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“We’ll see if they’re worthy.” I mean that. “But most card games are more fun with more people. That jigsaw puzzle would be getting put together faster. There would be new stories to hear. And the gossip would be juicier with more people telling it.”
She squeezes my hand,grinning. “In that case, Mandy’s going to have to start baking more cinnamon rolls.”
I pull into a spot right along the curb. We walk toward the front doors of the coffee shop, holding hands.
“Who knows?” I say. “Maybe one of these other guys’ wives is an incredible baker, too. Or one of these guys could bake. Maybe we can expand the menu.”
She nods. “Charles has been asking for something with lemon or raspberry.”
I laugh. “I’ll see what I can do.”
I reach for the door to the coffee shop, but it swings out before I can pull it open, and a tall man in his late fifties with salt and pepper hair steps out. He’s in a navy suit despite the casual atmosphere of the coffee shop. And really, all of downtown Emerald.
He draws up short, clearly startled. But not just startled in general. He’s clearly specifically surprised to see Ruby.
I feel rather than hear her sigh.
“Hi, Dad,” she says flatly.
His brows slam together. “Don’t call me that.”
“Believe me, it’s a lot nicer than the things I call you in my head,” she tells him, her tone almost bored sounding.
“What are you doing here?” he asks her as if this is his front porch and not a public establishment.
I move in closer to her and open my mouth, but Ruby says, “Oh, you know, just spreading my bastard, heathen aura around town. As always.” Then she yanks harder on the door, opening it wider and stepping forward, clearly intending to walk into the shop.
He steps out of her way as if worried she might accidentally touch him.
“You think you’re cute, but you reap what you sow,” he tells her. “Your attitude and disregard for decency will be your downfall.”
Ruby actually laughs at that, and I can tell she’s sincerely amused. “Well, geez, if I have a disregard for decency, it looks like Ididinherit something from you after all.”
He glares at her. She lifts her middle finger to him.
I cough.
I’ve never seen Ruby interact with her father. I’ve also never seen someone flip off a pastor to their face.
She turns and walks the rest of the way into the coffee shop.
His eyes come to mine finally. He opens his mouth, but I say, in my most menacing voice, “You have nothing to say to me that I want to hear. And it really is in your best interest to remain silent. In fact, I would warn you to make what you just said the last thing youeversay to Ruby.”
I step past him, dismissing him completely.
If I thought for a moment Ruby was actually upset about their encounter, I would have had more words for him. As it is, it’s me who needs to make this man miserable, not Ruby. She’s clearly over him and fine.
I’m not.
I want that man to suffer.
I pull my phone from my pocket and type out a quick text to Iris.
Remember when I asked you to look into Ruby and Scarlett’s father for illegal activity? I need a status update.
I had started looking into him when Ruby found out he was behind influencing Emerald’s mayor to turn down a large state grant that would have provided resources for single parents in town. The same grant had been awarded to several communities in the state, including the neighboring town of Melton.
It is no secret to anyone in Emerald that the good pastor thinks single parents—single moms in particular—should have to support their families alone, even if it’s a struggle, as part of their penance for having sex and children outside of marriage. He doesn’t want programs to help them, proclaiming public support systems encourage their immoral behavior because then there are no negative consequences to their actions.