Millie Barnes was one of those customers who gave money to any organization that mailed her a sheet of sticky labels with her name on them or her return address on them. She loved getting them. The more she donated, the more they sent her.
“Great,” Gertrude groaned. “More to add to her already three drawerfuls. You’ll be dead before you use them all up. Why don’t you stop giving them money?”
I bent my head down and dug through my bag so they wouldn’t see me smile. Monica was good about separating all of their mail with rubber bands. By the end of the day, my wrist was full of rubber bands since I took them off the mail before I gave it to customers or put it in their mailbox or slots.
“Why don’t you mind your own business?” Millie snarled and happily took her new labels from me. Like a kid, she ripped the envelope open to admire the foiling they’d put on her name.
“I wasn’t talking about Millie’s labels; I was asking about the scholarship and who got it.” Harriette handed me the iced tea, and I sat down on the top step.
“I’ve got a minute to spare since I don’t have to go to everyone’s house on the street.” It did save me time when they collected on the porch together. “Aaron Brotherton was awarded the scholarship.”
“Why on earth would he get the money? His dad is on the bank board, and his business is thriving.” Gertrude was as taken aback as the rest of the ladies. “His grandparents left him a trust, and I know it was more than enough for him to go to college four times. You know they sold all that land when Wally World came to town. Plus I heard the bank is trying to buy more land from their family for that new bank branch they’re building. It would be so nice to have a bank out there with all them shops going up.”
Before all the big-box stores and strip malls moved to Sugar Creek Gap, the land was owned by many families still living in the area. The Brothertons were one of them. They made a killing, from what I remembered, when a couple big-box stores bought up acres from them.
“Maybe it’s like a trust and he only gets a few dollars here and there?” I questioned, knowing there were so many ways a trust could be dispensed.
“That’s awful.” Harriette shook her head. “I didn’t vote for him. I voted for the Rogers boy. That’s a kid would could use it. His family worked their fingers to the bone at the old mill before it closed up, and his daddy has had a hard time keeping a job since most of the factories have closed down and moved out of town.”
“I voted for Tiffany Franklin, myself.” Millie pushed her fingers through her hair. “Her mama does hair out of her house just to keep the lights on.”
“I think Tiffany was expecting it.” I knew not to gossip about it, but I had to tell them about the poor girl. “If you know her mom, you might want to check on her. She didn’t take it so well.”
“How so?” Millie questioned and used her big toe to stop the porch swing she and Gertrude were sitting on.
“After Florence had announced the winner, Tiffany jumped up and told Florence off. Called her old among other not-so-kind words before she took off out of there like a jet. She hopped over the pew and darted out of the church and—” I stopped talking after I suddenly remembered what Florence did.
“What? And what?” Millie asked. All the Front Porch Ladies’ mouths were wide-open.
“Well, something strange happened after that.” I gnawed on whether or not to tell the ladies, but I had to know if my hunch about Florence was true. “Florence didn’t do her usual speech about how she does so much for the community. Don’t get me wrong, she mentioned how proud she was and all about giving the money along with the church, making it very well-known that the majority of the scholarship came from her money, but. . .”
All of us abruptly looked at the speeding car zooming by.
“Speaking of Florence.” Gertrude’s nose wrinkled when we saw the car was Florence’s. “I hope she doesn’t visit Little Creek Road too much, or we just might have to make it a gated community and keep her out.”
“They are just going to see her niece.” Ruby shrugged, and we all leaned over to see what Florence got out of her car.
It wasn’t a what—it was a who.
“Is that Zeke Grey with her?” Harriette pulled the eyeglass chain dangling around her neck and placed the glasses on her face. Then she pushed them up on the bridge of her nose.
“What were you going to say about Florence?” Millie wanted to know.
“I’m married! I’m Mrs. Zeke Grey!” Florence squealed from the sidewalk so loudly that we could hear her all the way down to the porch.
She held her hand up in the air, flailing around her ring finger. She tucked her hand into Zeke’s arm. “Say hello to your new uncle!”
“I was going to say that I think Florence and Zeke got married.” I gulped and couldn’t help but notice Courtney Gaines and her aunt had a few words before Courtney threw down the gardening tool in her hand. She stomped into her house, slamming the door behind her.
“I’m guessing Courtney Gaines didn’t want a new uncle.” Harriette pulled the glass of iced tea up to her lips and took a sip with a big grin on her face.
There was a weird, uncomfortable silence as we all tried to process what had just happened.
“Did she say she and Zeke got married?” Gertrude looked over at Ruby.
Ruby shrugged. “Married?” She jerked back. “I thought she said something about being buried.”
“Geez, Ruby.” Gertrude waved her hand toward her. “You’ve got to get them ears of yours checked out. Florence and Zeke got married.”
“Married!” Ruby’s eyes grew big, and she looked at Harriette. “I’m guessing your letter got the after-spray of his cologne from using it with Florence.”
“If that’s the case, he must’ve been dousing that cologne everywhere.” I started to distribute their mail to them, with each of them getting a thank-you card from Zeke Grey. “I’m so glad to get those out of my bag.” I waved my hand in front of me like it was stinking and couldn’t help but notice Harriette’s smile had faded. “Are you okay?” I asked her while the others were busying themselves looking through their mail.
“I’m fine.” She gave me the most pitiful look. “Why on earth would I want a man at my age?”
“Maybe not a man, more like companionship.” At least it was originally how I’d felt after Richard had been dead about five years. I wanted a companion to just chitchat with and not necessarily get remarried.
“Is that how you feel about Mac?” she asked, and I noticed that while everyone kept their heads down when Florence and Zeke drove past, their eyes were curled to the top of their sockets watching the taillights.
“It was at first. I liked having him around to run and get something to eat with or just him stopping by for a drink, but now—” I sucked in a deep breath because I had to prepare myself for what I was about to say. “Now I’d entertain getting remarried.”
“The first time was a sham, so I wouldn’t even consider that a marriage.” Ruby had no filter.
“Ruby Sue Dean!” Harriette scolded her.