Rita’s, since they’d been talking about her that morning.
She came out into the room and motioned for him to have a seat. The plush, pink sofa enveloped him—fairly comfortable for a man his size, but he was sure glad his girls weren’t there with their cameras.
“I’m Graham Harrison.” He focused on a place over her left shoulder to keep from looking right at her eyes. “My daughters aren’t petite little things. The bride said anything would work as long as the dresses matched and they were cotton candy . . . no, that’s not right.” He stumbled over the words. “Bubblegum pink.”
The lady sat down across from him. “I’m Mitzi Taylor, and yes, we make bridesmaids dresses in sizes fourteen and up. How old are these girls?”
“Fifteen—size sixteen in jeans. Like I said, they’re not little girls. They’re almost six feet tall and what folks call ‘big girls.’” He almost blushed. A dad shouldn’t have to know those things or their shoe size or their favorite deodorant, but when he’d had to be both mother and father, there was no choice.
“And I can see why.” Mitzi’s blue eyes seemed to size him up for height.
“So can we make an appointment with you? And will you have time to do that kind of thing before July?” he asked.
“Budget?” She fidgeted with a notepad.
“Whatever they want is fine,” he answered.
“Okay then, let me check the calendar. I don’t think we’ve got any appointments after three today. Do they go to school here in Celeste?”
“They will in the fall. We only moved here a week ago. My sister is a teacher at the school here. Alice Harrison. Maybe you know her?” he said.
“Yes, I do,” Mitzi said. “You probably don’t remember me. I was a freshman when you graduated right here in Celeste.”
“I thought you looked familiar.” He nodded. “But I couldn’t place you.”
“I’ll take a peek at my calendar. You wait right here.” For a tall, big woman, she moved gracefully to the next room and returned in only a few seconds. “I’m free at three thirty. Will you be bringing them?”
“Thank you!” He let out a whoosh of air he hadn’t even known he was holding inside and stood. “We only live a couple of houses down, so they’ll walk here on their own. Do I give you a down payment today?”
“No, we’ll see how things go, and then I’ll work up a total price for the materials and labor. If you agree and sign a contract, then we’ll get busy sewing up the dresses,” she answered.
“Sounds fantastic to me.” He handed her a business card. “You can reach me there or leave a message, and I’ll get right back to you. You wouldn’t believe how many places we’ve been trying to find what they need, and all the time you were right here.”
“That’s the way it goes.” She put the business card in her hip pocket.
Graham couldn’t wait to get home.
When he did, the girls were already sitting at the table, eating leftover lasagna from supper the night before. Dixie looked up with a quizzical expression as he walked in.
“You have a three-thirty appointment at The Perfect Dress. Turns out I went to school with the owner. She’ll be nice to you. Got any of that lasagna left?”
Tabby beamed. “That’s great, Daddy. There’s one more helping. And I made brownies this morning, so we have dessert.”
Graham’s mind wasn’t really on food—it was on Mitzi’s blue eyes and that gorgeous red hair. Why hadn’t he ever noticed her when they were in school?
Chapter Two
Mitzi rushed back to the sewing room, where the hum of two sewing machines filled the air. “Graham Harrison just came in the shop to set up an appointment for his two daughters. He said they only live a few houses up the street from us. He looked like a bull in a china shop sitting on that pink sofa. And of course he didn’t even recognize me, but I sure knew him the minute I laid eyes on him.”
At the mention of that name from the past, work jolted to a halt.
“Yoo-hoo!” Fanny Lou yelled from the kitchen into the sudden silence. “Y’all in the sewing room?”
“Yes, ma’am,” Mitzi leaned out the door and hollered.
“I’ve got homemade cookies. Y’all already had dinner?”
Jody stopped her machine and headed toward the kitchen with Mitzi and Paula right behind her. “Where did the morning go? I’m starving.”
“No wonder,” Paula said. “All you ever eat is salad and vegetables.”