Coming Home to Paradise (Sisters in Paradise #3)

Chapter 12

Sometimes when Bo got homesick in her efficiency apartment in Nashville, she would go into the tiny kitchen that was on one end of the room and pretend she was back at the Paradise making breakfast or lunch with her mother. She would even talk to Mary Jane as if she were in the room with her during their virtual time together, and they would solve all kinds of problems.

She checked the kitchen calendar while she was making sausage gravy and biscuits that morning and was surprised to see that it was already Wednesday. It seemed like they had just had Sunday dinner with all the family the day before. Even with her busy schedule of working as much as she could in Nashville, and the occasional gig, time didn’t pass as quickly as it did when she was in Spanish Fort.

But, then, you aren’t having nearly as much fun out there without family as you do here. Aunt Bernie’s voice was so vivid that Bo stopped stirring the gravy and checked to be sure her aunt hadn’t flown home on a magic carpet, or maybe a witch’s broom.

“Good mornin’,” Mary Jane said as she entered the room.

“Mornin’.” Bo set a cast-iron skillet full of gravy on a warming burner and gave her mother a hug. “What’s on your agenda today?”

“I finished the last chapter in the book I’ve been working on, so I’m taking from now to Christmas off to enjoy the family and the holidays. I thought I might go with you girls to the church quilting bee this morning,” she answered.

“That would be wonderful.”

The timer on the stove dinged, so Bo removed a pan of biscuits from the oven. “How many eggs do you think I should scramble?”

“Ten should be plenty,” Mary Jane answered.

“Hello, the house!” Bernie yelled as she entered the kitchen by the door leading out to the screened-in porch. “I could smell breakfast cooking halfway across the yard. God…bless the home…” She giggled. “You thought I was going to say a cuss word, didn’t you? Well, you were right! I have not been a good girl. I cussed seasickness so much that I almost blistered the paint right off my truck on the way home from Galveston.”

“Make that an even dozen,” Mary Jane whispered.

Bo thought that she was imagining things for a split second. Aunt Bernie was supposed to be on a ship headed to somewhere in Mexico—or was it Belize?—that day. Bo closed her eyes for a moment, but when she opened them, Bernie was still there, and Pepper had chased Sassy out from under the table and into the foyer.

“He’s missed me,” Bernie said. “I will never go anywhere again if he can’t go with me. He said that if I stayed out another four days, he would die.”

“Aunt Bernie!” Bo crossed the room and gave her a hug. “How did you…?”

Bernie held up a palm. “I’ll tell my story when the rest of the family gets here. Right now, I’m going to get a cup of coffee and wallow in the good feeling that I am back home.”

Bo took a couple of steps back and thought of the old adage about dynamite coming in small packages. “Did you threaten to bomb the ship if they didn’t turn around and bring you home?”

“Of course not,” Bernie snapped. “Get me a cup of coffee and make it right. That stuff y’all drink and what they had on the ship was just murdered water. No wonder me and Gladys got sick.”

“Yes, ma’am.” Bo poured a mug full of black coffee and added a heaping teaspoon of instant coffee to it.

She set it in front of Bernie, who immediately took a sip. “Perfect! I’ve trained you well. Are you ready to get back to work?”

“I’ve been working every single day except Sunday since you’ve been gone,” Bo snapped. “I’ve got all the questions from your followers typed up and ready to put on your blog when you decide which ones go when.”

“Don’t get sassy with me, girl. I can always fire you and hire Rae to take your place.”

“Don’t threaten me,” Bo shot back at her. “I can always work at the bar with Maverick. He offered me a job and even said I could sing whenever I wanted.”

Bernie’s finger shot up close to Bo’s nose. “I forbid you to go near Whiskey Bent ever again. That piece of eye candy that works in there is bad news.”

“Maybe I just need a little dose of bad boy in my life,” Bo said.

“If you two want to argue, then you’ll have to sit on the sofa and hold hands,” Mary Jane threatened.

“Yes, ma’am,” Bo nodded. “One more thing and then I’ll hush. Rae wouldn’t work for you in a million years. She hates computer work. She whined like a little girl when she had to learn how to run the program at the police department, and she wouldn’t even help me decorate the bar.”

A wide grin spread over Bernie’s face. “I’m so glad to be home again, and, honey, I knew I was leaving my business in good hands.” She took a sip of her coffee. “Now, tell me all about the meet-and-greet event. Did anyone hook up after it was over?”

“As in exchange phone numbers or as in the real sense?” Bo asked.

“Either one,” Bernie answered.

“Rae saw a couple out in the parking lot making out like teenagers, and a woman named Dixie was pretty determined not to go home alone,” Bo told her. “I told a couple of women that we might do an event for married couples. Kind of like a fall-in-love-all-over-again event.”

