Thirty-Four and a Half Predicaments
Page 40
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I grinned. “Okay.”
“We got your cards for you, but Granny says you have to set up your own charms if you want ’em to work.” She leaned closer and whispered, “Just a heads-up so Granny doesn’t yell at you: they have to be no less than one inch from each other but no more than two inches. And if you get one accidently off, you have to start all over again.”
I knew her granny was superstitious, but this was crazy. “Okay.”
“That’s part of the reason we get here so early.” She winked. “But don’t worry. I made sure you only have a few to set out.”
I glanced over her shoulder at her granny. She must have had over thirty trinkets spread out around her cards.
“Did you have any trouble with Mason?”
I sighed, my guilt building anew. “No. When I told him I was coming to Bingo with you, he encouraged me to spend time with you.”
Pain flickered through her eyes. “Because he feels sorry for me.”
I shook my head. “No, because he cares about you.”
She closed her eyes and released a heavy breath before looking at me and giving me a smile. I knew her well enough to recognize it was fake.
“Besides,” I added, “he seemed eager to stay at the office and work. This way he doesn’t have to feel guilty about it.” I was fairly certain he was working on non-Fenton County projects, but whether that was J.R. or Dora was something I didn’t care to speculate.
“Well, at least you told him the truth. You did meet me at Bingo.”
But it was only a partial truth. There was no way around it, so my guilt was useless. “How long does this thing last?” I whispered. “I have no idea how long I’m gonna be at my…meeting.”
“Probably not long enough. Just tell Mason you and I talked afterward. He’ll believe that.”
I nodded. “Good idea.”
A muffled musical trill came from the direction of Neely Kate’s seat.
She rolled her eyes in response to my questioning look. “It’s Miss Mildred and that doggone walkie-talkie.”
“She’s been calling you?”
“Every dang fifteen minutes or so.” She stomped over to her purse—a pink bag covered in rhinestones—and pulled out the two-way radio.
“Red Robin. Red Robin,” the box squawked. “Are you there? Over.” Then static replaced the words.
Neely Kate rolled her eyes and pressed the button. “Not now, Miss Mildred. I’m at Bingo.”
“Use the code names!”
Neely Kate winked at me. “Sorry, White Worm.” She released the button before breaking out into giggles.
I laughed right along with her when Miss Mildred barked back, “That’s White Tiger!”
Neely Kate got control of her giggles, then said, “Sorry, White Tiger. I’ll be sure to let you know as soon as we know something. Now I really have to go.” She turned down the sound and tossed the box into her purse.
She noticed me looking at her bag and put her hands on her hips. “Yes, I have my purse. So what?”
I didn’t try to hide my smile.
Neely Kate’s grandmother banged her hand on the table, causing several of the animal key chains to fall over. “Quit yer yammerin’ and get to settin’ up.”
Oh, crappy doodles. Was she gonna have to start all over again? “You did tell her I was leaving early, right?” I whispered.
“Yeah, but she says you’ll still have plenty of time to get in a few rounds.”
“Girls! You need to set up before they call the first number or it’s bad luck.”
I shot Neely Kate a grin and hurried around the table. “How are you tonight, Mrs. Rivers? Ready for Bingo?”
“I was born ready for Bingo. When I popped out of my momma’s womb, I had a Bingo card in one hand and a dauber in the other.”
There was an image I could live without.
She patted my shoulder. “And I thought I told you to call me Granny Rivers, just like everyone else does.”
I grinned. “Okay, Granny Rivers.”
“Now get your skinny backside in yer chair and set up yer charms.”
I laughed and did as she’d ordered. I was ready with my dauber in hand when the guy pulled the first ball and called out the number.
“Oh, my stars and garters,” Neely Kate groaned.
I leaned forward and glanced at her. Something in her voice caught me off guard. “What?”
“Mason’s mother is here.”
“What?”
She pointed across the room, and sure enough, Maeve was setting her papers and dauber on the table.
“Do you think she saw me?” I asked, trying to settle my panic.
Neely Kate shook her head. “No. She’s late, so she seems intent on setting up.”
I held my hand up to my cheek and let my hair fall down over the other side of my face.
“Yer not payin’ attention,” Granny barked. “They called B9 and you got one right there!” She pointed to the square on one of my cards, then stamped my sheet.
I tried to hide my smirk, but my amusement quickly faded when I realized Maeve had finished setting up. If she paid attention to the tables across from her, she’d have a good view of the three of us.
Double crap.
I spent the next half hour doing my level best to hide from her, so when the clock on the wall hit 7:40 and I started to get up, Granny Rivers grabbed my arm and pulled me back down into my seat.
