Katy's Homecoming (11 page)

“Well, you sit down there and relax while I finish putting lunch on the table.” Mrs. Graber bustled around removing bowls and silverware from cupboards and drawers, as at ease as if she’d lived in Katy’s house for years. “Your dad will be in soon, and then we’ll eat.”

Katy sat, but she couldn’t relax. It felt too strange, watching Mrs. Graber work and not helping. She was glad when Dad came in, and everyone sat down. Dad prayed, then Mrs. Graber dished stew for each of them. The stew was delicious with tender, well-seasoned chunks of beef, crisp-yet-tender vegetables, and a rich, onion-flavored broth thick enough to cling to a biscuit when Katy dipped one into the bowl.

Dad seemed to enjoy it too. He ate two bowlfuls and asked for a third. Mrs. Graber laughed. “I’m going to have to adjust my cooking to accommodate your appetite, Samuel. It’s been several years since I cooked for more than one person.” Tears suddenly appeared in her eyes, making the green irises even brighter. “But what a delight to be part of a family again.”

Katy looked down at her bowl when Dad took Mrs. Graber’s hand. She didn’t know where this affectionate side of him had been hiding, and she didn’t know whether she was happy or jealous.
Maybe I’ll make two columns and try to figure out my feelings later on.
Not that the exercise had proved helpful before. Katy peeked through her eyelashes. Dad and Mrs. Graber were still sitting there, holding hands and looking at each other.

Katy cleared her throat. “Mrs. Graber?” The woman gave a little jerk. She looked at Katy. “May I have another biscuit? They’re very good.”

Mrs. Graber handed the biscuit plate across the table. “Of course, dear. They’re good because I used your grandmother’s recipe.” She turned her crinkling smile on Dad again. “I’ve always used buttermilk when I’ve made biscuits, but Ruth uses lard instead of butter. I didn’t realize what a difference it could make.”

Katy slathered butter on the biscuit and took a big bite. Before she’d finished chewing, Dad said,“Katy?” She gulped down the bite and looked at him. The serious expression on his face made her feel like the biscuit was caught in her throat. She took a quick sip of milk.

“Have you thought about what you want to call Rosemary after we’re married?”

Katy blinked twice, her gaze flicking from Dad to Mrs. Graber and back. Would Dad expect her to call the woman
Mom
or
Mother?
“Um, no, I guess I haven’t. She’s just …” Katy laughed self-consciously. “Well, she’s been Mrs. Graber.”

Mrs. Graber laughed softly too. “You’re right. I’ve been Mrs. Graber for twenty-six years. Becoming Mrs. Lambright will be quite an adjustment.”

Katy hadn’t considered how many adjustments Mrs. Graber was making to marry Dad. But Mrs. Graber was leaving her town, her home, her family. She’d get a new name, a new church fellowship, a new stepdaughter. Maybe it was as hard for her to get used to as it was for Katy. The idea softened Katy a bit more toward the woman.

Mrs. Graber tipped her head, crunching one black ribbon against the shoulder of her dress. “I won’t be Mrs. Graber anymore, and it would be silly for you to address me as Mrs. Lambright. Would you feel comfortable calling me Rosemary?”

Relief that no one suggested
Mom
flooded Katy. Her spine turned to Jell-O, and she slumped a little lower in her chair. Katy had never addressed an adult by his or her first name — Dad insisted she used the titles Miss, Missus, or Mister. But she supposed the rules were different for stepparents. She nodded. “Rosemary is … is fine.” Surprisingly, the name didn’t stick on her tongue.

Mrs. Graber’s face broke into a relieved smile. “Good. Rosemary it is. And, Kathleen, if you’d like to begin calling me Rosemary now, even though we haven’t had the wedding yet, it’s just fine.”

Katy nodded, but she knew it would take some getting used to. She stood. “Would you like me to clear the table?”

Before either of the adults could answer, the crunch of tires on the hard ground intruded. Dad stepped to the window and looked out. He scowled. “It’s a little yellow Beetle. Nobody around here drives a car like that.”

Katy darted to Dad’s side and peeked out. She grinned up at Dad. “I know who it is.” She ran to the back door and swung it wide. “Shelby!”

The doors of the Beetle opened and girls spilled out: Shelby, Cora, Trisha, and Jewel. Giggling, jostling one another, they ambled toward the house. Cora had a bulky duffel bag on her shoulder, and Trisha swung a plastic Wal-Mart sack. Shelby gave Katy a quick hug as she entered the kitchen, but the others just stepped in past her.

