The Lilac Bouquet Page 7

  Wyatt took a portion and passed it to Logan. “Your grandpa says that you were at the cemetery yesterday.”

  “I was,” Logan said.

  He’d heard all this so many times that there was no new way for them to approach it. Too bad they had to spoil such a good breakfast with this arguing. They should know they were not going to win. There was nothing that hadn’t already been said more than a dozen times, and nothing that would change his mind about Emmy Jo.

  “The church committee had a meeting yesterday afternoon,” Jesse said.

  Logan inhaled and let it out slowly. The conversation was going to be about church business and not his relationship. There were dozens of committees that took care of decisions like business or prayer concerns. He didn’t care which one had had a meeting or what they’d discussed.

  “It’s boiled down to this,” Jesse said. “You stop seeing Emmy Jo or you can’t live in the garage apartment. You have a week to get out if you decide to stay with her.”

  “Dad!” Wyatt exclaimed. “It’s my church now. This sort of thing can’t happen.”

  “That committee meeting had a member from each of the church groups. I’d say it can,” Jesse pointed out.

  “Runnin’ me out of the apartment because of Emmy Jo isn’t right.” Logan slammed his hand down on the table, making the eggs quiver on their plate. He wished he could make his grandfather quake the same way.

  “You’ve got to be kiddin’,” Paula shrieked. “This is our son. I might not agree with his choice of a girlfriend, but I agree that this is wrong, Jesse. I can’t believe that you spearheaded such a horrible thing.”

  “Someone had to step up and take charge.” Jesse folded his arms over his chest.

  Logan pushed his plate back. “I’ll start packing tonight, and from now on I’ll attend that little church where Emmy Jo goes. So far they haven’t thrown her out.”

  “Tandy goes there,” Jesse growled.

  “So do a lot of other citizens in Hickory, some of whom are my clients at the bank. And it seems like they might have a little more forgiving nature than y’all do.” He laid his napkin on the table.

  “You are making a big mistake.” Jesse’s face turned scarlet.

  Logan hoped that Jesse’s blood pressure didn’t cause him to stroke out right there. “Depends on whether you are wearing my shoes or yours, Gramps. I’ll see y’all around. Am I still welcome in the parsonage for Sunday dinner, Mama?”

  “Of course you are. We are family, and that will never change.” Paula shot a dirty look across the table toward Jesse.

  “Then I’ll be out of the apartment tonight, and I’ll see y’all Sunday. Why did my going to the cemetery to see Emmy Jo cause all this? We’ve been dating for years and engaged for six months. What’s the big deal about the cemetery?”

  “It’s just the straw that broke the camel’s back,” Jesse said. “I will never accept that girl into this family.”

  “And you are a preacher?” Logan frowned. His grandfather had always been rigid, but this went beyond even him.

  “It goes way beyond my calling,” Jesse answered.

  “Care to explain?”

  Paula’s forefinger shot up, pointing straight at Jesse. “I’d like to hear that explanation, also.”

  Wyatt gently took her hand in his. “And so would I, Dad.”

  “Let sleeping dogs lie,” Jesse said through clenched teeth.

  “We would if it didn’t involve our son,” Wyatt said. “And I agree with Paula. You’ve gone behind our backs with this, and it’s just not right. I have three months left on my contract with the church. If this is the way it’s going to be, Paula and I might look for something else.”

  Jesse raised his voice two notches. “You don’t want him to get tangled up with her, either.”

  “Maybe not, but this shouldn’t have anything to do with the church,” Wyatt answered.

  “What does it have to do with, Dad?” Logan asked.

  “She’ll drag you down in whatever career choice you make,” Paula said, taking over the conversation. “You know what kind of women she comes from. We’ve tried to let it run its course, but your chances at being something more than a loan officer are limited when they start doing background checks.”

  “Then I’ll wake up every morning and be happy with Emmy Jo. See y’all at Sunday dinner. Dad, you might want to ask someone to take over my Sunday school class. I won’t be there.” Logan waved as he shut the door behind him.

