揝weet lord.?Mary Nell fanned herself with her hand. 揟hat抯 the sweetest thing I抳e ever heard. If Kevin had said things like that to me, I would still be with him.?
揂nd since then??Risa asked. 揥hat抯 been going on after we leave in the evenings??
揘othing. Not one kiss, or anything but hard work on the bar.?Jessica shrugged. 揑抦 not complaining. We抮e not hormonal teenagers.?
揥e might be grown-ups, but our hormones haven抰 died yet, and the heart wants what the heart wants,?Haley said. 揧ou can抰 tell me all that didn抰 set your hormones to whining for more.?
揘ope, I can抰， and we抣l have to wait and see what the future holds. Now, back to this craft fair. Where do we start??Jessica asked.
Mary Nell shook her finger at Jessica. 揇on抰 you ever hold on to good news like that for a whole week again without telling us.?
揑 promise I won抰。 There just wasn抰 a time when we were all together and Wade or Oscar wasn抰 close by,?Jessica told them. 揘ow, the first place that I抦 stopping is at the baked goods booths. I抳e been craving cookies ever since we had that little demonstration at the bar.?
揥e can always make more. The girls love to bake, but Haley is supposed to be the one doing the craving, not you.?Risa stopped in her tracks and stared at the booth not far from them. 揧ou sure you want to stop at the first booth??
Stella and Lulu were sitting behind a table covered with baked goods. A sign that said that all proceeds would be donated to the missionary fund at the church was propped up on the table. As usual, Stella had already spotted them and was alternately whispering to Lulu behind her hand and shooting dirty looks across the park right at them.
揂re you okay??Jessica asked.
揑 should抳e remembered that she would be here,?Risa answered. 揝he was all in a tizzy about it for weeks when we used to talk about it on the phone.?
揜emember that old Ray Stevens song about Santa Claus??Haley said with a giggle. 揝tella is like the man in the red suit.?She waved her arms around and said in a high-pitched, singsong voice, 揝he抯 everywhere, she抯 everywhere.?
揂nd so are we,?Mary Nell laughed with her. 揊rom the look on her face, I抎 say she抯 more agitated than we are. I抦 going to go over there and buy a dozen cookies. The money is going for a good cause, and I know we can each eat three. Then we抣l go on down the row and get a slushy drink to wash them down. Snickerdoodles good with all y抋ll??
揑抣l buy half a dozen of Lulu抯 key lime cupcakes.?Risa started that way. 揑 see an empty picnic table where we can sit. Wade and Oscar will be here soon, so I抦 sure they抣l help us eat them, and maybe Wade will even offer to push Jessica on the swings if those kids ever get off them.?
揝hhhh.?Jessica pointed across the fairway. 揥ade and Oscar are coming this way.?
揌ey,?Wade said when they were close. 揑t抯 only a few minutes until the twins and their friends are playing in the gazebo. Think maybe we better head that way??
揥e抮e going to buy some cookies and cupcakes first,?Risa answered. 揑 cook when I抦 nervous, but since I can抰 do that out here, maybe eating will calm me down. They抳e played in front of a crowd before, but it was all family.?
揌ey, now,?Oscar argued. 揟hey played for the church demonstration, remember??
揧es, but that was different,?Risa told him.
Wade laced his fingers with Jessica抯。 揂re you as nervous about them as Risa??
揂lmost,?Jessica answered, liking the way his big, calloused hand felt in hers. 揟hey didn抰 seem a bit antsy, so I don抰 know why we all are worried.?
揑抦 not.?Oscar frowned. 揟here抯 nothing to be nervous about. I just wish there was a talent scout here at the festival. Wouldn抰 it be awesome if they got a scholarship to a good university based on their musical ability??
揧es, it would.?Jessica led the way to Stella抯 booth.
揥hat can we do for you??Lulu looked like she was a bunny rabbit that had wandered into a coyote convention. She pointed to the sign. 揂ll the proceeds go to help the missionaries in Africa.?
揑f you want something, buy it and get going.?Stella抯 tone was somewhere between disgusted and downright hateful. 揑 don抰 want people thinking that I抦 having anything to do with any of you.?
揙ur money ought to be as good as anyone else抯 cash,?Oscar said.
揂nd like Lulu says, it抯 going to a good cause.?Risa rounded the end of the table, bent down, and gave her mother a hug. 揑 forgive you for all the mean things you抳e said and done, but my forgiveness is not for you as much as it is for me. I don抰 have room in my heart for all that ugliness, and I chose to just let love live there.?
Stella went as stiff as a board and shivered like the devil had just kissed her. 揋et thee behind me, Satan,?she growled.