Bring Your Own Poison Read Free Page A

it’s so ridiculous.”
    â€œNo, it isn’t,” Mayrene said. “I know how you feel. You can’t turn your back on your responsibilities to your family just to make things easier for you and Jack. You wouldn’t be you if you did that.” She patted Wanda Nell’s shoulder.
    â€œThanks,” Wanda Nell said. “But it’s getting real frustrating, I can tell you.”
    â€œYou don’t have to tell me,” Mayrene said, her laugh booming out, startling Wanda Nell. “I know how I get when I’m in a dry spell, if you know what I mean.”
    Wanda Nell couldn’t help but grin at that, even though inside she wanted to yell. Her dry spell had pretty much lasted since she divorced Bobby Ray nearly twelve years ago.
    â€œWhat we got to do is figure out a way for you and Jack to spend more time together,” Mayrene said. “You need more time to yourselves without family hanging around.”
    â€œYeah, but how?” Wanda Nell asked. “Which job should I give up? And who would be here with the girls? Mostly Juliet, these days, and even though she’s fifteen, I just don’t like her being here by herself.”
    â€œNo, I know,” Mayrene said. “You know you can always call on me.”
    â€œYeah,” Wanda Nell said, “and I thank you for that, but you have your own life. You can’t always be running over here helping me out all the time.”
    â€œIt’ll work out, somehow,” Mayrene said. “But I better stop all this jabbering, and let you get some rest. What time do you have to be at the Kountry Kitchen?”
    â€œNot till five,” Wanda Nell said, glancing at the clock. “That gives me time for about a four-hour nap, and I’m sure going to need it tonight.”
    Mayrene got up from the couch. “What’s so special about tonight?”
    â€œOh, we’ve got this bachelor party,” Wanda Nell said, frowning in distaste. “They reserved the back room from seven o’clock until. You know how those things are. Grown men acting like idiots.”
    â€œYeah,” Mayrene said. “You reckon they’re going to have one of those big cakes, with some woman hopping out of it?” She had an odd look on her face.
    Wanda Nell laughed. “Who knows? They’re sure spending a lot of money on this.”
    â€œDixon told me he’s got something to do tonight,” Mayrene said slowly, “something that he couldn’t take me to, he said. Just some of the guys. He sure didn’t tell me it was a bachelor party. I figured they’d be playing poker or something.”
    â€œThat doesn’t mean he’s going to be at this party,” Wanda Nell pointed out.
    â€œYeah,” Mayrene said, her face darkening, “but what you want to bet that’s exactly where he will be? Who’s this party for?”
    As Mayrene asked that question, Wanda Nell realized that Mayrene’s new boyfriend probably would be there. “It’s for some guy named Travis Blakeley. He’s getting married next week, to this girl T.J. knew in high school. He’s a policeman, too.”
    â€œTravis Blakeley,” Mayrene said, her voice suddenly harsh. “I wouldn’t let any child of mine anywhere near him. Who’d be crazy enough to marry him?”
    â€œWhat on earth are you talking about?” Wanda Nell asked. She didn’t know Travis Blakeley from Adam, but Mayrene seemed to. Whatever she knew, it obviously wasn’t too good.
    â€œHe’s been married twice already,” Mayrene said, her face set in grim lines. “Both his wives died within a year or two of getting married in so-called accidents . Would you want one of your girls to marry a man like that?”

Two
    Wanda Nell shivered. Something like that happening to one of her daughters didn’t bear thinking about.
    â€œNo, I don’t know much about him,” she said.