Home In Carolina

“You’re a liar, but thanks.”

“Just so you know, I always start out spending time with a client to see what her goals are, so this is just routine,” Annie assured her. Unsure what her old friend’s financial situation might be, she added, “You don’t pay for this session, okay?”

“Money’s not an issue,” Sarah assured her. “I just don’t have time to waste.”

Again, there was a note of hysteria that set off alarm bells.

“We can talk about why that is, too,” Annie told her, leading the way into the spa’s small café, which sold a variety of drinks, smoothies, salads and pastries. The food was supplied by Sullivan’s.

Annie ordered two iced teas, then ushered Sarah out to the patio, choosing a table in the shade of an old oak tree. Two other tables were occupied, but they had relative privacy to talk. “So, you’re obviously married now, since I didn’t recognize the last name when you made the appointment.”

“For the moment,” Sarah said, her expression grim. “Walter says if I don’t get a grip on my weight, he’s through with me.”

Annie stared at her with shock. “Your husband threatened to leave you if you don’t lose weight?”

Sarah nodded, tears gathering in her eyes. “He meant it, too. He’s already seen a lawyer. To tell you the truth, I think he’s been looking for an excuse, and I handed it to him when I gained weight during my pregnancies with our two kids. I kept an extra twenty pounds after each of them.”

Annie was startled. “You have two kids already? When did you get married?”

“The week after we graduated. I was already pregnant with our first. That’s Tommy. That’s why you didn’t get a wedding invitation—his family thought it would be best if we didn’t make a fuss. We had a very small ceremony.”

Annie felt awful for her. She remembered how they used to talk about their weddings. Of all of them—even including Raylene’s social ambitions—Sarah’s dream had been the most lavish.

“You’d hardly be the first bride to be pregnant when she walked down the aisle,” she said, indignant for Sarah.

“Not in their town,” Sarah said. “At least that’s what you’d think to hear them tell it. Me, I think the whole place is a hotbed of people sleeping with anyone they can get their hands on. The Prices think they own the whole stupid town, which I suppose they do, if you consider they own the cotton mill that keeps a lot of folks employed.” She waved her hand. “Never mind. I don’t want to talk about them. They’re hateful people.”

“Have you moved back here, then?”

“I’m staying at Mama and Daddy’s place for a few months, while I ‘get a grip,’ as Walter says. It’s akin to hiding me in a closet. Thank heaven, Mama and Daddy had the foresight to see something like this coming and kept the house just in case I ever needed a place to come home to.”

“And your kids?”

“Tommy and Libby are here with me, at least for now. If Walter really does divorce me, it’s going to get ugly. He’s going to fight to keep Tommy with him.”

Annie regarded her with shock, certain she’d misunderstood. “Only your son?”

“Have to have an heir, don’t you know,” Sarah said angrily. “The family barely acknowledges that Libby exists. Seems my second pregnancy was a worse embarrassment than the first, coming so quickly on the heels of Tommy’s birth.” She leaned close and confided in an exaggerated undertone, “It suggests we had s-e-x.”

Annie had contained herself as long as she could. “Somebody needs to tell Walter what he can do to himself. I recommend Helen.”

For the first time, Sarah’s smile appeared genuine. “I was hoping you’d say that. I want to get fit, but I’m doing it for me, not Walter, no matter what he thinks. Then I intend to hire a lawyer like Helen, stand up for myself and teach him a thing or two,” she said with more spirit. “I can’t do that when I feel like such a failure.”

“You’re not a failure. And if you’re as determined as it sounds, you’ll be back in shape in no time. I’ll see to it,” Annie promised.

Sarah leaned forward. “So, how do we start?”

“Any health problems I should know about? You’ve seen a doctor?”

“The only thing wrong with me is the extra weight I’m carrying.”

“Have you been doing any exercise at all?”

“Nothing beyond chasing a couple of kids night and day. Does that count?”

“It’s definitely a start,” Annie told her, thinking of how worn-out her dad had been after his brief babysitting stint.

“What’s next, then?” Sarah asked eagerly, her expression more animated than it had been since she’d first hugged Annie.

“We’ll take it one step at a time,” Annie told her, “literally. Let’s get inside and get you on the treadmill.”

At the doorway, Sarah paused and gave her an impish grin. “Who ever thought things would turn out like this? Me having an eating problem and you being the one who’s going to help me conquer it. Talk about the tables being turned.”

“I know,” Annie said. “But you know the best part? Every time you have the slightest doubt, all you have to do is look at me and remember the mess I was. That’s all the proof you’ll need that anything is possible.”

Sarah pulled her into an embrace. “It is so good to see you, Annie. I’ve missed you. I’ve missed having a friend who knows all my secrets going clear back to preschool.”

Ironically it was having Sarah know her secrets that had made Annie want to forget the old friendship, but right this second she regretted having let it slip away.

“Do you ever hear from Raylene?” she asked Sarah. The three of them had once been as inseparable as the Sweet Magnolias.

“You mean the hoity-toity princess?” Sarah said with a chuckle. “Not so much. She sends out fancy Christmas cards and even scrawls a note on them about how fabulous her life is, but we haven’t talked in years. You?”

“I ran into her a couple of times in Charleston, but we definitely weren’t traveling in the same social circles. I had some business contact with her husband, who seemed like an okay guy.”

“Was he gorgeous?” Sarah asked.

“Ordinary, actually, but he had a terrific sense of humor.”

“And he’s rich, of course, and has that pedigree her family wanted,” Sarah assessed. She grinned. “I’ve missed this so much, Annie. When I heard you were back in town, it made the prospect of being banished here a whole lot easier.”

To her surprise, Annie realized she understood just what Sarah meant. It was as if a piece of herself had just clicked back into place this morning. “I know, sweetie. I know just what you mean.”

For the first time in her life, she understood why her mom, Maddie and Helen had stayed so close over all these years. Friends like these, who stuck together through thick and thin, were worth their weight in gold. It was about time she appreciated that for the blessing it was.

Chapter Five

It had been nearly a year since Helen had seen her mother, and she was shocked by the changes. Flo Decatur looked old and frail, asleep in her hospital bed, her complexion ashen, her gray hair badly in need of a perm. She was only seventy-two, but years of hard work and smoking had clearly taken a toll.

She moaned softly, then opened her eyes. Her expression brightened when she saw Helen.

“You came,” she said in a way that suggested she hadn’t believed Helen would take the time.

“Of course I came,” Helen said briskly, giving her mother a kiss on the cheek. “I had to see for myself just how much trouble you’ve gotten yourself into. How did it happen, Mom? How’d you break your hip?”

“Believe it or not, I was taking a class in line dancing at the community center,” Flo said, then added wryly, “I thought it would be good exercise. At my age you’ll try anything to keep your parts working.” She patted her hip. “I guess this one was already shot.”

Helen smiled at the image of her mother taking any kind of dance class, much less one involving country music. She’d always claimed to hate all those love-gone-wrong songs. She said she’d lived it, and it wasn’t worth glorifying. She’d also always had two left feet, or so she’d said. It appeared she might have been right.