Spring Fever

“Nope,” A

Pokey looked at Mason thoughtfully. “Will you tell Sophie about her real father?”

“Eventually,” Mason said, reaching for A

“Do you ever hear from Kristy?” Pokey asked.

“No,” Mason said. “We kind of lost touch after her mother died and Kristy moved. The last time I talked to her, about two years ago, she’d gotten remarried. Her new husband is actually her supervisor at the airport, and he knows about Sophie. So I think that’s probably a good thing. She’ll have some stability in her life.”

“And she’s never asked to see Sophie?” Pokey said, shaking her head. “I can’t even imagine that.”

“Me neither,” A

“Kristy knows how to reach me if she wants to,” Mason said.

“Mason,” Pokey said, toying with her straw, “Did you think Mama’s reaction today was, well, odd?”

“She was furious that Dad didn’t leave her any stake in the company. I think it’s understandable that she’d be hurt,” Mason said. “I guess we all assumed he’d leave her controlling interest. Instead, he completely cut her out. I was stu

“I guess,” Pokey said. “Although, when you stop to think about it, Mama was never all that interested in or involved in what went on down at the plant. And we all knew he wanted you and Davis to run the company. I guess I’m having a hard time wrapping my head around all of it.”

“We all are,” A

The waitress brought their food, and Pokey sighed happily as she contemplated her club sandwich and french fries. She dipped a fry in the fluted paper cup of ketchup and nibbled. A

“I wonder,” Pokey said, midbite, “if it really was a big shock to Mama that Daddy fooled around on her.”

“You think she knew?” A

“They were married for forty-five years,” Pokey reminded her. “Sallie was never naive. I can’t decide if she just chose not to notice, or if she knew and chose to look the other way.”

“Don’t guess we’ll ever know for sure,” Mason said.

50

A

“A

“Mason tells me you have happy news,” Voncile said, her voice low. “Praise the Lord!”

“Thank you, Voncile,” A

“He was gri

A

Voncile sighed and shook her head. “That Celia sure had me fooled. I thought she was just about the nicest, sweetest girl Mason had ever dated—except for you, of course.”

“She fooled a lot of people,” A

“She took a nice check with her when she left, too,” Voncile said indignantly. “Some people have no shame.”

“Maybe so,” A

“Say, Voncile,” A

“Why do you ask?”

“Something came up today,” A

“Oh, yes,” Voncile said. “You know he had a spell here in the office, a few months before he passed. It about scared me half to death.”

“Really?” A

She had to think. “I know it was summertime. One afternoon, he’d had a big steak lunch, probably at his Rotary meeting. He came back here, and his face was so pale; he looked awful. He swore he felt fine, but I knew he didn’t. I got him a glass of water and some antacids, but it didn’t seem to do much good. I’ll tell you, A

“Was it a heart attack?” A

“I don’t think so. But you know how Mr. Gle

“Mason is the same way,” A

“Sure,” Voncile said. “You know, I made Mr. Gle

“For his heart condition?” A

“And his high blood pressure,” Voncile said. “We had the same prescription.”

Voncile folded and unfolded a paper napkin. “A

“I’d prefer you to hear it from Mason,” A

Voncile’s face fell.

“All right,” A

Voncile raised an eyebrow. “You’re saying Sophie is Mr. Gle

A

“As her legal guardian, Mason will control Sophie’s share of the business until she comes of age when she’s twenty-one,” A

Voncile processed that for a moment, then nodded her head slowly in understanding. “So, if Pokey and Mason, and Sophie, don’t want to sell off the company, they outvote Davis, is that right?”

“Essentially,” A

“Praise the Lord!” Voncile said, raising her eyes heavenward. “My stomach has just been in knots all this week, thinking about what might happen to all of us if we got sold.”