  He’d maintained his cool, and for that he was proud of himself, but he wanted to kick holes in the side of his truck. Anything to get rid of the anger burning in his gut.

  When he reached the bank, he cornered his best friend, Jack, in the kitchen area and told him what had happened. “So does the offer still stand to share your trailer with you?”

  “I’ll bring my truck and we’ll get you moved out right after work. I’ve got an extra bedroom that’s sitting empty. I told you that living that close to your folks would never work,” Jack said, puffing his blond hair out of his face with his words.

  As tall as Logan, but fifty pounds heavier, Jack had been Logan’s best friend since they were kids, and he was engaged to Emmy Jo’s best friend, Diana.

  “Thank you. I’ll be glad to split the lot rent and utilities with you,” Logan said.

  “And I’ll be happy to let you.” Jack clamped a hand on his shoulder.

  Logan hadn’t had a single doubt that he could move in with his friend, but hearing him say it was okay took a heavy load from his shoulders. He’d been spending more time with his grandpa, and it had seemed like things were getting better. It must’ve just been the calm before the storm.

  “You going to tell Emmy Jo why you are moving?” Jack asked.

  “We don’t keep secrets from each other. See you at closing time, then? And thanks again.”

  “You are very welcome, Logan. I’ll have to run home and change into jeans. Don’t want to ruin my good slacks. You can go on to the apartment and start packing. I don’t envy you the job of telling Emmy Jo.” Jack lowered his voice to a whisper as they left the kitchen and went to their workstations.

  “I just hope I get to her before the rumors do.” He waited until his ten o’clock break to text her and then only gave her the basics: Not going so well at home. Moving in with Jack tonight. Can’t wait to see you at lunch tomorrow. Will call after work.

  The message that he got back simply said: I love you.

  CHAPTER FIVE

  Seth had just finished the first page of the Dallas Morning News when the phone rang and Oma Lynn brought it to the deck, stretched the cord to a wall jack, and handed him the receiver.

  “Good mornin’, brother,” Nora yelled into his ear.

  He held the phone out six inches. “You don’t have to shout. It’s a telephone, not a tin can.”

  “Just a minute,” she said. “Is that better?”

  “Yes, what did you do?”

  “I fixed it. Don’t matter how I did it. If I explained, you wouldn’t understand; you’re too stubborn to get into the techie age. So how’s Emmy Jo working out for you?”

  “She’s still here.” He tried to think of a reason that he should get off the phone, but nothing plausible came to mind. It was eight thirty, which meant that Nora didn’t have anything going at the retirement home for at least an hour and a half. He’d be crazy by then.

  “I knew she was spunky from talking to her on the phone. Admit it, brother. You like having someone to help you,” Nora said.

  “Like I would love a boil on my butt.” Maybe if he made her mad she would just hang up on him.

  Nora laughed so loud that he smiled. When she got really tickled, he could hear his mother’s laughter. “Seth Thomas, you are an old geezer, but you’ve still got a soft heart hidden in your chest.”

  “Don’t you bet on it, Nora. I’d hate for you to bitch at me because you lost a bunch of money. What I like best about this arrangement is Tuesdays
and Thursdays—her days off,” Seth said.

  “I was lyin’ there last night almost asleep when I finally figured out that she is kin to Tandy Massey. I didn’t make the connection when I hired her, but she’d be . . . what? A granddaughter? No, Tandy had that baby out of wedlock not too many months after we graduated. This would be Tandy’s great-granddaughter, right? She and I aren’t far from the same age, and I have great-grandchildren about Emmy Jo’s age. Tell Emmy Jo to give my best to Tandy. She was one of the few girls who was nice to me,” Nora said.

  “You tell her. I’m not saying anything to her about Tandy. The girl’s main job is to take me to the cemetery on Sunday. Now I have to go. I’ve got things to do even if you don’t,” he said. He wasn’t about to bring up Tandy’s name to Emmy Jo. She could ask more questions than a sane man could answer without encouraging her.

  It didn’t do a bit of good. Instead of saying good-bye, she asked, “How did Sunday go at the cemetery?”

  “Fine.” Maybe if he answered with only one word, she’d finally get the hint.