“Yes!” Bernie clapped her hands. “I’ve been trying to think of something during Valentine’s. That would be wonderful. We could have a nice dinner catered, and… But whoa! You are changing the subject away from Maverick.” Her eyes narrowed and she shook her finger at Bo. “You didn’t fall in love with that sexy Maverick while I was gone did you? I heard that he and Gunner Watson came to Sunday dinner. I knew if I wasn’t here something like this would happen. But I’m home now, and I can nip in the bud anything that might have gotten started. Rae has always loved little kids, but those two little hellions that Gunner has…” She clucked her tongue like an old hen gathering in her chick before a storm. “Well, suffice it to say, Rae doesn’t want to take that job on. Well? What about you?”

“What about me?” Bo asked.

“Did you get all tingly when you were around Maverick?”

“I did, but you didn’t leave your teddy behind, so I couldn’t seduce him,” Bo answered.

“Aunt Bernie!” Endora squealed when she and Rae came into the room.

“What are you doing home today?” Rae rubbed her eyes. “Did I sleep for four days?”

“Hey, look what Pepper dragged in.” Joe Clay teased and then kissed his wife on the cheek before heading toward the coffeepot.

Bo busied herself fixing eggs and putting everything on the bar for a buffet breakfast. Even though she would be getting calls at least once an hour from her aunt, she could be thankful that Aunt Bernie refused to climb stairs to Bo’s little office in Tertia’s old room. If Bernie’s knees were good, she would spend the whole day in the room with Bo.

I know, Bo thought, but even with that, I’m kind of glad she’s home. Never thought I would say it, but Mama is right about liking the way she spices up the Paradise.

***

Rae caught Bo’s eye and winked at her. They might not be identical twins like Luna and Endora, but she could still read her sister’s mind most of the time. “You just thought you were going to have a few days to run from her matchmaking.”

“Don’t tease me about such a serious matter,” Bo said out the corner of her mouth. “You’re on the hot seat just as much as I am.”

“Okay, the gang is all here,” Bernie said. “So, I’ll tell my story while y’all help yourselves to the food. It’s not a long tale, but we can talk while we eat, and then I can go to the quilting bee this morning with y’all. Lord, but I’m glad to be back. I thought I’d died and gone to heaven when I made the turn down the lane and saw the Paradise all lit up for Christmas. Gladys said to tell you that she’s not going to the quilting bee. She’s still a little under the weather.”

Rae took the coffeepot and pitchers of milk and orange juice to the table, then went to the bar and filled her plate. “Is that the whole story?”

“Good God, no!” Bernie declared. “We were so excited to get on the ship. We didn’t even unpack before we went to the lido deck, got us a dirty banana drink, and joined in the fun of waving at the people who were on the pier. We kind of felt sorry for them because they couldn’t go with us. We had supper, watched a movie under the stars, and had another drink or two, then went to our cabin. By midnight we were taking turns in the bathroom, and I wondered if we hadn’t gotten a taste of what hell felt like. The nausea didn’t let up until yesterday morning when we made land. We got off that miserable ship, went ashore, and actually felt better,” she stopped and took a sip of coffee. “Bo, honey, will you make me a plate?”

“Glad to,” Bo said with a smile and pushed back from the table.

“So, where was I?” Bernie frowned. “Oh, yeah, we got off the ship, felt better, got back on and were sick again, so we told our steward that we would be getting off permanently. He knew someone who knew someone and got us a cab to the nearest airport. We had to wait for the next flight, which took us to Miami, and then wait for another one to get us to Galveston, but when we got there, we’d had enough of flying and cruising. We got home about two o’clock this morning. I thought I would sleep until noon at the least, but at seven o’clock my eyes popped wide open, and here I am.”

Bo set a plate in front of Bernie and eased back down into her chair. “You think maybe it was just a stomach bug?”

“I don’t know what it was, but me and Gladys ain’t goin’ on no more cruises. I might go to a beach in Florida in the spring, but only if we make it a road trip, and Pepper can go with me,” she answered. “I get a little queasy every time I even think about a dirty banana or a ship.”

Rae finished off her last bite of food and was on the way to the sink with her dirty plate when the house phone rang. She picked the remote receiver off the base and said, “Hello.”

“Hello, may I please speak to Rae Simmons?”

“This is Rae.” Something about the voice sounded vaguely familiar.

“This is Holly Daniels,” the lady said. “I don’t know if you remember me or not. I was Holly Sullivan, and I graduated with your older sister, Ursula.”

A picture of a tall girl with red hair popped into Rae’s head. “Yes, I remember you. You ran cross-country in high school and brought home a lot of trophies for the school.”

