Burnout (Pecan Bayou Series) Read online

  CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX

  "Where's Leo?"

  "I'm not sure, but I think she might have him inside."

  "I have to go get him."

  "She's dangerous, Betsy. Wait for the police."

  "But Leo's in there."

  Ruby reached over and touched my arm. "My dear, do you think this is such a good idea in your condition?"

  "I don't know what you're talking about."

  "Yes you do. Miss Caroline told me a week ago."

  "Me too." Said the mousse lady.

  A lady with a can of detangler nodded her head. Was I the last to know I was pregnant in this town?

  "Fine." I said.

  "We'll get Rocky out of this tape. You start calling out to Leo. Maybe he can hear you." Ruby said. The ladies started dragging Rocky across the weed-laden lawn, and I knelt down next to the window.

  "Leo? Leo? Can you hear me? I love you Leo. I'm sorry I ever doubted you. Can you hear me?" Suddenly a lamp went crashing through the remaining glass barely missing me.

  A voice yelled from the other side. "Shut up! You don't love him. You hate him. You are divorcing him. He loves me!"

  "Where is he?"

  "He's sleeping. Our passionate lovemaking wore him out. Something I'm sure you've never experienced with him. He loves me. He's done with you. We're going to leave Pecan Bayou and he'll be the weatherman on the television in the city. Everyone's going to love him, but he'll come home to me. Only me. He hates you."

  "Is he okay?"

  "I told you he's sleeping. Are you stupid, too?"

  "No, I'm not stupid. I just have some big news for him when he wakes up."

  "That you're filing for divorce? He already knows. I have an appointment for a lawyer for him on Monday. You can keep the boys. He'll be too busy for that now."

  "What about the baby?"

  "What baby?"

  "The baby Leo and I are going to have together."

  "You're not having a baby. You're too skinny. Nice try. He'd have to sleep with you to have a baby, and we all know that isn't happening."

  I realized there were red flashing lights on the house now. The police had finally arrived.

  "Betsy, ladies back away from the house, slowly." I heard my father say over his car speaker.

  "Ha! The cops are here to take you away. I'm going to file breaking and entering on you. I'll see you in court over this."

  "Jeanette Burris. Come out with your hands up." My father had scrambled out of his cruiser and now held a bullhorn.

  Ruby grabbed it away from him before he realized what was happening. She screamed into the device. "Come out of there you crazy-ass floosy." My father pulled it back out of her grasp.

  Jeanette cursed, and then there was movement in the house. I started walking around to the back of the house just as she ran out the door knocking me flat.

  "You bitch! I hate you!" She started pounding her fists into my head and then she let out a blood-curdling scream as she was lifted up away from me, her blond hair flying and legs kicking dangerously close to my side.

  I rolled away and crawled into the house.

  "Leo! Answer me, Leo?" I laid my hands on him in the dark on what felt like a couch. This time I felt around to make sure it was really him and not some other guy Jeanette had taped up. I ran to the kitchen and pulled a knife out of the drawer and returned to him.

  "I'm here Leo. It's going to be okay." I yanked the tape off of his mouth pulling him into consciousness.

  "Ouch ... Betsy? What are you doing?" I carefully sliced through the tape around his hands and started working on another layer around his ankles.

  "I'm getting you out of here. Are you hurt? Do we need to call an ambulance?" After Jeanette had easily knocked me to the bushes, I was no longer underestimating her strength and what she could do to someone who couldn't fight back.

  Leo patted himself, looking for broken bones. "I think I'm all in one piece." He raised his hand to his forehead. Man, I've got a headache. Jeanette gave me something and threw me in her trunk. I was trying to knock out the tail light, but then everything went black. Are you okay?"

  "Me? Yes, Leo, I'm fine. I'm so fine. I'm just glad I found you. I don't know what I would have done If I hadn't." I grabbed him and pulled him close to me his head resting against my heart. "I love you. I thought I'd lost you." I so wanted to tell him. Seeing as we had both been through a potentially life or death situation, this was a pretty good time. I tried to still my nervousness. So much depended on his reaction.

