Bring Your Own Poison Read online

  T.J. and Tuck arrived a few minutes later, and Tuck wasted no time in opening the champagne they had brought. Wanda Nell didn’t have any champagne glasses, so Miranda brought whatever she could put her hands on from the kitchen. When they all had champagne, except for Juliet who had water because of her medication, Tuck raised his glass.

  “To Wanda Nell and Jack,” he said. The others echoed him. “Wanda Nell, you’ve done so much for each and every one of us. You give us so much every day, I bless the day you came into my life.” He paused a moment to clear his throat. “You and your family have brought me something—and someone—very special.” He looked at T.J., and T.J. gazed back at him.

  Wanda Nell couldn’t help it, she started crying. She couldn’t remember when she had last felt so happy. All the people she loved best—except for her grandson—were here with her, and she would treasure this moment always.

  “And here’s to Jack,” T.J. said, his voice hoarse with emotion. “It takes a very special man for someone like Mama, and I’m glad he had the sense to recognize just how wonderful she is.” He raised his glass, and the others did the same.

  “Thank you, T.J.,” Jack said. He had to clear his throat a couple times before he could go on. “You’ve all welcomed me into the family, and I love you all for that. Wanda Nell is the most amazing woman I’ve ever known, and I think I fell in love with her the first time I ever saw her. I’m the luckiest man in the world.” He hugged Wanda Nell to him, and she rested her head on his shoulder.

  “Okay, enough of all this sappy stuff,” Mayrene said in a gruff voice. “Otherwise we’ll have to have a contest to see who can cry the most.”

  That brought laughter, and the mood lightened. Wanda Nell was grateful to Mayrene. She could always count on her best friend to interject a light note to the proceedings when necessary.

  Tuck went around with the champagne bottle again, and it quickly emptied. Wanda Nell had kept her eye on Juliet during the celebration, and she could see that her younger daughter was very tired.

  “Come on, honey,” she said, slipping an arm around Juliet’s drooping shoulders. “I think you need to go back to bed.”

  “Yes, Mama,” Juliet said. “I am tired, but I’m so happy.”

  “Me, too,” Wanda Nell said. She walked Juliet down the hall to her bedroom. “You get in bed, and I’ll check on you in a little while. Do you need anything?”

  “No, Mama,” Juliet said. “I’ve got plenty of water, and I don’t feel like eating anything.”

  “Okay, just get some rest,” Wanda Nell said. “I’m going to take you to see Dr. Crowell in the morning.”

  Juliet nodded, her eyes already closing. Wanda Nell turned off the light and tiptoed out of the room. She pulled the door nearly closed, hoping that would muffle some of the sounds of the celebration in the living room.

  When Wanda Nell walked back into the room, Jack was standing with Mayrene and T.J. She caught his eye and smiled. He smiled back, and Wanda Nell went to his side. He put an arm around her, and she leaned against him. He sure felt good.

  She could feel the ring on her finger. It was a little heavy, but she found that reassuring. That meant it was all real. She really had said yes. She was going to get married. She didn’t know just when, but there would be time to sort that out later. They would have to see whether Miranda was going to marry Teddy before they could finalize their own plans. There would be a lot of things to think about.

  The door of the trailer burst open then, startling them all. Lisa Pemberton stumbled into the room, sobbing loudly and waving her arms around. She was speaking, but her words were unintelligible.

  Jack was the first to reach her. “Lisa, what’s the matter?”

  She clung to him for a moment, struggling to catch her breath.

  When she did speak, the words came out in a rush. “He’s found me again. He knows where I am.”

  Twelve

  Jack led Lisa over to the couch and sat down with her. Wanda Nell sat down on the other side. She took Lisa’s hands in hers and started rubbing them. The others, except for Mayrene, stood back out of the way, watching in silence. Mayrene disappeared out the door.

  “It’s okay,” Jack said. “You’re safe here with us.” He kept repeating the words, and gradually Lisa’s breathing settled down to normal.

  By then Mayrene had returned, and she had a bottle of whiskey with her. She found an empty glass, sloshed some of the whiskey into it, and gave it to Jack. “Give her that,” Mayrene said. “It’ll help settle her nerves.”

