Page 85 of Wine & Dine

33

Contracts and deals

[Garrett]

Dolores and Denton remain eerily quiet after she drops the bomb about us moving into Magnolia’s together. I feel like we should air everything out before we move a single object, but brother and sister circle one another, spacing out their movements like only siblings can, and begin to pack Denton’s truck.

Denton handles the rocking chair while Dolores and I tuck her boxes in the back of the truck. When we arrive back at Magnolia’s, the silence is thicker than a yellow brick. Denton and I tackle the boxes, television and rocking chair, carrying everything to the second floor and leaving it in the hallway after Dolores told me we could rearrange everything in the morning.

I slip into the bathroom for a moment and then pad in stocking feet to the staircase. From the top, I can hear raised voices. I travel down the two flights until I see Mati sitting at the base of the steps. Her head bowed, she holds a beer in her hand.

“What’s going on?” I ask, still hearing voices from the kitchen.

“I’m letting the pot steam for a bit before I intervene,” she mutters.

“Don’t you think we should have discussed you moving in here as Mati and I already live here?” Denton asks, and Mati winces next to me.

“I didn’t think to ask as you hadn’t asked me about renovations on the diner,” Dolores rebuts. I complete the descent down the wooden stairs and take a seat next to Mati.

“Did they always fight like this?”

“Denton spent more time fighting with his father than his sister. They were typical older sister, younger brother. She liked to play mother. He liked to annoy her. But when he left, the dynamics changed. I think they’re trying to find their way around each other. So many years have passed,” she mutters, taking a sip from her beer.

“How long was he gone?” I knew Denton was estranged from his family. His sister was the only person he mentioned and only on rare occasions.

“Twenty-seven years.” She sighs, letting the time lapse linger. Sweet Jesus. I could never stay away from my family for that long. Then again, I didn’t have the history Denton had with his dad. Mine was just gone.

“I didn’t want to worry you,” Denton snaps in the background.

“What are they arguing about?” I question, thinking I better make myself comfortable on the stairs.

“She wants to know why he didn’t tell her about the diner or the house. He’s trying to defend how she’s handled everything for years. He wanted to give her a break.”

I’d surmised as much from Dolores and then when Denton asked me to look after her. When I saw him in Atlanta, he told me how his sister had handled everything back in their small town.

I just want to do something nice for her. For both of them. He referenced his grandmother, as well.

“She’s pissed he made a deal with you without discussing it with her.” Right. “And he doesn’t have a good rebuttal for that.” Mati smirks.

I’m not certain I do either as I didn’t know then the scope of Dolores’s involvement in Magnolia’s property. But I sigh, content that we’ll have lots of time to figure everything out—together. While Dolores told me she has no intention of leaving me again, I assured her equally that I wasn’t going anywhere. I understand she needs to be here for her grandmother and her diner. It’s who she is, and I wouldn’t change a thing.

“My brothers fought constantly, never good at a true argument. It’s a wonder Charlie became a lawyer.”

“I heard he’s the mayor.”

“Yep. That too.” She doesn’t say more, and I remember Dolores telling me her father had been mayor.

“Did you know their dad?”

“Unfortunately,” she mutters. She doesn’t offer anything else. We hear a tap, tap, tap coming from our right and turn in unison to see Magnolia struggling down the hall from the front of the house.

“How long we gonna let them yap at each other?” Magnolia asks.

“I figure they’re almost done. Nothing’s resolved, but most of the accusations are out,” Mati states, smiling up at Magnolia.

“Well, I’ve about had enough of it.” She slowly moves past us, tap, tap, tapping. I stand, stepping off the final stair to follow Magnolia through the kitchen and around to the breakfast room. Dolores and Denton stand on opposite sides of the table, glaring at one another.

“Don’t do this,” Denton asks, his voice falling. Dolores crosses her arms and turns her head toward the window. Snow covers the ground, but the room has fallen colder than the outdoors.