The Yellow Rose Beauty Shop (Cadillac, Texas #3)(77)



“Yes, yes, yes.” Piper hugged Nancy tightly. “I can’t ever thank you enough.”

Nancy patted her on the head. “Havin’ someone out there to take care of the trailer so it don’t get vandalized or fall down in a heap will be nice. In a few years you might want to sell your house and move back to town, but we’ll cross that bridge when we get to it.”

Charlotte wiped away tears with a fresh paper towel and threw the roll at Stella, who peeled several off and passed it on to Piper.

“Now that’s settled, we’ll start packing tomorrow night, right?” Charlotte asked.

“Before you change your mind,” Stella said.

“I’ll get Boone and Rhett to move the heavy stuff on Thursday evening. We can pack in two nights and the boys will have a big surprise when they get home. Now they can have a puppy, right, Nancy?” Charlotte asked.

“They can have dogs, cats, ducks, or rabbits and chickens . . . it’s the country,” she answered.

“My head is spinning.” Piper finally laughed. “They’ll be so excited. I’m not telling them or Gene anything about it. He’s already been told he has to bring them to the shop, so he won’t know.”

“I’m supposed to help teach Bible school next week so the first week, me and the boys will be real busy. Everett is already pouting because he says it’s not fair that I get them more than he does right at first,” Nancy said.

“It just gets better and better,” Piper said.

“Okay, we’ve settled Piper’s problem, Nancy. Now help me with mine. I’m getting married in a few months and I’ve got second thoughts about it.” Charlotte spit the words out in a rush.

Nancy clutched her shirt at heart level. “Your mama . . .”

“I know,” Charlotte exclaimed.

Letting go of her shirt, Nancy exhaled loudly. “I feel like my life has come around in a circle right now, Charlotte.”

“Why?” Stella asked.

“It was about two months until my wedding day. We didn’t have a lot of money but Mama had bought the prettiest white satin and did hand embroidery on the dress she made for me until her fingers were raw. She was scared to death that they would bleed and she’d get a drop of red on that dress. And there I was wondering if I should marry Everett Baxter. I felt so guilty and I imagine you do, too,” Nancy said.

Charlotte’s eyes misted up again as she nodded.

Stella reached for the paper towels. “Lord, help us all. This is sure a cryin’ jag night.”

“Are you prayin’?” Nancy teased.

“I might be at that.” Stella smiled.

“What did you do, Nancy?” Charlotte asked.

“Well, I sure couldn’t talk to my mama, not with that dress almost finished and the fabric for the bridesmaids’ dresses all ready to cut out next. I couldn’t talk to the Fannin sisters, who were barely past the honeymoon stage. And Claudia was in the same boat as Sugar, Tansy, and Gigi. We had a whole bunch of weddings those couple of years just like we’re havin’ right now in Cadillac. Trixie’s mama was my special friend, but she’d run off to join a commune and, honey, we didn’t have cell phones to call people like y’all do. So I went up to Claudia’s mama’s house,” Nancy said.

“That would be Agnes’s sister, right?” Stella asked.

“That’s right. I remember knockin’ on the door and then breaking down into sobs and she took me into a room. It was hot summertime but that room was so cool and so dark. She turned on one little lamp and sat down beside me on an old blue velvet sofa and asked me if my mama had passed.”

Stella slung her feet around and planted them on the floor, propped her hands on her knees, and asked, “Why would she ask that?”

“She said that she’d never seen me cry before and thought it had to be a death to cause it. Well, I told her how I was feeling and I’m going to tell you the same thing and make you do it. It will seem crazy, but it will work,” Nancy said.

“I will do anything,” Charlotte said. “I need some peace.”

“Stella, do you or Piper need to go to the bathroom for anything? It’s going to be locked for the next half hour,” Nancy said.

Piper raised her hand and raced down the hall.

Stella shook her head.

“When Piper gets out, Charlotte, you go in that bathroom and lock the door behind you. Sit on the floor with your back to the door and don’t turn on a single light. Clear your mind and don’t think about anything for at least a whole minute, and then I want you to imagine life without Boone,” Nancy said.

Charlotte sucked in a lungful of air and started to speak, but Nancy put up a palm.

“Think about coming home without him in the house. You won’t ever feel his arms around you again. Don’t think about him dead, because that’s a whole different feeling. If you didn’t marry him, you’d still be sad if he died so that’s not what you get to think about. Once he’s out of your life—although it will just be in your imagination—I want you to think about all the things you will do without him,” Nancy said.

Charlotte cocked her head to one side as if she was already thinking about it.

“Trips. Other boyfriends. Other men to sleep with . . . don’t look at me like that, I know y’all live different than we did at your age. I’ll knock on the door in half an hour and you can come out. Give me your cell phone,” Nancy said.

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