Page 55 of Christmas at Black Cherry Retreat
Chapter Twenty-Six
Brandishing a bunch of her favourite scented pink roses Tom rang his grandmother’s bell and opened the door at the same time. She never locked it despite his father berating her at regular intervals. ‘It’s only me,’ he called out, looking in through the living room and not spotting her anywhere.
‘Well if it isn’t my long lost grandson.’ Betty MaeChambers carefully made her way down the narrow stairs stopping half way to catch her breath. ‘I thought you’d forgotten where I live.’ She waved a yellow duster in his face.
They both knew he’d seen her only the week before but in her book thatwasa long time. Keeping a close watch on all her brood was his Mee Maw’s reason for living.
‘Your daddy talked about you when he poppedin last night.’
Tom wasn’t stupid enough to ask what exactly had been said. ‘Are you feeling better now?’
‘I’m fine. Don’t you start fussin’. I get enough of that from your daddy.’
‘These are for you.’ He thrust the flowers at her.
‘I didn’t think they were for Sooty.’ His grandmother’s reference to the overweight black cat she doted on made Tom grin. She liftedthe flowers to her nose and sniffed. ‘All right, you’ve grovelled enough. I’ll let you stay a while and you can tell me why I’m being honoured by your presenceandroses.’
Other grandmothers might simply be pleased to get a visit but he should’ve known Mee Maw would guess he wasn’t simply being considerate. Talking to his father might have been the easier option. So much for sweet talking.
‘We’ll sit in the kitchen. I’m guessing you smelt the caramel cake and that’s why you’ve come sniffing around.’
At least he’d hit the jackpot on the dessert front. Mee Maw’s caramel cake was renowned and she’d won multiple blue ribbons at the Tennessee State Fair before she stopped entering to give other people a chance. Her words not his. ‘Pure good luck. I admit I was hoping fora little something sweet but didn’t know I’d be totally spoiled.’
‘Being charming doesn’t suit you, Thomas Michael Chambers,’ she retorted, bustling off in the direction of the kitchen leaving him to follow. ‘Pour the coffee while I fix us some cake.’
‘Let me take care of doing it all to save you—’
‘I don’t have one foot in the grave despite what that new doctor says.’She wagged her finger. Ever since she’d been warned to take it easy because her heart was weak the family had fought a daily battle to stop her overdoing things. She pretty much ignored them all and said that at nearly ninety she didn’t expect to have many more years left but wouldn’t spend her remaining time sitting around in a rocking chair. ‘I’m right with the Lord and when he’s ready for me I’mnot gonna argue with his timin’.’
Tom glanced away or she’d see the emotion filling his eyes with tears. Everything his grandmother said made complete sense but he couldn’t imagine life without her. He obeyed orders and saw to the coffee, adding plenty of cream but no sugar to both of their drinks. He set the cups on the table, sat down, stretched out his legs in front of him and waited.
‘Eat up, boy and we’ll talk after. We don’t want to curdle the icing.’
He dug his fork into a massive slice of cake and savoured a mouthful of the soft yellow sponge covered in smooth caramel. This recipe was the downfall of many an amateur baker because the icing had to be stirred patiently and cooked at the perfect temperature for it to set. Tom remembered Gina’s hopeless attemptsto recreate his favourite cake, the last of which resulted in him eating runny caramel icing with a spoon.
‘What’s wrong? You look as though your mind’s on the moon.’
He dredged up a smile. ‘Sorry. Nothing’s wrong. It’s great.’
‘You know what happens to liars – remember Pinocchio.’
Tom guessed he might as well tell her the truth or else she’d pick at him for thenext hour. ‘Satisfied?’ he asked when he finished talking about Gina’s culinary disaster.
‘I guess your daddy was wrong.’
‘In what way?’
His grandmother’s eyes narrowed, a sure sign Tom was about to get a rollicking.
‘He told me you’d met a decent girl and she’d shaken you out of your self-pitying mood.’
Tom normally tried to argue the point with her buthe didn’t bother. Recently he’d begun to see himself as others did and it wasn’t pretty.
‘Maybe this woman’s done you some good after all.’ Her satisfied tone made him wince. ‘You’re not answering back with your usual nonsense. It’s an improvement.’ Betty Mae blew on her hot coffee before taking a sip.
He could never stay cross or miserable long around his grandmother. Mee Maw’ssmall, old-fashioned house tucked away here at the far end of the town behind the Presbyterian Church was always his refuge. When he’d been in a fight with one of his brothers or got on the wrong side of his parents her door was always open. She didn’t always side with him but by the time he’d vented his anger to her, been fed and listened to whatever advice she had to dole out things never seemedas bad.
‘I hoped you might’ve brought MissWinter to meet me.’ The slight note of censure in her voice got to Tom because it was exactly what he’d planned to do before Fee got all mad at him. ‘You’ve done something idiotic to put the girl off, haven’t you?’
