Page 8 of Heart of Dixie
The bell rang and Blake rose and collected his books. “You want me and Donna to come over too? You know, for reinforcement?”
I stuck out my fist and gave him a bump. “Nah, dude. Cool and collected; I got this.”
“Tell me all about it tomorrow. I want details.”
Students filed in around us, chattering as they found their seats. “Sure. I’ll tell you all about it.” Like a damn girl.
5
Dixie
Ileft Cooter’s house and steered back along the two-lane, a thick stand of woods to my right, dappling the road with midday shade. As a young girl, the trees were a refuge, one of the special, magical places I’d go to escape. I spent entire days in my secret hideaway amid them, counting the years and then the days until I could ditch this tiny town. Now they only seemed as bedraggled and overgrown as the rundown homes and tired businesses that lined the twisting county road.
I neared the covered wooden bridge over Hunt Creek and slowed the car to cross. I held my breath and tightened my grip on the steering wheel as the car bounced to the other side. Some things stayed the same no matter how much time passed. Take Hunt Creek Bridge, for example. The way my teeth rattled as the car clattered across, it didn’t seem anyone had wasted time or money updating the narrow structure in the years I’d been gone. But stuck here on the back side of town, it tended to get forgotten.
It could have been the same for me, stuck out in the sticks with an absentee mama and a daddy who didn’t have the temperament for . . . anything, really, much less a teenage girl. Cooter was a presence in this town, but they could have easily forgotten me. Instead, they sheltered me, cared for me. Caredaboutme. Until the night I left without a hint of a good-bye.
The little bell tinkled as I pulled open the door and entered Break an Egg. One more thing you could count on to stay the same. Small town people seemed to think they had toannounceeverything. Why was it anybody’s business who was new in town or who had a taste for lunch? I already missed the anonymity of the city.
The interior was mostly the same as I remembered, pretty much how I expected it. Most small town residents were resistant to change, and Ruby embraced her role as a citizen of Kissing Creek with more gusto than a Super Bowl beer ad.
The vintage cash register stationed just inside the door had been a relic even back in the day. I passed it and threaded my way through the sea of widely-spaced Formica-topped tables to meet Beth in the far corner, then took the chair across from her. “So, did you solve this morning’s crime spree single-handedly, Deputy Williams?”
Her grunt was pure frustration. “Old Mrs. Cleary claims she had a case of toilet paper stolen from her back porch.”
“Acase? That’s a lot of paper. Doesn’t she live alone?” Beth nodded and probably wondered why I remembered that detail. I did too.
“Seems she’s stockpiling for the garden club’s entry in the Founders’ Day parade. Those biddies spend every summer huddled in secret meetings so nobody can copy their float design.” She paused when the server came by to drop off iced tea. “What do you think, Molly? Crazy Esther’s convincedColleen’s Tuesday night book club took her box of TP to sabotage their parade entry.”
The waitress chuckled, her wide grin displaying a slightly crooked front tooth. “I’d like to see Colleen lift anything over that belly of hers.”
Beth snorted, then slumped back in her seat. “The sheriff wants us to start keeping a closer eye on the teenagers in town. Seems something goes missing or gets vandalized nearly every week lately.”
“Oh, I doubt it’s the kids; we haven’t had a problem until recently. Probably some transient living in the woods nearby.” She laid a menu on the table near Beth and turned to face me. “Hi, you must be Dixie. I’m Molly.”
My eyes flew to hers and I managed a surprised greeting as I accepted the menu she held out. It wasn’t so much that she knew my name, but that she seemed excited to meet me that nearly had me speechless.
“Sorry to hear about your dad.”
I regarded her closer. No smirk, no eye roll.Huh. “Thanks.”
Molly had a pencil stuck over one ear. She pulled it out, tucked it back. “I’ll give you a few minutes to decide.”
Beth gave her a smile. “Thanks, Molly.” But she was already gone. The place was filling up fast and keeping her on her toes. Beth slid her unopened menu to the edge of the table and lifted her gaze to meet mine. “Lunch is on me, but it’s gonna cost you.”
I opened my menu and gave it a quick glance before I stacked it atop the other. Molly was back in an instant, took our orders and was off again. “Why do I have the feeling I’d rather pick up the tab for a couple of Caesar salads?”
Beth was quiet for several long minutes. She was obviously working out something she wanted to discuss. With slow movements, she picked up her paper napkin and spread it across her lap.
To give her time I took a sip of my tea, and nearly gagged.Jesus!I clamped my lips to keep from spitting out the syrupy liquid.How did they drink this?Beth pushed a glass of water toward me and grinned at what was surely a grimace on my face, then was distracted by a young couple who stopped by to say hello. Finally, she lifted her spoon and twirled it between her fingers. “The night you left . . . I swear, old Principal Turnbull,”—Beth waved vaguely toward the distance, and supposedly, toward the high school—“You remember old Mrs. T?”
I nodded. “Who could forget? The woman was older than God’s Aunt Agnes.”
Beth snorted. “Anyway, she finally died a couple of winters back.” She paused to align her spoon beside her plate. I took another sip of water. “I thought she’d have a coronary when you walked across the stage to receive your diploma and then kept on going.” Beth gave me a look of censure.
I opened my mouth to speak, but what could I say? It was a little late to share my regrets after all these years. Besides, I’d apologized for years to both Beth and—
“Anyway, I spent this morning remembering how things were back then and I just want to say . . . you don’t need to apologize to me anymore. I know you had lots of reasons for leaving and that’s selfish of me. I’m just glad you’re finally back.”
