healthier if you did the same,” Jody told her.
“But we all eat cookies, so that unites us, right?” Mitzi said.
“I bought ’em at the church bake sale, but Edna Green made them, and she makes the best in town.” Fanny Lou removed plastic wrap from a paper plate of peanut butter cookies. “Guess what I heard today. Graham Harrison moved down the street from y’all.”
The phone rang and Mitzi picked it up, grateful to have a moment to collect her thoughts about Graham living so close. “The Perfect Dress. How can I help you?”
“This is Rayford Thompson from the Dallas Bridal Fair. We’d like to notify you that you’ve moved up on the alternative list. So if someone drops out, you will be contacted to fill that place. We like to keep our top two applicants informed in case travel is an issue.”
“Thank you so much.” Mitzi felt like her feet came a foot off the floor as she hung up and spun around. “We’ve got a shot at the bridal fair this year. Only one person has to drop out for us to get to go.”
“That’s fantastic.” Fanny Lou stuck her hand in the air for a high five. “You should take Selena’s dress and the mannequin and maybe even one of the pink sofas for the display. Of course, you’ll need an archway that you can decorate with flowers to stand her under, and you should rent either some big ferns to go on each side or maybe a couple of those tall candleholders. You should be thinking about putting a bouquet in the mannequin’s hands, and oh—you definitely have to have some kind of little treats. I’ve got a tiered crystal stand for those. People will stick around your area longer if you have food.”
Mitzi threw an arm around her grandmother as Fanny Lou rambled on. “Someone has to drop out before we get to go and it might not happen.”
“You should be ready anyway. I’ll talk to the ladies at the doughnut shop and see if they’ll do a special order of tiny cakes or maybe even little bitty bite-sized doughnuts.” Fanny Lou picked up a cookie and took a bite. “Now, about Graham Harrison.”
“All the girls in high school swooned over him, including Mitzi, but she hasn’t told us if he’s still as sexy as he was back then.” Jody took a bowl of salad from the fridge along with a plate of vegetables that she stuck into the microwave to heat.
“He’s aged very, very well, and I’m having cookies,” Mitzi said.
“Smart girl,” Fanny Lou said. “Life is short. Eat dessert first. So you had a little crush on Graham?”
“Everyone did,” Mitzi answered.
“Not me. I was always in love with Lyle,” Jody said.
“Well, according to what I heard at the church bake sale today, Graham moved his daughters here to Celeste because they were being fat shamed down in Greenville. One of them knocked a girl on her ass, blacked both eyes, and bloodied her nose with one punch. It was the last day of school and they said they were going to suspend her for the first two weeks of next year for fighting,” Fanny Lou said.
“She should get a medal, not suspended,” Mitzi fumed.
Fanny Lou took a gallon jug of sweet tea from the fridge. “Who all wants a glass?”
Three hands went up.
She filled four glasses with ice and then tea and carried them to the table. “I remember when he went to work for his dad at the Cadillac dealership—right after he and Rita got married. His dad gave him a job on the lowest level, and he had to work his way up. Rita was furious because she thought they’d get a big house and a new Caddy every year. Stupid woman figured since his folks had money that he had an open bank account.”
Paula took the ham and cheese containers from the fridge while Mitzi pulled a loaf of bread from the cabinet. “You eating with us, Granny?”
“I’ll eat with you and Paula, but I don’t want any of that salad stuff Jody is having. I’ll eat what I want and die when I’m supposed to. Slice some of them tomatoes I brought in here earlier. And I’d rather have bologna instead of ham and mustard instead of mayo,” Fanny Lou answered.
“Me, too,” Paula said. “I want one like hers.”
“I was thinking the same thing.” Mitzi set about making three sandwiches.
So Graham was divorced and raising girls on his own.