Mitzi wouldn’t mind being in sync with him on where to eat that peach cobbler, like in the middle of a big king-size bed after a rousing bout of hot sex. At that thought, she could feel heat crawling from her neck to her cheeks. She picked up a paper napkin and fanned her face. “It’s sure warm in here, isn’t it?”

“Kind of cool to me,” Paula said.

“It’s probably hot flashes startin’ in on you,” Fanny Lou whispered.

Mitzi wanted to crawl under the table. “I don’t think so.”

“Can you believe these tall nieces of mine aren’t interested in softball or basketball?” Alice asked from across the big, round table.

“We’re going to take fashion design in college and grow up to be like Mitzi,” Dixie said. “We’ll have our own shop for bigger teenage girls. Only we want to design things that girls wear all the time, not just for formal affairs.”

Alice giggled. “Graham, who would have thought a Harrison would say something like that?”

“I know. They must be a throwback to our ancestors from the Civil War,” he chuckled.

“Yep, I know exactly what you’re talkin’ about,” Harry said. “All Mitzi ever wanted to do was sew. When Paula’s sister got married a couple of years ago, these three”—he nodded toward Jody, Paula, and Mitzi—“designed and made the dress. And that’s when they all really got the fever to put in their own shop.”

“Some of us don’t like to sweat.” Mitzi winked at the girls.

Unless it would be during a hot little makeout session with Graham. Paula’s voice rang in her head.

Go away. You’re makin’ me blush, she argued.

The waitress brought their sweet tea, and Paula flashed Mitzi a look and a nod of the head that Mitzi interpreted to say, You’re right beside him. You would have given up your sweet little Mustang in high school for an opportunity like this and you haven’t said a dozen words to him.

“So where is Selena these days?” Alice asked.

“She still lives down around Greenville,” Paula answered.

Paula set her mouth in a firm line and gave Mitzi one of those looks. Mitzi took a deep breath, turned to face Graham, and changed the subject. “Daddy says that you sold him Mama’s last Caddy.”

“That’s right,” Graham said. “Had to order it special because she wanted a baby-blue one. What was that, thirteen years ago? I’ll always remember the sale because it was my first one. I’d finally worked my way up to salesman.”

“Yep,” Harry said. “It’s still parked in the garage. I take it for a spin every now and then and once a year get it tuned up. Delores loved that car. I just can’t get rid of it.”