Page 33 of Buddy System

About three hours later,Skyler wanders onto the porch where I’m trying desperately to get work done even though my concentration is shot for the day, and Levi is plunking away listlessly at his guitar without making any real progress either. Skyler looks better but still a bit shaky, and he’s holding a bottleof water. His hair is wet like he’s showered again, and this time he’s wearing shorts and a t-shirt.

“Are you doing alright?” I ask. “Should I fix some dinner?”

“Oh, it’s up to you. I’m starving though. My headache’s gone. Maybe getting a pizza delivered would be faster than cooking.” He has a hopeful look.

A short while later, we’re happily munching on pizza out in the screened porch when another car drives up. This is beginning to feel like Grand Central Station. The car pulls to a stop, and Skyler’s mother hops out. It’s going on dusk, and the overhead light is on in the porch, so she sees us right away.

“Skyler, I need a word with you!” she says a bit shrilly. This doesn’t sound good.

“Hi, Mom. Want a slice?” he asks as he unlatches the screen door and opens it for her. “It’s still hot.”

She’s confused and doesn’t answer. Looking at all three of us in turn with a perplexed expression, she asks Skyler, “Why aren’t you answering your phone?”

“Oh, sorry. I wasn’t feeling well, and I had it turned off. Migraine. I guess I forgot to turn it back on once I felt better. What’s up?” He politely pulls out a chair for her. She hesitates a moment and then sits.

“People have been coming into the garden center all afternoon reporting that youthreatenedMrs. Henshaw, and she is too afraid to work here anymore. She also spread the news that you’re flat broke, have a…ah…boyfriend who likes to play with your hair, and you wander around the house with no clothes on. So I ask again, what in the name of all that is holy is going on around here?”

Levi turns a livid shade of red, but Skyler shakes his head and goes pale. “That fucking bitch!” he whispers with enough venom to scare a cobra.

“Skyler!” his mom exclaims.

He skewers her with a look and says, “Mrs. Henshaw is an interfering, lying sack of shit, and she needed firing. She was not threatened with anything other than the loss of her job, but when she was asked to back off with her nasty comments, she persisted in insulting Brooke and Levi. I warned her, and she did it again, so I asked her to leave for good. She wasn’t even supposed to be here today, but she forced her way in by being pushy and made everyone uncomfortable. As for having a boyfriend who plays with my hair, Levi was giving me a scalp massage because my head was in agony, and it was relaxing me—and it’s probably why my headache went away so quickly this time. Furthermore, I wasnotrunning around naked.” He stares at her a moment and adds, “But if I ever do feel like running around naked, it’s my house and my business. I’d been asleep and didn’t even know she was here when I came out to the kitchen in my underwear for a cold drink. If she got an eyeful, that’s on her for being where she wasn’t supposed to be.”

“I’m sure she was just trying to help.”

“She was butting in. I was thinking of firing her anyway, even before this.”

“But she’s a trusted member of the community, Skyler. She’s worked for lots of people over the years without incident.”

“Are you sure about that? Lots of people must have also let her go then. Why hasn’t she worked for one family or one person for years and years? Probably because she’s as obnoxious as all get-out.”

Skyler’s mother frowns and blows out a breath. I’m relieved to feel the tension dissipating. “Well, you may have a point, but I wouldn’t know. I’m sorry if by recommending her I got you into something that didn’t turn out well. I thought she was better than that, but I’ve never worked with her myself.” His mom sighs. “She has certainly bent some ears around town about this today.”

“Too bad she’s better at shooting off her mouth than she is at anything else. She was helpful at first when I was trying to do everything with one arm, but I didn’t like her cooking at all. It was just easier to put up with her until I had an excuse to let her have some time off. I’m sorry I put it off, now that Brooke and Levi were subjected to her.”

“Alright, well, again I’m sorry. I don’t really know what to do about the gossip. You know what this town is like. Somebody sneezes in church and suddenly you hear there’s a shortage on tissues and cough medicine. But maybe it’ll die down quickly.”

Skyler snorts. “Yeah, right.”

“I don’t want to start a gossip war saying everything was her fault. It will just make you look petty. I would like to spread around a bit of truth though.”

“Let her talk. I don’t give a shit what anybody thinks of me. If they don’t know me better than that, screw ’em.”

“Well, you may be right, even if I’d like to hear less colorful language from you about it. At least when the next person tells me their version of her story, I can refute it instead of just acting surprised by it. Hopefully, folks will believe the truth. Now, I need to get home and feed your father. I have a meeting tonight after suppertime with the Sewing Bees. At least I can set those ladies straight when they bring it up, and I’m sure they will.”

“Great,” Skyler says in a flat voice.

I have to say something about this situation, so I tell his mom, “I’m afraid I was the one who used the words ‘get rid of her,’ but all I meant was to fire her. I wasn’t suggesting violence, for heaven’s sake—as if Skyler would rough up a woman! I think she came in on the end of a conversation and purposefully got the wrong idea, and now Skyler’s bearing the brunt of it. It was certainly never my intention to frighten her. She was being nosy and rude, and I could see how badly she was bothering Skyler. You should know too that her parting words as she headed outwere that Skyler would ‘be sorry.’ Or maybe she meant all three of us; she wasn’t very clear. I think she planned to make life miserable around here. Also…I think she has a rather unnatural fixation on him. She called him ‘her boy’ and things like that. She seemed terribly jealous and wanted Levi and me to hit the road. That was obvious.”

“Oh dear,” Tracy Colfax sighs. “She does sound like she’s gone a bit off her rocker.” She looks around at us with a much warmer expression than she had when she arrived and says, “I’m glad to see that you’re well, Skyler. I was worried when I couldn’t get in touch with you.” She looks at Levi who still hasn’t said a word. “If a scalp massage works for his awful headaches, thank you for trying it.” She looks back at Skyler and asks, “One last question. Why would she be telling people that you’re broke? That one doesn’t make any sense unless you’ve had a sudden investment failure, and how would she know about it if you did?”

Sighing, Skyler explains, “She wanted to be paid for today, and Levi pointed out that she wasn’t scheduled to work, and she hadn’t done a single thing except show up unannounced. She didn’t like that and thought she could bully me into paying her. It was just one more example of her being nuttier than a squirrel’s turd.”

Shaking her head at her son, Tracy Colfax gets to her feet and says, “You and your colorful language. I’m sorry to have brought you more to worry about.” She raises her hand to wave her fingers at us. “Y’all have a good night.” She walks to her car and takes off.

Skyler doesn’t look too good again, so I ask, “Will you be okay?”

He pauses before he reaches across to both of us with his hands, indicating to us both to take one. We do, and he answers, “I’ll be great as long as I know you’re both serious about moving in. Settle your affairs in Hopkinsville and stay with me. Please?”

---