  Lisa accepted the glass from Jack. She stared at it a moment before lifting it to her lips and bolting down the contents. She coughed a couple times, but after a moment she nodded.

  “Thank you, Mayrene,” she said, as the color came back into her face. “I needed that.”

  Wanda Nell took the glass from her and set it down on the coffee table. “Can you tell us about it now, honey? I don’t want to upset you, but we need to know what happened so we can decide what to do.”

  Lisa nodded. “I guess so.” She drew a deep breath. “I got a ride here after work with one of my coworkers who lives out this way.” She turned to Jack. “I thought you were coming to pick me up, but when you didn’t show up, I asked Sheila if she would mind, and she said she’d be glad to give me a ride.”

  Jack’s face reddened. “Lisa, I’m so sorry. I completely forgot. I, um, I guess I had other things on my mind. Can you forgive me? I promise it won’t happen again.”

  “It’s okay,” Lisa said, shrugging. “It really doesn’t matter.”

  Wanda Nell, sitting beside her, could tell that Lisa was lying from the way her hands clenched and unclenched in her lap. It did really matter to Lisa, and she was very annoyed with her cousin. Wanda Nell felt guilty, too, because she knew why Jack had forgotten about the younger woman.

  “I’m sorry, too, Lisa,” Wanda Nell said. “We promised we’d help you, and we let you down.”

  “I’m okay now,” Lisa said, her words slightly clipped. Wanda Nell still didn’t believe her.

  “What happened?” Jack asked.

  “Well, Sheila dropped me off, and Mayrene let me in. She’d fixed us a really nice dinner, and I was so hungry. When I finished eating I went back to my room, and I was looking for a book to read. I heard the phone ring once, but I guess Mayrene must have answered it. I heard her go out of the trailer, but I didn’t think anything about it.”

  “Oh, Lisa,” Mayrene said, “I’m sorry, too. I guess I was so excited I didn’t stop to tell you what was going on.”

  “What is going on?” Lisa asked, appearing perplexed. “Are y’all having some kind of party?”

  “We’ll get to that in a minute,” Wanda Nell said. “You go on and tell us what happened.”

  “Okay,” Lisa said, shrugging. “Well, a few minutes ago, the phone rang again, but I hadn’t heard Mayrene come back. So I got up and answered it.” She paused to take a deep breath. “It was him. He told me it was no use me trying to hide from him. He would always find me no matter where I went.”

  She started crying again, but quietly this time. Mayrene slipped out of the trailer. Wanda Nell noticed her leave and was puzzled. What was she doing now?

  Tuck came over to the couch and sat on a corner of the coffee table. “Lisa, I’d like to help you with this, if you want me to. There are things we can do to stop this guy harassing you. You shouldn’t have to go through this.”

  “Thank you.” Lisa’s voice was little more than a whisper. “I guess I do need help, but I really hate to bother anybody.”

  “It’s not a bother,” Tuck said, his voice firm, but kind. “Can you come to see me at my office tomorrow?”

  “I guess so,” Lisa said. “I’m off tomorrow.”

  “Good.” Tuck pulled out his wallet and extracted a business card from it. “Here’s my card, with my numbers. Just call the office in the morning, and let my secretary know when you can come in.”

  Lisa accepted the
card. She stared down at it for a moment. “Okay,” she said.

  “This is the right thing to do,” Wanda Nell said. “Tuck will help you so this guy will have to leave you alone.”

  Lisa didn’t say anything. She leaned against Jack, her eyes closed.

  Mayrene had come back, Wanda Nell noticed. “Lisa, honey,” Mayrene said, “why don’t you come on with me, and let’s get you settled down. I think maybe you need some peace and quiet, okay?”

  “I think that’s a good idea,” Jack said. “Come on, I’ll go with you.”

  Lisa allowed Jack to lead her back to Mayrene’s trailer. Mayrene trailed behind them, pausing at the door to say she would be back in a little while.

  T.J. spoke for the first time since Lisa had made her dramatic entrance. “Well, that’s one way to kill a party. I’m sorry, Mama. This should be a night for celebrating.”

