Chapter 24
Brodie raised up on an elbow and watched Audrey sleep for several minutes before she finally opened her eyes and smiled. “Ready for dessert?”
“I thought we already had it, but I’d go for seconds if you’re still hungry,” he answered.
She pulled his lips down to hers and groaned when the phone rang. “It’s Hettie,” she whispered.
“Answer it,” Brodie said. “This time she might really be having a heart attack.”
“Hello,” Audrey said and then hit the speaker button.
“I’m sending movers to bring the rest of my things to me.
They’ll be there between noon and four tomorrow afternoon,” Hettie said.
“I like it here even better than I thought I would. Bitsy and I played bingo tonight, and I won several times. Tomorrow, the shuttle is taking us to the mall to shop, and Wednesday, we’re going to a museum.
Sunday, they’re having a big Easter egg hunt for all of us senior citizens.
And they have a massage lady that comes in once a week for any of us who are interested.
Bitsy gets one real often, and I’m going to give it a try. ”
“You sound happy,” Audrey said, “but don’t you want to wait a few days or weeks before you make a definite decision?”
“I do not!” Hettie’s tone turned cold. “The only opening they have is a little cottage right next door to Bitsy’s, and I had to tell them today whether I would take it or not.
And if and when I get too old to take care of myself, there’s a nursing home right here on the grounds that they can move me into. ”
“You told them that you would take it on the spur of the moment? How many whiskey sours did you have before you put your name on the papers?” Audrey could hardly believe that her aunt would make such an impulsive decision when it took her two days to decide whether to wear her good blue dress to church or her black pantsuit.
“Not a single dang one. I would have done this when Frank died, but I had to help finish raising you,” Hettie argued.
“Am I raised up good enough to make my own decisions now?” Audrey asked.
“Seems like that day ain’t never comin’, and I ain’t gettin’ no younger,” Hettie said. “If you make a mess of your life, it’s on you, Audrey.”
“Am I allowed to come see you?” she asked.
“Maybe on Mother’s Day, but don’t bring Brodie with you. He’s not welcome,” Hettie said, and the screen went dark.
“My mother said that chocolate cake cures anything, even cantankerous old gals who don’t have a bit of love for a man who loves her niece,” Brodie said.
Audrey threw a pillow across the bed toward him. “How did your mama know my Aunt Hettie?”
Brodie caught the pillow in one hand. “Darlin’, she probably dealt with dozens of women like Hettie.
I’m going to try the old ‘kill her with kindness’ act and see if that works.
I’ll have a couple of bottles of her favorite whiskey delivered to her a week before Mother’s Day and maybe some chocolates, also. ”
Audrey tackled him in the middle of the bed. “I just might be falling in love with you.”
“Well, darlin’, I’m already in love with you,” Brodie drawled.
***
“Good mornin’!” Walter carried his thermos into the kitchen and stopped right inside the door. “Who’s cookin’ breakfast this morning?”
“It’s a joint effort,” Audrey answered.
Walter set the thermos down and got a coffee cup from the cabinet. “Then I’m inviting myself to join y’all.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Audrey asked.
“It means that you aren’t fighting or arguing.” Walter poured himself a cup of coffee. “I quit eating breakfast in this house when Frank and Ira started their bickering over Clarice. If y’all can agree in the kitchen, then things just might work out for you.”
Audrey took a pan of biscuits from the oven and set them on the table. “I got a call from Aunt Hettie last night.”
“And?” Walter asked.
“She’s sending a mover to take her stuff to Wichita Falls. A cottage next to Bitsy was up for grabs and she took it,” she answered.
“Is she still mad and blaming you?”
“Yep,” Brodie answered. “She says that Audrey can’t come see her until Mother’s Day, and I’m not welcome.”
“That shouldn’t surprise any of us,” Walter chuckled and sat down at the table.
“But both of you seem happy this morning, so I’d say that it’s time for Hettie to move on and for y’all to do the same.
When I move to Florida, you are both welcome to come see me anytime you want.
My back door will open right out onto the beach, and when the children come along, they’ll need a great grandpa. ”
“Thank you,” Brodie said.
Audrey felt tears welling up behind her eyes. She stood up, rounded the table, and gave Walter a hug. “You can never know what that means to me.”
“Honey, you’ve been the granddaughter I never had, so it stands to reason that your children will be my great-grands.
I’d be very sad if you didn’t bring them to see me a couple of times a year,” Walter said.
“I see Brodie cooked something in a skillet that looks real good. So, let’s eat and talk about what we’re doing today.
The hired hands will be here in thirty minutes, ready to fertilize and spray for bugs. ”
Audrey swallowed the lump in her throat on her way back to her chair. Brodie set the cast-iron skillet on the table and sat down. He reached over, laid his hand over Audrey’s, and then leaned over and kissed her on the cheek.
“I’ve learned that family doesn’t always share DNA,” he whispered. “I couldn’t ask for a better person to fill in for my mother than Mary Jane, and my brothers and I don’t share a bit of blood.”
“Amen to that. I’ll say grace,” Walter said and bowed his head. “Father, I thank you for the peace that I finally feel in this house, and for this food, and for the love I see in these two kids. Amen.”
Audrey grabbed a paper napkin and wiped her eyes. “That was beautiful.”
“The truth often is.” Walter smiled and slathered two biscuits with butter. “Now, I’ve got a question that I bet neither of you have thought about. You’ve been so wrapped up in each other and being able to finally spend the night together that you didn’t even think about what lies beyond today.”
Audrey frowned. “How do you know that Brodie spent the night?”
“You just told me,” Walter chuckled.
Brodie turned to Audrey and laughed. “He will bear watching for sure.”
“I agree,” Audrey said with a nod. “Now what is this question?”
