and her t wo y ou n g children, K yra and J oe y , were h a v i n g a t ough time ma k i n g ends mee t , hence the ass i s t ance from the coun t y .
Th i s morni n g the s t ore w as bu s y . M u r p h y w a t ched Lilly make her w a y t o the other open checkout and then ne r vously e y e the s canner as it ra n g up her me a ger groce r i e s, a gene r ic ca r t on of d i ape r s, a g a llon of mil k , peanut but t e r , and a d a y-old loaf of bread. W hen the clerk g a ve her the amoun t , Lilly pulled a t on of lo os e cha n ge from her r a gged pu r s e, barely comi n g up w ith the t welve dol l a r s and fif t y- s i x cents t o cover the bill.
Af t er p a y i n g , she led the k ids out the front door t o a beat-up old F ord.
W at chi n g them g o , M u r p h y made a men t al no t e t o ask C ar l a if Lilly had enough money comi n g in each month t o cover her bil l s. I t w as barely the middle of F eb r ua r y . B ut w ith rent due on the f i r s t , the y ou n g m o ther might not h a ve enoug h lef t over t o buy food.
A s he t urned t o r i n g up another cus t ome r , he spo tt ed J or d an s t andi n g in the produce s e c tion. H i s thoughts t urned t o her si t uation, a dif f erent k ind of har d ship entirel y , but still a har d shi p , h e de c ided . T h a t ha d hi m wonde r i n g ho w thi n gs were g o i n g be t ween her and N ick H ar r i s. H e could n ’t help but think who e ver said life w as dull in a small t own ob v iously had never lived in on e . T urni n g h i s at t ention back t o r unni n g re gi s t er number one, he be g an s canni n g M y r tle P ettibon e ’ s t wen t y cans of cat food.
A s J or d an w a l k ed up and down the na r row a i sl e s she had t o keep a sha r p e y e on H ut t on, who eve r y now and ag ain t r ied t o l at ch on t o a n y thi n g w ithin her sho r t reach. The f r uit w as n ’t safe as she t r ied t o lean over and ca p t ure a b r ight red t o ma t o . W h e n sh e cam e u p em p t y , H u t t o n t r ie d ag ain , th is time s carcely m iss i n g her oppo r t uni t y t o gr a b an ora n g e . J or d an barely caught her d augh t e r ’ s a r m in time t o prevent the neatly s t acked apple pyramid from comple t ely col l a p si n g in t o a m es s on the f l oo r . A v o i di n g th e m i sha p , J or d an did n ’t s ee S is s y C arr ba r rel straight for he r . I f she had, she would h a ve t r ied t o duck behind the greeti n g card d i sp l a y .
B ut s ince she had n ’t y et made the t urn in t o frozen foo d s, it w as t oo l at e t o t r y and hide from the ta ll, bleached-blonde in her mid-thi r ti e s who w as Sc o t t ’ s e x - g irlf r iend from high s chool and the sp o iled d augh t er of the pre s ident of the F i r st B ank of P elican P o in te . A lthough sh e ’ d already been through t wo m es s y divorc e s, S is s y con s idered he r s elf the pil l ar of the communi t y , s e r v i n g as the only woman on the c i t y coun c il. S ince Sc o t t had brought J or d an back t o P elican P o in t e, S i s s y had n ’t hidden the fa c t that she did n ’t like Sc o t t ’ s w if e . I t w as a fa c t that S i s s y , like ma n y re s idents here, con s idered J or d an, an outside r . A nd Sco t t w as no lo n ger around t o defend her or s et the m st r aigh t . S o muc h fo r th e f r ien d shi p o f a s ma ll t own.
A t fi r st g l ance, S is s y looked ha r ml es s, but J or d an k new bet t e r . T h e y ’ d encoun t ered each o ther se ve r al tim e s in the pas t , each meeti n g more a w k w ard and unpleasant than the l as t . N ice t i e s were non ex i s t en t . T h i s mo r ni n g w as no e x ce p tion.
