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Marilee’s heart sank. She reminded herself she was doing it for Josh, and suddenly money didn’t seem to matter as much. “I think I can put my hands on that much money. My husband and I had a modest savings account, but he’s already taken out half.”
Radford arched one eyebrow. “I suggest you get to the bank before he has a chance to clean it out completely. Once you retain me as counsel, I’ll arrange for a temporary hearing and request visitation with your son. The home study will take longer.” He pulled a sheaf of papers from a file. “I’ll need you to fill out this financial statement and give me a sworn affidavit as to what led to the breakup of your marriage. Like I said, if we can prove adultery, I can have you divorced in ninety days, but should custody become an issue, there’s no telling how long it’ll take.”
Marilee nodded. “I’ll have the money before you close your office this afternoon.”
JOSH ABERNATHY STOOD AT the entrance to Tall Pines Trailer Park and waited for the school bus. On the other side of the pockmarked road, three teenagers smoked cigarettes and watched him. Two of them were his age; one was older. He knew the older guy’s reputation and decided it would be best to keep his mouth shut. Every now and then one of the younger kids would make a wisecrack, and the other would burst into laughter. Josh didn’t have to be psychic to know they were talking about him. People had been making fun of him all his life. The preacher’s kid, they called him, as if he didn’t have a name of his own. Goody Two-shoes. Fatso.
He didn’t belong, and he never had. Not with the kids who wore faded jeans with holes in the knees, and certainly not with the jocks, who ragged him in the shower because he’d put on weight over the past couple of years. He’d stopped showering, only to be made fun of in sixth period for being sweaty, so then he’d stopped participating in gym class at all. Instead, he sat on the bleachers and flunked the class each semester.
His mother claimed he wasn’t fat, said he was just a big kid, but he knew he outweighed kids his own age by a good twenty-five or thirty pounds. When he wore thin T-shirts he could see the roll in his stomach, which was why he’d started wearing black, short-sleeve sweatshirts. His parents said he looked as if he was in mourning, but he didn’t care. Actually, he felt as though someone or something had died. He’d had that feeling for a long time now, although he couldn’t say exactly when it had begun. Probably it had started a couple of years back, when his parents had stopped talking.
Josh heard the boys snicker, but he refused to look their way. Where was the bus, anyway?
“Hey, lard-ass, you want a drag of this here cigarette?” one boy asked.
The older guy remained detached, as though his thoughts were elsewhere.
Josh ignored them. He no longer cared what people thought. When he was younger he’d go off by himself and cry. Now he just shrugged it off. He wished he’d stayed in bed. He wished he was invisible.
He was invisible as far as his dad was concerned. All the man could think of was his new girlfriend. Josh wondered if his dad had lost it. One minute he was this respected minister bent on saving the world, next thing Josh knew he was banging some waitress and selling used cars at the Ford dealership.
“You know, smoking speeds up your metabolism,” the other kid said. “Might get rid of some of that blubber.”
“Would you two shut the hell up?” the oldest kid snapped. “I’ve got a headache, and I’m sick of listening to you. Besides, he ain’t messing with nobody.”
Josh saw the bus in the distance. He hated school. Sleep was really the only thing he liked these days. As long as he was asleep he didn’t have to think about how screwed up his life had become.
Sleep made him feel invisible.
SAM BREWER SHOOK HIS head sadly as he and one of his crew took a tour of Blessing Home. “It would be easier to tear this place down and start from scratch,” the man said.
Sam nodded. “I don’t know how they managed to pass inspection all these years. The wiring is so old it’s a wonder the place hasn’t burned to the ground. And the plumbing is prehistoric.” He shook his head. “God only knows what’s holding up the roof. The house is not structurally sound.”
The other man scratched his jaw. “Needs a lot of work, that’s for sure. No telling how much it’d cost.”
Sam sighed. He had so many jobs going on he had no idea where he’d find the time. He should never have offered to look at the place and get Marilee’s hopes up, because Blessing Home looked like a lost cause, as far as he was concerned.
The last thing he needed was something else to worry about.
RUBY, CLARA AND WINNIE WERE waiting for Marilee when she arrived home. A large pizza sat on the kitchen table, and Winnie was putting out napkins and paper plates. “Congratulations on the new job, honey,” Ruby said, hugging Marilee.
Marilee looked surprised. “How’d you know I was hired?”
“News travels quickly in this town,” Clara said.
“That’s for sure,” Winnie muttered. “Can’t take a leak in this town without everybody knowing about it.” She eyed Marilee and propped her hands on her hips. “You look upset.”
Marilee sighed. “I just left my attorney’s office. I had to hand over six thousand dollars.”
“For a simple divorce?” Ruby shrieked. “Hell’s bells, I got one of those ninety-nine-dollar divorces. You see them all the time in the newspaper.”
