Home in Carolina by Sherryl Woods Page A

Frank,” she announced the second Maddie answered.
    “Okay,” Maddie said slowly. “Did I need to know that?”
    “ I didn’t need to know that,” Helen said. “I’m in hell.”
    “Where are you actually?”
    “Somewhere south of Savannah and north of Jacksonville. We stopped for lunch.”
    “At eleven in the morning?”
    “I had to get out of that car,” Helen said.
    “Where’s Flo now?”
    “Inside. I have to get back before our food comes, but I needed moral support.”
    “Always,” Maddie said, though she didn’t seem to be doing a very good job of hiding her amusement. “Having Flo back home may turn out to be more interesting than any of us thought. Is Frank going to be your new daddy?”
    “You are so not funny,” Helen said.
    Maddie tried unsuccessfully to choke back a laugh. “Sorry,” she murmured. “You might want to prepare yourself, though. Your mother seems to be full of surprises.”
    “I knew this was going to be hard. I didn’t expect anything like this,” Helen said. “Maddie, what am I going to do?”
    “I don’t think there’s anything you can do. She’s a grown woman.” Maddie hesitated, then added, “I know you don’t want to hear this, but I think it’s kind of sweet.”
    “Having a boyfriend is kind of sweet,” Helen corrected. “Having condoms beside her bed, not so sweet! That image will be burned into my brain through eternity.”
    “Sweetie, Frank is in Florida. He’s been left behind. Once she’s here, she won’t even be able to leave the house for a while, so I doubt you’ll have to worry about her meeting anyone new. No one will be heating up the sheets in your guest room.”
    Helen considered that. A sigh of relief washed over her. “True. Thank you. I’d better get back inside.”
    “It’s going to be fine, you know. It really is.”
    “Tell me you’d feel that way if Paula suddenly announced she was moving in with you and Cal,” Helen challenged, referring to Maddie’s artist mother whose eccentricities drove Maddie mad.
    “Point taken. Drive safely. I’ll stop by tomorrow unless you want help tonight getting your mom settled.”
    “No, tomorrow’s good. Thanks again for dragging me off the ledge.”
    “Anytime,” Maddie said.
    Feeling marginally better, Helen went back inside to find that her eggs, bacon, biscuits, potatoes and sausage gravy had all been served. She stuffed down every bite, along with her feelings.

7
    A nnie stood outside Sarah’s house—a small white bungalow with a lawn that needed tending—and suddenly felt like she was a kid again. She was just blocks from her own home, where she’d been living with her parents since coming back to Serenity.
    How many times had she hung out here, listening to music, giggling over boys, crying when her mom had kicked her dad out and he’d left town? This was where she’d first voiced her dreams of a future with Ty. She’d been so crazy about him. Still was, if she were to be totally honest.
    She sighed, then continued up the walk and rang the bell.
    When Sarah opened the door, Annie’s jaw went slack. Inside a house that had always been in perfect order, all was now chaos.
    “I know,” Sarah said, following the direction of Annie’s gaze. “It’s a disaster. The kids leave toys everywhere, and I’m so exhausted from chasing after them and fighting to get them into bed, I can’t make myself tackle the straightening up that needs to be done. Let’s go in the kitchen. It’s not quite as bad.”
    But it was. The remains of what must have been the kids’ dinner of mac and cheese, peas and carrots, was not only all over the table, but on the floor. Sarah blinked with dismay as she took it in, then tears slid down her cheeks.
    “I swear,” she began, but her voice trailed off and she sat down at the table and buried her face in her hands. “I’m sorry. I am so, so sorry. I thought I’d have this all cleaned up. I guess in my mind I saw it the way I wanted it to be