Page 60 of Magnolia Summer

Mrs. Beverly took her hand and held it out, looking her up and down. “My, how pretty you are, Celia!” She gave her son a sly look out of the corner of her eye. “Doesn’t she look pretty, Truett?”

Truett did not smile. “Yes, she looks very pretty.”

A stab of pain pierced her heart at his grudging monotone. But she had to keep her mind on her plan.

“Thank you, Dr. Beverly.” She flashed her smile at him, then turned her attention back to Mrs. Beverly. “How is your garden faring in this hot weather?”

“Oh, honey, it’s wilting like a plucked violet. This July heat is bad, but August is usually worse. But then it’ll be winter before you know it and we’ll all be complaining about the cold.” She laughed and clasped Celia’s hands. “You must come up to the house and see me. I told Lizzie I would show her how to make a pie crust. She says hers never turn out right. And I’ll come over and bring you some of my blackberry dumplings. Truett here says they’re his favorite, the best thing I make.”

Mrs. Beverly’s mouth smiled but her eyes seemed to drill right through Celia, no doubt trying to figure out if Celia cared for her son or was just being heartless. Her cheeks began to burn. Truett scuffed his feet, coughed, and cleared his throat.

Obviously the conversation was over, but Celia was determined to speak to Truett. Since his mother was standing there waiting for her to leave.

“Thank you, Mrs. Beverly.” She spoke quickly while edging away. “You’re very sweet to us. Good day, Mrs. Beverly. Dr. Beverly.”

A frown tugged the corners of his mouth down. She’d displeased him by calling him Dr. Beverly, no doubt. But surely he couldn’t expect her to address him by his first name in front of his mother.

As they started to turn away, Celia had an idea. “Oh, Truett—I mean, Dr. Beverly—Will was wondering if you could come by this evening and help him.” Her face burned hotter at the way he and his mother were looking at her. They must see right through her ruse to get Truett to her house.But I’m only trying to save him!

“Will has been trying to figure out what kind of animal has been stealing the eggs in the henhouse, and last night it killed one of our hens.”

“Probably a possum.” Truett stared back at her.

Celia waited for him to say he would come by, but when the silence stretched a few seconds, she added, “So you’ll come and help Will?”

“Of course.” He nodded, his eyes only a little less suspicious than before.

He loved Will. He would come for Will’s sake.

“Thank you so much. Will’s been missing you. He’ll be so glad to see you. Good-bye.”

Celia hurried away, her face burning.

She took a deep breath as she tied Old Sallie to the hitching post and walked inside, hoping the postmaster would think her red cheeks were simply from the heat.

An uncomfortable heaviness settled in her chest when she thought about how obvious Truett had made it that he no longer liked her. He probably considered her a cruel flirt. No wonder he didn’t even smile at her. No wonder his mother was trying to read her thoughts, to find out if Celia was going to hurt her son. Again.

She couldn’t stand to think about that.

Celia asked for her mail.

“None today, Miss Wilcox. Sorry.”

She nodded, then turned and walked out. Her disappointment at getting no mail was thrust to the back of her mind as she passed Truett’s office. But his mother was inside. No opportunity to warn him now. She’d have to try again tonight.

Chapter 18

Truett arrived after supper. He didn’t come inside, only came to the back door and asked for Will. Will ran out and they walked around the back yard in the fading light.

Celia watched them out the back window, trying to wash up the supper dishes. Truett and Will talked, walking around the henhouse, disappearing from sight for several minutes at a time.

All right, I’ve got him here, God. Now how am I going to get him alone to talk to him?Somehow she had to get him in the house, or on the front porch. No, the front porch might remind him of their kiss. He’d really wonder what she was up to. First she kisses him, then she tells him he can’t court her, then she avoids him for weeks, now she wants to talk to him alone?

He’d think she had lost her mind, or worse, that she was a tease. And that was the last thing she’d ever wanted to be known as.

But she had to speak to him. She had to convince him there were other ways to make sure the sheriff didn’t hurt innocent people. There had to be a way, a due process of the judicial system that would force the sheriff to uphold the law and not break it. She had to convince Truett that what he was doing was foolish and was going to get him killed.

Just like Father.