“Sounds good to me,” Anna Rose said, holding the door open. “How many women are there that bring food?”
“At first, there were at least a dozen women coming around all the time.” Clinton frowned. “Then it narrowed down to about six, and it seems like lately there’s only the three. Honestly, ladies, I’ve tried to tell them that if I want to date, I will ask them. It’s like they don’t even hear me. I tell them that I don’t want any more food, and yet they come back several times a week with cakes, pies, and casseroles.”
“Their ears can only hear money jingling around for their wedding day,” Jorja said.
Clinton set the lasagna on the cabinet and suddenly looked like he’d been poleaxed—as Nana Irene said when reality hit a person right in the core of their brain. “Wedding day? I thought the contest was to see who could get me to go out with them. Do you mean they’re wanting marriagefor real? Y’all aren’t just teasing me?”
Taryn pulled the lettuce and tomatoes from the refrigerator and set about making a salad. “They are picking out wedding dresses and venues. You might want to run for the hills.”
Anna Rose took a loaf of Italian bread from the pantry and started slicing it. “We’ll protect you as best we can until we leave—but when we’re gone, you’ll be on your own, feller. I’m not sure Nana Irene and Ruby together can keep those rabid skunks at bay by the end of summer.”
Clinton swiped his hand across his brow. “Why didn’t someone tell me this was about more than a date or two before now? Irene and Ruby had to have known.”
“They probably liked the food, just like we do,” Jorja said. “But I’m wondering what those women will do next when they figure out that the way to the altar isn’t through your stomach.”
“I shudder to even think about it,” Clinton whispered. “Marriage? Are you sure?”
Jorja nodded. “Elaine wouldn’t be buying a wedding dress if she wasn’t pretty sure that she was going to win the diamond, the man, and a walk down the aisle on her father’s arm. I imagine she already has visions of being invited to parties in the governor’s mansion in Austin.”
Clinton sighed. “I thought they were bringing food to the poor, crippled man because he is awar hero”—he threw up air quotes—“and they just wanted to date me because of that.”
Taryn set the bowl of salad on the bar beside the pan of lasagna. “I don’t know about that. I think they see dollar signs more than a slight limp.”
What doyousee?her inner voice asked.
I see a good man,she answered honestly.
Jorja set the table and poured four glasses of sweet tea. “Looks like we’re ready to eat.”
Clinton stood up and glanced at the round table. “Where do I sit?”
“Anywhere you want,” Taryn answered. “Nana Irene said that she bought a round table so that we wouldn’t fuss about who got to be the queen and sit at the head. I imagine that any one of the three women who are vying for a diamond ring the size of an ice rink will be sure to have a table where they can reign as queen in whatever big mansion that you build for them. For tonight, we’re all just work friends, so pick up a plate and help yourself.”
“But first, we pray,” Jorja said and held out her hand to Taryn. “And we have to hold hands because that’s what Nana Irene made us do when she said grace. She said it was the one time in the day when we had to be nice to each other for a minute or two.”
Clinton took Taryn’s hand in his right one and Anna Rose’s in his left. Taryn simply had to get out more, because plenty of chemistry flowed through her hand—just like it had when he had put his arm around her in the funeral home. She didn’t even hear Jorja’s prayer, butwhen her cousin said, “Amen,” and Clinton dropped her hand, Taryn glanced over at him, and their eyes locked for a brief moment.
Taryn blinked and looked away before either of her cousins could accuse her of flirting.
“I didn’t have time to eat anything but a few cookies today, so I’m starving,” he said.
She reached over to the table and handed him a plate. “Guests first, especially when you’ve been working all day and we’ve only had a total of three customers. Mostly what we did was finish off the pumpkin bread and eat cake.”
“I’m not a guest,” Clinton protested. “I’m a partner—at least until Irene and Ruby get back, and then I’m back to a hired hand. But I won’t argue about going first.”
He loaded up his plate, sat down at the table, and waited on the others to join him before he took the first bite. “So, it was a slow day? Did y’all get the puzzles out?”
“Nope, but ...” Taryn told him about the three women coming in to bring chocolate cake, pie, and brownies.
“But Elaine and Mallory took theirs back,” Jorja said. “I really like those pies that the bakery here in town makes, so I wish Elaine would have left it.”
“Thank God!” Clinton said. “I’ve already taken a lot of stuff to the homeless shelter.”
Anna Rose patted him on the shoulder. “I can eat lasagna for breakfast, so if there’s more up in your apartment, save it for us rather than taking it to the shelter.”
“I would gladly cook every evening if they would leave me alone,” Clinton said.
“Doesn’t look like that’s going to happen anytime soon,” Taryn said. “I kind of wished that they had gotten into a catfight today. That way they would have had to pay for all the things they broke, and we would have made some money.”
