Page 14 of Beg, Borrow, or Steal

All three of them groan. I could swear even Ducky makes a sound.

“How is it fair that you can demand that our business be your business and your business is your own too?” Madison is outraged.

“Simple,” I say, shrugging a shoulder. “Is your name Emily?”

“That isnotan answer.”

We’re suddenly interrupted by a knock on my front door. I smile to myself because everything is working out exactly as I calculated.

I hold Ducky so she doesn’t dart out under my feet and leave me forever the second I open the door. On my front porch, I find Mabel, the woman who is like a second grandma to us. She’s wearing her favorite yellow sundress that brings out the warm undertones of her dark skin. Matching yellow hoop earrings peek out from under her shortish, curly, silver-and-white hair. And her smile—oh, it’s downright mischievous.

She was my grandma’s best friend but pretty much her opposite in every way. Grandma was gentle like Annie and Madison, but Mabel…Mabel and I are cut from the same utility cloth. We have both been likened to hot sauce more than once in our lives. And she’s clutching a casserole dish so famous around this town we’ve named it the Information Dish.

This is how the best secrets of Rome, Kentucky, get extracted.Mabel tempts you with brown sugar, marshmallow, and sweet potato goodness, and then snatches it away until you give her the answers she’s looking for. It’s a good thing the military doesn’t know about her or this casserole.

“Morning, sugar,” she says in her scratchy southern drawl, laying it on thick today. “Just thought I’d drop by with a little casserole.” On the wordcasseroleshe waves the vintage Pyrex dish under my nose. It’s the same color as Jack’s mustard trousers.

Normally I wouldn’t cave so easily. But since I want this piece of gossip to hit the town like a wildfire, I take one whiff, look her straight in the eyes, and waste zero time. “Yes, Jackson Bennett is single now. And yes, he bought the house next to mine. But no, I don’t want him there, and as far as I’m concerned, he’s not welcome in our town. Now…gimme.”

She smiles proudly and hands it over with a soft pat on the back of my forearm.Mmm, the dish is still warm.Betrayal has never tasted so sweet.

“Got it.” She winks. “And you’ll have our solidarity as always. See ya tomorrow, hon.”

I close the door and turn around with my spoils in hand. My sisters meet me with a pitiful look (Annie turned the phone so Madison could watch the whole situation unfold). Guilt hunches my shoulders—but I can’t give in to it. Where Jackson is concerned, I get a free pass.

“Emily, that’s going to be all over town by tomorrow, you know? Everyone is going to shun him.” Annie looks distraught. “Are you sure that’s what you want?”

“Absolutely.” I grab a fork and dive headfirst into this damn good casserole, imagining with every delicious bite the look on Jackson’s face when he realizes he’s been bested. Hopefully this was enough to keep him from invading my life any more than he already has.

FROM: Emily Walker

TO: Jack Bennett

DATE: Tue, May 28 2:00 PM

SUBJECT: E.T. phone home?

Is that giant metal box in your front yard here to take you back to your home planet???

FROM: Jack Bennett

TO: Emily Walker

DATE: Tue, May 28 2:05 PM

SUBJECT: E.T. phone home?

This, Emily Stalker, is the accumulation of all the belongings I have left after my split with Zoe—freshly shipped to me from the good state of Nebraska.

FROM: Emily Walker

TO: Jack Bennett

DATE: Tue, May 28 2:07 PM

SUBJECT: E.T. phone home?

Jack…that’s a very small pod. You didn’t get to keep more than that???

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