Chapter Thirteen
“W
ell, well, well, we haven’t seen each other for over a decade, Libby, and now I run into you twice in less than a week,” Raisa said as she came out of the bedroom of one of the estates. “Have you got your bidding ticket?”
“Benny has one,” Libby answered and gave Raisa a quick sideways hug. “It’s great to see you again. Are you still looking for pink crystal?”
“Yes, I am,” Raisa answered and shifted her focus over to Benny.
He held up his paddle with the number 13 written on it. “Have we met?”
“I bought some pink glassware at your store,” Raisa explained. “I went to school up in Jefferson with Libby—and I was actually talking to her about bidding.”
“I remember you now,” Benny said. “We chatted about that.”
“Yes, we did!” Raisa said and looked over at Libby. “Now, who’s this cute little doggy? Did you have it at the store last time I was there?”
Libby glanced down to see Fancy peeking out the top of her big purse. “This is Fancy—I just got her this morning, and of course now it’s too hot to leave her in the truck. The folks at the door said I could bring her inside as long as I didn’t let her out of my purse.”
Raisa reached out and petted Fancy. “My beagle wouldn’t fit inside one, but I bet one of the cats would. I have six of them. Three inside the house and three beggars that I feed on the back porch. For the most part, I like my animals more than I like people.”
Libby knew how she felt. “I hear you. So, what else have you earmarked to bid on when the auction starts?”
“Those pink pieces I picked up at your store have already sold, so my aunt has me out scouring all the sales for more,” Raisa said. “How about y’all?”
“Whatever strikes Benny’s fancy,” Libby answered.
“We picked up several more pieces of that pink glassware this morning at a yard sale, if you want to come back up to Sawmill and look at it,” Benny told her. “I’ll be glad to hold them for you. Even give you the dealer ten percent discount.”
“If you’ll set them back for me, I’ll be there Friday morning,” Raisa said. “I’ll bring lunch with me if you can take a break at noon, Libby.”
“That will depend on how busy we are, but I’d love to give it a try,” Libby said.
Raisa’s hand shot up in a wave, and then she disappeared into another room of the massive two-story home.
“Was she your best friend?” Benny asked.
Libby readjusted the tote bag after a slight shrug. “I’m not sure I had one of those in high school. She was more of an acquaintance. Amanda was the only person I would ever consider a best friend—and maybe Dolly, but she was more like a grandmother figure as a neighbor.”
“I see,” Benny said. “I’m going downstairs to look at a matched set of ladder-back chairs. Holler if you spot something you think we could take home.”
He left, and within a minute, Raisa was back. She scanned the whole room and then looked out in the hallway.
“Are you and Benny dating?” she asked in a low voice.
“No, he’s my boss.” Libby thought of the main character in the book she was reading for the club the following week. Another character had asked her the same question, and her answer had been identical to Libby’s.
“You do know that he’s rich, don’t you?” Raisa whispered.
“I’ve heard rumors.”
“He used to be a lawyer, and he gave up a salary like that to run an antique store. I heard that his grandfather left him a huge inheritance,” Raisa whispered. “If you are smart, you’ll latch on to him—and besides, he’s taller than you. That has to be a plus.”
Her grandmother had left the poker table to come back and haunt her. You don’t need a man to complete you, she grumbled.
“Don’t you think marriage should involve love?” Libby started across the room toward the door and Raisa followed.
“Sure, but you can love a rich man just as quick as a poor one.” Raisa shot a wink at her. “If you’re not interested in him, I’ll ask him out when I come up to look at all that pink crystal next week.”
“Knock yourself out,” Libby told her, but a little streak of jealousy shot through her body.
She was halfway down the stairs when she saw Benny smiling up from the bottom. “I turned in my paddle. Nothing here for us. Let’s go get some lunch.”
“There’s not a café in town, or anywhere else for that reason, that is going to let us take Fancy inside. How about we hit that food wagon I saw parked in the Walmart lot? We can have a picnic in the truck.”
“Sounds good to me,” he agreed.
She worried all the way from the auction site to the back side of the Walmart parking area about whether she should warn him that Raisa was going to ask him out. That was what friends did for each other, wasn’t it? She finally convinced herself that Benny was a grown man—and even as a new friend, telling him about Raisa’s comments could be meddling. Besides, she might damage her equally new friendship with Opal and Minilee if she got in the middle of Benny’s love life. They seemed to be taking care of that side of things for him.
He pulled his truck and trailer into one of the spots that semis used, not far from the food truck. He rolled down both the driver and the passenger windows. The air-conditioning rushed out, and the aroma of smoked meat wafted into the vehicle. Fancy had been sleeping on Libby’s lap, but she perked right up. Her tail thumped against Libby’s leg, and she stretched her neck to catch whiffs of the barbecue.
“Are you hungry, sweet girl?” Libby’s tone jacked up a couple of octaves. “You shouldn’t have what we’re about to eat, but I’ll get out a handful of your food.” She reached behind the seat and shook some dog food into a small bowl that Gina had tucked into the tote bag. Fancy jumped out of her lap, scarfed down several bites, flopped down on the floor, and closed her eyes.
Libby turned her attention to the vendor wagon, where Benny was the third in line to order. Suddenly, as if out of nowhere, Tatum’s face was right there in front of her, so close that Libby had to blink several times to get it in focus.
“You startled me,” she gasped.
“What are you doing here?” Tatum asked.
“Buying antiques, having some barbecue.” Libby could hear the chill in her own voice. “What are you doing in Marshall?”
“That isn’t really any of your business,” Tatum said with a snarky smile.
“I guess it isn’t,” Libby said. “The barbecue smells great, doesn’t it?”
