“I’m going to be brutally honest and tell you if I don’t like him,” Audrey declared, and Raelene burst out laughing, doubling over.
“And we did see some boys that took our eye,” Raelene said, causing Audrey to laugh right along with her. “One even winked at me.”
“I’m not surprised that the boys are looking at both of you. You are beautiful young ladies. And, honey, as far as being honest with me, I would expect nothing less from either of you,” Grace told her. “Now, bandage up each other and go have fun. Be sure to slather on some of that sunscreen we bought. You both look like you’ve been soaked in buttermilk.”
Audrey giggled and rushed into the bathroom to change. Grace got a visual of her as a toddler, running through the house strip-stark naked when she got finished with her bath.
“Free as a bird,” she muttered.
Sarah and Macy were both dressed in new bathing suits when they came out of the bedroom. “That’s the way I feel when I’m standing here in this open door, looking out and listening to the surf,” Sarah said. “Are you coming with us, Grace?”
“I’ll be along in a minute. My body hasn’t caught up with that late night. I woke up at four this morning and thought I’d overslept, so I’m going to sit here for a minute or two and catch my breath.”
“My internal clock doesn’t know it’s on vacation, so I was wide awake at three. I got up and sat out on the patio for a little while and told myself it was Sunday, even though it isn’t; it must’ve worked, because I got sleepy,” Macy said with a chuckle. “See you in a little bit down on the beach. I intend to soak up as much sun and get as much sand between my toes as possible every day we’re here.”
Grace waved at them, rested her head on the back of the sofa, and closed her eyes. She listened to the surf and the girls’ voices as they played in the pool. In just a few hours, Travis would be in town for a week. On one end of the emotional stick, the idea made her nervous; on the other, she was excited about going to dinner with him and getting to know him better. From what she’d seen, he didn’t act all entitled and like a rich man, and she liked that about him. But—and there always seemed to be abutwhen she even thought about dating—Grace was who she was and had a “take me as I am or leave me” attitude. He might not like that—or the fact that she had a daughter who could be, and most of the timewas, a handful.
“Who knows? He might still be trying to get me to sell him our land and figuring out a loophole to get our recipe,” she muttered.
She had only met him those times when he had come into the shop and when she had lunch with him, and only the good Lord knew how far her relationship radar was off these days. Just like Macy, she had thought that Neal was a good man with a kind and romantic heart. That idea could sure enough be hammered to the back door with a tenpenny nail as a reminder of her abilities to judge a man.
She had dozed off when her phone vibrated in her hip pocket and jarred her awake. She pulled it out, saw that it was Beezy, and answered on the second ring. “Hello, Beezy. I’ve been meaning to call you all morning, but these girls have kept me hopping since sunrise.”
“What hotel are you in?” Beezy asked. “I’ve got my bags packed and my plane ticket bought. I’ll get an Uber at the airport and be there by bedtime. There’s no way you girls are going on your first vacation without me.”
“We are at a place called the Sugar Sands. If you don’t mind sleeping on a bunk bed, there’s plenty of room in our motel for you,” Grace answered, “and we’ll love to have you for two whole weeks.”
“Thank God!” Beezy said with a long sigh. “I can’t even go to the post office or to the library without people swarming around me like ants and asking a million questions about all y’all. Honey, I’d take a trip to the desert with nothing but cactus and lizards just to get away from all this drama.”
“Well, darlin’, this is a very peaceful place, and we’ll all be tickled to death to see you. Raelene has introduced us to thrifting, so keep some room in that packed suitcase.”
“She’s a smart girl, but I’m ready to walk out the door. I bought half a dozen of those embroidered dresses when we were on the cruise and have fallen in love with them. I feel like I’m wearing my nightgown when I put one on. Do they have those chairs and umbrellas for rent on the beach?” Beezy asked.
“Yes, ma’am, they do,” Grace answered.
“Then I’m all set, but I will need to hit a bookstore. I only had room to bring the one I’m reading, so if you go thrifting again, I might go along to buy used books,” Beezy said. “Or we could forget the books, and I’ll teach the girls to play poker.”
“Sweet Jesus!” Grace gasped.
“Hey, they need to learn,” Beezy said, “or else when they go to college and the boys talk them into strip poker, they’ll be in trouble.”
Grace jumped to her feet and paced around the floor a couple of times. She had known that the day would come when Audrey would leave Devine and go to college and that Sarah had been a party girl inher university days. But she had never let things enter her mind about boys in the same dorms, strip poker, frat parties, and all that.
“Are you still there?” Beezy asked.
“I’m here,” Grace answered and shook the ideas out of her mind. “What time does your plane land? We have an SUV rented, so I can drive over and get you.”
“Oh, no you won’t.” Beezy’s tone sounded just like Grace’s mama’s. “You’ve got to be exhausted. I’ll handle any arrangements myself. I have a cell phone just like you do, young lady.”
“Okay, then.” Grace didn’t even bother to argue. “But don’t stop for vodka. There’s a liquor store just down the strip. I’ll make a run down there and get what we need.”
“Deal!” Beezy said. “My sister is taking me to the airport, and she’s not a happy camper. Nobody in town knows how long you plan to be away, so she’s pitching a hissy fit because I won’t be here to play poker with her and my Sunday school class after church on Sundays. And there she is now, honking the car horn. I swear to God, she’s the most impatient woman the good Lord ever gave a soul to. I’ll see you this evening.”
“Lookin’ forward to it,” Grace said. “Have a safe journey.”
“What you are supposed to say is ‘have a fun trip.’” Beezy giggled. “Bye now.”
The call ended and Grace slumped down in one of the two chairs at the end of the coffee table.
