Pocket Change by Debbie Archer

Author:Debbie Archer [Archer, Debbie]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781649170408
Publisher: Scrivenings Press LLC
Published: 2020-06-30T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter Eleven

Mama and Marma Lee were cradling cups of cocoa when I got back to the shop.

“Mick’s cute,” Marma Lee observed.

“And thoughtful.” Mama played with the marshmallows, dunking them into the cocoa.

“How do you know he’s thoughtful?” I asked.

“We were listening at the window, dummy.” Marma Lee smirked.

“Mama.” I turned and gawked at her.

“Honey, I tried to drag your cousin away, but we couldn’t help but overhear part of the conversation. What are we fixing for dinner tomorrow night?”

“I could fix my famous spaghetti sauce.” Marma Lee clapped her hands once and stood.

“Don’t you mean Ragu’s famous spaghetti sauce?” I narrowed my eyes. “All you do is add extra mushrooms. Besides, when did you get invited?”

Marma Lee huffed. “You’re lucky to have someone like me to advise you, Cousin. Your problem is you don’t have any real art appreciation. I will allow you to keep the Skarie Sculpture for now. That will give the joint some class, and you still have the candles.”

“This calls for a new outfit, dear.” Mama turned and nearly knocked me over with her dazzling smile. Had my sunglasses been handy, I’d have slung them on my face. Her toothy grin was blinding. “We should leave immediately and find you something. Would you like slinky or flowing?”

“Mama, this is just dinner.”

“It’s never just dinner, Cousin.”

“It’s never just dinner with you, Marma Lee. I do not try to rope every man who sprints by.”

“You haven’t tried to rope anybody since Roger. Maybe it’s time to get back in the saddle.”

My withering look would surely have crippled an ordinary person, but my cousin came from hardier stock. I turned and headed for the basement.

“Now you’ve done it, Marma Lee,” Mama fretted. “She isn’t ready to talk about that yet. She didn’t try to rope him. Don’t you have a thread of tact?”

“It’s time, Aunt Lilly. It’s been two months. Roger is a dud and a leach. The jerk took advantage of Mac’s goodness, and I’m not the least bit sorry I ran over his foot. He had it coming. Not that it did much good. He’s still hovering around like a vulture. Men like him aren’t worth…”

I didn’t hear the rest of the conversation. I was too busy stomping down the stairs. Who did she think she was, anyway? She zipped through men like most women go through their email. What did she know about real relationships?

I’d located the perfect box to kick when footsteps sounded on the staircase. The phone booth was handy, so I kicked it instead. Something inside rattled and tinkled, but holding my throbbing toe took a lot of energy. I was too busy thinking of ways to throttle Marma Lee to pay much attention to it. I hoped with all my heart I had not dislodged one of Superman’s more important body parts.

“Now, honey.” Mama reached out and patted my head. Marma Lee stood with her hands on her hips.

“Look, Cousin. I’m sorry I brought up Roger, but it’s time to move on. Think of him as an Etch-A-Sketch goof.

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