The Perfect Dress(88)

“It’s Paula.” She turned around and even managed to smile. “Kayla, isn’t it? Wouldn’t it be wonderful if they could come up with a scent that really smells like baby powder for these places? Customers would flock in and buy more than they planned.”

It wasn’t Kayla’s fault that she was married to a philandering fool. But that didn’t stop Paula’s stomach from knotting into a pretzel at the sight of her enormous baby bump.

“Sounds like a great idea to me. If you come up with something that doesn’t involve hot wax or spray, let me know,” the manager said. “What can I help you with today?”

“I’m just looking around,” Paula said.

“I’m ready to check out.” Kayla pushed a cart full of little boy things to the counter. “And please add that baby powder that my son wasted to the bill.” While the lady with the pink-and-blue hair ran her items across the scanner, Kayla turned around to Paula. “So is one of your friends pregnant? Clay, put down that baby oil and hold your hands behind you, or else get into the cart.”

“I’m just looking for something to take to a baby shower at church.” Paula didn’t even feel guilty about the little white lie. She was tempted to tell the woman that she would be having Clay’s half sister, but that would be opening a can of worms that should be left closed for all eternity. “I thought you’d be eager to get back to West Texas, as close to your due date as you are.”

“I’m waiting on Clinton to finish up a job this weekend. He’s up in Sherman, but he’s going to pick me and Clay up tomorrow and we’re all going home together. He’s such a sweetheart. He wouldn’t let me drive over here by myself to help Rita take care of Granny’s things.”

“It would be quite a drive from Amarillo,” Paula said. “I used to live in Tulia, so I know.”

“We actually live in Canyon,” Kayla said. “And yes, I’m so ready to go home. Rita and I are finished now with our grandmother’s stuff, and I’m so happy to get back home.”

A voice inside Paula’s head told her not to meddle, but she ignored it. “I thought your son was staying with his grandmother?”

“He was until last night. She had plans for the weekend, so Clinton brought him to Whitewright to me, then he went on back to Sherman for his job,” she explained. “Looks like I’m ready to pay out. It’s good to see you again.”

Fanny Lou’s old saying came to mind: Might as well be hung for a hog as a piglet. “Nice seeing you, too,” Paula said. “You’re staying in Whitewright, then?”

“Yes, Rita and I’ve been staying at Granny’s place, but the only thing left now is a couple of old beds. No problem, though. It’s only one more night.”

“Sherman isn’t that far away. You should go over and stay in the same hotel with Clinton. That way when he’s off shift, you could spend time with him,” Paula suggested, wondering how Kayla was so stupid that she didn’t even think of why Clinton wouldn’t want her and Clay to stay in the hotel with him. But then she shouldn’t brand Kayla with that word when Paula had been dimwitted enough to believe his lies.

“That sounds like a great idea. Don’t know why I didn’t think of it. Clay loves to swim and Clinton mentioned the hotel having a pool, and like you say, when his shift is done we could at least be together,” Kayla said.

“Two hundred forty-nine dollars and fifty-two cents.” The lady set several bags on the counter.

Paula bought a baby rattle and a pretty little pink dress after Kayla left and then hit four more baby shops afterward. She stopped by a drive-through for takeout on the way back to Celeste. The gauges on her dash said that it was ninety-eight degrees and one o’clock when she got back to the shop. Hoping that Jody was home when she arrived, she hurried into the cool house by way of the back door, dropped two armloads of bags on the kitchen table, and yelled up the stairs.

“Jody, you here?”

The pink phone, sitting on a small end table right beside her, startled her when it rang loudly. She picked it up and answered, “The Perfect Dress.”

“Paula?”

“Yes, who is this?” she asked.

“It’s Clinton. You almost ruined my marriage,” he said.

“Want to explain?” she asked coldly.

“Kayla just walked in on me in a hotel room with another woman.”

“And that’s my fault, how?” Paula giggled. “Maybe karma has finally bitten you on the butt. You are a horrible husband.”

“She said that she saw you in a baby shop and that you suggested she could stay with me,” Clinton said. “So thank you for trying to tear apart my family.”

“Hey, that’s not on me, big boy. You told me you were separated and you never mentioned that you already had a son. I didn’t tell Kayla that to hurt your marriage, but to help it. Goodbye, Clinton, and don’t call here again.” She hung up the phone and slumped down on the nearest sofa. The baby kicked, and she laid her hand on her stomach.

“We can do this on our own, baby girl. We’ll do just fine with your aunts Mitzi and Jody.”



The drive from Celeste to Dallas had been so much fun that Mitzi completely forgot that Rita would be at the wedding. So it was a shock when she looked up and saw Rita coming across the parking lot toward the van. Wearing high-heeled shoes and a cute little strapless red sundress that barely reached her knees, she looked downright beautiful. Mitzi’s blue-and-white checked shirt and white capris that had looked pretty cute that morning suddenly felt dowdy.