Sit! Stay! Speak! (25 page)

“This had been going on for a year before you moved here, Addie,” Jasper continued. “We were deep in the middle of things. And then you found Felix. And started asking questions. We were all afraid you were going to find out and word would leak out to Redd . . . or worse, that you'd end up getting hurt.”

“So this was bigger than Felix,” Addie said. She was talking more to herself than to Jasper. Pieces of the puzzle were starting to come together.

“Dogfights were just one way to distribute and make contacts.”

“That's disgusting.”

“I agree.”

“Did you know about it?” Addie asked. “I mean, before I jumped in the big middle of it.”

“We had a hunch. We couldn't confirm it, but that's one reason that Doc had to work with Redd and his guys. We figured if he helped with the dogs, that he might be able to garner information.”

“But those dogs,” Addie replied. “They were fighting them and nobody was doing anything about it.”

“Addie, we just couldn't prove it. We couldn't take a chance that those charges wouldn't stick. We had to wait until we could get him for something that would keep him behind bars.”

“I wouldn't have told anyone.”

“If someone had found out that you knew anything, you would have been at risk.” Jasper swallowed. “I thought I could keep you safe if I didn't tell you. Clearly I was wrong.”

“We were both wrong about a lot of things.”

“The DEA agent that Redd told you about,” Jasper continued, “is Loren.”

“Loren?” Addie repeated. “But he's so young!”

“He's actually thirty.” Jasper laughed for the first time. “This was his first undercover case. Admittedly, he made some mistakes. That's how Clyde found out, and somehow he got it in his head that you and Loren were working together. I guess because you both showed up here within a couple months of each other.”

“This is insane,” Addie murmured.

“And you're never going to believe this,” Jasper said. “Augustus Smoot called the police. He called in even before Wanda called me.”

“What?”

“He said he saw some suspicious activity over at your house. He was even wearing pants when the police showed up. Nobody quite knows what to make of it.”

“I can't believe it.”

“I know it's a lot to take in,” Jasper said.

“How many people were involved? I mean, in Redd's operation?”

“Redd, Frank, Clyde, and five others have been arrested. They'll be charged with drug trafficking across state lines,” Jasper replied. “The list of charges is about a mile long. But Redd Jones will go away for the rest of his natural-born life if I have anything to say about it. Right now he's being held on your attempted murder.”

The words
attempted murder
bounced off Addie's ears and pinged around the yard.
Attempted murder. Someone had tried to murder her.
She closed her eyes.

“I would have killed him, Addie,” Jasper continued. “I wanted to kill him.”

Addie took the hammer from Jasper's hands. “I'm glad you didn't.”

“I never wanted to lie to you. Please believe me. I never wanted any of this.”

“From now on, just tell me the truth.”

“From now on?” Jasper looked from his hands up at her. “Aren't you going to go back to Chicago with your parents?”

“Why would I do that?”

“You said so yourself that you never planned to stay here. And after everything, I figured this would be the last place you'd want to be.”

“You figured wrong, Jasper Floyd.”

“You want to know the truth?”

“Yes,” Addie said. “I want to know the truth.”

“The truth is that all I've ever wanted, from the first time I saw you, is just to be next to you.”

Despite her shattered shoulder, despite the pain, despite everything that had happened, Addie felt something she never thought she'd feel again—she felt safe. It was a feeling she hadn't felt in a long time, a feeling she hadn't felt in years. She allowed Jasper to pull her close. There was nothing in that moment that she wanted more. “And that,” she said, burying her head into his chest, “is why I'll stay.”

I
T IS WITH SINCERE AFFECTION AND ADMIRATION THAT I
'
D LIKE
to thank the following:

Priya Dorwaswamy—for taking a chance on me and this novel, for being my biggest cheerleader, and for being patient when it was obvious that I had no idea what I was doing.

Lucia Macro—for being the best editor that anyone could ask for, for being hilarious, and for being a fellow Idiot Girl.

Nicole Fischer—for answering every. single. stupid. question.

My husband—for putting up with the light of the computer, the iPhone, and the iPad at 3 a.m.

My son—who gives me strength I never even knew I had.

My mom and dad—for always encouraging my ridiculous dreams, for always giving me a place to live, and for setting an example that only fictional characters could ever dare to top.

For Mimi—for being a writer.

Nicole Hunter Mostafa—for her unflinching loyalty and nearly
two decades of friendship. I could not have done this without you. I love you, Lucy!

Brittany Carter Framer—for reading (and writing!) fan fiction with me fifteen years ago and for the hours spent quoting Blink-182, *NSYNC, and Richard Marx.

Lindsey Davis—for reading my drafts with an eagle eye. You are, without a doubt, one of the most talented people I know.

