I searched my memory for the truth of the matter. “It was a really good pee,” I admitted. “You know the kind.”
Mama sighed. “On that note, let’s eat.”
When we moved to the dining room, Mama and Ava jostled me until I was practically falling into Tucker’s lap. “What the hell?” I asked, moving to the chair next to his. I couldn’t help but notice he smelled funny. “I normally sit over th—”
“That’s Ava’s seat, dear,” Mama said before moving to the end of the table. “She’s gotta sit next to the high chair.”
I leaned over and sniffed my best friend. Like you do.
“What the hell?” he asked, jerking away.
“Why you smell like fried onions and spicy sausage?” I glared at him. “And do not lie to me, Tucker Wilber Wright, because I know you and I will know if you’re lying.”
“My middle name isn’t—”
“If you went to CarrieBell’s brunch buffet out on Highway 50 without me, we’re going to have fucking words.”
Mama’s sharp inhale caught my attention, and I glanced up at her with an apologetic expression. “Sorry.”
“Dunn Johnson. Watch your mouth in this house and anywhere else the Lord has eyeballs and earlobes,” she hissed.
I wasn’t sure the Lord had either of those things anymore, but I wasn’t about to argue with my mother about Jesus semantics on a Sunday. Brooks shoved a casserole dish in my face. “Humble pie?”
I dished out some potato salad before handing the dish back to Brooks.
“Aren’t you going to pass it to Tucker?” Brooks asked with a knowing grin.
“No need. Tuck’s probably still full from CarrieBell’s brunch buffet. Aren’t you?” Besides which, he hated potato salad and almost any other salad made with mayo, with the exception of cheesy broccoli salad, deviled eggs, and the lemon chicken salad out at Thelma’s Sandwich Shack.
Tucker didn’t answer, and that was fine by me. How dare he go to CarrieBell’s without me? How. Dare. He.
“Hey, Tucker?” My mom’s voice sounded weird, like the time she subtly took charge of a town meeting and wound up somehow convincing sixty people into volunteering to have their hair dyed pink for the breast cancer fundraiser walk. It was like… one minute there was a roomful of normal people, and the next it was a cotton-candy-colored free-for-all.
Something was up.
“Yes, ma’am?”
Poor little innocent Tucker. He had no idea. This was how she lured people into her trap.
“Your receptionist’s still out on maternity leave, isn’t she?”
“Yep,” Tucker agreed. Brooks, the giant traitor, passed the broccoli salad in his direction, and Tucker took a big helping. “Annie won’t be back until May.”
Considering my mom and half the Corps had been at Annie’s shower—and heck, even I knew she’d only had her baby a week ago—this question was further proof my mother was machinating.
Machinat-inating?
Machininating?
Plotting.
“You haven’t filled her spot yet, have you?” she asked, all casual. Too casual.
Like a gazelle sensing he was about to become prey, Tucker blinked a little. “Uh. No, ma’am. Remember I mentioned that Vienna and I thought we could probably just muddle through without a receptionist, since it’d only—”
“I ask,” Mama interrupted with a beaming smile, “because Jenn Shipley’s between jobs again—”
Silence reigned around the table. Even baby Beau stopped his happy babbling.
“Oh, yeah? Thought she worked at the wrap place?” Tucker speared some broccoli with his fork and shot me a look.
I shrugged. Jenn hadn’t mentioned a new job to me. At least, I was pretty sure.
“Mmm. Well, as it happens, she feels like making sandwiches isn’t the best use of her talents. And also, she has a sincerely held belief about eating meat and cheese.”
“She’s vegan?” Tucker looked from my mom to me, like somehow I was supposed to know what the heck Jenn Shipley ate. Who paid attention to that stuff?
“Oh, no,” Mama said. “No, she doesn’t believe it’s right to eat a sandwich without meat or cheese, and she doesn’t think anyone else should either. So she quit.” She shrugged. “I think she’s still not over losing her job at Summer Honey. Selling highfalutin bath and body products was her dream career. She thinks Abilene had it out for her personally, rather than being justifiably upset when Jenn handed out free products to several ladies on the Beautification Corps.”
“As if we can be bought,” Ava scoffed.
“She’s hoping Dunn’ll get her job back for her,” Mama continued.
“And a spot on the Beautification Corps,” Gracie added behind a fake cough. I ignored her.
I looked up from my plate in surprise. “Me?” I said around a mouthful of potato salad. I swallowed. “What’m I s’posed to do?”
“Talk to Abilene, I guess, since you supply all the milk for their products?” Mama shrugged. “I don’t know, honey. That’s your business.”
I was glad something was.
“But in the meantime, Jenn’s out of a job and low on marketable skills. She’s real good at talking on the phone, though, Tucker, and I’m guessing she could write things down and whatnot real well.”
Tucker blinked. “Well, that’s… ah…” He stuffed some broccoli in his mouth instead of replying.
“Besides, how cute would it be if Dunn could see his special girl every time he came by to see you?” she continued.
I narrowed my eyes at her as I felt Tucker’s gaze on my face. “No need, Mama,” I said through a lump in my throat.
For some reason the idea of Jenn around Tucker that much made my potato salad go down the wrong way.
“I think she’s a shoo-in at the Dollar Barn. They need an overnight stocker.”
Everyone gaped at me. “What?” I asked. “It’s good pay, and she can handle it.”
Mama shook her head. “No. I think if you’re still serious about Jenn, you should give her a chance to get to know Tucker better, don’t you?”
No. No, I did not. Not only no, but hellfire and damnation, no.
“Who said I was serious—”
“That’s fine,” Tucker interrupted in his polite I’m lying through my teeth voice. He did not like Jenn Shipley. “It’s just for another six weeks while Annie’s on maternity leave anyway.”
Mama nodded firmly and dusted her hands. Mission accomplished. Although I wasn’t quite sure what the mission was exactly.
Mama made it sound like she was Jenn’s biggest fan, but for some reason, every time her name came up, Mama asked me about Tucker instead.
I called her on it one time, and she’d told me she thought Tucker would make a better “helpmate” for me than Jenn. Ha. As if. I told her she was seeing gay where gay didn’t exist. Which, okay, maybe made sense after everything that had happened with my brother.
“Fool me once,” Mama had said. “Shame on me. But you aren’t fooling me, Dunn. I see the way you look at Tucker. He’s your person. It’s only a matter of time till you get your head out of your derriere and do something about it.”