"Since you mentioned it, how did you?"
Cassie quirked one eyebrow.
"Just kidding," Jo said, chuckling.
"I missed you terribly," Cassie admitted.
"Talking by phone only made me more homesick for you."
"Me too. And speaking of sassy mouths, you used to have one yourself."
"I used to have a lot that I don't have anymore," Cassie said in a
forlorn tone.
"Mmm, I bet that sharp edge is there somewhere. It's probably buried underneath all that baggage you're still lugging."
They were both quiet while Jo Nell filled two plates with chicken and
spaghetti. A basket of bread and a bowl of mixed green salad were
already on the table.
"I hope you made peach cobbler," Cassie said, as Jo Nell joined her at the table. Joy's cobbler was excellent, but Jo Nell's was outstanding.
"You got it. It's in the oven, just waiting for us."
"Good girl."
During the meal, they kept their chatter meaningless and in high
spirits.
Cassie was thoroughly entertained with incidents that had taken place at the beauty salon, a hotbed of gossip in any town, large or small.
By the time Cassie had cleaned her plate and eaten her dessert, her
stomach ached from laughing so hard. Jo Nell had insisted they leave the kitchen for her to deal with later. Knowing it wouldn't do any good to argue with her stubborn friend, Cassie had given in.
Now they were in the living room, on the sofa with their feet curled under them, coffee in hand. But the laughter they had shared was no longer in evidence. The room seemed suddenly haunted by burdens almost too heavy to share.
"So spill your guts," Jo Nell demanded, staring at Cassie from over the
rim of her cup.
"I'm not sure I have any left to spill," Cassie responded, uncurling her legs and hugging her knees to her chest, then resting her chin on them.
"First off, what are your plans?"
"Believe it or not, I didn't have any. I'd just hoped to kick back for a while and enjoy being home and being free."
"Only Austin changed that, right?"
Cassie nodded, her throat constricting.
"I'm sorry."
"Me too, especially as Mother asked me to stay and take her place at the hotel."
"You mean run it?"
"Yep, with no strings attached, or so she said."
"Only we both know better. There's a long string-- Austin."
"That's why I told her I couldn't do it."
"Surely you didn't mention that he was the reason?"
"In a roundabout way. I told Mother that he might not want to work with me."
Jo Nell rustled a hand through her long hair, mussing it even more.
"Bet she just pooh-pooh ed that off." "Actually, she said he'd be delighted to work with me, that he'd always thought of me as a sister."
So Nell coughed suddenly, spewing coffee over the entire front of her
T-shirt.
"Jeez!" Cassie cried, watching as Jo Nell grabbed a tissue off the table beside her and mopped at the stains.
"Couldn't help it." Jo Nell laughed.
"Sister! Good Lord!"
"It's not funny, damn you."
"You're right, it's not. But you have to laugh or you'd cry." Jo Nell
angled her head.
"So what did you say?"
"I told her no, of course."
"Smart girl. Oh, don't get me wrong. I'd love to have you stay in
Jasmine.
Man, would we ever have fun now that lowlife Lester is behind bars, hopefully until he's too old to pick up a gun."
"So do I, but I'm afraid that will never happen. I'm just praying for
enough time for Tyler to get over the trauma he's suffered and for me to get my life back on track."
"I'd say you have that and much more."
"I think so, too."
"So where are you going?" Jo asked.
"Nowhere."
Jo Nell blinked.
"Excuse me?"
Cassie lurched off the couch and began pacing the floor.
"Cass, what the hell's going on?"
Cassie stopped, feeling her chin quiver.
"When I told Mother I couldn't stay, she dropped a bombshell in my lap."
"And that was?"
"She's dying, Jo."
"That can't be."
Cassie paused and looked into her friend's pale face.
"The arteries leading to Mother's heart are in such bad shape she can't
have surgery, which means she could go anytime."
Jo Nell got up and hugged Cassie again, then pushed her away to arm's length.
"It also means that she could outlive you. My grandmother had
practically the same thing, and she lived to be eighty-five."
"Somehow, I don't think Mother will be so lucky. She's so thin and