He could feel her presence and, right along with it, her anger. Lord, he prayed silently, now you know it was about all I could do to handle Annie when she was havin’ one of these days, but to throw three of them at me at the same time, well, that’s a load that even Samson couldn’t bear up under.

“Payton called. He’s got a problem with a tank and he can’t come tonight,” she finally huffed.

“Wyatt’s stuck in Chicago at the airport and he won’t be here neither and I’ve been feelin’ a mite under the weather, so I ’spect y’all are going to have a girls’ night. Why don’t you go on up to Tyler and do some shoppin’? Do y’all good to get out for the evenin’. Cabins are all full and rented, so you ain’t got no late folks comin’ in.”

He didn’t say that he was all out of advice for them or that he really wanted an evening to himself for a change. Nope, that wouldn’t be something Earl from that television show would do and if Zed was going to be an angel, then he had to take care of his responsibilities.

“Saving Grace,” he said out loud.

“What?” Dana asked. “Is that a store in the mall?”

“No, it’s a television show that was on some years ago. This big guy played Grace’s second-chance angel. I just now remembered the name of the series.”

“I loved that series. Earl was the angel’s name, and he stole my heart,” Dana said. “Come to think of it, you are our Earl, Uncle Zed. You’ve given us all a second chance.”

“Don’t go gluin’ no wings on me or floatin’ a halo up above my gray hair. It was Annie that give y’all a second chance,” he said. “You’re in a mood over Payton not comin’ tonight? I’d like to put all three of you in a tow sack, throw it over a clothesline, and let y’all fight it out.”

Dana patted him on the knee. “I hear a vehicle pullin’ up in front of the store. Go on and get that tow sack out, because none of us is fit to live with today. Brook’s even in a snit. I don’t think a trip to the mall would even help, especially when her two aunts—”

He cleared his throat and gave her a sidelong look.

“Okay, all three of us are in a pissy mood.”

“Chocolate ice cream is in the freezer. You take a half gallon home with you and hand out four spoons. You can’t stay mad at each other forever when you’re eatin’ out of the same ice-cream box,” he said.

CHAPTER TWENTY

Night breezes ruffled Tawny’s wet hair as she walked barefoot from her cabin to the edge of the lake. After the day she’d spent, she probably should wade right out there like her sister Harper had done and leave everything in the water. But Tawny didn’t like swimming in anything other than a nice clear chlorinated pool where she could see the bottom and know exactly how deep the water was.

Her flowing gauze skirt floated out around her when she sat down. She was glad she’d brought along her denim jacket, because the air was turning cool. Stretching out her legs so her toes were in the water, she was amazed to feel the water warm her skin. No monsters rose up out of the water, either, which was something.

She didn’t even glance at Harper when she sat down beside her, kicked off her shoes, rolled up the legs of her jeans, and stuck her long, long legs out into the water. There are miles and miles of shoreline along the lake, so why does Harper need that spot for a few minutes of quiet mediation?

Then Dana copped a squat on the other side of her, pulled up the skirt tail of her sundress, and put her feet in the water.

What does a woman have to do to get a few minutes’ peace? All Tawny wanted was to sit a few minutes before she had to go to Dana’s and eat ice cream. To appease Brook, she’d go, eat one bite, and then leave just to prove that it was an insane idea even if it did come from Uncle Zed.

Not a one of them said a word but just sat there in quietness for fifteen minutes, and then Dana drew her feet out of the water and started past the cabins toward the house. Harper followed her, and with a long sigh, Tawny did the same. She was the last one in the house, but no one was talking or eating. All three of the others had claimed one side of a quilt that had been spread out on the living room floor. With only one left for her, she sat down and crossed her legs, yoga-style, and stared at the container of chocolate ice cream right in the middle of the quilt. A spoon was stuck in each of the four corners. One container—one family. Four different spoons, but they all came from the same set—the sisters and niece.

Brook was the first one to dig deep into the ice cream, Tawny the last. They finished off the ice cream with only a few sighs. Brook carried the empty container to the kitchen and brought out one with pecans, pralines, and cream. She set it down and said, “I started the last one. Aunt Tawny gets the first bite of this one since she’s the one that caused this pissy mood day.”

“Hey.” Tawny raised her voice and then lowered it. “But—”

“But be honest,” Brook said.

Tawny dipped into the ice cream. “I guess I did get it started, but I had a reason. Y’all are just pissed because your fellers didn’t make it to the party. And I’m pissed because I don’t even have a boyfriend to get mad at—among other things,” she added.

“I haven’t got a boyfriend, either, so that won’t float.” Brook brought a big spoonful to her mouth and licked it like an ice-cream cone.