Chapter Thirty-Six

The telephone turned out to be a pleasant option. In Momma’s absence, Dodd and I talked on the phone for hours, taking advantage of our last day before school started. Our conversation spanned every topic from childhood phobias to far-fetched dreams. I shared my plans for college and my desperation for a scholarship, and by the end of the call, I felt I had known him for four years instead of four months.

And whatever doubts I had felt when we pulled away from Ansel and Velma’s house evaporated as Dodd spoke of Trapp residents—husbands and wives, parents and children, old folks—all of whom hadn’t attended worship a day in their lives. Dodd made it sound like he was truly friends with all of them. This wasn’t churchiness.

A tiny concept niggled my conscience, and I wondered if JohnScott could have been right when he said it wasn’t about the church. Dodd made it seem as if God was all over town.

I smiled as I hung up the phone with a promise to call him again later, but then the front door opened and slammed shut, startling me.

“Momma?”

Her purse hit the hardwood floor with a thud. “Dixie Edison got a bee in her bonnet. Something about the cash register left unattended.”

I crept down the hall as alarm shimmied up my spine. “So … why are you home early?”

“She blamed me, and I don’t even know what I’m accused of. She said she can’t have dishonest employees working in her restaurant, but I have no idea what she’s talking about.” Momma threw herself onto the couch. “If Dixie hadn’t always been such a fair boss, I’d say she made it up.”

Realization dawned on me. “She fired you,” I whispered.

“On the spot.” Momma spat the words like bullets. “Said I’d be lucky to get a job anywhere in Trapp once this gets out.”

I shut my eyes. Momma was already lucky to get a job anywhere in town. “Can’t you tell her you didn’t do anything?”

“I tried.” She looked at me pointedly. “I know what you’re thinking, Ruth Ann, but I didn’t throw a fit.” She shook her head. “Not at first anyway, but I don’t think it would’ve mattered. She wanted me out of there.”

I leaned against the jamb of the kitchen door, and a splinter, many times painted over, dug into my shoulder. What had Momma done this time? As she sat rigidly on the couch, I sensed her anger morphing into despair, but I had no clue how to comfort her. Or if I even wanted to.

When the phone chirped, I didn’t react. Didn’t even think for a second or two, and then I lunged to get it before Momma.

But she had already picked up the living-room extension.

I clung to the back of a kitchen chair, studying her through the doorway.

“Who wants to know?” She tilted her head to peer at me through squinted eyes, and her voice turned to syrup. “Hang on, and I’ll check if she’s available to talk … Dodd.”

I snatched the kitchen line and waited until I heard Momma disconnect. “Hello?”

“Ruthie, I’m sorry. I didn’t expect her to be home. I should’ve hung up.”

“It’s okay,” I replied automatically.

Momma came in the kitchen and stood over me, arms crossed.

Dodd exhaled. “So …”

One little word, but I knew what he meant. He wanted me to tell Momma the truth. Tell her I’d been lying and sneaking behind her back with someone she had no respect for. With the preacher. “I’ll let you know tomorrow once we’re back at work, all right?” I hung up the phone, avoiding eye contact with Momma.

“You’ll let him know what tomorrow?”

I stuttered, paused, took a shallow breath. “He needed to know something about a teachers’ meeting.”

She stared at me for what felt like hours, and I bumped around the kitchen, knowing I couldn’t escape. Finally she declared, “He asked you out.”

He hadn’t asked me out. Not just now, anyway. I wouldn’t have been lying if I denied her accusation, but a tiny part of me wanted to come clean. I wanted to look her in the eye—wanted to confidently take responsibility for my actions, my decisions, my feelings. “Yes.” It came out louder than I intended as I scrambled to mask my insecurity. “He did.”

To my shock, Momma cackled. “Well, who does he think he is? Mister high and mighty thinks he can date anybody he pleases, but he’s got a thing or two to learn about this town.” Her eyes still laughed, but she hadn’t diverted her gaze from me. “Ain’t that right?”

I moved two dirty glasses from the counter to the sink, one of which contained curdled chocolate milk.

“Ruth Ann?”

I lifted my chin, daring her to challenge me, yet terrified she would. “No, Momma.”

She recoiled as though I had slapped her.

Before I lost my nerve, I added, “Dodd and I have been together almost a month.”

Her face was transparent. At first she seemed surprised by my boldness, then confused as she tried to figure how this had happened. Next came fury, the expression I expected her to embrace, but she didn’t. Instead, she scrunched up her nose as if she smelled something foul. “You want to go out with him?”

I nodded, hesitantly at first, then firmly.

“Why?” She drawled the word with such revulsion I felt the urge to toss the congealed milk in her face.

“He’s nice to me, Momma.”

“Nice?” Her words dripped sarcasm. “Sure, he’ll be nice to you, as long as it’s convenient for him, but then he’ll cast you aside like a piece of trash.”

A tear slid down my cheek, but I wiped it quickly. “Dodd’s not like that.”

“Oh, of course not.”

I felt naked when she gave a disgusted grunt and turned her back on me, stomping down the hall to firmly shut herself in the bathroom.

I stood frozen in the middle of the kitchen, my heart pounding. What would she do? I glanced at the phone but immediately discarded the notion of calling Dodd back. The phone had already caused enough trouble. I took a deep breath and pulled my jacket closed over my chest, suddenly cold. Maybe she wouldn’t overreact. She seemed to have taken it all right, all things considered. Besides, Velma had told me to stop living my life to please Momma, and it was high time I took her advice. Dodd would be happy now too. He always felt like we were lying, and I suppose we were. My right foot took a tentative step, but I couldn’t take another because my legs were trembling.

My reaction was ridiculous, of course. Momma had ranted and locked herself in the bathroom. Typical behavior for her, so I had no need to panic.

After a flush, the bathroom door slowly creaked, and I heard her cross through the living room in socked feet. She appeared in the doorway of the kitchen with her arms crossed, glaring at me with a rabid expression. “You’ve been with Dodd Cunningham for almost a month,” she purred.

I didn’t respond.

“I bet Neil Blaylock is as pleased with your romance as I am.”

Of all the comments she could have made, why did she mention Neil?

She took a menacing step. “And Neil Blaylock and Dixie Edison are second cousins.”

My heart slid to my stomach.

“You fool. You got me fired from the best job I’ve had in years.”