“Are you sure you know when Harry is coming?” Nate asked again.
“Where’s McKenna? She wouldn’t be grilling me like this. She’d just be excited.”
“Maybe you should’ve screamed for her instead of me,” said Nate.
“Your name has less syllables. You think I had enough breath to shout McKenna once I made it past the mailbox?”
“Address me as Nathaniel from this point on.”
Barb had finally made it up the driveway and was parking next to them with her window rolled down. “Would’ve been here sooner, but I had to make a three-point turn after that truck finally drove past me, and let’s just say I lost count at point eight. So?” she said, bustling out of the car and slamming the door shut. “Did she tell you the news?”
Nate nodded. “Not sure I’m convinced though.”
“Oh, just give her a chance. I think you’re really going to like her,” said Barb.
“Notthatnews,” Georgie murmured to Barb. “That news is a surprise.”
“And that news better have nothing to do with trying to set me up with one of the Golly girls again,” added Nate. He’d overheard them talking about it after one of their meetings.
“It wouldn’t if you’d just find yourself a date for the Dominoes Dance already.”
“The Harry news,” said Barb with a nervous giggle. “Let’s talk about the Harry news. He’s coming on Thursday.”
“So I keep hearing.”
Georgie huffed. “If you don’t believe me, talk to my granddaughter or the young lady who’s been cleaning out my house. All three of us have been in contact with him, and all three of us can tell you for sure and for certain that Harry Connick Junior is coming to Bugle on Thursday, June twenty-seventh.”
“June twenty-seventh is a Saturday,” Barb whispered.
“I meant the twenty-fifth,” Georgie snapped. “He’s arriving on the twenty-fifth. The concert is the twenty-seventh. I think.” She looked at Barb. Barb nodded.
“Right,” Georgie said with more confidence as Gus stepped out onto the front porch with McKenna right behind him.
“What’s all this wailing I hear?” said Gus.
“Are we having a meeting?” said McKenna, holding a basket and wearing the red handkerchief she got from Gus to wear around her head whenever she went out to pick eggs from the coop because he said it made her look like a more bona fide egg-picker.
“Tell them the good news,” said Barb.
“Harry’s coming early,” said Georgie.
When Nate waved his hand in amaybe–maybe notgesture, Georgie elbowed him in the gut.
“How early?” asked McKenna, rushing down the porch steps to join them.
“Two days early,” said Georgie. “Will the place be ready in time?”
“Everything will be ready,” McKenna assured her.
“Great. Perfect,” said Georgie. “Oh-ho-ho, I can’t wait to see Lottie’s face at the dance on Saturday. She doesn’t think I’ll have anything to announce. Well, you better believe I’ll be spreading the word all day tomorrow that I’ve got somethingbigto announce. So you better dust off your dancing shoes, Nate. I already promised everyone you’d be there ready and willing to dance. You know what? We should probably turn this into an official Harry meeting, since it’s been one of our most productive meetings yet, don’t you think? We’ll fill Evie in later.”
Everyone nodded, including McKenna. “I’ll get started on the minutes right away.”
“Since when did you promise people that I’d be going to the Dominoes Dance?” Nate said as everyone scattered in different directions. “And what do you mean I have to dance?”
Sometimes a girl just needs a break from meetings, chickens, and goats.
So on Friday when Evie suggested McKenna join her for a slow-waddling-eight-months-pregnant hike along some area trails in the afternoon, then go out for a hey-we-hiked-so-we-deserve-this-fried-greasy-food supper afterward, McKenna was all in.
