Riverbend Reunion(88)

“But Daddy hasn’t offered to leave all his dead animals behind and move out here with us, has he?” Lily asked.

“The devil will pass out snow cones in hell before that happens,” Risa said and turned to focus on Haley. “You haven’t mentioned anything about your baby daddy in a couple of weeks. Is everything all right in your corner of the world?”

“Everything is great. Remember that next week, we find out whether we get a girl or a boy.”

“And we start to school next week,” Daisy said. “This summer went faster than any one we’ve ever had, and we have to think about what we’re really going to do when we finish our senior year.”

“The world is our oyster,” Lily quipped.

Jessica was surprised to hear someone as young as Lily quote Shakespeare, but she was right about that. The pearl in her own oyster was Wade, and things were going to work out for them—she felt it in the depths of her soul. She probably shouldn’t be impatient, but she kept thinking that things were going too well, and that the other shoe would drop any minute.

“Look!” Daisy squealed and pointed toward the sign. “It’s up and in place. Isn’t it beautiful?”

They were all so engrossed with the new sign that they paid little attention to Zach as he drove across the lot and the three men loaded the old steeple on the back of his truck, then drove it back to the barn. In just a few minutes, all three men came back to the porch.

“I could sure use a bottle of water when we get these pews loaded up,” Zach said.

“We got water, tea, and cold beer,” Risa told him.

“Tea sounds great,” Zach said as he picked up the end of the other pew.

Daisy went inside and brought out a glass of ice and a gallon of sweet tea. She set it on the edge of the porch, and said, “Help yourself. Anyone else want something to drink?”

Oscar pulled a bandanna from his pocket and swiped sweat from his face. “I’d take a cold beer.”

“Make that two,” Wade said.

“Y’all wouldn’t want to rent out that barn, would you?” Zach filled his glass and drank half of it down. “The place where I work now has been put up for sale. I like quiet when I work.”

Jessica chuckled. “This is going to be a bar. We’ll be open until two in the morning. Do you really think you’ll have peace and quiet here?”

“I work in the day and usually knock off no later than six. Right now, I live in the loft above the small warehouse on the outskirts of Copperas Cove, where I work. They tell me in three months I have to be out because my place will be razed to make a golf course,” he said. “I’m looking for a place to relocate. I’d gladly rent the barn and buy that RV out there. I see you’ve got a ‘For Sale’ sign on it. You don’t have to give me a decision today, but I’d appreciate it if you’d think about it.” He finished off his tea and poured another glass.

“That’s where I keep my tools,” Wade told him.

“I take on no more than two projects at a time,” Zach said, “so all I need is a corner, but for now, I thank you for this sweet tea. I’m going back up the road to get busy on this steeple. Oscar and I’ve talked about what to do with it. What do you want on the church pews?”

Wade raised an eyebrow toward Jessica. “Have y’all decided?”

“The same thing you worked on the mirror. Lily picked out some artwork that she could send links to on your phone if that would work. Do you think maybe you could carve it into the wood, rather than just painting it?” Jessica asked. “That way it would be permanent.”

“Sure thing.” Zach nodded. “Do you want the carved part to be stained darker than the oak or painted?”

“Stained,” Wade said without hesitation.

“You got it. I’ll have them ready as soon as possible.” Zach tipped the bill of his hat toward the ladies. “See y’all then.”

Daisy grabbed Oscar by the arm and whispered, “If you’ll tell me what he’s going to do with that steeple, I’ll make you a whole batch of chocolate chip cookies this afternoon.”

“Much as I love those, I want it to be a surprise.” Oscar shook his head. “I will tell you this, though. Stella Sullivan is not going to like it one bit, and after the way she’s treated you and Risa, that brings me great pleasure.”

“Daddy!” Mary Nell scolded.

“Hey, don’t fuss at me. Vengeance might belong to the Lord, but He’s the one who knocked that steeple off the roof of this place, so I don’t reckon He will care what I do with it.” Oscar twisted the top off his beer and took a long drink. “Now, unless I’m mistaken, I hear a big truck coming and I’m pretty sure that’s going to be our bull. Which one of you won out to ride the critter first, and what did you decide to name him?”

Lily raised a hand. “I’m riding first.”

“And his name is Bodacious,” Daisy answered. “I researched the names of mean rodeo bulls.”

“That’s a pretty famous bull,” Oscar said as the truck backed up to the porch.

“Yep, and our bull will be even more famous because he’s going to be the only one in all of Burnet County. Heck, we’re going to be as big as Billy Bob’s,” Daisy told him.