BooksBarbecue
Back The Newcomer Save as PDF
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

He sipped his coffee but said nothing.

“I’ll still need to see the place. You said Letty quit working for you?”

“Yes.”

“She broke up with you? And quit? Because you hooked up with her little sister?”

He nodded.

“Must have been pretty awkward between the two of them, right?”

“Yeah. You could say that. Letty was so pissed, she wouldn’t even come to the hospital when Maya was born. She totally ghosted her own sister. It was unbelievable.”

“How long did that go on?” Vikki asked. “The feud, I mean.”

“Let’s see. I remember, Letty came to Maya’s third-birthday party. Begrudgingly. By then, things were pretty bad between Tanya and me. I hadn’t moved out yet, but the handwriting was on the wall. She’d supposedly quit drinking, but I went into the kitchen in the middle of the party, and caught her spiking her Fresca with vodka. I blew up at her. I mean, getting wasted at your own kid’s birthday party? Letty heard us fighting, and of course, she took Tanya’s side. That was it for me. I walked.”

Evan had placed his phone on the tabletop. The screen lit up, and he tapped it to dismiss the call. “Okay, I need to get going. You’ve got all you need, right?”

“For now,” she said.

He reached for his billfold.

Zoey and Hailey were standing behind the counter when she saw Table Two getting ready to leave. She nudged Hailey.

“Time to take your smoke break.”

“Now? I just took one a little while ago.”

Zoey gave her a look. “Just go stand outside the window where they’re sitting. Take your phone. When the woman gets up to leave, get a picture of her. And try to be subtle, okay?”

“What’s this for?” Hailey asked, sliding her phone into the pocket of her apron.

“It’s for our girl Letty,” Zoey said. “Hurry up. Go, go, go.”

9

MAYA WAS USING THE BACK of her spoon to mash the banana rounds into her Cheerios, before happily stuffing the cereal into her mouth with her hands.

“Okay, doodlebug, finish that up now,” Letty said, using a paper towel to mop up the spilled milk on the tabletop. “We’ve got to get moving.”

“Where we going, Letty?”

Letty lifted her down from the booster chair. “This morning, you’re going to the office with me, and we’re going to help Miss Ava.”

Maya went to the dresser and picked up her pocketbook and slung it over her shoulder. “Okay. Let’s go.”

“Not quite yet,” Letty said, laughing. “Let me finish getting dressed.”

She examined her reflection in the cloudy dresser mirror and sighed. It had been a tough twenty-four hours, and her face showed the stress.