it again. “Um, I’m sorry, I didn’tread my itinerary … my agent usually handles the details of my appearances.” She realized that sounded like an excuse. She hated public appearances and if Benny didn’t push her, she’d never do them, but it was rude of her not to have looked at the itinerary. She’d kept them waiting. “I should have assumed responsibility for myself. I do apologize.”
“Boy, that agent,” Dotty Mae said, “he’s sure got you spoiled.”
“I suppose he does,” Sarah admitted.
“It’s okay, we haven’t been here long,” Raylene said.
“Could you ladies excuse me for just a little while longer? I need to shower and get changed.”
“You go right ahead.” Dotty Mae waved a hand. “I was just about to order this angel fondue set. There’s Bible verses printed on the bottom of the fondue bowls. When you get done eating, ta-da, you’ve uncovered the word of God.”
Raylene rolled her eyes. “What about your guests who don’t like to mix fondue and religion?”
“Then they don’t have to look at the bottom of the bowl, now do they? Sign me up for a set, Jenny.” As an aside to Sarah, Dotty Mae said, “Jenny sells angelware. It’s sort of like Tupperware, dontcha know, but cozier.”
“Better get a move on,” Raylene told Sarah. “Moe is presenting you the key to the city at nine and it’s eight-thirty now.”
“Yes, yes.” Sarah hurried up the stairs, fishing her room key from her pocket as she went.
As much as she would like to weasel out of this thing, that didn’t appear to be an option. Sighing, Sarah stripped off her clothes and got in the shower.
Fifteen minutes later, she was dressed in black slacks and a red knit sweater. She dabbed on a bit of makeup, and then wrenched her door open to find Dotty Mae and Raylene hovering in the hall-way.
They left the B&B, and Dotty Mae stopped beside a faded yellow VW Bug straight from the 1960s parked at the curb and unlocked the passenger side door.
Raylene stepped ahead of Sarah, pushed aside the front seat, and folded herself into the back. “Guests sit up front. I would have brought my Cadillac, but it’s in the shop and Dotty’s VW is better than Earl’s stinky ol’ farm truck.”
Sarah eased into the seat while Dotty Mae toddled around to the driver’s side. The woman was eighty if she was a day.
“Should she be driving?” Sarah whispered to Raylene.
“Don’t let her slowness fool you, Dotty Mae’s still on the ball. I’m sure your Gramma Mia would have been just as feisty if she’d have lived, God rest her soul,” Raylene said.
Dotty Mae climbed inside and started the engine. The Bug chugged to life. “So tell us, is Travis a good kisser? Last night he looked like he was a pretty good kisser.”
“What year model is this VW?” Sarah evaded. “1967.”
“Ah, the summer of love,” Raylene said. “I wish I could remember it better. I smoked too much damn pot that summer.”
“I’ve heard he was a good kisser,” Dotty Mae kept on. “You know he was quite the ladies’ man before he got married and became a daddy.”
Sarah let that slide by without commenting.
“But ever since he had that baby girl, he’s done a complete one-eighty,” Raylene said. “He’s changed so much. Travis used to be so fearless. I remember the time he did a triple gainer off the old Twilight Bridge, showing off for all the moony-eyed girls on shore for the Fourth of July.”
Sarah remembered that. She’d been one of those moony-eyed girls.
“And remember when he water-skied through the mesquite thicket at Cartwright Cove?” Dotty Mae said.
“Either time he coulda broken his fool neck.” Raylene clicked her tongue. “But now he understands what it means to be a parent. You can’t do the kind of stupid things you used to do when someone is depending on you.”
“In a way,” Dotty Mae mused, “I guess you could say that little Jazzy saved his life. Especially after what happened with
“Boy, that agent,” Dotty Mae said, “he’s sure got you spoiled.”
“I suppose he does,” Sarah admitted.
“It’s okay, we haven’t been here long,” Raylene said.
“Could you ladies excuse me for just a little while longer? I need to shower and get changed.”
“You go right ahead.” Dotty Mae waved a hand. “I was just about to order this angel fondue set. There’s Bible verses printed on the bottom of the fondue bowls. When you get done eating, ta-da, you’ve uncovered the word of God.”
Raylene rolled her eyes. “What about your guests who don’t like to mix fondue and religion?”
“Then they don’t have to look at the bottom of the bowl, now do they? Sign me up for a set, Jenny.” As an aside to Sarah, Dotty Mae said, “Jenny sells angelware. It’s sort of like Tupperware, dontcha know, but cozier.”
“Better get a move on,” Raylene told Sarah. “Moe is presenting you the key to the city at nine and it’s eight-thirty now.”
“Yes, yes.” Sarah hurried up the stairs, fishing her room key from her pocket as she went.
As much as she would like to weasel out of this thing, that didn’t appear to be an option. Sighing, Sarah stripped off her clothes and got in the shower.
Fifteen minutes later, she was dressed in black slacks and a red knit sweater. She dabbed on a bit of makeup, and then wrenched her door open to find Dotty Mae and Raylene hovering in the hall-way.
They left the B&B, and Dotty Mae stopped beside a faded yellow VW Bug straight from the 1960s parked at the curb and unlocked the passenger side door.
Raylene stepped ahead of Sarah, pushed aside the front seat, and folded herself into the back. “Guests sit up front. I would have brought my Cadillac, but it’s in the shop and Dotty’s VW is better than Earl’s stinky ol’ farm truck.”
Sarah eased into the seat while Dotty Mae toddled around to the driver’s side. The woman was eighty if she was a day.
“Should she be driving?” Sarah whispered to Raylene.
“Don’t let her slowness fool you, Dotty Mae’s still on the ball. I’m sure your Gramma Mia would have been just as feisty if she’d have lived, God rest her soul,” Raylene said.
Dotty Mae climbed inside and started the engine. The Bug chugged to life. “So tell us, is Travis a good kisser? Last night he looked like he was a pretty good kisser.”
“What year model is this VW?” Sarah evaded. “1967.”
“Ah, the summer of love,” Raylene said. “I wish I could remember it better. I smoked too much damn pot that summer.”
“I’ve heard he was a good kisser,” Dotty Mae kept on. “You know he was quite the ladies’ man before he got married and became a daddy.”
Sarah let that slide by without commenting.
“But ever since he had that baby girl, he’s done a complete one-eighty,” Raylene said. “He’s changed so much. Travis used to be so fearless. I remember the time he did a triple gainer off the old Twilight Bridge, showing off for all the moony-eyed girls on shore for the Fourth of July.”
Sarah remembered that. She’d been one of those moony-eyed girls.
“And remember when he water-skied through the mesquite thicket at Cartwright Cove?” Dotty Mae said.
“Either time he coulda broken his fool neck.” Raylene clicked her tongue. “But now he understands what it means to be a parent. You can’t do the kind of stupid things you used to do when someone is depending on you.”
“In a way,” Dotty Mae mused, “I guess you could say that little Jazzy saved his life. Especially after what happened with
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