Page 79 of The Breakdown

“I’m not going to tell you no,” June said as she placed the pork chops into a casserole dish. She walked back to the sink and washed her hands again, returned, and opened the barbecue sauce. “You can grab a bunch of potatoes and scrub them and get them ready to bake.”

“On it.” Natalie opened the pantry door and retrieved several baking potatoes and carried them to the sink. Vaughn stood from the table as June grabbed the sauce brush and began lathering the pork chops in sauce.

“I’m gonna go double-check on Midnight and Miracle,” Vaughn said, walking to the door. She was once again moving like she was in pain and June felt as helpless as ever.

“Don’t you go doing anymore work,” she said. “You let them kids handle the rest of it.”

“Yes, ma’am,” she said as she set her hat on her head and walked out the door.

“That child,” June said. “She’s going to kill herself working like she does.”

Natalie was scrubbing the potatoes. “I thought the new hires would lessen her load.”

“I thought so too. But I think we’re going to have to hire some more and even then you know she won’t stop.”

“She’s going to have to slow down,” Natalie said. “And have a doctor look at her back.”

June laughed. “Hell will freeze over first.”

“She can hardly walk, June. I think it’s time.”

“Well, maybe she’ll listen to you. You seem to have an effect on her.”

Natalie turned off the faucet and brought the potatoes to the counter. She took a knife and stabbed slits in them for better cooking.

“You ain’t gonna say nothing to that?” June asked, readying the pork chops for the oven.

“What should I say? I haven’t exactly had a good effect on her here lately.”

“Well, you’ve been down. Hell, I think we’ve all been down with all that’s going on.” She carried the dish to the oven, opened the hinged door and slid it in. She turned back to Natalie.

“We can cook those in the microwave,” she said. “Put them in for five-minute increments, turning them every time you check them.”

“Yes, ma’am.” Natalie took the potatoes to the microwave and set some of them inside before starting it up. “Anything else?”

June pointed to the fridge. “We need to steam some vegetables.”

Natalie opened the fridge and got out two heads of broccoli and some carrots. She carried them to the sink to clean them.

In the meantime, June got the yeast rolls from the freezer and readied them for the oven by spreading a little butter on top. “How you been feeling, darlin’?” she asked. “Any better? I haven’t been seeing much of you.”

“I’ve been busy with chores and working my other online jobs.”

“They must be taking up a lot of your time.”

“I haven’t blogged in quite some time, worried Allen would find me somehow. But I’m almost through what little savings I had, so I really need the money.”

“I don’t know how the whole online tracking thing works, sugar, but I doubt he’ll find you if he doesn’t know about the blogs. Is that what they’re called?”

Natalie finished cleaning the veggies and brought them over to the counter where she began pulling the broccoli apart and snapping off the lower portion of the stems. June got her a bowl to put the pieces in.

“Mm-hm. Blogs.”

“Does he know about them?”

“I’m sure he does. He’s had private investigators on me and I’m sure they’ve discovered my income. But I don’t think they can trace me here.”

“Is that why you prefer to give us cash for rent?”

---