Chapters (97)
- Cover
- Back Cover Text
- Praise
- Booklist
- Dedication
- Epigraph
- One
- Two
- Three
- Four
- Five
- Six
- Seven
- Eight
- Nine
- Ten
- Eleven
- Twelve
- Thirteen
- Fourteen
- Fifteen
- Sixteen
- Seventeen
- Eighteen
- Nineteen
- Twenty
- Twenty-One
- Twenty-Two
- Twenty-Three
- Twenty-Four
- Twenty-Five
- Twenty-Six
- Twenty-Seven
- Twenty-Eight
- Twenty-Nine
- Thirty
- Thirty-One
- Thirty-Two
- Thirty-Three
- Thirty-Four
- Thirty-Five
- Thirty-Six
- Thirty-Seven
- Thirty-Eight
- Thirty-Nine
- Forty
- Forty-One
- Forty-Two
- Forty-Three
- Forty-Four
- Forty-Five
- Forty-Six
- Forty-Seven
- Forty-Eight
- Forty-Nine
- Fifty
- Fifty-One
- Fifty-Two
- Fifty-Three
- Fifty-Four
- Fifty-Five
- Fifty-Six
- Fifty-Seven
- Fifty-Eight
- Fifty-Nine
- Sixty
- Sixty-One
- Sixty-Two
- Sixty-Three
- Sixty-Four
- Sixty-Five
- Sixty-Six
- Sixty-Seven
- Sixty-Eight
- Sixty-Nine
- Seventy
- Seventy-One
- Seventy-Two
- Seventy-Three
- Seventy-Four
- Seventy-Five
- Seventy-Six
- Seventy-Seven
- Seventy-Eight
- Seventy-Nine
- Eighty
- Eighty-One
- Eighty-Two
- Eighty-Three
- Eighty-Four
- Eighty-Five
- Eighty-Six
- Eighty-Seven
- Eighty-Eight
- Eighty-Nine
- Acknowledgments & A Personal Note
- Excerpt
The incident also brought on the host and a well-dressed unsmiling woman, no doubt a manager. Both of them hovered over Janie’s mom, still on her knees cleaning up, as she wiped her face with the back of her hand. She lifted her head, tears in her eyes as they locked onto her daughter and her friends, looking down on her.
Janie avoided going home until around eleven that night when she was dropped off from babysitting at the Landers.
Janie and her mother lived in a rented duplex that was not far from the railyards and the slaughterhouse. On hot days the stench was terrible, like the smell of defeat.
Her mother was waiting in the kitchen, bills fanned over the table next to a glass with ice and a bottle that she was deep into. Her hair was mussed, her face puffy, eyes bloodshot. Janie knew the look and steeled herself.
“Do you know who that man was today?” Her mother poured a drink. “The guy I dumped my tray on?”
Janie shook her head.
“Royston J. Tullock. He owns the Prairie Winds Farm Equipment Center, a big deal in his church, donates barrels of money, one of the richest people around. Oh, and he’s on the board of the Eternity Country Club.” Janie’s mom raised her glass in salute. “Know what happens when your daughter and her friends sneak into the club and you dump food on Royston J. Tullock?”
Janie shook her head.
“You get fired.”
Janie’s hands flew to her face.
“Here’s my day,” her mother said. “I overslept and was late for work, then you show up with that slut Nikki and that idiot Marie, then I dump food on Tullock and, ta-da, I’m out of a job.”
Janie’s voice squeaked as she managed: “I’m sorry.”
“It was a good paying job and this year they were going to keep the restaurant open in the winter, but now—” she snatched a fistful of bills “—how am I going to pay these? Credit cards, rent, phone, electricity, groceries? How? With your babysitting money?”
Her mother slammed the table.
“I’m sorry,” Janie said again.
“Sorry doesn’t put food on the table! I told you never to go there! But you never listen to me. Why?”
Janie was silent.
“You won’t listen to me but you listen to that slut Nikki!”
“Don’t call her that. You of all people shouldn’t call her that.”
Her mother’s chair scraped and fell as she rose from the table and slapped Janie’s face.
“Don’t you ever talk like that to me!” Nostrils flaring, eyes brimming, her mother glared at her. “I can’t stand looking at you. Get out of my sight!”
Her face stinging, Janie ran to her bedroom, slammed her door, locked it, then climbed out of her window.