The Yellow Rose Beauty Shop (Cadillac, Texas #3)(14)

“You shouldn’t have ever gone out with him,” Piper said.

They all three remembered that summer after their sophomore year. A preacher had come to town for a three-month tryout with intentions of staying if the hiring committee liked him. He’d had a seventeen-year-old son—dark haired, dark eyed, sexy as hell and as wild as a Texas tornado. Stella had lost her virginity to that preacher’s son on a hot summer night in the back of his pickup truck after they’d both drunk entirely too many beers. And the next day he’d bragged about it to all his new friends in the church.

It took less than twenty-four hours for her to go from a good little farm girl to a slut who’d seduced the preacher’s son. A week later the hiring committee decided that the boy’s father wasn’t what Cadillac needed and they were gone.

Stella had been left behind with a tainted reputation that was still remembered in whispers around town. Cadillac was not forgiving and it never forgot. That’s why she was so fearful of telling everyone she and Jed were married until he had signed the contract. Then she’d have a couple of years to show everyone that she wasn’t that wild child anymore.

“Good God! Is he another preacher’s son? That would serve Nancy right for the way she’s been trying to push you down the aisle, but we won’t stand by and let you marry a preacher’s son,” Charlotte said.

“We aren’t going to let you marry anyone at all. I’ll shoot him and Charlotte will help me bury him if she doesn’t want to. You can weep over his grave while we shovel dirt into it, but I won’t let my best friend get married. Is that understood? If Charlotte hadn’t already bought her dress when I got divorced, she wouldn’t be getting married, either,” Piper said.

“He’s definitely not a preacher’s son, so there won’t be any long black veils and weeping, or long white veils and walks down the aisle, either,” Stella said.

“Hey, you can have all the wild sex you want as long as there is no marriage at the end of it,” Piper said.

“Understood.” Stella crossed her fingers behind her back.

“And as long as you tell us his name,” Charlotte said.

“That ain’t happenin’. I will tell you that he used to be a truck driver and he did the rodeo circuit, but that’s all I’m sayin’. Now go home.”

Piper shook her head. “I’m comfortable right here. My house is empty and lonely since the boys are with their dad tonight. I brought my church clothes.”

Charlotte nodded. “Boone called from the riverbank. He and his buddies are having a good night. Fish are biting so they’re staying out until morning. I’m going back to sleep here. I’ll make biscuits and sausage gravy for breakfast and clean up the dishes.”

Stella stood up and started down the short hall to her bedroom. “There are twin beds in the guest room. Y’all don’t have to sleep in the living room.”

“Well, thank you. We thought you’d never ask,” Charlotte said.

“Why didn’t you go to bed in there in the first place?”

“We were afraid we wouldn’t wake up when you came in,” Piper answered.

“If you’ll tell us his name, we’ll go home,” Charlotte said.

“Make up your beds before you leave. I’m not sitting with Mama and I’m not going to Sunday dinner, so don’t try to talk me into that tomorrow morning. She can deal with Daddy. And Charlotte, if you giggle when Jed reads that prayer list I’m going to shoot you the bird right there in church from the choir section and everyone will see me,” Stella said.

“I’m glad Luke and Tanner will be in children’s church. If they heard your name I’d have to answer a dozen questions. And no one would be surprised if you did something like waving around your middle finger, Stella. You are the wild child, remember?” Piper said.

Stella sighed. “Y’all go to bed. I’m going to take a shower. If my alarm doesn’t go off in the morning, wake me up in time to get dressed.”

“Yes, Mother.” Piper yawned. “I’ll sleep in your twin bed. I’ll clean up my mess after breakfast. I’ll fold up the quilt I used on the sofa and I don’t blame you for not going to Sunday dinner. But just for the record, your daddy adores you and he only gets to see you on Sunday most weeks. Why does he get punished because you are mad at your mama?”

“She’s right. Invite Everett to dinner at the Longhorn Café so y’all can at least talk,” Charlotte said.

“Or better yet, forgive your mama and put an end to this,” Piper said.

“Best friends aren’t supposed to lay a guilt trip on their friends,” Stella snapped.

“Best friends tell it like it is. Good night and I’m glad one of us had sex tonight.” Charlotte giggled.



“What the hell?” Piper mouthed as she saw her boys bounce out of her mother-in-law’s van and come running toward her.

“Where’s your daddy?” she asked.

“Gene had plans for the weekend,” Lorene said right behind them. “So he brought the boys to my house. We made cookies. They insisted that we bring some to you.” She held out a small brown paper bag. “What’s that sign all about?”

“Nancy put Stella on the prayer list.”