Page 52 of The Night the Lights Went Out
“That’s odd,” he said, staring at his phone, a frown puckering his eyebrows.
“What’s wrong?”
“My phone’s off. I was wondering why it wasn’t buzzing.” He pressed the “on” button, and while he waited for it to power up, he said, “I won’t be returning the ring. It’s something Heather and I agreed on when we got married—we never return a gift. We decided that if you love a person enough, you’ll love anything they get for you if you know it comes from the heart. That’s how I know she’ll love this ring—if not initially, then she’ll grow to love it.”
Merilee almost asked if they were speaking about the same Heather. “That’s a beautiful sentiment—something I’ll have to remember.”
Dan was staring at the screen of his phone, a deep crease between his brows. “Looks like I accidentally picked up Heather’s phone again. She just bought a new one that’s exactly like mine, so now we have the same phone with the same case. Never happened before, but now it’s happening a lot, it seems.” He smiled up at her, but his expression was lacking in warmth. “Guess I need to run and find Heather and swap phones before my meeting. Thanks again.”
Before she could step away, he’d leaned down and kissed her on the cheek right there in the middle of the showroom floor. She turned back to the case and began replacing all the jewelry she’d gathered, still feeling his lips on her cheek and wondering how many people had seen.
Eighteen
SUGAR
Sugar sat in front of the open window, her fingers stilled on the keyboard in midthought, startled the way a breeze could carry with it so many memories. It was the first whiff of cooler air, heralding the lingering death of a Georgia summer. It was only early September, but the unpredictable weather always liked to tease people into thinking it was time to air out last year’s wool coats. She was sure it confused a lot of the transplants, but after more than ninety summers and falls, she knew what to expect.
Fall had always been her favorite time of year, the crunch of leaves reminding her of pulling out favorite sweaters and sitting in front of a roaring fire. Of her first kiss, right out there on the front porch, but only after Tom had made sure her daddy wasn’t looking.
It was Jimmy’s favorite time of year, too, when he would mark the flocks of birds flying from up north, some to stay, others just resting before taking off to parts farther south. Exotic places like South America and the Caribbean. Places Tom had promised he’d take her after the war, a plan to which she’d agreed but only if he promised he’d bring her back to their home in Sweet Apple. Back to where she knew each fall the weather would turn, the fields would lie fallow, and the crimson and russet leaves of the maples and black gum trees would fall and crunch under her feet. But the leaves of the live oaks that lined the drive would stay green. It was the one constancy she could always count on.
She began to type again, but stopped at the sound of banging on the front door. Maybe it was more like knocking, but it was so rare to have someone come to her house unannounced that it always sounded like banging to her.
She stood and went to the door, peering through the door’s windows to make sure it wasn’t one of those people asking her to buy something or here to save her soul. She didn’t need to buy anything—unless they were Girl Scouts selling cookies—and the state of her soul was between her and Jesus and was nobody else’s business.
It was Merilee, waiting patiently as Sugar made her way to the door, something cradled in her arms, her minivan parked behind her. “I’m sorry to bother you, but I need to ask you something.”
Sugar raised her eyebrows—or what was left of them. They had once been golden blond, with arches Bette Davis would have envied. Now they were practically invisible, the pale white color having leached the gold away years before. “I thought you had my phone number now.”
Merilee extended her arms so Sugar could see the Mason jar in one hand and Jimmy’s binoculars in the other. “I found these on the porch. Colin’s denied it, but I’m assuming he took them, so I’m here to return them.”
Sugar opened the door wider but didn’t step forward to take either item. “He’s not lying. I left them on the porch for him. They’re not doing anybody any good sitting in that cedar chest, so they might as well go to good use. He can keep them.”
“You’re giving them to him?”
Sugar crossed her arms. “I am. Tell him to take care of them.”
“Well, thank you. After I apologize to him for believing him to be lying to me, I’ll have him thank you in person.”
“That’s fine,” Sugar said, waiting to close the door so she could go back to her typing, but Merilee didn’t appear to be done.
“I, uh, also have a favor to ask, if that’s all right.”
Sugar raised her nonexistent brows again. “Well, I guess I can’t stop you from asking, but that’s no guarantee I’ll say yes.”
A spark of humor flitted across Merilee’s gaze, causing Sugar to frown harder. It wouldn’t do to have people not fearing her.
“Yes, well, Heather has called an emergency meeting of all the gala committee heads tonight—as in thirty minutes from now, and I’m just hearing about it because I was at work all day. None of my babysitters or people I would normally call to watch the kids are available on such short notice—although one of them told me she could be here in an hour—and Michael is out of town on business. I would rather skin myself and swim in rubbing alcohol than ask Tammy.”
Sugar’s mouth twitched at the image. “And you’d like me to babysit.”
Merilee looked genuinely relieved. “It would just be for an hour or so—their old babysitter can make it here by then.”
“I see,” Sugar said. “And if I said no?”
“I could bring them with me, but Lily really needs to get to bed early and I have no idea how long I’ll be. But it’ll be easy—I promise. I’ve got Colin sitting in front of the TV watching a show about dogs, so he’s good to go for at least an hour. They’ve got my cell number, and I told them they could call for pizza. I left them a couple of twenties. Or I could bring them here so you don’t even have to leave your house...”
Sugar was already walking out onto the front porch. “Give me those,” she said, reaching for the jar and binoculars. “I’ll stay with them until your babysitter arrives, and make them a proper meal. Regardless of what the government is saying these days, pizza isnota vegetable.”
