Carlene passed presents to Alma Grace and Rick. Sugar, Alma Grace’s mama, wrote down each gift in a pretty white book. Jenny strung the bows on a velvet coat hanger and stuffed trash into a white plastic bag imprinted with wedding bells.
Just watching them gave Stella an acute case of imaginary hives. She held her hands in her lap to keep from scratching at bumps that weren’t there. She was so glad that she and Jed had simply gone to the courthouse in Durant, Oklahoma, one Monday afternoon, bought a license, and got married by the judge. It had taken thirty minutes from the time they walked into the court clerk’s office until they were back in Jed’s truck. They’d spent the rest of the day and the night in a hotel room and she hadn’t been late to work the next morning.
Tansy leaned back and said in a low voice, “Isn’t it all lovely? Now, about this ball. I hear it’s like a renaissance fair and a pre–Civil War ball all mixed up together. The poster at Bless My Bloomers looks like a movie advertisement. Are the men really supposed to wear knee britches? If they are, we’ll have very few guys to dance with. This is Texas.”
“It’s renaissance and redneck with lots of crazy thrown into the mix,” Nancy said. “All profits will go to Heather’s marriage ministry but if she doesn’t stop spending so big, she’s liable to be in the red for a long time with her new-founded ministry.”
“She’s got a lot to learn, doesn’t she?” Tansy whispered.
“Hello, everyone.” Heather waved from the doorway. “I’m a little late so I let myself in. I did my fifteen minutes of prayer at the prayerathon first so I could attend.” She slid a sidelong glance toward Stella. “Now the rest of the prayer folks are doing their duty.”
“Well, ain’t that nice,” Tansy said.
Heather had barely parked her fanny in a chair when the doorbell rang. Tansy popped up and headed in that direction and brought Annabel and Floy back with her.
“We prayed together. There is strength in numbers.” Annabel smiled at Stella. “You will be in line for all this real soon, Stella. We were talkin’ about your wedding shower on the way over here.”
Tansy returned the next time the doorbell rang with Rosalee right behind her. Her overalls were amazing, with sparkly stones creating a floral design up the outsides of both legs as well as across the bib. She wore a shiny red satin shirt underneath them and red rubber flip-flops with bright-colored stones glued to the straps.
She sat down beside Charlotte right behind Tansy, leaned up, and whispered, “What do y’all think? Agnes says for someone to send pictures to her phone.”
“You look amazing,” Stella said. “Can I borrow those sometime?”
“Anytime until I die, but then I’ll be buried in them. Me and Agnes decided when I went to see her this morning that we’d be buried in our new overalls or else our ball gowns. Damn, this is more fun than I’ve had in years.” Rosalee grinned.
“They are opening Heather’s present,” Charlotte said softly.
“Oh, Heather, how thoughtful of you,” Alma Grace said. “And it’s got a wide slot in the top for bagels. Rick and I are addicted to bagels with cream cheese. Thank you so much and please thank Violet for us, also, for sharing in buying the gift. We are so sorry that she couldn’t come and we hope that she’s feeling better real soon.”
Said like a true southern girl, although there were six more boxes the exact same size on the gift table. Stella wasn’t sure she’d have that much grace, not even as a preacher’s wife.
Gigi handed Alma Grace an envelope and said, “This is from Agnes and Rosalee.”
Alma Grace opened it and squealed, jumped up, and ran across the room. Tears welled up in her eyes as she threw her arms around Rosalee and hugged her fiercely. “You and Agnes are such sweethearts. Bless her heart, I know she wants to be here. You shouldn’t have done this, but I’m so happy that you did. Oh, and I adore your outfit. You may have just started a brand-new fad.”
“Your dad is delivering it to your new house right now, so it’s there,” Rosalee said. “It was mostly Agnes’s idea but I wanted to help, so we shared the gift.”
