Chapter 23 - The Future She Left Behind

“It’s getting warm in here.” Shirley’s voice echoed from the kitchen.

Katelyn stopped at the bottom of the stairs and slipped into her sandals. Earlier in the morning she’d taken her sketch to the park for the silent auction and then she’d worked at the grocery store until noon. Abby had volunteered to take the afternoon shift until Walter closed the store for the day at five.

“It might hit a hundred degrees today. Don’t you have a short-sleeve blouse to wear?” Birdie asked.

“I wanted to look nice for Vern when I help him hand out samples of his chili.”

“You and Vern are becoming pretty chummy.”

“He’s a charming man.”

Birdie snorted. “You like Vern because he lets you boss him around.”

“I am not bossy.”

Uh-oh. The old ladies were getting testy with each other.

“Where’s my purse?”

“It should be out in the hallway,” Birdie said.

Katelyn glanced at the empty table by the door. Shirley’s purse had been there earlier in the morning when Katelyn had left the house.

“I put it on the table last night when I went to bed,” Shirley said.

“I’m sure it’ll turn up somewhere,” Birdie said.

“I hope Vern’s recipe wins today.”

“I doubt he’ll win if you helped him in the kitchen.”

“I kept him company while he did all the cooking.”

“You two are inseparable,” Birdie said.

“Is there something wrong with that?”

“No. I’m sure you’ve been lonely since Robert died.”

Shirley huffed. “I might miss my husband more if he hadn’t cheated on me ten years ago with his secretary.”

Katelyn gasped.

“I didn’t know,” Birdie said.

“I never told Don or Katelyn.”

“I’ll pour us a drink.” Chair legs scraped across the floor; then Katelyn heard the squeaking pantry door open and close. “Why’d you stay with Robert?”

Shirley coughed. “This stuff is awful.”

“Cheap rotgut takes getting used to.”

“I stayed because I didn’t have a choice,” Shirley said.

“Everyone has a choice.”

“What would I have done with myself if I’d divorced Robert?”

“Find a job. Or another husband.”

Katelyn wasn’t surprised by the advice. Her mother was a practical woman.

“I didn’t want my friends pitying me or gossiping behind my back.”

“You shouldn’t care what other people think.”

“Easy for you to say when your friends accept you for who you are. The women I socialized with had higher standards.”

“Maybe you should have found new friends.”

“You should encourage Katelyn to contest the divorce. I think Don is having a midlife crisis and he’ll come to his senses soon.”

Katelyn waltzed into the kitchen, intent on putting an end to her mother-in-law’s fantasy once and for all. “I don’t want to work things out with Don.” She removed her wedding band in front of Shirley, then opened her mother’s junk drawer and dropped it inside. She honestly didn’t know why she’d waited until now. She’d been married to Don in her head all these years but not in her heart for a very long time.

Birdie held up her drinking glass, her eyes sparkling with humor. “Care to join us for a cocktail before we leave for the park?”

“No, thank you.” Katelyn put the cap back on the schnapps bottle. “And you two need to lay off this stuff.” She returned the bottle to the pantry. What in the world? “Shirley, why is your purse in here?” The white leather bag sat on the shelf between the potato chips and a box of cereal.

“I didn’t put it there,” Shirley said.

Katelyn looked at Birdie and her mother shrugged.

“I don’t understand why you wouldn’t want to save your marriage,” Shirley said.

“I’d never be able to trust Don.” When Shirley opened her mouth to protest, Katelyn set the purse on the table and said, “I don’t love Don. Not the way a husband deserves to be loved.”

“Then you shouldn’t have married my son in the first place.”

“I was scared.”

“Of what?” Birdie asked.

Katelyn spread her arms wide. “I was afraid I’d end up back here in Little Springs after I graduated from college. I wanted to move forward with my life. Not backward.” She drew in a deep breath. “I cared for Don, but I don’t know that I ever loved him.”

Shirley’s eyes watered and she looked ready to cry. “I need to freshen my makeup before we leave.” She took her purse and escaped into the powder room beneath the stairs.

Katelyn felt horrible that she’d upset her mother-in-law. “I can’t let her guilt me into trying to fight for a marriage I don’t want to be in anymore.”

“Shirley’s afraid of losing you,” Birdie said. “She doesn’t want to be alone.”

“I’ve taken care of her for the past three years. It’s Don’s turn.”

“How can he look after her when he travels all the time?” Birdie asked. “Shirley’s a pampered princess. Leaving her on her own would be like turning a puppy loose in the woods and expecting it to survive.”

“I can’t believe you’re defending her.”

“Me, neither,” Birdie said. “But it’s possible you might be stuck with your mother-in-law the rest of your life.”

