“You missed a good time,” Cricket said.
Rick pushed the cart in the opposite direction. “Well, you ladies have a nice evening.”
“See you at the fireworks tomorrow night.” Cricket flashed a sweet smile at Lettie, but it turned into a smirk when she looked back at Jennie Sue.
“Don’t mind her,” Nadine whispered when they’d gotten far enough away that Cricket couldn’t hear. “She’s got a burr under her saddle when it comes to you.”
“What’s that got to do with me?” Jennie Sue asked. “I could feel the icicles comin’ off her tone.”
“Jealousy,” Lettie said. “But don’t worry, she’ll get glad in the same britches she got upset in. Let’s go on to the frozen foods now. We don’t buy our fresh vegetables here. Rick’s are so much better.”
“Why would she be jealous of me?” Jennie Sue said. “I’m divorced and cleaning houses for a living.”
“Honey, you are the next Wilshire of West Texas whether you like it or not.” Nadine patted her on the arm. “Now let’s go get some frozen hash browns for the casserole I’m making tomorrow night.”
Jennie Sue picked up a few things as she followed the ladies, but her mind wasn’t on grocery shopping. It kept skipping from the chemistry she’d felt when Rick touched her hand to the idea that Cricket was envious of her and the fact that she’d rather be the next Baker of West Texas than inherit the Wilshire crown. She’d rather be known for bringing extra tomatoes to the church folks than having a hand in one of the biggest oil companies in the state.
“You were flirting with her. How could you do that when you know how I feel about her?” Cricket hissed.
Rick pushed the cart up to the express checkout. “Settle down. Your face turns beet red when you are angry. Why would you think I was flirting?”
“The way you were smilin’. I haven’t seen that expression on your face since before you got hurt,” Cricket said through clenched teeth.
“Jennie Sue is a pretty woman, but I wasn’t flirting.”
“Good, because she’s way out of your league. I hate her,” Cricket told him.
“Hate consumes love, sister,” Rick said. “The two can’t live in the same heart.”
“My heart is plenty big enough for both.” Cricket began to unload items from the cart.
Hoping to cool her down and get her mind off Jennie Sue, he said, “We could stop by the Dairyland and get a burger and fries for supper. I’ll treat.”
“I am hungry,” she answered.
“You’re like Daddy. Mama said there wasn’t anything crankier than a hungry Lawson.” He pulled bills from his wallet to pay for what they’d bought.
Cricket sucked in a lungful of air and let it out in a whoosh. “I’m not cranky. I just don’t like Jennie Sue and never will.”
“Never say never,” Rick said.
“I don’t believe that old sayin’.”
“We don’t get food in you, you’ll go postal right here in Walmart,” Rick told her.
She nudged him with her shoulder. “Okay, okay. You’ve always been the one who tried to keep the peace, like Mama was. I’ll calm down if I can have a hot-fudge sundae after we eat.”
“Deal!” He grinned.
They finished checking out and drove to the Dairyland to find the only booth left was a family-size one that would easily seat six. Cricket claimed it and sent Rick to put in their orders. When he returned with a tray of food, she had her phone up to her ear and a smile on her face. Other than food, gossip was the one thing that could tame the beast in her. She’d make an amazing columnist for one of those newspapers at the checkout counters. But to do that, a person needed a toe in the door.
“Don’t you even want to know what happened that caused Jennie Sue to leave her mama’s house?” Cricket asked.
“Nope. I don’t care why she left,” Rick answered.
“Not even a little bit curious?” Cricket bit into a french fry and squealed, “Hot!”
Rick pushed her root beer closer to her. “Right out of the grease. Drink some of that and it’ll help.”
She gulped several times and then spewed root beer out her nose and across the table on his shirt. “They’re comin’ in here.”
“Who?” Rick asked.
“The Cliffords and Jennie Sue.” She grabbed a fistful of napkins from the dispenser and handed them to him.
“She’s stalkin’ you.” He lowered his voice and wiggled his dark brows. “She’s jealous of you because you have dark hair and green eyes, and she always wanted to grow vegetables and work in a café. You got to do both of her dreams while she had to be a socialite.”
“Don’t be sarcastic,” Cricket hissed.
“Don’t be crazy.” He turned around and waved at the ladies. “Y’all want to join us? We got lots of room.”
“I’m going to shoot you.” Cricket kicked him in the shin under the table.
“I hid your rifle,” he said.
“Don’t mind if we do, and thank you,” Nadine said. “Lettie, you know what I want. Jennie Sue can help carry it back here to us.” She scooted in beside Cricket and waited until Lettie and Jennie Sue had reached the counter before she whispered, “So I hear that the Bloomin’ Flower Shop sent a bunch of flowers out to Charlotte today.”
“Six different bouquets, says one of the girls that works there.” Cricket lowered her voice. “Mostly roses, but the last one was a big basket of gladiolas. The Sweetwater Belles sent that one. Guess everyone thinks that Jennie Sue’s decision to work for y’all is going to cause Charlotte to die.”
“Well, I did wonder when I heard the ambulance goin’ through town, but it was just one of Elaine’s boys that stuck a bean up his nose and couldn’t breathe. They had to take him to the emergency room and sedate him to get it out,” Nadine said.
Rick shook his head. “Poor little guy. I remember when Cricket did that. She couldn’t get air, and Mama was in a panic.”
“Don’t you dare tell that story in front of Jennie Sue,” Cricket hissed. “They’re on the way with the orders.”
Nadine patted her on the arm. “Your secret is safe with us, but Jennie Sue seems to be a really nice person. Y’all could be friends.”
“You ever goin’ to be friends with Charlotte?” Cricket asked.
Nadine sent a dirty look her way. “Maybe when they let Lucifer back in heaven for a visit.”
“There’s your answer,” Cricket said.
“Burger basket with everything for Nadine and one with no onions for me,” Lettie said as she set a tray down. “Jennie Sue, you go on and slide in there beside Rick, honey. These old knees like the outside better than havin’ to work their way out of the booth after I eat.”
Rick wasn’t ready for the jolt that shot through him when Jennie Sue’s entire side plastered up against his. His tongue knotted up, especially when he thought of the talk that would be flying around the next day.
“I love big old greasy burgers,” Jennie Sue said. “This is such a treat.”
“It’s the one thing I missed the most when I was deployed,” he said.
“Where were you?” Jennie Sue asked.
“I could tell you, but then . . . Well, you know the rest.” Rick grinned.
“He won’t even tell me where he was on that last mission,” Cricket said. “You’d think he could tell his sister.”
Jennie Sue nudged him with her shoulder. “I always wanted a sister.”
“Oh, honey, trust me when I say that you didn’t really.” Lettie shook her head slowly in disagreement. “They’re nothing but a pain in the ass most of the time.”
“Especially if you get an older sister who stays in so much trouble that she ruins your name right along with hers,” Nadine said.
“So how much older was the other sister?” Jennie Sue asked.
“Flora was two years older than me. If she was alive, she’d be ninety-two, and I’m two years older than Lettie, who is older than dirt,” Nadine said.