The Yellow Rose Beauty Shop (Cadillac, Texas #3)(47)

Piper licked the spoon clean. “You’ve got to stop bringing knitting to work, girl.”

Stella picked up a spoon and dipped deep into the rocky road ice cream. “Can you believe I talked to my mama before I knew she was a NASA snitch and agreed to go to supper tomorrow night? I was going to be mad at her until after the ball at the very least. Something’s got my emotions all in turmoil.”

“It’s that damn past gossip about you and that preacher’s saint of a son of a bitch son. If you’d let go of that, you could move on, Stella Joy,” Charlotte said.

“It’s hard to let go of something that’s always starin’ at you in the face.”

“When you see it starin’ at you, spit on it,” Piper said.

“Lord, that sounded just like Agnes.” Stella laughed.

“I’m going to miss Agnes.” Piper sighed. “We’ll all take turns going to visit her and we’ll take some form of chocolate every time we go.”

“Can you believe that I’m not home in bed with the sexiest man in Grayson County but I’m here eating ice cream with you two because I want to talk about what all happened this evening?” Charlotte asked.

Stella picked up her spoon. “Let’s talk about Rhett now.”

Piper fell backward on the sofa and shut her eyes. “What am I going to do? Gene and I had a hellacious argument out in the parking lot. I’m glad the boys were already in the van because I lost it. My language was pretty damn bad.”

“And what did the best husband in the world have to say?” Charlotte asked.

“He called me a slut and said that he wouldn’t abide Rhett Monroe sleeping with me in the house with his sons,” Piper answered without raising her head.

“And what did you tell him?”

Piper jerked her head up and chewed on her lip before she answered. “That I had not slept with Rhett but if I wanted to, it wouldn’t be a damn bit worse than what he did when he took them to his new place and slept with Rita.”

Stella nodded. “Don’t let him walk on you. Remember what Mama told you when you first got the divorce? You can only be someone’s doormat if you let them walk on you.”

“How could you have ever been mad at her, Stella? I’d give anything to have my mama back to talk to.” Piper’s eyes misted.

“Mama should have thought twice before she put me on that prayer list,” Stella said defensively. “But this is not the first time we’ve been in a big argument and I don’t expect it will be the last. It’s just that this one might be the most public what with the sign and this prayer shit.”

“Nancy is a good woman.” Piper wiped at her eyes with her shirtsleeve.

Stella inhaled deeply. “Yes, she is, but she still should’ve remembered that we’re all talking about Heather and the fact she wants to take Violet’s place as Miz Cadillac Head Boss Lady. Besides, you are my friend.”

“Yes, I am, and that’s why I’m tellin’ you like it is.” Piper’s tears started again.

“No more tears,” Charlotte said. “Unless maybe you are crying for your ex-husband and in that case we may drown you in Stella’s bathtub.”

“I’m not crying for that fool. I can’t call him a son of a bitch because his mama is such a nice person. I’m cryin’ because I want a mama like Nancy that loves me enough to put me on the damn prayer list,” Piper sobbed.

Stella slung an arm around her shoulders. “Then stop it. I’ll share my mama. She always wanted more than one child, so you can adopt her and I’ll even tell her that she can put you on the prayer list. I’d let you adopt her, too, Charlotte, but you got a mama.”

“One is enough,” Charlotte said. “All we do is argue these days. I don’t need two mamas, believe me. We were into it at her house just before Boone picked me up for the fireworks.”

“What about?” Piper filled her spoon with more ice cream.

“My bouquet. I want to carry three roses on my Bible. One for me. One for Boone. One for our life together. She picked out one of those new brooch bouquets with enough bling on it to light up the whole church,” Charlotte answered.

“I like those bouquets,” Piper said. “I wish they’d been around when I got married.”

“Compromise,” Stella said. “Tell her that you’ll wrap your three roses in satin ribbon and if she or your grandmother has a special brooch, you’ll fasten it in the middle of the bow up near the roses. It can be your something old. And if they’ve got extra brooches, you could ask to borrow them to pin on my and Piper’s bouquets and maybe on the little flower girl’s basket. Think that will make her happy?”

Charlotte’s head bobbed up and down in agreement. “I love it. Absolutely love it and I think she will, too. Only I don’t think she’s going to be wild about just three roses.”

“Then tell her to build you a bouquet out of whatever she thinks is pretty but that you want it to include three roses and tell her why. Irene loves sentimental stuff,” Stella said.

“You are a brilliant genius, my friend.” Charlotte held up a spoon of ice cream. “Here’s to good friends. I’m going to go home to Boone now and hope he’s not asleep. And I’m going by Mama’s in the morning and tell her what you said. She’s going to love that idea.”