Read Online Dear Neighbor, Drop Dead by Saralee Rosenberg - Free Book Online Page A

the giggles. “Does this mean you unblocked me?”
    “What?” Beth snapped.
    “Oh, come on . . . you don’t think I figured out that you blocked me? ”
    “You blocked her?” Richard said. “Why?”
    “I don’t know what you are talking about, Mindy, but clearly you are not hearing me. Stacie did a despicable thing to me and she owes me an apology. . . .”
    “Would you stop?” Richard raised his normally calm voice.
    “Clearly you feel guilty about something or you wouldn’t be—”
    “Oh my God! Shut the hell up! Nothing happened. NOTHING!”
    So this was the trick to fighting with Beth, Mindy thought.
    Get Richard to do the heavy lifting, though she did feel sorry that he was the unwitting victim here. And at least she was getting validation that she hadn’t imagined the scene in the parking lot earlier in the day.
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    “Okay look,” Mindy said. “This is awful timing, but I’ll go in and talk to Stacie and try to get her side of the story.”
    “There is no other side to the story.” Beth fought tears. “That little brat decided to be a big shot and ruin my good name and now everyone is making these awful assumptions and—”
    “Hey!” She felt another power surge like the one that came over her when she took on Stan. “Whatever she did, you have no right to call my daughter a brat, okay?”
    “Really? Then what do you call a child who doesn’t know right from wrong?”
    “I don’t know. The same thing you’d call an adult who doesn’t know right from wrong? I saw you at the mall today in that man’s car and it sure looked like you guys were having fun. And where there’s smoke, there’s—”
    “Don’t you dare finish that sentence,” Beth choked. “There is no smoke, no fire—”
    “You were in his car?” Richard looked ready to cry, too.
    “Where are you going?” Beth watched him leave. “Now look what you’ve done, Mindy!”
    “Look what I’ve done? Wow. You are unbelievable. But you know what? If Stacie did do something wrong, then I’m glad she did it to you!” Mindy walked off.
    Her only regret was that she couldn’t turn to see the look on Beth’s face after that knockout punch. But at least she could gloat.
    For the first time, she was the reigning champ. Pity the trophy ceremony would have to wait.
    “Can you explain any of that?” An angry Artie was pacing in the kitchen.
    “Possibly,” she replied. “Where is he?”
    “Bathroom.”
    “Did the kids come down to meet him?”
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    “Nope. Stacie is in her room balling her eyes out and Jamie and Ricky are hiding in the basement. Beth scared the crap out of them.”
    “Oh my God . . .”
    “Yeah. Not exactly the John Boy returns to Walton Mountain party I expected.”
    “He’s very cute though,” Mindy whispered. “Just, you know, a little strange.”
    “And we look normal? He’s probably on the phone trying to book the next flight home.”
    “We’ll explain everything. I’m sure he’ll understand. Let me just go talk to Stacie and try to calm her down.”
    But then Aaron returned looking so helpless and confused, his wavy brown hair still matted from the car ride, Mindy offered him a hug and a snack. He declined both as he drummed on the table and asked for a beer.
    Her first instinct was to say hello, we don’t serve minors and please stop tapping on the table. But Artie, a soft touch and a once aspiring drummer, didn’t want to offend. He found an Amstel Light in the garage and showed Aaron to the TV in the den.
    “Relax. It’s not like he’ll be driving,” Artie whispered. “Plus I’m sure he’s done a lot worse than this.”
    “Great . . . a wonderful role model for the kids.”
    “Oh stop. I drank when I was in high school and I turned out okay.”
    “I know . . . it’s just, he looks so depressed. His clothes are ratty, his hair is scraggly, his teeth . . . They do have dentists in Oregon, right?”
    “Why are you already