Page 107 of Cookout Carnage
‘Sherri-Lynne baby, is everything alright?’
Sherilyn choked on a mouthful of food and her mother rushed to get her a glass of water.
‘I’m fine, Mama. It’s okay.’ She coughed.
Lynne sat down again and smoothed over the flowered skirt of her dress.
‘Sherri-Lynne, you know you can tell me anything. Whatever the matter is, I ain’t gonna judge. You know that, right?’
‘Nothing’s the matter, Mama.’
‘Then why you jumpier than a cat on a hot tin roof? Where you been all this time? We’ve hardly seen you since you been back. Is it Fender being home?’
Sherilyn shook her head. ‘I’ve been helping Amy with stuff,’ she mumbled.
‘Since when you two been that close?’
Sherilyn shrugged, staring at her plate as the gravy congealed. ‘None of my other friends are here anymore, and I don’t really have anyone I’m that close to in Chicago.’
Her mom squeezed her hand. ‘If you want some girl talk, I’m always here for you, honey.’
Sherilyn nodded. ‘I know, Mama,’ she whispered.
‘Do you have boy trouble, Sherri-Lynne?’
Sherilyn’s cheeks flushed before she remembered to shake her head.
‘It’s okay. You don’t have to tell me. I just hope he’s worth it. You deserve the very best, baby girl, remember that.’
Her mother let the subject drop and took her full plate away without a murmur when it was clear she wasn’t going to eat anything else. Sherilyn covered all the cold food in Saran Wrap and organised the Dixie cups and napkins in a box for when her mama entered the chilli cook-off. At eight-forty she grabbed Wiener, put his parade costume in her purse and left the house, promising she would be back to help take everything to the VFW hall before the start of the parade.
Wiener sensed the excitement in the air and ran ahead, pulling her behind him by his leash. Just around the corner from Tristan’s rental, Emmett and Clara were waiting. Clara was wearing an elaborate outfit of red, white and blue, accessorised with coloured feathers. Emmett was dressed as Uncle Sam and appeared to have more make-up on than Clara. Sherilyn gripped Wiener’s leash as he tried to ascertain if there were any birds in Clara’s dress.
‘Morning, Sherri-Lynne. All set?’ asked Clara.
‘It’sSherilyn, Clara,’ said Emmett.
‘Oh, stop your fussing, you old coot,’ she replied, slapping him on the arm.
Emmett flinched theatrically as if mortally wounded and rolled his eyes at Sherilyn. ‘Amateurs, darling, amateurs.’
Oh god. ‘This isn’t going to work,’ she whispered.
‘It’ll be fine,’ reassured Clara. ‘Emmett will take it down a notch.’ She turned to him. ‘Won’t you,darling?’
Emmett nodded soberly, reverting back into his role as doting father and husband. ‘Fear not, fair Sherilyn. Everything will be fine. We’ll be at the far end of the parade and keep him away from the grandstand and the hall. He really is a wonderful young man. I’m looking forward to spending the day with him.’
Clara nodded in agreement, but Sherilyn could see her forehead creased with concern. Maybe she, too, was wondering what on earth would happen when this farce was over? She couldn’t keep a fake family going for the rest of her life.
When Tristan opened the door, he appeared genuinely delighted to meet her dog, and Wiener responded in kind, licking and barking, his tail a blur.
‘I thought he was slow and elderly,’ said Tristan as Wiener knocked him over from his crouched position.
Sherilyn laughed. ‘He has his moments. He’s usually pretty chill, but sometimes after a few treats he gets the zoomies and then pretty much nothing can calm him down.’
‘Well then, maybe I shouldn’t give him his present,’ Tris replied before turning to Wiener. ‘You don’t want your present, do you? Nooooooo. Not a present? A present?’ Tristan could have been suggesting a cold bath, but his tone promised a yard full of squirrels with no trees for them to escape into.
Wiener may have been small but he was all muscle, and Sherilyn was struggling to hold him back as Tristan went back in the house and returned with a wrapped parcel. On the top, in large letters were the words ‘A new costume for Mr. Wiener Boden.’ Tristan handed it to Sherilyn.
