The Yellow Rose Beauty Shop (Cadillac, Texas #3)(51)

“I might be,” Stella said.

Piper leaned back and studied her. “Don’t tease us, girl. I don’t see you married to Darla Jean. You never have shown signs of that persuasion and neither has she. And Jed ain’t your type.”

“Maybe he’s not from Cadillac?” Stella said.

“Naw.” Charlotte shook her head. “After that shit with the preacher’s son, you said you’d never, ever get tangled up with any form of religious man again. That bad experience done broke you from suckin’ eggs, girlfriend, so we ain’t buyin’ that brand of bullshit, as Agnes says.”

“Okay, enough talk of preachers and their worthless sons. Charlotte, what you have is bride’s jitters and not fear,” Piper said.

Charlotte raised her glass. “Amen, sister.”

Crystal glasses touched and Piper said, “To friendship. It has survived puberty, marriage, childbearing, PMS, and pure old bitchiness. There’s nothing that can knock it down. Not scumbag husbands or bride jitters or a few secrets that we didn’t or won’t tell.”

Stella smiled. “Yes, ma’am. You covered it all. And now it’s on to a massage, a mani-pedi, and a shampoo and styling. Then we’re dressing for dinner and drinking the night away in the hotel bar.”





CHAPTER TWELVE

Nancy met Stella at the door and wrapped her arms around her in a fierce embrace. “I’m sorry for putting your name on that list and creating this whirlwind of a mess. I told Heather to take it off but she’d already gotten bit by this damn marriage ministry bug and wouldn’t do it. I want you to know I had nothing to do with that sign or the one about a prayerathon that’s going up this week for a stupid thing they are having on Sunday, which I will not be attending.”

“Oh, yes, you will.” Stella hugged her mother back, relief flooding through her. How in the holy hell had she managed to survive without her mother in her life? Sure, she had a healthy dose of anger to feed upon, but it didn’t satisfy a daughter like a hug from her mama. “I still need a snitch inside the camp.”

“Agnes told you?” Nancy whispered.

“Yes, she did, and if I don’t sabotage this crappy idea of a barbecue ball, she’s going to make me dye my hair black.”

Nancy stepped back, reached out, and touched Stella’s hair. “Why would she do that?”

“I have to earn the right to be a sassy redhead and this is my first test to see if I can handle the responsibility,” Stella answered.

Nancy’s laughter bounced off the walls and echoed through the house. “If we could buy Heather for what she’s worth and sell her for what she thinks she’s worth, we’d be rich as Midas.”

Stella led the way to the kitchen. “It’s just three more weeks, Mama, and we’ll take her down. Doesn’t she realize that we like Cadillac just the way it is and we don’t want an opera house on Main Street?”

“A grocery store would be nice, though, wouldn’t it?” Nancy said. “Oh, no! Agnes probably won’t be able to go to the ball and the only reason she was going was so y’all would. Now what?”

“We’re going, Mama. I wouldn’t look good with black hair like Heather’s,” Stella said. “Just promise me that you’ll be there.”

“We’ve given our word that we’ll provide the barbecue. And, honey, if you want to be an old maid, then promise me you’ll at least get a cat or dog so I can have grandcats or granddogs,” Nancy said.

“And what would that make you . . . a grand* or a grandbitch?”

Nancy laughed harder than before. “A dog, please, then. I’d rather be a grandbitch. I can’t wait to tell your daddy what you said. But not now. Preacher Jed is already out in the backyard, so we’ll keep that joke between us until he leaves. And your daddy likes him so well that he said next week he’d sit on the front pew. I was shocked beyond words.”

“He really does like Jed, doesn’t he?”

“Yes, he does. So how was the spa?” Nancy asked.

“Oh, Mama, I’ll take you for Christmas. You’ll love it,” Stella said.

Nancy’s eyes twinkled. “If I don’t put you on the prayer list again?”

“Maybe I’ll put you on it. They can pray that I get just the right puppy,” Stella told her.

“We’d better go join the crowd accumulatin’ in the backyard. Piper and her boys arrived a little while ago. Rhett came with Boone and Charlotte. I was about to give up on you. I’m so glad that we’re good again. I missed you,” Nancy said.

“Me, too. Now where’s my banana bread?” Stella’s throat closed off with a lump as big as a grapefruit. Damn that Heather, anyway, for coming between her and her mama.

It wasn’t all Heather’s fault. Agnes’s voice was so clear in her head that she looked over her shoulder to see if the old gal was right behind her. It was your anger and your mama’s stubbornness that kept the fires fueled. Nancy wants a grandbaby before she’s too damned old to enjoy it. And you want total acceptance in this town. Suck it up, buttercup. You probably ain’t goin’ to get that, so be happy with what you’ve got today.

Nancy popped her on the fanny. “Get on outside with your friends. You have to eat your supper before you get dessert. And don’t flirt with the preacher, neither. Just because you and him are both here as fifth wheels don’t mean that I want a grandchild from him. I’d rather have the puppy as that.”