The Only Purple House in Town (Fix-It Witches, #4)(49)
The other woman sighed, evidently realizing that Norma Jean wanted to lock up. “Looks like I’ve done it again, talked too much and made a nuisance of myself.”
“That’s why we like you,” Howard said in a bracing tone.
“You’re just saying that.” But Hazel seemed pleased with the comment, a touch of pink in her round cheeks.
“I’d love to hear any stories you might want to share about Great-Aunt Gertie,” Iris added. “You’re welcome to come by and chat.”
She gave Hazel her phone number, and the older couple walked out with Iris and Eli, who didn’t open the door for her this time. Why does that bother me? I can’t afford for things to get complicated between us. No, this was clearly for the better. Boundaries shouldn’t get blurred when they lived together. The parking lot was almost empty, just Eli’s truck and Howard’s car.
Before Iris got into the truck, Howard said, “I hear you’re living with my ex-wife.”
Oh, wow.
“You’re Sally’s ex?” she exclaimed.
“That’s me. I just…well. Can you make sure she’s all right? Things didn’t work out for us, but she’s not used to being on her own.”
“There are four of us in the house,” Eli pointed out. “Sally isn’t alone.”
“Right. The woman lands on her feet, I’ll grant her that. I heard she’s dating—”
“So are you,” Hazel snapped. “If you keep this up, I’ll never go out with you again.”
“I think this is our cue,” Eli whispered.
Iris couldn’t get in the truck fast enough while the old couple argued in the community center parking lot. She could understand Howard being concerned for his ex, but it was a bit insensitive to leave his date standing while he asked about Sally. Ugh. So awkward. But she smiled faintly as a sudden thought occurred to her.
“I hate when people pester me about what’s making me smile,” Eli said softly.
“But you’re curious?” She grinned. “It just dawned on me… We think everything will be clear by their age. We’ll have it all figured out, right? But living with Sally and Henry Dale has clarified a few things.”
“Like?”
For Iris, it felt like a critical insight because it took the pressure off. There was no deadline after all to get her shit sorted and get all her ducks in a row. “Some people don’t like ducks,” she said, forgetting that Eli couldn’t read her mind. “Or rows for that matter. Why do the ducks have to be in a row? What if they prefer circles?”
“You lost me,” Eli said.
“Okay, back to my original point. Older people don’t know what they should be doing either. They’ve lived longer and seen more, and they’ve learned some things, sure. But it doesn’t mean they automatically have all the answers or act exactly like they should.”
“From cradle to grave, there’s a learning curve,” he agreed with a gentle smile.
* * *
Eli never pictured himself taking dance lessons, but since reuniting with Iris, he’d been stepping out of his comfort zone more and more.
“I had fun tonight,” Iris said, almost as if she could read his thoughts.
“Me too. I’m looking forward to the next class.”
“I wonder what Hazel can tell me about Great-Aunt Gertie. I’m living in her house, and I feel a tad guilty about it because I didn’t know her well. And I wonder if it’s okay for me to be there. Because…”
He glanced at her, taking his eyes from the road only briefly. His sharpened senses made night driving easier, but there was no reason to be careless. “Because of what you found out recently?”
He couldn’t bring himself to say “you’re not biologically related” when that wasn’t her fault.
“Yeah,” she whispered. “That.”
“I think it’s enough that you care,” he said. “The rest of your family doesn’t.”
“Well, Olive is cut from different cloth, but—”
“She’s not here. Have you spoken to your dad since you got the news?”
“Not yet. But historically, he takes the path of least resistance. Whatever allows him to peacefully read books about ancient Rome.”
“Write him a note and put it in a biography of Julius Caesar. That way you know he’ll see it.”
Iris finally smiled, lightening the load in Eli’s heart. “Thanks. You always know what to say. It’s wild how good you are at getting me out of the bad place in my head.”
Eli didn’t know how to respond to that, so he changed the subject. “Was it me, or did the other lady…Gladys? Seem a bit…strange?”
“You noticed that too? It was so weird how she mentioned my kinfolk and called me ‘lady.’ Like, it didn’t sound like, ‘Hey, lady, move your car or else!’ It felt more like a title?” She made a softly disparaging sound. “Eh, that probably doesn’t—”
“No, I agree with you.” He cut her off because she was likely about to start second-guessing herself. Her so-called family had really done a number on her self-esteem. Now Iris acted like she was wrong about everything.