The Perfect Dress(51)

“Gloria just came through the door,” Dixie whispered.

“Who’s Gloria?” Paula asked.

“The girl I put on the ground for her smart mouth,” Dixie said.

“Ignore her,” Mitzi said. “If you say or do anything, she’ll have power over you. Pretend like she’s an ugly old mangy dog.”

Dixie’s giggle turned into a guffaw. “That’s the funniest picture I’ve had in my head in years. Now I’m going to laugh every time I see Gloria, and ‘dog’ is right because she is a bi-atch.”

“Dixie!” Graham said.

“Well, she is,” Tabby agreed with her sister. “She better keep away from me. I didn’t get to hit her, and we’re not on the Greenville school property. I might take her down,” Tabby said, and then frowned. “A woman is waving at y’all.”

Graham glanced in that direction and held up a hand. “That’s your mother’s cousin, Kayla. She came and spent some time with us right before you girls were born. Haven’t seen her since then.”

There was no doubt the woman was pregnant and due to deliver any day from the size of her baby bump, but it was the man walking behind her who caused the room to start spinning. Paula steadied herself on a cart that had been left empty in the aisle and hoped that she didn’t faint. With her luck she’d cause that cute little unicorn display to tumble, too, as she went down.

Jody nudged her with an elbow. “Are you okay? You look like you just saw a ghost.”

“I’m fine,” she answered. Right there, not six feet from her, was the father of her child, and he was acting like he’d never seen her. And his wife looked like she was a hell of a lot further along than six months.

Kayla laid a hand on Graham’s arm. “I haven’t seen you in years. I’d like you to meet my husband, Clinton, and this”—she laid her hand on her stomach—“is our second son. Maybe we’ll get a daughter next time.”

“Pleased to meet you, Clinton.” Graham stuck out a hand.

“No!” Jody whispered. “Is that . . .”

Paula nodded. “It is.”

Clinton shook hands with him. “Likewise. How do you know my wife?”

“I’m a cousin to his ex-wife, Rita,” Kayla answered. “She and I have been in this area to plan our grandmother’s funeral, and we’ve been going through her house, getting it all ready to sell. Congratulations on y’all going to give it another try when she gets a divorce. I always thought you made a cute couple.”

Clinton was careful not to make eye contact with Paula, but she glared at him the whole time. She’d bet he was never separated from Kayla, and now that bi-atch, as Tabby had called Gloria, had ruined everything for Mitzi as well. It was a good thing that a stuffed unicorn’s horn couldn’t kill a man, because even with a touch of dizziness, Paula couldn’t miss his black heart at that distance.

Her eyes wandered to Kayla’s big belly. Was that twins? When was the baby even due?

“Rita told me at the funeral that you’d moved back to Celeste but you still run the dealership here.” Kayla flipped her long blonde hair over her shoulder and shifted her focus to the girls. “She said the girls were all grown up, but good Lord! Last time I saw y’all, you were just babies. Which one is Dixie and which one is Tabby? Mercy, but y’all are big . . . I mean, t-tall . . . girls,” she stammered.

Dixie waved a hand. “This is Tabby. I’m Dixie.”

“I’ll see you at Lizzy’s wedding, I’m sure, but right now I’m starving for pizza, so we’re off to a late lunch. Been craving it ever since I got pregnant. Who are all y’all?” She looked from one person to another in the group.

“I’m sorry. I should’ve already introduced all y’all. This is Mitzi, Paula, and Jody,” Graham said. “And Kayla, Rita was wrong. We’re never getting back together.”

“Never say never,” Kayla said.

“Nice to meet all y’all.” Clinton finally made eye contact with Paula.

The tension was so thick it would take a machete to cut through it. Dixie and Tabby looked like they could chew up two-by-fours and spit out Tinkertoys. Mitzi had one of those forced smiles on her face.

Jody bumped Paula on the arm and whispered, “Are you okay?”

“Later,” Paula answered, but she gripped the handle of the cart so tight that her hands ached.

The awkward silence deafened them until Clinton finally pulled Kayla close to his side and spoke up. “Darlin’, we’d better get you fed and headed toward home. I didn’t even want her to come down here this close to her due date but”—he kissed her on the cheek—“women have a mind of their own.”

“When are you due?” The words slipped out of Paula’s mouth so fast that she wasn’t sure she’d said them out loud.

“Next week. We left our three-year-old home with Clinton’s mama. She adores him and Timmy thinks he’s on vacation when he gets to stay with his nana. It’s good to see you, Graham. I was always sorry that things didn’t work out between you and Rita, and I’ll be praying that y’all can forget the past and move on to a wonderful future together. There’s nothing like a close-knit family.”