Page 141 of The Homewreckers
Hattie stood in the middle of the room, her arms folded acrossher bare breasts. “This was a mistake. Tug always tells me, ‘Hattie, don’t get your honey where you get your money,’ or ‘Don’t ever dip your pen in the company ink.’ And you know what? He was right.”
“Hattie,” Mo said, his voice pleading. “I’m sorry. I never meant to hurt you. It was a stupid mistake. Please believe me.” He reached for her hand, but she brushed it away.
“You should go,” Hattie said, pointing to the door.
64The Succession Plan
Tug called Hattie first thing the next morning, as she was getting in the truck.
“How are you, sweetheart?” he asked.
“I’m… hollowed out. I take it you sawHeadline Hollywoodlast night?”
“I don’t watch that trash, but other people did. Where are you now?”
“I’m just getting ready to leave for work.”
“Stay right there. Start the coffee. Nancy made sausage and biscuits.”
“Dad, no. I need to get to the house. We’re so far behind as it is.…”
“Cass can handle it. You stay where you are and have my coffee ready.”
Twenty minutes later her father-in-law walked in the front door with a foil-wrapped package that smelled of hot biscuits and sage-spiked sausage.
“Come here,” he said, opening his stubby arms and enveloping her in a hug. She was half a head taller than the old man, but somehow his bearlike strength made her feel safe and childlike again.
He released her without a word, and she poured him a mug of coffee with two teaspoons of sugar and a huge dollop of cream, and they sat down at the kitchen table.
Hattie opened the packet and bit into one of Nancy’s biscuits, dabbing at the honey that dripped from the corner of her lips.
“Have you heard from your old man?”
His question startled her.
“He called. Twice. Mainly he’s mad that the story referred to Amber as his mistress.”
Tug chuckled and sipped his coffee. “Did you call him back?”
“No. I think he just wanted to vent. He doesn’t exactly have a lot of friends.”
“What a terrible thing that woman did, dredging up something from your past that you had no control over.”
“Yeah, well, it’s out in the world now. Again.”
“That’s what I wanted to talk to you about this morning. I don’t want this crap to derail you or make you ashamed. You’ve done nothing wrong. In fact, you’ve done everything right.”
“No,” Hattie said, shaking her head vehemently. “The house, the stupid show, Trae Bartholomew? It was all a mistake. You tried to warn me, but I wouldn’t listen.”
“You were right not to listen to me. I’ve been too hard on you. Listen, the Chatham Avenue house, what you and Cass and our subs have accomplished over there, it’s nothing short of a miracle. I was dead set against taking it on, but I was wrong. You don’t grow and learn by doing what you’ve always done in the past. Sometimes, you’ve gotta take a leap of faith, like you did signing on to thisHomewreckersoutfit.”
Hattie nibbled at the edge of her biscuit. “That’s sweet, Tug.”
“Dammit, don’t you call me sweet,” he insisted. “The only shame in making mistakes is if you don’t acknowledge them and learn from ’em. You taught me that, Hattie. I’m proud of you.”
“Me?”
He reached for a biscuit and took a bite, chewing slowly while crumbs cascaded down the front of his worn bib overalls. “I’m just a hardheaded old man, and I know that. Maybe it’s time for me to retire and hand the business over to you and Cass.”
