baritone voice came from behind.
Maddie twisted in the gray metal folding chair to see Parker Kemp grinning at her, his puppy-dog eyes twinkling. He was handsomely dressed in a dark suit, tasteful tie, and holding a bowl of pudding.
“This seat taken?” Parker pointed to the chair beside Maddie.
“Do you see anyone sitting there?” Cotton licked the back of his empty spoon. “Have a seat, boy.”
Parker looked at Maddie. “May I?”
Maddie shrugged, then scooted her chair closer to Cotton’s. She didn’t remember Parker’s shoulders being so broad, or the confident air he seemed to possess, like he was comfortable in his tanned skin. Even when she protested his offer of chocolate cake to Tater after he and Momma got all but a few crumbs off the kitchen floor, his smile and the way he ignored her threats said Parker Kemp was no longer the youth group nerd. What had happened? Had some secret substance changed his entire body chemistry? Maddie shifted in her seat so she could get a better view—purely for scientific investigation, she assured herself.
Parker placed his dessert on the table and sat down. “I thought the service for your father was real nice.”
Unnerved by his directness, Maddie swallowed. “Daddy would have preferred to do it himself.”
Parker nodded. “And, no doubt, he would have done a better job.”
Across the room a group of men laughed. Maddie swiveled in her chair to locate her father’s booming bass in the mix. Her daddy loved a joke more than anyone she knew. But he was nowhere to be found. Was that the joke? David, Maddie, and Momma trapped together without Pastor Harper’s humor to lighten the tension. It wasn’t funny.
Something was off-kilter in this place where she’d eaten more than her share of potluck fare. She’d had this same dizzy sensation while seated in the Harper pew listening to Howard Davis speak from her father’s pulpit.
Either Mr. Davis was in the wrong place or she was. This day was a bad dream. Any minute she would wake up in her loft apartment, yell at Katie Beth for letting her oversleep, throw on some clothes, and rush out the door. She’d phone her dad on the way to the hospital, and the ripple of his laughter would make everything that had been wrong about this nightmare right for his princess.
“So, are you about finished with med school?” Parker touched Maddie’s arm and she jumped.
“I’m sorry. What did you say?”
Parker chewed the large bite he’d popped in his mouth, then swallowed. “When do you finish school?”
“In the spring. Then I’ll start my residency.”
“You coming back to this part of the country to do that?” Parker asked.
“I hadn’t planned to, but now that Momma is . . .” Maddie felt flush under Parker’s gaze. She diverted her eyes and noticed the Story sisters aiming their pointed noses in their direction. Their creaky bodies would not be far behind. Maddie hurried to change the subject. “So, what about you? I bet the stimulating work of an extension agent is never done.”
He smiled. “On call round the clock.”
Nola Gay tapped Parker’s shoulder. “What are you going to do about our wilt?”
“See what I mean?” Parker winked at Maddie.
“Stem rot.” Etta May steadied herself by placing a shaky hand on Maddie’s shoulder. “Just about did in our cucumber crop last year.”
“It’s those blasted striped beetles. They chew into the leaves and the next thing you know, the wilt has spread up and down the runner.” Nola Gay pursed her lips and shook her head.
The unruffled extension agent put down his spoon and rubbed his chin. “I’ve been studying your problem, ladies.” The way he focused his attention reminded Maddie of a doctor contemplating the best way to break the news of a fatal diagnosis. “Why don’t you have a seat, and we’ll see if we can’t come up with a plan to shut down those hard-shelled hooligans before they taste another bite of Mt. Hope’s best
Maddie twisted in the gray metal folding chair to see Parker Kemp grinning at her, his puppy-dog eyes twinkling. He was handsomely dressed in a dark suit, tasteful tie, and holding a bowl of pudding.
“This seat taken?” Parker pointed to the chair beside Maddie.
“Do you see anyone sitting there?” Cotton licked the back of his empty spoon. “Have a seat, boy.”
Parker looked at Maddie. “May I?”
Maddie shrugged, then scooted her chair closer to Cotton’s. She didn’t remember Parker’s shoulders being so broad, or the confident air he seemed to possess, like he was comfortable in his tanned skin. Even when she protested his offer of chocolate cake to Tater after he and Momma got all but a few crumbs off the kitchen floor, his smile and the way he ignored her threats said Parker Kemp was no longer the youth group nerd. What had happened? Had some secret substance changed his entire body chemistry? Maddie shifted in her seat so she could get a better view—purely for scientific investigation, she assured herself.
Parker placed his dessert on the table and sat down. “I thought the service for your father was real nice.”
Unnerved by his directness, Maddie swallowed. “Daddy would have preferred to do it himself.”
Parker nodded. “And, no doubt, he would have done a better job.”
Across the room a group of men laughed. Maddie swiveled in her chair to locate her father’s booming bass in the mix. Her daddy loved a joke more than anyone she knew. But he was nowhere to be found. Was that the joke? David, Maddie, and Momma trapped together without Pastor Harper’s humor to lighten the tension. It wasn’t funny.
Something was off-kilter in this place where she’d eaten more than her share of potluck fare. She’d had this same dizzy sensation while seated in the Harper pew listening to Howard Davis speak from her father’s pulpit.
Either Mr. Davis was in the wrong place or she was. This day was a bad dream. Any minute she would wake up in her loft apartment, yell at Katie Beth for letting her oversleep, throw on some clothes, and rush out the door. She’d phone her dad on the way to the hospital, and the ripple of his laughter would make everything that had been wrong about this nightmare right for his princess.
“So, are you about finished with med school?” Parker touched Maddie’s arm and she jumped.
“I’m sorry. What did you say?”
Parker chewed the large bite he’d popped in his mouth, then swallowed. “When do you finish school?”
“In the spring. Then I’ll start my residency.”
“You coming back to this part of the country to do that?” Parker asked.
“I hadn’t planned to, but now that Momma is . . .” Maddie felt flush under Parker’s gaze. She diverted her eyes and noticed the Story sisters aiming their pointed noses in their direction. Their creaky bodies would not be far behind. Maddie hurried to change the subject. “So, what about you? I bet the stimulating work of an extension agent is never done.”
He smiled. “On call round the clock.”
Nola Gay tapped Parker’s shoulder. “What are you going to do about our wilt?”
“See what I mean?” Parker winked at Maddie.
“Stem rot.” Etta May steadied herself by placing a shaky hand on Maddie’s shoulder. “Just about did in our cucumber crop last year.”
“It’s those blasted striped beetles. They chew into the leaves and the next thing you know, the wilt has spread up and down the runner.” Nola Gay pursed her lips and shook her head.
The unruffled extension agent put down his spoon and rubbed his chin. “I’ve been studying your problem, ladies.” The way he focused his attention reminded Maddie of a doctor contemplating the best way to break the news of a fatal diagnosis. “Why don’t you have a seat, and we’ll see if we can’t come up with a plan to shut down those hard-shelled hooligans before they taste another bite of Mt. Hope’s best
Similar Books
It's Always Darkest Before the Fridge Door Opens: Enjoying the Fruits of Middle Age
Phil Callaway, Martha O. Bolton
