“And you’ve got an appointment with Ellie Mae to help her design one this morning. So get rid of all that anger.” Fanny Lou sipped her coffee.

“I’ll need an apple fritter to get that done.” Mitzi grabbed the last one in the box.

“Poor Preacher Frank will probably breathe a sigh of relief when he gets her married off.” Fanny Lou lowered her voice. “You know what they say about preachers’ daughters? Well, she flat out passed the test on that one.”

“For real?” Jody asked. “You mean she don’t have a halo up under all that blonde hair?”

Fanny Lou snorted. “Honey, that girl might be an angel, but if she is, it’s because she’s done had the hell screwed out of her.”

Mitzi almost choked on the pastry. “Granny!”

“Truth is truth. You can sugarcoat it or roll it in cow crap, and it don’t change a thing.” Fanny Lou shrugged. “I got to go to the beauty shop and get this mop of hair washed. I ought to get it cut off, but my darlin’ Oscar liked it long. God rest his soul and love his heart.” She rolled her eyes toward the ceiling. “And if you’re up there flirting with Henrietta Cooper, I’ll wring your neck when I get there.” She focused on Mitzi. “Y’all got any other news I can take to the beauty shop?”

“Nothing I can think of,” Mitzi said.

Fanny Lou finished off her coffee and carried the cup to the sink. “See y’all later.”

They all three waved as she breezed back out the door. Jody picked up another doughnut and pushed through the swinging doors into the sewing room with Mitzi right behind her. Beyond the kitchen was a huge dining room that now had three sewing machines and a long cutting table taking up the space. The foyer was a sitting room with two plush, pink sofas and lots of pattern and wedding books on the coffee table between them. To the left was the curved staircase. A plus-size mannequin wearing a wedding dress, with the train stretched out to the top step, showed off the partners’ first attempt at designing and making a wedding dress for Paula’s sister, Selena, a couple of years earlier. Before it was over, they’d also made a bridesmaid dress for Paula and an outfit for their mother, Gladys, to wear for the wedding.