Marilee explained why she’d paid so much. “I had to do it. For Josh.”
“Is anyone going to have some of this pizza?” Winnie asked. “I’m starving. I have to think of the baby, you know.” She offered the box, and the women took a slice.
“Josh’ll come around, honey,” Ruby said. “He’s just angry right now, and what child wouldn’t be. Divorce is hard on kids.”
Clara pursed her lips. “But six thousand dollars! That’s highway robbery, if you ask me. Did you wipe out your entire savings account?”
Marilee shook her head. “There’s still some left, but I withdrew it and moved it to my checking account so Grady can’t get to it. I have the money my parents left, but I’m determined not to touch it. That’s for Josh’s education.” She shrugged. “I’m going to have to find a night job, at least until Josh moves in, so I can try to replace the money in case of an emergency.”
“Who’s going clean this place and cook while you work day and night?” Winnie demanded. “I hope you don’t expect me to take care of everything. This is stressing me out. That’s why I hate getting involved with people who have more problems than me.”
“I picked up a newspaper after I left Tate’s office,” Marilee said, ignoring Winnie’s remark. “I just scanned it, but I think I may have found something I can do in the evenings.”
“What’d you find, honey?” Ruby asked.
“They need someone to play the piano at the Pickford Inn.”
“What?” Clara cried. “You’re not going to work in a nightclub? Oh, Marilee, you can’t be serious.”
“It’s a supper club,” Ruby said. “Very upscale.”
Clara pursed her lips. “You may call it what you like, but they still serve alcohol.”
“One drink before dinner never hurt anyone,” Ruby said.
Clara looked at her. “This coming from a woman who has a distillery under the front seat of her truck.” She gave a harrumph. “Marilee, you simply cannot do this. What are folks going to say when they find out you’re playing piano in a bar? You know they’ll go straight to Grady, and he’ll do anything he can to make you look bad in front of that child advocate. This could definitely work against you.”
Marilee shoved her plate aside. She had not thought of that. Would the child advocate hold it against her if she took a job in a supper club? She doubted it. But if Grady found out, he’d try to make her look as bad as he could, in order to make himself look good. “Pickford is thirty miles away,” she said, thinking out loud. “I wouldn’t think I’d run into anyone from Chickpea.”
Clara didn’t look convinced. “You’re still taking a chance.”
“I need the money, Clara.”
“You could wear a disguise,” Ruby said. “I can fix you up so that your own mother wouldn’t recognize you. That way you won’t have to worry about any of the town gossips recognizing you. When do you plan to go for the interview?”
“Tonight. I want to get a jump-start on the other applicants.”
“I’ll run home and grab my supplies after I eat.”
“Are you not going to eat your pizza?” Winnie asked Marilee.
“And you plan to work at the funeral home too?” Clara asked.
Marilee nodded. “I plan to do whatever’s necessary to get Josh back.”
“If you’re not going to eat your pizza, I will,” Winnie said, reaching for the untouched slice.
Clara sighed and reached into her purse, pulling out a small metal cylinder. “I know how you are when you make up your mind, so I’m not going to try and talk you out of it. But I’d feel better if you’d keep this pepper spray on you in case something unforeseen occurs.”
“I don’t have the job yet,” Marilee said, “and I wish you’d stop worrying. The Pickford is not a sleazy beer joint.”
“Oh, you’ll get the job,” Ruby assured her. “I don’t know a single soul who can sing and play the piano as well as you.”
“Take the pepper spray, Marilee.”
“Thank you, Clara,” she said, touched by her concern. “I know this is hard for you to accept. None of us ever suspected my life would take such a turn. I mean, Grady was a good minister. He genuinely cared about his congregation. And I just assumed all marriages had problems now and then, but I wasn’t prepared for this. I have to do what I have to do. It’s just…well, I’m a little overwhelmed at the moment.”
“Oh, Lord, she’s going to start crying again,” Winnie said.
Marilee shook her head. “I’m finished crying. I have too much to do to sit around and feel sorry for myself.”
Ruby patted her hand. “Good for you, honey. You’re stronger than you think.”
Winnie shook her head sadly. “It’s not going to be that easy. You’re going to need someone to look after you, make sure you eat regular meals and have clean clothes to wear. I guess I’m going to have to hang around awhile longer. At least until you get used to working all those hours.”
“That’s very kind of you, Winnie,” Clara said. “Ruby and I will help too.”
Ruby nodded emphatically. “Darn right we will.”
“Thank you,” Marilee said. “I don’t know what I would do without the three of you.”
“You’d probably do okay,” Winnie said. “You’re not as weak as I thought in the beginning.”