Alma Grace hugged her again. “I can’t believe that she remembered. Thank you, thank you! Everyone, I want to tell you a story. Last month, I was in an antique store in Sherman and Agnes came in to browse. I’d been admiring a gorgeous old burled-oak washstand. It was in perfect condition with the original hardware still on it and I said that there was a place in my house that it would fit right into. She has bought that lovely piece of furniture for us. Isn’t that the sweetest thing ever?”
Rosalee shooed her away. “It’s not a big deal. Not many girls your age appreciate good solid furniture, and we wanted you to have it. There’s something tucked inside the drawer that is a little extra surprise. Now go on and unwrap the rest of those presents before you have me cryin’ with you.”
Piper poked her on the arm. “What’s in the drawer?”
“Just a little hand-crocheted runner that she admired. My mama used to crochet that pineapple pattern and I thought she should have it to go with the washstand,” Rosalee whispered. “But don’t tell anyone. Heather can wonder if I put a check in there to pay for her honeymoon.”
“Lord, you are almost as ornery as Agnes.” Piper giggled softly.
“Well, thank you, honey.” Rosalee beamed.
The window was unlatched. The door was locked. Music played. But Stella was in bed alone and she couldn’t sleep. She rolled to one side and checked the clock.
It was early and she hadn’t heard from Jed, so he might still show up. He had called the night before and said he had to sit with an elderly member of the church in the hospital. Two nights in a row wasn’t fair, not when they’d found the perfect place.
In plain sight couldn’t be beat. So far folks didn’t seem to be interested in what Preacher Jed was doing out jogging around town in the early morning and late night hours. They were too busy spying on Stella.
She slapped his pillow down over her face and inhaled deeply, filling her lungs with air and the remnants of his cologne. It just made her miss him all the more. She held the pillow up and imagined that it was his face with the angles, his definite jawline, firm but sexy lips, and those lines in his cheeks when he smiled.
“I’m so much in love,” she muttered.
The rising window made a slight noise but she’d imagined hearing that all evening, so she didn’t believe that he was there until he sat down on the edge of the bed. She squealed and threw herself into his arms.
“It’s true,” he said.
“What, that I love you?”
He kissed her on the tip of the nose. “No, that absence makes the heart grow fonder.”
“I hate sleeping alone,” she said.
She took his hand and wiggled out of his embrace. “I have a surprise.”
“Is it edible? I’m starving.”
“No, but I’ll go to the kitchen and get you something,” she said.
“I’ll need energy to do what I’ve got planned for tonight,” he whispered. “Are you going to wrap yourself in something from Bless My Bloomers?”
She led him to the chest of drawers and opened the middle drawer. “Something far simpler than that. You are now the proud owner of your very own drawer, darlin’.”
He picked her up and carried her back to the bed. “I’ve changed my mind about food.”
“I don’t mind making you a sandwich,” she said. “Are you disappointed?”
“No, I’m amazed. That is the best present you’ve ever given me. If I have a drawer, it means we are a step closer to being a real married couple. I want to make love to you until the sun comes up, Stella.”
The laughter that bubbled up from her soul was soft and sweet. “I love you and yes, we are a step closer and I’m getting used to the idea of being a preacher’s wife, but I still want to wait until after this blaste
d ball is over, if you don’t mind.”
He sat down on the edge of the bed with her in his lap. “We can wait that long as long as I have a drawer and can hold you in my arms. Have I told you today that you are beautiful?”
“I haven’t seen you today,” she reminded him.
He slipped her gray tank top up over her head and kissed the hollow spot in her neck. “You didn’t get my telepathic messages? I sent one every ten minutes while you were at the shower and since you’ve been home.”
“So that’s what my heart was hopping around about all day,” she mumbled just before her lips met his.
“Stella, we need to talk,” he said.
“About?” Her blood ran cold. Surely Annabel hadn’t thought she was pregnant and was spreading more tales.
“About this dark cloud hovering over your head. I want us to get it out in the open and”—he paused—“I need to get my past out, dust it off, and be honest about it, too. We should have done it before we married, but I was afraid I’d lose you.”
