Fall 2012, Dutton
You look tired, sweetie,” Doris Hill said sympathetically.
Kate gave her new friend a wry look. Since she started working for Doc Adams last month, she and Doris had been meeting for lunch at the Four Corners Café every Wednesday. It was nice to be able to talk to someone other than Trudy or Joe.
“I am,” Kate replied.
“Is the job too much?”
“Oh no,” she responded passionately. “I love my job.”
“Home?”
She hated airing her problems in public and took a couple of minutes to gaze around the room before answering. Taking in the worn linoleum, the red vinyl stools at the counter, and ceiling tile yellowed with years of grease, she thought how to answer Doris. She spotted two of Doc’s patients at a table not far from them, gobbling down pieces of the café’s homemade pie. And no matter what Trudy might say about it, the crust was as flaky as hers.
Trudy, she thought with a frown. She’d not made the last month easy. Not only did Kate have to listen to her constant digs as well as learning the ropes at Doc’s, she always had a list of things that could only be done with Kate’s help. They’d cleaned out the attic, hauled forty years’ worth of newspapers to the burn barrel, and cleared the basement. Kate gave a shudder. One of the basement jobs had been dumping jars of tomatoes that had failed to seal. One whiff of the stinky, rotten goop and she’d almost lost it. She hadn’t missed the gleam in Trudy’s eye as she watched Kate haul the wretched bucket up the stairs.
“Well?” asked Doris, calling Kate’s attention back to her question.
Quickly, Kate gave her a rundown of the last month. When she finished, she smiled wryly. “I sound whiny, don’t I?”
Anger lit Doris’s face. “Absolutely not,” she exclaimed, drumming her fingers on the table. “She’s trying to make you quit, you know. Have you talked to Joe about his mother working you to death?”
“Ahh, no—” She stopped. “There are two topics that are off limits: his mother and the farm.”
Doris gave a quick glance around the room, then leaned forward. “He, well, he hasn’t hurt you, has he?”
“Doris,” Kate hissed.
“I know—I’m sorry—it’s none of my business and I shouldn’t pry. It’s just the Krause men have a reputation of being ‘hard.’ ”
“Joe’s family?”
Doris nodded. “His dad, grandfather, and great-grandfather,” she answered, keeping her voice down. “Then there’s old Jacob . . . I heard a meaner man never drew breath.”
Kate sat back. “You mean the ghost?”
“Yeah, have you seen him?”
A shiver crept up her back as she remembered the day Joe had struck her. The blinds and the window had been closed when she’d gone to sleep, yet when she’d awakened they’d been open. Then there was the feeling of someone stroking her hair and the sense of comfort. She gave a quick shake of her head. Impossible.
“No, I don’t believe in ghosts or family curses,” she said swiftly.
Doris clicked her teeth. “A lot of folks around here do, and it does seem that Joe’s family has had more than their share of tragedies.”
“W—” Kate caught herself then continued. “Ah, someone once said that their problems were more about greed than bad luck.”
“I’ve heard about that, too, starting with the first Joseph cheating his brother out of his inheritance and down to your Joe’s grandfather almost losing the farm.”
“What happened?”
Doris tugged on her lip. “Something about making bad investments. I recall my mother talking about ‘no such thing as easy money’ in reference to the grandfather.”
“But you don’t know what those were?”
“No. You could ask Rose. She knows a lot about your husband’s family.”
Kate gave a short laugh. “That’s not going to happen anytime soon. The woman hates me.”
“No, she doesn’t.” Doris smirked. “I’ve got to admit, she’s ticked at Joe right now and she sure doesn’t like Trudy, but knowing Rose, once you two become acquainted, she’d like you.”
Doris suddenly sobered. “There’s something else I should tell you.” She exhaled slowly. “Again, this isn’t my business, but as your friend—you need to get Trudy to move.”
Kate arched an eyebrow. “No kidding,” she exclaimed. “Joe’s a different person when she’s not around. We actually have fun.”
“There’s a vacancy in the retirement apartments.”
“I figured as much. I’m not stupid—I caught what you almost said at the barbecue.”
“Then why haven’t you got her skinny butt out of your house?”
“It’s not that easy,” Kate said with a sigh. “I’ve already told you that the subject of Trudy is taboo. It’s been easier to let it slide.” Reaching across the table, she squeezed Doris’s hand. “It’ll be okay. Once I get settled in this job and things even out, I’ll give it another shot.”
“Don’t wait too long,” Doris warned.
“Why do you say that?”
“Trudy’s church group.”
“What about them?”
“Let’s just say that they’re talking more about you than they are God,” she answered sarcastically.
Kate’s eyes flew wide. “They’re gossiping about me? But I haven’t done—”
“Of course you haven’t, but it’s not stopping Trudy from dishing a load of crap.”
“Such as?”
Doris began counting off on her fingers. “You come from trailer trash and you married Joe for his money. You’re not a proper wife and couldn’t boil water without burning it.” She stopped. “Personally, that’s my favorite—who else besides those old biddies would care. And,” she said, holding up a third finger, “you’re so sloppy that Trudy has to clean up after you.”
Kate wadded up a napkin and threw it on her plate. “That’s so untrue.” She picked the napkin up and began to shred it. “Well, maybe not the boiling water part, but the rest of it is a lie.” She tilted her head and gave Doris a shrewd look. “Do you suppose Trudy’s lies are why Mr. Forsyth gave me the fish eye when he came in for his checkup?”
“Probably. His wife is in Trudy’s group.”
“What does she hope to gain by trashing me?”
Doris settled back and crossed her arms. “It’s obvious. She wants to turn people against you so—”
Kate felt sick to her stomach. “So Doc starts losing patients because of me and has to let me go,” she finished for Doris. “That’s disgusting.”
“Look, sweetie, she won’t succeed. People in town like you. You’re not like the rest of them.”
“Huh?”
“The rest of the women who’ve married into that family. Except for Trudy, who’s been a bitch since the day she was born, the others jumped at their own shadows. You’ve got spunk.”
“Me?” Kate was shocked. “No, I don’t.”
She thought back to all the things her grandmother had said about her over the years, and the word spunk had never been included. Screw-up, yes. Spunk, no.
“One more thing.” Doris moved her empty plate to the side and leaned close to the edge of the table. “I don’t think this is common knowledge, but someone has said that they saw you in Flint Rapids with Will Krause.”
Kate’s breath hitched in her throat and she felt the blood drain from her face. “It’s not like what it sounds . . . it was completely innocent . . . I swear,” she stumbled. “Will helped me pick out my Jeep. Joe didn’t want me to have a car.”
“Humph, I’m sure he didn’t,” Doris said with a frown, then switched to a tight smile. “It’s okay. I believe you. Will’s a good guy. He wouldn’t take advantage of anyone.” She sobered. “But you might have a problem convincing Trudy and Joe of that.”