“We bought a baby bed and Fanny Lou and I put it together. The nursery doesn’t look so bare now,” Paula said.
“And Quincy asked me out to dinner on Wednesday, and I said yes,” Jody said.
Mitzi took the last chair and reached for a slice of pizza. “Graham and I are officially dating now.”
“That’s not enough detail,” Jody said.
“Hey, all I get from you two is that there’s a baby bed upstairs and you’ve been invited on a dinner date. I’ll talk when y’all do,” Mitzi said.
“We bought a white crib and the bumper pad is pink-and-white checks,” Paula said. “That’s all I’ve got except that Fanny Lou and I needed to go to church to pray for forgiveness for all the dirty words we said.”
Jody raised her hand. “Fanny Lou, you were right to tell me to go out with him. I had a great time.”
“And I like Graham a lot,” Mitzi said.
“That’s all?” Both of Fanny Lou’s eyebrows shot up. “Just that you like him. We want a hell of a lot more from the both of you.”
Paula focused on Jody. “We need to hear a little more about Jody’s new feller first. How does he make you feel?”
“Free is the best way I can describe it,” Jody admitted. “I’m at peace with everything when I’m with him. That sounds crazy, doesn’t it?”
“Okay, now you.” Paula turned back to Mitzi.
“Don’t leave out a single thing,” Fanny Lou said. “And you can start with yesterday and build up through today when you decided that y’all are dating.”
Mitzi went to the refrigerator, got out a root beer, and sat back down. “Well, as us southern girls say when we start to tell a fairy tale, ‘You ain’t goin’ to believe this shit.’”
Chapter Twenty-Five
The poor old air-conditioning system at the church could keep up with only so many bodies crammed into the pews like sardines. And now folks were being ushered into the fellowship hall, where a big-screen television had been set up for those who couldn’t be in the sanctuary.
In the original plan, the wedding was supposed to be in a barn, but at the last minute Ellie Mae had changed her mind. Luckily, Ellie Mae had Paula, Jody, and Mitzi on the list for reserved seats, right along with Graham and his daughters. They were all shoulder to shoulder on the third pew, listening to a mixed CD of country music love songs.
Every song seemed to speak to Mitzi, but then the past week had been a whirlwind of romance that she still couldn’t believe was real. In some ways, it seemed like it had been a month since she and Graham spent the day in the hotel room. In others, it was just yesterday. One thing was for sure: she loved him and was in love with him. When she’d told Paula and Jody that, they’d said it was the same thing, but it wasn’t. A person could love someone else, but to be in love with them sat up there on a whole new plane. To have both was one of those miracles that only comes along once in a lifetime.
“Do you want a big affair like this when you get married?” Graham whispered to Mitzi.
“Yes, she does.” Fanny Lou must’ve overheard, because she continued, “And I’m going to be the maid of honor. I’m already planning the bachelorette party. We’re going to Las Vegas and we’re going to paint the whole town red.”
Mitzi shook her head. “A few close friends is all I want.”
“Maybe a destination wedding with those friends?” he asked.
“Maybe.” Mitzi nodded.
The music changed to something more traditional when the back door opened and an usher brought in Ellie Mae’s mama, Iris. If there’d been a contest in the church to match up Ellie Mae with her mother, Iris would have been the last choice. She was a little wisp just over five feet tall and had a neat gray bun at the nape of her neck. The usher returned and brought in Darrin’s mother. It wasn’t difficult to see where the groom got his size. His mother was as tall as his father and had dark hair like Darrin.
“Bet he loves his mama a lot,” Graham whispered.
“Why do you think that?” Mitzi asked.
“He likes bigger girls, like her.”
Mitzi shut her eyes and tried to picture Graham’s mother. As best she could remember, she’d looked a lot like Alice—not thin, but she probably shopped in the tall women’s section.