The Yellow Rose Beauty Shop (Cadillac, Texas #3)(54)

“Okay, folks, we’ll be listenin’ to ‘Good Hearted Woman’ while we finish up this ice cream and work on fryin’ fish,” Everett said when the CD played the last George Jones song.

Jed grinned and headed across the yard again.

“I do believe you are not going to be a wallflower,” Piper said.

“This is the song I sing to my secret wife,” he said as he swung Stella out and then brought her back into his arms. “Only I’m changing the words up a little bit. I’m a good-hearted preacher in love with a good-timin’ gal. Through good times and bad times we’ll pass through this world hand in hand and I love her in spite of her wicked ways she says she has.”

“Oh, you do?” Stella asked. “You want to tell me her initials? The ladies over there are dyin’ to know some new gossip. They’re sick nigh unto death of hearing about that prayer list, the barbecue ball, and Violet’s dementia.”

“Not until she’s ready to tell the world. Then I’ll be glad to give y’all her full name. She’s said something about tellin’ the news at the barbecue ball,” he said breathlessly when the song ended.

The music stopped at the same time Everett picked up the first pan full of fish and dropped it into the bubbling-hot grease.

“I’m sure glad I’m just a little boy,” Luke said with a snarl on his six-year-old face.

“Why’s that, son?” Everett asked.

“Because I don’t want to dance with no sweaty old girl.”

Tanner snarled and shivered. “Me, neither.”

“You’ll get over that one of these days, but right now I’m glad you’re just a little boy, too,” Everett said seriously. “You boys might want to steer clear of this kettle. I don’t want you to get burned, and it pops sometimes.”

“Yes, sir. We’ll go toss the Frisbee some more, but could you hurry that fish up? We’re pretty near starved plumb to death. Mama wouldn’t let us have a taste of them beans she cooked.”

“We sure will. Soon as the fish floats, you can be the first ones to get fed,” Everett said and then yelled, “Nancy, these boys are hungry. You gals want to get the rest of the food brought out to the picnic table so they can chow down on the first batch that comes up?”

Nancy touched Stella on the shoulder. “I don’t think a puppy is going to do the trick for your daddy, darlin’.”



Stella barely got the door open to her house when strong arms picked her up and carried her through the kitchen and out the back door. She laid her head on his chest and whispered, “Where are we going?”

“Away until tomorrow evening. My truck is waiting over on the next block. I packed a suitcase for you. If I did it wrong or forgot a single thing, we’ll buy it at the Walmart,” he said softly.

“I should tell Piper and Charlotte in case they need me,” she said.

“It’s Piper’s turn to clean the shop tomorrow and if they need you, they’ll call. Your phone is in your purse. I want to sleep with you in my arms and wake up tomorrow beside you. This week has lasted for an eternity, and we are celebrating the hiring of Jed Tucker at the Cadillac church,” Jed said. “I made reservations at a cabin on the banks of Lake Murray just west of Durant. We don’t have to check out until Tuesday morning at eight o’clock.”

“We get to play house for almost two days?” she asked.

“We will play house forever in exactly three weeks or we could start on Tuesday morning at eight o’clock. Your choice, darlin’.”

“Is that a second proposal?” she asked.

“Sweetheart, I’ll get down on one knee again any time you want me to. Right under the only red light on Main Street at high noon if you just say the word. I’m not ashamed of loving you.”

“I might make you eat those words.” She sighed.

“Just hand me the salt and pepper and I’ll go to chawin’ with a big grin on my face,” he said. “And remember, I intend to announce it with a microphone at that barbecue ball.”

She snuggled down tighter into his arms. “Not if I get it in my hands first.”





CHAPTER THIRTEEN

Mama, Mama, look who’s making pancakes for us,” Luke squealed.

Piper definitely had a case of bedroom hair going on with a tangled rat’s nest at the back of her head, her faded nightshirt barely covered her underpants, and she was busy rubbing sleep from her eyes.

How could it be Tuesday morning already? And why would Stella be at her house that early?

“Pancakes sound wonderful,” she mumbled.

“I’m glad,” Gene said.

Her eyes popped wide-open and would not shut. Her head set up an instant throb and her gut clenched up into a pretzel.

“What are you doing in my house?” she asked.

“Making pancakes,” Tanner said innocently. “He woke us up and helped us pack. We’re goin’ to Grandma’s for two whole weeks.”

Her eyeballs were dry and her brain close to exploding. “Were you going to tell me?”

“Sure, we was going to bring you breakfast in bed,” Tanner said. “But now that you are in here, we can sit down at the table all together, right?”