Emma rolls her eyes.“MacLaine menneedtheir romance.It’s the weirdest thing, isn’t it?They can’t live without it.”
“It must be part of SEAL training,” Victoria says.“You know, right after treading water for eight hours in rough surf.”
“I want to marry a MacLaine man, but I’m already a MacLaine, so I can’t,” Jasmine complains.
“Hey, maybe you have a third or fourth cousin out there somewhere,” I tell her.Phyllis pinches my arm.“What?”
I slide into the booth and flinch.
“What’s wrong?”Phoebe asks, concerned.“Are you feeling twinges of pain?You should probably call Dr.Goldberg.”
“Nah, nothing like that.My boobs are a little sore, is all.I guess I’m getting my period.Finally!That surgery has really messed up my cycle.”
“Come on,” Phyllis says to Phoebe.“What are the latest details with the wedding plans?”
We all sit, and Emma begins to dish out the food.On the menu tonight is chicken Provencal with sides of mashed cauliflower, green beans almondine, salad, and hot French bread.
“Well, you know how the Travises like to celebrate,” Phoebe says.
“Nobody does Christmas like the Travis family.That’s for sure,” Phyllis says.
“Your mom makes the best Christmas cookies in the world,” Jasmine says.
Phoebe laughs.“Yes, and now she feels compelled to try her hand at wedding cookies.You know that my ceremony will be the first for all of us kids, and I’m the only daughter, so it might be the first and only wedding on Travis Ranch.I worry the whole thing is going to be totally overdone.”
“What are you saying?”Emma asks.“It’s going to be bigger than mine?”
“Nobody’s can be bigger than yours!”Victoria exclaims.
“I thought Finn was going to have a stroke organizing that wedding,” I say.
“What’s a stroke?”Jasmine asks.
Phyllis kicks me under the table.“It’s a dance,” I tell Jasmine, then turn my attention to Phyllis.“You’ve developed anger management issues,” I tell her.
“What are anger management issues?”Jasmine asks me.
“You should ask MeeMaw Phyllis.”I shove a fork of rich, tender chicken into my mouth and moan with pleasure.“Wow,” I tell Emma.“You’ve outdone yourself.Do you have any dill pickle spears to go with this?”
After dinner, I make an excuse to help Emma close up so that I can stick around after everyone leaves.When she locks up, I wave goodbye and pretend I’m getting in my truck.But really, I crouch down and watch her drive away.
When the coast is clear, I run across the street to the Sweetbriar Drug & Dime.It’s closed, but the owner lives upstairs, so I throw my shoe at the window.She opens it and stares down at me.
“Summer Stevens?Have you lost your damn marbles?”
“Sorry, Mrs.Elias!But can you open up real quick?It’s an emergency!”
Two minutes later, I’m making my purchases, furtively looking out the windows to be sure no one can see me.
“If you tell anyone, I swear I’ll tan your hide,” I tell her.
“Honey, if I talked about what I see in here on a daily basis, no one would believe me.Can I interest you in some rolling papers to go with?”
“No, but do you have a bathroom?”
I drive like a bat out of hell all the way home.I’m so distracted that I forget to turn off the truck engine when I park in the driveway.I have to run back out to shut it down and grab my keys.Finally, I make it inside.
“Hey, baby!”Declan shouts without turning around.“How was girls’ night out?”