“You’re joking, right?”

Birdie’s eyes shifted to the kitchen doorway. “She’s not that bad if you ignore most of what she says.”

“Don’t tell me you two are becoming friends.”

Birdie smiled. “Stranger things have happened in this town.”

* * *

The silent auction was closing in a half hour, so Katelyn perused the items one last time before putting in a bid on a basket of spa supplies and a makeover from Sadie’s hair salon; then she moved on to her sketch, excited to see the highest bid was three hundred dollars. Not bad for a few hours of work.

She studied the drawing with a critical eye.

“What’s the matter?” Birdie stopped at her side.

“Something’s off in the picture, but I can’t figure out what it is.”

Her mother narrowed her eyes. “That’s you hiding in the boxcar, isn’t it?”

“No.”

Birdie laughed. “It’s you all right.”

“It’s a pair of eyes. The body’s hidden in the shadows. It could be a boy or a girl, depending on the viewer’s perspective.”

“This viewer says it’s you.” Birdie wagged her finger. “You had that same wary look in your eyes the night before you left for college.”

“I did not.” Katelyn took her mother by the arm and led her away from the tables. “I was excited to finally get out of this one-horse town.”

“Yes, but you were worried about leaving Jackson behind.”

“Maybe.”

“You know why you were worried?”

She didn’t bother answering, because her mother would speak her mind regardless. “You’d already decided that you wouldn’t return to Little Springs after you finished school.”

Katelyn didn’t want to talk about Jackson. “Did you eat supper?”

“I had some of Vern’s fake four-alarm chili an hour ago, but I could use a drink.”

They cut across the grass to the concession stand. “Are you and Shirley going home to relax before the fireworks?”

“I hadn’t planned on it,” Birdie said. “Last year they shot them off at dusk.”

“Where is Shirley?” Katelyn asked when they moved forward in the line.

“With Vern. Where else would she be?”

“Abby has her reservations about Shirley.” Katelyn purchased two lemonades; then they sat at a table in the refreshment tent. “How are the others in the ladies’ society getting along with my mother-in-law?”

“Miss Prissy Pants amuses them.”

“Her apartment will be ready to move into soon. If she becomes too big of a pain, I’ll drive her back to St. Louis.”

“Vern might have something to say about Shirley leaving town.”

Katelyn glanced at the chili tent. The happy couple stood side by side, handing out plastic sample cups. “Why haven’t you dated since Dad died?”

“I like my own space.” She smiled at Katelyn. “And I’m too old to coddle a husband.”

“You don’t get lonely?” Katelyn asked, then squirmed under her mother’s probing stare.

“Are you afraid of being alone?”

“Maybe a little.” Katelyn wasn’t the kind of woman who needed attention from a man. If she were, she’d have filed for divorce when Don began traveling. “I already miss the kids and they haven’t officially started college.”

“Michael and Melissa are a lot like you. They’re not afraid of leaving home.”

“No, they’re not.”

“Aren’t you eager to devote more of your time to painting?”

“Yes.” She was excited but also nervous.

“Did you know Mavis played the drums in high school?”

Katelyn shook her head.

“And both Etta and Faye play the piano.” Birdie lowered her voice. “And since I play the guitar, we’re going to start a garage band.”

Katelyn choked on a swallow of lemonade. “No offense, but you’re a little old to be playing in a band.” Much less in someone’s garage.

“Of course we’re old, but who cares? Doris is letting us use her place to practice.”

“Have you picked a name for your band?”

“Harriet came up with the Hot Tamales.”

“Why would Harriet get a say in the name?”

“She’s the band manager.”

“What about Nanette? What’s she going to do?”

“She can play the wood block or the triangle.”

Katelyn grinned.

“I’ve already written a song,” Birdie said. “It’s called ‘No Men Allowed.’”

“Are you going to perform somewhere?”

“Harriet got the okay from Reverend Sanders to play at the congregation’s fish fry in September. But we’ll need a trial run before that.” Birdie stared down the street. “Jackson’s watching from his apartment window.”

Katelyn followed her mother’s gaze down the block to the window above the auto repair shop. She could barely make out his shadow behind the glass.

“He did the same thing last year. Stood in the window, watching the fireworks by himself.” Birdie pushed her chair back. “I’ve got to find the group. The Hot Tamales are sitting together.”

“See you later,” Katelyn said, tearing her gaze away from the garage. She’d love to ask Jackson to join her for the fireworks, but he’d made it clear that he and crowds didn’t mix.

Reverend Sanders’s voice came over the loudspeakers, announcing the end of the silent auction, and Katelyn mingled with the group of spectators, eager to find out who’d won her sketch.