Thinking that she should buy Jody a pregnancy test, she almost stopped at Walmart but decided against it. Maybe Jody wouldn’t even need it. After all, she and Lyle had had sex only once in the past month. That sorry bastard Lyle should be shot.

Chapter Ten

Chapter Ten

With trembling hands, Jody pulled the pregnancy test out of its box. She’d bought one of the most expensive—one that promised a true reading as early as two weeks after conception. Tomorrow was the actual day for her period and she was usually regular, but she’d been under a lot of stress. Following the directions to the letter, she did what it said and then laid the stick on the counter.

Her chest tightened, making it hard to breathe. She watched the time tick away on her phone. She couldn’t look at the results. If she was pregnant, she’d rather let everyone believe that she really was having an affair like Lyle had said. The shame would be on her, and her baby wouldn’t have to grow up in the shadow of Kennedy’s.

Finally, she inhaled and looked at the test. Exhaling loudly, she looked up at the ceiling. “Thank you, God.”

When she returned to the sewing room, she found Mitzi putting the last touches on Ellie Mae’s hat. “I just took a pregnancy test,” Jody whispered. “It was negative.”

Mitzi laid the hat aside. “Don’t you have to wait ten days after a missed period?”

“I got one of those fast ones. It’s been close to a month since Lyle and I had sex, so I figured it would show, and it’s negative.”

“How do you feel about that? Are you a little disappointed?”

“Not one bit.” Jody shook her head. “The way Lyle’s gone all paternal, he would insist on visitation rights. Can you see little miss Kennedy having to care for two babies? Who do you think would get the better care? And as they got older, who would be shoved into the shadows?”

“I think I understand Paula not wanting to share with Clinton a little better. Her baby would be the same as what you said,” Mitzi said.

“Besides”—Jody shivered—“I’d hate to tell my mama. Gladys is going to throw one big hissy fit.”

“That’s why we’re going with Paula. Growing up, I had no idea that y’all’s mamas treated you the way they did. I didn’t even think about the fact that we always spent time at my house and never at one of y’all’s.” Mitzi’s eyes rolled up toward the twelve-foot ceiling. “You ever wonder what kind of stories the walls of a house would tell if they could talk?”