“What are you guys doing out here?” Katy latched the door and spun to face her friends. They’d never visited before.

Shelby laughed. “We would’ve called first, but since you don’t have a phone …” She shrugged, flashing a grin at Katy’s dad, who stood beside the sink and looked from girl to girl with an uncertain expression. “I hope we aren’t intruding.”

“No. No, not at all,” Dad said. “Katy’s friends are always welcome.” But he didn’t sound sure of himself. He bobbed his hand in Mrs. Graber’s direction. “Let me introduce you to my fiancée.” Pink stained his cheeks. “This is Mrs. Rosemary Graber. On Thursday, she will become Mrs. Lambright.”

Jewel hung back, quiet and watchful, but the others all smiled and offered friendly hellos to Mrs. Graber. Then Katy introduced each of the girls.

Mrs. Graber nodded. “It’s very nice to meet you, Shelby, Trisha, Cora, and Jewel.” She bestowed her bright smile on each of the girls in turn, getting every name correct. “Have you had lunch? There’s stew and a few biscuits left. You’re more than welcome to eat.”

Shelby shook her head, the short blonde layers of her hair whisking around her face. “Thank you, but we went through the drive-through at McDonald’s on our way out.” She grinned broadly at Katy. “I wanted you to see my new car.” Then she laughed. “Well, not new-new, it’s a 2000 model. But it’s new to me.”

Dad looked out the window again. His brow puckered. “It’s very … bright.”

Shelby laughed again. Katy hadn’t realized how much she’d missed Shelby’s cheerful presence until that moment. Having her friend visit made her want to laugh and cry all at the same time. Shelby crossed to Dad and peeked out the window too, as if to make certain the car was still there. “I really wanted a lime green Bug, but the dealership didn’t have one. All they had was red or yellow. So I settled for yellow. I call it my little sunshine car. Colorful, but fun, right?” She grinned at Dad.

He nodded soberly. “Fun—and a very big responsibility.”

Katy wished she could melt into the linoleum. How embarrassing to have Dad lecture Shelby. But Shelby just smiled and nodded.

“It sure is. And I promised my dad to be extra careful.” She scurried to Katy’s side. “If we’re in the way, we can
just show you the car and then go. But we hoped we might be able to visit for a little while …”

Katy looked at Dad. He shrugged. “Take your friends upstairs, Katy. You know what chores you need to complete, but there should be time for a visit.”

“Come on,” Katy said before Dad could start listing the chores. She hurried toward the stairs, trusting the others to follow. When she reached her bedroom door, she paused on the landing and gestured everyone in. Shelby had been to Katy’s house before, so she headed right in, but the others lagged, their eyes seeming to examine every inch of Katy’s home. What did they think of the plain painted walls, scuffed wood floors, and pull chains hanging from bare overhead lightbulbs? For a moment, embarrassment spun Katy’s stomach. But none of the girls said anything as they entered Katy’s room and sat in a row near the foot of the bed.

Katy left the door open and crossed to her desk. She pulled out the chair and sat, facing the other girls. Cora, Trisha, and Jewel swiveled their heads, looking around, but Shelby looked at Katy. So Katy focused on Shelby. She didn’t say anything, though. Never having had a group of friends from Salina visit, Katy wasn’t sure what to do with them.

After sitting in silence for a minute or two, Shelby said,“I hope you don’t mind us just dropping in. Dad said I could take the car for a drive, and we thought it would be fun come out.”

Trisha added,“Besides, it gave us an excuse to bring our dresses and see if one of them might fit you. Homecoming’s right around the corner, you know.”

Katy knew.

Cora dropped the duffel bag between her feet and unzipped it. She started pulling out dresses and tossing them across the bed. “I hope one of these will work.”

Katy tried not to stare at the dresses. Glittering sequins, shiny satin, and sheer ruffles enticed her to hold one against her front and admire herself in the mirror.

Trisha held up the Wal-Mart sack. “We also brought some prom magazines to look at hair styles.”

Katy zinged her attention to Trisha. “I can’t get my hair done.”

“Well,” Trisha said, wrinkling her nose,“if you can’t go to the hairdresser, then maybe Jewel can fix it for you.” She bumped Jewel with her elbow, and Jewel grunted. “Jewel’s pretty good at fixing hair. She can probably do any of these updos, and you wouldn’t have to pay her.”

“That’s what
you
think,” Jewel said, nudging Trisha in return. Then she shrugged. “But yeah, I like doing hair. So I’ll fix it up for you, Katy, if you find a style you like.”

