today.” Lou told her daughter what had happened the day before, and Martha Maye slumped into a chair.
“Can’t you ban him from coming into the store or something?”
“What for? Outsmarting me? I do that and he’ll make me the laughingstock of the town. Plus his high muckety-muck father would raise Cain. I don’t need that. It might be bad for business.” Lou pushed on her thighs and got to her feet. “Let’s go kill him with kindness.”
She looked around the store, but when Jimmy Dean was nowhere in sight, she went up to Ima Jean and Charlotte. “Where’d the little criminal go?”
“He left,” Charlotte said. “And he never did put that book back.”
“Are you sure he took a book?”
“Oh yeah, he made sure we saw him.”
“It’s not nice to fool Mother Nature,” Ima Jean said.
“No, it certainly is not, Ima Jean. And Jimmy Dean’s gonna find out it’s not nice to fool me either. You know what that boy needs? He needs to be whipped like cornbread batter.”
“Mama!”
“Well he does. The child acts like he doesn’t have any raising, and maybe he doesn’t. Maybe that’s what’s wrong with him.”
Butterbean piped up from the front window. “Here she comes! Here she comes!”
Louetta tapped her watch. “Would you look at the time. We’re gonna have to put Jimmy Dean on the shelf for the time being. Is everything ready? It’s party time.”
“Move over, bacon! Here comes something leaner,” Ima Jean said.
Wynona had walked all over town. She’d managed to talk to very few people, although it was hard because the townsfolk were the friendliest she’d ever run across. It wasn’t until she noticed droves of people going into the bookstore that she remembered the party she was supposed to attend with that police officer. What was his name again? Officer Beanblossom? Oh good grief.
At the very moment that she had the instinct to hightail it out of the vicinity, a hand touched her shoulder from behind. She whirled around, grabbing the arm, preparing to attack. Then she realized it was the officer.
“You’re right on time, Trixie.” His smile lit up his face, but pain registered briefly as he pulled his arm from her grasp. “Ooh, you have some grip there, sugar.”
“Oh, uh . . . sorry.” She flashed a shy smile, pushed up her glasses, and stared at the ground. “Actually, I can’t stay.” As she backed away from him, she couldn’t help but see the hurt flash across his face. And this time it wasn’t from physical pain.
“You’ve gotta stay. I’ve told all my buddies I’m bringing the prettiest woman in town to the party. You can’t make a liar out of me.”
Wynona retreated another two steps, shaking her head no, but Hank easily caught up with her.
“Don’t be shy, ‘lil lady. Everyone will love you.” He took her by the elbow and thrust her toward the bookstore door.
“No . . . uh . . . I . . . ” She felt herself being propelled along and knew she really didn’t have a choice. She could make a scene and be more conspicuous, or she could go along and play dumb and boring and hope to go mostly unnoticed. Still, she had to try one more time. “I really didn’t have a chance to dress for a party. Maybe I should go to the hotel and change before I go inside.”
“No, you should come inside with me right now. You look beautiful.”
“But—”
“Come with me, Miss Trixie.” He gave her a wink and led her through the door.
Mama always said . . . If it were easy, everybody would be doing it.
T he whole town didn’t come to the party for Tess, but at least half the town did. The bookstore was packed.
As they entered the store, Wynona felt the gaze of the crowd on her and inwardly cringed. She kept her sunglasses on and her head down.
A low rumble swept across the room as word of Hank and a new woman spread like kudzu on a hill. A big group by the door made an effort not to stare.
Caledonia was the first to offer Southern hospitality to the
“Can’t you ban him from coming into the store or something?”
“What for? Outsmarting me? I do that and he’ll make me the laughingstock of the town. Plus his high muckety-muck father would raise Cain. I don’t need that. It might be bad for business.” Lou pushed on her thighs and got to her feet. “Let’s go kill him with kindness.”
She looked around the store, but when Jimmy Dean was nowhere in sight, she went up to Ima Jean and Charlotte. “Where’d the little criminal go?”
“He left,” Charlotte said. “And he never did put that book back.”
“Are you sure he took a book?”
“Oh yeah, he made sure we saw him.”
“It’s not nice to fool Mother Nature,” Ima Jean said.
“No, it certainly is not, Ima Jean. And Jimmy Dean’s gonna find out it’s not nice to fool me either. You know what that boy needs? He needs to be whipped like cornbread batter.”
“Mama!”
“Well he does. The child acts like he doesn’t have any raising, and maybe he doesn’t. Maybe that’s what’s wrong with him.”
Butterbean piped up from the front window. “Here she comes! Here she comes!”
Louetta tapped her watch. “Would you look at the time. We’re gonna have to put Jimmy Dean on the shelf for the time being. Is everything ready? It’s party time.”
“Move over, bacon! Here comes something leaner,” Ima Jean said.
Wynona had walked all over town. She’d managed to talk to very few people, although it was hard because the townsfolk were the friendliest she’d ever run across. It wasn’t until she noticed droves of people going into the bookstore that she remembered the party she was supposed to attend with that police officer. What was his name again? Officer Beanblossom? Oh good grief.
At the very moment that she had the instinct to hightail it out of the vicinity, a hand touched her shoulder from behind. She whirled around, grabbing the arm, preparing to attack. Then she realized it was the officer.
“You’re right on time, Trixie.” His smile lit up his face, but pain registered briefly as he pulled his arm from her grasp. “Ooh, you have some grip there, sugar.”
“Oh, uh . . . sorry.” She flashed a shy smile, pushed up her glasses, and stared at the ground. “Actually, I can’t stay.” As she backed away from him, she couldn’t help but see the hurt flash across his face. And this time it wasn’t from physical pain.
“You’ve gotta stay. I’ve told all my buddies I’m bringing the prettiest woman in town to the party. You can’t make a liar out of me.”
Wynona retreated another two steps, shaking her head no, but Hank easily caught up with her.
“Don’t be shy, ‘lil lady. Everyone will love you.” He took her by the elbow and thrust her toward the bookstore door.
“No . . . uh . . . I . . . ” She felt herself being propelled along and knew she really didn’t have a choice. She could make a scene and be more conspicuous, or she could go along and play dumb and boring and hope to go mostly unnoticed. Still, she had to try one more time. “I really didn’t have a chance to dress for a party. Maybe I should go to the hotel and change before I go inside.”
“No, you should come inside with me right now. You look beautiful.”
“But—”
“Come with me, Miss Trixie.” He gave her a wink and led her through the door.
Mama always said . . . If it were easy, everybody would be doing it.
T he whole town didn’t come to the party for Tess, but at least half the town did. The bookstore was packed.
As they entered the store, Wynona felt the gaze of the crowd on her and inwardly cringed. She kept her sunglasses on and her head down.
A low rumble swept across the room as word of Hank and a new woman spread like kudzu on a hill. A big group by the door made an effort not to stare.
Caledonia was the first to offer Southern hospitality to the
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