揟hat抯 a lot of money,?Wade said.
揧ou want me to call him back and see if he wants to hire you? You抮e probably more qualified to do the work than I am,?Jessica pointed out.
揘o, thank you.?Wade shook his head. 揑抦 happier than I have been in a long time, and I抦 not messin?with that.?
揗e either.?She locked eyes with him and could feel the chemistry flowing.
揑抦 glad,?he said.
The wind shifted and dust boiled up, signaling that more than one vehicle was coming their way. Jessica set her empty bottle aside and stood up. If that was those two rotten boys coming back, she was ready to give them a healthy dose of her mind. No one would treat the twins like they had and then be brazen enough to expect to have parking rights. No, sir! They could take their sorry little crude asses down the dirt path to the river, and she hoped that they ran over a sharp stick or a nail and got a flat tire. If it was Stella, she would tell her to take her robes of righteousness back to town and stay away from the bar, or church, or whatever folks wanted to call it.
She was surprised when Mary Nell抯 and Haley抯 vehicles came to a stop close to the porch. Wade stood up and tipped the bill of his cap toward her. 揟his looks like a hen party about to happen. I抦 going out to my trailer. If you need me, give me a call.?
揧ou can stick around,?Jessica said.
揘ot tonight. You gals just cuss and discuss.?Wade waved over his shoulder.
揥e need to talk,?Mary Nell said as she marched into the building.
揥hat抯 going on??Jessica asked, following her.
揈verything, and it抯 bad enough to get out the ice cream,?Lily answered as she brought up the end of the parade of women and girls.
Jessica抯 red-alert senses were crawling梟ot totally unlike they had when she was out on a dangerous mission. Her thoughts went into overdrive and kept circling around to the idea that one or all of them were going to quit, and there was no way she and Wade could run the bar without their help. Maybe this was an omen that she wasn抰 cut out to be a bartender, and that she should call Roger Anderson back and talk to him about that job.
She followed all of them into the kitchen. Mary Nell had taken a gallon of sweet tea from the fridge, and Haley was putting ice in six glasses. Risa had brought out a loaf of banana nut bread and set it on the table with half a gallon of butter brickle ice cream and six spoons stuck in it.
揟his must be some serious stuff,?Jessica said.
揥hen we get out ice cream, you can bet your sweet ass it抯 serious,?Daisy said.
揇aisy!?Risa scolded.
揟hat is not a cuss word. It抯 in the Bible. Jesus rode on an ass. Maybe that little donkey was a sweet ass.?Daisy dug deep into the ice cream and put a heaping spoonful in her mouth.
揥hat is going on??Jessica asked. 揂ll of you look like you fought with the devil, and he won. Please don抰 tell me you aren抰 staying in Riverbend.?
揑t抯 my problem,?Mary Nell said. 揑 did battle with the devil, but he damn sure didn抰 win.?She went on to tell them about Kevin抯 phone call. 揑 feel like a new person since I stood up for myself with him, but I got to admit, for a split second, I thought about giving him a second chance.?
揑抦 proud of you,?Haley said, 揵ut this must be the night for the past to come back and haunt us. I got a phone call, too.?She told them all about Amanda抯 call.
揌ow did that make you feel??Risa asked.
Haley grinned. 揟hat抯 my line, but it made me feel all kinds of mixed emotions. Anger at Mark for what he did to me and Amanda both. Pity for her, and guilt for me not stepping up and telling her what a son of a bitch he was before she married him.?
揟hat抯 quite a load for you to carry with the pregnancy and all,?Risa said with a sigh.
揧ep, it is,?Haley said with a nod, 揵ut y抋ll are helping me carry it.?
揑 can agree with that,?Mary Nell said. 揥hen I was just about to say I抎 give Kevin a second chance, I thought of the happiness I抎 found here with y抋ll. Life is good.?
揂gree,?Haley said.
揑抳e got a confession, too,?Jessica said. 揑 got a call from one of my military team with a job offer, but it抯 not a big thing like Mary Nell. I turned him down. He told me that the job was open for a year if I change my mind. Y抋ll want to move to Arizona or New Mexico if the bar goes belly up??
揙h, hell no!?Haley gasped. 揑 don抰 like to sweat, and it gets hotter out there than it does here in Texas. Why would you ask us if we want to go anyway? Did the job offer say you could bring along three friends??
揂nd a set of twins??Daisy asked.
揘o, but I sure wouldn抰 go without you. Risa could get a job at any restaurant on the base, and Mary Nell could keep books, and Haley, you wouldn抰 need much schooling to be a full-fledged therapist. If they want me, they have to take us all,?Jessica answered and winked at Daisy, 搃ncluding a set of twin girls. But like Mary Nell and Haley, I don抰 want to leave what we抳e got here.?