car with me? It’s a little more than I’ve got saved, but I think I can talk the guy down.”
“Sure, bud. Let me help your mother with the kitchen and we’ll go.”
“Okay. Just holler when you’re ready.”
“Will do.” Jackson smiled at Scarlett Jo as their eldest left the room. “You are the only woman for me too, and I love your fried chicken.”
She cocked her head and fanned her face, frantically trying to dry the tears. Her children called her a crybaby. She told them she got it from them.
She picked up the chicken platter, covered it in plastic, and stuck it in the refrigerator. Jackson carried the remaining dishes to the dishwasher and started loading them in. “So how did you like our new neighbor?”
She froze for a moment but quickly went back into motion. He always knew. He had a sixth sense or something. “She was cute. But she looked like I had woken her up from a nap.” Before he could say anything, she held up her hand. “I know, I know. You told me not to, but I went over anyway.”
“People who have just spent the last two days moving don’t necessarily want visitors.” He reached in and repositioned a glass. “I hope you at least took her something nutritious.”
She scraped leftover peas into a plastic container, then handed Jackson the bowl. “Oh yeah. Super healthy.”
“You’re pitiful.” He fitted the pea bowl expertly next to the plates and closed the dishwasher. “Listen, babe, do you mind finishing up here? I need to return a couple of phone calls, then go look at that car with Jack. And if there’s any daylight left, I want to throw the ball with Cooper. We have a baseball game tomorrow night, you know.”
“Go, A’s!” she shouted. Then she added, “Go. I’ve got this covered.”
He pulled her to him in a big hug. And made her wonder if maybe this was the best part of her day.
Jackson made his way to the bathroom to brush his teeth before he left with Jack. Scarlett Jo tidied the counter and wipedit down, their conversation about the neighbor lingering in her mind.
She was sweeping the floor when it hit her. The woman. Her face. The news. No wonder Grace Shepherd looked familiar. She was on TV—on that newscast Scarlett Jo liked.
“Jack!” she hollered.
“Yeah?” he called from upstairs.
She put her hands on her hips. “Yeah?”
He autocorrected. “Ma’am?”
“I need a googler!”
He walked down the stairs from the bonus room. “Mom, you’ve got to learn how to work a computer.”
She stared at him like he had three heads. “Jack, I have five children. You don’t have five children because you want to do things for yourself. You have five children so that when they are able, they can be your slaves. So come down here and get to work. I want you to google Channel 4 news in Nashville and show me a picture of the morning newscasters.”
The computer was tucked into a small desk area in the kitchen. Jack pulled up a chair and tapped at some keys.
“I still think the word Google sounds like a disease.”
“Mom, seriously, do you have to say that every time?”
The Internet browser came to life. “Did I tell you the Jeffersons are moving to Alma, Wisconsin?”
His fingers kept moving. “Where?”
She leaned over his shoulder. “It’s this little teeny town. Doesn’t even have a Walmart.”
Jack smirked. “So how can they even live?”
“I know, right? Can you say, ‘Hello, Internet shopping’?”
He looked at her and shook his head. “Mom, you are so weird.”
That was when she saw it. The face of her new neighbor popped up. “That’s her, Jack!”
“Who?”
“That’s our neighbor. The new neighbor I met this morning.”
“She’s hot.”
She slapped him on the back of the head.
“Ow.” He rubbed his head as he walked away. “Well, glad I could help you with that.”
Scarlett Jo leaned over the screen, trying to peer through the finger smudges. That was her for sure. Her new neighbor was the Channel 4
“Sure, bud. Let me help your mother with the kitchen and we’ll go.”
“Okay. Just holler when you’re ready.”
“Will do.” Jackson smiled at Scarlett Jo as their eldest left the room. “You are the only woman for me too, and I love your fried chicken.”
She cocked her head and fanned her face, frantically trying to dry the tears. Her children called her a crybaby. She told them she got it from them.
She picked up the chicken platter, covered it in plastic, and stuck it in the refrigerator. Jackson carried the remaining dishes to the dishwasher and started loading them in. “So how did you like our new neighbor?”
She froze for a moment but quickly went back into motion. He always knew. He had a sixth sense or something. “She was cute. But she looked like I had woken her up from a nap.” Before he could say anything, she held up her hand. “I know, I know. You told me not to, but I went over anyway.”
“People who have just spent the last two days moving don’t necessarily want visitors.” He reached in and repositioned a glass. “I hope you at least took her something nutritious.”
She scraped leftover peas into a plastic container, then handed Jackson the bowl. “Oh yeah. Super healthy.”
“You’re pitiful.” He fitted the pea bowl expertly next to the plates and closed the dishwasher. “Listen, babe, do you mind finishing up here? I need to return a couple of phone calls, then go look at that car with Jack. And if there’s any daylight left, I want to throw the ball with Cooper. We have a baseball game tomorrow night, you know.”
“Go, A’s!” she shouted. Then she added, “Go. I’ve got this covered.”
He pulled her to him in a big hug. And made her wonder if maybe this was the best part of her day.
Jackson made his way to the bathroom to brush his teeth before he left with Jack. Scarlett Jo tidied the counter and wipedit down, their conversation about the neighbor lingering in her mind.
She was sweeping the floor when it hit her. The woman. Her face. The news. No wonder Grace Shepherd looked familiar. She was on TV—on that newscast Scarlett Jo liked.
“Jack!” she hollered.
“Yeah?” he called from upstairs.
She put her hands on her hips. “Yeah?”
He autocorrected. “Ma’am?”
“I need a googler!”
He walked down the stairs from the bonus room. “Mom, you’ve got to learn how to work a computer.”
She stared at him like he had three heads. “Jack, I have five children. You don’t have five children because you want to do things for yourself. You have five children so that when they are able, they can be your slaves. So come down here and get to work. I want you to google Channel 4 news in Nashville and show me a picture of the morning newscasters.”
The computer was tucked into a small desk area in the kitchen. Jack pulled up a chair and tapped at some keys.
“I still think the word Google sounds like a disease.”
“Mom, seriously, do you have to say that every time?”
The Internet browser came to life. “Did I tell you the Jeffersons are moving to Alma, Wisconsin?”
His fingers kept moving. “Where?”
She leaned over his shoulder. “It’s this little teeny town. Doesn’t even have a Walmart.”
Jack smirked. “So how can they even live?”
“I know, right? Can you say, ‘Hello, Internet shopping’?”
He looked at her and shook his head. “Mom, you are so weird.”
That was when she saw it. The face of her new neighbor popped up. “That’s her, Jack!”
“Who?”
“That’s our neighbor. The new neighbor I met this morning.”
“She’s hot.”
She slapped him on the back of the head.
“Ow.” He rubbed his head as he walked away. “Well, glad I could help you with that.”
Scarlett Jo leaned over the screen, trying to peer through the finger smudges. That was her for sure. Her new neighbor was the Channel 4
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