The Yellow Rose Beauty Shop (Cadillac, Texas #3)(75)

“It’s not fair for him to take out his anger toward me on the boys.” The words came out a couple at a time between sobs.

Charlotte sat down beside her and patted her shoulder. “Shhh. He’ll go to work pretty soon and Lorene will take care of them. He won’t be around except in the evenings. They’ll be home in five days.”

“It breaks my heart,” Piper said. “I wish he’d marry that Ramona and get on with his life.”

“If she’s smart, she’ll run the other way,” Charlotte said.

“Who’ll run which way and who’s smart?” Nancy came through the back entrance and set a pan of brownies on the table. “Are you talking about Gene and his new woman?”

Charlotte told the story while Piper dried her eyes and fixed her makeup using a small hand mirror.

Piper’s chin quivered but she took a deep breath and said, “I wish he’d not only get married but that he’d move right on out of this state.” She pushed the chair back and returned to the front part of the shop. “Is there room in Kentucky for another worthless ex-husband, Katy?”

“There could be. Round ’em all up and put them in one place so they can’t sweet-talk their way into breaking another woman’s heart.”

Charlotte cut two brownies from the pan, put them on a plate, and whispered, “Maybe brownies will help everyone. Thanks for bringing them, Nancy.”

“Hi, Mama.” Stella smiled. “Any rain on the horizon?”

“Hell, no, there ain’t no rain in sight all week. Gardens would wither up and die if folks didn’t water. Cadillac has always produced a patch of hot jalape?os up by Clawdy’s and Cathy will see to it that there is a good crop this year, but it’s takin’ lots of water. I hear she’s making candied ones from an old recipe she found in her mama’s things to enter in the fair. Who is this you are fixin’ up? I don’t think we’ve met. I’m Nancy, Stella’s mama.”

“Right pleased to meet you, ma’am. I’m Katy. Alma Grace recommended this shop and I have to agree with her; these ladies do a fine job. My hair is so thick that most hairdressers just want to thin it out and cut it off,” Katy said.

“Brownies? Nancy brought them.” Charlotte slid the plate close enough that Katy could reach it.

Katy reached for one. “That is so sweet.”

Nancy sat down in Stella’s swivel chair and stared at Katy. “Fresh out of the oven just before I left.”

“So what brings you into town this mornin’, Mama?” Stella asked.

“I’ve got to make a run up to Sherman for sugar. Peaches are coming off the two trees in the orchard so fast that I can’t keep up with them,” she said.

“Puttin’ them in the freezer or makin’ peach pie filling?” Stella asked.

“Freezer today,” Nancy answered.

“Delicious brownie. I didn’t take time for breakfast, so it’s really hitting the spot. I miss my granny’s peach cobbler. She uses a little bit of cinnamon and for special times like weddin’s or birthdays she makes homemade ice cream to go on top,” Katy said. “Thank you so much, Stella. I’ve got just enough time to get to work. Piper, it might be awkward for me to come back here, but I did enjoy meeting all of you.”

Piper slid into the chair next to Nancy. “I want to apologize for not finishing my job. I hope you don’t hold that against us. I don’t usually get emotional, but ex-husbands can be trying.” Piper frowned and asked, “Why would it be awkward for you to come back?”

Katy waved her hand in dismissal. “Alma Grace did me the biggest favor of my life in sending me here. It’s not that I don’t want to come back but that I shouldn’t. I wasn’t totally honest with you. My grandmother called me Katy since my middle name is Catherine, but when I came out here from Kentucky I decided to make a clean change and I’ve gone by my first name, Ramona, ever since.” She took a deep breath and her chin quivered slightly. “Y’all and that phone call sure opened my eyes, so thank you, and Piper, believe me when I tell you that you don’t want Gene back in your life. I thought you were a witch from hell who’d cheated on him since the month after you got married and kicked him out when he wouldn’t let you go on a singles cruise with your two friends here. I’ll thank Alma Grace on my way out of town.” Ramona/Katy put a bill on the counter and swept out of the shop without looking back.

Nancy’s sudden intake of breath was the only sound in the beauty shop. “Well, don’t the world go round.”

Stella was speechless for all of thirty seconds and then she whispered, “I bet Gene is in a bitchy mood the rest of this week. I wouldn’t be surprised if he doesn’t bring the boys home early.”

“That would be a blessing,” Nancy said.

“Now he’ll really be grouchy with the boys,” Piper groaned.

“Don’t you worry one bit about it. Karma is a bitch and his mama ain’t goin’ to let him get too mean. Those are her grandkids and believe me, if I had boys like that, I’d fight a forest fire with nothing but spit to protect them. Now pass me one of them brownies and who are you sleeping with, Stella?” Nancy said.

Stella opened her mouth to spit out his name and then shook her finger at her mother. “You are sneaky this morning.”