The girls didn’t understand. Katy couldn’t be in public with her hair uncovered. She’d have to wear her cap. Before she could explain, though, Cora snatched up the emerald green dress and held it out to Katy. “This one’s my favorite. Try it on.”

Katy sucked in her lips and stared at the dress. Slender straps — no wider than a shoelace — led to a V-neck bodice covered in tiny sequins that caught the light. A wide satin band underlined the top, and a slim satin skirt with a sheer overlay fell from the band. Sequins formed a swirled design down one side of the overlay.

Katy fingered one of the skinny little straps. It was no wider than the ribbons that fell from her cap. How would
she keep her bra straps hidden? She looked the dress up and down again, realizing the gown would provide less coverage than the full cotton slip she always wore under her clothes. Scandalous. Immodest. Guaranteed to shock Dad and the deacons. But she still wanted to try it on.

She hurried to the top of the stairs and called,“Dad?” She tilted her head and waited.

Mrs. Graber’s voice replied. “He’s out in the barn, Kathleen. Do you need something?”

“Nothing important,” Katy called back. “I’ll talk to him after my friends leave.”

“All right.”

Katy hurried to her bedroom and took the dress from Cora. “I’ll go change in the bathroom.”

“Oh, stay here, Katy, so we can see the transformation!” Cora begged.

Change in front of the girls? Katy’s ears burned hot. “That’s okay. You’ll see after I put it on.” She scurried out of the room before the others could argue. In the bathroom, she removed her dress, slip, bra, and shoes. Then she shimmied into the snug-fitting emerald dress. The little mirror above the sink didn’t show much more than the bodice, which revealed expanses of Katy’s chest never shown before. She crossed her palms over the bare flesh then slowly lowered them and made herself examine her reflection.

Creamy skin. Delicate collarbones. Narrow shoulders. She looked as good as the girls she’d glimpsed on the covers of fashion magazines in the aisle at Wal-Mart. She glanced down her length, noting the skirt front reached the tops of her knees but sloped downward to mid-calf in the back. She wished she could see the whole thing at
once. If she angled the mirror on her dresser, she could get a full-body view.

Tiptoeing to the door, Katy peeked out. The landing was empty. She zipped across the hallway and slammed herself into her bedroom. The four girls, all engrossed in magazines, looked up. Their jaws dropped. Their eyes widened. Trisha whistled.

Cora broke into a huge grin and scampered to Katy’s side. She tugged one strap a little higher on Katy’s shoulder then turned Katy in a circle. “Wow, girlfriend, it fits like it was made for you. You look fantastic!”

Katy felt another blush building, but this time of pleasure.

Then Jewel snorted. “For Pete’s sake, you look ridiculous. You gotta lose the cap.” Trisha and Cora giggled.

Katy believed she’d lost enough already, considering how many clothing items lay on the bathroom floor.

Shelby bounced up. “I gotta say, though, even with the cap, you’re a knockout, Katy.” She waggled one eyebrow. “If you end up wearing this, Bryce’s gonna drop dead when he sees you in it.”

Katy moved to her dresser and adjusted the mirror at an angle. She stepped back until she got a view of the dress from neckline to hem. It fit snug against her ribs and hips, showcasing every inch of Katy’s slender figure. She touched the wide satin band that hugged her rib cage, amazed at how different she looked in this dress. She’d never felt so beautiful. Or so exposed. She should change into her own dress.

She started to head for the bathroom, but Jewel stepped into her pathway. Her hands caught Katy’s cap and pulled
it loose. She tossed it onto the dresser. Before Katy could protest, Jewel removed the pins holding Katy’s heavy coil, and Katy’s hair spilled down her back. Katy scrambled to capture the strands.

Jewel put her hands on her hips and shook her head. “Who’d’ve thought Katy was hiding all that under her cap? Look at it.” Jewel pushed Katy’s hands aside and plunged her hands into Katy’s thick hair. She gathered it in a loose poof. “What a head of hair!”

“And the color’s so pretty,” Cora said. “Brown with some gold — like chocolate and caramel swirled together.” Cora touched her own straight dark brown hair. “I wish my hair was that color.”

Katy ducked away from Jewel and picked up her cap. “I need to put this back on.”

“I can’t do your hair with that in the way,” Jewel said, her tone sharp.

“But —”

“Oh, let her play with it, Katy.” Cora put her clasped hands under her chin and gave Katy an imploring look. “I want to see what you look like with your hair done all pretty.”

Trisha dug through the duffel bag. “We brought a curling iron and some jeweled bobby pins, so we could experiment.” She held the items aloft. “See? All prepared.”