subway buried in the Wall Street Journal . Hot dog vendors on every corner. Street salesmen hocking knock-off designer purses and jewelry.
There’s none of that here.
“It’s funny to think that folks managed without air conditioning for eons,” Shug is saying as we start to walk. “Of course, if you’ve lived here all your life, it’s not that bad.”
“I wouldn’t have made it,” I say, half-joking. “I’m not that tough. What does the temperature get to in the summer? Ninety-nine in the shade?”
Shug laughs and nods.
“If I had to stay outside in July, I’d probably melt.” I shade my eyes at the glare as we round the corner, and I try not to run toward the trees lining the street and sidewalks up ahead.
“Oh, I think you’re wrong,” Shug says with a sidelong glance at me. “We all underestimate our own strength and determination.” He pauses, thoughtful.
And I realize he’s not talking about the heat at all.
“Almost three hundred years ago,” Shug says with a sweeping motion toward the expanse of antebellum houses and trees in front of us, “none of this existed. Only Creek Indian tribes and wildlife lived here. Then, two hundred years ago, the first white settlement was established. The people built a steamboat wharf, which boosted trade between Alabama and Georgia.”
I nod, taking it in.
“None of it would have happened unless someone first believed it could be done, put the plans in
Uh-oh, I’m already thinking. Shug looks a tad uncomfortable.
“Please join us for dinner tonight at the Jordan’s. It’ll be great. You can ask all kinds of questions about Eufaula. And meet the rest of the family. They have all sorts of photos and books from the old days. Don’t they, honey?”
“Sure. Good idea,” Shug chimes in, relieved.
What? He was supposed to disagree. I’m already shaking my head no. I need a bubble bath and a glass of wine. Then, sleep. Dinner can be Diet Dr. Pepper and a Hershey Bar.
They both look at me expectantly.
“I think I need to rest, with the long trip and all…” I start to explain.
Mary Katherine immediately pouts. Shug looks taken aback. Great, I’ve just broken some long-standing rule of Southern hospitality. Never say no to an invitation. “You need to meet MeeMaw. And Aubie and TJ.”
Who is she talking about? Does everyone have crazy nicknames?
My resolve crumbles. “Well, I suppose I can if it’s no trouble.”
“Good. Then it’s all settled. Say, about six-fifteen? See you then!” Mary Katherine reaches over and squeezes my hand like we’ve been best friends for years. “Can’t wait to see you tonight.”
Then she’s gone.
“Whew!” I don’t mean to say it out loud, but somehow it escapes from my brain and travels out my mouth before I can catch it.
Shug starts to chuckle. He throws a twenty and a ten on the table. “She’s something, isn’t she?”
“Um.” I’m not sure how to answer.
“Don’t worry about it. Mary Katherine operates at 150 percent all of the time. She tries to make a good impression. She wants everyone to like her. I’m sure she just wanted to make sure you felt welcome.”
“Oh,” I say and feel slightly guilty. Maybe I judged her too quickly.
“You ready to go?”
“Absolutely.”
“We’ll grab your bags and drop them off so you can get settled. Probably best if you leave the SUV at my office. No need to drive around with a shattered windshield.”
Balmy air hits me as Shug holds open the door. We step outside, and I am blinded, the way immediate bright light shuts down your senses. When I regain my focus, I get the strangest feeling. Then, I realize that the sidewalks are almost empty. One person wanders up ahead, window-shopping.
It’s so peaceful. So quiet. So not New York. In the City, there’s the rushed crackle of electricity on the streets. Everyone in his or her own little world. People too busy to strike up a conversation, every head on the subway buried in the Wall Street Journal . Hot dog vendors on every corner. Street salesmen hocking knock-off designer purses and jewelry.
There’s none of that here.
“It’s funny to think that folks managed without air conditioning for eons,” Shug is saying as we start to walk. “Of course, if you’ve lived here all your life, it’s not that bad.”
“I wouldn’t have made it,” I say, half-joking. “I’m not that tough. What does the temperature get to in the summer? Ninety-nine in the shade?”
Shug laughs and nods.
“If I had to stay outside in July, I’d probably melt.” I shade my eyes at the glare as we round the corner, and I try not to run toward the trees lining the street and sidewalks up ahead.
“Oh, I think you’re wrong,” Shug says with a sidelong glance at me. “We all underestimate our own strength and determination.” He pauses, thoughtful.
And I realize he’s not talking about the heat at all.
“Almost three hundred years ago,” Shug says with a sweeping motion toward the expanse of antebellum houses and trees in front of us, “none of this existed. Only Creek Indian tribes and wildlife lived here. Then, two hundred years ago, the first white settlement was established. The people built a steamboat wharf, which boosted trade between Alabama and Georgia.”
I nod, taking it in.
“None of it would have happened unless someone first believed it could be done, put the plans in
Similar Books
