The Sweetgum Ladies Knit for Love (18 page)

The three women were still laughing as Tallulah led Maria and Daphne to their table. “You all enjoy,” the café owner said before moving away.

For the first time since her father’s death, Maria’s heart felt like it might one day lighten again. Until she looked to her right and saw the two men seated at the table next to them.

James Delevan and Evan Baxter.

“Ladies. Good evening.” Evan greeted them with enough enthusiasm to make Daphne’s cheeks pink. James looked perturbed, as if they’d come to the café for the purpose of annoying him.

Daphne, though quiet, spoke to Evan with charm and warmth while Maria sat and tried not to look as if she were sulking. James eventually nodded to her, and she replied with a strained smile.

“You should join us,” Evan said as he motioned to the two empty chairs at their four-top table.

Daphne looked as if she’d just been offered a winning lottery ticket. “If you’re sure…”

“Certainly.” James stood and motioned for them to move over. “We haven’t ordered yet.”

Maria moved stiffly as she bemoaned her bad luck. One night to enjoy herself. That was all she’d hoped for.

“Do you ladies have big plans tonight?” Evan motioned for their waitress.

“Not really” Daphne demurred. “Just dinner here and a movie across the street. That’s about as exciting as Sweetgum gets, I’m afraid.”

“Sounds good to me,” Evan said. “I needed a break from the city.”

“Is that why you bought our farm?” Daphne asked.

Maria bit her lip and looked away. Per their agreement, she still hadn’t said a word to anyone about the plans for the lakeside development.

“Partially,” Evan said. His face clouded a bit, and Maria could tell he was trying to answer Daphne’s question as honestly as he could. “I wanted a retreat from Memphis, and I was looking for a good investment.”

Fortunately, the waitress arrived with their dinner salads, and the conversation fell into a lull. The salads were the typical southern concession to the genre—some iceberg lettuce topped with a cherry tomato, a slice of cucumber, and a few sprinkles of heavily processed American cheese. Evan dug in to his salad with the same enthusiasm he seemed to have for everything in life. Daphne delicately approached hers. Maria watched as James eyed the bowl in front of him. Dubious. His expression was definitely dubious.

“That’s the closest you’ll get to health food at Tallulah’s,” Maria said with a straight face.

“I figured that,” James said. “Especially when I saw macaroni and cheese listed as a vegetable on the menu.”

Maria chuckled, but she covered up her amusement by stabbing a large piece of lettuce with her fork and munching on it.

“Would you like to join us at the movie?” Daphne asked Evan and James out of the blue.

Maria wanted to kick her under the table, but she refrained. From where they sat, they could see out the window and directly across the street to the theater’s marquee. The only movie showing was clearly a girlie one. Maria knew the men would decline.

“That would be great,” Evan said, smiling like an idiot at Daphne.

Maria and James exchanged a mutual look of disappointment, and then realizing what they’d just done, shared a guilty smile. At that unexpected moment of camaraderie, Maria’s stomach tightened, not leaving much room for the iceberg lettuce that resided there.

“Daphne, they may have other plans,” she chided her sister, hoping to reverse the disastrous course her sister was setting them on. While Evan Baxter was a laid-back, unaffected guy, she doubted he saw Daphne as anything other than a pleasant diversion for the evening. She worried his attention might get her sister’s hopes up. Almost as much as she dreaded spending the rest of the evening as James’s pseudodate.

A few moments later, their entrées arrived. Between eating and Evan’s easy management of the conversation, Maria found the experience of dining with the two men far less trying than she would have imagined. James Delevan even turned out to have a sense of humor, telling a couple of amusing stories about his life in Memphis and his travels abroad.

The movie proved a little more awkward. The men had insisted on paying for dinner, but when the four of them stepped up to the box office, Maria was determined that she and Daphne would pay their own way. Here, though, James’s arrogance once again asserted itself. He thrust his credit card through the opening in the box office window, and Maria could do nothing but stand on the sidewalk and seethe. What was worse, she refused popcorn and candy at the concession stand, two of her favorite indulgences, rather than be further indebted to him.

“Sure you don’t want something?” James asked as they moved away from the concession counter and toward the doors into the theater. He popped a couple of Milk Duds into his mouth, and Maria could feel her own mouth starting to water.

