don’t have guests that will stumble over you when they come downstairs for a cookie or a glass of milk,” she said.
“I don’t like you so much right now,” he snapped as he stormed off toward the bathroom.
“Well, I don’t like you at all,” Jolene said.
She put her white clothes in the washer, and while the cycle ran, she dusted all the downstairs furniture, the pictures, and even the window ledge where a cardinal watched her through the glass. “You’re not going to make me feel guilty. More than two years is enough for him to pull up his bootstraps and get on with life.”
When she finished, she went back through the foyer and into the utility room to get the vacuum. She heard water running in the shower. He’d better enjoy it, because if they lost electricity, there would be no hot water. But maybe an icy shower was exactly what he needed.
When she came back through the kitchen, Tucker was sitting at the table with a cup of coffee in his hands. His eyes still looked like hell. His hair still sported a few water droplets, but it had been combed. And he was wearing clean sweats, even if they didn’t match.
“You said to prove it. Just exactly how do I do that?” His tone was still grumpy.
“Don’t do it again,” she told him.
“Ever?”
“That’s right. Think about it. We have guests on a Saturday night and they come in late from a family reunion or a movie and stumble over your drunk ass in the foyer. That’s real good for business.”
He sucked in air and let it out slowly. “You ever give your mama that speech?”
“More times than I want to remember, only it was about being sober enough to go to work and get through her eight-hour shift five days a week. And what sent my last boyfriend, Johnny Ray, packing was the same problem. God hates me. He keeps putting you drunks in my path,” she said.
He took a sip of coffee. “So how long do you stay mad when you get to this boiling point?”
“Don’t know. A week. A month. I’ve never been this angry before,” she said.
“Never?” He raised a dark brow.
“Nope, because always before if I got mad, I could move out or kick whoever upset me out. I have to live with you, so it may take a while.”
“Whew!” Tucker wiped his brow.
“You caused it. Now live with it.” She left him sitting there as she went to her room to read a book for the rest of the afternoon.
Chapter Nineteen
Tupelo, Mississippi
While Jasper made breakfast that morning, Sugar used the time to give Jolene a call. It rang four times before Jolene answered.
“Did I call at a bad time?” Sugar asked.
“Hey, darlin’ girl,” Jasper called out. “I’m makin’ chocolate-chip pancakes. Want me to send some over the phone?”
Jolene sighed. “I wish you could send pancakes over the phone, or even just be here today. It’s never a bad time, Aunt Sugar. I’m glad you called this morning. I need to talk to you. I hope I handled a problem right. But maybe I just overreacted because of my past,” she said.
Sugar poured another cup of coffee and said, “Tell me all about it, honey.”
Jolene gave her a play-by-play and ended with, “So give me your straight-up, honest opinion.”
“Ask yourself—are you mad at him because he reminds you of your mother in that same condition or maybe that last worthless boyfriend that promised you he’d change for your love? Or are you disappointed in him because you want more in a partner? What’s the underlying reason?” Sugar hated that Jolene was dealing with the same problem that she’d faced in the past. But being asked for advice sure made her feel good that morning.
“Maybe all of the above,” Jolene said. “I’m not even sure I want to help him after last night. I tried to help Mama. And I tried to help my boyfriend. Neither worked, so why would I even try a third time? But if I wanted to, how do I go about it when he won’t help himself?”
“Listen to your heart. It’ll guide you right,” she answered.
“I’ve tried that before, and it—” Jolene started.
Sugar butted in before she could say anything else. “Whoa, honey. Did you ever really, really listen to your heart?”
“How do even I know when it’s talking to me?”
“There’s peace.” Sugar wasn’t sure if she was talking to Jolene or to herself—maybe it was to both of