Marilee decided that was the closest Winnie would come to giving her a compliment. She pushed her chair from the table. “I need to practice a few songs on the piano,” she said. “I’m sure it’s dreadfully out of tune, but at least it’ll help limber up my fingers.”
Ruby stood. “And I need to run home and pick up a few supplies. For your disguise,” she added, winking conspiratorially.
“Who’s going to clean up this mess?” Winnie demanded.
“I’ll do it,” Clara volunteered.
Winnie shook her head. “Never mind, I’ll do it. You don’t know where anything goes, and I can’t have you putting stuff in the wrong place, especially after I’ve cleaned the refrigerator and organized the cabinets.”
MARILEE WAS PRACTICING ON the old piano when Ruby returned carrying a short, platinum-colored wig, a small suitcase and a flaming-red dress. “Belonged to my ex-roommate,” she said, holding the slinky outfit up for inspection. “The poor girl was a perfect size eight till her boyfriend dumped her, and she decided to eat her way through her depression. I think she was a size fourteen when she climbed on the Greyhound bus for home. Said I could do what I wanted with her clothes.”
“I wear a size ten,” Marilee said.
“That was before Grady ran off, honey. You’ve probably dropped ten pounds and don’t know it. Besides, if the dress is a little snug that’ll work in your favor. Now, sit down. I’m about to make a new woman out of you.”
Clara and Winnie sat down as well and watched while Ruby worked her magic. When she was finished Marilee, who had never been heavy-handed with her makeup, couldn’t believe the difference.
“Wow,” Winnie said. “You look like a movie star. If I’d looked that good when I told my old man I was pregnant, maybe he wouldn’t have walked out on me.”
Clara didn’t look pleased. “I think it’s a bit much. Remember, less is more.”
“She’s going to be working under dim lighting,” Ruby said. “So what do you think, honey?”
“You did a fine job, Ruby. But I’ll never be able to learn how to do all this.”
“I’ll teach you. In the meantime, I’ll plan to drop by after work each day so I can fix you up.” She began pinning up Marilee’s hair, and then put the wig in place. “What d’you think?” she said.
Winnie gave Ruby the thumbs-up. “Lookin’ good.”
“Marilee is a beautiful woman. All I did was enhance her features. Now, let’s get you into that dress.” She grabbed the garment and ushered Marilee into her bedroom. When they returned, Marilee’s cheeks were stained the color of the dress.
Winnie’s eyes almost popped out of her head. “That thing clings to you like a second skin. I didn’t realize you had such a nice figure. You have to stop dressing like a librarian.” Clara cleared her throat. Winnie looked at her. “Guess I shouldn’t have said that, huh?”
Marilee tried not to take offense. “I think my clothes are fashionable.”
“A little on the prim side,” Winnie said, “but hey, I’m not exactly on the cutting edge of fashion.”
Ruby preened over her handiwork. “I’ll bring over a few more dresses tomorrow night.”
“Just keep that pepper spray handy,” Clara said, “in case some man loses control of his desires the minute he sees you.”
Marilee walked them to the front door. Once they were on their way, she closed the door and leaned against it. Her stomach was tied in knots at the thought of what she was about to do. Perhaps it was time she took a few chances in life.
The doorbell rang, startling her. Marilee figured Ruby must’ve forgotten some of her supplies. She opened the door and found Sam Brewer standing there.
“Marilee, is that you?” he asked, blinking several times.
She’d forgotten for a moment how she was dressed. She blushed. “Hello, Sam.”
“You look…different.”
“Yes, I suppose I do,” she said, patting the wig self-consciously. “I’m sort of in a hurry. Is there something I can do for you?”
He handed her the iron. “I wanted to return this. I found mine.” He remained standing there. He knew he was staring—gawking, actually—but he couldn’t help himself.
“Thank you.” He continued to stand there. “Anything else?”
“Huh?” With some difficulty, Sam managed to pry his eyes from the red dress that clung to her figure so well. Damn, but she looked good. “Oh, yeah. I stopped by Blessing Home today. I have to tell you, Marilee, it needs a lot of work. The place looks like it’s ready to collapse.”
“But it can be repaired, right?”
“We’re talking a lot of money.”
“Will three thousand dollars cover it?”
He shook his head, hoping to clear his brain. All the blood had obviously rushed to another part of his body. “It won’t even come close. There’s structural damage.”
Marilee sighed. “We’ll have to come up with more money. Can you at least start working on the roof?” she asked, wishing he had chosen another time to burden her with the news. She had enough to worrying about at the moment.
“I’m kind of backed up on my other jobs, so I’ll have to do it in my spare time.”
She was beginning to wonder if the girls would ever be able to move back into the home. “Thank you, Sam, that’s very thoughtful of you. I know you’ll do your best. Send me an invoice for the roof, and I’ll get our treasurer to write you a check right away.”
