Part 10 (1/2)
She whirled around. ”Oh, Phil, I'm sorry. I am just so shocked to see this young man.”
Phil shot a look Daniel's way. ”And you're going to introduce me when?” he asked in a tone that let her know he was not happy with the turn of events.
Flabbergasted and a little embarra.s.sed, Toots shook her head. ”Phil, I'm sorry. I'm still floored. Daniel, meet Dr. Phil Becker.”
The two men shook hands and gave one another the typical male proverbial nod of acknowledgment, each unsure of where he stood.
”Daniel, Dr. Becker . . . Phil,” she said, letting him know this was not her doctor. ”Phil saved your mother's life last year.”
If there had ever been a stunned moment in Phil's relations.h.i.+p with Toots, it was then. Relief flooded over him like a ravaging waterfall. He'd thought this handsome, much younger man might've been more than a friend to Toots. And he'd been right, just not the kind of friend he thought. He felt as giddy as a kid going to the prom. He shook Daniel's hand so long that Toots had to pry him away.
”It's good to meet you finally,” Daniel said. ”Mom told me all about you in her letters, and, of course, she can't sing enough praises, since she believes you brought her back from the dead. I just want to thank you both.” Daniel stepped back, tears s.h.i.+mmering in his dark blue eyes. ”I haven't been the best son. I had to come home to see Mom.” He raked a hand through his glossy hair. ”Is she here?”
Toots was in a semi state of shock over the change in Daniel. She was finding it difficult to carry on a normal conversation.
”Your mother is next door with her new friend, Robert,” Phil informed him.
Perplexed, but in a good way, Daniel asked, ”Mom has a male friend?”
Toots was surprised that Bernice hadn't mentioned Robert in her letters, but she must have had her reasons. Should Phil have kept this quiet? It didn't matter. Daniel was here, and he would meet Robert soon enough.
”Your mother has so many friends-some you know, some you don't. It will take weeks for her to introduce you.” That was stretching the truth a bit, but Toots still felt very protective of Bernice. They were as close as sisters, and that would never change. Daniel hadn't been a perfect son, she knew, but he was here now. That had to count for something. Now the question was: Would Bernice have a heart attack when she saw the new and improved version of her long-lost son?
”Then let's get started. I drove all the way from Seattle. I'm ready to call it a day,” Daniel said. Toots sneaked a peek at the license plate. Sure enough. Was.h.i.+ngton State. Bernice never told her she knew where Daniel was, but Toots figured she must have had her reasons. Bernice didn't have to reveal every secret to her.
”Oh, d.a.m.n me and my lack of manners. I imagine you're tired and hungry. I can help with the tired part, but the hungry . . . Well, if you remember, I'm not much of a cook. Phil and I have dinner reservations. I suppose we can add one more person?” She directed her question to Phil. While thrilled that Daniel had come to visit his mother after all these years, Toots didn't see this as a reason to postpone her evening.
”No, no, you all go ahead. I just want to see Mom, catch up, and maybe have a shower. I drove with the top down most of the way. I'd forgotten how hot it is in the South,” Daniel replied.
Toots wanted to remind him that summer was just around the corner, but she didn't. If he stuck around long enough, he would soon find out. ”Phil, would you come in and fix Daniel an ice tea while I call Bernice?” Toots asked, turning to go inside, expecting the men to follow. She wasn't sure if Bernice and Robert were bouncing away on his new mattress. No way was she going to say this to Daniel, so a phone call was best under the circ.u.mstances.
”I'll just grab my bags,” Daniel said. He took the smallest piece of luggage, and Phil carried the larger one inside. The two men set them next to the staircase.
”I'll get that tea,” Phil called to Toots as she raced upstairs.
”Wonderful! I'll be right back,” she replied when she reached the top of the stairs. Once inside her room, she used the house phone to call over to Robert's. She hoped Bernice wasn't taking her advice just now, because it wouldn't be the greatest time to get frisky with her pal.
Three rings. Four. Five.
They're probably going at it hot and heavy, she thought. Eight rings. She was about to hang up, when a breathless Robert answered the phone.
