揂ll that I own is out there in that RV or else in my bedroom, and there抯 not a cute little, short skirt or a tight-fitting top in either place. There will be no cheering from this woman,?Jessica declared. 揃ut I抦 more than glad to give y抋ll some pointers if I抦 not too old to remember how it was done.?
揑t抯 like riding a bicycle,?Risa said. 揙nce you get on, you remember how to balance and how to pedal. Haley and I have been helping them with their tryout cheers, but you and Mary Nell are more than welcome to share what you remember.?
Mary Nell shook her head slowly. 揑抣l do what I can, but it抯 been twenty years. I won抰 be doing any cheers.?
Risa covered a yawn with the back of her hand. 揧抋ll can stay out here as long as you want, but I抦 going to start carrying the leftovers inside. Then I抦 going to go home, take a long, hot bath, and read a good book until I fall asleep.?
揂www,?Lily whined, 揷an抰 we stay a little longer??
揑抣l bring them home after a while,?Haley offered. 揑抦 wide awake, and I抣l help with cleanup. I haven抰 pulled my share today. Go on home, Risa.?
揑抦 not going to argue.?Risa stood up and headed around the end of the church.
Mary Nell heard a vehicle leaving, and in a few minutes, the crunch of gravel told her that another one was arriving. 揑 wonder what your mama forgot.?
揚robably her purse,?Lily answered.
A car door slammed, and then a deep voice yelled, 揌ello, the camp.?
揟hat don抰 sound like Mama or Granny Stella,?Daisy said.
揅ome on around and make yourself known,?Wade said, raising his voice.
揑抦 Landon Greeley. We were wondering if we could park here and walk down to the river to do some fishing.?The light provided by half a dozen citronella candles showed a muscled-up kid who looked like he was either a football player or a weight lifter. He had dark hair and eyes, and his face was clean shaven.
Altogether a good-looking boy, but Mary Nell didn抰 like the way he was sizing Lily up. She recognized him as the youngest son of Billy Greeley, one of the guys on the football team when she was in high school. 揌ow are you, Landon??
揓ust fine, Miz Wilson. Hello, Oscar. Hey, Wade.?He tipped the bill of his cap toward them.
Oscar and Wade waved.
揂nd you are David Adam抯 son, right??Mary Nell asked the shorter kid, who had red hair that touched his collar and a bit of scruff on his face that reminded her of Shaggy on Scooby Doo.
揧es, ma抋m.?He nodded. 揑抦 Eli, the youngest of us five boys. Me and Landon will be seniors at Riverbend High this fall, and we抮e starters on the football team. Landon is quarterback, and I抦 his backup.?
揋o Gators,?Jessica said with a smile. 揂ll of us graduated from Riverbend High School.?
揗eet Lily and Daisy. And Jessica and Haley.?Mary Nell made introductions all around.
揚leased to meet all y抋ll,?Eli said. 揑s it true that you抮e turnin?this place into a bar??
揧es, it is,?Mary Nell answered as she pushed up out of the chair.
揕ily, would you and Daisy like to go fishin?with us??Landon asked. 揥e抣l have you back before midnight.?
揃etter not,?Lily answered. 揙ur mama, Risa, isn抰 here to ask, but maybe next time.?
揝ure thing.?Landon nodded toward the other folks. 揟hanks for letting us use the driveway. You girls want to walk us around to my truck? We could maybe hang out a few minutes. We抮e always glad to have new girls in our school.?
揝ure,?Daisy said.
揂re you really twins??Eli asked. 揧ou don抰 look a thing alike.?
揥e抮e really twins, and we hear that a lot.?Lily tugged the legs of her denim shorts down and fell in beside Landon.
Mary Nell remembered those boys?fathers and hoped that they weren抰 anything like them. When she抎 been in high school, the town had treated the football boys like they were royalty, but then that was understandable. Riverbend was a football town and had won the state championship for nine-man football so often they had to put up a new sign south of town to accommodate all the years.
揕et抯 get this all cleaned up,?Haley said. 揕ike Risa, I抦 beginning to feel a nice warm bath calling my name.?
揑抦 ready to go home when y抋ll get done, Mary Nell,?Oscar said with a yawn. 揑t抯 been fun, and it抯 been real, but this old daddy is tired.?
揋o on home,?Haley said. 揑抣l drop Mary Nell off on my way home.?
揟hanks.?Oscar covered another yawn with his hand. 揑抣l help get the table and chairs inside first so you don抰 have to make as many trips, and then I抦 going home.?He folded and picked up four of the folding chairs, and Wade got the rest of them.
Mary Nell was putting things away in the fridge when Oscar and Wade finished their job. Oscar waved and told them that it had been a wonderful evening and left. Wade did the same thing.