“I don’t think we need to tear anything out,” Mitzi said. “This is working perfectly. After Saturday, I vote that we take it to the shop and get it all prettied up for future shows, but let’s leave the inside the same layout it is.”

“And it would be a great place for me to retreat to after the baby comes when it’s time to feed her,” Paula said. “I’m glad you didn’t burn it.”

“I’ve always felt like I didn’t do my part when we went into this business. Mitzi’s dad bought us the house and Fanny Lou gave us some start-up money, and I know y’all put in your savings, but Lyle would only let me contribute five thousand. Y’all accepting this really helps me,” Jody said.

“Hey, we couldn’t make it without you and your skills,” Mitzi reassured her as they made their way back into the house.

The business phone was ringing, and since Jody was the first one inside, she picked it up.

“Hello, Jody, this is Quincy. Are you over your snit?”

“I was stating facts. I was not in a snit,” she answered.

“That’s not what I’m hearing in your tone. I’ll call back in a few days,” he said. “You reckon you could give me your cell number?”

“If you need something, you can call this number,” she said. “Good night, Quincy.”

Both Paula and Mitzi were staring at her when she hung up the phone. “Don’t start on me. I’m not ready to talk to him. Until I am, he doesn’t need my digits.”

Ellie Mae showed up Friday morning with a hickey the size of a silver dollar on her neck. She’d covered it with a scarf, but when she undressed, there was no getting around what it was.

“Mama would have a fit if she saw it, so I wore a scarf,” Ellie Mae laughed. “Has Graham marked you yet? I hear y’all are spendin’ a lot of time together.”

“No, he has not.” Mitzi was tempted to pull her hair up to prove the point.

“Well, don’t let Fanny Lou see it if he does. She’s liable to shoot him dead.” Ellie Mae held her arms up for Paula to drop the dress down over her body.

“And by the way, I heard that Rita is spending lots of time up in Whitewright taking care of her granny’s things. She’s been tellin’ around that she and Graham are getting back together. I understand she’s got to get a divorce first,” Ellie Mae said as Jody pinned the back where the hidden zipper would go in later.

“I thought he was crazy for marrying her in the first place, and to do so a second time should be grounds for committing him,” Jody said.

Mitzi could have hugged her, but instead she just turned Ellie Mae around to face the mirrors, hoping that she’d be so excited about the dress that she’d stop gossiping.

“It’s beautiful! I love it so much, I’ll hate to take it off for the honeymoon.” She twisted and turned in front of the mirror to catch all the angles. “Darrin and I may do role playing. I’ll be the blushing virgin bride, and he can be the dashing knight in shining armor that carries me away from an arranged marriage with some old lecher.”

“You’ve been reading too many romance books,” Jody said. “We’ll probably have this finished by next Friday. Think we should leave a little extra material in the zipper-area seams in case you need it let out some at the last minute?”

“That would be great. I’m hoping I don’t show any more than I do now until after the wedding, but it’d be better to be prepared. So when are you going to start your wedding dress, Mitzi?”

“I have to get a proposal first, then an engagement ring and time to design,” she answered.

“Is it going to be white? Are you still a virgin?” Ellie Mae looked back over her shoulder at the backside of the black-lace dress.

“No to both,” Mitzi said.

“The only thing I’d want other than this dress would involve me being a size ten. If I had been, I might have gotten one with feathers, but I didn’t want to look like Big Bird. You know what I’m talkin’ about,” Ellie Mae said.

“Yes, I do, and the fact is that I’ve never wanted a big wedding. A trip to the courthouse would be just fine with me.”

“But you own this lovely shop that specializes in dresses for women like us,” Ellie Mae said. “And Harry and Fanny Lou would be disappointed.”

Mitzi steered the conversation away from herself by asking, “So did you and Darrin have a round of makeup sex?”

“Oh, honey, we had several rounds.” Ellie Mae winked. “As much as I hate to take this off, I guess you’d better unpin me so I can get back to work.”

Mitzi removed the pins and helped her out of the dress, wondering the whole time if next year they should make a dress in black for the bridal fair. Women were always looking for something different, and black was certainly that, for sure.

Light shone from the windows like a beacon when Mitzi drove up to the Harrison house before daylight on Saturday morning. She hopped out of the van, leaving Jody in the front seat and Paula in one of the seats in back. One of the girls could sit beside Paula and the other one could have the whole bench seat behind them to herself.

“Good mornin’.” Graham opened the door and motioned for her to come on in.