The Yellow Rose Beauty Shop (Cadillac, Texas #3)(83)

“Got any coffee?” Everett asked.

“Yes, darlin’, I brought a thermos. I knew you couldn’t eat brownies without coffee,” Nancy shouted from the bathroom. “When y’all get done eating, start on the boys’ bedroom.”

Charlotte set the pan of brownies in the middle of the table. “They’re cut and ready. I’d best go help carry the kids’ clothes out to the back of Piper’s van so all she has to do is take them out and hang them up.”

As she was leaving, she heard Boone say, “I’m the luckiest man in the whole world.”

Everett said, “You just keep thinkin’ that, son, and you’ll have one of them marriages that lasts past the time the wedding bells stop ringin’.”

Charlotte stopped in the hallway and eavesdropped.

“So what’s your secret?” Jed asked.

“There’s two secrets, son. One is to love your woman, not with your whole heart but with your soul. If you got an inklin’ that you aren’t finished chasin’ skirts, then you ain’t ready to settle down anyway. The other is to respect your woman.” Everett poured coffee from the thermos into his cup. “That’s different from loving her. That means you don’t belittle her, not in front of other people or in private. Your job is to not only make her feel like she’s gorgeous but to know in your heart that she really is and to drop down on your knees every once in a while and thank God that he put her in your life. You do those things and you’ll be just fine. If you don’t, somebody else will and you’ll lose the best thing that ever happened to you.”

“Good advice,” Jed said.

“Yes, it is. Now dig into those brownies and I’ll pour y’all up a cup of coffee and then we’ll go load up the boys’ room.”

Charlotte hurried on to the bedroom and grabbed an armload of little boys’ clothing. As she was going out the door, Rosalee parked her old car across the street and made her way to the porch.

“I thought you were going to see Agnes,” she said.

“I did but thought y’all might need some supervisin’.”

“Nancy is doin’ a fine job of that,” Charlotte said.

“I’m older than she is and I got more experience.” She smiled. “Besides, she said she was bringing soup, and I want a bowl.”

“And brownies,” Charlotte whispered.

“Honey, I can do a hell of a lot of supervisin’ for some of Nancy’s brownies. Besides, I’m here to check out the—what is it y’all call them things? Now I remember—the vibes between Rhett and Piper. Agnes said I’m to report to her tonight after y’all finish up here no matter how late it is.” She lowered her voice to a whisper. “Agnes says I’m supposed to spy on Stella, too, and to call her if I smell a rat.”

“You got the story going about why Piper’s moving?”

“My friend is on the phone right now. I only have to tell my next-door neighbor a little bit of something and she’s like that television show where they said, ‘Take it away.’ By morning the stories will be wild and woolly, believe me. Now step aside before them men eat up all the brownies,” Rosalee said.

“You and Agnes sure do have a chocolate sweet tooth,” Charlotte said.

“Comes from growing up poor. We can just smell chocolate and our noses follow the scent. Anything going on between Piper and Rhett? I’ve got to report to Agnes and I need something.”

Charlotte smiled. “I thought you and Agnes were both like God and knew everything.”

“No, that’s Heather, not us. And the big man is going to strike her graveyard dead with a lightning bolt one of these days for thinkin’ like that. Marriage ministry! If that ain’t the biggest crock of shit I’ve ever heard.” Rosalee headed toward the kitchen, mumbling the whole way.

That Rosalee was a hoot—not as big or as flamboyant in her ways as Agnes but still a woman to be reckoned with. Maybe Charlotte could grow up to be just like Rosalee. Then she and Stella could grow old together and keep Cadillac from falling apart.





CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

Heather had never shown her face in the Yellow Rose but that was the only explanation that crossed Stella’s mind when the buzz in the shop stopped so fast. Stella carefully peeked out from around the partition in front of the shampoo sink to see what was going on.

“Well, hello, Irene,” Stella called out, relieved that it was Charlotte’s mama and not Heather coming to stir up trouble. She had enough on her plate as it was, what with still not being able to find a way to sneak off to Sherman and buy a test. Not that she really needed the thing, because she hadn’t been sick again and she had been under a lot of stress. Still it would be great to see that thing say not pregnant for sure.

Charlotte’s mother raised her free hand. In the other one she carried a plastic bag with what looked like a bull-necked football player’s head inside. It didn’t look heavy enough to transport something that big, but then, Irene was a big strong woman. Tall, rawboned, with short brown hair, she looked like she wouldn’t take a bit of sass from anyone: male, female, or rowdy steers.

“How are you girls? I heard that you moved last night, Piper. I brought the bridal bouquet. I worked on it all night and I want your opinion, ladies.”