The Yellow Rose Beauty Shop (Cadillac, Texas #3)(36)

Agnes came out of the back door with two plates. One held a hot dog, beans, and potato salad, the other a chunk of chocolate cake. “Hey, Trixie, you’d best be engaged or married to him by the time the barbecue ball takes place. I learned this morning that there’s going to be three fishbowls. Heather is putting the gents’ . . . and that is her word not mine. Sounds kind of sissified, don’t it? Anyway, she’s putting the men’s names in one bowl and the ladies’ in the second one. She’ll draw out names from each one and that’s who will partner up for the first dance. I hope I get a sexy cowboy.”

“The third bowl?” Charlotte asked.

“Will have the names of couples on one piece of paper. Like you and Boone since y’all are already engaged, or Sugar and Jamie Magee since they’re already married, and they can dance together for the first dance. I hear it’s some shitty old waltz instead of a hoochy-cooch song. Leave it up to Heather to try to turn a barn into a castle and make us all dance like we’ve got corncobs up our asses.” Agnes set about eating the chocolate cake.

“You are supposed to eat your food before dessert,” Piper said.

“At my age, you get to eat whatever you damn well please first. I’m proud of your mama, Stella. She stood up to Heather this morning in their meeting. For the first time ever, she didn’t let anyone run over her. Your daddy is cookin’ and she and the Fannin girls are fixin’ the side dishes and that’s all she’s doin’. I heard that she’s quittin’ the Prayer Angels soon as this ball is over.”

“That’s nice, but I’m still mad as hell,” Stella said.

Agnes started toward her mouth with a forkful of potato salad. “You’ll get over it.”

“I’m not so sure. That damned sign is still out there for the whole world to see. That cake looks good.” Stella headed to the back room under the pretense of getting a piece of it, but what she really wanted was a moment of peace and maybe to make a phone call.

She poured a cup of coffee and carried it to the small table that they used as a place to eat as well as a place to spread out their papers for business. She pulled out a chair and sat down. Piper and Agnes were arguing about Rhett in the other room. Charlotte, the peacemaker, was trying to change the subject, bless her heart.

There was no way Nancy would ever quit the Angels. She’d be one of those who stuck with it until the day she died. And then the members would all gather in Nancy’s kitchen to heat up casseroles and help Everett get through the tough time. Floy and Heather would boss everyone else who stopped by to comfort Stella and Everett.

She slowly shook her head. It wasn’t happening like that when her mother passed. No, sirree! She and her father would lock the doors and tell the whole bunch of them to go straight to hell. If it became an issue, they’d post Agnes Flynn on the front porch with her shotgun. She’d gladly take care of turning Violet away if Stella asked her.

After all, redheads stuck together.

A blast of hot air shot across the back room when the door into the alley opened. Only the girls, Agnes occasionally, and the delivery guys came in that way, so Stella didn’t even look up. But when Jed wrapped his arms around her from behind and kissed her on that soft part of her neck right under her ear, she jumped like she’d been caught making out on the back row of church during services.

“I’ve got a free haircut ticket in my pocket,” he whispered. “I came to collect.”

“Sign on the door says we don’t do men’s haircuts anymore.” She turned enough that she could tangle her fingers in his hair and bring his lips down to hers for a long, lingering kiss.

“Then I guess I’ll have to collect on it in private. Maybe tonight at the parsonage?” He picked her up and sat down in the chair with her in his lap. “Or maybe we’ll meet back here. Have you ever had sex on the sofa in the shop?”

“No,” she gasped.

“Then we’ll have to try it out.”

“Is someone back there?” Piper yelled. “If it’s the delivery guy from the beauty supply, I need six extra perms this next week.”

“It’s not him, but I’ll leave a note.”

“Who are you talkin’ to? I swear I heard you talkin’ to someone.” Piper’s voice was louder with each word.

Jed quickly set Stella off his lap and stood up. He met Piper halfway across the floor. “Why, hello, Piper. I hope it was all right that I used the back door. I had this ticket for a free haircut but Stella just told me that y’all aren’t cutting men’s hair anymore.” He brushed past her and went into the shop. “Hello, Miz Agnes.”

“What are you doin’ here?” she asked.

“Free haircut, and I was walkin’ down the alley so I used the back door. Looks like you’re havin’ a fine lunch there.” Jed flashed his brightest smile.

“I sure am and I’m right sorry to turn down the preacher, but these girls ain’t cuttin’ men’s hair no more. You’ll have to take the ticket back to Heather and tell her to shove it—”

“Agnes!” Charlotte exclaimed.

“Shove it where the sun don’t shine. There, does that make everyone happy? I didn’t use a single cussword.”

Jed patted Agnes on the shoulder. “You did real good, Miz Agnes. See y’all in church on Sunday. I’ll be goin’ since I can’t get a free haircut. You ladies have a wonderful day.”