“We got your cards for you, but Granny says you have to set up your own charms if you want ’em to work.” She leaned closer and whispered, “Just a heads-up so Granny doesn’t yell at you: they have to be no less than one inch from each other but no more than two inches. And if you get one accidently off, you have to start all over again.”
I knew her granny was superstitious, but this was crazy. “Okay.”
“That’s part of the reason we get here so early.” She winked. “But don’t worry. I made sure you only have a few to set out.”
I glanced over her shoulder at her granny. She must have had over thirty trinkets spread out around her cards.
“Did you have any trouble with Mason?”
I sighed, my guilt building anew. “No. When I told him I was coming to Bingo with you, he encouraged me to spend time with you.”
Pain flickered through her eyes. “Because he feels sorry for me.”
I shook my head. “No, because he cares about you.”
She closed her eyes and released a heavy breath before looking at me and giving me a smile. I knew her well enough to recognize it was fake.
“Besides,” I added, “he seemed eager to stay at the office and work. This way he doesn’t have to feel guilty about it.” I was fairly certain he was working on non-Fenton County projects, but whether that was J.R. or Dora was something I didn’t care to speculate.
“Well, at least you told him the truth. You did meet me at Bingo.”
But it was only a partial truth. There was no way around it, so my guilt was useless. “How long does this thing last?” I whispered. “I have no idea how long I’m gonna be at my…meeting.”
“Probably not long enough. Just tell Mason you and I talked afterward. He’ll believe that.”
I nodded. “Good idea.”
A muffled musical trill came from the direction of Neely Kate’s seat.
She rolled her eyes in response to my questioning look. “It’s Miss Mildred and that doggone walkie-talkie.”
“She’s been calling you?”
“Every dang fifteen minutes or so.” She stomped over to her purse—a pink bag covered in rhinestones—and pulled out the two-way radio.
“Red Robin. Red Robin,” the box squawked. “Are you there? Over.” Then static replaced the words.
Neely Kate rolled her eyes and pressed the button. “Not now, Miss Mildred. I’m at Bingo.”
“Use the code names!”
Neely Kate winked at me. “Sorry, White Worm.” She released the button before breaking out into giggles.
I laughed right along with her when Miss Mildred barked back, “That’s White Tiger!”
Neely Kate got control of her giggles, then said, “Sorry, White Tiger. I’ll be sure to let you know as soon as we know something. Now I really have to go.” She turned down the sound and tossed the box into her purse.
She noticed me looking at her bag and put her hands on her hips. “Yes, I have my purse. So what?”
I didn’t try to hide my smile.
Neely Kate’s grandmother banged her hand on the table, causing several of the animal key chains to fall over. “Quit yer yammerin’ and get to settin’ up.”
Oh, crappy doodles. Was she gonna have to start all over again? “You did tell her I was leaving early, right?” I whispered.
“Yeah, but she says you’ll still have plenty of time to get in a few rounds.”
“Girls! You need to set up before they call the first number or it’s bad luck.”
I shot Neely Kate a grin and hurried around the table. “How are you tonight, Mrs. Rivers? Ready for Bingo?”
“I was born ready for Bingo. When I popped out of my momma’s womb, I had a Bingo card in one hand and a dauber in the other.”
There was an image I could live without.
She patted my shoulder. “And I thought I told you to call me Granny Rivers, just like everyone else does.”
I grinned. “Okay, Granny Rivers.”
“Now get your skinny backside in yer chair and set up yer charms.”
I laughed and did as she’d ordered. I was ready with my dauber in hand when the guy pulled the first ball and called out the number.
“Oh, my stars and garters,” Neely Kate groaned.
I leaned forward and glanced at her. Something in her voice caught me off guard. “What?”
“Mason’s mother is here.”
“What?”
She pointed across the room, and sure enough, Maeve was setting her papers and dauber on the table.
“Do you think she saw me?” I asked, trying to settle my panic.
Neely Kate shook her head. “No. She’s late, so she seems intent on setting up.”
I held my hand up to my cheek and let my hair fall down over the other side of my face.
“Yer not payin’ attention,” Granny barked. “They called B9 and you got one right there!” She pointed to the square on one of my cards, then stamped my sheet.
I tried to hide my smirk, but my amusement quickly faded when I realized Maeve had finished setting up. If she paid attention to the tables across from her, she’d have a good view of the three of us.
Double crap.
I spent the next half hour doing my level best to hide from her, so when the clock on the wall hit 7:40 and I started to get up, Granny Rivers grabbed my arm and pulled me back down into my seat.
