Where Azaleas Bloom. Sherryl Woods

carefully.”

      “Always,” Nate replied.

      There’d been a time when Nate might have rolled his eyes at the admonition. Luke, too. But since Amy’s tragic accident, none of them took anything for granted when it came to driving. Mitch knew one thing with one hundred percent certainty—neither of his sons would ever drive drunk. And even sober, they’d drive responsibly and defensively. He hated the way they’d had to learn that lesson, but he had to admit he was glad they’d taken it to heart.

      Now he just had to pray that Nate had taken to heart everything Amy and Mitch had taught him about the responsibility that went along with love and marriage.

      5

      “I heard she might have to apply for food stamps,” a woman shopper at Raylene’s boutique said. Her entrance set off the bell that would have let Lynn know she was there. Her voice, unfortunately, was plenty loud enough to carry to Lynn in the back room, stopping her in her tracks. Lynn knew she should make her presence known, but instead, flushed with embarrassment, she waited to see what might be said next.

      “You’re kidding!” her companion responded. “Isn’t Ed playing golf at Pinehurst or someplace like that this week?”

      Lynn felt a chill. There was no doubt at all that they were speculating about her and the financial mess she was in. How was she supposed to go out there now and wait on them? Unfortunately, Raylene had just left for the bank and Adelia was off today. She had no choice.

      She drew herself up, plastered a smile on her face and walked out front as if she hadn’t just overheard the two women talking about her. Worse, as soon as she saw them, she recognized them.

      “Good morning, Alicia. How are you? And you, too, Kelly Ann?”

      Both women, who’d been in school with her and now had kids about the same ages as Lexie and Jeremy, blushed furiously.

      Alicia recovered first. “Lynn, I had no idea you were working here,” she said.

      “Apparently not,” Lynn said wryly. Unable to stop herself, she felt compelled to add, “Unless, of course, you set out to embarrass me.”

      As soon as she’d uttered the bold comment, Lynn formulated an apology, but to her astonishment, Kelly Ann walked over to her and gave her an impulsive and apparently sincere hug.

      “Don’t you dare think a thing like that,” Kelly Ann admonished. “If anyone in this town ought to be embarrassed, it’s that no-account husband of yours.” She said it with unmistakable and obviously heartfelt disdain.

      Lynn regarded her with gratitude. “I appreciate the sentiment, but please, if you hear people talking about what’s going on with us, try to quiet them down. I don’t want the kids to hear this kind of gossip. The situation is tough enough on them as it is.”

      “We’ll put a stop to it,” Alicia promised, obviously eager to make amends for her careless comments. “I just wasn’t thinking. You know me. If I know something, I tend to blab it. I’ll watch it from here on out. I know how I’d feel if it were me people were talking about and my kids overheard it.”

      “When did you start working here, hon?” Kelly Ann asked, thankfully changing the subject.

      “Just a couple of months ago, part-time. Raylene has Adelia Hernandez working full-time. I fill in on weekends or when either of them is off during the week.”

      “Does Raylene have you on commission?” As soon as she’d asked, Kelly Ann turned pale. “Is that too personal? I was only asking because I thought maybe we could make up for being so thoughtless before.”

      Lynn nodded. “Salary, plus commission,” she confirmed.

      “Well, then, Alicia, we need to whip out our credit cards and get busy,” Kelly Ann said cheerily.

      Lynn, who hadn’t bought so much as a cheap T-shirt for herself since the separation, watched in awe as the two women quickly spent more money than she made in a month.

      Kelly Ann stood back and surveyed their purchases with satisfaction as Lynn put everything into bags. She gave Lynn a wide grin.

      “That ought to make up just a little bit for us coming in here and being so insensitive,” she said.

      “I appreciate the sales,” Lynn said. For once it didn’t seem to matter whether the purchases were made out of guilt or pity. She simply focused on what a nice boost they’d be to her paycheck.

      “Do you have a regular schedule?” Kelly Ann asked. “If you do, we’ll make sure to come in when you’re working.”

      “No. I’m usually here three days a week, but I’m never sure which days those might be. It depends on when Raylene or Adelia need to be off,” Lynn said. Even though she was picking up more hours from Mitch, she added, “And if you happen to hear of anyone else looking for someone part-time or full-time, let me know.”

      “We surely will,” Alicia promised.

      Kelly Ann gave Lynn another hug before they left. Lynn stared after them. While it grated to recall how the encounter had begun, she felt better about how it had ended. It had been a revelation, in fact.

      Maybe people in town really would take her side over Ed’s. She’d wondered about that. He was the son of a beloved insurance executive whose company handled policies for most everyone in town. Ed was now the big shot in charge, a position that commanded a lot of respect. She’d been so intent on running their home and being involved in a few things at school that her own circle of friends had grown smaller.

      Just thinking about the possibility that she could have moral support while this awful mess played out buoyed her spirits. It was possible that the deliberate attempts to isolate herself to avoid the judgments she thought people might be making had been unnecessary. It was time to hold her chin up and start facing people.

      * * *

      When Raylene returned from the bank, she looked at the receipt book and whistled. “Nice sales!”

      Lynn chuckled. “Guilt sales,” she said, then explained what had happened.

      Raylene shook her head. “I’m glad it turned out okay and you’ll make a nice commission, but I hope those two learned a lesson.”

      “I doubt it,” Lynn said with a shrug. “You grew up in this town, same as me. People talk. It’s not going to change.”

      Raylene sighed. “I suppose, but I don’t have to like it, especially when I see one of my friends hurt by their thoughtlessness.”

      “I’m not hurt, not really,” Lynn said. “In fact, it was eye-opening. I assumed everyone was going to take Ed’s side, so I’ve been avoiding people. He’s the big wheel in town. He prides himself on knowing everybody and taking real good care of them.”

      “He’s not taking such good care of you, though, is he?” Raylene said knowingly. “That will matter to people, Lynn. Family counts in this town, and the way a man treats his family says a lot about his own moral character. It wouldn’t surprise me a bit to see him lose business over the way he’s handling this divorce. Carter was saying just last night that once the insurance policy for the police department is up in a few months, he wants to negotiate with another company.”

      “You’re kidding,” Lynn said, astounded. “Because of me and the kids?”

      “Because a man who screws up his personal life can’t be trusted with other people’s business,” Raylene said. “And that’s just about a direct quote. Of course, Carter is one of those stand-up guys with a strict moral code, which makes him a fantastic police chief but a little tough for those of us with flaws. You remember how we met, the day Sarah’s little boy ran off while I was supposed to be watching him? Carter didn’t think much of me then.”

      Lynn recalled the terrifying incident all too well.