揝he抯 right,?Jessica agreed. 揕et me go talk to Stella.?
揑抣l take Jessica with me as a witness if that will make y抋ll feel better. Looks like our first rush might be more interested in beer and shots than in food. The porch is full of military folks.?Oscar headed for the door leading out of the kitchen and down the hallway. 揓essica and I are going out the back door. Wade, you start the music at exactly six o抍lock and wait by the coatrack to kind of welcome the newest folks. Jessica, you get the key so you can unlock the door and let 抏m in.?
Jessica trusted Oscar, so she followed him, but she sure hoped the argument that was bound to happen wouldn抰 cause the customers to turn and run. She glanced over at the wooden cross marking the spot where she and Wade had buried the coffee can holding her folks?ashes, and then toward the barn, where she could see her old RV sitting. Zach was fitting in well with their eclectic group.
揥hat do you want me to do??Jessica asked when they had rounded the end of the building.
揥hen you hear the music, open the door and turn 抏m loose,?Oscar answered. 揟he rest is my job.?
揥hat are you going to do??Jessica hoped that Oscar wouldn抰 land in jail for whatever he had planned.
揑抦 going to fix the Stella problem,?Oscar said with a nod, 搒o that it抯 over and done with. Hey, Tommy!?He waved. 揧ou here to take pictures for the Riverbend Weekly News??
揧ep, I am. Does that get me a drink on the house??Tommy teased.
揧ou bet it does, if you抣l take a picture of me dancing and put it on the front page,?Oscar yelled above the noise.
揧ou got it.?Tommy gave him a thumbs-up.
Jessica had to weave among dozens of people to get to the bar抯 front door to unlock it. When she heard the first notes of the music, she raised the key and yelled, 揥elcome to the grand opening of Danny抯 Place.?Then she unlocked the door and stood to one side.
She didn抰 count, but it seemed like twenty or thirty people had gone inside when suddenly there was Stella in the middle of the crowd, with Oscar right beside her. She looked absolutely mortified, and he had a huge grin on his face.
揟urn me loose,?she growled as she passed Jessica.
揑抦 afraid you抣l get trampled.?Oscar winked at Jessica and nodded toward the foyer. 揟he Good Book tells me to love my enemies. I don抰 want to get thrown out of heaven for not protecting you from all these people.?
揑 will not step foot in this place of iniquity,?Stella hissed.
Jessica whipped around in front of the next customer and followed them inside. 揇anny Boy?had finished playing and 揗y Church?had started when Oscar marched Stella out onto the dance floor, grabbed her hand, and swung her out, then brought her back to his chest. Several flashes from phones and a big one from Tommy抯 camera lit up the dance floor.
揧ou are the devil抯 spawn,?Stella said in a loud voice.
Oscar wrapped his arms around Stella and held her so tight that she couldn抰 get away. He whispered something in her ear and more flashes went off. When the lyrics asked for a hallelujah, everyone shouted.
Jessica caught Wade抯 eye across all the people, and he winked and mouthed, 揥e did it.?
She blew him a kiss and then turned to see Stella storming across the dance floor and out the door.
揟hat should take care of Miz Sullivan for now and forevermore,?Oscar told Jessica.
揥hat did you say to her??Jessica asked.
揑 told her that a picture of her dancing with me in a bar would be somewhere in every newspaper in all the surrounding counties, even if I had to pay for ads thanking everyone for coming out to our grand opening,?Oscar answered.
揂re you really going to do it??Jessica asked.
揧ou heard Tommy promise, didn抰 you??Oscar waved at a couple of elderly men who were claiming barstools. 揥hen everyone sees her dancing and looking like she抯 having a good time, her smart-ass plans to destroy us won抰 hold a bit of water.?
揝he抣l call it fake news,?Jessica said.
揧ep, and that will make it seem more real. Haven抰 you heard that stirring the crap pile just makes it stink even worse??Oscar disappeared into the crowd.
A few minutes before closing time, Wade plugged in a few more coins and played 揇anny Boy?again. When it ended, he picked up the microphone from behind the bar and said, 揟hank you all for being here tonight for our grand opening. Our plans are to be open Tuesday through Saturday from six p.m. to two a.m.?
Wade herded the last few stragglers to the door and locked it behind them, then went straight to the kitchen, where everyone else was gathered. 揥e did it, folks. We had an amazing first night, but what was all that business with Stella here??
揥hat!?Risa gasped. 揗y mother was in the bar??