  “That’s all. Just fine?” Nora asked.

  “She sat in the truck with her boyfriend for an hour and left me alone. Is that enough information for you?”

  Nora giggled. “Did you go to the home place? What did she do there?”

  “We talked.” God almighty! Did she want a play-by-play?

  “About?”

  “Should I write a damn book about what all we said?” Surely that would make her throw the phone at the wall.

  “You don’t have to get huffy. Retirement hasn’t been good for you, brother. You were a lot easier to talk to when you worked sixteen hours a day at the real estate office. I thought maybe you’d get out more and get to know people once you retired. You need something to get you out of that rut you live in.” Nora’s tone went cold.

  “I like my rut. It’s comfortable, except when you meddle in my life.” Seth glanced over at the empty chair beside him.

  “A rut is a horrible place to be, especially when you are old. Spice up your life or dry up and die an unhappy old man,” Nora argued.

  “You might be old, but I’m not,” he said.

  “You will always be thirteen months older than me.” She laughed. “Good-bye, brother. I’ll call again in a few days, and if you don’t answer, I’ll hire a limo to drive me to Hickory.”

  “Don’t you dare!” he sputtered.

  “Oh, I will and you know it. I’m rich as Midas and can do whatever I damn well please. If Oma Lynn tells me you can’t come to the phone, I’ll be there in four hours.”

  “Okay, I’ll talk to you,” Seth said. Damn woman! She would try the patience of Job. No, she’d make Lucifer turn tail and hide out in a cave.

  “Good. Don’t get too lonely now. Emmy Jo will be home at five.”

  “This is not her home,” Seth said quickly.

  “It is until the end of May. ’Bye, Seth.”

  The line went dead before he could say another thing. He put the receiver back on the base, picked up his newspaper, scanned the first three pages, and laid it aside. This would never, ever be Emmy Jo’s home.

  The breakfast crowd at Libby’s had thinned out by the time Emmy Jo got there on Tuesday morning. She slid into the booth in the back corner, ordered a cup of coffee, and opened her laptop to read through the story she’d started. The library opened in thirty minutes and she planned to spend her morning there, but until then she would take notes with her trusty pen in a red composition book. Somehow she knew that what Seth had told her was the tip of the iceberg to the big fight between the three old people. Just how those two people riding through town in a wagon connected the whole thing was a mystery, but maybe Emmy Jo could get it to unfold with some research into their backgrounds. Wasn’t that how all those detective shows on television worked? They started with a crime, which was the big secret in her case. In order to understand what was going on, they went back to see what had happened in the past.

  She nodded at her own thoughts. She’d figure it all out down to the tiniest detail.

  “Hey.” Diana slid into the other side of the booth and set a plate full of pancakes down on the table. “Why haven’t you called me?”

  “You’ve got my number on speed dial, and you were the one who wouldn’t let me stay with you. Why didn’t you call me?”

  “I have nothing to apologize for. My heart said that you were makin’ a mistake and I wasn’t goin’ to aid in that,” Diana said defensively.

  “What does your heart say now?”

  “That I miss talkin’ to you. We haven’t gone this long since we were in the third grade and had that fight over Theresa Jones.” Diana laid a hand on Emmy Jo’s. “Can we forgive and forget?”

  Emmy Jo slid out of the booth and hugged Diana. “Of course we can. Lord, I missed you and I would’ve called, but things have been crazy. I wish you could see the room I’ve got up there, Diana. The house is absolutely beautiful, but it’s so lonely. It’s like it’s callin’ out to me to make it happy.”

  Diana hugged her tightly. “And Seth?”

  “Oh, he’s eccentric, but I kind of like the old guy.” Emmy Jo went back to her seat on the other side of the booth. “He’s got a soft heart hidin’ in that tough old skin. And you’ve never seen anyone work as hard as he is at getting mobile again.”

  “So?” Diana waved a hand over all the work on the table. “You settin’ up shop in here? Mama might charge you rent if you are.”

  “Only for half an hour. You helping out your mama on your day off?”

