Free One Foot in the Grove by Kelly Lane

on
you
to see it through. Didn’t you get my text earlier?” Daphne licked her lips and raised her scarf back up to just below her eyes. “I mean you
are
in charge of guest relations. I told Daddy that y’all could handle it just fine,” she mumbled through her headdress.
    My chest tightened and I swallowed hard. I nearly choked on the tapenade treat.
    â€œBut, Daphne, I . . . I can’t cook,” I gasped. The treat went down like a lump. “I nearly burned the big house down today . . . twice!”
    â€œOf course y’all can cook, Eva. Y’all are just a little out of practice. And, I daresay, y’all have been a bit distracted by your heartbreak and this deplorable runaway bride nonsense. Y’all will get over it. In fact, cooking will be good therapy. Every woman can cook. Except, of course, Pepper-Leigh.” Daphne sighed. “You know, I’ve wondered if she’s a changeling. All that nasty black. And leather. She’s just so out of step! Why does she have to be like that? She distresses me. Remember the time she used bird skulls as place card holders on Thanksgiving?”
    Daphne brushed bread crumbs from her lap and put them in a neat pile on the edge of the serving plate. Dolly inched closer to the table.
    â€œDear me, Eva, you must do something about all these piles of papers! And, my, my, my! The tissues! They’re not all
used
, are they?”
    I sat silently and rolled my eyes. I knew that up until that moment, Daphne’d tried really hard to be polite and not say anything about the mess. Still, the answer was obvious.
    Daphne swallowed hard and her back stiffened. “How will you
evah
entertain . . . in such . . . a . . . place?” Looking around and taking in all the balled-up tissues scattered over nearly every surface in the room, I knew that Daphne was horrified.
    â€œEntertain? Me? Not an issue, I assure you,” I said dryly.
    â€œI know y’all have been distraught, dear, but it’s time topull yourself up by your bootstraps. After all, y’all are a
Knox
woman.”
    â€œRight.”
    Daphne flapped her hand and changed the subject.
    â€œAnyhoo, y’all can take care of the meals until I find someone suitable. We can’t go willy-nilly and just hire
anyone
, of course. It may take a few weeks.” She honked her nose again. “Maybe months.”
    A chunk of bread caught in my throat as I tried to smile. Knox woman or not, how was I going to prepare meals for people? Paying guests, no less? And even if I could—and I couldn’t—I’d still never live up to DQ Daphne’s exacting standards. I doubted anyone could. Chef Loretta was as close as anyone’d come, and apparently, even she’d failed the test because she’d been too “brusque.” Whatever that was. Who used words like “brusque,” anyway?
    I stood up and headed to the kitchenette.
    â€œMaybe we can find y’all a man right quick. That should help y’all feel better.”
    â€œReally, no man. I’m taking a break from men.”
    â€œWell, I suppose that’s fine for now. At least until y’all get this place cleaned up. Maybe next week, then.”
    I rolled my eyes.
    â€œAlrighty. I’ll not keep y’all,” continued Daphne. “The snack was delish, thank you.” Daphne stood up with her bucket. “Y’all should make some of this tapenade for our guests,” she continued cheerily as she made her way over to the door. “It’s quite tasty.”
    â€œSure,” I said. “Of course.”
    I was kidding. I choked down some water. When it came to
preparing
food, there was no way. I couldn’t understand how Daphne didn’t know better. She’d raised me. And she’d seen—and smelled—the smoked-out kitchen in the big house earlier. Twice in a day. She must be desperate, I