Mention of the winter reminded Ruth that summer was fleeting and soon Talley would leave, and she’d be alone again. “I do write a good letter.”

“Make sure you include sketches.”

Her mood lifted. “Okay.”

They moved to the refreshment tent, where Mama was setting iced glasses with a green slushy drink topped with a red cherry. “Girls, where have you been?”

“We went to the shed,” Ruth said. “We went looking for a beach hat for Talley. Her skin’s going to get pretty pink if she doesn’t wear a hat.”

“That’s a good idea, Ruth,” Mama said. “Each of you girls take a tray and ask the guests if they’d like a drink. Just one per customer.”

“It’s the welcome drink,” Ruth said. “After this one they’re going to have to pay.”

“Make sure you girls don’t have any of it. This batch is stronger than the last.”

Ruth and Talley carried trays toward the women, who happily collected their complimentary drinks. As Ruth passed the pool, Bonnie said as she glanced at Dora and Jessie, “Ruth, don’t forget our drinks.”

The girls giggled.

“They’re only for the grown-ups,” Ruth said.

“Then bring us each a cold soda,” Bonnie said. “With straws. You can charge it to our rooms.”

If Bonnie weren’t a guest, Ruth would have told her to go pound sand. But the bottled drinks, according to her daddy, were moneymakers. “Sure. Be right up.”

She handed out the last of her drinks and returned to her mother. “Three colas for the girls. They said to charge it to their rooms.”

Mama raised a brow as she fished three bottled colas from the ice bin. “Aren’t they all grown up?”

“I guess so. I mean, look at them.”

“Don’t worry. Your time will come.” Mama dropped her voice a fraction. “Before it’s all said and done, you’ll have bigger breasts than they do.”

Ruth’s eyes widened. “How do you know?”

“Daddy told me,” Mama said.

“But how can you be sure? No one knows what she looks like.”

“I suspect you’ll have all the curves you want one day.”

Ruth wished her chest could sprout this summer before those girls left. Still, just the idea that her body would change buoyed her spirits. She carried the bottles over to the girls and handed each a cold cola.

Bonnie sipped from the straw. “Mmmm. So good. Aren’t you going to have one, Ruth?”

“Not right now. I’m working.”

“I noticed the little uniform you were wearing when we arrived. Very cute.”

“It’s just a new dress. Not a uniform.”

“Oh, my mistake.”

Ruth shook her head and turned.

“Don’t go far,” Bonnie said. “We might want another drink.”

“Sure.”

The phonograph stopped, and Mama walked up to the small stage that Daddy had built just last week. Mama’s smile was always bright and friendly during the season, and even if it wasn’t exactly real, it had an infectious quality that made it hard not to feel good when she was like this.