”Good, you're there.” Toots voiced her thoughts before filtering them.
”Toots? That you? Why are you calling? Is everything swell over there? You need to speak up. I can't hear you.” Robert chattered on like a Chatty Cathy doll.
Poor Robert, he needed a hearing aid and was too vain to admit it. Toots cupped her hand over the phone, speaking louder than normal. ”I need to talk to Bernice. It's important.”
”Come on over. We've just finished making the bed with those new sheets. They are so soft. Bernice wants a pink set. I'm going to give them to her for Christmas this year. Do you think that's a good idea?”
Toots hung up the phone. At this rate, she could slip out the side entrance and tell Bernice in person. Quickly, before Robert realized she'd hung up on him, she raced downstairs and out the side door that led to the potting shed, which Pete, her gardener, used to work in before he retired.
With her heels sinking into the gra.s.s and slowing her down, Toots removed them; then she ran the rest of the way. She banged on the front door. ”Bernice! It's an emergency ! Open this d.a.m.n door, or I'm going to kick it in!” she shouted as she continued to pound on the door. h.e.l.l, they were both losing their hearing. ”Bernice! Get your a.s.s out here now!”
The door swung open. Flushed, Bernice looked like she'd been caught with her hand in the cookie jar. Toots was sure the cookie jar was Robert's new mattress, with the new sheets. ”Thank G.o.d!” Toots said.
”What in the h.e.l.l are you in such a tizzy for? Robert said you hung up on him. That's rude, Toots. Even for you. I thought you had manners, but, apparently, I was wrong. Now, what's so important that you have to come over here and interrupt us?”
Toots raised a brow. ”So you are s.c.r.e.w.i.n.g Robert! I knew it!”
Bernice took a deep breath; then she rolled her eyes. ”You nasty old woman. I am not s.c.r.e.w.i.n.g Robert. Now. We're trying a new recipe. He just bought that new conduction stove, and we're trying it out.”
Toots didn't care if they were doing ”it” on top of the new conduction oven. ”Bernice, I want you to listen to what I'm about to tell you, and I do not want you to interrupt me. Do you understand? This is important.”
Bernice crossed her arms. ”Go on.”
”Do you feel okay? You haven't had any chest pain lately or anything I should know about?”
”No, Toots, I haven't. If I had, I'm sure Dr. Becker would've told you already.” Before having her surgery last year, Bernice had given Toots power of attorney, and Toots was privy to her medical history. It still p.i.s.sed Bernice off to no end.
”He hasn't. Now listen up. I don't have a lot of time. Phil and I have dinner reservations at eight o'clock.”
Tapping her foot, Bernice said, ”I'm waiting.”
s.h.i.+t, Toots hated this, but once Bernice was over the initial shock, Toots knew she would be the happiest woman in the world. She just didn't want the news to send her friend's fragile heart into another attack. Taking a calming breath, Toots burst out, ”Daniel is at the house.” There, she'd said it!
Bernice continued to tap her foot. She pursed her lips, making her resemble one of those wrinkled-up potato-faced caricatures she'd seen at the Cracker Barrel.
”Did you hear what I just said?” Toots demanded loudly, no longer caring who overheard.
”Yes, I did.”
”Well?” Toots leaned as close to Bernice as she could without touching her.
”You're a mean woman, Toots.”
”Son of a b.i.t.c.h, Bernice! Your f.u.c.king son is sitting at my kitchen table, sipping a gla.s.s of sweet tea, as we speak, and you're calling me mean?”
Right before her very eyes, Bernice turned fifty shades of red, then settled on white. ”What did you just say?” she muttered, her words barely audible.
”You heard what I said,” Toots repeated.
”You're really serious, aren't you?”
”If I weren't serious, do you think for one minute I would trudge across the lawn wearing these?” She held her green heels up in the air.
Bernice dropped her hands to her side; then she brought them up to cover her mouth. ”Oh, my G.o.d. For once, you're not pulling my leg! Woo-hoo!” Bernice shouted, and pounced off the porch like a gymnast bolting off a balance beam.