Last Chance Texas, page 20
Turning to face her, he studied the soft glow the moonlight cast on her face, suspecting it might be the last time he ever saw her. He shook his head several times and let out an audible sigh.
“You win, Kelsey. The land is yours.”
She exhaled sharply and immediately stilled the rocking chair. “Just like that?”
“Just like that.”
He heard the tiny hitch in her breath, the one that told him it was taking a while for her to completely absorb the comment.
“That’s wonderful. I’ll tell my attorney.” She touched his arm, and when she spoke, her voice had softened. “I can’t tell you how much this means to me.”
“The only thing I ask of you, Kelsey . . .” After he said it, she sat quietly, waiting for him to continue. “Please don’t sell the land to that trucking company. I’ll help you find another buyer, I promise.”
The only thing he heard now were the night sounds; some crickets chirping in the distance, and several coyotes yipping at the full moon. When Kelsey didn’t respond to what he’d said, Nathan realized she wasn’t going to compromise.
“I’m pretty sure you’ve done your research, Nathan.” As Kelsey spoke, Nathan knew exactly where she was heading with this. “The trucking firm will pay me double what I can get from anyone else. Once I get the money, I’ll pay you the back taxes on my aunt’s land. I should have offered to do that upfront. You’re a pretty savvy guy when it comes to business, Nathan. I’d be a fool to turn down their offer.”
He’d overplayed his hand, assuming Kelsey would care enough about him and the kids to do the right thing. But he’d been wrong. Dead wrong.
“I’m leaving in the morning. I probably should get going.” After Kelsey said it, Nathan realized it was a done deal. She apparently didn’t want to talk about it. And he suspected it wouldn’t have done any good anyway. The woman had made up her mind. He looked over at the full moon, a knot in the pit of his stomach. There was a part of him who wanted to beg, to implore her not to sell the land off to the trucking place. But he knew enough about Kelsey to know she was every bit as stubborn as he was. It was the one thing, maybe the only thing the two of them had in common. For that reason, he decided to let it go.
“I’ll walk you over to Mimi’s trailer . . .”
When she jumped to her feet and began walking away from him, he realized she wouldn’t take him up on the offer to walk her home.
As he watched her fade away into the night, he thought of a wild mustang he’d tried to tame. In the end, he’d failed, and they were forced to release it back into the wild. It’d been the most difficult thing he’d ever done to let it go. Kelsey so reminded him of that mustang.
It’d occurred to him that he could ask her to stay out here for a while, to help him with the kids. But it would only be putting off the inevitable. She had her own life, her own dreams, her own plans. He wasn’t part of her world, and he never would be.
As difficult as it was to release her, he really had no choice.
An owl hooted in the distance, reminding Nathan once again of the beauty of his parcel of land, his domain. And once again, it served of a grim reminder of all that was at stake here. Within a few months’ time, it would all be gone. And he’d be the one to pick up all the pieces, to try and hold everything together. But he’d do it because, in the grand scheme of things, that’s what a Wainwright did.
~ ~ ~
Kelsey hit the road before the sun was up. The discussion she’d had with Nathan the previous evening had left her numb. She’d expected him to leap from the chair and get into it with her. She’d almost have welcomed him telling her once again the in vitro was a stupid idea. But he’d offered little resistance this time, leading her to conclude he was probably more than ready for her to move on.
Taking one hand off the steering wheel, she fingered the Mizpah. Her mind drifted back to the day Mimi had given her the necklace. She’d stood in silence, listening to the heated exchange between her mother and aunt. While she couldn’t make out everything that was being said, it was clear the necklace was a source of contention.
Kelsey remembered standing in the doorway, wiping several tears from her eyes as Mimi wrapped her arms about her, telling her she’d never return to Dallas. All these years later, Kelsey could still recall the Lily of the Valley scented perfume Mimi wore.
