not to cause trouble like she had with Sheriff Grayson. “I’m sure they have to get back to their families.”
“Oh, I hope not.” Iris clasped her hands in front of her like an excited girl. “Say you’ll stay for a few minutes and let us treat you to something special.”
“You’ll love it,” Aster added, nodding for Nancy to sit on the bucket.
“All right. Why not?” Nancy Grayson sat her small, slightly plump body on the pail. “What do I do now?”
“Close your eyes,” Iris ordered, moving to stand behind her.
Faith wrung her hands. “Aunt Iris, please.”
“To be surprised at my age is an immense pleasure,” Nancy said. “Let her be.” With that, she shut her eyes, and Faith shut her mouth.
“This is best done with oil and herbs, but you can still enjoy it this way.” Iris pushed the pads of her thumbs into the flesh between Nancy’s shoulder blades. “There is an art to massage,” Iris explained, her voice smooth and mesmerizing as she rubbed slow, small circles on Nancy’s back.
The woman’s shoulders lowered and her head sagged forward. “I’m gaining a new appreciation for art,” she said.
Evelyn and Claire exchanged a sisterly grin, as if seeing a side of their mother-in-law they hadn’t known.
Iris worked Nancy’s trapezius muscle between her thumb and index finger, relaxing the muscle one delicate pinch at a time. Tansy returned with Dahlia, each of them carrying a bucket. Faith introduced Dahlia to the ladies, but Nancy could barely open her eyes to greet her.
She moaned and hunched her back like a cat. “This old body hasn’t known so much pleasure since my husband was alive.”
Evelyn and Claire laughed, and Faith couldn’t stop her smile. Like Aster, Nancy Grayson’s candor was growing on her.
Tansy overturned a bucket in front of Evelyn. “I’m good at this too.”
Evelyn held out her hands as if to ward her off. “I’m happy to watch my mother-in-law melt off that pail.”
Tansy caught Evelyn’s hand and peered at her palm. “Lord, child, how did you get these calluses?”
“Taking care of a livery full of horses.”
Cora’s eyes goggled. “You have horses?”
“Twelve of them.”
“Can I see ‘em?”
“If it’s all right with your mother.”
“We’ll talk about it later, honey.” Faith put her hand on Cora’s tiny shoulder, her silent way of telling the child to hush, that she was being ill-mannered or inappropriate.
Tansy opened a jar on the counter. “I have something that will make your hands as soft as a baby’s behind,” she said, scooping cream onto her fingers, then slathering it on Evelyn’s hand. “It’s honey, lanolin, almond oil, and wax.”
“It smells wonderful,” Evelyn said.
“It is, dahlin’, now sit down and let me do this properly” Like an obedient child, Evelyn sat on the pail. “We mix mint and lavender in to make it smell good.”
“It’s lovely” Evelyn glanced at her sister-in-law. “You don’t know what you’re missing, Claire.”
The other woman shook her head. “My aching feet are jealous.”
“Not for long.” Dahlia slid a pail behind Claire. “That cream will soften your feet and soothe the ache, too.”
Claire gasped and laughed in the same breath. “I was teasing.”
Dahlia dipped her fingers into the jar and scooped out a dollop of cream. She gestured for Claire to sit. “Let me show you how to apply it, so you can teach your husband how to pleasure you.”
Claire laughed. “Believe me, my husband knows all about that.”
Faith’s aunts all grinned like the four lusty prostitutes they were, and Nancy glanced at her daughter-in-law. “The only pleasure I get comes from a hot stove or holding my grandchildren. It’s been ages since anything has felt good enough to make me moan, so sit on that pail and let this lovely woman rub your feet while I enjoy myself for a spell.”
Cora patted Faith’s leg. “Why does she want to moan, Mama?”
Heat burned up Faith’s
“Oh, I hope not.” Iris clasped her hands in front of her like an excited girl. “Say you’ll stay for a few minutes and let us treat you to something special.”
“You’ll love it,” Aster added, nodding for Nancy to sit on the bucket.
“All right. Why not?” Nancy Grayson sat her small, slightly plump body on the pail. “What do I do now?”
“Close your eyes,” Iris ordered, moving to stand behind her.
Faith wrung her hands. “Aunt Iris, please.”
“To be surprised at my age is an immense pleasure,” Nancy said. “Let her be.” With that, she shut her eyes, and Faith shut her mouth.
“This is best done with oil and herbs, but you can still enjoy it this way.” Iris pushed the pads of her thumbs into the flesh between Nancy’s shoulder blades. “There is an art to massage,” Iris explained, her voice smooth and mesmerizing as she rubbed slow, small circles on Nancy’s back.
The woman’s shoulders lowered and her head sagged forward. “I’m gaining a new appreciation for art,” she said.
Evelyn and Claire exchanged a sisterly grin, as if seeing a side of their mother-in-law they hadn’t known.
Iris worked Nancy’s trapezius muscle between her thumb and index finger, relaxing the muscle one delicate pinch at a time. Tansy returned with Dahlia, each of them carrying a bucket. Faith introduced Dahlia to the ladies, but Nancy could barely open her eyes to greet her.
She moaned and hunched her back like a cat. “This old body hasn’t known so much pleasure since my husband was alive.”
Evelyn and Claire laughed, and Faith couldn’t stop her smile. Like Aster, Nancy Grayson’s candor was growing on her.
Tansy overturned a bucket in front of Evelyn. “I’m good at this too.”
Evelyn held out her hands as if to ward her off. “I’m happy to watch my mother-in-law melt off that pail.”
Tansy caught Evelyn’s hand and peered at her palm. “Lord, child, how did you get these calluses?”
“Taking care of a livery full of horses.”
Cora’s eyes goggled. “You have horses?”
“Twelve of them.”
“Can I see ‘em?”
“If it’s all right with your mother.”
“We’ll talk about it later, honey.” Faith put her hand on Cora’s tiny shoulder, her silent way of telling the child to hush, that she was being ill-mannered or inappropriate.
Tansy opened a jar on the counter. “I have something that will make your hands as soft as a baby’s behind,” she said, scooping cream onto her fingers, then slathering it on Evelyn’s hand. “It’s honey, lanolin, almond oil, and wax.”
“It smells wonderful,” Evelyn said.
“It is, dahlin’, now sit down and let me do this properly” Like an obedient child, Evelyn sat on the pail. “We mix mint and lavender in to make it smell good.”
“It’s lovely” Evelyn glanced at her sister-in-law. “You don’t know what you’re missing, Claire.”
The other woman shook her head. “My aching feet are jealous.”
“Not for long.” Dahlia slid a pail behind Claire. “That cream will soften your feet and soothe the ache, too.”
Claire gasped and laughed in the same breath. “I was teasing.”
Dahlia dipped her fingers into the jar and scooped out a dollop of cream. She gestured for Claire to sit. “Let me show you how to apply it, so you can teach your husband how to pleasure you.”
Claire laughed. “Believe me, my husband knows all about that.”
Faith’s aunts all grinned like the four lusty prostitutes they were, and Nancy glanced at her daughter-in-law. “The only pleasure I get comes from a hot stove or holding my grandchildren. It’s been ages since anything has felt good enough to make me moan, so sit on that pail and let this lovely woman rub your feet while I enjoy myself for a spell.”
Cora patted Faith’s leg. “Why does she want to moan, Mama?”
Heat burned up Faith’s
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