“That was a long time ago,” Holly said with a chuckle. “I’m the principal at Prairie Valley School now. Ursula told me that you are back in this area, and that you are certified in early childhood development. I need a long-term substitute for a kindergarten teacher. Probably for all of next semester. Would you be interested? The teacher is pregnant and having problems, and there’s a possibility she won’t return next year, so this could develop into a full-time teaching job.”

“When would I start?”

“I’ve got someone lined up to take over for her until the Christmas break. So right after that?” Holly asked.

Rae took a deep breath, thought about the offer for a minute, and let her breath out slowly. She could easily watch the twins. They would have the same hours, so that would make it easy, and the job would give her an opportunity to see if she would even like to get into the teaching field.

“Yes,” Rae said, “I would like to take you up on that offer.”

“Can you come by the school this afternoon about three thirty to fill out some paperwork?” Holly asked.

“I can do that,” Rae said. “See you then.”

“You have no idea what a load of worry you just took off me,” Holly said. “I’ll see you soon and thank you so much!”

“What did you just do?” Bo asked when Rae put the receiver back on the base.

“I’m going to see if I like being a kindergarten teacher,” Rae answered and explained what had just happened.

“I thought you were going to take a few months to regroup,” Bo said. “And now you’ve taken on two jobs in less than twenty-four hours.”

Bernie’s fork clattered when she dropped it on the table. “What is this about two?”

“Gunner is moving into the rental house on the back side of Jake and Ophelia’s land,” Rae answered and went on to tell them that she would be taking care of the twins. “It will all work out. I can pick them up for school and after school, I’ll have them for a couple of hours. Mama, I can always keep them at his place if…”

Mary Jane waved the idea away with the back of her hand. “Nonsense. My schedule was set when you girls were all in school. I started writing when you all left for school and finished with whatever chapter or scene I was working on about the time you got home. That way I could spend more time with you. I still call it a day by three o’clock most of the time, and I will love having kids in the house.”

Bernie picked up her fork and sighed. “Bo, won’t those wild girls be too noisy for you to get any work done?”

“No, ma’am,” Bo answered. “They are rowdy and remind me of Luna and Endora when they were younger, but Rae can keep them in line. After all, her last job was keeping the peace in a whole city. Surely, she can manage a couple of ornery girls.”

“Thank you, Sister, for that vote of confidence. Does that mean I can call on you if I need you?”

Bo shook her head. “It most certainly does not.”

Mary Jane laughed out loud. “I hope they give all of you a run for your money. It will be wonderful comeuppance for all the times when I almost pulled my hair out.”

“Endora, how are you coming on the children’s books?” Bernie asked.

Rae didn’t need a third degree in rocket science to know that her aunt was trying to get some negative responses out of someone. “Aunt Bernie, the girls don’t have horns, and they don’t carry around a pitchfork. They might even walk Pepper for you in the afternoons. They fell in love with him last Sunday.”

“You keep those two away from Pepper!” Bernie accentuated every word by poking her fork toward Rae. “They might corrupt my poor baby.”

Joe Clay chuckled as he got up to refill his plate with a second helping of biscuits and gravy. “Congratulations!”

“What’s funny, and why are you congratulating us?” Endora asked.

Joe Clay brought his plate back to the table. “We’ve got girls getting out of the teaching field to do something else, and here is Rae going into it. I hope you are as happy as a teacher as they are in their new fields.”

“Thank you, Daddy,” Rae said. “But if I don’t like the job, it’s only for one semester. This is kind of like a little test to see if teaching is what I want to do.”

“When do you start the nanny business with those kids?” Bernie asked.

“As soon as school is out for the Christmas break. That will involve having them underfoot all day. I’ll take them with me to the church to decorate. Maybe they’ll even be a help.”

“That will work out just fine,” Mary Jane said. “I’m not starting a new book until after the new year. We’ll be busy with the Paradise Christmas party and the church program. My thoughts on ornery kids is to keep them occupied and feeling like they are helping.”

Bernie’s sigh came out more like a snort. “Just keep them out of my trailer and away from Pepper.”

“They can play with my cats and Sassy,” Endora offered. “And we could turn one of the spare rooms into a playroom for them.”

“Thank you all,” Rae said. “If it gets to be too much around here, y’all be honest with me, and I’ll take them somewhere.”

“You aren’t talking about my place, are you?” Bernie gasped.

“Of course, she is,” Bo teased. “You can read to them or, better yet, let them read to you. Rae says they are very smart.”

“I’ll cut you out of my will if you do something that stupid,” Bernie threatened.

“You’ll do that anyway,” Bo said, “when you find out I’m going to go wandering about the world with Maverick. Can I have your teddy when we leave?”

Bernie rolled her eyes toward the ceiling. “Sweet Jesus! Send that man on down the road before my niece gets into trouble.”

“Was that a prayer or a demand?” Rae asked.

“Both, and you better not get involved with Gunner either,” Bernie growled.

Hmm…why not? Rae thought.