“I hate mice. Tabby empties the trap if we catch one in the house.” Dixie pulled her shirt over her head. “We’ll see y’all tomorrow. We’ve got most of the corsages done, but if Ellie Mae sends another list for more like she did last week, we’ve still got lots of stuff to work with.”

“We still have boutonnieres to get done, but they won’t take very long.” Tabby gave Mitzi a hug on the way out of the fitting room. “I know we keep saying this, but honest, this is the best summer.”

“Did you hear that?” Fanny Lou asked. “You just got an open invitation to date their daddy.”

“I love those girls, but I’ve got to admit that I’m a little scared. What if Graham and I got into a relationship and it went sour like all my others? Then it would be awkward for them. That’s a conversation for another day, though, since relationships aren’t built on one afternoon and a kiss.”

“What’s this about a kiss?” Fanny Lou’s eyebrows shot up. “I didn’t hear about that.”

“He kissed me yesterday,” Mitzi admitted.

“That’s a pretty big deal,” Fanny Lou said.

“And they’re going out on Sunday after church to ride around on the lake in his pontoon boat,” Jody said.

“With the twins, Alice, and these two tattletales if they want to go. That’s hardly a date, now is it?” Mitzi said.

“Dates don’t have to be dinner and a movie. Dates mean spending time with each other,” Fanny Lou told her.

“You are so right, Granny.” Mitzi thought about the time she and Graham had spent together. “But now, let’s talk about your date with Elijah.”

“And this new dress you need,” Paula said. “What color do you have in mind?”

Fanny Lou giggled. “I was just tryin’ to get a rise out of you. I’m not going out with Elijah. Lord, if he tried to kiss me good night, he’d kiss my boobs instead of my lips. Or I’d have to stoop, and with my old bones, I’d never be able to straighten back up.”

Mitzi had dated a shorter man the semester she was in college. He always managed to stand on a higher step up to her garage apartment when he kissed her good night. If it hadn’t been for that staircase, he would have probably kissed her on the boobs, too. But she and Graham had connected without a single problem.

Graham picked up his briefcase and gently closed the door behind him so he wouldn’t wake the girls. Traffic was light that morning, so he arrived at work before eight. Vivien handed him a cup of coffee when he passed her desk.