The Yellow Rose Beauty Shop (Cadillac, Texas #3)(39)

“Don’t pause or stop. Keep talking,” Stella said.

“He said that . . .” Piper blushed.

“What? Spit it out,” Charlotte said impatiently.

“That he likes tall women with some sass and he admired me for not letting Gene get away with cheating on me. Crazy thing is that I don’t know if he did cheat on me—that part could be gossip.” Tears flooded her face and dripped off her jaw onto her shirt, leaving wet polka dots on the cotton fabric. “Not knowing is as bad as knowing.”

“Cheating on you? Of course he did. He was just sneaky enough that we don’t know for sure, but think about it. All those late nights at work and those weekends he went fishing but didn’t bring a thing home, not even a sunburn and chigger bites.” Stella’s voice got higher with each word.

“Honey, we know, but he was careful. If we’d had names and dates, we would have taken his sorry ass out on Everett’s boat and made fish bait out of it,” Charlotte said.

Stella scooted her chair closer and threw an arm around Piper. “I agree with Charlotte. Besides, what does it matter now, anyway? It’s in the past and it’s time for you to move on with your life.”

Piper took a deep breath, downed half the tea in her glass, and said, “You’ve convinced me. If you can live with this husband shit plastered on the church sign, I can get my life in order. No more tears and no more worry. It’s my life and I’m not going to live it in bitterness and anger.”

Charlotte reached across the table and laid a hand over Piper’s. “Don’t just say it; do it. As long as you are upset about Gene, then he has control, and you are too good to let him control your life.”

“Charlotte is right,” Stella said.

“You might do well to listen to your own advice,” Piper said.

“I’m not mad . . . oh, you mean Mama.” Stella did an eye roll and then looked Piper in the eye. “Let it go. We’ll make up. I’m less mad today than I was yesterday but you ain’t pushin’ me into nothing. I’m not in a forgiving mood right now.”

“Okay, I’ve been through denial and anger, what’s next?” Piper said.

“Bingeing out on lasagna and strawberry shortcake tonight and talking about this barbecue ball shit. We’ve got to get dresses. I’m tempted to get one cut down to my waist in the front and up to my crack in the back,” Stella said.

“I’ll pay for it if you will buy it in bright red. Heather will stroke plumb out,” Charlotte told her. “What did you tell Rhett about dinner, Piper?”

“That I’d think about it,” Piper answered.

Stella ignored the ringtone the first time her phone rang but when it started again within a minute of stopping, she shrugged and hurried to her bedroom to answer it.

“Hello,” she said breathlessly.

“Change of plans. The ambulance just came and took my elderly neighbor to the hospital. They think he’s having a heart attack and he’s scared. No family left, so I’m headed to the hospital to be with him. See you later.”

“I understand,” she said. “The girls are leaving by nine, or so they say. Keep me posted. You might still have time to drop by and have some of this fabulous lasagna that Agnes made.”

“I’m sure that it’s delicious. Don’t wait up for me. Love you,” he said and the phone went dead.



The boys were still sleeping soundly the next morning when Lorene arrived.

“I’m sorry, Lorene. I should have had them up and dressed, but my alarm didn’t go off this morning and I’m running late, so do you mind taking them in their pajamas?” Piper said. “I’m glad you’re keeping them. If you weren’t, they’d have to be awake and dressed to go to day care.” Piper scooped Tanner up in her arms and carried him out to the van with Lorene right behind her. The boys were like rag dolls and didn’t know that they’d been strapped into the seats with their stuffed animals tucked in with them.

Lorene patted her on the shoulder. “I’m glad that you let us keep them. We’ll see you at the end of the day. If they don’t wake up on the way into the house, then I’ll let them sleep as long as they need to. They talked a lot about Rhett yesterday and how that he was a great ballplayer.”

“They had a great time with him.” Piper smiled. “My last appointment is at three today so y’all can drop them early. Just call me if you’re coming to the shop and I’ll wait there.”

“We will.” Lorene nodded.

Piper watched the van until it was out of sight, then raced back to the house, grabbed her purse, locked the door, and turned on the air conditioner the first thing when she crawled into her car. When it was already in the high eighties at eight o’clock in the morning, there was no doubt that it was going to be a scorching-hot day.

She’d put the car in reverse and was backing out of the driveway when she noticed the paper stuck under the windshield wiper on the passenger’s side. Figuring it was an invitation to a nearby summer Bible school or maybe a flyer for what was on sale at the convenience store in town, she ignored it and drove on to the shop. She was in such a rush to get inside out of the heat that she forgot about it until the hot Texas wind unhinged it and sent it flying across the sidewalk to land right at her feet.