time to put the past behind us. So come on, Penny, James likes to beat the traffic getting out of the parking lot. We’ll see you guys later. Terrill, I mean to see you, too.”
His mother took Penny by the arm and actually led her out of the church. Jason watched them walk away and wondered how in the heck he was going to get through a dinner with Penny and…He turned to Terrill, who just shrugged.
“It’ll be awkward. But honestly, I don’t know how to just not show up when your mother has made her expectations so very clear.”
Jason wanted to tell Terrill he needed to figure out a way. He wanted to threaten him with bodily harm if he dared show up at his parents’ home.
But he couldn’t.
So he just turned and walked away.
As he headed back over to his brothers, he saw that all three of them were standing there watching everything.
“Mama invited Penny and Terrill to Sunday dinner.” Jason stared at his brothers, hoping one of them had some advice on how to handle this one. As the youngest, he normally couldn’t stand it when they offered up their two cents on his life. Today, he’d gladly take any advice they had to give.
“You could always not show up. I know I wouldn’t if Mama invited my cheating ex-wife to Sunday dinner.” Patrick folded his arms firmly across his chest.
“Well, you don’t have to worry about that. Mama can’t stand your ex-wife. But I think Aunt Sophie still has lunch with her once a month. She’s still mourning the breakup of what she called the ‘perfect marriage.’” Joel let out a gut-busting laugh, only to stop just as quickly, when he realized there were still some other folks in the church.
Lawrence took off his blazer and slung it over his shoulder. “Well, I think he should definitely come to dinner and face them both. They were the ones who were wrong. And he can’t let them run him out of his own mama’s house. That’s just wrong. I’d have a real problem if he punked out like that.”
“Yeah, but if he gets up in there and starts fisticuffs with Terrill at Sunday dinner…” Joel began.
“Jason isn’t stupid. He can be the bigger man. He’s a Hightower. We’re honorable men,” Lawrence cut in.
“We don’t back down,” Patrick added.
“And we always do things the right way,” Joel continued.
“ Our way,” Jason finished, and they all laughed.
“That’s right. So we’ll see you at dinner. And remember, never let them see you sweat.” Lawrence loosened the tie he only wore in church and started walking off.
“Yep. Stay cool.” Joel winked and followed Lawrence.
“And remember, no woman in the world is worth all this stress. She cheated. It’s her loss. You’re the bigger man. You’re a Hightower.” Patrick patted Jason’s back awkwardly.
Jason sighed. He must have looked pretty pathetic if his older brother had taken to expressing affection. The move was certainly atypical of the eldest Hightower son, to say the least. Jason decided to brace himself for a stressful dinner. His brothers were right.
He wasn’t missing Mama’s Sunday dinner for anyone.
After telling Penny she didn’t feel like doing the whole church scene, Carla waited for her daughter to leave the house before making her way down the hill to the Temple Street boardinghouse where she knew Gerald McEarly was staying.
She knocked on the door to Gerald’s room. She was taking a great risk by coming there. But she had to somehow convince Gerald that it was a bad idea for him to just keep showing up at her place. Even if he wanted to get to know Penny, it was too late for all that. And if Clyde found out Gerald stopped by, then it would make things all the worse.
Clyde “C-Money” Markum didn’t hand out idle threats, and she had to convince Gerald to stay away until she could convince Penny to get her out of town.
Gerald opened the door and her heart skipped a beat. How could she possibly be having the same fluttering feelings she’d had when
His mother took Penny by the arm and actually led her out of the church. Jason watched them walk away and wondered how in the heck he was going to get through a dinner with Penny and…He turned to Terrill, who just shrugged.
“It’ll be awkward. But honestly, I don’t know how to just not show up when your mother has made her expectations so very clear.”
Jason wanted to tell Terrill he needed to figure out a way. He wanted to threaten him with bodily harm if he dared show up at his parents’ home.
But he couldn’t.
So he just turned and walked away.
As he headed back over to his brothers, he saw that all three of them were standing there watching everything.
“Mama invited Penny and Terrill to Sunday dinner.” Jason stared at his brothers, hoping one of them had some advice on how to handle this one. As the youngest, he normally couldn’t stand it when they offered up their two cents on his life. Today, he’d gladly take any advice they had to give.
“You could always not show up. I know I wouldn’t if Mama invited my cheating ex-wife to Sunday dinner.” Patrick folded his arms firmly across his chest.
“Well, you don’t have to worry about that. Mama can’t stand your ex-wife. But I think Aunt Sophie still has lunch with her once a month. She’s still mourning the breakup of what she called the ‘perfect marriage.’” Joel let out a gut-busting laugh, only to stop just as quickly, when he realized there were still some other folks in the church.
Lawrence took off his blazer and slung it over his shoulder. “Well, I think he should definitely come to dinner and face them both. They were the ones who were wrong. And he can’t let them run him out of his own mama’s house. That’s just wrong. I’d have a real problem if he punked out like that.”
“Yeah, but if he gets up in there and starts fisticuffs with Terrill at Sunday dinner…” Joel began.
“Jason isn’t stupid. He can be the bigger man. He’s a Hightower. We’re honorable men,” Lawrence cut in.
“We don’t back down,” Patrick added.
“And we always do things the right way,” Joel continued.
“ Our way,” Jason finished, and they all laughed.
“That’s right. So we’ll see you at dinner. And remember, never let them see you sweat.” Lawrence loosened the tie he only wore in church and started walking off.
“Yep. Stay cool.” Joel winked and followed Lawrence.
“And remember, no woman in the world is worth all this stress. She cheated. It’s her loss. You’re the bigger man. You’re a Hightower.” Patrick patted Jason’s back awkwardly.
Jason sighed. He must have looked pretty pathetic if his older brother had taken to expressing affection. The move was certainly atypical of the eldest Hightower son, to say the least. Jason decided to brace himself for a stressful dinner. His brothers were right.
He wasn’t missing Mama’s Sunday dinner for anyone.
After telling Penny she didn’t feel like doing the whole church scene, Carla waited for her daughter to leave the house before making her way down the hill to the Temple Street boardinghouse where she knew Gerald McEarly was staying.
She knocked on the door to Gerald’s room. She was taking a great risk by coming there. But she had to somehow convince Gerald that it was a bad idea for him to just keep showing up at her place. Even if he wanted to get to know Penny, it was too late for all that. And if Clyde found out Gerald stopped by, then it would make things all the worse.
Clyde “C-Money” Markum didn’t hand out idle threats, and she had to convince Gerald to stay away until she could convince Penny to get her out of town.
Gerald opened the door and her heart skipped a beat. How could she possibly be having the same fluttering feelings she’d had when
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