Her aunt had begun walking out the door but stopped suddenly. Turning to face Kelsey, she’d fingered the Mizpah hanging about her neck and then nodded, as though giving Kelsey some type of signal. Then in a voice thick with emotion, Mimi had said, ‘May the Lord watch between me and thee,’ and then she was gone.
Kelsey refocused her attention to the highway stretched out before her as she listened to the music of George Strait blaring through the airwaves. She thought back to that night at the Blue Depot. One of the songs being played now was the one she and Nathan had danced to when they did the Texas Two Step. Would she always associate that song with their time together? Because if that was the case, she’d ban herself from listening to country music.
On a whim, she decided to pull into Penny’s Diner for some breakfast. It’d be a long drive. Might as well begin the day with some country cooking.
She smiled, recalling how Nathan had introduced her to grits at the chuckwagon.
Stop it. Stop thinking about him.
Turning off the ignition to the car, she got out. As she walked several paces, she glanced up at the hills again. She’d miss this place. Miss the people. And in spite of all the heated exchanges between the two of them, she’d miss Nathan. And the kids, of course.
Kelsey opened the door to the diner and slowly made her way inside. Based on the few trucks parked around the diner on this Sunday morning, she’d be out of here in no time.
She’d just walked into the entry way when a petite, blond woman gave her a Texas style greeting. “Mornin’ y’all.” Kelsey had yet to figure out how one person could be referred to as y’all. Another West Texas thing.
“Hi. Just one.”
The woman’s name was Sheila, according to the badge she wore. She whisked Kelsey past several tables before motioning her to follow. “Back here okay?”
“Perfect.” The quaint little booth was exactly what Kelsey needed. She could eat in silence, not being forced to engage with the locals. Generally, she’d have welcomed the company, but she simply didn’t have it in her to make small talk.
“I’ll leave you some time to decide. The grits are real good.”
Another grits moment.
Kelsey chuckled to herself at the waitress’s remark. It reminded her of several things: politicians talking about cheesy grits and Nathan’s attempt at the chuckwagon to guide her into the world of good old-fashioned country cooking.
She ran her hand across the menu, trying to decide what to order. That was when she heard several male voices from a booth across the way. She’d brushed by them on the way in so quickly she didn’t really get a glimpse of them, but judging from their conversation, they’d gotten a good look at her.
“Did ya get a good look at the babe who just walked in?” The man had a deep voice, and a raspy quality that made it stand out.
The second man answered; his comment much less offensive. “Yeah. That’s the lady that sang at the Blue Depot the week of the poetry gathering.”
“Did ya hear her say she’s Mimi O’Leary’s kin?” Guy number one apparently had been at the karaoke bar the night she sang.
“I’m surprised you didn’t try and put the hustle on her.”
Hustle? It sounded like something out of Soul Train.
Kelsey stared up at the silver tiles sprinkled across the ceiling of the diner, wondering if the design was an original. It reminded her of the diners she’d eaten in as a child.
She cocked her head to one side, hoping the men would say something about Mimi, anything that would give her a peek into her aunt’s past. And sure enough, they did.
The raspy voiced man’s voice grew louder, as though hoping to gather an audience. Which would be pretty challenging considering it was a quarter past seven on a Sunday. “Yeah, back in the day, Mimi and I had some mighty good times. I doubt that niece of hers is anything like her. Besides, that Wainwright guy seemed to be keeping a pretty close eye on her.”
The other man’s comment stunned her. “Heard Mimi had a kid. Any truth to that, Buck, or was it just a rumor?”
The comment stunned Kelsey. Wiping away the beads of sweat that were beginning to trickle down her face, she struggled to take it all in. Her parents had never once talked about Mimi having a child.
So intently was she listening to the conversation she didn’t hear the waitress come up to her table. “Ya decided yet, honey?” Sheila’s voice held a honey like quality to it as she stared intently at Kelsey, waiting for her to order.
“You know, I’ve changed my mind. I think I’ll just grab a donut and coffee and hit the road. I had no idea how late it’s getting to be.”
