week ago, I was suspicious and resentful of Rachel’s presence here, but she just lost her job because she wasn’t willing to make up lies about me. If that doesn’t speak to her integrity, I don’t know what does.
“You wouldn’t mind me living here?” she asks, sounding unsure.
Shaking my head, I tell her, “I wouldn’t. In fact, I don’t know a lot of people here yet and I think we could be friends.”
“I’ll definitely consider it,” she tells me. “Thank you.”
“Thank you for sticking up for me,” I tell her before excusing myself. I have to get to the kitchen and face my co-workers for the first time now that they are aware of my true identity.
Chapter Fifty
Ruby
After making sure the area around Penny’s recent piddle gets cleaned up, Ruby sits down with her son. “You and Tara really seem to have everything in control this morning,” she tells him.
“We decided last night that we were going to quit pretending to date and really do it,” James tells her.
“Really?” Ruby does her best to sound surprised.
“That’s right, Mom. You can quit trying to throw us together. It worked.”
“Whatever do you mean?”
“I mean the garden project you concocted for me and Tara to work on. Tell me that wasn’t your way of trying to fix us up.”
Ruby focuses on her coffee and takes a couple of sips before saying, “But it worked, right?”
“Yes, Mom, it worked. Now tell me, do you still want me to create a garden plan for you?”
“I don’t see why. If I put in a garden here, I wouldn’t need to buy from your farm.”
“So, no garden?” James laughs.
“No garden,” Ruby assures him. Then she reaches across the table to take his hand. “I’m thankful for you, James. You’re a wonderful man, just like your father.”
With tears in his eyes, he says, “I miss him, Mom. So much.”
“I like to think he’ll be with us today.”
“If there’s any way he can be, I’m sure he will,” James assures his mom.
Mother and son sit quietly, both reflecting on all they have to be thankful for. The list is extensive.
James
My mom made a point of telling the staff who Tara really is before breakfast service started this morning. She didn’t want that wild card on the table along with everything else. I can’t tell if the excited aura radiating off of them is because of Tara or Romaine and Cash. Chances are it’s a bit of both.
Helena stops by the table as I’m getting ready to leave and says, “I’ve got to tell you, just last week I was thinking this place was getting a little dull. I’ll never think that again.”
I laugh. “Tell me about it. This is the biggest thing to happen to Spartan since I accidentally mooned that photographer from the Spartan Herald.”
“I don’t think that was a moon as much as a righteous plumber’s crack,” Helena says.
My face heats up at the memory. “Who cares, they still printed it.”
“The editor went to the eye doctor right after that issue ran and had her prescription updated. I say, you performed a public service.”
“How do you figure?” I ask.
“With eyesight that bad, Mrs. Peabody could have run someone over in her car without seeing them.”
“Yeah, but the whole town saw my butt. That was horrifying.”
“Please,” she says. “It’s a good butt; you have nothing to be ashamed of.”
Deciding it’s time to get off the topic of my posterior, I say, “Hey, my mom said your folks are joining us for Thanksgiving dinner tonight. That’ll be nice.”
Helena looks sad as she answers, “The doctors think it’ll be my dad’s last. They seem pretty certain his diagnosis will reach its end within a year.”
“I’m so sorry. I know what you’re going through.” I reach out and pat her arm.
She shakes her head. “I think it was worse for you, having no warning. I’m grateful for this time to prepare. It will still be ungodly hard to lose Dad, but at least we’ll have the comfort of knowing his pain will be over.”
“You have a good attitude,” I tell her. “Focusing on gratitude makes any cross easier to bear.”
After Helena walks away, I head out of the dining room. I’m almost at the hostess stand when Romaine approaches me. He sidles next to me and asks, “Would you mind taking a walk with me?”
I immediately bristle. I don’t want anything to do with this superstar. In fact, I’m pretty sure I’ll never be able to listen to his music again.