Page 14 of Just a Number (Magnolia Row #2)

“Oh, look at this!” Pauline says, picking up a silver tray etched with swans. “I need this. Did you already buy it, Barb?”

“No, it’s all yours.”

She tucks it under her arm. “Got any jewelry?” she asks Julian.

“You can find out tomorrow when the sale opens to the public.”

“Tsk. I don’t want people touching my things with their grubby little hands.”

“They aren’t your things, Pauline,” says Julian.

“There’s jewelry upstairs in the bedroom,” Ms. Barbara says. Julian shoots her a look. She winks at him as Pauline makes her way upstairs.

“Barbara, what are you trying to do to me?” Julian asks once the woman disappears. “She’s gonna walk out with half the stuff and not pay me a dime.”

“Oh, she’s just airing out her crazy.”

Julian shakes his head and follows Pauline up the stairs.

“Who is that?” I ask once they’re out of earshot.

“A lunatic,” says Micah.

“Pauline and I went to high school together,” explains Ms. Barbara. “She came from money, married more money, and has never had anything but time on her hands. It’s made her a little eccentric.”

“She digs up city flowerbeds for fun, and she once chased Patsy’s mama down the road with an ax.”

I feel my eyes bug out of my head. “I’m sorry. What?”

“Yeah, their cat was pooping in her yard. First, she tried to catch the cat and decapitate it, but when Patsy’s mama came outside, she went after her instead.”

“Did she go to jail?”

“No. The police told her they can’t do anything about Pauline Cavendish.”

I stand there, astonished. I guess even the most charming town has a vein of insanity.

“She always shows up at these estate sales and tries to steal stuff.”

“Wow. That’s…uh…wow.” I’m not really sure what to say.

“She could afford the whole lot,” says Ms. Barbara, “but I think she loves giving Julian a hard time. She has nothing else to do.”

They finally come back downstairs with a handful of necklaces, the silver tray still tucked under her arm.

“I’ll send a check to your office,” she tells Julian.

“Okay, Pauline. Be safe getting home.”

He tries to lead her to the front door, but she pauses and looks at Micah.

“You’re mighty tall,” she says, as if surprised. Micah says nothing, but rolls her eyes. “Your mama ever get herself straightened out?”

Micah shoots a look to her grandmother, who shakes her head and shows Pauline out the door.

“Is she gonna pay you for that stuff?” Micah asks Julian after her grandmother and Pauline are on the porch.

“Sometimes she does, sometimes she doesn’t. I’m only glad she left. Mercy, that woman has a devil in her.”

I stand there in astonishment and catch Micah staring at me with a grin on her face.

“Welcome to south Alabama,” she says.

* * *

W e drive home mostly in silence, and I’m trying to figure out how I’m going to ask Micah on a date tonight.

When we’re inside the city limits, she finally speaks.

“Did you see that Pauline took the necklace I wanted?” she asks her grandmother.

“I did,” she says. “But jewelry wasn’t on our list.”

“I know, but I wanted it for me.”

“What was it?” I ask.

“Oh, it was beautiful. An art deco piece with emeralds. Looked like something straight out of The Great Gatsby.”

“It was pretty,” says Ms. Barbara. “And expensive.”

“She’ll probably throw it in a drawer and never look at it again.”

“Well, one day she’ll die and we’ll be at her estate sale,” Ms. Barbara says. Her tone is so casual it’s humorous. “You’ll get a second shot at it.”

“Evil never dies,” says Micah.

“Does she have kids?” I ask.

“No,” says Ms. Barbara.

“Proof there is a God,” chimes in Micah. “She would’ve been a horrid mother.”

I remember the comment Pauline made about Micah’s own mother, but keep my curiosity to myself.

We pull into the hotel, and Micah parks by my car.

“Rhodes, are you staying another night?” she asks.

“Yes, I am.”

“Well, if you don’t have dinner plans, Micah can take you?—"

“Nana, I have plans,” she says. I pause midway while opening the car door. I guess that takes care of my asking-Micah-out dilemma.

“Oh! What are you doing?” I ask, dreading the answer. She probably has dates lined up for the next few months.

“I’m going to Montgomery.”

Ms. Barbara says nothing, only shakes her head.

“Well, another time. Rhodes, you know, I don’t have your card. Can you give it to me so we can be in touch about the fountain?”

“Yes, ma’am,” I say, reaching into my wallet and retrieving one for her. She’s in the front seat so I can’t see what she’s doing.

“Here,” she says, handing me an old receipt with a phone number on the back. “That’s Micah’s number. If you need anything, call her. She’s better at these gadgets than I am.” She waves her phone around like it’s a toy, then gives me a wink.

Thank God for Ms. Barbara.

Though now I’m wondering what Micah has going on tonight. My gut tells me she has a date, and my heart sinks. I’m probably competing with ten other guys.

“It was a wonderful day,” I say. “Thank you so much for letting me tag along.”

They each say goodbye, and the thick evening air greets me as soon as I exit the car. I’m halfway to the hotel door when I hear Micah’s voice call me from behind. I turn, and she’s trotting towards me, her red hair bouncing over her shoulders.

“I’m sorry if Nana made that awkward.”

“No, don’t apologize. I should’ve gotten your number weeks ago when we had lunch. I clearly needed a little help.” I chuckle, a bit embarrassed. “I was planning to ask you to dinner anyway, but since you have plans...”

Her face drops. “I’m sorry. It’s something I can’t get out of. Next time you’re here, though, I’d love to go to dinner with you.”

Relief floods my body, and I already can’t wait to come back.

“You have my number now, so stay in touch,” she says.

“I absolutely will,” I say. She gives me a hug, and when I wrap my arms around her, I don’t want to let go. She’s tall enough I don’t have to bend over, and she smells like lavender and vanilla. I want to kiss her, but I know her grandmother is watching from the car.

She lets go, and I watch her walk away. I wave as their car leaves the parking lot, then go back to the emptiness of my hotel room.