“You first,” she said.
“Okay. Baring souls and confession time, and then we’ll put it all in the past and not visit it again. But when you meet the folks where I grew up, I don’t want anything they say to ruin our marriage.” He kissed her on the forehead.
“What could you have possibly done that was worse than my past?” she asked.
He toyed with a strand of her hair. “I was as wild as a tornado when I was young.”
“So was I, especially after the preacher’s son ruined my name.” She touched his face.
“I was that preacher’s son,” Jed said.
“No, you weren’t,” she argued.
“My father was not a preacher, but I was just like that boy. The first time I had a girl, I went to school and bragged about it. Her reputation was ruined and we were both only fifteen. I didn’t even learn my lesson then, either. I smoked. I drank. I didn’t do drugs because I was afraid my daddy would kill me for that, but he lived by the old rule—boys will be boys and they have a different set of rules than girls. I made it my business to sweet-talk lots of pretty girls into the backseat of my old car.”
“Why are you telling me this?” she asked.
“Because when we go home to visit, folks are going to say things and I want you to know now,” he told her. “Your past isn’t nearly as bad as mine, so you need to let it go and forget about the gossip that this town hangs on to.”
“You’re not fixin’ to tell me that you have AIDS or children hiding in your past, are you?” she asked.
He slowly shook his head. “Neither one, but only by the grace of God. I was tested for everything before I met you and I’m clean, and there are no children. I should have told you before, but I was afraid I’d lose you and I’m not sure my heart could keep beating if I didn’t have you in my life. But that barbecue thing is getting close and I want to give you the opportunity to—”
She laid a finger across his lips. “I don’t want to end our marriage. I love you, Jed. And you didn’t get a saint, either. I’m glad you fessed up, but I want to spend the rest of my life with you. Can we please bury the past and go on with our lives?”
“No one has ever accepted me like you have, Stella,” he whispered. “I’ve been living in fear that you’d tell me you couldn’t stay with me since I have that much baggage.”
“And I lived in fear that you’d tell me to hit the road when I told you about the scandal in Cadillac, so we’re even. Now kiss me and let’s don’t waste any more of this night.”
“I can do that,” he said.
His lips closed over hers and she finally let go of the past and looked forward to the future.
CHAPTER NINETEEN
It’s almost time for Stella’s birthday,” Charlotte commented as she checked her appointment book.
“I can’t believe that my boys will be home soon. Lorene has been wonderful to let them call every day, sometimes several times,” Piper said.
“I truly believe that Lorene loves those boys.” Butterflies fluttered around in Stella’s stomach. By her birthday, everyone would know that she was married. The thought of being a preacher’s wife would be scary even if she’d had a halo and wings, and Stella Baxter had neither. Marriage alone was a sobering venture and being a preacher’s wife . . . well, that added an extra dimension, then throw in the fact that she still hadn’t found a way to get her hands on a pregnancy test. Since she hadn’t had any more nausea since that day, she forgot about it sometimes for a whole hour, but then something like Charlotte’s knitting would remind her.
Piper grabbed the broom and dustpan. “Blasted crickets. Little demons are worse this year than they’ve ever been. And Stella, there never was a question about Luke and Tanner being all right with Gene’s folks. It was me that would have gone to pieces and turned into an alcoholic if you hadn’t let me move into your house while they are gone. Oh, and they’ve offered to keep them the night of the barbecue ball. They’re going to take them to the waterslide in Wichita Falls that day, spend the night in a hotel, and the next day they’re going to a movie. It’s their little vacation with the boys.” Charlotte carried a basket of white towels to the front and they all started folding. “It wasn’t a matter of letting us move into her house. She couldn’t do a thing about it.”
“Hey, y’all know you are welcome anytime, just like I know if a sumbitch ghost of a preacher’s son that drinks too much beer invades my house, I can go pack my suitcase and be welcome at your homes,” Stella said.
