Part 15 (1/2)
”Hey, I've got the rest of my life to be alone with you. If Toots says it's urgent, let's go. I'll show you the rest of the place tomorrow.”
”I hope Karen didn't take a turn for the worse. Poor girl,” Sophie said, referring to the producer for her and Goebel's reality special, which most likely wasn't going to be a reality in their lifetime. She honestly didn't care.
”No, I'm sure it's something else. Toots would've blurted that out on the phone.”
He was right. She would have.
Before Sophie could walk to the front door, Goebel pulled her close to him. ”Let's set a date now so we can give Toots some good news, just in case hers is bad.”
Sophie nodded. ”Next week soon enough?”
Goebel lifted her off her feet and swung her around. ”d.a.m.n straight!” He put her down, then pulled her close again. ”Sophie Manchester, you've just made me the happiest man in the entire world. You know that, right?”
”Ditto, Mr. Blevins, with appropriate modifications, ditto, ditto, ditto.”
Chapter 25.
It was close to midnight when Wade and Mavis returned from their trip to Charlotte. They'd enjoyed the conference and the drive home, especially since they were rarely alone. When they drove through the gates, Mavis saw that the downstairs lights were on. ”I wonder why everyone is still up? Toots must be having a party.”
Wade parked beside Phil's silver Mercedes. ”I say we go inside and find out.”
”You don't want to check on Robert first?” Mavis asked before getting out of the car.
”He's probably inside with the rest of the gang. He doesn't like being away from Bernice. He's crazy about her. Almost as crazy about her as I am about you,” Wade said, taking her hand and leading her up the steps.
Mavis was glad for the darkness, as she knew she was blus.h.i.+ng like a girl about to receive her first kiss. ”Wade,” she whispered his name airily. Just saying his name sent s.h.i.+vers up and down her spine. She hadn't been this excited over a member of the male species since she and Herbert had met in college over fifty years earlier. She had a brief flash of George and that thing he owned, his VCD. Quickly she s.h.i.+fted focus to the here and now.
”Shhh,” was his last word as he touched his lips to hers, devouring their softness. Mavis melted into his arms, giving in to the moment. She kissed him back, lingering, savoring every part of his mouth on hers. So lost in Wade's kiss was she, the s.p.a.ce around her was nothing more than a blur. Seconds or minutes pa.s.sed, she wasn't sure. When Wade pulled away, she felt a momentary loss. ”The hall lights just came on,” he whispered in her ear.
Again glad for the darkness, Mavis touched her lips as though she wanted to imprint the memory of his kiss on her fingertips.
”Who's out there?” Toots called. She'd heard footsteps, then nothing.
”It's just me,” Mavis answered. ”Wade is here, too.”
Toots opened the front door. ”Then why don't you both come inside?” She could tell that Mavis was a bit fl.u.s.tered. ”Did I interrupt anything?” she asked coyly, knowing full well that she had. But at that moment, she simply did not care; she was jubilant, and they were throwing a party to celebrate.
”Uh, no,” Mavis said; then she stepped inside as Toots held the door open.
”What's the celebration?” Wade asked.
”We're in the dining room. All of us. We've been waiting on you two,” Toots said. ”We have lots to celebrate. You won't believe your eyes when you meet our latest visitor.”
When they reached the dining room, Mavis saw everyone who mattered to her gathered around the dining-room table, plus a handsome man whom she had never in her life seen before. They'd had to bring in chairs from the veranda so everyone would have a place to sit.
Toots gestured in Daniel's direction. ”Daniel, this is Mavis and Wade. He lives next door with his brother, Robert. And this is Bernice's son, who's just arrived from Was.h.i.+ngton State. He's an attorney.”
Bernice glowed like a kid at Christmas when she looked at her son. And Robert.
After the usual pleasantries, the chatter picked up.
”This is quite the surprise, isn't it, Wade?” Mavis asked. ”What in the world could be so important? Daniel, I'm sorry if that sounds rude. I didn't mean it to be. Toots's and Sophie's ways must be rubbing off on me. Speaking of Sophie, where is she? And Goebel?”
”They're on their way. Have a seat because good news is only exciting the first time it's told,” Toots offered up.
”Mother!” Abby said. ”That is not always the case.” She winked. Toots winked back.
”I'm teasing, but we can wait for Sophie. She'll be here any moment now.”
Placed in the middle of the dining-room table were two carafes of coffee. Regular and decaf, along with a full sugar bowl and two cartons of half-and-half.
Toots had called Jamie, knowing she'd be awake, and invited her over as well. Lucky for everyone, Jamie had a batch of pralines, as well as some raisin cookies she'd brought home from the bakery. Toots absolutely loved the girl and felt like she was family. Add that her pralines were the best in the state, it was a win-win situation all around.
While they waited for Sophie and Goebel, they all started talking at once.
”Robert, you're feeling okay?” Wade asked as he poured a cup of decaf for Mavis and one for himself.
”Of course, I am. Why? Do you think just because you've just returned from the dead-people conference that I'm ready to kick the bucket?” Robert spoke extremely loud. Since they knew he was hard of hearing, they let it pa.s.s.
”You, my dear brother, are a cantankerous old man,” Wade said, grinning. ”We were at a convention for the owners of funeral parlors, not a 'dead-people conference.' I can a.s.sure you that there was not a single corpse there, much less any zombies. And while we're on the subject, and I know it's not everyone's favorite topic, but Mavis and I, well, we are going to open a funeral parlor together. Here. In Charleston.”
All chattering stopped.
”I think that's an excellent idea. I'm sure I can provide your clients with their final exit shot,” Ida said, without the first hint of conceit.
”Of course. We were going to ask you if you'd help out. I wasn't sure with all the success of Seasons, since you're always traveling back and forth to Wilmington. We've already got a place in mind. The owner wants to retire and move to Florida. We met him at the conference,” Mavis said.
”Congrats, Mavis and Wade. You two will make great . . . uh, great funeral directors,” Abby stated in her enthusiastic way, without a hint of sarcasm.
”Yes, and while we were there, I contracted with a company in Canada. They want to market Good Mourning. I am going to be so busy that I won't have time to”-fl.u.s.tered, Mavis finished-”to hang out with you all as much.”
”Bulls.h.i.+t, you will make the time. We've all got projects going on. Abby is expecting five dogs and three cats tomorrow. You promised you would give her a hand,” Toots said, spoken like a true ballbuster. Remembering Phil's phone call, she turned to him. ”Dr. Carnes, what did she say?”
”She'd take the first available flight in the morning, so there's no need to line up the Flexjet.”
”That's excellent news, and, Mom, Mavis's work is important, too. It should come first in her life.”
”Oh, I know. I just wanted to yank her chain. You're a real go-getter, Mavis. Of course, we'll support you and Wade, just don't get offended if I say I really don't want to do business with either of you anytime soon.”
They all laughed.
The front door banged, and they all knew who it was before she entered the dining room.
”This better be good is all I've got to say,” Sophie said to the group gathered at the table. Spying an unfamiliar face, she introduced herself. ”I'm Sophie. This is Goebel. You must be one of Ida's hot young things from Wilmington.”