Thirty-Three and a Half Shenanigans
Page 45

Leaving her in the middle of the shop, I moved to the counter and studied the menu board on the wall, feeling a sudden urge for coffee. “I’d like a decaf mocha,” I told the older woman behind the counter.
“Do you want whipped cream?” she asked.
“Uh, yeah.”
“I’m not sure if we have any whipped cream,” she mumbled, lowering the glasses perched on her nose. “I’ll have to check with Fred.” Then she walked into a back room.
“I don’t need whipped cream!” I called after her, but I figured she didn’t hear me since she kept going.
I realized that Neely Kate wasn’t standing next to me, so I spun around to see if she was going to order something. Which was when I saw who was walking through the open door.
“Why hello, Rose,” Hilary said in a syrupy sweet voice. “You look lovely today.”
While I wasn’t in my stained jeans and work coat, I knew I didn’t look exceptional. But at least I was wearing makeup and my hair wasn’t in its usual ponytail. I figured I must not look too bad if the manager of an exotic dance club had taken such a shine to me. But Hilary was standing there in a cream-colored skirt and jacket with a pale blue silk blouse underneath. She looked like she’d just walked out of a fashion magazine. I had no doubt that she’d intended her “compliment” as an insult.
The sight of her lit a fire in my belly, and her two-faced behavior only stoked it. I wanted to tell this woman off. She’d purposely trapped Joe and used a poor innocent baby to do it. She was lower than pond scum, but whether I liked it or not, she was going to be the mother of Joe’s baby—a poor defenseless baby that was going to need all the help it could get. If I was going to be Joe’s friend, I needed to put a stop to this continued animosity between Hilary and me. “Thank you,” I forced myself to say. “You’re looking really good considering your . . . condition. How are you feeling?”
Her forced smile grew bigger. “Isn’t that a sweet thing for you to say? I’ve had some queasiness off and on, but I’ve felt well for the most part. Which is surprising when you think about what a rabble-rouser Joe is. You’d think his baby would be stirring up trouble right from the start.”
I nodded. “Well, that’s good.” I wanted to point out that her baby was already stirring up trouble, but I didn’t want to open that can of worms.
We stood in awkward silence for a few seconds. I wasn’t sure what else to say to her. I couldn’t stand there and pretend I wanted to talk to her. This new civility tactic was going to take some getting used to.
For once, Neely Kate seemed to be at a loss for words. She’d stood there right along, gaping in silence like she’d just undergone a lobotomy. But then she’d had a pretty rough day.
I grabbed her arm and pulled her toward the counter. “Come on, Neely Kate. Let’s get Ronnie Jr. his ice cream.”
She let me drag her several steps forward while she kept her eyes fixed on Joe’s ex-girlfriend.
“You’re looking much better, Neely Kate,” Hilary said, following us. “I know that you had a bad run with morning sickness.”
Neely Kate stiffened, and I leaned into her ear. “Try to be nice.”
“Why?” she growled.
If Hilary heard us, she did a good job of ignoring it. “When’s your due date?”
Neely Kate took a defensive stance as if they were about to duel. “July 1st.”
“Oh, my goodness.” Hilary placed her hand on her chest. “Mine’s a week later. July 8th. Wouldn’t it be amazing if we had our babies on the same day?”
“What?” Neely Kate gasped.
Hilary ignored her less than enthusiastic response. “Just think about it . . . our babies are gonna grow up together!”
“So you’re planning on staying in Henryetta?” I asked.
“I’ve rented a house a couple of blocks from here. It’s quite charming. I think the owner is going to let me buy it.” Her right eyelid twitched, and her eyes hardened. “I’m not going anywhere.”
To heck with it. I’d give civility a shot some other day.
I put my hands on my hips. “Why in tarnation do you think I care if you live here or not?”
Her grin tightened. “I just want you to know where things stand between me and Joe.”
“I don’t give a flying fig how things stand between you and Joe.” My voice rose higher. “I’m livin’ with Mason Deveraux. Why would I care?”
“Just in case you get an urge to see if the grass is greener in my backyard.” She took a step closer. “I’m warning you—I won’t put up with any trespassing.”
“You are unbelievable!” Neely Kate shouted. “Who the hell do you think you are?”
The woman behind the counter, who had reappeared, looked worried. “Can you please keep it down? There are other customers here.”
I shot a quick glance to the homeless-looking guy at the table ten feet from us. He was gripping his take-out cup of coffee so tightly the cardboard was denting. Judging from the expression on his face, he was definitely enjoying the show.
“Neely Kate, darling. You should calm down. You’re in a delicate condition,” Hilary said, her voice smooth as honey.
“I’ve faced a hell of a lot worse than you today, you lizard-tongued monster!” Neely Kate shouted, bobbing her head. “I can take you any day of the week.”