  “Thank you, honey,” Wanda Nell said. “But it’s not Lisa’s fault. I feel so sorry for her. I can’t imagine what it’s like, having some creep stalking her like that.” She looked at Tuck. “You can help her, can’t you?”

  Tuck shrugged. “I’ll see what I can do. We can maybe get a restraining order on the guy, but I’ll have to find out more details from Lisa. Depends on what he’s done in the past, and whether she has evidence of it. Hopefully records of the phone calls, if nothing else. If we can get a restraining order, then we’ll have some ammunition if he violates it.”

  “It’s not a good situation, is it?” Wanda Nell said, frowning. “It’s almost like he has to attack her or something before you can really do anything about it.”

  “Unfortunately, yes,” Tuck said.

  “In a case like this, intent isn’t enough,” T.J. said. “You have to do something, not just think about it.”

  “Get you,” Miranda said, poking her brother in the side. “Now you’re starting to talk like a lawyer, too.” She giggled.

  “I may be a lawyer one of these days,” T.J. said, “and when I am, you better watch out, Randa. I might have to sue you for all those times you were such a pain in the behind when we were kids.” He poked her back. “All that pain and suffering you put me through—you know, it probably stunted my growth or something.”

  Miranda, staring up at her brother who towered over her, stuck out her tongue.

  Wanda Nell and Tuck laughed at them, and Wanda Nell was glad for the lightened mood.

  “I guess we’d probably better get going,” Tuck said. “We’ve got a long day tomorrow, and you and Jack would probably like a little time to yourselves now.”

  “Good night, Mama,” T.J. said, giving her a hug and a kiss on the cheek. “And congratulations again. We’re both thrilled to death for you.”

  Tuck hugged her, too. “Set a date yet?”

  Wanda Nell laughed. “No, we hadn’t got that far yet. I’ll have to get back to you on that.” She followed them to the door. “Y’all be careful.”

  Jack and Mayrene came out of Mayrene’s trailer in time to say good-bye to them. Once Tuck and T.J. had driven off, Jack and Mayrene joined Wanda Nell in the living room. Miranda went to check on Lavon.

  “How is she?” Wanda Nell said, patting the couch beside her. Jack sat down next to her.

  “She’s calmed down,” Jack said, shrugging. “She has some sleeping pills her doctor gave her, and she took one of those. She’ll be out like a light soon, I hope.”

  “I turned off the ringer on the phone in her room,” Mayrene said, “so if anybody else calls, she won’t hear it.” She leaned back in her chair.

  “Good,” Wanda Nell said. “That poor girl. I feel so sorry for her.”

  “I know,” Jack said, “and I feel so bad. I can’t believe I forgot to go pick her up.”

  “She could have called you,” Mayrene said. “Don’t go beating yourself up about it, Jack. You didn’t do it on purpose, and she made it here just fine.”

  “I know,” Jack said, “but I still feel bad. She’s going through so much, and I shouldn’t have forgotten about her.” He shook his head. “Even though she was scared she still wanted to wish us the best. She’s very happy for us.” He looked at Wanda Nell.

  “That’s very sweet of her,” Wanda Nell said. “And we’re all going to do what we can to help her. We won’t forget her again.” She snapped her fingers. “The police. We should have called the police.”

  “Don’t worry, honey,” Mayrene said. “I took care of that. I called Dixon and told him about it. He wants her to come by the police station tomorrow and talk to him about it.” She grinned widely. “Plus we have a way to track that jackass down. He left his number on my caller ID.”

  “That’s good,” Wanda Nell said. “The faster they can do something about him, the better we’ll all feel.”

  “Amen to that,” Mayrene said. She got up from her chair. “Well, I’d better get back over there. I don’t like leaving her alone too long, even if she is sound asleep. I don’t imagine that creep will call back tonight, but you never know.” She grinned. “Besides, you two probably want to be alone for a little while.”

  Jack got up from the couch and went over to give her a hug and kiss on the cheek. “Thanks for everything you’re doing, Mayrene. You’re one in a million, you know that?”

  “Make it a billion, honey, and I’ll agree with you.” Laughing, Mayrene waved good-bye and let herself out. The door closed behind her.

