See Bride Run! (13 page)

“That’s very sweet, Martha, but I’ll let you in on a little secret. I’ll bet that apartment doesn’t have a speck of dust in it. That’s just Lillian’s way of trying to help without hurting my pride. I can’t wait until I can do something nice for her.”

Sam shook his head and took another sip of his coffee. What was it about Annie that automatically drew people to her? He had to admit she was the most open person he’d ever met, and she genuinely cared about others. Unlike her father, he thought.

Still . . . Sam wondered if Annie might return home if she got over her mad spell. She was used to the good life. She did not carry trays and clean tables; people did it for her. How long would she be content to live in a garage apartment when she could easily return home to a mansion and a life of luxury?

He was going to have to steer clear of Annie before he did something stupid like fall in love with her.

#

“Oh, Lillian, it’s absolutely adorable!”

“You really like it?”

“I love it.”

The two women were standing in the living room of Lillian’s garage apartment. Lillian had pulled the dustcovers from the furniture, and Annie was amazed that everything looked brand-new. A massive coffee table sat in the center of the room, piled high with books and magazines. “It’s so cozy,” she said. “I can imagine sitting in that antique rocker reading a good book.”

“I decorated it for my friend, Mildred, when she came to live here several years ago after her husband died,” Lillian said. “She absolutely refused to live in my house—said two women under one roof was one too many.” Lillian suddenly looked sad. “Then, last year, all of a sudden she was gone. I miss her.”

“I’m sorry for your loss,” Annie said. “Was it a peaceful passing?”

Lillian gave Annie an odd look before she burst into laughter. “Oh, she isn’t dead. She met a retired stockbroker at the bingo parlor, and it was love at first sight. She crammed everything she could into one small suitcase, and they took off in his RV to see the country. I get postcards now and then. I expect to receive a wedding announcement one of these days.”

“That’s wonderful. You must have a very youthful mother.”

Lillian nodded. “I’m happy as long as she’s happy.” She motioned to the large bay window at the front of the apartment. “Kazue made all the window treatments and bedspreads. There’s one bedroom and a bath and a half. You should have plenty of room,” she added.

“It’s perfect,” Annie said, “and I promise to take very good care of it.”

“Oh, honey, I don’t doubt that for a minute.”

“I’m prepared to pay you the first week’s rent.”

“No way,” Lillian said. “Our agreement was you’d get the first week free in exchange for cleaning it.”

“But it’s not dirty.”

“Oh, it needs dusting and sweeping and mopping. I noticed some cobwebs in the bedroom.”

“Cobwebs? Oh, my, that’ll take me all of thirty seconds.”

“And you’ll want to scrub the bathrooms since they haven’t been used in a while. You should find cleansers beneath the sink, as well as various supplies Mildred left behind, most of them unopened. And there’s a stackable washer and dryer in the storage closet just off the kitchen.”

“Not that I’ll need that right away,” Annie said, laughing. “This is the only outfit I have to my name at the moment. I was wondering if there’s a Salvation Army store or Goodwill in town. I need to pick up a few things.”

“Honey, we can do better than that.” Lillian checked her watch. “What time do you have to be at work?”

“Eleven-thirty.”

“That gives us two hours. Let’s go.”

“Where are we going?”

“It’s a surprise.”

Annie followed Lillian out of the apartment and down the stairs. “Go ahead and get into my car,” Lillian said. “I’m just going to grab my purse and lock up.”

They were on their way in minutes. Annie was delighted to get a closer look at the small town. She smiled when they passed the community college. “I plan to enroll first thing in the morning,” she told Lillian.

“Good for you. Kazue says you can use one of her bicycles for as long as you need it. Shoot, she’d give it to you if you wanted it.”

“Uh-oh, I just thought of something,” Annie said. “I hope I don’t run into problems registering because I have no identification,” she said, wishing she had grabbed her purse before she left the church. “I probably already have one strike against me for enrolling late.”

“Let me know if they give you a hard time in admissions,” Lillian said. She chuckled. “I know everybody who works there, and I dare them to give my new friend any grief.”

