Thirty and a Half Excuses
Page 25

I had been making a real effort to do more things on my own, and I was succeeding, but negotiating for a car made me nervous.
He sensed my hesitation. “If it makes you feel any better, I helped my cousin Neal negotiate for his last car. I’m not sure anyone can get a better deal than I can.”
I crossed my arms and smirked. “I bet you were the captain of the debate team, huh?”
His mouth twisted into a smug grin. “Well, of course. Pulaski Academy wouldn’t have gone to the nationals in forensics without me.”
“Such a humble man.”
He lifted his eyebrows in an exaggerated manner. “I know. I keep telling everyone that, but no one listens.”
I shook my head with a laugh. “Imagine that.” Against my better judgment, I was thinking about letting him help. “Isn’t your mother coming for the weekend?”
“Not until Saturday morning. I’m taking off early tomorrow afternoon. We could go then.”
“Are you sure? If you got an afternoon off, surely you want to spend it doing something other than haggling over a truck.”
He pointed to himself. “Hello. Have we met? I’m Mason Deveraux III, and I love to argue for the fun of it.”
I grinned. “Okay. You’ve got a deal.”
“I get off at noon. Do you want to meet at Merilee’s for lunch first?”
I had worked through lunch for the past two days, and Violet would be taking off early tonight. I figured I could go to lunch without feeling guilty. “Sure. Sounds good.”
Mason’s smile widened. “Great.”
I started to pick up his plant to take it to the counter, but he took it from me and carried it instead. While I rung up his purchase, I told him the latest courthouse gossip Neely Kate had shared with me, and he confirmed that about ninety percent of it was true.
He shook his head in amazement. “The Henryetta Police Department should hire her as some kind of informant.”
I considered telling him about Miss Laura’s missing jewelry, but it didn’t feel right, especially if it got her niece into trouble. It was most likely a coincidence. “Neely Kate has a way of knowin’ things.”
At that moment, a vision pushed its way to the surface. Panic sent an urge to resist it, but that never did any good. I’d deal with the fallout when it was done. I saw an attractive, well-dressed elderly woman. Her mouth opened in happy surprise as I handed her the plant Mason was buying. “I love it!”
The vision faded away, and I looked up at Mason. “Your mother is going to love the plant,” I said automatically.
He smiled. “Thanks to your help, I think she will.”
Thank the Lord above I hadn’t seen anything embarrassing. Mason still didn’t know about my visions, and I hoped to keep it that way.
Picking the plant up off the counter, he headed for the door. “I’ll see you tomorrow at noon.”
Violet had been assisting someone outside, but she came back in when Mason left, watching him over her shoulder. “You do know what just happened there, don’t you?”
My back bristled. “I know you don’t approve of me getting a truck, but Mason—”
“Not that, Rose.” A smug smile lifted her mouth. “Your lunch date.”
I squinted in confusion. “What about it?”
“It’s a lunch date.”
“What?” I paused as the full meaning of what she’d said slipped in. “Oh.” No, she was wrong. “Mason and I are just friends.”
She laughed. “That’s how it starts. Then the next thing you know…” She walked outside, leaving her sentence unfinished.
Just minutes ago, she had hurt me for sport. Was this comment any different? When had she become this person? Where was the loving, supportive person who would have done anything to protect me?
Watching her through the window as she returned to her customer, all sweetness and sugar, I wondered again if I knew her at all.
Chapter Eight
When I got back to the church, I was surprised by how much progress Bruce Wayne and David had made. They were about finished with digging up the weeds and turning over the soil. I’d brought them deli sandwiches, chips, and lemonade, and they sat under the shade of a mimosa tree to eat their lunch and enjoy the breeze that had kicked up.
I took advantage of some time alone. I grabbed a shovel and finished turning over the ground before we added fertilizer and planted the flowers.
“I see you’re hard at work. I thought that was what those boys were here for.”
I jumped at the sound of Jonah Pruitt’s voice and spun around to face him. “Reverend Jonah. You caught me by surprise.”
“I didn’t mean to sneak up on you. You were very intent on your job.”
“Oh, I love working with the dirt and plants.”
“Nothin’ wrong with being one with God’s creation.”
That was one way to put it. “Yeah.”
“I noticed your necklace this morning.” He pointed to the base of my throat where the cross laid. “You weren’t wearing it yesterday. I hope this means you’re considering coming to church on Sunday.”
I reached up and grabbed the crucifix self-consciously. What was I going to tell him? Thankfully, he plunged on without waiting for an answer.
“The boys made tremendous progress,” Jonah said. “I had to force them to take a water break a little while ago.”