said.
Sadie found herself nodding even though her sister couldn’t see her.
“What about Susannah?” she asked, her gut worrying over her eldest sister’s reaction.
“We ask her,” Shelby said, “but we can expect a lot of emotion all around. I’m afraid they might want to stop us, but I…I need to see this through. Even though I’m fixing to come undone about the prospect of seeing her. Sadie, I didn’t even know her name. It’s Lenore. That made me sad.”
It brought tears to her eyes too. “I think we should all meet up tonight,” Sadie said. “Neither of them go to bed early.”
“They’re newlyweds,” Shelby reminded her, making her start to cough violently.
“Yuck. Did you have to go there? Darn it all, Shelby, I want to deal with this tonight. I won’t be able to sleep a wink.”
“All right, let’s text them and see what they say.” Shelby paused for a moment. “I should confess Vander isn’t sold on the idea of us going. At all! He wanted to make the trip by himself, but I told him we have to go.”
“But she’s our grandmother!” Sadie exclaimed, deciding to pull into the parking lot of a Dairy Queen for some ice cream. She deserved a treat after all this stress. “Why wouldn’t we go?”
“He doesn’t want us to get hurt,” Shelby told her, and that made Sadie’s heart warm.
“Vander really is a good man,” Sadie said, cutting the engine. “How did your…ah…meeting go?”
Her sister sighed. “He pretty much bolted out of Oak Bar after sharing the news.”
Wasn’t that interesting? “Then he has ethics, which makes me like him even more. If you like him, you’re going to have to be the one to make the move. I know I told you to be careful, but this changes my mind.”
“Sadie McGuiness! Did you and your quilting circle up and smoke something tonight?”
“You know what I’m talking about.” She grabbed her purse and headed inside. “I’m at the Dairy Queen. Why don’t you call J.P. and Susannah? I’ll see you in a few.”
“You sure it’s not too late?” her sister asked.
“No, there’s a ton of people at Dairy Queen. They’ll be awake.” She took her place in line. “Do you want something?”
“I was too upset to eat earlier, but my stomach is growling at the thought of Dairy Queen,” Shelby told her. “How about a burger and fries? A blizzard would melt.”
“Done.”
Pocketing her phone, Sadie waited until it was her turn to order. She decided to add in some chicken strips and more fries. Maybe J.P. and Susannah would like some if they were able to meet tonight. Who was she kidding? She was doing what every Southern woman did in a crisis. She was bringing food.
Her phone buzzed while she was paying. It was Shelby.
We’re meeting at J.P.’s. Come immediately. They grumbled, but agree it’s important.
When Sadie arrived at her brother’s house, the porch light was on. As she made her way to the front door, Susannah pulled into the drive behind her and exited her vehicle.
She stopped and turned around. “Hey.”
“Hey,” her sister said, filling that one word with truculence.
“Did Shelby tell you the complete news?” she asked.
“Yes,” Susannah replied. “I’m fixing to come undone.”
Her hands were full with the food, but she leaned in and pressed her cheek to her sister’s. “Me too.”
“Dairy Queen,” her sister said, pointing to the bags. “That’s a sure sign of stress.”
“I already had a large Butterfinger Blizzard.” In fact, she was fighting a downright unladylike belch. “We’re scared too, Susannah.”
“Let’s go inside,” her sister said, pressing a hand to her back and ushering her forward. They were on the porch when the headlights from another car illuminated them.
“Shelby’s here,” she said.
Sure enough, their other sister slammed her car door and rushed forward like there were hounds nipping at her heels.
“Are y’all going to come inside or dawdle out here
Sadie found herself nodding even though her sister couldn’t see her.
“What about Susannah?” she asked, her gut worrying over her eldest sister’s reaction.
“We ask her,” Shelby said, “but we can expect a lot of emotion all around. I’m afraid they might want to stop us, but I…I need to see this through. Even though I’m fixing to come undone about the prospect of seeing her. Sadie, I didn’t even know her name. It’s Lenore. That made me sad.”
It brought tears to her eyes too. “I think we should all meet up tonight,” Sadie said. “Neither of them go to bed early.”
“They’re newlyweds,” Shelby reminded her, making her start to cough violently.
“Yuck. Did you have to go there? Darn it all, Shelby, I want to deal with this tonight. I won’t be able to sleep a wink.”
“All right, let’s text them and see what they say.” Shelby paused for a moment. “I should confess Vander isn’t sold on the idea of us going. At all! He wanted to make the trip by himself, but I told him we have to go.”
“But she’s our grandmother!” Sadie exclaimed, deciding to pull into the parking lot of a Dairy Queen for some ice cream. She deserved a treat after all this stress. “Why wouldn’t we go?”
“He doesn’t want us to get hurt,” Shelby told her, and that made Sadie’s heart warm.
“Vander really is a good man,” Sadie said, cutting the engine. “How did your…ah…meeting go?”
Her sister sighed. “He pretty much bolted out of Oak Bar after sharing the news.”
Wasn’t that interesting? “Then he has ethics, which makes me like him even more. If you like him, you’re going to have to be the one to make the move. I know I told you to be careful, but this changes my mind.”
“Sadie McGuiness! Did you and your quilting circle up and smoke something tonight?”
“You know what I’m talking about.” She grabbed her purse and headed inside. “I’m at the Dairy Queen. Why don’t you call J.P. and Susannah? I’ll see you in a few.”
“You sure it’s not too late?” her sister asked.
“No, there’s a ton of people at Dairy Queen. They’ll be awake.” She took her place in line. “Do you want something?”
“I was too upset to eat earlier, but my stomach is growling at the thought of Dairy Queen,” Shelby told her. “How about a burger and fries? A blizzard would melt.”
“Done.”
Pocketing her phone, Sadie waited until it was her turn to order. She decided to add in some chicken strips and more fries. Maybe J.P. and Susannah would like some if they were able to meet tonight. Who was she kidding? She was doing what every Southern woman did in a crisis. She was bringing food.
Her phone buzzed while she was paying. It was Shelby.
We’re meeting at J.P.’s. Come immediately. They grumbled, but agree it’s important.
When Sadie arrived at her brother’s house, the porch light was on. As she made her way to the front door, Susannah pulled into the drive behind her and exited her vehicle.
She stopped and turned around. “Hey.”
“Hey,” her sister said, filling that one word with truculence.
“Did Shelby tell you the complete news?” she asked.
“Yes,” Susannah replied. “I’m fixing to come undone.”
Her hands were full with the food, but she leaned in and pressed her cheek to her sister’s. “Me too.”
“Dairy Queen,” her sister said, pointing to the bags. “That’s a sure sign of stress.”
“I already had a large Butterfinger Blizzard.” In fact, she was fighting a downright unladylike belch. “We’re scared too, Susannah.”
“Let’s go inside,” her sister said, pressing a hand to her back and ushering her forward. They were on the porch when the headlights from another car illuminated them.
“Shelby’s here,” she said.
Sure enough, their other sister slammed her car door and rushed forward like there were hounds nipping at her heels.
“Are y’all going to come inside or dawdle out here
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