Gayle Trent by Between a Clutch, a Hard Place Page B
Authors: Between a Clutch, a Hard Place
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out of the kitchen into the hallway. “Hey, Mother. We’re having lasagna.” She saw that Matlock was with me and gave us both a disgusted frown. “I’d invite you to stay, but—” She let the rest of it hang there in the air between us.
“Mooooom,” Sunny wailed, “come off it. Matlock won’t hurt anything.”
Faye ignored her protest. “Go get washed up please.”
“Yeah, honey,” I said. “You go on ahead. Matlock and I have plans anyway.”
“You sure, Mimi?” Sunny asked. “Really?”
“Positive. Good-night, sweetie.” I nodded. “Faye.”
I took Matlock through the drive-through at a local burger place and got us both burgers and fries. I added chicken strips to Matlock’s order. I hoped the extra food would buy me enough time to enjoy my burger.
On the drive home, I calculated that over the course of a lifetime, I’d made dinner two thousand three hundred ninety two times for Faye when I hadn’t felt like it, not to mention the times I’d made her dinner when I had felt like it. Would it have killed her to give me and my dog a lousy plate of lasagna?
* * *
The next morning while me and Matlock were laying on the couch watching “The Golden Girls,” the phone rang. I almost didn’t answer it because it was the episode where Rose was dating a midget, and it’s a real hoot. On the other hand, I thought it might be Faye callin’ to apologize for how she treated me last night; and I certainly deserved an apology, so I answered the phone. Glad I didn’t hold my breath in hopes it was Faye because obviously she hadn’t grown a conscience overnight where her mother is concerned. Instead, it was Jim.
“Good morning, Myrtle,” he said. “Did you and that darling granddaughter of yours have a successful evening selling candy bars?”
“I think we did fair,” I said. “Thank you for your support. Did you enjoy any of your candy bars last night?”
“Unfortunately, no. About an hour or so after you left, I was on my way downstairs with a load of laundry when I took a tumble and broke my ankle.”
“You, what? You broke an ankle? Oh, my goodness, and you there by yourself!”
“It was okay. I have a phone down there, so I just crawled toit and called 9-1-1. A friend was kind enough to pick me up at the emergency room after the bone was set and everything.”
“I wish you’d have called me. I’d have been glad to help out.”
“I know that, dear, but it was so far out of your way. I didn’t want to be any trouble.”
“Are you in much pain?”
“It’s not bad,” Jim said. “Of course, I can say that because I’m on pain killers.” He chuckled.
“Bless your heart. I’ll go get ready right now, and I’ll be over there in two shakes of a lamb’s tail
to fix you some lunch.”
“You’re terribly kind, but I can manage.”
“I won’t hear of it. See you soon.” With that, I hung up.
“Come on, Matlock. You and I have to go tend to the sick . . .and snoop around in his house.” I was still bent on finding a picture of Flora.
Just as I was getting ready to go out the door, Bettie called. I quickly explained the situation and told her I had to go. I noticed Tansie’s living room curtains swishing when I went outside. I’d about bet you a dollar that Bettie had called her before I’d even got backed out of the driveway. Sure enough, when I got to Jim’s house, I saw straight away that another woman had beat me to the punch. But it wasn’t Tansie by a long shot.
CHAPTER SIX
I opened the door to get out of the car, and Matlock bounded out over top of me. He didn’t even stop to do his business before loping over to look up in adoration at the lovely blonde princess standing on Jim’s porch.
“Dang fickle males,” I muttered, as I got out of the car and slammed the door shut. I straightened my back and lifted my chin. The closer I got
“Mooooom,” Sunny wailed, “come off it. Matlock won’t hurt anything.”
Faye ignored her protest. “Go get washed up please.”
“Yeah, honey,” I said. “You go on ahead. Matlock and I have plans anyway.”
“You sure, Mimi?” Sunny asked. “Really?”
“Positive. Good-night, sweetie.” I nodded. “Faye.”
I took Matlock through the drive-through at a local burger place and got us both burgers and fries. I added chicken strips to Matlock’s order. I hoped the extra food would buy me enough time to enjoy my burger.
On the drive home, I calculated that over the course of a lifetime, I’d made dinner two thousand three hundred ninety two times for Faye when I hadn’t felt like it, not to mention the times I’d made her dinner when I had felt like it. Would it have killed her to give me and my dog a lousy plate of lasagna?
* * *
The next morning while me and Matlock were laying on the couch watching “The Golden Girls,” the phone rang. I almost didn’t answer it because it was the episode where Rose was dating a midget, and it’s a real hoot. On the other hand, I thought it might be Faye callin’ to apologize for how she treated me last night; and I certainly deserved an apology, so I answered the phone. Glad I didn’t hold my breath in hopes it was Faye because obviously she hadn’t grown a conscience overnight where her mother is concerned. Instead, it was Jim.
“Good morning, Myrtle,” he said. “Did you and that darling granddaughter of yours have a successful evening selling candy bars?”
“I think we did fair,” I said. “Thank you for your support. Did you enjoy any of your candy bars last night?”
“Unfortunately, no. About an hour or so after you left, I was on my way downstairs with a load of laundry when I took a tumble and broke my ankle.”
“You, what? You broke an ankle? Oh, my goodness, and you there by yourself!”
“It was okay. I have a phone down there, so I just crawled toit and called 9-1-1. A friend was kind enough to pick me up at the emergency room after the bone was set and everything.”
“I wish you’d have called me. I’d have been glad to help out.”
“I know that, dear, but it was so far out of your way. I didn’t want to be any trouble.”
“Are you in much pain?”
“It’s not bad,” Jim said. “Of course, I can say that because I’m on pain killers.” He chuckled.
“Bless your heart. I’ll go get ready right now, and I’ll be over there in two shakes of a lamb’s tail
to fix you some lunch.”
“You’re terribly kind, but I can manage.”
“I won’t hear of it. See you soon.” With that, I hung up.
“Come on, Matlock. You and I have to go tend to the sick . . .and snoop around in his house.” I was still bent on finding a picture of Flora.
Just as I was getting ready to go out the door, Bettie called. I quickly explained the situation and told her I had to go. I noticed Tansie’s living room curtains swishing when I went outside. I’d about bet you a dollar that Bettie had called her before I’d even got backed out of the driveway. Sure enough, when I got to Jim’s house, I saw straight away that another woman had beat me to the punch. But it wasn’t Tansie by a long shot.
CHAPTER SIX
I opened the door to get out of the car, and Matlock bounded out over top of me. He didn’t even stop to do his business before loping over to look up in adoration at the lovely blonde princess standing on Jim’s porch.
“Dang fickle males,” I muttered, as I got out of the car and slammed the door shut. I straightened my back and lifted my chin. The closer I got
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