Tatum’s nose turned up in a snarl. “Not to me. Never liked it all that much.”
How could a Texan not like barbecue? Libby wondered.
“I hear you don’t like dogs, either?” Libby’s tone was a question, not a statement.
“Yes. That’s right. I’m glad Bennington’s dog stays away from Aunt Opal’s house.”
Libby raised a dark eyebrow. “You might want to steer clear of that big old shade tree out in the yard. Elvis does like to lay up under it.”
“I’ll remember that. Where is Bennington?” Tatum asked.
Libby pointed in his direction. “He’s in line at the barbecue wagon.”
Tatum leaned into the window and whispered, “Watch and learn, honey. I always get what I want.”
“What is it that you want?” Libby asked, surprised that the woman hadn’t already started sneezing.
“What does any woman want?” Tatum snapped.
“Love, happiness, a family.”
“That depends on who you are, I guess.” Tatum flashed a grin.
Libby heard a deep growl behind her and turned to see that every hair on Fancy’s back was standing straight up. She remembered the first time she had met Elvis and how friendly he had been. Evidently, her grandmother’s old saying to beware of anyone dogs or kids didn’t like was more than just words.
For the first time in years, Libby agreed with Victoria.
Tatum took a step back. “Why didn’t you tell me you had a dog in the truck?” Her tone had gone from low and sexy to a high squeak in seconds.
“You didn’t ask, darlin’.” Libby dragged out the last word. “Do you really want to make a play for Benny with snot running out of your nose and your eyes swelling up? And before you get close to him today, you should know that Fancy”—she nodded toward the dog—“has been right up next to him for the past few hours.”
“You are a—” Tatum sneezed.
“Be careful what you call me,” Libby said with a sweet smile. “I can always get out of this truck and hug you like a sister. Like you said, ‘Watch and learn.’”
Tatum gave her a look meant to melt her into nothing but a greasy spot on Benny’s leather pickup seat, then whipped around and headed across the parking lot at a fast trot.
Spoken like a true smart-ass. Victoria’s giggles were so real that Libby could have sworn she was right behind her. I’m proud of you.
Benny stepped up to the window and ordered two chopped-brisket sandwiches, two large sweet teas, and a couple of bags of potato chips. He had a brown bag in one hand and two drinks in a cup carrier in the other when he noticed Tatum jogging across the lot.
He passed the food through the window to Libby and rounded the front of the truck. “Was that Tatum?” he asked when he slid in behind the steering wheel.
“Yep.” Libby removed the two tall cups of sweet tea from the flimsy cardboard and put them in the cup holders in front of the console. “Did you order the same thing for both of us?”
“Yes, I did,” he answered. “What did she want?”
“She said that it wasn’t any of my business what she was doing in this area, but I reckon it was to stalk you.”
Benny’s brows drew down into a deep frown. “That’s aggravating, but we are not going to let it spoil our day.”
Fancy sniffed the air and yipped.
Libby pinched off a tiny bite of the bun and handed it to her. The dog turned up her nose and went back to her dog food. “Well, darlin’ girl, that’s what we’ve got today.”
“I’m not giving up Elvis for anyone,” Benny declared and took a bite of his sandwich.
“Evidently, Tatum is used to getting what she wants.”
“Did she tell you exactly what that was?” he asked.
Libby nodded. “Not that I can’t guess—she’s pretty obvious—but I told her that most women want love and a family.”
Benny swallowed and took a drink of his tea. “Oh, really?”
“Yep, and she calls you Bennington,” she told him.
“I don’t know why she does that. I wasn’t even Bennington at the law firm. The people there called me Ben.”
“This is great barbecue. If we’re ever back in this area, we should drop by here again.”
“Are you trying to change the subject?” Benny asked with half a chuckle.
“Not trying,” she answered. “Whatever relationship—or lack of one—that y’all have is for the two of you to figure out. I don’t need to be the middleman.”
“Fair enough, but I’d like to know how Fancy reacted to her,” he said. “And before you answer, remember how the dog came right up to you and didn’t growl at me.”
“Every hair on her back was standing up, and she acted like she might attack the woman,” Libby replied.
“Just as I expected,” Benny said. “I think Tatum would be much happier with someone other than an antique dealer, and that’s all I’ve got to say about that.”
“A fitting line from a great old movie.”
“Yes, it is, and it fits the moment so well,” he said with another one of his deep chuckles. “When we finish eating, we’ll head on up to Jefferson. There’s one major sale going on up there that I especially want to check out before we head home. One of those bed-and-breakfast places is being auctioned off. They’re selling the contents, and then the house at the end. I don’t expect us to stay for the final part, but I would like to see what’s inside.”
“What’s the name of the place?”
“Five Oaks. If we find another trailer load, we might have to ask them to hold the items and come back once we unload what we’ve bought. If not, we can do whatever you want.” He paused. “Maybe visit some folks or your grandmother’s grave site?”
Libby shook her head. “I didn’t leave anything behind that I need to see again. My grandmother left instructions with her gambling buddies. She was cremated, and her ashes were buried in Louisiana where a new casino stands right now. Back then, the only thing there was a sign on the property that said a casino was coming soon.”
“Was that legal?” Another layer to the person that was Libby O’Dell peeled off, making Benny wonder how many more there were hiding under all that independence.
“Her friends went out there at midnight, dug a hole, and dumped her ashes into it, along with a poker chip, a tiny bottle of Jim Beam, and a fresh deck of cards.” Libby’s strained tone said that she didn’t think it was a bit funny.
“You should write a book,” he whispered.
Libby smiled, but her big blue eyes floated in tears. “The truth is stranger than fiction. No one would believe the stories if I told them.”