Free The Sassy Belles by Beth Albright Page B

period, then a depression and then the countdown
calendars come out with “Only ___ days till kickoff….” We think, eat, sleep and
breathe football—365 days a year, every single year.
    Tuscaloosa on game day is especially a treat. The quad is
literally covered in tents for one humungous tailgate party. The air is thick
with excitement and the sweet smell of meat on the grill. Everyone cooking and
drinking—they even clip satellites to their tents for their big-screen TVs. My
very favorite moment of the entire season is when I’m standing in that stadium
when the song “Sweet Home Alabama” by Lynyrd Skynyrd begins.
    So for Lewis to be missing from the Bama pulpit in
Tuscaloosa—well, it was like the Pope missing from the Vatican. I knew the
entire population would show up for his press conference, as well as every
reporter for college football from all over the country.
    The gravity of the situation stole my breath for a minute, but
Harry’s voice brought me back.
    “Hell, the entire South Eastern Conference will be sending
their reporters to swarm Tuscaloosa, especially since we’re the national
champions,” Harry said.
    While the reason for the press conference was a bit depressing,
the thought of being on camera excited me and I suddenly felt much better.
    “Where’s it gonna be?” I asked.
    “Denny Chimes.”
    I began to picture the fiasco that was about to blow into
town…and how Vivi would be in front of the mic, flanked by me and Harry on one
side and Sonny on the other. As Vivi’s attorneys and Lewis’s most immediate
family, Harry or I would have to be the spokesperson.
    “Vivi cannot speak on camera!” Harry was stern. “Those
reporters will have a field day with her. And God only knows what she would say.
Part of her would love this attention, and the other half of her will be scared
to death. She’d be completely uncontrollable.”
    “Okay, I’ll take care of it. I’ll see you at Mother’s,” I said,
but he had already hung up.
    I laid the phone down on the marble vanity and turned on the
shower. The steam began to fog the mirrors. I stepped inside. The hot, pulsating
water felt good. I didn’t want to get out. I knew what this day was going to
look like and I had barely been awake fifteen minutes.
    I wanted to let the water rain over me all day. I turned a
couple of tired steps so the water could hit my face. I knew the day would be
nearly unbearable, and none of it would feel as good as this moment. Even the
thought of being on camera started to make me feel anxious, so I stood still, on
purpose, avoiding the day that lay ahead.
    Then I heard it in my head. Harry’s words from last night.
    Lewis is alive. And someone knows where he
is.
    The words jerked me right out of my serenity. What is he
thinking? All of the scenarios from the ridiculous to the haunting invaded my
peaceful shower. I rinsed my hair and turned off the water, leaving my oasis
behind. I lost the last of my tranquility in my next thought: Does Vivi know anything about Lewis and his life that could
lead us to him?

7
    V ivi was already at Mother’s when
I pulled into the driveway. Out of years of habit, I rolled directly under the
old tattered basketball net, now just hanging by a thread. The redbrick back
steps invited me in and the screen door creaked and slammed behind me. My heels
clicked on the red-painted concrete floor of the cluttered back porch. Stacks of
old newspapers and magazines were everywhere. An antique 1940s refrigerator
stood in the corner. It was always filled with plenty of Coca-Cola. The minute
anyone arrived, the first thing Meridee did was offer you a Coke.
    The smell of coffee drifted through the kitchen, which had
butter-colored walls and a yellow-and-green vinyl floor. The 1950s yellow
laminate table was already full of people, just the way Meridee liked it. This
place relaxed me like an instant sedative.
    Vivi was sitting comfortably with both of her hands wrapped
securely around her