“No. I’m fine.” Maybe she could sneak out in the middle of the movie and snag some candy. And pay for it with her own money.

He shrugged. “Suit yourself.”

They were two steps from the door when James stopped abruptly and grabbed his jaw.

“You okay?” Evan asked.

James shook his head. He turned away, and at that moment Maria realized what had happened.

“Did you lose a tooth?”

James shook his head, more to ward off her questions than in response. “I’m fine.” The words came out garbled.

“You’re going to need a dentist.” Despite how much he annoyed her, she felt sorry for him. He continued to hold his jaw and wince.

“Is it broken?”

He shook his head. “I just lost a crown.”

He faced her now, and the look of misery in his eyes overrode her common sense. “I can call Dr. Baker and see if he’ll meet us at his office.”

James looked horrified, and she could only guess that his expression came from the thought of letting a country dentist get hold of him.

“Really, that’s not—” He stopped, winced in pain, and grabbed his jaw again.

“I think it’s completely necessary.” Maria dug in her purse for her cell phone.

Evan nodded his agreement. “But I can take him, Maria. You don’t want to miss the movie.” Even as he made the offer, though, Maria could see his disappointment. He cast a longing glance at Daphne, and then his ears turned pink when he saw that Maria had caught his look.

Maria knew what she had to do. The happiness of her sister was worth putting up with James Delevan. “You don’t know where Dr. Bakers office is,” she said to Evan. “If you wouldn’t mind keeping Daphne company for the movie, I’ll take James.”

James scowled. “I can make it to the dentist on my own.”

Maria decided there was no point arguing with him. She flipped through the contact numbers on her phone until she found Dr. Baker’s home number and pressed the green button to dial it. In a few short minutes, she’d arranged for an emergency office visit.

“You two go on to the movie,” she said to Daphne and Evan. “If you’ll see Daphne home, Evan, I’ll bring James back to Sugar Hill when we’re done.”

She didn’t wait for anyone to agree. Instead, she put her hand on James’s arm and gently led him away. The pain must have increased, because he didn’t protest.

Evan and Daphne called their good nights, and Daphne shot Maria a quick, happy smile of thanks. Maria wanted to smile herself, but she refrained. She didn’t want James to say anything to spoil Daphne’s enjoyment of the evening. Better to play it cool. Draw his attention away from Daphne and Evan.

“My car’s behind the five-and-dime,” she said as they exited the movie theater. They always parked behind the store, in the small gravel lot. “It would almost be quicker to walk to Doc Baker’s office, but we’ll need the car afterward to get you home.”

“Fine,” he mumbled, and despite herself, Maria felt some sympathy for the man. He was clearly in a lot of pain.

In less than ten minutes, they had walked to the car and then driven to the dentist’s office. The small brick building sat a few blocks north of the town square, not far from the tiny hospital. The lights were on, which meant Dr. Baker had already arrived.

The dentist greeted them at the door and immediately ushered James into a treatment room. Maria plopped into a chair in the waiting room, picked up a magazine, and idly leafed through the pages. She could hear Doc Baker talking to James, who could only grunt and moan in reply.

“You’ll just feel a pinch,” the dentist said, and she envisioned the silver-haired doctor holding the syringe with its long needle behind his back. He was very good at never letting you see what he was about to stick you with, one of the things Maria appreciated most about him.

The anesthetic must have worked, because she didn’t hear James groan anymore after that. Instead she heard a one-sided conversation that made her blush clear to the roots of her hair.

“Maria Munden’s a nice girl,” the doctor said, his words interspersed with the whine of a drill. “Couldn’t do better. Except for Daphne, of course.”

James grunted a wordless reply, which could have meant anything from “I agree” to “You’re an interfering busybody.”

“Shame about Tom Munden. And losing their home. But maybe it will be good for them. Time for a fresh start.”

James’s unintelligible grunt this time was clearly a question.

“You didn’t know about their father? No one saw that
coming. Maria will take care of them though. She’s got too much of her father in her to let her family down.”

Now Maria flushed with both embarrassment and pride. She’d forgotten what a gossip Dr. Baker was, but she was also flattered to be compared to her father.