“ D addy s a ys y ou ’ re still t r y i n g t o t urn that r undown old hou s e in t o a mo t el, of all the silly notions I ’ve ever heard . ”
M i nd f ul o f H utto n ’ s pr e s ence, J ordan t r ied to keep her cool and watch her l a n g ua g e. T h rough g r itted teeth, she
Th i s morni n g the s t ore w as bu s y . M u r p h y w a t ched Lilly make her w a y t o the other open checkout and then ne r vously e y e the s canner as it ra n g up her me a ger groce r i e s, a gene r ic ca r t on of d i ape r s, a g a llon of mil k , peanut but t e r , and a d a y-old loaf of bread. W hen the clerk g a ve her the amoun t , Lilly pulled a t on of lo os e cha n ge from her r a gged pu r s e, barely comi n g up w ith the t welve dol l a r s and fif t y- s i x cents t o cover the bill.
Af t er p a y i n g , she led the k ids out the front door t o a beat-up old F ord.
W at chi n g them g o , M u r p h y made a men t al no t e t o ask C ar l a if Lilly had enough money comi n g in each month t o cover her bil l s. I t w as barely the middle of F eb r ua r y . B ut w ith rent due on the f i r s t , the y ou n g m o ther might not h a ve enoug h lef t over t o buy food.
A s he t urned t o r i n g up another cus t ome r , he spo tt ed J or d an s t andi n g in the produce s e c tion. H i s thoughts t urned t o her si t uation, a dif f erent k ind of har d ship entirel y , but still a har d shi p , h e de c ided . T h a t ha d hi m wonde r i n g ho w thi n gs were g o i n g be t ween her and N ick H ar r i s. H e could n ’t help but think who e ver said life w as dull in a small t own ob v iously had never lived in on e . T urni n g h i s at t ention back t o r unni n g re gi s t er number one, he be g an s canni n g M y r tle P ettibon e ’ s t wen t y cans of cat food.
A s J or d an w a l k ed up and down the na r row a i sl e s she had t o keep a sha r p e y e on H ut t on, who eve r y now and ag ain t r ied t o l at ch on t o a n y thi n g w ithin her sho r t reach. The f r uit w as n ’t safe as she t r ied t o lean over and ca p t ure a b r ight red t o ma t o . W h e n sh e cam e u p em p t y , H u t t o n t r ie d ag ain , th is time s carcely m iss i n g her oppo r t uni t y t o gr a b an ora n g e . J or d an barely caught her d augh t e r ’ s a r m in time t o prevent the neatly s t acked apple pyramid from comple t ely col l a p si n g in t o a m es s on the f l oo r . A v o i di n g th e m i sha p , J or d an did n ’t s ee S is s y C arr ba r rel straight for he r . I f she had, she would h a ve t r ied t o duck behind the greeti n g card d i sp l a y .
B ut s ince she had n ’t y et made the t urn in t o frozen foo d s, it w as t oo l at e t o t r y and hide from the ta ll, bleached-blonde in her mid-thi r ti e s who w as Sc o t t ’ s e x - g irlf r iend from high s chool and the sp o iled d augh t er of the pre s ident of the F i r st B ank of P elican P o in te . A lthough sh e ’ d already been through t wo m es s y divorc e s, S is s y con s idered he r s elf the pil l ar of the communi t y , s e r v i n g as the only woman on the c i t y coun c il. S ince Sc o t t had brought J or d an back t o P elican P o in t e, S i s s y had n ’t hidden the fa c t that she did n ’t like Sc o t t ’ s w if e . I t w as a fa c t that S i s s y , like ma n y re s idents here, con s idered J or d an, an outside r . A nd Sco t t w as no lo n ger around t o defend her or s et the m st r aigh t . S o muc h fo r th e f r ien d shi p o f a s ma ll t own.
A t fi r st g l ance, S is s y looked ha r ml es s, but J or d an k new bet t e r . T h e y ’ d encoun t ered each o ther se ve r al tim e s in the pas t , each meeti n g more a w k w ard and unpleasant than the l as t . N ice t i e s were non ex i s t en t . T h i s mo r ni n g w as no e x ce p tion.
“ D addy s a ys y ou ’ re still t r y i n g t o t urn that r undown old hou s e in t o a mo t el, of all the silly notions I ’ve ever heard . ”
M i nd f ul o f H utto n ’ s pr e s ence, J ordan t r ied to keep her cool and watch her l a n g ua g e. T h rough g r itted teeth, she
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