Page 36 of After 5
I blew out a sigh of relief.
“I made you a ham and a chocolate cake. It’s in the car.” That piqued my interest. Mom made a delicious strawberry glazed ham, but chocolate cake, too? I raised an eyebrow at her while Gertie was performing a celebratory fist pump and giving Mom extra hugs.
“So, our surprise is ham?”
“Of course not, dear. Your surprise is,” she paused. “Well…we bought the townhouse next door.”
“And?” I knew there was more. Buying another investment property wouldn’t warrant ham and chocolate cake.
“Your cousin Darryl is moving in.”
“Cuzin Darryl!” Gertie and I erupted together. Mom arched an eyebrow at us. The food was a bribe.
Cousin Darryl was the kind of guy who said, “Hold my beer and watch this.” He couldn’t keep a steady job. He had warrants out for his arrest in three counties for disorderly conduct, and last I heard, he was living in a trailer with his grandmother.
Gertie chewed a nail while I stared slack-jawed at Mom.
“When is he moving in?” I asked.
“Today.” Mom smiled and smoothed the pleat in her Nike golf skort.
Smart woman. She didn’t warn us ahead of time. Our complaining would have meant weeks of fielding our objection with baked goods of guilt. “I thought I would bring a casserole over for you girls to give him. You know, to make him feel welcome. He’s never been out on his own before. I thought it was perfect—you girls could keep an eye on him, help him get acquainted with living in the city.”
She meant babysit him.
“Anyhoo, I also brought a plant as a housewarming gift. It’s in the car.”
“I’ll get them,” Gertie said, then headed outside to retrieve the bribe.
“That’s nice of you, dear,” Mom said to Gertie and gathered up her purse.
“Don’t you want to stay until Darryl arrives?”
“Oh, no can do. I’m playing in a scramble with the girls this afternoon, and then your dad and I are going to the club for dinner.”
“Darryl isn’t wearing an ankle bracelet, is he?” I asked. “You know, the electronic kind monitored by the authorities.”
“Heavens no, but your aunt Loretta has had enough of him, and your dad wanted to help out. He’s harmless, just needs someone to show him the way.”
“Does he have a job?”
Mom pursed her lips. She didn’t approve. “He has a job bartending in Terrell. Be nice to your cousin. He doesn’t have any friends in the city.”
I didn’t think my cousin would have trouble meeting anyone. He was born winking at the nurses.
“There’s no family dinner tonight since you’ll be helping Darryl get situated. Not that you’ve been to any lately. Tell your brother I’ll see him next Sunday. You and Gertie should come too, invite Darryl.”
“It’s going to take a lot of chocolate cake to live next door to Darryl,” I said to Mom.
“The chocolate cake is for you. I heard you broke up with your Scottish boyfriend.” How did she learn these things?
“Eli told me you might like some chocolate cake. That’s your comfort food dear, so I probed. Don’t get mad at Eli for telling me. You should call occasionally. I’m sure the two of you will make up. Give the man time. Men need to sow their wild oats before they can settle down.”
I knew Caiyan had been sowing a lot of oats lately; there couldn’t be any more left in the field.
Gertie entered carrying two travel containers and balancing a potted palm on her hip. “The ham smells yummy, Cousin Mary.” She strained to say the word cousin correctly.
Mom broke out in a wide smile at Gertie’s perfect cousin. She sent us air kisses and waved as she exited the door.
