Life After Wife (Three Magic Words Trilogy, #3)(41)

“We’re going to hang back for half an hour and watch some television. We want to make the entrance,” Tanner said.

“Suit yourselves,” Elijah threw over his shoulder as he and Sophie left the house.

There wasn’t even a hint of a breeze, and the thermometer still shot up close to the three-digit number. Sophie was glad that Tillman had brought in the big air conditioner units and the barn was cool.

After the sale was finished that afternoon and everyone cleared out, Gus had commanded a team that quickly removed the pen from the center of the barn and then brought in the power washer to clean up the floor. In three hours, the barn was transformed from a sale barn to a party barn with bales of hay set up to separate the dance floor from the band and tables lined up diagonally and covered with crisp white cloths. Tillman even brought bolts of red, white, and blue illusion and draped the walls from balcony rails to floor. When he turned on his portable air conditioners, the thin illusion flowed like a gentle breeze was chasing through the barn. Red carnations in milk-white, glass bud vases decorated the tables, along with candles set in wrought iron holders made from horseshoes and covered with glass globes to keep the wind from blowing out the flames.

“Wow!” Sophie exclaimed when they stepped inside the barn doors.

“Looks great, don’t it? Just what I imagined for this year’s sale. Next year we’ll do something different,” Elijah said.

“Such as?”

“Different theme mainly for the party. The rest I’d like to keep pretty much the same. We’ll get a reputation for having a fantastic sale, and it’ll keep the buyers coming back. Did you know that Aussie bought two bulls and he’s having them shipped all the way over there? He invited us to come to his sale in October. Want to go to Australia?”

Sophie was stunned. “Are you serious?”

Hart and Kate entered the barn before Elijah could answer.

“Don’t you two look happy,” Kate said.

“We are happy. We had a fabulous sale today. Glad y’all came back for the party. You are the first ones here so help yourself to the food,” Elijah said.

“That’s not fair to the other guests.” Hart’s eyes twinkled. “Kate can eat a whole steer when she’s hungry. Once she gets full, there might not be anything left.”

Kate slapped his arm. She’d chosen a red satin shirt that night, sleeveless with rhinestone buttons and trim on the yoke; red boots; and a bright red flower in her black hair to set it off.

Sophie hugged her. “You are beautiful.”

“No, Fancy is the pretty one. You are the smart one, and you know what that makes me, but thank you.” Kate laughed and dragged Hart toward the food tables where waiters in white shirts and black slacks waited to help them with whatever they wanted.

“What was that all about?” Elijah asked.

“Ever hear that old song by K.T. Oslin called ‘80’s Ladies’?”

He nodded.

“Well, there’s a line in it that says one was pretty, one was smart, and one was a borderline fool. When we all got together last year at Fancy’s grandma’s house and figured out that we were all living back in this area, we were talking and Kate said that Fancy was the pretty one, I was the smart one, and she was the borderline fool.”

“Why?”

“Fancy’s always been petite and cute,” Sophie said.

“And you are smart, no doubt about that,” Elijah said.

Her heart floated above her body for a few minutes at that compliment.

“Why was Kate the borderline fool?” he asked.

“Because she couldn’t get Hart Ducaine out of her heart. She fell in love with him when she was fifteen and measured every other man by his yardstick,” Sophie said.

“I see,” Elijah said.

“Fancy!” Sophie squealed. “You came.”

Fancy and Theron looked so darn cute together. It was like fate put them in Albany, Texas, at the same time just so they’d meet. Fancy at four feet eleven inches and Theron at barely five feet two were perfect for each other. Fancy had chosen a long skirt much like Sophie’s for the party but topped hers off with a bright yellow shirt that set off her blonde hair and big blue eyes.

“Of course, I wouldn’t miss your sale for anything,” Fancy said.

“And besides, my mother and dad came for the weekend so she’s not worried about Glory,” Theron said.

“I thought we were calling her Emma-Gwen,” Sophie said.

“We did too, but Tina says she looks like a Glory and it’s stuck,” Fancy said. “Come on, darlin’, I see food.”

Theron shook hands with Elijah and said, “She’s only called home four times since we left Albany.”

“Oh, don’t be tellin’ on me now.” Fancy tugged at his hand.

Theron winked at Sophie and allowed Fancy to drag him off to the food table and then over to where Kate and Hart were seated.

The guests came in spurts. Half a dozen, then twenty, and then a whole trainload. At eight o’clock Hayden and Tanner made their appearance, ate, and were dancing by eight thirty.

“My feet hurt. My face is about to freeze forever in this expression. And I really need something to drink,” Sophie said.

“I suppose we’ve done our duty. Let’s get a beer and mingle. Hungry?” Elijah asked.