Louis, Ruthie, Lillie, Winnie, and every other rescue dog out there—for teaching humans what it truly means to love and be loved. This book is for you.

About the author

Meet Annie England Noblin

About the book

Recipes

Reading Group Discussion Questions

ANNIE ENGLAND NOBLIN
lives with her son, husband, and four rescued bulldogs in the Missouri Ozarks. She graduated with an M.A. in creative writing from Missouri State University and currently teaches English full-time for Arkansas State University in Mountain Home, Arkansas. Her first novel,
Sit! Stay! Speak!,
was inspired by the year she spent teaching developmental English in the Delta of Arkansas, a place she says still has her heart. Her poetry has been featured in publications such as the
Red Booth Review
and the
Moon City Review.

Discover great authors, exclusive offers, and more at
hc.com
.

Recipes

Fannie Lou's Chocolate Gravy

4 Tbsp. cocoa

1½ cups sugar

1 stick butter (
not
margarine)

3 cups milk (whole milk)

Mix dry ingredients together. Put in skillet or pan, add milk slowly so there will be no lumps. Cook on medium heat so it doesn't burn. Best made in black cast-iron skillet. Serve over hot buttermilk biscuits.

Ms. Rubina's Cornbread

1 cup yellow cornmeal

½ tsp. salt

¼ tsp. soda

1 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. sugar

1 egg

1 cup buttermilk

Combine in mixing bowl. Set aside.

Heat oven to 425°F, put 2 Tbsp. of grease in black skillet. Put skillet in oven to heat it up. In mixing bowl, make a well in the center of meal mixture. Drop in 1 unbeaten egg. Add 1 cup buttermilk. Mix well. Take skillet out of oven. Pour hot grease into mixture. Stir well. Immediately pour mixture back into skillet. Bake 25–30 minutes till done. Serve with molasses butter.

Aunt Tilda's Hush Puppies

2 cups yellow cornmeal

1 Tbsp. flour

1 tsp. soda

1 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. salt

6 Tbsp. chopped onions

1 whole egg

1 cup buttermilk

Mix together all ingredients. Drop by spoonfuls into hot grease in black skillet. Turn in grease 2–3 times till golden. Serve with fried catfish. In a pinch, perch will do!

Aunt Tilda's Buttermilk Biscuits

1¾ cups unsifted flour

4 tsp. baking powder

½ tsp. salt

½ tsp. cream of tartar

¼ tsp. soda

⅓ cup shortening or lard

¾ cup buttermilk

Mix together dry ingredients and then cut in shortening in pea-sized portions. Add buttermilk. Knead on floured surface till soft.

Pat out dough. Dip small glass in flour and cut out biscuits. Place in pan. Cook in hot oven at 450°F for 12 minutes.

Artemis Floyd's Cheese Grits

4 cups boiling water

1 tsp. salt

1 cup grits

1 stick oleo

1 egg, beaten

½ roll garlic cheese

Boil water, salt, and grits for about 5 minutes. Add oleo and cheese. Beat together. Add beaten egg. Pour into greased casserole dish and bake 25–30 minutes at 350°F.

Southern Spoon Bread

3 cups milk

3 eggs, beaten

1 cup yellow cornmeal

3 level tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. salt

Melted butter—about the size of a walnut

Stir meal into 2 cups milk. Let come to a boil, making a mush. Add remainder of milk, well-beaten eggs, salt, baking powder, and melted butter.

Bake in moderate oven for 30 minutes or until brown at 350°F. Spread and serve in baking dish.

Aunt Tilda's Sugar Cookies

1 cup butter

1 cup white sugar

1 cup oil

1 cup powdered sugar

2 eggs

4½ cups sifted flour or 5 cups unsifted flour

1 tsp. soda

1 tsp. cream of tarter

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. vanilla

Mix dry ingredients together. Add to creamed mixture.

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Drop by spoonfuls on greased cookie pan. Press flat with glass dipped in sugar. Bake 8 minutes.

Jasper Floyd's Fried Chicken

Cut large fryer into individual pieces. Wash well in cool water. Set aside.

Flour Mixture:

Add 3 cups all-purpose flour to large bowl. Add salt, pepper, and garlic salt. Mix together.

On high heat add 2–3 inches of oil to frying pan. Heat oil. Drop a little flour in oil to see if hot enough. When flour sizzles, that means the oil is hot enough.

Coat chicken well and add coated pieces to hot oil. Brown and turn chicken. Reduce heat to medium/medium-high. Continue to turn chicken till brown, golden, and crispy. Cook around 30 minutes till done.

Jasper Floyd's White Gravy

In heavy black skillet, heat 3 Tbsp. of grease.

