The Discarded Heiress Returns novel · Chapter 21 of 32

Chapter 21: Fish Fry

The reporter turned slowly back to the camera.

She'd lost her place in her notes, and she didn't bother finding it.

"We have called Mrs. Ballantyne's office for comment," she said. "We'll keep calling."

The red light went off.

The nurse unclipped her microphone and handed it to the cameraman.

Then she held out her arms to Dorrie, and Dorrie walked into them.

Dale stood in the yard with his cap in both hands and cried without making a sound.

By nine that night, the clip was everywhere.

By Wednesday morning, Augusta's office had stopped answering the phone.

On Thursday night, Dale put a long envelope on the card table in front of me.

It was the deed to the Lantern.

"Borrow against it," he said.

"No."

"I didn't ask."

"Dale, it's your daddy's motel. He built it in 1958 with his own hands. If I lose that auction..."

"Then we lose a motel."

He pushed his reading glasses up.

"You saved it once with a telephone, at seventeen. Let me save something for once."

"The bank says it's worth a million and a half to them."

"Then that's a million and a half you don't have to find."

Nana, at the other end of the table, laid a red queen on a black king.

"Take it, Tallulah," she said without looking up. "He's been practicing that speech since Tuesday. Don't make him do it twice."

I took the envelope.

My hands weren't steady.

Dale's were.

On Friday the fish fry had a coffee can on every table.

I hadn't asked for it.

Dorrie had written a sign in marker and taped it to the fryer.

THE LANTERN IS BUYING A HOTEL. ASK US HOW.

Wells was at the fryer in Nana's flowered apron.

He'd burned the first batch black and the second batch only a little.

By the third he had the hush puppies golden and Nana had stopped hitting him with the spoon.

"You could put money in that can," the snow-cone lady told him. "Everybody knows you've got it."

"I'm not allowed," Wells said, flipping whiting. "She'd throw it in the marsh."

"I would," I said.

"She would," Dale said. "I've seen her do it with a check."

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