Before Sheila could stop her, Kelsey bolted from the table and raced out the door.
~ ~ ~
A week later Kelsey sat in a booth at a Mexican restaurant talking to Meredith and Rachel. “I don’t think my aunt had the best reputation.”
It’d taken several margaritas to loosen her up enough to admit her suspicions about Mimi to the girls, but she’d finally done it. The comments the two men at Penny’s Diner had made about Mimi had gotten her to thinking.
“That’s a bit harsh, Kelsey, don’t you think? Do you have anything to base that on?” Rachel stared over at her, looking more like a high-profile defense attorney than a friend.
“Oh, Rach, settle down.” Meredith rolled her eyes as she said it and quickly propped her elbows up on the table where the girls were sitting, her enormous blue eyes widening. “Dish, Kelsey. All of it.”
Although Rachel had initially scoffed at the idea of revealing sordid details about Mimi’s personal life, she leaned against the back of the booth and listened intently as Kelsey continued speculating about her aunt. That was the thing about Rach. She’d never admit to engaging in gossip, but it was all a front. If there was anything Kelsey had figured out over the course of time, it was that those who protested the most often were the most desperate to engage in mean-spirited conversations. It just made them feel good to pretend they were horrified.
Clearing her throat several times, Kelsey began telling the girls what happened at the diner that Sunday. “The morning I left Alpine, I stopped at Penny’s Diner. A couple of guys in the next booth were talking about Mimi. They saw me come in, but I’m not sure they knew how close I ended up sitting to them. Before I knew it, they intimated that my aunt wasn’t exactly a saint.”
“Oh, come on. Guys talk like that all the time. They probably knew darn well you were sitting right next to them. I hope you kicked their sorry asses.” Rachel’s eyes blazed with anger and Kelsey realized that in a way, she’d probably been a coward not to defend her aunt.
Kelsey looked away, staring at a broad-shouldered gentleman dressed in blue jeans and a chambray shirt. The guy reminded her of Nathan.
“Funny Nathan never said much about Mimi. Don’t you think?” Meredith’s comment was jarring as Kelsey thought about what a mind reader Mere could be.
“Jake told me that Mimi kept to herself, pretty much. Although Nathan’s mom, Elizabeth, and Mimi were very good friends.” Rachel had a look of superiority on her face now, as though she knew something the rest of them didn’t.
“Maybe the fact that they were good friends explains why Nathan didn’t say much. Maybe his mom wasn’t a blabbermouth and kept her opinions about Mimi to herself.” Meredith glared at Rachel as she spoke. “Unlike some people.”
As Kelsey sat there, she decided to share Nathan’s earlier comment about Mimi. “Nathan said the strangest thing when I met him at the cemetery. He said I look just exactly like Mimi. Isn’t that the craziest thing you ever heard?”
“Come on, Kelsey. It’s sheer genetics. She was your aunt. And besides, they say everyone has a twin.” Meredith stared intently at Kelsey, an odd expression on her face.
“That trip to Alpine obviously stirred something up in you, Kelsey. I’ve never heard you talk about Mimi this much. Why don’t you just ask your parents about her?” Rachel’s clouded, as though perhaps she’d like to know more about Mimi O’Leary herself. And knowing her, she’d run and blab to Jake.
They talked for several more minutes before Rachel left the table to visit the ladies room. After she was out of earshot, Meredith grabbed Kelsey by the elbow. Her look was stern as she spoke in hushed tones. “Look, Kels, I think you should just let go of this fascination with your aunt. Your parents despised her. Have you forgotten that Mimi and your mother hadn’t spoken since you were five years old? You told me that yourself.”
“What could Mimi have possibly done to make my mother that angry?” Kelsey realized it was a rhetorical question but on some level, she was thinking out loud.
What had Mimi done? What could possibly tear two sisters apart to the point they never got over it?
