“The wedding is back on,” Ellie Mae said. “We’ve got it all worked out—Darrin has got a promotion and we’re transferring to Dumas, Texas, right after the wedding. We don’t know anyone there, so it’ll be a brand-new start for both of us.”

“That’s great,” Jody said. “See you Friday for a fitting?”

“I’ll be here, and thanks to you all for the support today,” she said.

“And for letting me come inside.” Darrin grinned sheepishly. “I acted like a jerk, and I know it.”

“Yes, you did,” Mitzi said. “But we don’t drown men or shoot them for one mistake. After that it gets kind of iffy.”

He leaned down and kissed Ellie Mae on the forehead. “Yes, ma’am. It won’t happen again. I almost ruined the best thing in my life because of my pride. I’ve learned my lesson.”

“See y’all in a few days,” Ellie Mae said as they left by the back door and passed Fanny Lou coming inside.

“Well, now if that wasn’t downright weird,” she said. “Ellie Mae looked like she’d been crying and yet was the happiest person alive. So what’s happening?”

“Which story do you want first? The one about my baby daddy, or Jody’s new boyfriend, or the one about Mitzi kissing Graham?” Paula asked.

“Or maybe you’d rather hear about Ellie Mae?” Mitzi kicked Paula under the table.

“Given all those choices, I think we need to go upstairs to some more comfortable chairs,” Fanny Lou answered. “Mitzi, lock the doors. Jody, get us some chips and dip. Paula, you can bring up three beers and a glass of sweet tea for you. The rest of us deserve something stronger with stories like these to tell.”

“I don’t have a new boyfriend.” Jody gathered two bags of chips from the cabinet and a jar of salsa from the refrigerator.

“Even if you don’t, it’d be good for Lyle to think you do. Sorry bastard,” Fanny Lou fumed on the way up the stairs. “I heard that two men had been knockin’ on the back door this afternoon. I came to be sure y’all hadn’t put in a brothel.”

Mitzi had been following her upstairs but stopped and gasped, “Granny, that’s not funny.”

Fanny Lou looked down at her from the landing. “I didn’t think so, either, especially when you didn’t ask me to be the madam. That’s why I came to see what was going on here. Let’s get settled in y’all’s livin’ room, and each of you can tell me all about it. And we’ll start with Jody, since I want to know why Quincy Roberts was sitting on the porch with you.”

Jody rolled her eyes. “Do you know him?”

“’Course I do. He’s just one of the richest oil men in North Texas. Ever heard of Wildcat Oil? You know the one on the billboards with a big mountain lion on the side of the trucks? He started the business from scratch and did very well for himself,” Fanny Lou said.

“He was just returning the lawn chairs he thought I’d left behind,” Jody explained.

Fanny Lou took a long drink of her beer and burped loudly. “Never did learn to do that like a lady. Now tell me the whole story.”

Mitzi listened to Jody’s and Paula’s stories with half an ear and tried to figure out a way to downplay the kiss, but it simply wasn’t possible. Every time she thought of it, heat filled her face in a blush.

Chapter Seventeen

We need a trailer with our logo on the side,” Mitzi groaned that Monday morning when she was listing all the things that had to go to the bridal fair the next Saturday.

“We’ll rent a U-Haul. It won’t have our logo, but we can get everything in it,” Paula said. “I’ll be in charge of that. We can pull it behind your van.”

“We’ll look like the poor country cousins,” Mitzi whined.

“But, honey, when we get in and get set up, The Perfect Dress will be the belle of the ball,” Jody informed her. “How many of these things do you figure we went to when we were dreaming about having our own shop?”

“And the way we always voted on which one was the best of the whole show?” Paula cut out Chantilly lace to cover the satin bodice of a dress.

“Well, we’re going to get that honor this year,” Jody declared. “Even if we don’t have our own personal van with our logo on the side.”

“Maybe we’ll get enough business that we can buy one for next year,” Mitzi said.

“That can be our goal.” Jody nodded.

“We’re here,” the twins called out from the foyer.

“And we’re ready for you,” Mitzi yelled. “Meet us in the fitting room.”

“Yes!”

Mitzi caught sight of Dixie pumping her fist in the air as she led her twin across the foyer into the fitting room. “This is the bare bones of the dress,” she explained as she took the dresses off the satin hangers. “Seams are still raw, but we want to make sure it lays pretty on your shoulders without any wrinkles and that the arm holes are the right size.”

“Oh, Dixie, we’ve got to learn to make things like this. I feel pretty.” Tabby squealed as she stepped up on the platform in front of the three-way mirror.

Mitzi pinned the shoulders up another half an inch. “Honey, you are beautiful. Don’t ever let anyone tell you otherwise. This is a lovely color on you and the style is so becoming. I’m glad you chose it.”