Chapter 30
“We’ve got two weeks before the tournament, and I don’t know how we’re going to get everything finished on time,” Jodi said
on Monday. “We’ve got online orders coming out of our ears, and we’re already having to delay several orders because we’re
out of materials.”
Mylie sat staring at the calendar on her desk. She was trying to concentrate on work. She had an entire warehouse full of
people working furiously to keep up.
“Mylie?” Jodi was saying. “Mylie, hello? Mylie?”
“What?” Mylie looked up. “Oh, yeah, sorry. Okay, how can we figure this out?”
Jodi shrugged. “Offer discounts for delayed orders,” she said. “Maybe send some free stuff. I don’t know. If we can get a
shipment of supplies overnighted, we might be able to make it work, but that’ll cost.”
“Do it,” Mylie said, nodding. “I don’t see that we have another choice, unless we want to go and raid the gift bags we have
for the tournament.”
“We can’t do that,” Jodi replied.
“Mylie?” There was a knock at the office door.
“Come in, Joe,” Mylie said, waving the man inside. “What’s up?”
Joe stepped in, taking off his faded St. Louis Cardinals cap. “Robbie’s here. He says to pick up his last check?”
“I thought we put that in the mail?” Mylie asked, looking to Jodi.
“I did,” Jodi replied. “On Friday.”
Mylie sighed. “Send him in.”
“Want me to stay?” Joe asked.
“I can handle him,” Mylie replied, not entirely sure she was telling the truth. “Thanks, though.”
Joe grunted a reply and stepped out in time for Robbie to step in, eyeing both Mylie and Jodi with suspicion.
“I mailed your check on Friday,” Jodi said before Robbie had a chance to say anything. “I’m sure it’s already siting in your
mailbox.”
“I said I’d be by to pick it up,” Robbie replied, his eyes narrowing.
“And I said I’d mail it.” Jodi crossed her arms over her chest.
“That’s stupid,” Robbie said. “It’s easier for me to come get it.”
“I’m sorry for the misunderstanding,” Mylie replied. “But you were asked not to come back to the warehouse. That’s why we
mailed the check.”
Robbie scowled. “It’s illegal to withhold my check.”
“It’s illegal to throw a brick through someone’s window, too,” Mylie replied. “Yet here we are.”
“I heard about that,” Robbie said, scratching the scruff on his chin. “That’s too bad about your window.”
“It’s too bad about your check.”
“You can’t keep my check,” Robbie repeated.
“Nobody is withholding your check,” Mylie said. “Jodi mailed it on Friday. You’ll have it today.”
“I reckon it won’t matter in a couple of weeks, anyway,” Robbie replied. “Once I win the tournament, I’ll have more money
than I could make in a year here.”
Jodi rolled her eyes. “Okay, Robbie.”
“Gonna be pretty sweet to beat you.”
“We aren’t on the team,” Mylie said, wishing the conversation, and the fact that she was still looking at Robbie, was done. “But good luck.”
“You sponsor that team,” Robbie continued. “Everybody in town knows you’re a bunch of cheats, but I aim to win.”
“And everybody in town knows you’re a...”
Mylie stood up, interrupting Jodi before she could say something they’d all regret. “Please just go,” she said.
“Fine,” Robbie said, his lips curling up into his gums so that the decay in his front two teeth was visible. “But that check
better be in my mailbox, or I’ll be back.”
“You come back and the only thing waiting for you is going to be a sheriff’s deputy,” Mylie said, keeping her tone even.
“Come on, now,” Joe said, appearing from just beyond the office door. “You heard the ladies.”
Joe was every bit seventy years old, but he had the build of a man who’d spent his life working outside. He lived down the
road from Robbie just outside of town, and Mylie figured the older man had to put up with Robbie once or twice over the years.
Robbie gave Jodi and Mylie one last look and then spit a wad of Copenhagen on the tiled floor before turning around and striding
out of the office.
Mylie collapsed back down into her chair. “God, I hate him,” she said.
“You never should have hired him,” Jodi replied. “You knew better.”
“I know,” Mylie said. “I know I did, but I thought maybe... I don’t know what I thought. I just thought maybe he needed
a chance, and his granny is so nice. I thought it would help her.”
“His granny knows better than to be asking favors for him,” Jodi said.
“Granny never stopped asking favors for my mama,” Mylie countered. “Never, ever.”
“And look where that got her,” Jodi said.
“Raising two kids,” Mylie agreed.
Jodi put her hand on Mylie’s and said, “You know Granny thinks you and Cassie are the best two people in the whole world.
That’s not what I meant.”
“I know,” Mylie replied. “Too bad Robbie’s granny can’t say the same.”