Page 26 of Shine On Oklahoma

Menu: To be determined.

Invitiations:

Her finger stopped there. “It doesn’t sayanything next to invitations.”

“Oh, the invitations! They arrived yesterday.I tucked ‘em away.” Vidalia hustled behind the bar and came outwith a box, set it in front of Kendra and took off the lid. “Theyneed to go out today, if possible. But we don’t have a completeguest list yet.”

Kendra unfolded blotter paper to see a stackof invitations laid out flat. The front showed a cartoon babyprincess riding a unicorn with sparkles and glitter all around her.Of course it did. God, she loved her sister, but pregnancy suregave her girlie side a shot of rocket fuel, and apparently herfriends all knew it.

They’d probably seen the nursery.

“We’ve been trying to figure a way to get alist from Kiley’s side of the family without giving away thesurprise,” Emily said.

Kendra’s head came up. “Kiley’s side?”

“Your side,” Sophie clarified. “Now thatyou’re here, you can fill in the blanks. It’s co-ed, so Rob and theguys can attend, too.”

Kendra thought of Uncle Willie and Fat Carland Miss Dolly. And she thought of Jack, too. He should be at thisthing. It was for his first grandchild, a baby girl named after theonly woman he’d ever loved, their mom.

And yet Kiley didn’t want him to know, and itwasn’t fair, and the fact that he could end up dead almost any timenow made it feel even worse.

She wouldn’t let him die without knowing, shedecided it for sure right then. Maybe she could get him out ofthere in time. Maybe she could convince Kiley to let him come tothe shower. But at the very least, she was going to let himknow.

Dammit, Kiley needed to remember who the hellshe was. She was not one of these too-good-to-be-true country gals,pretty and smart and honest and kind. They probably had perfecthouses and perfect husbands and perfect lives and perfect kids.

She pictured her sister in that pretty littlefarmhouse, the flowerboxes, the business she’d started, the happykitchen, the amazing husband.

Yeah, maybe she was. Maybe she was. That partof her had come from their mother, who Kiley had idealized in hermind.

But she was also the daughter of JackKellogg. She was the notorious Kendra Kellogg’s twin. She’d beenraised by hucksters and scammers and petty criminals. She needed torespect that part of her heritage.

Kendra couldn’t invite anyone from theirchildhood, though. Not if it would ruin the shower for Kiley.

Then she remembered the soft smile in hersister’s eyes when she’d mentioned Miss Dolly, and how she’d saidshe missed having her family around. It might be okay. “I do haveone name we can add to the list,” Kendra said.

“Oh good!” Sunny handed her a pen. “Jot downthe name and address.”

“Kiley’s gonna be so surprised,” Alliesaid.

“Yeah,” Kendra said. “Surprised.” And sheknew it would either make her sister’s day or ruin it. She bit herlip, but in the end, thought the potential payoff was worth therisk. She would make it her personal task to ensure Miss Dollybehaved herself.

#

Dax had invited Kendra to come out to lunchwith him, and she had agreed eagerly. She had a lot of talking todo and not much time to do it in, and she’d figured out how to usethe planning to ask questions.

They sat in the clearing next to thewaterfall, with a picnic spread out on the ground—red-and-whitechecked blanket, wicker basket and all. She was sure Dax had helpputting it all together. Probably from her sister. Cold friedchicken, extra sharp cheese, root beer in glass bottles. Root beeralways tasted better from glass bottles.

“You said your mom and the lawyers are comingout,” she said. “When are they arriving?

“Why?” he was instantly suspicious.

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