“Just maimed?”
“No, of course not.” Minnie fumed as she pulled up another weed, grasping it in a chokehold the way she was envisioning wringing Matt Madigan’s neck. “I just hate being surprised, that’s all. And I embarrassed myself, too.”
“Embarrassed yourself? When?”
“I don’t know. A couple of times.”
“What did you say when he brought the dishes over?”
“Too much.” Minnie tossed a handful of weeds into her wheelbarrow. “Wanda, I know you love Matt like he was your own, but you have to try and see things from my point of view.”
“Oh, I think I can see your side, plain as day. But I can see Matthew’s, too.” As if weighing her conscience, she slowly said, “Matthew never could abide conflict or confrontations. He doesn’t trust easily, Minnie. I don’t know if he ever has.”
This was news to Minnie. “Because of his dad?”
“Because of a lot of things. Matt is a pleaser on the outside. He does what people expect, says what they want to hear. It’s charming. But unfortunately, it makes all those feelings and emotions inside of him get all bottled up. He hasn’t been able to count on too much, you know. His mama died when he was nine, and, well, his daddy had never been the type to listen to complaints or secrets.”
Minnie picked up her spade. “Can you keep a secret?”
“Of course.”
“Years ago, I had such a crush on Matt.”
“Oh, honey. I already knew that.” Under the brim of her straw hat, Wanda grinned broadly. “Everyone knew that.”
Well, that was mortifying. Minnie pushed at the ground with her spade to cover up her embarrassment. “Oh.”
Wanda chuckled. “Don’t worry, Minnie. You weren’t the only girl who was sad to see Matt leave town. And I don’t think you’re the only one who has entertained a thought or two about Matt Madigan over the years.”
Watching a bumblebee zip around her geraniums, Minnie added, “Maybe I’m just thinking about what could have been.” She looked Wanda’s way. “I guess you remember about Matt dating Paige?”
“I do. I remember she failed him, too.” She shook her head sorrowfully. “Oh, Paige. What a mess that girl was!”
“Paige was so mean to him.”
“She broke his heart.” Incredibly, Wanda was probably the only person Minnie could trust to be objective when it came to her older sister. Paige had been born thinking that she knew everything, and the sad part of it was that most people thought she was right. Minnie sometimes felt that she was the only person to see that Paige had a healthy case of impulsiveness and arrogance that got her into trouble.
Minnie looked down the street, thinking of Matt, thinking of Kimber. “It’s not just broken dreams I’m anxious about, Wanda. I’m worried about everything. I’m worried about Kimber. I’m worried about SavNGo coming in and taking away my only means to support her.”
“You have every right to be troubled, dear. Those are all justified fears.”
Minnie brushed off her hands. That was why she liked her neighbor so much. Wanda Wyzecki never tried to shrug off Minnie’s concerns or sugarcoat bad news. From the day Minnie had met her, Wanda had always been the kind of woman to call a spade a spade.
“Have I told you lately how glad I am that you live across the street?”
“No.” But the lady’s lips twitched. “But I love you, too, Minnie. Don’t worry so, okay?”
Minnie glanced at the new pile of weeds next to her knees, their leaves and stems already shriveling up in the hot afternoon sun. “What should I do about Matt?”
“Whatever you think best, I suppose.”
“I’m going to have a real hard time looking at him every day if his SavNGo puts me out of business.”
“Some might say you would have every right to feel that way.”
“But not you?”
“I’ve been around long enough to know that feeling bitter doesn’t help a person sleep at night. Just like I know that work isn’t the only thing that matters.”
“The only people who say that are the ones whose jobs are going real well.”
Wanda stood up. Minnie noticed that her crisp white capris were still, well, crisp and white, and her red T-shirt looked straight out of the dry cleaners. She, on the other hand, had a coat of dirt all over her.
“I best get going,” Wanda announced. “Matthew said he’d help me organize Jim’s golf things this afternoon.” Looking fondly at Matt’s truck, Wanda smiled. “I tell you what, though, no matter how you must feel about that man, one thing just can’t be denied. He sure is handsome.”
Saying Matt was handsome was like saying the sky was blue. Neither did the reality justice.
As Wanda walked back home, Minnie scooped up the last of the weeds and tossed them and her spade into the wheelbarrow. After pulling off her gloves, she walked to her front porch. The shade was a blessed relief. She sat down on one of the wicker rocking chairs and tried to look everywhere besides Matt’s shiny black pickup truck across the street.
It was sure hard to realize that heroes were made of flesh and doubts.
“NEVER THOUGHT I’D SEE the day when this field would be made into a parking lot,” Lane Henderson said as they watched yet another dump truck roar out onto the street. For the past five hours, earthmovers had cleared out shrubs, grass and rubbish while Bobcats had followed, smoothing over what used to be the Crocker Ranch. “If all goes well, you’ll be opening right on schedule, in eight months’ time.”
In less than a year, Crescent View would be making progress. Providing jobs. Giving people like Lane a good bit of money that was sorely needed in the current economy. “Yep. Everything’s moving along like clockwork,” Matt said.
“The town council couldn’t be more pleased. Some are even talking about moving the Chicken and Bread festival to next March.”
The Chicken and Bread festival was the town’s biggest event. Years ago, Crescent View’s founding fathers had decided to capitalize on the three things their sleepy town had going for it: area poultry farms, wheat fields, and the beautiful countryside covered with bluebonnets and Indian paintbrush, a byproduct of Lady Bird Johnson’s efforts to beautify the nation’s highways and byways. Consequently, Crescent View hosted thousands of people in the summer, people ready to enjoy the beauty of wildflowers and fried chicken. “Think so?”
“Maybe. Lots of tourists come in for the festival. We’ll be pleased as punch to show off our new SavNGo while we’re at it.”
Matt felt a hearty surge of satisfaction. He could hardly count the number of times he’d sat in his Ford pickup and watched a ground-breaking. Usually he oversaw one or two construction sites and did his best to meet with the town councils and local construction crews at the same time. He’d also become adept at putting the best possible spin on the incoming store.
Here in Crescent View, he hadn’t had to do any fast talking at all. He genuinely believed that SavNGo was going to help boost the town’s economy, and he’d do everything he possibly could to ensure that the vision became a reality.
What people didn’t know was he’d done a lot of fast talking to even get SavNGo in the county at all. Not everyone in the company had thought Crescent View had a future.
Lane rolled back on the heels of his work boots. “Things are going to be a lot different round here soon.”
That