Annie felt a surge of joy that Lillian already considered her a friend. They arrived at the Second-Time-Around Shop a few minutes later. Lillian parked her car. “Believe it or not, we have a few well-to-do ladies in Pinckney who wouldn’t think of wearing the same outfit twice. They donate their clothes here because all the proceeds go to the women’s shelter. I’ve heard you can buy an entire wardrobe for less than fifty dollars. I’ve never shopped here personally, you understand. I mean, the last thing I want is to run into one of those snooty old biddies from the ladies’ club, wearing her linen suit. Know what I mean?” She laughed. “I’d have to go out of town to wear them.” She paused before going inside. “Now, let me do all the talking because I know how things are done in this town.”

“Oh, good,” Annie said. “I get to see a real pro at work.”

They stepped inside and a well-dressed woman with white hair smiled at them. “Elaine, meet my new friend, Annie,” Lillian said. “I insist that you give her the best possible deal or I’m going to spread awful rumors about you around town.” Lillian winked at Annie.

“Nice to meet you, dear,” Elaine said, shaking Annie’s hand. She turned to Lillian. “I’m so glad you’re back. You know that teal suit you were admiring on Marion Jones at the Christmas bazaar.” She glanced around as if to make sure there was no one else in the shop. “She brought it in last week. Just five minutes after you left,” she added. “And it’s in A-one condition.”

Lillian gave Annie a sheepish smile. “Well, I may have come in once or twice,” she muttered out of the side of her mouth. “But we’ll let that be our little secret.”

Annie grinned, found her size, and began flipping through the racks. She was surprised but delighted to find the clothes in such good condition. An hour later, she followed Lillian out of the shop carrying three plastic bags and a good start on her new wardrobe: two pairs of jeans, several cotton shirts, and a lightweight jacket. She’d also picked up a couple of nightgowns, and a pair of sneakers that looked as though they’d come right off the rack. Lillian carried a sack as well; it contained the almost new teal suit.

They climbed into Lillian’s car. “I’ll have my seamstress jazz the suit up a bit,” Lillian whispered as though she feared someone had bugged her car and would find out what she had done. “Add teal satin to the collar and lapels, change the buttons, add a kick-pleat in the back, and Marion Jones will never suspect it was her suit.”

Annie had already decided she would do her shopping at the second hand store from that point on. “I need to make one quick stop if you don’t mind,” she told her shopping partner. “I have to pick up socks and lingerie. And maybe a little makeup so I don’t scare people.”

“That’s not likely to happen with your complexion, dear.” Two minutes later they pulled in front of a Kmart. Annie hurried in to get what she needed while Lillian stepped into the book store next door. When they arrived home, Annie was touched to find Kazue had already dropped off a bicycle and left a nice note.

“Check out the giant front basket,” Annie said. “It looks to be about two feet wide. A person could easily fit a thirty pound dog in it. Not that I’m planning to get a dog,” she added quickly since Lillian was now her landlady.

“That is an industrial sized basket,” Lillian said, “the kind paperboys used at one time. It’ll be perfect for lugging books and groceries.”

“If you see Kazue before I do, please tell her I said thank you.”

Lillian smiled and nodded. “I only see one problem. How do you plan to ride a bike in your uniform?”

Annie chuckled. “I’ve already thought of that,” she said. “I’ll wear my regular clothes and change once I get to the Dixieland Café. Speaking of which, I’d better get ready for work. I’ll put the bicycle in the trunk of Darla’s car so I can ride home afterward.”

“You know how to get to the café, from here, right?” Lillian asked. When Annie nodded, she went on. “All the streets are lit up at night, and the sheriff and his deputies patrol the area. It’s very safe,” she added.

“I’m not worried,” Annie said. Then she thought to herself, unless Sheriff Hester decides to arrest
me
.

“And try not to be nervous on your second day on the job,” Lillian told her. “It takes time to learn. Just be yourself, and your customers will love you.”

Annie smiled, took several steps forward, and hugged the woman. Lillian looked surprised. “What was that for?”

“For being so good to me, that’s what.”

#

Annie arrived at work wearing jeans and a cotton shirt. Her uniform and panty hose were tucked in a bag. Sam, who was sitting at the counter reading the newspaper, frowned. Here, he’d made all these promises about how he wouldn’t gawk at the woman the way he had the day before, and she had to come in wearing a pair of behind-grabbing jeans that would have sent a preacher’s blood boiling. “I hope you’re not planning to wear—”

Annie disappeared into the rest room without a word. Five minutes later she came out ready for work. Darla almost bumped into her coming through the kitchen door.

