Momma wasn’t going to like this. I would handle that. If I had to lie about where I was going I would do that in a second. This was a great opportunity. I didn’t want to miss this. Hale could be my future.
“I would love to,” I told him, trying not to smile too brightly, appearing psychotic and then scaring him away, leaving me, again, in Moulton.
“Tonight? Seven?”
I wasn’t sure how to pull this off. “Yes. Seven sounds good.” I would have all day to scheme, to figure out how to handle momma.
He pulled up to the bakery and parked the car. “I’ll pick you up here? Or at home?”
Good question. If I had to lie to momma, then him coming to my house was potentially disastrous. But if he picked me up here someone could see us and tell her within a minute.
Letting him sit to wait on my response wasn’t helping matters in the least. I needed to make a decision. “My house,” I blurted, reaching into my purse, bringing out a receipt and pen. I had to give him directions. He had a fancy GPS, but my home was on a dirt road and I was sure it wouldn’t assist him. “Here, I wrote my address on the side, but I seriously doubt a GPS can track poverty into a holler. Sorry, I meant a hollow.”
He nodded, chuckled and tucked it in his pocket. “I’ll see you at seven crazy.”
“Okay.” Before I opened the door and got out I knew momma would have to be faced, sooner, rather than later, if she saw me leaving this car. “And you’ll probably have to come inside and talk to momma,” I told him, apologetically hanging my head.
He grinned: “never doubted that. Knew that was coming from the start.”
Chapter Fourteen
I was fortunate enough that momma didn’t see me exiting Hale’s car. This gave me all morning to work and prepare my case for when I asked her about tonight. She wanted us to be married and have the lives we wanted. I just needed her to realize Hale could very well become that. Then again, he may just be another guy with interest, but he could also be more I thought. I needed the chance to find out.
When the door chimed from the last morning customer I knew I had a gap, the after lunch crowd still a ways off and I intended to deal with momma. I needed to talk to her before my sisters heard it. Their opinions on the subject weren’t required¸ though they would require their airing, to any and all that would listen. They were nosy let me tell you.
I straightened my apron, adjusted my hair and made sure my hands were clean. I was preparing to approach my mother and didn’t want my appearance distracting. She liked me to look a certain way for the customers and for myself. Sometimes I forgot to straighten my apron or wash flour from my hands. That annoyed the woman. Before I went back I took a peek at the mirror set into the wall behind me. Deciding I was good I headed to the kitchen where I could smell the banana nut bread baking as she worked on an order. That was a treat she’d make for us every once and awhile. Especially if the bananas over ripened. Momma didn’t believe in throwing away food. She’d find a use every time.
The door swung open then closed. Momma turned her head and glanced at me over her floured shoulder. “Sprinkle those doughnuts with powdered sugar. Go turn on the doughnuts sign.”
Great. Not good timing. “I was going to ask you something.”
“Doughnuts don’t stay hot forever. Get them sold,” she replied.
I didn’t want to anger her so I did as I was told and went back out to the front. I put them on display, turned on the sign, and sure enough within ten minutes five customers came right in. We were down to a dozen when Mayor Harley bought them “for the office.” From the looks of the man I imagined he was hiding in his car with a glass of milk shoving them down his throat. Doughnuts weren’t something momma did often. They brought in people fast, selling out within the hour. The specialty sign we’d put in the glass made the doughnuts vanish quickly. “Okay, let’s try this again.” I turned off the sign after Mr. Harley left and once again prepared myself.
She was stirring her large mixing bowl, but there was nothing coming out of the oven. Again, she glanced at me. “Special order?” she asked.
“No ma’am. It’s quiet after the doughnuts. Mr. Harley just bought the last dozen.”
Momma made a tsk-tsk sound. Shook her head and frowned. “Hope he doesn’t eat them all. The man’s gonna keel over and die if he keeps on eating like he does.”
“Yeah,” I agreed.
“What is it you’re needing of me?” Momma wasn’t one to waste time. She didn’t believe in procrastination and idling was when the devil worked.
“The wealthy man that comes in here…”
“The one that showed up at the dance? Has he been back today?”
I nodded. “Yes ma’am, he has, and I really like him. He’s successful and…”
“…he’s rich and saw your face and just can’t stay away. Thinks he can buy anything he wants and that now includes you.”
This was not going well. “No, it’s not like that. He’s generous and thoughtful and he makes me laugh and he asks questions about me. He rarely talks about himself.”
Momma continued to stir, while her frown did not lift. “He’s asked you out on a date?”
I nodded. “Yes. And I want to go. It’s tonight at seven and I gave him directions to our house so you can meet him. He likes me momma and he’s…not from here in Moulton.”