  Jack resumed his place on the couch beside Wanda Nell. He put his arm around her and drew her close to him.

  “This feels nice,” Wanda Nell said, her hand on his chest.

  “It sure does,” Jack said, his mouth against her forehead.

  They sat in silence for a few minutes. Finally, Wanda Nell roused herself. “You’d better get on home, honey. It’s getting late, and tomorrow’s a school day.” A teacher’s day started pretty early.

  “Yeah, I guess you’re right,” Jack said. “But I’m looking forward to the day when I don’t have to go very far to go to bed.” He grinned at her. “That day can’t come too soon for me.”

  “Me either, honey,” Wanda Nell told him. “But we’ll have to talk about setting a date later, okay?”

  “I know,” Jack said. “I know there are some things to work out before we get married.” He nodded his head in the direction of Miranda’s room.

  “Yeah,” Wanda Nell said. “Exactly.” She was glad he understood.

  They shared one last, long kiss before Jack said good night. Wanda Nell stood in the doorway, watching until he had driven off. She shut the door and locked it.

  Before getting ready for bed, she checked on Juliet again. The girl was sound asleep, and Wanda Nell was relieved to find her forehead cool and dry. She would see how Juliet felt in the morning, but she was still going to take her to the doctor, just to be safe.

  Wanda Nell went to the other end of the trailer to say good night to Miranda and Lavon. Her grandson was sound asleep in his crib, and Miranda was talking on the phone. Wanda Nell didn’t have to ask who it was on the other end. She mouthed “good night” to Miranda and went back the other way to her bedroom.

  After changing into her nightgown, washing her face, and brushing her teeth, Wanda Nell sat on the side of the bed for a few minutes, staring at the ring on her finger. It fit just right, and it was so beautiful. She had never owned a piece of jewelry this nice in her whole life. She touched it a couple times to make sure it was real. Her brother Rusty had their mother’s engagement ring, but so far he hadn’t found anybody he wanted to give it to. She would have to call Rusty and tell him the news.

  This was a big step she was taking. Getting married again. Was she really ready to do that? She had known Jack for about a year now, and in that time she had come to love him. He was a good, caring man. Strong, but not rigid. Dependable, thoughtful, patient. She really appreciated his patience. He had made it clear, pretty early on, that he was in love with her, but she had held back. Her marriage to Bobby Ray had made her wary, and it took her a
while to let her guard down and let Jack into her heart.

  Now that she had, though, she was very happy. She was tired of being alone. Marrying Jack was the right thing to do. She realized she couldn’t imagine life without him, and that told her all she needed to know.

  She removed the ring, kissed it, and placed it on the nightstand beside her bed. She set her alarm and turned out the light, and after her eyes adjusted to the darkness, she fancied she could see the ring glow occasionally. Smiling, thinking of the future, she fell asleep.

  The alarm roused her at six-thirty the next morning, and after she switched it off, she picked up her ring and slid it onto her finger. She couldn’t help smiling as she looked at it.

  After a quick trip to the bathroom, she checked on Juliet. Her daughter was awake, and her fever was back. Wanda Nell took her temperature, and it had climbed to a little over a hundred. She gave Juliet some water and a small dose of the sinus medicine.

  “We are definitely going to see the doctor this morning,” Wanda Nell said. “I’m going to call as soon as they’re open and see if we can get you in there today.”

  “Yes, ma’am,” Juliet said. “I sure don’t feel very good. My throat’s real scratchy.”

  “Keep drinking water,” Wanda Nell told her. “You need me to help you to the bathroom?”

  “No, I’m okay,” Juliet said, smiling a little. “I’m not totally helpless, Mama.”

  “I know that, baby,” Wanda Nell said, smoothing the hair back from Juliet’s face. “Do you think you could eat something?”

  “Maybe a little toast.”

  “Okay, you stay in bed, and I’ll bring you some in a few minutes,” Wanda Nell told her.

  In the kitchen she popped some bread into the toaster. Next she put the coffee on. There was no sign of Miranda and Lavon yet, but Wanda Nell figured it wouldn’t be long before Lavon was up, and he would be hungry. She got his oatmeal started so that it would be ready when he did get up.