“Let this alone, Kelsey. I can’t believe you even care about this. You’ve had much more pressing issues to deal with than this.”
But Kelsey’s curiosity about Mimi was snowballing. There had to be more to Mimi than her mother was letting on. Both her parents had cautioned her not to snoop around Alpine, to ask too many questions about Mimi. And that, of course, made Kelsey all the more determined to get to the bottom of the mystery.
Tired of the secrets and weary of tiptoeing around when the subject of Mimi came up, Kelsey decided that once and for all, she’d get answers.
~ ~ ~
Elizabeth Wainwright meticulously rearranged the African violets which sat on the ledge of her kitchen window as the morning sun streamed in. She began scooping the coffee into the coffee maker, wondering what Nathan wanted to discuss with her. It’d sounded important. She prayed their conversation wouldn’t center around Mimi.
When the coffee began heating, Elizabeth left the kitchen and began wandering down the hall to her bedroom. She stopped midway as the chimes of the grandfather’s clock in the hallway chimed one o’clock.
Don’t do it. You promised Mimi. Once it’s done, you can’t undo it.
The voices inside her begged her not to, but she’d stopped listening. Ever since the day little Jessica had run away. The day Elizabeth had caught a brief glimpse of Mimi’s niece. The day that had changed everything.
She hurried over to the nightstand and jerked the drawer open. Rummaging through it, she picked up the Mizpah necklace; the one Mimi wore around her neck until the day she died. Elizabeth shook her head, knowing that if she told her son all that she knew, he’d feel obligated to tell Kelsey.
I can’t, Mimi. I can’t keep the secret any longer.
Grabbing the manila envelope, Elizabeth held onto it tightly, knowing that its contents would forever change Kelsey Malone’s life.
~ ~ ~
“Hey, Ma. Where are you?” Nathan cupped his mouth as he hollered for his mom to answer the door. When she didn’t, he pushed open the screen door and let himself in.
Glancing at the African violets on a window sill, he wondered if they were the same ones his mom fussed over when he was a kid. Probably. His mom definitely had a green thumb when it came to plants. He, on the other hand, killed them off before they got a running start. So much for heredity.
As Nathan surveyed this very same kitchen he and his sisters had eaten so many meals in, he almost wished the entire clan was here. That way he could give them all the bad news about having to sell of his mother’s farm at the same time.
“Hey, there.” Elizabeth strolled into the kitchen with her arms outstretched and hugged him tightly. Accustomed to her ‘over the top’ displays of affection, Nathan had learned early on not to resist. He squeezed her tightly and kissed the top of her head. To his surprise, his mother pulled away quickly. When she walked over to a nearby chair and sat down, he realized she expected him to get right to the point.
He eyed the manila envelope she was clutching. “What’s that?”
“It can wait. What’s so all fire important that you had to drive clear over here on a Saturday afternoon to tell me?”
Nathan shook his head, realizing how much alike the two of them were; ready to get to the point without any fanfare.
He slid into a chair directly across from where his mother was seated, trying to find just the right words. But, of course, there weren’t any. How do you tell the woman who gave you life and entrusted her family’s farm to you that you’re going to sell it off?
“What is it, son? You look upset.” His mother’s gray eyes clouded as she looked over at him, and he realized that by beating around the bush he was making matters worse. At seventy years of age, his mom still worried about his wellbeing.
“I’m going to sell off the farm.” He heard his own voice trail as he finished the comment. There was nothing to add because nothing he could say would make things easier. What he really wanted to say was, ‘I have to sell the farm.’ But he wasn’t willing to admit defeat that easily. At least, not yet. Another Wainwright trait: pride.
To his amazement, she didn’t come unglued as he’d suspected she would. “I suppose you have your reasons.”
Nathan studied the measured look on his mother’s face, the same one people accused him of having whenever he tried to downplay a situation. But her face suddenly looked drawn as she stared over at the coffeepot. “Can I get you a cup?”
