he was in a hurry to get somewhere! That man does love his sister!”
“Well, I love him, too, but I think he hurried over because Millie was making biscuits.”
“Then who could blame him? I wish she would show me how she does it. She flat-out makes the lightest biscuits on the planet.”
“Oh, I’m sure she would teach you. And it’s the truth. I’d rather have one hot biscuit from her than a dozen glazed Krispy Kreme donuts.”
“Amen. So what’s going on?”
“Nothing. Just the usual. You know.”
“Caroline?”
“Okay. Look, Rusty, we’ve known each other for years and I love you like a sister. You know that, right?”
“Of course! What’s wrong?”
“Aside from the herd of elephants in the room? Millie and I are scared to death that if Trip doesn’t get those girls away from Frances Mae, something terrible is going to happen.”
“I couldn’t agree with you more! I told Trip just last night that he needed to take custody and get Frances Mae into rehab PDQ or she was going to wind up with her car wrapped around a tree!”
“You did?”
“Look. I can drive Chloe where she needs to go, back and forth to school and all that. Linnie and Belle have a car to drive. It wouldn’t be forever, would it?”
“You mean you would bring them here? Knowing how they feel about you?”
“Caroline? Don’t you think enough is enough? I don’t want to be their mother. They’ve already got one. I just want to help them get through a difficult and complicated time.”
“You told Trip this?”
“Of course I did! Why? What did he tell you I said?”
I put my fork down. Somebody was lying. I knew then that my brother had sold Rusty up the river so he wouldn’t have to take responsibility. Trip was in deep trouble with me.
5
Graffiti
B EFORE I CALLED TRIP AND kicked his bahunkus into the next century, I decided to talk to Millie. I surely didn’t want to start trouble between Rusty and Trip, so I made not one peep about Trip’s big fat lie, telling me of her insistent refusal to consider my nieces living with them. I simply soft-pedaled during the rest of the lunch, emphasizing instead how willing I was to help her. I told her I would be happy to stay with the girls if she had to go somewhere or just have a weekend away for a break. I would do all I could to help her and she appreciated it. Overall, I thought if Trip and Rusty had the girls, it would be a great opportunity to try to imbue the little strumpets with a healthy dose of Wimbley cachet, meaning basic civilized behavior, and then, if they could manage it, a dollop of refinement. Frankly, I couldn’t wait to get my hands on them. They really were a disaster. Rusty agreed.
So, it was late in the afternoon and I was in the kitchen with Millie, giving her the rundown of my conversation over lunch with Rusty.
“Do you think I should get Trip over here and just straight up call him a liar? Millie, you know how I absolutely lose complete faith in someone when they lie to me. I just can’t believe that Trip would be so deceitful!”
“Caroline? I think before you go off all half-cocked and crazy on him, we should try and figure out why he would lie. He hasn’t lied to any of us in ages! Ever since his rough patch, that is.”
“Rough patch. Humph. I don’t know why he would say such a thing about Rusty, but he did and it’s very disappointing. That’s all. I put up with enough deceit from my ridiculous ex-husband! Trip’s supposed to be focused on all the things we talked about this morning!”
“Well, why don’t you give him a chance? Don’t you think Rusty is going to tell him what y’all talked about?”
“Maybe you’re right. But I’ve got my eye on him! Both of them, in fact!”
“Caroline? You did what you can do. Trip is a grown man.”
“I know. You’re right, of course. I should wait and see. I don’t feel like having a big confrontation with Trip. I hate conflict! Truly, I do. Well, usually.”
Millie
“Well, I love him, too, but I think he hurried over because Millie was making biscuits.”
“Then who could blame him? I wish she would show me how she does it. She flat-out makes the lightest biscuits on the planet.”
“Oh, I’m sure she would teach you. And it’s the truth. I’d rather have one hot biscuit from her than a dozen glazed Krispy Kreme donuts.”
“Amen. So what’s going on?”
“Nothing. Just the usual. You know.”
“Caroline?”
“Okay. Look, Rusty, we’ve known each other for years and I love you like a sister. You know that, right?”
“Of course! What’s wrong?”
“Aside from the herd of elephants in the room? Millie and I are scared to death that if Trip doesn’t get those girls away from Frances Mae, something terrible is going to happen.”
“I couldn’t agree with you more! I told Trip just last night that he needed to take custody and get Frances Mae into rehab PDQ or she was going to wind up with her car wrapped around a tree!”
“You did?”
“Look. I can drive Chloe where she needs to go, back and forth to school and all that. Linnie and Belle have a car to drive. It wouldn’t be forever, would it?”
“You mean you would bring them here? Knowing how they feel about you?”
“Caroline? Don’t you think enough is enough? I don’t want to be their mother. They’ve already got one. I just want to help them get through a difficult and complicated time.”
“You told Trip this?”
“Of course I did! Why? What did he tell you I said?”
I put my fork down. Somebody was lying. I knew then that my brother had sold Rusty up the river so he wouldn’t have to take responsibility. Trip was in deep trouble with me.
5
Graffiti
B EFORE I CALLED TRIP AND kicked his bahunkus into the next century, I decided to talk to Millie. I surely didn’t want to start trouble between Rusty and Trip, so I made not one peep about Trip’s big fat lie, telling me of her insistent refusal to consider my nieces living with them. I simply soft-pedaled during the rest of the lunch, emphasizing instead how willing I was to help her. I told her I would be happy to stay with the girls if she had to go somewhere or just have a weekend away for a break. I would do all I could to help her and she appreciated it. Overall, I thought if Trip and Rusty had the girls, it would be a great opportunity to try to imbue the little strumpets with a healthy dose of Wimbley cachet, meaning basic civilized behavior, and then, if they could manage it, a dollop of refinement. Frankly, I couldn’t wait to get my hands on them. They really were a disaster. Rusty agreed.
So, it was late in the afternoon and I was in the kitchen with Millie, giving her the rundown of my conversation over lunch with Rusty.
“Do you think I should get Trip over here and just straight up call him a liar? Millie, you know how I absolutely lose complete faith in someone when they lie to me. I just can’t believe that Trip would be so deceitful!”
“Caroline? I think before you go off all half-cocked and crazy on him, we should try and figure out why he would lie. He hasn’t lied to any of us in ages! Ever since his rough patch, that is.”
“Rough patch. Humph. I don’t know why he would say such a thing about Rusty, but he did and it’s very disappointing. That’s all. I put up with enough deceit from my ridiculous ex-husband! Trip’s supposed to be focused on all the things we talked about this morning!”
“Well, why don’t you give him a chance? Don’t you think Rusty is going to tell him what y’all talked about?”
“Maybe you’re right. But I’ve got my eye on him! Both of them, in fact!”
“Caroline? You did what you can do. Trip is a grown man.”
“I know. You’re right, of course. I should wait and see. I don’t feel like having a big confrontation with Trip. I hate conflict! Truly, I do. Well, usually.”
Millie
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