Page 70 of The Party Line

“Age makes no difference when it comes to lust.”

I could hear the worry in her voice. “Mama, stop fretting and enjoy your time away. Tell me where y’all are going first.”

“Tonight, we’re going to Tootsie’s Orchid Lounge, and tomorrow night, the Ryman, for whatever show is playing there. I hope it’s a bluegrass event.” Excitement had returned to her voice.

I heard a door open and then Annie’s voice. “Are you talking to Lila? Did you tell her that we’re going home through Memphis so we can go to Graceland?”

“Not yet,” Mama answered, “and we’re also going to go tour Loretta Lynn’s place and eat in her kitchen in Hurricane Mills, Tennessee, on the way back. It would take a month to see everything here.”

“Please don’t stay away that long,” I begged.

“We won’t,” Annie said, “but we are already planning a trip to Las Vegas. And maybe one to the beach in Florida in November.”

“And maybe a cruise in July,” Mama piped up.

Gina Lou opened the door and raised an eyebrow. I held up a finger and mouthed, “My mama.”

She nodded and disappeared back into the house.

“Sounds like y’all have the travel bug. You will be home for Christmas, won’t you?”

“Why?” Annie and Mama asked in unison.

“You know that I’ve wanted a Christmas wedding since I was a little girl, and it just wouldn’t be the same without you walking me down the aisle. Since Aunt Gracie’s favorite color was red, it seems fitting, doesn’t it? I may cut a little piece of her red underwear, make a rose out of it, and stick it in my bouquet,” I teased.

“Sweet Lord!” Mama gasped. “Please tell me you are kidding.”

“Gotcha!” I giggled out loud. “Y’all go on and check out Tootsie’s. Take more pictures, and maybe don’t lean out of the car and do it while you’re driving. I wasn’t quite surewhereyou were. See you in a couple of weeks. Love you—and, Mama, you don’t have a thing to worry about.” I ended the call before either of them could say anything else.

Chapter Twenty

Five outfits, from jeans and a T-shirt to the fancy dress I wore to the company Christmas party the year before, cluttered my bed. If I wore jeans for my date and Connor took me to a bougie restaurant in San Antonio, that would be a disaster. If I wore the little black dress with sequins scattered on the bodice and we went to the Dairy Queen in Poteet, that would almost be worse.

Gina Lou knocked on my open door and peeked inside. “All right if I borrow the car this evening? I’ve got a hot date with Jasper.”

“No problem. Thank you for taking him for a ride. Where are y’all going?” I turned my back on all the clothing.

“We are going to my folks’ house for ice cream. Daddy is hand-churning some, and if Jasper’s not too tired when we come home, we are going to watch an episode or two of the first prequel toYellowstoneon television. I haven’t ever seen it, and Jasper says the only way to appreciate the series is to start from the beginning.” She nodded toward the bed.

“I’ve never seen that series, either, but I know Jasper will love having a night out.” I glanced over at the clothes on the bed. “I wish Connor would have told me where we were going.” I sighed. “When in doubt, don’t.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Mama used to tell me that all the time when I was a teenager,” I said. “It means if you have doubts or if you’re fighting with yourself,then you better take a step back and figure things out before you jump headfirst into the water.”

“Or the frying pan. Mama told me that Derrick was nothing but a scalding-hot skillet. Sweet as strawberry wine one minute and mean as a snake the next. But I wouldn’t listen.” She pointed at an emerald green sundress. “Wear that one. No matter where you go, it’ll be fine. The night could turn out chilly, so take a cardigan or your cute little denim jacket with you.”

“Great idea. You and Jasper have a good time. I’ll be back by nine to give him his last dose of medicine.” I removed my robe and slipped the dress over my head. “It’s been so long since I’ve been out on a real date that I’m acting like a sixteen-year-old.”

“You must really like him. There’s a full moon out tonight. You know what that means?”

“That I can see better in the dark?” I asked.

She grinned. “No, it means you might get lucky.”

“I’m not superstitious.” I frowned. “All that old moon will do is light up my freckles even more.”

“I’d take those freckles any day of the week if I could have your height to go with them.”

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