  "Leo, I love you and now we're going to have..." A steady pattern of breathing came from Leo. He had passed out again.

  *****

  It wasn't until Thanksgiving Day that we got everyone together. We decided to eat at Aunt Maggie's house even though I technically had the bigger kitchen this year.

  It seemed only right being squeezed into her dining room elbow to elbow with my dad, the boys, Leo and special guest Rocky. He surprised us all when he walked in with Nicholas Wendell.

  "Where's the turkey I bought y'all?" Rocky asked as Danny came in from the kitchen balancing a large cooked bird precariously on a silver platter.

  "Right here Mr. Rocky. It's a big one."

  "Had to be. How else do you thank a family for rescuing you from the clutches of a crazy woman?"

  "What will you do now that the Gazette is gone?" Aunt Maggie said as she instructed Danny to set the beautifully browned bird in the middle of the table.

  "Oh, now you know Maggie a little thing like a building isn't going to stop the news in Pecan Bayou. I'll go on. Sometimes life pushes you in a new direction you could have never planned on." He glanced over at Nicholas.

  "For I was lost, but now I'm found." Danny said, quoting the lyrics from Amazing Grace.

  "That's exactly right Danny and that's what I'm thankful for this year. I found someone I didn't even know existed. I would like for all of you to meet ... my son ... Nicholas."

  "Welcome Nicholas."

  "And Nicholas has agreed to help me reset up the Gazette. We're going to use his offices until we can get the building rebuilt."

  "That's wonderful." Judd said. "I couldn't imagine how boring my days would be without you to annoy me with that thing you call a paper." Rocky smirked.

  "Don't give me so damn much to report on, 'Barney Fife'." Rocky turned to me as I swiped at a tear. "Betsy, I know I make jokes about you finding bodies all the time, but this time I'm just glad it was me, and if you still want to kiss me, I'm open to the idea."

  Leo's eyebrows rose. "Something I should know about?"

  "No, I thought it was you I was pulling out of the house."

  "She offered to kiss me. It's not a lie. I was pretty happy to see her, that's for sure. Jeanette kept me captive there the whole time. If Betsy hadn't come banging on the door, I might have ended up like Eula Jean next door."

  "Jeanette left her in the Gazette building. That's who we saw on the webcam video." I said.

  "Yes, she saw Jeanette dragging me inside and came over to see what was going on. Eula Jean filed for me."

  "I saw her kill Eula Jean. She hit her over the head and then drove off with her. I had no idea about the fire, but I did remember hearing sirens."

  "She had a thing for men in the media."

  "I don't get it. She was beautiful. Jeanette could have had anyone she wanted. Why fixate on reporters and weathermen?"

  "Because, they were her ideal. She wanted someone who fit into the picture of her perfect man. She could turn on the TV or open up the newspaper every day, and there was this bright smiling handsome man. He never let her down. He always showed up on time. She wanted to be close to these guys so she volunteered."

  "Yes, I thought I had been touched by an angel when this beautiful, sexy woman showed up and wanted to work for free. I didn't know why, but I had done something right. She even gave me chocolates. It was amazing."

  "She sent them to Hurricane Hal, too." I said.

  "How is he
doing?" Maggie asked Leo.

  "Oh, he's going to be alright, but he says he's going to retire and stay out of the limelight from now on. He never wants to encounter another fan like Jeanette."

  "And," Leo said. "I've given Stan a list of names from the weather bureau to replace him. I'm finished being an on-camera weatherman. It's too dangerous."

  "How did Hal know she was more than just an adoring fan?"

  My dad put a generous portion of stuffing on his plate. "I guess she showed up at Hal's house and he caught her putting something into his drink."

  "That's how she did it? That would explain why I had one sip of a drink at Stan's birthday party and found myself flying."

  "Yes, she thought you would drink it all, and that would put you out. Instead, you took a quick sip and tried to head for home. If you hadn't driven yourself home that night, she might have kidnapped you then."

  "Rocky, when you were taped up at her house, what did she do? That is if you are willing to tell us. I wonder because I'd like to know what would have happened to me." Leo asked.