“Don’t know why the young men around here didn’t snap up those Munden girls long ago.” Okay definitely embarrassment again. Maria leafed through the magazine in vain in an attempt to distract herself. “Some folks say they’re too particular. I say they just haven’t found the right fellows.”

Maria wanted to throw down the magazine, run into the treatment room, and drag James Delevan away from Dr. Baker, but all she could do was sit, listen, and hope he would change the subject. Fortunately, he soon did. The rest of the time he worked on James, the dentist kept up a running commentary on the town’s excitement at having Dante Brown back to coach the high school football team. Finally, Dr. Baker finished and the two men emerged into the waiting room.

“All done,” Doc Baker said, slapping James on the back hard enough to make him wince. “Told him he’s too old for Milk Duds. Better stick to Junior Mints after this.” He handed Maria a small square of paper. “Here’s a prescription for some pain medicine. I can call Hank to come open the pharmacy if you’d like.”

James raised a hand. “Not necessary. I’ll be fine.”

The dentist shrugged. “Suit yourself.”

“Thank you, Dr. Baker. We appreciate it.” Maria hesitated. “Should James call the office in the morning about settling the bill?”

Dr. Baker winked at her. “This one’s on me. Just call me Dr. Cupid.”

Maria wished that the floor would open up and swallow her, and James looked like he was thinking the same thing. He reached for his back pocket and drew out his wallet, but Dr. Baker waved his hand.

“No sir, young man. No need.” He nodded toward Maria. “Save your money to spend on this young lady.”

Could she be any more humiliated? Probably. Which meant she’d be better served by hustling James out of the waiting room and back to Sugar Hill rather than standing and arguing with Dr. Baker about payment. Thankfully, James seemed to be of the same mind. They said their good nights to the doctor and headed for her car.

They were on their way out of Sweetgum toward Sugar Hill before either of them spoke. Maria hated the awkward silence, but she had no idea what to say to James Delevan that wouldn’t further demean her in his eyes.

“Thank you,” he said as she turned off the highway onto the long driveway that led to the Sugar Hill Bed-and-Breakfast. “You didn’t have to do that.” He slurred his words a bit, which made him seem more human.

“It was no problem.”

“I’m sorry you missed your movie.”

She shrugged. “There’ll be others.” When, she had no idea, but she wasn’t going to let her disappointment show. Her happiness for her sister would make up for it. “I’m sorry about Dr. Baker,” she replied. “I forgot to warn you he’s a bit of a gossip.”

“A bit?” James answered, but he was smiling. “He’s better than the
National Enquirer.”

Maria had to chuckle. “You’re right. But he’s a good man. And a good dentist.” She paused. “Are you sure you’ll be all right, painwise? I can still get your prescription filled if you’ve changed your mind.” She steered the car onto the broad sweep of gravel in front of the B&B. From its position at the top of the hill, she could see the distant lights of the marina and, farther to the east, lights from the town.

“Thanks, but I’ll be fine.” He hesitated, his hand on the car door latch. Then he turned toward her, his expression serious. “You surprised me.”

“I was just being a good neighbor. Or a good host, I guess you’d say, since you’re just visiting Sweetgum.”

He shook his head. “You could have left me on my own, and I’d have been okay.” He paused. “But you didn’t. Thanks.”

What could she possibly say in reply? Any time? Frankly, she hoped this was the last time she’d ever have to be in his company. He was too arrogant, too handsome, and too comp—

She broke off the thought, because what she’d been about to acknowledge, even if it was just to herself, was that he was the most compelling man she’d ever met.

“I’m glad your tooth’s all right,” she said, unable to think of anything else.

“Maria—” He leaned toward her, and against her better judgment, she felt herself sway his direction in response. His dark eyes had gone even darker, and he looked like a man about to—

She caught herself just in time. She jerked back, straightened her spine, and placed both hands firmly on the steering wheel.

“I’d better get back to town.” Her interruption was deliberate and born of sheer panic. “Before my mom gets worried.”

His head snapped back, and he opened the car door abruptly. “You seem a little old for a curfew.”

She could see he was angry. No doubt James Delevan didn’t get shot down very often. Not that she had shot him down exactly, but he had been about to—