The Shop on Main Street by Carolyn Brown

Author:Carolyn Brown
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Sourcebooks
Published: 2019-07-11T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter 12

No one was in the kitchen.

The aroma of Clawdy’s pancakes or omelets did not come from the direction of the trash can in the corner. There was no bickering or giggling among the Fannin sisters. There was a balloon bouquet tied to the back of a chair. Carlene stopped and read the card. It was from a lady in Sugar’s Sunday school class who had a son-in-law in the Smokin’ Bobs Team whom she did not like. She was sending her best wishes for the Red-Hot Bloomers to win the cook-off.

One thing for sure, their all-woman team had a hell of a lot of support. Carlene wished that Alma Grace supported her as much as the women in town were showing love to the Fannin sisters and their team. She put the card back in the envelope and heard footsteps, running not walking; the bathroom door opening but not shutting; groans and loud whining.

Dear Lord, either Gigi or Tansy had died in the bathroom, and Sugar had found them. They’d better hope they were already talking to St. Peter because if they came back to life and told a single person what Sugar looked like with no makeup, she’d finish them off for sure.

Carlene’s foot was on the first step when her phone rang. She pulled the phone from her pocket and answered, hoping it was her mother saying that they’d all overslept or that maybe they’d celebrated her divorce and all had hangovers.

It was Josie and she sounded like hell.

“It’s the damned flu. I won’t be in today. Hopefully, I’ll be better by Monday if they let me out of the hospital tomorrow. Don’t come up here. They won’t let you in without a mask,” Josie said.

Carlene stopped and sat down on the steps. “Hospital?”

“Crazy, ain’t it? I passed out from the car to my house and my sweet little neighbor called 911. They brought me to the emergency room and admitted me. Said I was dehydrated but I’m beggin’ y’all. Don’t come see me. I’m contagious. I just hope no one there gets it. That damned Violet Prescott sneezed when she came to give Patrice money the first of the week. She probably infected me.” Josie’s voice was weak and she didn’t even use one Mexican cuss word, so she had to be very sick.

“I’ll call this afternoon and evening both to check on you. Should I call your kids?”

“Hell, no! I’ll be out in a day or two. I don’t need them hovering over me. Don’t call them unless the doctors say I’m dying and then call my preacher instead of the kids. And tell Patrice and Alma Grace that Violet sneezed on them, too.”

“Okay, call me if you need anything and I’ll bring it up to the nurses’ station. Promise?”

“I promise. Here they are with more medicine. I swear the nurses are even wearing masks. Hope it’s an easy day at the shop. Bye now.” Josie’s cough sounded like she was trying to bring up her toenails.

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