In large jar, add about 3 cups of milk. Add 3½ Tbsp. flour to milk. Stir flour into milk.

Pour all at once into hot oil. Whisk till smooth. Add salt and pepper to taste. May add more milk to thin gravy. Cook till bubbly and thickened. Serve with biscuits. May add sausage to gravy as desired.

Aunt Tilda's Fried Pies

4 cups all purpose flour

2 tsp. salt

1 cup shortening

1 cup milk

In a large bowl, mix together flour and salt. Cut in shortening until mixture is crumbly. Mix in milk and stir until dough forms a ball. Roll out dough and cut into eighteen 6-inch circles.

Set aside.

Filling:

14 oz. dried fruit (peaches, apples, cherries)

¾ cup white sugar

Water to cover fruit

In large saucepan combine fruit and sugar. Add enough water to cover fruit. Cover pan and cook over low heat until fruit is falling apart. Remove lid and cook till water is evaporated.

Place 2 cups of oil in black skillet over medium heat.

Place spoonful of fruit into center of each circle. Fold in half. Seal pastry with fork dipped in cold water.

Fry a few pies at a time in hot oil, browning on both sides. Drain pies on paper towels. Sprinkle with sugar.

Aunt Tilda's Ooey Gooey Butter Cake

Cake:

1 18¼-oz. package yellow cake mix

1 egg

8 Tbsp. butter, melted

Filling:

1 8-oz. package cream cheese, softened

2 eggs

1 tsp. vanilla

8 Tbsp. butter, melted

1 16-oz. box powdered sugar

Heat oven to 350°F.

Combine the cake mix, eggs, and butter and mix well with an electric mixer. Pat the mixture into the bottom of a lightly greased 13-by-9-inch baking pan.

In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese until smooth. Add the eggs, vanilla, and butter and beat together.

Next, add the powdered sugar and mix well. Spread over cake batter and bake for 40–50 minutes. Don't overbake—the center should be a little gooey.

Addie's Boiled Tea

In large glass pitcher, add 1–2 cups of sugar. Place metal knife in pitcher.

On stove, boil 2–3 cups of water. Add 2 family-size tea bags. Cover and let steep. The longer you steep, the stronger the tea.

Remove tea bags and pour hot tea slowly into pitcher (the metal knife will absorb heat so glass won't break). Now add cold water until tea is the color you desire. Stir well!

 
1.   This novel deals with issues of home, family, and remembrance. At one point Addie thinks that if Jonah, her late fiancé, were with her he would have “picked through each piece of furniture” in her late aunt's home. “He would have asked for stories about each one, stories Addie had long forgotten.” Are there any mementos or heirlooms in your life that tell a story?

 
2.   Addie saves Felix from certain death, but Felix is not just a cuddly dog; he's a pit bull, a breed that often has a bad reputation. What do you think about the author's choice in making Felix a pit bull? Does this make Felix's gentle disposition more of a surprise to you?

 
3.   Many people attribute human characteristics to their pets, especially to dogs. In fact, Addie thinks that Felix “looks a lot on the outside like she felt on the inside. She had a feeling that Felix wasn't the only dog to have been dumped bleeding and struggling for his life.” Do you think that dogs and pets can feel things the way humans do?

 
4.   Addie resists telling Jasper that Jonah is dead, although she does say he is her “ex-fiancé.” What do you think holds her back from telling him the entire truth at first?

 
5.   Food means a lot in this novel. At one point Addie finds her aunt Tilda's recipe box and remembers her saying, “A woman's recipes are like her diary. They aren't meant for anyone else's eyes but hers.” Do you agree? Disagree? Why?

 
6.   At one point Addie enters Redd's room. Redd is a criminal and yet his room is clean and well-furnished. Does this surprise you? Why do you think Redd has such a well-put-together place in such a disorganized and filthy house?

 
7.   Although the United States is one country, there are regional differences even in today's highly connected world. Jasper accuses Addie of trying to change “an entire culture,” saying, “That's why people like you never last very long down here.” Do you think that it's true that you can't change an entire culture? Should Addie be trying to change things or not?

 
8.   Jasper tells Addie that “Memphis is my home. Eunice . . . the farm . . . that's where I was born. That's likely where I'll die. But it isn't my home.” What is the difference between home and where you live? Can they really be two different concepts?

 
9.   Addie's neighbor Augustus says that “acting crazy is easier than everything else.” Is this true?
Why do you think he has chosen to act crazy all these years? Has it made his life easier? Or has it actually cut him off from other aspects of life that could have brought him joy?

 
10. In the end, we discover that while crimes against animals are very real, the true crime being investigated is meth. Did this surprise you? And do you think that television shows such as
Breaking Bad
have actually glamorized meth production as we root for the criminals there to succeed?