Morgan smiled again, then her face relaxed as she drifted off.

"Don't scratch," Jaclyn said as she pointed at Morgan. "Austin, eat your breakfast, so you can take your medicine." Austin and Morgan stared up at her with grumpy faces where they sat on the couch in front of TV trays. Chet had kindly agreed to handle the store for Jaclyn, and as she watched the two poke at their food, she felt she might've gotten the short end of the stick.

Morgan looked like a little kid in Jaclyn's shorts and one of Austin's big T-shirts. "I'm going to run down to your cabin and get some of your clothes, so you'll be more comfortable. Is there anything else you want me to get while I'm there?"

Morgan squirmed. "The wire brush hanging off the grill in back."

"I'll be right back, and, Austin, don't let her scratch."

When Morgan heard the door close she looked at Austin. "Did you ever have the chicken pox?"

Austin looked back toward the kitchen. "Okay, you can scratch, but do it lightly."

This was one time Morgan wished she had long fingernails, the kind that stuck an inch past the finger. She ran what she did have over her arms and legs. "Scratch my back, bud." She nearly purred as Austin did as she asked. "First, they burn like fire, then they itch. Tomorrow, I'm going to Maddie's store, and I'm buying all the ant poison I can get my hands on. I wonder if she has a flame thrower."

Austin stopped scratching when he heard a knock on the back door. "Be right back."

Morgan could hear Clarice's sing-song voice in the kitchen. Seconds later, she wafted into the room carrying a bag with Betsy following behind her.

"Austin, do me a favor, dear, and put on water for tea," Clarice said with a smile as she adjusted her gla.s.ses.

"He's sick," Betsy protested. "Honey, you sit down. I'll take care of the water."

"I mixed up some paste that's gonna take the itch out. It doesn't smell all that good, but it'll help, I a.s.sure you." Morgan's eyes widened when Clarice produced a Mason jar. The paste looked like mud. "Can't put this in plastic, it'll explode."

"I...uh...don't know if I should mix that with the calamine lotion Jaclyn already gave me." Morgan eyed the jar and wondered what the h.e.l.l was in it.

The concoction smelled vile when Clarice cracked the seal on the jar. "Won't hurt none. Stick your finger down in that jar and spread it on a couple of bites. You'll see what I'm talkin' about."

Morgan didn't want to appear rude, and she was a little desperate. She dipped her finger and spread a little on her arm.

"That ain't enough. Here, let me show you." Clarice jammed two fingers into the jar; it made a sucking sound when she pulled them out. Morgan wrinkled her nose as Clarice smeared her arm with the paste.

Austin put his hands over his face. "Man, it smells like a cat fart, and I haven't smelled anything in days."

Morgan silently agreed, but the really unfortunate part was that the itch and burn went away immediately, and she couldn't decide which was worse-itching or stinking.

"Jumpin' junipers," Betsy said as she walked back into the room. "Is that odor coming from that paste?"

"You'll get used to it." Clarice continued to slather Morgan's arm with it.

Betsy put her finger beneath her nose. "Morgan, how are you, honey?"

"At the moment, I'm not sure."

Clarice went to work on Morgan's left arm. "Child, I know you grew up in Baton Rouge. Surely, you know what an anthill looks like."

"I didn't see the anthill until they were all over me. I laid next to it, and I guess the ants were already out. Maybe I disturbed it when I was looking for a place to hide."

Clarice stopped what she was doing and looked at Morgan in question.

"We were playing hide-and-seek in the goldenrod," Morgan admitted lowly. Austin snorted, and Betsy giggled.

Clarice frowned at both of them. "I like the goldenrod field myself, and sometimes I just take off all-"

Betsy cleared her throat loudly. "Jaclyn's played in that field all her life. She used to bring me bouquets. Oh, she was such a doll in her little cutoffs and bare feet, and she had such a lisp when she lost her front teeth. Do you remember that, Clarice?"

"Yeah," she answered with a smile.

Jaclyn came in through the back door. "Good morning, ladies, how're- Whoa, what is that smell?"

"Morgan," Austin said with a laugh.

"I made a paste to take the itch out and stop the swelling," Clarice explained.

"Well, we'll get used to it," Jaclyn said cheerfully as she set Morgan's clothes on a chair.

Clarice motioned at Jaclyn. "Come here, girl. I noticed bites on your hands and arms yesterday, too."

"Oh, no, it's nothing, really."

Morgan looked over her shoulder with her eyes watering from the stench. "Oh, yes, it is, Come sit down and share in the joy."

"You have a lot of bites," Jaclyn argued, "we should conserve the paste."

"Don't take that long to make. If we need more, I'll whip it up." Clarice motioned again with her brown-stained fingers, and Jaclyn unwillingly gave in.

Morgan looked at Jaclyn's wrist as Clarice took her hand. "You've been scratching!" She began clawing at the bites on her lower back.

"Stop that." Clarice stuck one of her stinky fingers in Morgan's face, and all movement ceased as Morgan's eyes crossed from the funk. "When I finish with Jaclyn, I'll take care of the ones on your back."

