Perris, California by Rachel Stark

Author:Rachel Stark [Stark, Rachel]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Penguin Publishing Group
Published: 2024-03-26T00:00:00+00:00

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Betty Kinch’s bright yellow Beetle was parked out front of Angie’s place when Tessa and Preston pulled up. Betty was Angie’s best friend and made it her business to know everyone’s business even more than Angie did. They were two peas in a nosy-ass pod. No doubt Betty had brought her youngest granddaughter, Shelby, along with her. Tessa didn’t like Ruby spending time with Shelby. She was a bad influence. Shelby was only two years older than Ruby and already pursing her lips and swishing her hips when she walked and her mama had her carrying a little plastic purse on her arm. The last time Ruby came home from a playdate with Shelby, she wouldn’t make mud pies with Preston in the backyard because she was afraid of getting dirt stuck under her nails. Ruby had sat glum at the kitchen table, watching out the window as Preston stomped around in the big puddles made from a week’s worth of rain. She gave up her foolishness and followed when Tessa went outside in Henry’s waders to join him.

Tessa turned to Preston before they left the truck. “Don’t say nothing about the pup yet, okey dokey?”

“Okey doke,” he said, grinning from ear to ear. It was the second time that day she’d managed to make someone she loved dearly happy in a way she’d not been able to for a long while. It felt real good. Tessa reached to press the button that would clear the odometer, then decided she’d leave the numbers for Angie to wonder after instead.

“There you are!” Angie called before they were all the way inside the front door.

“Hi, Angie,” Tessa said.

“Hi, Grandma,” Preston said.

“What happened to your chin?” Angie asked.

“He’s got impetigo,” Tessa said. “We just come from the doctor.”

“I got something for that in the medicine cabinet.”

“We already got cream for it. We just come from the doctor.”

“This stuff I got is better. It’ll have his chin cleared up in half the time of that antibiotic crap.” Angie turned to walk down the hallway.

“We’re using the cream they gave us, Angie,” Tessa said with more of an edge than she meant to.

“Well, okay. No need to get sharp with me.”

“No one’s being sharp. I just want to use the cream the doctor gave, is all.”

“Where you been all this time?” Angie said.

“Did you need the truck?”

“Well, no, but I was worried, is all.” Tessa could tell Angie was embarrassed to have Tessa talking to her like that in front of Betty.

“I told Henry to get you a message saying when you could expect me back.” Angie stood there watching her, waiting on Tessa to explain herself. “I went to see Carly,” Tessa said. Angie let out a puff of air and gave a side-look to Betty, who was beside herself with glee. Tessa could imagine the same look on Betty’s face as she sat her fat ass on her plastic-covered floral couch watching her soap operas at home.

“You can call her and ask if you don’t believe me,” Tessa said.

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