The Yellow Rose Beauty Shop (Cadillac, Texas #3)(90)

“Hey, Nancy, make Everett tell me his secret about smoking the brisket for your part of the barbecue. I can’t get a thing out of him except that he’s using some peppers in the water when he makes it this time,” Boone yelled across the yard.

“See! Yelling works. He didn’t have to use a phone.”

“He won’t tell anyone that secret,” Nancy said. “I’m surprised he doesn’t keep it in his gun safe under lock and key. I’m just grateful he only has to make one brisket for my contribution instead of cooking for the whole crowd.”

Stella raised her voice above the kids, dogs, and conversation floating around the backyard. “Daddy, I really need to know the secret to good smoked chicken so I can win the prize at the barbecue ball.”

“I’ll leave it to you in my will, but I’m not telling you today. And besides, you don’t need that ugly set of angel candleholders. They look like shit.” Everett nodded.

“I’m going to go throw a Frisbee for Luke and Tanner so Piper and Rhett can have some time to talk,” Jed said. “Hey, guys, y’all come on over here and show me how to throw this thing. I’ve forgotten how you hold it.”

“We’ll show you,” Tanner said. “And we’ll show you the right way since we like you.”

“Piper, can I buy this kid from you?” he asked.

“Sorry, he’s not for sale today, but there might be a day when I’ll give him to you and not charge a dime if you’ve got a good barbecue recipe for country ribs.” Piper laughed.

Tanner covered his ears with his hands. “Mama! Don’t think of it.”

Piper pulled Tanner to her side and kissed his sweaty little cheek. “Honey, I’m not getting rid of you. I kind of like you.”

Tanner hugged her tightly. “I love you, Mama, and I’m so glad to be home.”

“So you like your new house?” Rhett asked.

“Wow, man! It’s like heaven and Poppa Everett said me and Luke can each have our own puppy. We done picked out the ones we want and we get to take them home tonight. This is the best day in the whole world. It’s okay if we call him Poppa Everett, isn’t it? He said we could. It’s kind of like a grandpa but it really ain’t,” Tanner answered.

“That’s just fine,” Piper said. “Now that you’ve had time to think about it and slept in your new room, you aren’t disappointed not to go back to your old house?”

“Heck, no!” Luke answered for his brother. “That was just a house. This is heaven. And starting on Tuesday, we get to stay right here with Poppa Everett and Nanny. Miz Nancy said we could call her that since she’s kinda like a nanny. We’ll miss Grandma and Grandpa, but we’ll see them every other weekend like before. Now we got to go teach Preacher Jed how to throw a Frisbee.” He lowered his voice. “Don’t worry, Mama, we’ll be nice. He is the preacher, you know.”

He went from standing still to a blur as he and Tanner raced to the other side of the yard, where Jed twirled the bright-red Frisbee on the tip of his forefinger.

“I remembered how to do this, but you guys need to show me how to throw it,” Jed said.

“They’ll be practicing that for weeks now,” Piper said.

Nancy dragged a chair across the yard and sat down at the end of the table. “Everett is really excited about having them stay with us. He’s already talking about making and painting birdhouses and doing some pond fishing with them.”

Rhett chuckled as he watched Jed with the Frisbee. “He’s really good with kids. Do I need to worry about losing my place?”

“I don’t think so. The first thing they asked me last night was if you knew we’d moved,” Piper told him.

Rhett’s smile covered his sexy face. “Wow!”

Piper nudged him with her shoulder. “To them you are ten feet tall and bulletproof, too.”

What on earth that handsome man saw in a big, gangly woman with legs that were too long and who shopped at plus-size stores was beyond Piper. Not that she was griping one bit. Sitting beside him with the hot summer breezes fluffing up her hair, she felt like a dainty princess about to be rescued by the handsome prince.

“Now that my ego is properly inflated, I’m going out there and see if I can help Everett,” Rhett said.

Boone stood up. “Me, too. Those two will wear Jed out in a while and we’ll need to rescue him.”

“Y’all are crazy. Luke and Tanner will tire out before Jed,” Charlotte said.

Stella joined them at the table and the guys went to the back of the yard where the smoker was located.

“Hey.” Charlotte poked Piper. “Where’s your mind? I asked you if you slept well last night in your new place.”

Piper smiled. “I’m sorry. I was woolgathering. The boys were like live wires last night. I didn’t realize how much they needed a fresh start, too. But yes, we all three slept better than we have in weeks.”

“I was afraid they’d be sad,” Charlotte said.

“Not one bit, and when they heard they were staying with Everett and Nancy, they about brought the house down with their squeals. They love their grandparents but things are very tense over there right now.”

Charlotte refilled their tea glasses. “How did Lorene take the news?”