  "I was drugged a lot. A couple of times I woke up, and she was just sitting there staring at me. Pretty bizarre stuff. She would bring me food from the diner and then tell me she loved me and that I would come to love her. She told me we would go away and start a paper. When I told her I wasn't having it, she would just tape me up and drug me again. I was just lucky I found that disconnected computer cord that lit up when put into a socket. If Betsy hadn't seen it, I might have never been rescued. "

  "Did the mean lady give your black eye?" Danny asked.

  "I guess she must have hit me. Wish I knew when. My ex-wives usually liked to have me awake before they poured abuse on me."

  "We checked out her finances and she was living mostly off of a small savings account and some credit cards. She needed to start volunteering for pay if she was going to truly sweep you off your feet."

  "After what happened to Eula Jean, the minute I saw her drag Leo into the house I figured I was toast." He turned to Leo. "When she saw you on the television everything changed. She stopped planning a future with me and fixated on you. She called you that handsome weatherman with a shrew of a wife."

  "Okay, I didn't need to know about that part." I said.

  Leo reached over and putting his hand over mine. I went on. "Nothing was going to keep me from finding Leo."

  "Including breaking into my house." Rocky said.

  Tyler nudged Zach who had been quietly texting during our conversation.

  "Who are you texting, Zach? You're girlfriend?"

  Zach's face colored a deep pink. "Why is it any of your business?"

  "Zach, you need to put the phone away." Leo said.

  "Yes, sir."

  "And who would you be texting on Thanksgiving?" I asked.

  Zach stuck his phone in his pocket. "Grace."

  "As in Grace Galvez the weird girl?"

  "She's not weird. She's … nice."

  "Oooh, Zach." Tyler kidded.

  "Enough Tyler, leave your brother alone." Leo grinned.

  Rocky reached behind him for a gift bag. I was so happy to see him walk in with Nicholas I hadn't noticed he was carrying it. "I think you might have left this at my house, Betsy."

  I reached into the bag and pulled out the pink baby quilt. "Oh, thanks Rocky."

  "What's that?" Leo said.

  "I think that bag is the whole reason we need to refill the glasses, Maggie." My dad said. Aunt Maggie rushed into the kitchen and came back with a bottle of champagne and a smaller bottle of apple juice.

  Leo eyed the pink quilt, and then his confused glance shifted to me. I bit my bottom lip and smiled.

  "Guess what?" I said my voice cracking. "I went to the doctor, and it seems I don't have the flu after all."

  His eyes widened as I realized he thought I was trying to tell him I had some sort of serious medical issue. I put my hand on his arm to steady him. "We're going to have a baby, Leo." First a look of shock registered on his face, and then a grin played at the corner of his lips as the cork popped behind us.

  "We are?"

  "You are, son, and I do believe you're the last person in Pecan Bayou to find out. I can't believe you've been able to keep the secret this long, Betsy."

  "I didn't know." Zach said.

  "Me either." Tyler said. "Congratulations Bets..."

  "Tyler." Leo corrected.

  "Sorry, Dad. Congratulations Mom."

  Leo reached out and touched my cheek. "You're sure? It's not the flu?"

  "I'm a perfectly healthy very pregnant woman." Leo reached over and pulled me into his arms. For the first time in weeks I felt warm again.

  "This is wonderful. Are you okay? I mean are you feeling okay?"

  "I'm getting through it."

  "That explains why you kept running out of the room all the time."

  "You're not upset? You said you didn't want to have any kids yet. The boys were more than enough."

  "Of course I'm not upset. How could I be? We're going to have a baby." He laughed. I reached up and felt Zach and Tyler behind us putting us in a group hug.

  "Let's see Betsy," Aunt Maggie said, "the way I figure it, that ought to put the baby due in September next year."

  "That's right smack dab in the middle of hurricane season." Leo's head rocked back at the revelation.

  "Okay, but promise me if it's a boy, even though the quilt is pink, promise me if it's a boy we don't name him...Hurricane Hal."

  "It's a promise." I said as I reached over and kissed my husband. That's right, all mine and no bottle blond would ever have her hands on him.

  Like Rocky, life had just given us all a new path.

