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She had
to make T’Claude understand.
    “T’Claude, you know I’m not the reason folks come to the Boiling
Pot. I just cook the way Bertie taught me. She’s the great secret here. Those
folks need to feature her, not me. I’m just a simple cook, and you know it.”
    “Simple cook? Bertie taught you? Heck, Dinky, Bertie sure enough
cooks good, but what you do to that food is like some kind of magic, girl. She
gave you a start, but no, you’re the chef here. You’re the one they’re coming
to see, so get used to it.”
    “I’m not doing it, T. I just can’t. Forget it. It’s Bertie or
it’s nothing. I mean it.” Adi’s voice rose as she spoke, drawing Bertie out of
the kitchen.
    “What in tarnation is going on out here? Why y’all shouting at
each other?”
    “Bertie, talk some sense into this girl. You hear me? She’s going
on about not doing this interview. You and I both know she’s the reason folks
come back for more once they’ve tasted her cooking. She needs to snap out of it
and get with the program. I’m going for a smoke. You settle this.” He stomped
outside.
    “Dink?”
    Adi studied her shoes, avoiding Bertie’s gaze. “I can’t do it,
Bertie. You know I can’t. Just explain it so T can understand. I can’t do
this.”
    Bertie wrapped her arms around Adi, holding her close. “It’s
going to be okay, baby, you hear me? We aren’t going to let nothing or nobody
do you any harm. If you can’t do this thing, you can’t. But before you decide
for sure, in one way or the other, let’s just think on it a while. Maybe you
aren’t clearly seeing as how this could be to your advantage. What’s the worst
thing that could happen? Huh?”
    Adi couldn’t stop the hot tears rolling down her cheeks. “You
know, Bertie. He could find me, that’s what. You know where and what I came
from. You know I can’t let him find me.”
    “Let’s see. It’s been eight years since you came here. Seems to
me if he was looking for you, he’d have found you by now. Besides that, girl,
you’re not the child who rode up here that day. You’re a grown woman. You don’t
hardly look at all like that dinky skinny little thing curled up by the
Dumpster. This here is a chance for you, Dink. It’s your time to shine, baby,
and shine you must. You just need to sit with the idea a bit. Let it fill you
up and look good and hard at how it could make your life better. Don’t you
dwell on the bad thoughts. They scare you because you was a child then. Ain’t
nobody on this earth got the power to make you do or go anywhere you don’t want
to go. T and I won’t let that happen. You know this.”
    “I’m scared, Bertie.” Adi crumbled into her warm, comforting
body. “I’m so scared.”
    “I know you are, baby. I know. But there ain’t no need for that
fear no more. You just got to realize that. Okay? We’re going to sit on my
porch, you and me, and we’re going to look at all sides of this thing. After
that, if you don’t want to do it, well, I suppose you won’t.”
    “You got this, Miss Bertie?” T’Claude asked, standing in the
doorway.
    “I sure do, T, I sure do.”

Chapter Two

    Griffith noted the change in light as they left the interstate
and entered the two-lane highway. It
was silly of Dawn to send a driver. I could’ve found my way here without a
problem . Still, it was nice not having to worry about anything.
She’d have the driver drop her at the restaurant and either get a cab or a ride
to her room. The rental car would be dropped off for her at her hotel in the
morning. The road was bordered by centuries old live oaks hung with a curtain
of Spanish moss. She appreciated the difference in her surroundings, while
remaining skeptical of her current assignment. Her career had taken a nosedive
in the past year. Jobs like this one would rebuild her battered credibility,
though slowly. The familiar fist of anger squeezed her gut, her throat filled
with the bitter taste of bile.
    She shook