The Yellow Rose Beauty Shop (Cadillac, Texas #3)(80)

“Holy shit!” Stella said.

Rosalee rubbed her hands together. “It’s the finest limo you’ve ever seen. It’s camouflage and it’s one of them Hummer things. I wanted a pickup truck, but it was already taken for a wedding over in Tom Bean. We’ll meet at Darla Jean’s church and go from there. Give y’all plenty of room to park your cars and trucks that way.”

“Is Darla Jean going?” Piper asked.

Rosalee tucked her chin down to the top of her overalls and looked up over the top of her bifocals. “Sure she is. I told her if she didn’t, I’d quit going to church and that God sure enough wouldn’t let a former hooker in heaven if she couldn’t keep her congregation in attendance.”

“Well, thank you. I will be honored to ride in a camo limo.” Stella laughed. “But why go to the expense? Heather will be inside and won’t see it.”

Rosalee smiled. “Done got that covered. The newspaper in Sherman is sending down a reporter to cover the ball and she will be there in time to photograph the limo. Hell, I wouldn’t pay out them big bucks if it didn’t bring me some happiness. And I bet with all the hoopla we can get Heather outside long enough to see the limo.”

“Does Heather know about this reporter?”

Rosalee adjusted her glasses. “Oh, yes, and the television station. We want her to spend lots and lots of money, and she’ll do it if she thinks she’s got something flashy happenin’. Marriage ministry, my ass. That girl thinks she can make God into one of them Internet dating services.”

Stella sat down beside Rosalee. “What else have you two got up your sleeves?”

“Lots of wonderful surprises. Piper, you will be dancing with Rhett, so wear high heels if you’ve got a mind to,” Rosalee yelled across the room.

“How can you promise that? I might get paired up with one of those McKay brothers and they barely come up to my shoulder. If I wear high heels, their noses will get buried up in my boobs when we dance,” Piper said.

“Trust me and FYI—or is it SYI? I can’t ever remember them alphabet soup things you kids say these days. Oh, Lorene says that Gene bought a ticket to attend the ball,” Rosalee said. “Just thought you should know.”

Piper groaned. “What if Heather draws his name and then mine?”

“I told you to trust me. You will be dancing with Rhett. As for the rest of it, there ain’t no tellin’ what might happen at the barbecue ball.” Rosalee patted Stella on the knee.

“Can you tell me who I’m dancing with?” Stella asked.

“I could, but I ain’t. If you don’t stand up and testify about that man that’s sneaking in your bedroom window at night and out again in the morning, then your dance partner will be a big surprise,” Rosalee told her.

Stella’s cheeks immediately flooded with crimson. “How did you know about that?”

“Grasshopper, you have a lot to learn before Agnes dies and leaves Cadillac to you.” She giggled. “I’m off to Ruby’s to see what kind of trouble I can stir up. Agnes has given me the job of pestering Violet.”

“But she’s in rehab,” Piper said.

“They’re bringing her to Ruby’s in a special van to get her roots done this morning,” Rosalee said.

Silence once again fell on the shop after the door closed behind Rosalee.

Charlotte stared at Stella.

Piper couldn’t even blink.

“Is it true that your boyfriend is sneaking in the window at night? We were teasing about the music. We thought you were using it to cover up Charlotte’s snores,” Piper said.

Charlotte air slapped her on the shoulder. “Mine aren’t as loud as yours.”

“Back to the window and the man sneaking in and out,” Piper said.

“Yes, he does,” Stella said, “and the music isn’t to cover up your snores. And no, I’m not telling who he is until after the barbecue ball. And now he won’t be coming in the window because one of you would be hiding to see who he is. And if I get bitchy, you can blame yourselves. So there,” Stella said.

“Why wait until after the ball?” Charlotte asked.

“Because that’s my mother’s punishment for putting my name on that damned prayer list and starting all this and because . . . it’s a secret,” Stella answered.

“But you and Nancy made up at the fireworks show,” Charlotte said.

“We did, but that doesn’t mean she doesn’t get punished.”

“Stella Joy Baxter, your mama loves you,” Charlotte said.

“Don’t triple name me. I know she loves me and I love her, but the man I’ve been seeing and I have decided to wait to come out of the closet. You will be one of the first to know, I promise,” Stella said.





CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

The curb in front of Piper’s place looked like Piper was either having a garage sale or else she’d turned her place into a used-truck lot. Nancy and Everett had come in separate trucks with Jed parking right behind Everett. Boone brought his truck and cattle trailer and Rhett showed up in a truck with a flatbed trailer hitched to the back. Rosalee and Agnes had better have their stories down real good, because when the first piece of furniture went out the door, the stories would start flying around Cadillac.