Son of a Preacher Man - By Arianna Hart Page 0,40
rushing you to the hospital because she was coming early and you couldn’t wait for the ambulance to get here? Boy, time flies when you aren’t looking.”
“It sure does, J.T. How’ve you been?” Lydia asked. “I haven’t seen you in church for ages.” She was Pansy’s best friend and the ring leader of this little group. Her dyed-blonde hair showed a good two inches of brown roots, and her makeup wasn’t up to the task of hiding the black circles under her eyes. Even though she was two years younger than Nadya and Mary Ellen, she looked ten years older.
“I try to go when I’m not working, but you know how it is. Someone has to protect this town. You all remember Nadya Sarov, don’t you? She’s come down from New York City for a visit.”
There were murmurs and no one met his eyes. Finally, Opal Miller stepped forward. She had a boy around Hunter’s age on her hip. “Welcome back, Nadya. How’ve you been?”
Nadya froze for a second and J.T. squeezed her side to get her talking.
“Good. Busy. Things move much faster up north. How about you? How old is your boy? He’s adorable.”
Opal’s face lit up as she stroked her son’s hair off his forehead. “Tanner will be two next month. He and Hunter are in the same Mommy-and-Me group at the church.” She set him down as he started to squirm. Immediately, he toddled over to the sandbox with his own truck.
“What brings you back to Dale?” Opal asked.
“My mama passed away, and I had some affairs that needed to be tied up.”
J.T. admired the way she didn’t exactly lie but sure as hell didn’t tell the truth either.
“I’m sorry to hear that,” Jemma Wilson said. “Your mama helped me find my brother when he got lost in the woods behind your place. He was no older than Luke here, and he’d gotten away from me when we were walking along the creek. I was terrified he’d fallen in and drowned. I was running in circles calling his name when your mama came up with him in her arms. She’d found him chasing a bunny near her garden.”
“I remember that. How is Tommy? He’s what, eighteen now?”
“Twenty. He joined the army two years ago. Right now he’s stationed in Alabama, so we get to see him sometimes. He’s hoping to go to Germany next.”
“Wow, twenty already. Please give him my regards when you talk to him next.”
“I will.”
Lydia, Daisy and a third woman J.T. didn’t recognize immediately stared at Nadya, taking in everything from the gold hoops in her ears to the shoes on her feet. There was an awkward pause, and he was searching for a way to break it when Billy called out.
“Uncle J.T. Auntie Nad! Watch me!” He waved from the top of the slide before lying on his belly and shooting down the blue plastic.
“Be careful!” Nadya called out. “Dear God, he’s going to split his lip and Mary Ellen will have my head.” She took a step toward the slide but J.T. held her back.
“He’s fine. The surface is padded and he’s not going that fast.”
A banshee wail came from the sandbox and Nadya spun away from Billy to look at Hunter, who was in a tug-of-war with Tanner over the truck.
“I’ll, ah, go check on Billy.” He took off for the slide while Nadya went to the sandbox. She shot him a glare as he abandoned her to the screaming toddler and a gaggle of women.
Bill met him by the slide where he was brushing off Little Billy’s shirt and straightening his hat. “There you go, good as new.”
“Thanks. I’m going on the tetter-totter.” Billy took off with Lydia’s boy.
“You’re a brave man. If those ladies do something mean to Nadya, Mary Ellen will have your balls as earrings.”
“Nadya can take care of herself.”
“Maybe. Lord knows she’s always had to.” He paused before speaking again. “Did you know Mr. Taylor at the hardware store tried to rape her when she was barely sixteen?”
“What?” Red fury filled his brain as he rounded on Bill. “How did you hear about this?”
“Mary Ellen told me. Nadya was crushing boxes for the garbage behind the general store. You know how they share a Dumpster with the hardware store? Well, she was out there with a box cutter, thank God, ‘cause he came up behind her and pushed her against the wall and was pawing at her when she jabbed open his thigh with the cutter.