A Home Come True

She’d only bought it on her solo shopping trip to Austin for two reasons. First, she’d had a Pretty Woman moment in the department store with a snooty saleswoman and Jen had wanted her to regret her big mistake. And second...okay, it was possible that there was only one reason. She’d been thinking about making the drive back to Austin to return it ever since she’d pulled in to her driveway.

“Want to tell us what you found out about Bobby’s trial?” Rebecca asked as she studied the menu. Jen was surprised Rebecca had been able to wait this long. She’d always been the caretaker in their little group, the one who encouraged Steph to go for what she wanted and Jen to trust people. Without Rebecca, there was no way Sarah would be sitting at this diner table across from Jen.

Rebecca’s new mentoring program must be taking up every spare minute. That and free-falling straight into love.

Jen kept one hand on the straps of her newest purchase and forced her attention back to her friends. Why was Rebecca studying the menu anyway? No idea. The thing hadn’t changed in ten years. There was no need to mess with perfection.

“What can I get y’all?” Sue Lynn asked. She brushed one loose curl back over her ear as she studied the modest crowd and waited.

“Burger. All the fixin’s.” Jen handed over her menu and tried not to roll her eyes as the other two dittoed her order. Sure, salads were on the menu, but Sue Lynn had the best burger in town.

After Sue Lynn walked away, Sarah covered her eyes with both hands. “The lawyer says, with Daddy’s cooperation, they might be able to keep him close to home. Nobody seems to think there’s any other option than the minimum sentence.”

“Even though he ran away,” Jen asked and immediately realized her mistake when Rebecca wrapped her arm around Sarah’s shoulders and glared at her. “I mean, of course not. He was a real pillar of this community before he...” What? Lost his mind? What would cause a man to steal from his own business? It made no sense to Jen. Hard work was what paid off. He was already doing very well for himself. Greed was the only answer. He deserved jail time. His fancy lawyer, the one Sarah would be paying for forever, would protect him.

But Sarah... His daughter loved him. Jen might see it mostly black and white, but his daughter would be all caught up in the gray area.

“Yeah, and he’s remorseful,” Sarah said with a twist of her lips. “Or pretending to be, anyway.” She shook her head. “Never mind. I don’t want to talk about him, either. I’ve spent enough time worrying about Big Bobby, the man who left me here to stew in his mess. Let’s talk about something else.”

Jen glanced at Rebecca, who seemed just as stumped for good conversation. Eventually, Rebecca waved her phone. “Did you guys see the updates on the HealthyAmericas Facebook page? The welcome-home banner those kids in Alto made for Steph and Daniel? It was sweet, right?”

Jen squinted at the tiny picture on Rebecca’s phone. If she recalled, Alto was one of the villages that Steph and Daniel and their medical team had to hike into because there was no road. That sounded awful, but the kids in this photo had beautiful grins. So did Steph. She was in exactly the right place.

“Cute.” Jen slid the phone back across the table and checked on her new purse again.

When she looked up, Sarah and Rebecca were watching her. Embarrassed to be caught staring, as if she was admiring her stupidly expensive purchase, Jen ran a hand through her hair.

“Are those tags? On your dress?” Sarah asked slowly. “Did you forget to remove them?”

Jen fidgeted and tried to shove the tags back inside. “I might want to take it back.” She’d been a little nervous all day because she couldn’t decide whether the long-sleeved knit dress with the cute, funky belt worked for her. Ripping the tags off equaled true love.

“And the purse? Should we ask Sue Lynn for a lighted display case?” Sarah drawled. “I mean, it’s pretty, but you’re watching it like you think it will get up and dance.”

“For the price I paid, it should.” Jen cleared her throat. “Not that I’m bragging.”

“This? Still?” Sarah asked. “You have millions. You could buy one of those for every day of the week and not feel the pinch. Instead, you’re dressed like the world’s worst shoplifter and guarding your purse like it’s a treasure chest.” There was no bitterness in Sarah’s voice, but it had to be hard to be in her position. Before her father’s fall from grace, she might have had money to burn, but now, she was struggling to afford a lawyer and keep a roof over her head.

“I should have left it at home,” Jen said. But it was a purse. How did other women do it, carry something that cost more than rent as if it was no big deal?

Watching Sarah and Rebecca exchange a worried frown reminded Jen she had a reputation.

No weakness.

“I could have reunited you with your hobo bag, the one with all the fringe, the one I picked up for almost nothing after you sold it.” Jen tried a smirk but it was clear neither woman across from her was buying it. Only after bluffing failed would she try the whole truth.

