Page 28 of Let Sleeping Dogs Lie

My grandmother was silent for several long seconds before she released a long sigh. “I wouldn’t let him do it.”

Something strangled in my chest. My grandfather had tried to save me from my mother’s madness, and my grandmother had stopped him.

“I kept hopin’ Beatrice would have another baby, and that she’d settle down for good.”

“Because that seemed to work the first time,” I said sarcastically.

She turned her head to face me, her eyes full of regret. “Takin’ your daughter’s child isn’t a decision to be made lightly.”

I turned it around on her. “Things must have been pretty bad if Pawpaw wanted to do something so drastic.”

Pressing her lips together, she turned her attention back to the dough. “Mistakes were made. We all did the best we could.”

Did they though? I was my mother’s dress-up doll, and later her slave labor when she took me to LA. She’d ruined my life multiple times over, and I had yet to see my mother sufferanyconsequences for her actions, what with her living in her big house she’d named Tantara and raking it in coaching girls for pageant competitions. My mother had gotten away with whatever she wanted for the entirety of her life, and everyone just let her. Me included.

I bolted from my seat and headed for the door. “I’ve got to get back to town.”

“Ain’t you got questions about your daddy?” she called after me.

I stopped and turned to face her. “I don’t have a daddy. I obviously have a sperm donor, but definitely no daddy.”

She seemed taken aback by the venom dripping from my words, but then a sympathetic look softened her eyes. “True enough. Did your mother ever tell you who he was?”

“No.” And it wasn’t for lack of trying. “Do you know?”

“No,” she said, her mouth pinching. “I have no earthly idea.” She glanced up. “I regret it, you know. Not trying to take you from her. It’s one of my biggest regrets.”

I stared at her in shock, then rushed forward and pulled her into a hug. My grandmother wasn’t a soft and fluffy woman, so it made the rare times she was halfway nice even more special. “Thank you, Meemaw.”

She gave me an awkward hug, holding her doughy hands out to her sides. Then she nudged me with her shoulder. “Get out of here. I have work to do.”

I kissed her cheek, then turned and walked out the door. With any luck at all, I’d have a job to do too.

Chapter Eleven

Luke was standing outside my office when I pulled up to the curb. I’d already called him and let him know I’d left to check on my house and would probably be there right at noon.

He walked out into the street and opened my car door, giving me a kiss when I got out.

“You sounded off when I talked to you on the phone,” he said with a worried look. “Everything okay with the house? Do you need me to talk to Buddy?”

I gave him a grateful smile. “No. The house is coming along great, and everything’s on schedule for me to move in next week.”

“Something happened,” he said, studying me as he took my hand and led me to the sidewalk. “Did that crazy fan find the farm?”

“No,” I said, shaking my head. “But I had a chat with Meemaw.”

Understanding widened his eyes. “Is she in a mood today?”

“When isn’t she in a mood?” I said wryly. “But not how you think, at least not today. She talked about my mother.”

“Your mother?” His jaw tensed. “What’s she up to now?”

“Nothing…that I know of, anyway. Meemaw talked about when I was a little girl.”

“Oh.” He hesitated, as though unsure whether to continue asking questions.

I pulled him over toward the front door of my office and into the shade. “She talked about when I was little and how Momma was wild and rarely took care of me. Then she dropped a bombshell. She said my grandfather wanted to take legal action to get custody of me. But Meemaw stopped him.”

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