The Yellow Rose Beauty Shop (Cadillac, Texas #3)(44)

“You didn’t miss anything, Miz Agnes. They haven’t started yet. Put your tote bag right down here beside our feet,” Charlotte said.

Gene patted Luke on the knee. “You can sit in my lap and Tanner can sit on Mama’s knee to make a little more room.”

“I’m not a baby,” Luke said.

Tanner shook his head. “Me, neither.”

“We’re fine down here,” Jed said. “No need for anyone to hold one of those boys. We don’t mind being scrunched, do we, Rhett?”

“Not a bit.” Rhett’s chin dimple deepened.

Agnes nudged Nancy. “I hear there’s a fish fry going on at y’all’s place Sunday night.”

“There is and you should come,” Nancy said.

“Well, thank you. What can I bring?”

“A six-pack of Coors.” Everett laughed.

“I’ll bring a case and it’ll be cold,” Agnes told him.

“Fish fry? Are we goin’, Mama?” Tanner asked. “Is Rhett coming, too? Can we bring our bats and gloves?”

“You sure can,” Rhett said. “I might even talk Boone and Jed into playing a game with us.”

“I thought you guys were coming to my place this weekend,” Gene said.

“No, Daddy, last weekend was yours. Remember, you said that you and Rita had plans so we got to stay with Grandpa and he took us fishin’. We love to go fishin’ but we love to eat ’em as well as catch ’em,” Luke reminded him.

Stella could have kissed that child. It was way past time for karma to bite Gene square on the ass and she was so glad that she got to be there when it did.

“If you ask my daddy, I bet he’ll let y’all turn the crank to help make homemade ice cream,” Stella said.

“Wow! That’s awesome.” Luke held up a hand and Tanner slapped it in a high five.

Gene shot a drop-dead look her way, but she just smiled at him. Oh, yes, Madam Karma had made a perfect entrance. It was worth sitting between the two men that her mother absolutely did not want her to be involved with just to see Gene on the hot seat.

Ethan Prescott’s voice came through the microphone and the noise level dropped to a dull roar. “Good evening, everyone. We’re glad you could all join us tonight for the Cadillac Fireworks Festival. We’ve got a fantastic show for you, but before it starts, my mother, Violet Prescott, would like to say a few words.”

“Well, dammit. She’s a perfect target up on that flatbed trailer with the lights shinin’ on her,” Agnes groaned. “And I didn’t bring my pistol. Anyone got a tomato I could throw at her? I’ve got a good pitchin’ arm.”

“Agnes!” Nancy exclaimed.

“Well, I do. And, honey, you might not know it, but sittin’ beside me will most likely cause Heather to make you give up your angel-prayin’ panties.”

Stella giggled. “Yes, Mama, you can take my name off the list now, because none of those prayin’ women are going to enlist God’s help for you since you’ve thrown in with the redheads.”

“I wish to hell—pardon me, Jed—that I’d never asked them to put your name on the list,” Nancy said.

Everett patted her on the knee. “I’ll all be over by the end of the month, darlin’.”

Violet took the microphone from her son and tapped it to be sure it was working. “Guess that you can all hear me all right?”

“We hear her too damned good. No tomatoes, anyone?” Agnes asked.

“I got a little bit of a hot dog left,” Luke said.

“And you are going to eat it,” Piper said.

“Guess y’all don’t leave me no choice.” Agnes pulled a bright red megaphone from her tote bag and stood up.

“We thank you for coming and we would like to . . .” Violet started off her speech.

Agnes turned around toward the packed bleachers and shouted into the megaphone, “Let’s hear it for the firemen who have donated their time, energy, and money into putting on this show for Cadillac. Put your hands together and stomp your feet for our Cadillac firemen.”

Folks over in Fannin County probably looked to the southwest for an approaching tornado when catcalls, yells, and applause joined the stomping that vibrated the wooden stands. Agnes worked the crowd better than any country music star Stella had ever seen. When the folks began to take their seats, she yelled into the megaphone again, “Now let’s give a big round of applause to all the vendors who’ve battled the heat and mosquitoes to make it a wonderful evening for the Cadillac citizens. Let’s hear it for the hot dogs, the funnel cakes, and all the good food.”

That round was so loud that Luke put his hands over his ears, but he was stomping just as hard as Tanner. Stella glanced over at Jed to find him laughing too hard to cheer.

“Can I have everyone’s attention? Please, qui . . . et!” Violet yelled into the microphone. “I would like to say—”

Agnes checked her watch and put the megaphone back to her mouth. “Countdown until the first blast. Ten . . . can I get a ten?”

“Ten!” the whole crowd yelled.

“Nine . . . can I get a nine?”

Nine!”

It went on until she yelled, “Blast off!”