Walter scooped out a big helping of the omelet, took a bite, washed it down with coffee, and said, “This is delicious. But back to my question. What religion do you intend to raise your children in?”
“We haven’t talked about children,” Brodie said.
“Yes, we did,” Audrey corrected him. “When we were discussing building a house, I told you that I wanted a bunch of kids. I do not want to raise an only child. It’s too lonely.”
“That’s right,” Brodie agreed. “But that’s not going to be a problem since there’s only one church in Spanish Fort.”
“And we both go there, so…” Audrey started.
Walter shook his head. “That’s your spiritual religion, and children need to be raised in church. I’m talking about your farming religion. Brodie goes to the everyday organic church, and you go to the commercial one. Which way are you going to raise the kids? Brodie, do you intend to change?”
“Nope,” Brodie answered.
“Audrey, do you?” Walter asked.
“No, I do not,” she answered, “and I’m not going into this relationship with thoughts of changing one thing about Brodie.”
“Well, then,” Walter said, “I’m glad I’m leaving in the fall because bickering and arguing are sure to come back to this house.”
Audrey had been so happy that she had finally admitted that what she felt for Brodie went beyond lust and into love that she had not seriously thought about raising a family.
Even though she hadn’t put it into words like Walter did in his prayer, the peace in the house really had wrapped around her that morning like a warm sweater on a cool day.
“I don’t want fighting…” she started, but a lump the size of a grapefruit in her throat kept her from finishing.
“Me, either,” Brodie said. “So, let’s compromise. When the children want fruit as in what I grow, then they can go to the organic church that day. When they want corn on the cob or sunflower seeds, they can eat from the commercial table.”
Audrey sucked in a lungful of air and let it out slowly. “I can agree to that with no problem.”
“Got that settled over a good breakfast,” Walter said with another chuckle. “Now let’s move on to another question.”
“Are you trying to start a fight?” Audrey asked.
“Nope,” Walter answered. “I’m trying to get everything laid out so there ain’t no problems when I’m in Florida. Which farm are you going to live on?”
“We’ll cross that bridge later,” Audrey replied. “We’ve made a compromise about any future children, and that’s enough for one day.”
She really didn’t care if they lived in her house or if they built a brand-new one over on Brodie’s farm.
As long as she could be with him, it didn’t matter where they lived.
But she did want to enjoy the place they were in right then for a while before they set the plans for a house in stone.
She was in no hurry to go to the courthouse and stand before a judge to make things legal in the eyes of the government, or to start a family.
She just wanted to go slow and enjoy the journey before they tackled those decisions.
Walter put a thick glob of butter on his plate and poured honey on top of it.
“Fair enough. Just one more question, though. I plan to go to the Easter egg hunt at the Paradise on Sunday. Are you going, Audrey? I understand that you’ve been reluctant about going there for Sunday dinners, and I can well understand, but things are different now. ”
“I haven’t been invited,” she said.
“If you go to the same church as the Paradise folks, then you are invited. The egg hunt starts after the Easter potluck at the church, and the whole community goes. Mary Jane puts out snacks, and everyone brings lawn chairs or quilts. The menfolk hide the eggs, and the ladies help with serving punch and cookies,” Walter told her.
“And you are definitely invited,” Brodie said, “but in case you need me to say the words: Will you please let me be your escort for the potluck and then out to the Paradise?”
Audrey’s giggle turned into a laugh, then she couldn’t stop. Tears rolled down her cheeks and left spots on her T-shirt when they dripped off her jaw. “That’s why…” she grabbed another paper napkin.
“Why what? And what’s so funny?” Brodie asked.
“Why Aunt Hettie”—she took a deep breath and finally got control—“faked a heart attack and moved this week.”
“Yep,” Walter agreed. “She couldn’t not go to the Paradise or Bernie would declare it a win, and she couldn’t go, or else she would be going back on her vow to hate anything that has to do with that place.”
“Hasn’t she gone before?” Brodie frowned. “I understand it’s been a tradition for about twenty years.”
Audrey glanced over at Walter for an answer.
“She’s always made excuses. First she volunteered to stay with Clarice because she was sickly. Then it was Frank, and last year, she said she was feeling poorly,” Walter explained. “She didn’t agree with me going, and she refused to speak to me for a week.”
“How’d you help her get over it?” Brodie asked.
“It’s amazing what a bottle of her favorite whiskey will do to patch things up,” Walter chuckled.
“We didn’t even stay for the potluck last year,” Audrey remembered. “She planned this escape very well. She figured I would go with Brodie if he asked me.”
“Does that mean you’re going to let yourself end the guilt trip you’ve been on?” Brodie asked.
“Yes, it does,” Audrey answered. “I’ll still call her every week and tell her I love her. If she changes her mind about you coming with me, I’ll go see her on Mother’s Day.”
“Don’t look for any miracles,” Walter said as he pushed back his chair and carried his dirty dishes to the sink.
“I’ll talk to Bitsy,” Audrey said. “Aunt Hettie listens to her.”
Walter waved from the door. “That’s almost a month from now. Maybe the whiskey sours, or finally being happy, will soften her up by then.”
Audrey moved from her chair to sit in Brodie’s lap. “We’ve got half an hour before I need to leave. Got any ideas about what we should do with the thirty minutes? Wash dishes together, maybe?”
“Well, we never did get around to eating that chocolate cake,” he teased.
“I’ve got another dessert in mind.” She pulled his face down to hers and kissed him. “If we do things my way, I promise to meet you in the orchard at noon with some sandwiches and chocolate cake.”
He stood up with her still in his arms and carried her to the bathroom without breaking the string of kisses. He turned on the water in the shower and then slowly undressed her. “Ever had shower sex?”
“No. Have you?” she asked.
“Nope, but today’s the day,” he answered.