  HELPFUL HINTS FROM THE HAPPY HINTER

  Miss Caroline's Cornbread Stuffing

  Cornbread Mix

  Pepperidge Farm Herb Dressing

  2 cups chicken broth

  1 cup finely chopped celery

  Salt and pepper

  Prepare a batch of cornbread according to the instructions on the box. Once cooled break cornbread into a large bowl and add an equal amount of herb dressing. Mix together. Add chicken broth and chopped celery. Add salt and pepper. Place in a prepared baking dish and bake at 350° until it reaches the desired moistness you prefer.

  Banana Split Pie

  2 graham cracker-crusts

  2 cups powdered sugar

  1 stick butter or margarine

  2 eggs

  1 can crushed pineapple 15 1/4 ounces

  5-6 bananas

  1 cup chopped nuts

  1 small jar maraschino cherries

  1 large container whipped topping

  Mix powdered sugar, softened butter and eggs with mixer for several minutes. Pour half of this mixture into each pie crust. Drain juice out of canned pineapple. Pour half of pineapple over mixture in the pie crusts. Pour half of the pecans over each pie. Spread whipped topping over each pie. Decorate the top of the pies with maraschino cherries and sprinkle nuts on top. Put into freezer until frozen. Let it thaw at room temperature before serving. This pie can be refrozen.

  Pumpkin Squares

  One box spice cake mix

  1 teaspoon cinnamon

  2 eggs separated

  1/2 cup sugar

  1/2 cup water

  2 cups pumpkin

  1-2 containers of whipped topping

  Mix all ingredients folding in be egg whites last. Bake in a 9 x 13" prepared pan for about 30 minutes at 350°. Top with whipped topping. Refrigerate for six hours before serving.

  Lump-Free Turkey Gravy

  Mix 2 tablespoons of cornstarch with 1/4 cup cold water. Bring your turkey drippings to a boil and then cut off the heat. Once the bubbles are gone, stir in your corn starch mixture using a wire whisk. Using a whisk is the most important part because it breaks down the potential lumps much more easily than a spoon. If you are still having difficulties, put your cooled gravy in the blender and cross your fingers.

  Ea
rl's Mama's Carrot Cake

  2 cups sugar

  1 1/4 cups canola oil

  2 1/2 to 3 cups grated carrots

  2 teaspoons cinnamon

  1 teaspoon soda

  1 cup chopped pecans

  4 eggs

  2 cups flour

  1/4 teaspoon salt

  2 teaspoons baking powder

  Mix together all ingredients. Pour into two prepared cake pans. Bake at 450° for 25 to 30 minutes. Let them cool and then slice each layer in two.

  Cream Cheese Icing

  1-8 ounce package cream cheese, softened

  One half stick of butter, softened

  2 teaspoons vanilla

  1 pound box confectioners' sugar

  Mix together cream cheese and butter and add the vanilla and confectioners' sugar. Frost all four layers.

  How to Get Dog Urine Out of the Carpet

  Pick up any items like pillows, rugs and towels and wash with detergent and baking soda. Throw out anything that can't be washed.

  Use a hand held black light to spy out old urine stains that you may have missed, but your dog won't.

  Warning: If you haven't used anything on your carpet before, you might want to test an area that is not easily seen.

  When you get a fresh puddle of urine on your carpet try these suggestions:

  1. Soak it up with paper towels before too much of it descends into your carpet.

  2. Clean the area with an enzymatic cleaner (Fizzion, Nature's Miracle, Simple Solution are some name brand enzymatic cleaners. These can be found at grocery or pet stores.)

  3. Sprinkle a little fresh water on the area.

  4. Sprinkle baking soda on the area.

  5. After it has dried, vacuum up baking soda.

  Shampooing carpets regularly can help lessen a dog's habitual accidents.

  How to Take the Hinges Off of a Door

  To take a door off by its hinges you will need a nail set or some other long cylindrical piece of metal and a hammer. Make sure your door is closed and then place the nail set at the bottom of the hinge and tap upwards with gentle movements. If it comes out partially and then sticks you can tap at the lip of the pen to remove it.