“Two sweet teas, a lemonade, and a Pepsi.” Shane set drinks down in front of the two elderly guys. “Wh-where y’all headed?”
“Vegas or bust.” The other one pumped his fist into the air. “And I’m going to win one of them big million-dollar pots and get my picture in the newspaper. And, honey, you can get me a double cheeseburger basket with a double order of sweet potato fries. Cholesterol be damned. We’re on vacation from the nursing home.”
Jancy wrote on the order pad. “Well, good luck and have a great time.”
“Would have been better luck if we’d gotten an autograph. Come to think of it, are you kin to Reese Witherspoon? You look a lot like her when she played June Carter in the Johnny Cash movie.”
“She’s prettier than that, but she can sing a lot like June.” Shane patted the old guy on the shoulder.
The place was hopping for a solid hour, and then, presto, the bus was gone and everything was quiet again. Jancy sat down in a booth and patted the place behind her. “Dinner is on the house for helping us, right Emily?”
“Yes, sir. I’ll put in our orders and help get them ready. Burgers or lunch special?” she asked.
“Burger for me,” Jancy said.
“Same here, only I want sweet potato fries instead of regular ones,” Shane told her.
“Sure thing,” she said.
Shane got up and made his way behind the counter, where he drew up two glasses of sweet tea. “That was fun. I love old people. W-wish they could have stayed longer and told us stories about their past. It would be nice if m-my grandpa could go on trips like that. They have those kinds of things at his place, but he says sitting that long hurts him. It took him two days to get over comin’ up here to the diner that day.”
Emily brought their dinner and set it on the table, then disappeared back into the kitchen. “I loved seeing him, but next time let’s go to him so he’s not in pain. And I’ve got something I really want to tell you . . .”
“Hey, y’all!” Sarah, Teresa, and Waynette pushed into the diner.
“Hey!” Shane waved. “Wh-what are y’all doin’ out today?”
“Lunch,” Waynette said. “Hey, Emily, can we come back in the kitchen for burger baskets and talk wedding stuff?”
“Sure thing. I’ll throw three more patties on the grill. I was just making mine,” she said.
“That m-means I’m about to lose you since you’re a bridesm-maid,” Shane stammered.
“No, darlin’, I’m going to sit right here with you until we finish our lunch,” she told him. “Besides, I’ve got something to say. This might not be the time or the place, but it’s eatin’ me up so . . .”
“Then I guess you’d better spit it out,” Shane said. “But first, I love you, Jancy.”
She reached across the table and held his hands in hers. “Remember that old boyfriend who went to jail that I told you about?”
“Is he out? Please don’t tell me that you are going back to him.” Shane’s gaze met hers across the table.
“No, darlin’,” she said quickly. “But—”
“We brought our burgers out here.” Waynette pushed through the kitchen door, and Emily and the rest of the girls claimed the booth right behind Shane and Jancy.
“That way we can talk about wedding stuff with you, Jancy,” Sarah said.
“Tonight. You can tell m-me then, right?” Shane said.
Jancy nodded. “Pick me up here at the diner soon as it closes.”
Shane finished his dinner, kissed her on the forehead, and headed toward the door. “Y’all enjoy your w-weddin’ plans. I’ll get on back to the shop now. Thanks for dinner.”
“Thanks for helpin’ out.” Jancy nodded and slid back in the booth so that she could see the other ladies.
“No problem. I’ll be here at closin’ time,” he said as he shut the door behind him.
“So when are y’all announcin’ something?” Sarah asked. “You have to promise us that you won’t shock us like Emily did. Lord, we all about stroked out when she called late Sunday night and told us we were going to be bridesmaids.”
“And we hadn’t even got our minds wrapped around that before she unloaded the baby bomb,” Teresa said.
“So?” Emily raised an eyebrow toward Jancy.
“What?”
“Announcing something like an engagement?” Waynette asked.
“I’ll announce this much—I’m his girlfriend,” Jancy answered.
“That’s a good runnin’ start,” Waynette said.
Vicky and Nettie slid into the same booth with Jancy.
“Yes, it is, but I was wonderin’ if we might get double use out of the bridesmaids’ dresses?” Vicky asked.
Jancy shook her head. “Afraid not. When and if I get married, it’ll be a tiny little ceremony with maybe a nice reception afterward.”
“Why?” Waynette asked. “Weddings are such fun.”
“Y’all are closing up shop on the day before the weddin’, aren’t you?” Teresa asked.
“I think that would be a great idea,” Vicky said. “How about you, Jancy? You think we should shut up the diner for two days?”
“I get a vote?” Jancy asked.
“Of course you do. Aren’t you plannin’ on bein’ here another year?” Vicky asked.
Jancy finally smiled. “At least until after Christmas. And my vote is yes, so that we can all pamper Emily the day before and the day of the wedding.”
“We need to do nails and facials the day before,” Sarah said.
“Speaking of making new rules,” Nettie said. “Let’s close up on the day before and Thanksgiving, too.”
“Easter Sunday so I can wear my pretty new dress to morning services that day and dress the baby up all fancy,” Emily chimed in. “What about closing early on New Year’s Eve and bein’ closed on New Year’s? Think the budget would handle it?”
“We might have to cinch in our belts,” Vicky teased.
Jancy picked the last two fries in her basket. “If that’s the case, I’d better not waste this food.”
“Well, crap!” Vicky sighed.
“What?” Jancy asked.
“The wolf is on his way to the sheep pen.” Vicky picked up her empty plate to take to the kitchen. “Y’all don’t rush. I’ll wait on him. He won’t eat anything anyway.”
“Have a seat anywhere,” she called out when the bell dinged announcing a new customer. “Oh, hello, Mr. Wolfe. What brings you to Pick today?”
“I have good news to share, and I’m not giving up on taking you out. I have trouble accepting the word no. The folks who own the twenty acres north of your land are talking seriously about selling it to me. I told them it was contingent upon you selling your place so that I could get enough land to get my project started.”
“I thought you’d given up on us and gone on over to Troup,” Vicky said.
He sat down at a booth without brushing it off, but from the pinched look on his face it wasn’t easy. “I would like one of the tarts that everyone in town talks about and a cup of coffee. Do you have Jamaican?”
“We have decaf and plain coffee,” Vicky said.