“Handbags by designers whose name I can’t even pronounce might be too advanced spending for me at this point,” Jen muttered.

“What I could do with that money,” Sarah said with a pout and all three of them laughed, but Jen wondered if there might be some honesty behind Sarah’s words. Did she think she was more deserving than Jen?

“This is stupid. We can talk about something other than the shelter or shopping,” Rebecca said. “We’re all there all the time, but there’s a real world happening, as well.”

In about two seconds, conversation would turn to Will or Cole. There would be lovey-dovey gushing, and Jen would have to take her chances on jumping out the window.

“Had a chat with the enemy on Saturday.” Jen raised her eyebrows as both Sarah and Rebecca leaned forward.

“Are we talking about...” Rebecca craned her neck to make sure no one was listening “Cece?” All three of them studied the crowd as if whispering her name could conjure her up.

Then Jen shook her head. “No, Hollister. The one true enemy.” Cece had been another bully in high school but she was no match for Sarah Hillman. Sarah was twice as smart and nearly as vicious, even if she only sharpened her wit now on Cece.

Sarah and Rebecca leaned back.

“Oh, that guy,” Sarah said with a curl of her lip. “What was he doing? Lurking somewhere, I bet. He’s a lurker.”

Rebecca tipped her head to the side, her nose wrinkled, but she didn’t argue.

“He was going home. He’s my neighbor.” Jen sipped her Coke and watched their jaws drop. Having a chance to surprise either one of them was so satisfying. In this group, she was often outsmarted and outniced, but she’d hardly ever been surprised.

“Your neighbor,” Sarah squeaked as if she couldn’t believe the horror. “There goes the property value! Do you hear screams at night from whatever innocent bats he manages to catch and torture?” She jabbed her straw into her glass and sniffed.

“What are you babbling about? Innocent bats? I...” Jen held out both hands and frowned at Rebecca.

“Tell us more.” Rebecca nodded. “We can do this conversation justice.”

Jen studied Sarah to make sure she wasn’t going to lose it completely. “He lives across the street. A lot of people live there, actually. I think it’s his mother, his wife, his daughter and...a sister? A brother? I’m not sure how they can all be related.”

“Someone married him?” Sarah was horrified. That much was clear. She was shaking her head so hard that Jen was afraid something would rattle loose.

“Someone very pretty. And the little girl? A-dore-a-ble. She had the cutest shoes. I’d steal them if I didn’t have feet the size of small boats.” Jen held her leg out to Sarah to show off the boots she was wearing. “Remember these beauts?”

Sarah stopped shaking immediately and narrowed her eyes at Jen. “Rubbing my nose in my consignment shop sacrifices never gets old, does it, you redheaded meanie?”

Jen laughed. “Redheaded meanie. You are getting soft in your old age. And no, it does not. I liked your old style, when you had more money than sense. Nowadays, you’re all jeans and T-shirts.”

“Wash and wear. It’s practical.” Sarah tossed her hair. “And I can find you one man who will swear I make it look good.”

Since that man was her stepbrother, Jen was already feeling a little queasy at the direction of the conversation.

She turned to Rebecca, who was the only one who could pull it back at this point.

“I’ve met a Hollister, too. Renita. She came in to my office to talk college planning. A high school student planning her future? She’s a guidance counselor’s dream.” Rebecca pursed her lips. “His sister? If so, there’s more to this family than you imagined, Sarah. She’s so smart she’s giving her trig teacher flat-out fits and since he’s a chauvinist windbag, I’m a huge fan of hers.”

“You weren’t going to tell us this?” Sarah asked.

Rebecca shrugged. “You don’t react well when Hollister’s name comes up. For good reason.” Rebecca made a face to stall Sarah’s angry response. “We won’t argue he’s a troll. Okay? It’s just... Well, his sister seems great. She has no interest in animals—” Rebecca waved one hand at Sarah and Jen as they immediately stiffened “—not that she dislikes them, because I asked whether she might like to volunteer at the shelter, but she’s more into business, taking over the world, that kind of thing.”

Jen knew Sarah would share her disbelief at hearing that anyone wasn’t head over heels about animals. They exchanged a pitying look and Sarah said, “So where are you sending her to work? The hospital? Because I can tell already she’s one of your kids.”

Rebecca sipped her drink. So innocent looking with her blond curls and guidance counselor’s uniform of khakis and shirt with the school mascot on the pocket. Jen knew better. The girl had tricked Stephanie into taking a flight to Peru, where she fell in love with Rebecca’s brother all over again. She was devious. That was why they got along.