The bell rang and a stranger looked around, taking stock of the beauty shop. She was one of those delicate women with near-transparent skin, dishwater-blonde hair, and blue eyes, which now darted from one of the three friends to the others. “Hello, I have an appointment for a shampoo and comb-out with Piper. I wasn’t expecting three of you.”
“I’m Piper. This way to the shampoo chair. You are”—Piper ran a finger down the page in her book—“Katy, right? I don’t think you’ve been here before.”
“My first time.” She almost smiled. “Alma Grace Magee said that I should come see you.”
Piper whipped a cape around the woman and touched the foot pedal that leaned the chair back. “She is so sweet. I’ll have to thank her for the recommendation. You’ve got lovely thick hair.”
“Thank you. Sometimes I wish the powers that be would have given me less hair and more height, though. I go to the same church that Rick does and got to know Alma Grace when they started dating. We all love her,” Katy said.
“This is virgin hair, isn’t it?”
Katy smiled. “Yes, ma’am. No dyes for me. I’m much too busy to keep up with all that. I’ve got two little boys and a full-time job. You have children?”
“Two boys, twins. They keep me in line pretty good. They’re with their dad for his two weeks’ summer visit right now and though they get to call home often, I feel like my world isn’t right,” Piper said.
“I’m a single mom, too, but my husband hardly ever sees the boys. He said that he’d think about having them come visit when they were both fully potty trained.” Katy’s tone went from warm to icy. “At least your ex is a good man who loves his boys.”
“Yeah, right.” Charlotte stuffed towels into the cabinet above the shampoo sink.
“He has them for his summer visit, right?” Katy asked.
“Yes, he does,” Piper said.
“And his name is?” Katy asked.
Piper’s Spidey senses went into the red danger zone. Who was this woman and why was she fishing?
“Gene Stephens.”
“Small world. His mama goes to my church, too,” Katy said.
Piper rinsed Katy’s hair and then poured in the conditioner. “It’s a small world especially around this part of Texas. If you aren’t kin to someone, then one of your relatives knows someone who is, a
nd if the gossip isn’t juicy enough when it gets started, believe me, it will be by the time it filters down to the last person to hear it.”
“How old are your boys?” Stella asked.
“There’s only a year between them, so it’s a lot like raising twins when they’re two and three. They sure grow up fast, don’t they? Alma Grace said that y’all have been friends since you were little girls. I bet you know all the gossip,” Katy said.
“We’ve been best friends since we were in kindergarten, but if you want the down and dirty gossip, you’d have to go to the old gals like Agnes, Rosalee, and Beulah,” Stella told her.
Piper wrung the water from Katy’s hair and wrapped her head in a towel. “And Violet Prescott. They’re the ones who know the history and the stories.”
“Hey, y’all would be about the same age as Trixie Matthews, then? She’s part owner of Clawdy’s with Marty and Cathy Andrews,” Katy said.
Stella nodded. “We were all in high school together. The Clawdy’s crew and the Bless My Bloomers bunch. Where did you go to high school?”
Katy hopped up into Piper’s chair and crossed her legs at the ankles. “In Harlan County, Kentucky. I came out here and went to work in the nursing home that my uncle owns when my husband left me. That’s where I met Trixie. Her mother is in the nursing home. I’m the activities director.”
“So how do you like Texas?” Stella asked.
“It’s not so different from Kentucky, but the only people I really know are my uncle and aunt and the folks at the church. I would’ve stayed in Kentucky, but I needed a fresh start.”
Piper combed through Katy’s long hair and wished that she’d had the nerve to pick up and go east or west or, hell, even north or south for that matter. If it hadn’t been so convenient for Gene to just waltz into her house, then he wouldn’t have the boys right now. And if she didn’t live in Cadillac, he wouldn’t know that she’d been talking to Rhett.
Her phone rang and she pulled it from the pocket of her khaki shorts, checked the ID, and said, “Excuse me, Katy. It’s my kids.”
The Yellow Rose Beauty Shop Page 22
