BooksBarbecue
Back The Newcomer
Chapters (71)
  1. Title Page
  2. Copyright Notice
  3. Dedication
  4. 1
  5. 2
  6. 3
  7. 4
  8. 5
  9. 6
  10. 7
  11. 8
  12. 9
  13. 10
  14. 11
  15. 12
  16. 13
  17. 14
  18. 15
  19. 16
  20. 17
  21. 18
  22. 19
  23. 20
  24. 21
  25. 22
  26. 23
  27. 24
  28. 25
  29. 26
  30. 27
  31. 28
  32. 29
  33. 30
  34. 31
  35. 32
  36. 33
  37. 34
  38. 35
  39. 36
  40. 37
  41. 38
  42. 39
  43. 40
  44. 41
  45. 42
  46. 43
  47. 44
  48. 45
  49. 46
  50. 47
  51. 48
  52. 49
  53. 50
  54. 51
  55. 52
  56. 53
  57. 54
  58. 55
  59. 56
  60. 57
  61. 58
  62. 59
  63. 60
  64. 61
  65. 62
  66. 63
  67. Epilogue
  68. Acknowledgments
  69. Also by Mary Kay Andrews
  70. About the Author
  71. Newsletter Sign-up

“Good. The rest of the stuff goes over to the recreation room. You can start blowing up the inflatable palm trees while I get the sweet-and-sour meatballs going in the Crock-Pot.” She gave her son a meaningful look. “You’re coming tonight, right? Isabelle already has plans, but I’m expecting a big crowd. Maybe fifty people.”

“Do I have to?” Joe tried to look aggrieved.

“Yes. I need you to call numbers, and you can also work security, just in case we have any more dustups over who called bingo first.” Ava reached into one of the shopping bags and pulled out a shirt with an oversize print of green palm fronds and hot-pink hibiscus blossoms. “Here’s your uniform.”

“Gaaaaah,” Joe groaned.

“Try it on,” Ava ordered, thrusting it at him.

“No way.” He let it drop onto the countertop.

“Joseph?”

He knew that tone. It was the same tone Ava used when she guilt-tripped him into following Isabelle’s date’s car in a city police unit when she went to the junior prom.

“Shit,” he muttered, pulling the shirt over his own T-shirt, leaving the front unbuttoned.

“You look ad-ore-able!” Vikki said, getting ready to leave. “Ava, can short-timers play too?”

“Absolutely,” Ava said. “Bring your money and take your chances. A dollar a card, a dollar a drink.”

“Hope you like Hawaiian Punch with lime-sherbet floaters,” Joe warned.

43

Saturday Afternoon/Night

“WHOOPS! LETTY, I ALMOST FORGOT.” Ava reached into another shopping bag and pulled out a grass skirt. She waved it in the air. “Here’s your outfit for tonight.”

“That’s it?” Joe asked, waggling his eyebrows.

She batted at her son with the skirt. “She’s supposed to wear it over her bathing suit.”

“Oh, Ava, I don’t know,” Letty protested. “Can’t I just wear shorts and my Murmuring Surf shirt and a lei?”

“No, no,” Joe said. “You don’t get off that easy. If I go native, you go native.”

“He’s right, for once,” Ava said. “We all get dressed up for Aloha Bingo. It’s everybody’s favorite night. Even the Feldman girls come in costume.” She gave Letty what Joe called her patented Mom stare, then pulled a miniature grass skirt and a toy ukulele from the shopping bag.

“I got this for Maya. Isn’t this the cutest thing you’ve ever seen?”

Letty smacked her forehead. “I forgot Isabelle’s going out tonight. But Ava, I’m not sure about taking Maya to bingo.”

“Nonsense. It’ll be an early night. You know these old geezers. We start at six and play the jackpot game right at nine. You can have her back at your place and in bed by no later than nine fifteen. And tomorrow, you sleep in. Right?”

Joe and Letty exchanged an uneasy look, which Ava didn’t miss.

“What? What’s going on?”

“Tomorrow’s the day Evan Wingfield is flying down. He thinks he’s picking up Maya.”