Lily nodded in agreement, and wondered what she’d write on her first pages when she picked up the pen.

Chapter Nineteen

Mack’s little slip about “our daughter” came back to Lily’s mind on Monday as she drove to work. She parked her car behind the shop, opened the back door, and turned up the thermometer when she went inside. Turning on lights as she made her way into the front room, she still couldn’t stop thinking about what he’d said. She had seldom even said “our children” when she was talking to Wyatt about Holly and Braden.

She unlocked the front door and flipped the sign over to show that they were open for business. Then she opened the small safe, put enough money in the cash register to start the day, and closed the drawer. The minute she’d stashed her purse and coat, the bell above the door jingled, and Polly came in wearing a big smile and carrying a box from the pastry shop down the street.

“I brought fried pies today to celebrate,” Polly said.

“Celebrate what?” Sally came in through the back door and tossed her coat and purse on a chair.

Polly opened the box and took out a half-moon-shaped fried pie. “That Lily and Mack are dating. I guess that’s what you kids still call it. I’ve got apricot and cherry. Help yourselves. And”—she pulled a half gallon of milk from her purse—“I brought this to go with the pies. Now tell me all about it.”

“Why didn’t you call me?” Sally asked Lily. “I’m your best friend. I should have known about this before the whole town did.”

“Because it’s a rumor.” Lily got three disposable cups from under the counter and poured milk for all of them. “But whoever started it has my thanks. I love fried pies. Mama used to make apricot fried pies for us in the summer when she didn’t want to heat up the house with an oven.”

“Well, crap!” Sally sighed. “You haven’t dated since your divorce. I wanted it to be real, and besides, it’s Valentine’s Day, so we need something romantic to talk about.”

“Well, it damn sure ain’t goin’ to ever happen with two kids underfoot all the time,” Polly laughed. “Want me to babysit Holly and Braden some evening? I’d be glad to take them for hot dogs and to a movie so y’all can have some free time to check out that bedroom stuff, and maybe even start dating.”

“Polly!” Lily exclaimed.

“Just makin’ an offer,” Polly giggled.

“If I get a boyfriend who has two kids, do I get the same offer?” Sally asked.

“Honey, if you find a man, I’ll take the kids for the whole weekend,” Polly answered. “You need to get over that sumbitch you married and move on.”

“I’m givin’ it my best shot.” Sally picked up one of the pies and bit the end off. “I have to find someone who doesn’t mind a woman who isn’t a skinny trophy girl.”

“He’s out there,” Polly said. “Guess you just got to be patient.”

“Hey,” Teena called out from the back room, “what’s going on in here?”

“We’re having a party,” Polly yelled. “Fried pies and milk. We’ll have cake and champagne at the wedding.”

“What wedding?” Teena raised her dark eyebrows. “And who’s getting married?”

“Nobody,” Lily said quickly. “At least not for a long time, if even then. Lord, we aren’t even dating. It’s just a bunch of gossip. Don’t scare him off by mentioning wedding cake.”

“Our daughter” popped back into her mind. “Teena, what’s going on in your world?” Lily asked. “We haven’t talked in a few days.”

“Ryder went back to the university, but he’s moving in with Macy this summer. He hates school and really does want to go into the business with me, so I’m going to let him have a chance at it. Macy is going to finish up the first stage of her nursing school, get a job as an LPN and study at night for her RN degree, and they’ll be living in her little apartment,” Teena said. “Life goes on, and we move on, even after heartbreaks. We’ve all proven that more than once. I’m just so grateful that y’all have been here with me throughout this whole thing. Support means so much. Sometimes I feel like we’re sisters and not just friends.”

“Honey, y’all three are sisters of the heart,” Polly said, “like me and Vera used to be. I’m like your meddling old aunt—glad for every minute I get to spend with you kids.” She sighed. “I also heard that there was some kind of fiasco a while back with Holly and Braden. I’ve heard all the rumors, but I’m behind on the real stuff since I ain’t been to see y’all in a few weeks.”

“Well, I heard that Mack took you to meet his parents,” Teena said. “Sounds pretty serious to me.”

Sally held up her hand. “You better let me tell the story about the kids. Lily’s blood pressure still goes out the roof when she talks about it.”

“I’ll tell it.” Lily told Teena and Polly that she was still mad as hell about the horrible hotel incident with the kids as she finished off her pie and wiped her fingers on one of the napkins supplied by the pastry shop. “I need to get over it, but I get angry every time I think about it.”

“You’ve got every right to be upset for as long as you want.” Teena nodded. “I vote the four of us take care of Wyatt.” She started humming the old Dixie Chicks song “Goodbye Earl.”

Polly giggled. “I’ve got some wooded area back behind my house. We can put the body there. And I also know where there’s a real deep well that no one uses anymore.” She winked. “Anyone that would treat their own kids like that should be shot for sure.”

Just as Lily opened her mouth to say something, her phone rang.

She managed to fish it out of her purse and answer it before it went to voice mail and was surprised to hear a strange guy’s voice. “Mrs. Anderson, this is Daniel Wallace, the principal at the Comfort Middle School. We have a problem, and it would be best if you could be here in person.”

It took a minute to register the name with the face of the man who’d been in a hurry at the school on the day she enrolled Braden. “Is my son hurt or in trouble?” she asked.

“Both, but there are no broken bones,” Mr. Wallace told her.

“I’ll be there in five minutes,” Lily said, and ended the call. When she turned around, all three women had stunned expressions. “You heard?”

“Daniel’s a loud talker,” Polly said.

“Go!” Sally said. “We’ll all be right here when you get back, and if you need support, just call us, and we’ll come running.”

Lily’s blood pressure must’ve shot up because she could hear her heartbeat thumping in her ears as she drove toward the school way too fast. Braden had never been in trouble at school. Sure, he might have engaged in quite a bit of mischief outside of it, but Lily had never been called to come take care of a problem. Not once in all of his school days. She burned a few miles off her tires when she braked hard and slid into the parking lot, then again when she whipped into a spot. When she reached the principal’s office and saw Braden sitting in a chair in front of his desk, she felt all the blood drain from her face. He had a black eye and a blood smear across his nose. He was holding a bloody tissue, and his lip was cut.