“Granny!” Mitzi exclaimed for the second time.

“That’s what you do, darlin’. You argue. You go to the bedroom and make up. That don’t mean you take jack crap from the man. No, sir. It just means that once the fight is resolved, then you reap the benefits. Come to think of it, maybe I should start an argument with Elijah and see if he’s still able to do that.”

Mitzi’s cheeks went from cool to red hot in a flash. “Grandmothers aren’t supposed to talk like that.”

“It’s the truth. Wait until you have a big argument with Graham, and you’ll find out,” Fanny Lou said.

Mitzi went to the refrigerator, opened the freezer, and stuck her head inside in an attempt to cool her cheeks. Paula nudged Fanny Lou and mouthed, “Thank you.”

“Y’all are crazy,” Mitzi said. “I’m going to Greenville to buy more flowers. Y’all can talk about makeup sex all night if you want to.”

“I’d go with you but I’m so angry, I’m going to spend two hours cleaning out the trailer. There’s pots and pans, and canned food we can use,” Jody said.

“If there’s going to be work, I’m out of here.” Fanny Lou stood up.

“I’ll get one of those old lawn chairs from the front porch and talk to you while you work off your anger,” Paula said.

“See y’all later.” Mitzi headed out the door with a wave.

“Hell and damnation!” Graham said when Rita caught him in the Walmart store that evening. This time she was dressed in shorts that barely covered her butt cheeks and sandals that showed off bright-red toenail polish that matched what was on her lips.

“I was in town to pick up cleaning supplies. Us runnin’ into each other is pure karma. God is tellin’ us that we need to be together.” She ran a hand from his shoulder to his wrist. “Trust me.”

“I lost the ability to trust you years ago, but I’ve given your idea some thought,” he said. “I’m having the lawyers draw up what Mitzi calls a pre-prenup. When they get them done up, you can read over them and sign them. After that I might think you’re serious.”

“And what’s this document going to say?” She glared at him.

“Simply that if our relationship doesn’t work, you take out exactly what you brought into it. No settlements. No money of any kind. And that you relinquish all rights to the girls, like you did in the divorce. That if it works, you will be a stay-at-home mother and you will never have anything to do with the dealership,” he said.

“You’re bluffing,” she said.