“Well, hey there, missy. Who let the hem out of that uniform?” She winked. “How d’ya expect to make any tips in this joint?”

Annie looked thoughtful. “I suppose I’ll have to rely on my excellent waitress skills. What do you think?”

“No comment,” Sam said, and earned a dark look from the two of them. He stood. “I’m out of here.”

“And not a moment too soon,” Darla muttered.

“I heard that, Darla, and I’ll remember it when it’s time for your next raise.”

“Raise? Did I hear someone say raise?” Darla glanced around as though trying to find the source. “I don’t think that’s a word we use very often in this place.”

“I’d love to stay and chat,” Sam replied, “but I’ve got a man coming in who wants to divorce his wife. Says all the woman does is nag. Imagine that.”

Darla frowned at him. “I’m no lawyer, Sam Ballard, but that is not grounds for a divorce. Women were born to bitch and moan, and the only way to put an end to it is take them to the mall.”

“I’ll remember to advise my client of that,” he said.

Annie, who was filling saltshakers, chuckled. “And what exactly were men put on this earth to do?” she asked.

Sam turned to look at her, a thoughtful expression on his face. “We were put here to hunt for food, discover uncharted territories, and protect the weaker sex.”

Darla threw a paper-towel roll, and he caught it. “Weaker sex, my foot!” she said loudly.

“I believe that’s my cue to leave,” he said, dropping the roll onto a nearby table and hurrying out the glass door. He managed to close it behind him before another roll hit the door.

Annie was still watching in amusement as Sam crossed the street to get to his office. She didn’t hear Darla come up beside her.

“Well, well, we can’t seem to take our pretty green eyes off of the man, can we?”

Annie blushed. “Nothing wrong with looking.”

Darla nudged her. “You didn’t spend the night with Lillian. I called first thing this morning, and she said you hadn’t arrived yet.”

The blush deepened. “It’s a long story, and this place is going to fill up with customers any moment now.”

“I’m not budging from this spot till I know, girlfriend.”

“I stayed at Sam’s.”

“Aha!”

“His housekeeper was there. It was perfectly innocent.”

“If you say so.”

“The man doesn’t even like me, for Pete’s sake.”

“Which explains why he can’t take his eyes off of you.”

“He watches me because he’s afraid I’m going to break every plate in the house,” Annie protested. She was thankful when three men walked through the door. Darla didn’t make a move to go to them. “Are you going to wait on them or am I supposed to?” Annie asked.

“Why don’t we take stations? I’ll work the counter and booths, and you grab the tables. Then, tomorrow, we’ll switch.”

Annie grabbed three menus and hurried to the table. The restaurant filled up in no time, and although Annie stayed busy, it wasn’t as hectic as the day before when she’d been the only waitress. Of course, Sam had helped, but it was much better having another waitress on the floor, even if it meant giving up a substantial amount of tips.

Once the rush ended, Darla and Annie ordered a sandwich and ate in the kitchen, taking care to listen for the bell over the front door.

“Did you tell Darla that Patricia and I saved her job yesterday?” Flo asked Annie.

Annie shook her head. She didn’t particularly want to get involved in any more disputes. Unfortunately, Patricia didn’t have that problem. She gave Darla a blow-by-blow account of what had occurred in her absence.

Darla looked genuinely touched. “Gee, I appreciate you guys sticking up for me like that. Sam can be such a pain sometimes. I don’t think he’d really fire me, although he has threatened to a number of times.”

“That’s never going to happen,” Annie said. “He’s too smart for that.”

“You should’a seen the way he was following prissy britches yesterday,” Flo said, motioning to Annie. “Not only that, he couldn’t take his eyes off her. Guess he liked that short uniform she had on.”

“He was
afraid
to take his eyes off of me,” Annie said, “for fear I would break every dish he had. I think I may have come close.”

“Had nothing to do with broken dishes,” Flo insisted. “It was that short skirt.”

“You never should’ve let the hem out of it,” Darla told Annie. “Sam Ballard is considered the most eligible bachelor in Pinckney, Georgia.”

“I don’t think Sam has marriage on his mind,” Annie said.