other, but there were ways. Maybe simply being thrust into the situation would help them find their way. "Great! Should I call a caterer… or…?"
He laughed. "Hell no. Consuela would have my ears for supper. You tell her what you have in mind and she'll make sure it works out. You might have to do some work on it, to be helpful."
"Okay. I'd like that anyway. I don't have much to do right now, except taking care of my mother."
"I thought you were working on trainin' Queenie's terriers?"
She rolled her eyes. "They are so spoiled. It's a huge challenge."
Ace's eyes twinkled. "You can do it."
She nodded. It was fun working with them, but they got tired after a few hours, so it didn't fill her days. Until she got her animal training business off the ground, she'd have some boring afternoons. "I'm determined."
"Good." He pushed back from the table and rose, tapping her nose affectionately as he did. "Gotta get to work. There's an issue with one of the tractors and it needs seein' to this mornin'."
"Okay." She stood and gave him a big hug and a smacking kiss, and he swatted her on the bottom as he moved away.
"You stay outta trouble now, y'hear?"
Giggling, she watched him saunter through the backdoor.
"Trouble," she whispered to herself. "No trouble at all."
* * *
Queenie brushed out her blonde hair in the mirror, then adjusted the belt at her waist. Her clothes would get too small. Her belly would swell up like a beach ball and she'd waddle around like a penguin.
It made her grin with happy anticipation. The more she thought about having a baby, the more excited it made her. She had to remind herself that it was a long way away. But every moment was something she intended to savor. The opportunity might never come again. She was 32 years old, after all. And unmarried. Well…lots of women had babies out-of-wedlock these days.
Her parish priest would have something to say about that idea. Will certainly had made his opinion known as well.
Taking a deep breath, and trying not to think about how and when she was going to tell her family, Queenie walked out of her bedroom and down to the backyard.
Frilly paper decorations were everywhere. If Queenie had expected classy understatement from her soon-to-be-sister-in-law, she'd have been surprised. But Gabby was out there, young and exuberant, and still attached to teenage frivolity. Queenie smiled at memories of when she was 20. She'd been a total hellion.
Ace was manning the barbeque at the moment, and the smell of brisket and ribs was wafting all over the yard. None of the guests had arrived. There was still half an hour until they were expected.
"Hey, brother."
"Hi, Q. You look like summer daisies."
She glanced down at her yellow sundress with its bright white belt and smiled. "Thanks, Ace."
Ace's eyes swayed away from her, and she looked over her shoulder. Will Mazie stood there surrounded by her family. Her next-oldest brother, Trey and his wife, Liv, were laughing at something. And her little sister Jackie and older brother Deuce had arrived as well, early to help with things, and they'd joined in the conversation, their smiles friendly and open.
"Shit," she whispered. She'd hoped to avoid Will in a sea of party guests. "He's a little early," she pointed out.
Ace shrugged. "Some mistake on his invitation. It doesn't much matter, does it?"
It sure did! But she didn't let on. "No. Course not."
"Looks like Consuela could use a hand, Q. That's a lot of paper napkins she's got flying in the breeze."
"Yeah. Holler if you get too hot there in the smoke."
"Deuce will take over the cookin' soon. He's better at it."
Smiling, though she wanted to frown, Queenie made her way over to Consuela, who was struggling with a stack of napkins and a mountain of plastic cups . "Let me help."
Consuela eyed her. "I can manage, niña."
"The napkins are flyin' all over, Connie." She reached out for the stack, but Consuela twisted away. The pillar of cups tilted.
Two strong
He laughed. "Hell no. Consuela would have my ears for supper. You tell her what you have in mind and she'll make sure it works out. You might have to do some work on it, to be helpful."
"Okay. I'd like that anyway. I don't have much to do right now, except taking care of my mother."
"I thought you were working on trainin' Queenie's terriers?"
She rolled her eyes. "They are so spoiled. It's a huge challenge."
Ace's eyes twinkled. "You can do it."
She nodded. It was fun working with them, but they got tired after a few hours, so it didn't fill her days. Until she got her animal training business off the ground, she'd have some boring afternoons. "I'm determined."
"Good." He pushed back from the table and rose, tapping her nose affectionately as he did. "Gotta get to work. There's an issue with one of the tractors and it needs seein' to this mornin'."
"Okay." She stood and gave him a big hug and a smacking kiss, and he swatted her on the bottom as he moved away.
"You stay outta trouble now, y'hear?"
Giggling, she watched him saunter through the backdoor.
"Trouble," she whispered to herself. "No trouble at all."
* * *
Queenie brushed out her blonde hair in the mirror, then adjusted the belt at her waist. Her clothes would get too small. Her belly would swell up like a beach ball and she'd waddle around like a penguin.
It made her grin with happy anticipation. The more she thought about having a baby, the more excited it made her. She had to remind herself that it was a long way away. But every moment was something she intended to savor. The opportunity might never come again. She was 32 years old, after all. And unmarried. Well…lots of women had babies out-of-wedlock these days.
Her parish priest would have something to say about that idea. Will certainly had made his opinion known as well.
Taking a deep breath, and trying not to think about how and when she was going to tell her family, Queenie walked out of her bedroom and down to the backyard.
Frilly paper decorations were everywhere. If Queenie had expected classy understatement from her soon-to-be-sister-in-law, she'd have been surprised. But Gabby was out there, young and exuberant, and still attached to teenage frivolity. Queenie smiled at memories of when she was 20. She'd been a total hellion.
Ace was manning the barbeque at the moment, and the smell of brisket and ribs was wafting all over the yard. None of the guests had arrived. There was still half an hour until they were expected.
"Hey, brother."
"Hi, Q. You look like summer daisies."
She glanced down at her yellow sundress with its bright white belt and smiled. "Thanks, Ace."
Ace's eyes swayed away from her, and she looked over her shoulder. Will Mazie stood there surrounded by her family. Her next-oldest brother, Trey and his wife, Liv, were laughing at something. And her little sister Jackie and older brother Deuce had arrived as well, early to help with things, and they'd joined in the conversation, their smiles friendly and open.
"Shit," she whispered. She'd hoped to avoid Will in a sea of party guests. "He's a little early," she pointed out.
Ace shrugged. "Some mistake on his invitation. It doesn't much matter, does it?"
It sure did! But she didn't let on. "No. Course not."
"Looks like Consuela could use a hand, Q. That's a lot of paper napkins she's got flying in the breeze."
"Yeah. Holler if you get too hot there in the smoke."
"Deuce will take over the cookin' soon. He's better at it."
Smiling, though she wanted to frown, Queenie made her way over to Consuela, who was struggling with a stack of napkins and a mountain of plastic cups . "Let me help."
Consuela eyed her. "I can manage, niña."
"The napkins are flyin' all over, Connie." She reached out for the stack, but Consuela twisted away. The pillar of cups tilted.
Two strong
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