揌ey, what抯 going on in here??Lily popped into the kitchen.
Risa hoped that the girls being in the kitchen would break the tension, but Stella抯 expression didn抰 change at all.
揝mells like lunch. Looks like lunch. My stomach says it抯 time for lunch,?Daisy teased. 揥hat can I do to help? Set the table? Pour the sweet tea??
揧ou敆Stella whipped around and pointed a finger at Daisy棑can be honest with me. Did you know that your mother has been going to the old Community Church the past three nights, and that she and her friends are talking about turning it into a bar??
Daisy bore up under the heated glare pretty well梖or about five seconds. Then she turned to her mother and raised a shoulder in a shrug.
揧es, it抯 the truth.?Risa pushed back her chair and stood up. Stella Sullivan梞other or not梬as not going to intimidate her or run her life, either. Sleeping on a floor wouldn抰 be so bad if it meant getting away from her mother抯 self-righteous, overbearing, controlling issues when it came to Risa and her girls.
揟hen get out of my house.?Stella pointed toward the door.
Risa held her head high and kept her back ramrod straight. 揥ade Granger and Jessica Callaway are going to partner up on the deal. Mary Nell and I are going to work for them, and possibly Haley if she doesn抰 go back to Alabama in the fall. I抣l be cooking since it will be a bar and grill.?
Stella抯 finger shot around to point at Risa. 揑t抯 bad enough that I have to explain to my friends that your husband and his family kicked you out, and now this. I抳e tried to convince folks that it wasn抰 your fault, but it was, wasn抰 it? Were you working on the sly in a bar there, or doing something even worse??Her face got redder, and her voice got higher and squeakier with every word. 揧our father would rise up out of his grave if he knew this. He was so proud of being a deacon in our church. I抦 glad he抯 gone and can抰 see what our only child has become.?
揥hat happened in Kentucky wasn抰 Mama抯 fault.?Lily came to her mother抯 rescue.
Stella抯 finger found its way to her in a split second. 揇on抰 you speak to me in that tone. I抳e given you a home when you didn抰 have one, young lady. What抯 going to happen is this, Risa Sue. You are going to call棓
Before she said another word, Risa抯 phone and the landline rang at the same time.
揝aved by the bell.?Daisy抯 giggled words were thick with nerves.
Poor kid had heard a tirade like the one Stella was giving them as they left Kentucky a few weeks ago. Their paternal grandmother, Martha, had yelled and screamed at them, but she had given them twenty-four hours to get off her property and out of her son抯 life, not half an hour at the most. Stella grabbed the phone and went into what Risa called her mother抯 martyrdom voice as she talked to one of her friends.
揌ello, Haley, bad time,?Risa answered her call in a whisper. 揅an I call you back??
揋ive me just a minute first,?Haley said. 揑抳e got a wonderful idea. Why don抰 I keep this house, and you and the girls can live here? There抯 lots of room, and that way they wouldn抰 be teased at school about living in a bar.?
揂re you serious??Risa didn抰 even realize she was holding her breath until she let it all out in a long whoosh. 揗ama just found out the news, and she抯 throwing us out. If we could even stay there for a few days, it would be wonderful.?
揧es, I抦 serious. I don抰 know why I didn抰 think about doing this before. I guess it was because I was so upset over that damned letter,?Haley said. 揅an I expect you in a little while? I抣l make some sweet tea and open a pack of cookies.?
揧es, you can.?Risa had lost her belief in miracles years ago, but right then she began to believe again.
Stella put the phone back on the stand once again and turned to face Risa. 揑抦 giving you an ultimatum. Either call Jessica Callaway and not only tell her you will not be working in her bar, but that you won抰 be talking to her anymore, either.?
揙r??Risa continued to stand even though her knees felt weak. Living with her mother wasn抰 any better than being under Paul抯 and his mother抯 thumbs.
揙r you and these girls can find another place to live,?Stella said.
揑 heard that,?Haley said. 揚ack your things and come on over. You and the girls can have the three bedrooms and bathroom on the second floor. I抳e been using the master bedroom right off the foyer, anyway, because I抦 too lazy to climb the stairs several times a day.?
揂re you sure? What about rent when you go back to Alabama??Risa抯 clammy hands trembled so badly she almost dropped the phone.
揥e抣l discuss all that kind of stuff tomorrow,?Haley said. 揟his is today. You and the girls need a place where you don抰 feel so much tension. I抦 sorry I didn抰 offer sooner, but with all that抯 been going on, my mind has been off in la-la land. I抣l be waiting on the porch and heaving a sigh of relief that we don抰 have to move anything to the old church.?