"I'll do it. I think y'all saw enough of me yesterday."

"Or Jaclyn could do it," Betsy offered.

Clarice looked at Betsy. "That water's boiling. Why don't you make up the tea?"

"Sure."

Austin fanned his face. "I'll help."

"Don't drink it, boy. It's for the women," Clarice warned.

"Tea might do him some good."

Clarice raised a brow as she regarded Morgan. "He's...already sick, it's to keep y'all from getting what he has." Clarice nodded and said, "yeah," as though she came up with the excuse on the fly.

"I think I'm covered pretty well." Jaclyn looked a shade of green when she pulled her hand away from Clarice. "How long will we have to keep it on?"

"Best if it's all day, but you can wash after a couple of hours."

"Great." Jaclyn tried to smile.

"Okay, tea." Betsy walked back into the room with two cups and handed one to Jaclyn and one to Morgan.

"Aren't you going to have any?" Jaclyn asked as she sniffed at it. The scent was delightful compared to the foul smell on her wrists and hands.

"I already had some at the house," Betsy said quickly. "Drink up, it's good for you."

Morgan took a sip. "Delicious."

"Drink all of it. It's for your immune system." Clarice stared at Morgan until she took another sip and continued until Morgan had swallowed down half the cup.

"Do promise me you'll drink all of it," Betsy said to Jaclyn. "I worry about you. I don't think you're taking care of yourself like you should."

"Oh...okay." Jaclyn lifted the cup to her lips and took a drink. It was actually very tasty, and she drank quite a bit until Betsy looked pleased.

"Now we have to go." Betsy grabbed Clarice by the arm. "I'm sure Morgan's in a hurry to get the rest of that paste on her bites and probably doesn't want us watching." They left in such a hurry that Jaclyn hardly had a chance to say goodbye.

Austin walked back into the den. "I'm going to my room because y'all smell really bad, and that's saying something because I can't smell anything right now."

Morgan set her tea aside and looked up at Jaclyn. "I'm struggling with a big dilemma. I really want you to rub that cat s.h.i.t on my back, and I really don't."

Jaclyn looked at her thoughtfully. "It really does stop the itch."

Chapter Twenty-four.

"Clarice, their potion didn't look anything like ours." Betsy thumbed through a magazine that appeared to be full of drug paraphernalia. She slammed it shut when she saw something called a bong shaped like a p.e.n.i.s.

Clarice stopped sorting her piles of dried herbs. "I didn't give them our potion. I told you we have to drink that."

"Then what was that milky stuff you had me mix with their tea?"

Clarice shrugged and went back to her herbs. "A special blend I like to call love's spell. It'll help with the itching, too."

"Oh...yes...there...little harder."

"Turn around, let me do the front."

"You know...the first time you rubbed my b.r.e.a.s.t.s, I thought it would be different, and I was pretty certain I'd enjoy it."

Jaclyn broke into a fit of giggles. "I'm enjoying it."

Morgan's eyes rolled up in her head. "Oh, yeah, right there...oh...yes...that's..."

Jaclyn began laughing hysterically as she smeared Morgan's torso and chest with the paste. "This may really be cat s.h.i.t...are you hungry? I'm hungry."

"I'm freaking starving all the sudden-oh, right there. I really like your bathroom, the colors are so bright."

"Thanks," Jaclyn said as tears of laughter poured down her face. "I pick things up at Target when I go into New Orleans." Her voice was high as she tried to control her laughter.

"You've got a bath rug shaped like a fish," Morgan cackled, "and it's blue."

Jaclyn's eyes flew open wide. "Blue is my favorite color."

"Mine too," Morgan said excitedly.

"I like bean dip, do you like bean dip?"

"Oh, yeah, love it, and corn chips, especially the ones that fold over when they fry them or the ones that get all stuck together. So good." Morgan raised her arms as Jaclyn rubbed the paste along her ribs. "I like cauliflower with cheese."

"And pancakes. I love pancakes with real b.u.t.ter."

"I love them, too," Morgan said and howled with laughter.

Austin banged on the door. "Are y'all crying in there?"

"We're putting on the paste," Jaclyn called out.

"Oh, no wonder. I'd cry too if I was in a confined s.p.a.ce with that stuff."

"I don't really smell anything anymore, and my nose is kinda numb. I feel light as a feather."

Jaclyn wiped her eyes on her sleeve. "I can't stop laughing."

"I know, and it's making me laugh. What's wrong with you?"

"I don't know." Jaclyn staggered back against the door. "You look so funny right now. I drew a cat on your stomach."

Morgan looked down. "Aw, that's cute, too, and he's starving."

"Oh, so good." Morgan took a bite of pancake, then dipped a chip into the bean dip.

"Uh-huh, uh-huh." Jaclyn nodded. The kitchen table was strewn with food. She reached into a pickle jar and handed Morgan one before she claimed her own. "I don't know, but I think it was the tea that made me so hungry, and it made me-" Jaclyn's eyes flew open wide. "I think we're stoned."

"We're what?" Morgan asked with a giggle.