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Wells wasn’t doing any better. He’d scrubbed his legs so hard that he had bald patches. He still swore it was from the little girl pulling the hair out. “Sugar. She said it was sugar that made them act like that. Is sugar code for possession?”
“That little shit ran away from me the entire time she was here and as soon as Memphis swept in, she cried that I hadn’t found her, like I’d left her locked away or something. Sugar doesn’t do that. Bea’s raising terrifying kids.” I looked back at Remy and saw him tapping his chin in thought. “What?”
“I feel like she planned it, but I can’t prove anything. She looks guilty, though, tiptoeing around here, giggling with Beatrix. Those two did it somehow.” He scrubbed his hands down his face and groaned. “I can still smell it.”
“You didn’t have it smeared up your legs. I don’t know what you’re still bitching about. Smeared up my legs, Remy.” Wells shuddered. “This isn’t what we wanted to talk about. Let’s just…never mention Bea’s children again.”
Remy sat up and nodded. “There’s another charity event this weekend. It’s something the Browns are starting, for mental health awareness. They asked that we be there.”
I looked at Wells and shrugged. “Well, it seems that obsessing over a woman who lives in your backyard really clears up the social calendar. I’m free.”
Wells looked up at the ceiling and cleared his throat. “Yeah. It’s a good cause.”
“Are you sure, Wells? We don’t ever expect you to do these things. We wouldn’t think less of you for not doing them.” Remy spoke gently, knowing that anything could send Wells running from the conversation.
“I know.” Wells gripped his knees and let out a tired sigh. “I know. I do. I can’t stop trying. Not now.”
As if on cue, I gazed back out the window, looking for our little troublemaker. “I’m just going to go in one day. She’s been able to hide because we’ve always considered that place off-limits.”
Movement at the corner of the yard caught my attention and I moved closer to the window to see what it was. Pete was standing up, dusting off his hands, and pointing to something on the ground. From somewhere else that’d been hidden from my viewpoint, Memphis stood up and dusted off her ass. She was nodding and talking excitedly with her hands.
“Guess who’s rolling around in the yard with Pete again.” I walked towards the door, planning on cornering Memphis and making her spend some time with me. “She makes me want to get on the spanking train, I swear to God.”
Remy and Wells were on their feet and right behind me. Remy grunted at my comment. “She makes me want to fire every male employee we have.”
“I’m damn near ready to plant my goddamn self to see if she’ll pay attention to me then.” Wells took the lead and then looked back at me. “I don’t even know where I’m going. This is how messed up she’s got me.”
I led the way to the edge of the yard where the sounds of her laughter filled the air and rolled over me like a warm wave. Then, the sound of Pete’s laughter joined hers and my teeth clamped together painfully. I’d never experienced jealousy before, never worried that someone would find someone better than me. I welcomed it. With Memphis, I found myself seeing red and wanting to dig a hole big enough to kick Pete into.
Pete saw us first and his eyes widened. His hand reached over to gentle pat Memphis’s and I growled under my breath. Why the fuck was he touching her like that?
Memphis looked up from the hole she was digging and let out a little gasp. She had dirt across her face, up her bare arms, and all over the front of her dress. She was wearing that white dress again, the one we’d first met her in, and I felt angry that she wasn’t cherishing it as much as I’d begun to in my head.
“Do you mind, Pete?” Remy rolled up his sleeves and forced a tight smile. “Looks like I’m going to be getting dirty today.”
Pete wasted no time in making himself scarce. Memphis seemed annoyed at that and crossed her arms over her chest. “I wish y’all would be nice to Pete.”
“Why aren’t you wearing your new clothes? I remember there being stuff better suited for playing in the dirt.” I dropped to the ground next to her and looked at the dirt she seemed so obsessed with. “What are we doing? What’s happening here?”
“I’m not wearing that stuff out here. That’s crazy.” She reached behind her and held out a knobby looking thing. “Pete and I were planting bulbs. This corner of the yard isn’t as colorful as the rest. Since you three ran Pete off, you’ll have to help me.”
“Why won’t you wear your new clothes out here? They’re made for wearing, Memphis.” Remy grabbed the bulb and tossed it into a hole like it was a grenade. “Look. I can plant shit in the ground, too.”
“Those clothes cost hundreds of dollars, per item. Just the cheaper ones. There’s no way I’m going to wear a five-hundred-dollar pair of pants to get dirty in.” She gestured at her dress. “This thing can get dirty and be bleached clean. Also, that’s upside down, Remy.”
Wells sat on the other side of Remy and flipped the bulb in the hole. “That dress is special. You should be careful with it.”
“Have you worn any of the clothes we got you? Remy tossed another bulb in a hole and turned to face Memphis head on. “Besides the green dress.”
“I just…I haven’t had a reason to wear anything that nice. I’ve just been hanging out around here.” Memphis flipped the bulb that Remy had just planted and held another one up to show up. “See how this part looks more rounded and perfect? That’s the bottom.”
“If we buy you more affordable clothing, will you put this dress away for special occasions?” I wiped at a streak of dirt across her forehead and smiled, completely forgetting that I’d been annoyed at her for some reason or another before. “Did Pete teach you how to plant things?”
“I would love some inexpensive shorts or leggings. Some oversized T-shirts would be nice, too. I could just wear y’all’s old ones. I’m not picky. I still don’t get your obsession with this dress, though. I got it for two dollars at this store just outside of town back home.” She shrugged. “But, no, Pete didn’t teach me how to plant things. He has given me amazing pointers, though. You’re lucky to have him.”
“Did you say two dollars? That’s impossible.” I refused to believe that a dress so stunning on her would’ve cost so little.
“It’s very possible. I prefer it like that. If I messed up this dress, I wouldn’t feel bad about recycling it into a pillowcase, or something like that. If I messed up one of the dresses y’all bought me, I’d vomit. That’s too much money to gamble with.” She brushed off the conversation like it was a bothersome gnat. “Fancy things were always my parents’ specialty. They’d happily spend thousands of dollars on absolutely nothing, just to have spent it. I refuse to be like that. The cheaper the clothing, the better. I don’t want to be like them. Anyway, get your hands in the dirt. Feel it.”