  “Yep,” Diana said as she poured maple syrup on the tall stack of pancakes.

  “So how’s things at the office?”

  “’Bout the same. Everyone still thinks you are bat-shit crazy for taking the job, but I’m dyin’ to hear everything, so start talkin’. You said the house is lonely. How can a building have feelings?”

  “I’m not sure, but it’s this big old monster of a place that needs people in it.” She picked up a fork and stole a bite of Diana’s pancakes.

  “I guess you heard that the church pitched a fit and made Logan move out of the apartment,” Diana said.

  “I’m furious over that. What kind of people are they? And, girl”—Emmy Jo closed her laptop and leaned forward—“they might take your Sunday school class away from you if they see you talking to me.”

  “I already told Brother Wyatt that he’d have to find someone else. I felt so bad about not letting you stay with me on Friday night that I couldn’t sleep, and on Sunday morning I felt like a hypocrite in my class. Of all the things that we were studying, it was the story of the Good Samaritan. Felt like someone was putting a knife in my heart and twisting,” Diana said.

  “You are forgiven, and it’s forgotten. I felt bad that I put you in that position, but my gut was right. The job isn’t bad at all.” Emmy Jo chuckled. “I’d sure like to know what it is about all this that put my granny on edge, though.”

  “Maybe it goes back to when Seth, Jesse, and Tandy were all in school together,” Diana said between bites. “And if you want to stay with me the week between when you finish this job and when you and Logan get married, you are welcome.”

  “Thank you.” Emmy Jo smiled as she made a note to check old newspapers for anything from when those three were in school together. “Where is Libby?”

  “In the kitchen helping Daddy with the prep work for the lunch run. I’ll have to get back there soon, but I wanted to talk to you. Thanks for understanding.” Diana laid a hand on Emmy Jo’s and squeezed. “Oh, and your favorite client, Miz Edna, sends her greetings. Everyone at the office took on a couple of your clients until you come back, so I got her. She’s a darlin’ old gal. I love it when I get to visit with her.”

  “Give her a hug for me and tell her I miss her.” Emmy Jo pointed at the clock. “Library is open now. That’s where I’m spending my morning. I’m off on Tuesdays. Maybe next week we can have breakfast together.”

  An
other squeeze and Diana removed her hand. “Sounds good to me, and if you ever just want a place to hang out on your days off, the spare key is taped to the bottom of the mailbox.”

  “I just might take you up on that.” She envisioned a quiet place to work all day on her story if she could get Seth to open up again and tell her more. “Tell Libby hello for me,” she said as she gathered up her things and headed out of the café.

  During her high school years, she and Diana had both worked any spare hours they had at the diner. The job not only put clothes on Emmy Jo’s back, but it helped out a lot of times when Tandy would have had to make a choice between paying the electric bill or going to bingo.

  The librarian, Edith, opened the doors when Emmy Jo parked. “Hey, girl. What are you doing here during your workday? I heard you were Seth Thomas’s new assistant.”

  “Just doing some research on my day off,” Emmy Jo answered. “You got any of the old yearbooks?”

  “At one time we did, but water damage in that part of the library a few years back ruined some of the oldest ones.” Edith flipped on the lights. “What’s it like working in that house for Seth?”

  “It’s a job.” Emmy Jo hurried off to the little room off to one side so she could use the machine to bring up copies of all the old Young County newspapers. If Edith got started, she’d talk for hours, and Emmy Jo had work to do. Still, she felt a little guilty about brushing the old girl off.

  The names of the newspapers and the dates they were published were taped to the front of the desk. The one she was interested in that day was the Graham Leader, which had been in business from 1870 to 1970.

  She took out her notebook and started to scroll through the first one, looking at headlines for anything that mentioned a wagon wreck in Hickory between 1917 and 1919. She hit pay dirt in a July 1918 newspaper. The article didn’t make the front page but appeared on the second page near the top. It said that an unidentified couple traveling with a small child had been killed when their wagon overturned on the outskirts of Hickory. For no apparent reason, the two horses had gone berserk. The woman hit her head on a rock and died instantly. The man’s neck was broken.