Raelene picked up her plate and Audrey’s and carried both to the sink. “Macy, I really should stick around here and do these dishes. The flower beds look like they could use some help, and the porch needs a good mopping.”
“The flower beds are Sarah’s bailiwick,” Grace said, “and the porch can wait until next week. We’ll all go to church together.”
Raelene grimaced. “But . . .”
Grace stuffed the last of the eggs and bacon into two biscuits. “There’s no buts, Raelene. Get ready. Macy teaches the teenage class, and she’s asked me to sit in on it today, so you’ll have friends there.”
“Y’all have been too good to me”—Raelene’s glassy eyes were about to spill tears when she turned around to face Grace and Macy—“for me to be an embarrassment to Audrey. She was a good friend to me. High school gets us all riled up.”
“Audrey will be fine,” Grace said. “She’s pouting because of her decision to take the rap for her friends. That was her choice, and now she has to be accountable for it.”
“My granny used to tell me that kind of thing all the time,” Raelene said as she left the room.
Macy poured herself another cup of coffee and sat back down. “Think Raelene and Audrey will ever be friends again? She was sure easier to live with back when she ran with that group of girls.”
“Probably not, but it would be nice if they were,” Grace answered. “Raelene’s grandma, Hilda, was not of the upper class here in Devine, but she was a wonderful person. She’s done a good job of raising that child. Raelene’s mother, Geneva, was a handful and pretty much gave the baby to Hilda to raise from the time she was born.”
“Mama used to take a couple dozen doughnuts up to her about once a month,” Macy said. “I went with her one time when I was a little girl, and Hilda was worried about Geneva even back that far. I had forgotten all about that until you mentioned it.”
“She had a right to be worried,” Grace said. “Geneva has always had a wild streak.”
“Wilder than Sarah?” Macy whispered.
“Oh, yeah,” Grace replied and nodded. “She would make Sarah look like an angel. But I’ve got a confession to make. When Geneva got pregnant with Raelene, I was just like Audrey and her little buddies, and I gossiped behind her back. A year later, I was in the same predicament. That taught me a valuable lesson about judging.”
Macy took a sip of her coffee and set the cup back down. “Is that why Sarah gave her a job and took her in?”
Grace finished off her coffee and took the cup to the sink. “Probably. She would have remembered Hilda and Geneva—and I feel like at one time, they were friends.”
“Small towns,” Macy said with a sigh. “I’m glad that I’m moving to San Antonio this summer.”
“You’ll miss Devine. I know you will.” Grace chuckled.
“I’ll be coming back every day to work in the shop,” Macy said, “at least until Neal and I start our family, and then I’m giving you and Sarah my part of this place.”
Grace held up a palm. “We’re not going to have that conversation for a while. We’ve still got a wedding to plan and lots of doughnuts to make between now and the end of June.”
“Do you think you and Sarah will ever get married?” Macy asked as she stood up and took the first step out of the kitchen.
“Can’t speak for my sister, but not me,” Grace answered. “Audrey wouldn’t adapt well to a stepdad, and there’s not a man on the earth who could endure raising a teenage girl that wasn’t his child.”
“But what if a guy like Neal came along and swept you off your feet, and what if Audrey loved him?” Macy pressed.
“Jesus is in heaven,” Grace told her.
“What’s that got to do with anything?” Macy asked.
Grace raised an eyebrow and shook her head slowly. “Think about it.”
Macy gasped. “Oh! I get it. A man would have to be as perfect as our Lord and Savior to ever put up with Audrey. Well, miracles do happen.”
“But not for me—and, honey, just a word of advice...” Grace lowered her voice. “Don’t put Neal up on too high of a pedestal. He’s human, but he’s also a man. He’s not perfect, and when he falls off that pedestal, if it’s all the way up in the clouds, it could easily tear apart your relationship. And I am definitely speaking from experience.”
“He’s not Justin,” Macy snapped. “He would never hurt me like Justin did you.”
Grace crossed the room and patted Macy on the shoulder. “I hope not. He wouldn’t want to face the consequences of his actions if he did. If we’re going to make Sunday school, we’d better put a rush on things.”
“I’ll meet all y’all at the car in ten minutes,” Macy said. “I’m glad you’re sitting in on my class this morning. I need you there, Grace. The kids have gotten out of control, and I don’t know what to do. Only one boy even participates, and he acts like it’s an embarrassment to speak up in front of the rest of the class.”
