Secrets in the Sand - Carolyn Brown Page 0,23

out of his mouth.

“You what?” If he had still been drunk, that would have sobered him right up. Finally, he got the courage to ask, “Who?”

“Tom Lloyd,” she said.

“You’re kidding me.” He gulped.

“I’m quite serious,” Meredith said.

“But, Mother, he’s beneath you,” he said. “He’s—”

She nodded. “There is no one beneath me. We are all just people. And yes, I know that Tom’s the maintenance supervisor at the cemetery. His wife died the same year your father did, and he’s been lonely too. Clancy, I don’t need money and I really don’t give a damn about hanging around that fancy country club. That was your dad’s scene, not mine. What I want is someone to love me and to spend time with me. I miss having a companion, Son.”

Clancy’s heart dropped. He didn’t even know Tom, and he had judged him on a social basis. Angel wouldn’t have done that, he thought.

He took a deep breath and asked, “When is he coming around so I can get better acquainted with him?”

Meredith patted his arm. “Guess you’re more like me than I thought. Now, tell me, where again is it that Angela lives? And how did she get so rich as to own an oil company? Did you tell her that we used to own part of Texanna Red until your dad died and Red bought back the shares?”

He shook his head. “And I didn’t tell her that Red wants me to work for him either. I don’t love Conrad Oil. Like you said, I don’t need money. I need Angel…and I’ve realized it too damned late!”

Chapter 7

Patty took all the incoming calls, so she knew Clancy hadn’t called Angel—at least not at the business. She had hoped that the trip to Tishomingo and the visit to the cemetery would bring closure to her friend, but it hadn’t. Angel’s green eyes were as sad as they had been the day they gathered around the black hole in the Kemp cemetery that was her grandmother’s final resting place.

In Patty’s opinion, the time had come for Angel to either kiss him or kill him and get on with life, and if no one else was going to prepare his wedding or his funeral, then Patty would take matters into her own hands—even if that made Angel mad. Facing her best friend’s anger would be better than this damned cloud hanging over their heads while Angel went around sighing and declaring that she had buried all her memories and she was fine.

Patty crossed one long leg over the other one and tugged down the bottom of a lemon-yellow skirt. She took a deep breath and dialed the number that she had stolen from Angel’s phone.

“Hello?” Clancy said.

“This is Patty at Conrad Oil,” she said.

“Is Angel all right?” His voice sounded both worried and downright sad.

“She’s fine physically, but not so good emotionally,” Patty said.

“I know the feeling.” Clancy said in a deep Texas drawl.

“Y’all need to get this worked out,” Patty said.

“I agree, but I have no idea where to start, or what to do,” Clancy said.

“I’ll be in touch as soon as we have a plan,” Patty said.

“I’m leaving soon on a short trip to Florida. I’m going down there for a few days. Maybe a few days on the beach will help me clear my mind. At least, that’s what I’m hoping, but I’m not sure anything can do that.” Clancy sighed.

“Where in Florida? We might be able to work with that.” Patty’s mind started racing in circles as she made a plan that could get her fired for sure.

“To a little hotel right on the beach west of Panama City Beach,” he answered.

“I’ll call you by the end of today,” she said.

“Thank you, but why would you do this for me?” Clancy asked.

“It’s not for you, believe me.” Patty ended the call, checked the day planner, and found that Angel would be on a phone call with Tex from Texanna Red Oil Company in thirty minutes, then texted all the girls except Angel: Mayday. Thirty minutes. Conference room. When she swung the door open to the long, narrow conference room thirty minutes later, the others were already gathered around the table.

“What’s up?” Allie looked a little green above her upper lip. “I swear, if morning sickness doesn’t stop in a few weeks, this is going to be an only child. If Tyler wants to have a big family, he can have the rest of them.” She rolled her eyes at the chocolate