“No.” Ada shook her head. “Absolutely not.”
“I swear I didn’t.”
“Trust me—I believe you, Beau,” Ada said, thinking of a day in the future when she could have a good laugh about him saying that.
“My aunt Lucinda’s the coroner now, so she’ll be doing the autopsy,” he said.
“How did I forget Lucinda’s your aunt? She’s the one who called and told you about what Trey did to Caro.”
Something was definitely happening. Ada’s toes buzzed.
“Oh yeah. She loves her some Caroline. She used to get on me real bad saying I should’ve moved back to Goldie and married her, and well, yeah, I probably should’ve if she would’ve had me,” Beau said.
“Don’t you dare say if she would’ve had you! You and I both know how easy that would’ve been, Beau Bramford. How long are you staying in town?” she asked.
“I don’t know. Long as I need to. I’d hate to run off like a deadbeat dad or something. Gotta stay. I’ll be around,” Beau said.
“Good,” Ada said, hugging him.
*
After getting all four boys to sleep, Ada fell on their bed and let out her breath.
“Ugh. I don’t want to stress you out any more than I know you already are, but yeah…I’ve gotta tell you something,” Grayson said, sitting next to her.
“Go right on ahead,” Ada said. No use fighting it. Everything was happening at once, and this was how it was going to be for who knew how long. Her anxiety was a washing machine inside of her stomach, swishing and shaking—a violent maelstrom attempting to suck up all the good and calm. She had to fight it off. Had to. She closed her eyes and, as much as she could, tried to focus on how comfortable that bed was. So big, so soft. It made her feel like a little bunny tucked into a giant nest. A little sleepy bunny in a peaceful forest, surrounded by fluff.
“It’s the Foxberrys funneling the drugs into Goldie. Through the distillery. Some of it goes all the way back to Kasey’s stepdad, Roy, growing weed for them. That’s why their lawyers protected Roy from ever being charged for Angie’s murder. The Foxberrys knew he did it, but they covered it up. It used to be mostly weed, but now it’s opioids. The Foxberrys are probably the ones selling the same pills that killed those kids that one weekend in Adora Springs. No telling what they put in there,” Grayson said. Ada opened her eyes and watched him rub his forehead.
Ada tried to be that little bunny as she let it sink in.
But that little bunny was getting stomped by the fucking Foxberrys. She knew every last one of them was complicit. In covering up Angie’s murder, in pumping drugs into Goldie and Adora Springs and killing those kids. Now she was paranoid her mom would get mixed up with it too. What if? Ada didn’t know anything about how that stuff worked! But what if the pharmacy was closed one night and her mom got desperate? What then?
And Trey! He’d tortured Caroline. Ada was so glad she’d been the one to bring the rock down on his head. For everything! For every woman on earth who’d had to put up with a no-good man!
Thank God her husband was a good one.
Ada sat up.
“Grayson, it was us. It was me and Roses and Kase. We did it. We killed Trey.”
2006
40
Caro had moved from Myrtle’s Diner to Plum Bakery halfway through pastry school. The original plan was that when Ada graduated with her degree in interior design, she and Caro would start planning for Oh Plum. But when Ada asked her if she’d be okay with taking the reins to Plum Bakery herself so Ada could focus on Plum Designs and Plum Florals, Caro’s face had turned red and her bottom lip quivered like a Disney princess.
Ada told her that this didn’t mean they couldn’t have their dream together one day; it just meant she had something else she needed to do first. Caro didn’t say anything, just left, even though Ada begged her to stay and talk about it some more.
From: [email protected]
To: [email protected],
[email protected], [email protected]
Subject: [no subject]
Hey.
I’m gonna come right out and tell y’all that Caro isn’t speaking to me at the moment and hasn’t been for the past two weeks because for now （and only for now!） Oh Plum is a bust. It’s a long story and I’ll spare you in this email. I’ve included you here, Caro, because I want to tell all three of you this at the same time.
I had an abortion last week.
Honestly, I never thought of keeping it and I didn’t tell y’all before because I didn’t need advice. Grayson is the only person who knows. We went to Adora Springs for it on Monday and I stayed in his room at the lake house with the “stomach flu” for three days.
We want to have babies someday! A whole bunch of them.
For now, I really-really want to stick to the plan and I’ve made my peace with God about it. Grayson has too.
We’re okay.
I wanted to tell y’all, although y’all have to swear not to make a big deal about it right now because I won’t be able to handle it. So, tell me your stuff instead please! I mean it. Don’t dwell on this. Tell me something else that’s going on.
I love you and miss you all so much and Caro, I especially miss you because you’re so close, but still so far away. I’m sorry! I’m so sorry! Please, let’s talk?
RACK FOREVER. And ever.
Ada
From: [email protected]
To: [email protected], [email protected],
Subject: Re: [no subject]
Ada,
I love you so much. I’m here and here anytime if you want to talk about this more. Understood if you don’t. （But seriously call me call me call me soon.）
Okay…if you want a distraction, we can talk about how Leo casually mentioned that he and Annie were talking about getting engaged after they finish school which is equal parts way too much planning ahead and way too fast in my opinion even though it’s not fast at all?? Yeah…I have a LOT of feelings about that. Some of which I can attempt （？？？） to distill. Do I want him to be my boyfriend or my best friend forever, why have I never known this? Am I jealous of Annie? YES. Will I always be? I DON’T KNOW!
Also, I can’t stand the fact that you and Caro aren’t speaking so FIX THAT IMMEDIATELY OR I’M FLYING HOME IN THE MORNING. I could probably talk Kasey into THAT. Or call me on three-way so I can talk you through this? Please! （Remember we used to switch off and do that in middle school whenever we had fights? Whenever two of us are fighting, we have to figure it out together! Nothing’s changed!）
RF.
Roses
From: [email protected]
To: [email protected], [email protected],
Subject: Re: [no subject]
Ada, I love you too. I believe in you and trust you to do exactly what you need to do. You’ve made like, the most consistent, best decisions of anyone I’ve ever known. And same re: being here if you want to talk about it.
Or! For my distraction, I can tell you about the terrible date I went on last night and how he ignored me for the second half of it because his friend showed up and they zoned out playing Call of Duty. He forgot I was there!!! I give up.