Page 46 of Christmas at Black Cherry Retreat
Chapter Twenty-One
Amid the cacophony of seven adults and five children competing to be heard Fee mentally retreated. This was when she needed her camera to hide behind because right now she’d rather face a hail of bullets than the loud, happy Chambers family.
‘Supper’s ready, come and get it.’ Sarah popped her head in around the door and yelled. ‘Fee, you’re sittingby me. I’ve been too busy cooking to have my turn with you.’
Fee’s pleading glance at Tom only got her an apologetic smile and a shrug.
‘Mama’s orders, honey. It’s more than my life’s worth to argue.’
‘Are you a man or a mouse?’ she hissed.
He shuffled from one foot to the other. ‘Mouse when it comes to my mother. Sorry.’
He didn’tlookterribly sorry butshe could hardly start an argument here. She’d already endured an hour of being examined by his brothers, their wives and assorted children – her only reprieve came from his father who’d been delayed at work. Fee hoped a mini crime wave swept through Pine Ridge and kept the sheriff away as long as possible.
‘Fine, lead me to my execution,’ she murmured.
‘Don’t fret. She’s a sweetlady and loves you already.’
Fee didn’t fall for Tom’s effort at reassurance. Sarah was a shrewd lady who ruled her family with a rod of velvet-covered steel. In theory his mother might want Tom to meet another woman but Fee wasn’t convinced a frayed-around-the-edges, nomadic English war photographer was what she had in mind.
The spread of food covering the massive oak dining tablewas enough to feed an army but she suspected there wouldn’t be much left when they were all done. She’d try to make careful choices and hope no one noticed.
‘Meat loaf, fried chicken, sweet potatoes, green bean casserole, fried apples, turnip greens and cornbread,’ Tom recited, pointing to everything in turn with a massive grin on his face. Plainly nothing made the man happier than sittingdown to a tableful of his mother’s cooking. The fact she could barely manage to heat up a tin of soup was another black mark against her. ‘Hey, Mama, I just realised Mee Maw’s not here. Is she all right?’
‘She said she was tired and goin’ to have an early night. Your daddy checked on her this afternoon and found out the doctor changed her heart tablets and it’s thrown her a bit that’sall.’
‘Everything looks wonderful, Sarah.’ Fee was in awe of all the work Tom’s mother had done.
‘Thank you, hon it’s nothing fancy but it’ll fill up the boys.’
Fee glanced over at “the boys” – three hulking good-looking men who were shovelling food into their mouths as if they might not see another meal for months. With a pang she remembered multiple times in her own childhoodwhen her stomach ached with hunger. If she asked her mother when they’d be eating Fee usually received a blank stare. Maddy would tell her to find herself something in the kitchen and not to bother her.
Under the table Tom squeezed her knee and she managed a tiny smile. He knew this was hard for her. Fee plunged right in and asked his mother a myriad of questions about what Tom was likeas a boy. This served the dual purpose of finding out more about him and slowing down her own interrogation. Sarah was happy to launch into a long story about her youngest son involving a dead snake and his least favourite teacher. Suddenly she stopped and frowned at Fee’s untouched plate.
‘I suppose this isn’t your sort of food?’
If she wanted to win over Tom’s mother, and shewasn’t convinced on that score yet, not appreciating her food wasn’t going the right way about it. Fee recognised another plain-spoken woman when she met one and came to the instant decision not to be foolish. Without any fuss she explained about her ulcer and the restrictions it placed on her diet.
Sarah glared at Tom. ‘Why didn’t you tell me? I’d have been more considerate about whatI fixed.’
Everyone stopped to listen and Fee wished she could slink under the table.
‘It wasn’t my story to share. Fee prefers to deal with it her own way.’ Tom’s firm tone made his mother’s face colour up and for a moment the room was silent.
‘You’d better have saved me some food, you scavengers.’ Hank Chambers breezed in, tugged off his uniform jacket and hung it on theback of the empty chair next to his wife. ‘What’s up?’
‘Nothing, Pop. If you’re lucky you might find a chicken bone left,’ Tom joked. Fee didn’t miss the quick silent exchange between the two men and envied their easy communication.
‘Huh. It’s a bad thing when a man’s got to fight his own kids for a bite to eat.’ He sat down and grabbed the nearest bowl of food to start pilinggreen beans on his plate.
The normal loud level of conversation resumed and Tom gave her a quick, sly wink.
For the first time that day Fee relaxed and wondered if she could do this after all.
Tom worked on seeing his family from Fee’s point of view. He’d grown up with their brash noisiness so it all went in one ear and out the other, but she was an only child with almostno family so it must be overwhelming. She’d spent her career observing people from the outside and the sense of separateness wrapped around her had intrigued Tom from the beginning. He’d itched to find out what made her tick underneath the remote exterior and got a kick out of discovering the passionate woman she kept well hidden.
‘Are you doing okay?’ He kept his voice low and reachedfor her wrist to play with the simple silver bracelet she’d chosen in one of the small gift shops in Norris.
