Wedding Bell Blues - [20]

“I know what you’re thinking, Lily,” Big Ben said, as they got into Lily’s new ship of a car.

“Really?” She didn’t mean to sound snippy, but she still did.

“Uh-huh,” Big Ben said, “you’re thinking you and Benny Jack woulda fared better if you’d stayedin Atlanta and hired you some hot-shot lawyer.”

“Well,” Lily admitted, “when I look at Buzz Dobson, hot shot isn’t exactly a phrase that pops tomind.”

Big Ben laughed. “Well, I reckon not. The ole boy can’t even hit his mouth with his fork abouthalf the time. But I’ll tell you this, Lily. He’s a fine feller, and he means well.”

Lily pulled out of the parking space and aimed her new tank in the direction of the ConfederateSock Mill. “I’ll try to bear that in mind when I lose custody of my daughter.”

To her surprise, Big Ben laughed. “She just don’t get it, does she, Benny Jack?”

Ben joined his father laughing. “She’s a city girl, Daddy. She’s not used to how things work inFaulkner County.”

“You see, Lily,” Big Ben intoned, “it don’t matter that Buzz Dobson barely graduated from afourth-rate law school. We could hire a damn chimpanzee for a lawyer, and we’d still win. We’reMcGillys, Lily. Me, Benny Jack, you and Mimi, we’re all part of the most powerful family in FaulknerCounty. And besides, me and Judge Sanders play golf together every Wednesday, and half the time I lethim win. His son-in-law got himself in a spot of trouble a few years back, and I helped him out of it.

People in this county don’t forget names nor favors, Lily. There’s no way ole Jake Sanders would goagainst a McGilly.”

Lily pulled into the sock mill’s gravel parking lot. “I hope you’re right.”

Big Ben grinned. “Honey, in Faulkner County, I’m always right. I’m a McGilly.”

When Ben and Lily walked into the sock mill’s office, the clerical workers were abuzz, whispering

“here they come” and “won’t they be surprised.” One of them went to the restroom door and hollered,

“Jeanie! They’re here!”

“Just a second,” Jeanie called from behind the closed door. “We’ll be right out.”

“What’s going on?” Lily asked one of the office workers.

She smiled. “Let’s just say that somebody’s mamaw took her shopping.”

Jeanie opened the door, cooing, “Come on, let’s show Mama and Daddy.”

Mimi stood in the bathroom doorway, steadying herself against the door facing. She was wearing acake-frosting-pink dress, the skirt of which was so tiered with stiff, lacy ruffles that the little girl wasunable to lay her arms flat at her sides. Instead, she stood with her arms sticking out, like Mr. PotatoHead. Her tiny feet were encased in stiff white patent-leather Mary Janes, and a lacy headband with apink bow clued in anyone who might not yet have picked up on the fact that this was indeed a femalechild.

“So, what do you think?” Jeanie asked, beaming.

Lily started laughing — a more socially acceptable reaction than crying, which had been her otherimpulse. “She’s...she’s...a sight.” Mimi looked mad as hell, just like Charlotte used to look when she hadto wear a dress and high heels.

“Good god, Mother, how much did you pay for all that crap?” Ben asked.

“Now, Benny Jack, don’t you say a word. A mamaw’s got to splurge on her only granddaughter alittle bit. We just went over to the Little Princess shop in Callahan, and then after that we stopped atMcDonald’s for a Happy Meal.” Jeanie scooped Mimi up in her arms. “And Lord, you shoulda seen thisgirl put away them Chicken McNuggets!”

“She’s...she’s never eaten meat before.” Lily had pledged to raise Mimi a vegetarian, at least untilshe got old enough to make her own dietary decisions.

“Well, I’ll tell you what,” Jeanie said. “She eat them Chicken McNuggets like she was going to thechair.”

It was so easy, Lily thought, to plan how you would raise your child — to say with absolutecertainty the things you would and would not do. But once the child got exposed to outside influences, allthose plans were shot to hell. “Well ... Mimi, I guess we’d better get you home for your nap. You’ve hadquite a day.” She picked her daughter up. Her new dress must have added five pounds to her weight. Ormaybe it was the Chicken McNuggets. “Thank you, Jeanie, for taking her shopping and ... taking care ofher.”

As they walked out of the building, Ben said, “You look like you’ve been poleaxed.”

“I’m just overwhelmed. The house, the car ...” When she set Mimi in her car seat, Mimi’s lacypetticoat flew up high enough to obscure her little face. “And Mimi ... god ... leave her with your motherfor two hours and...”

“She becomes a meat-eating femme fatale?”

Lily’s laugh gave way to an uneasy sigh. She leaned against the car. “Maybe having theMaycombs over for dinner will work things out. I just want this whole custody thing taken care of as soonas possible. It’s scary how fast stuff can change your life, y’know?” She wiped away a stray tear, missingCharlotte.

“I know.” Ben gave her a little pat before he headed to his car. “I’ll see you back at the house,okay?”

“Okay.”

Lily slid into the driver’s seat. “So Mimi-saurus,” she said, “how ’bout we go back to the house