new woman. Johnny turned and included them.
“Officer Beanblossom, I didn’t know you had a date for tonight. Hi, darlin’. I’m Caledonia Culpepper.” She stuck her hand out and the woman shook it. “I’m so sorry, but I didn’t catch your name.”
“Trixie.” She offered a weak smile.
They all exchanged hellos, and then Paprika joined them.
“Trixie, Hank, I’d like y’all to meet my good friend, Paprika.”
Caledonia leaned in and whispered to Hank, “If it doesn’t work out with this one, you give my Spice Girl here a chance.” She patted his arm.
“I told Mama we’d have so many people in here we wouldn’t have room to swing a cat.” Martha Maye stood under her husband Johnny’s arm, smiling and surveying the bookstore.
“Not to take away anything from Tess, and I’m sure that’s why most people are here, but honestly, honey, word got out that y’all were cooking. That’s why they flocked here in droves.”
“What are you two lovebirds doing next weekend?” Jack put his arm around Martha Maye.
“Watch it now, Jackson. She’s a married woman,” Johnny joked.
“And a happily married one at that.” Jack slapped Johnny on the back.
Martha Maye beamed.
“We’ll talk to y’all later.” Caledonia and Paprika moved on.
Johnny said to Hank, “I hate to talk shop at a social function, but right before I left the station, I got a fax about a murder over in Atlanta. It looks like a professional job.”
“Got a description of the perp?”
Wynona shifted her weight from foot to foot and pretended to survey the room.
“No description. Fax said the vic was tortured something awful.”
Wynona excused herself. Hank called after her telling her not to run off. That’s exactly what I’m going to do . As she walked away, she heard him say, “Thanks, Chief. Your shoptalk chased my date away.”
She tried to weave in and out of people, hoping to stay under Hank’s radar until she could find the door. As she passed the food table where Caledonia and Paprika were, Caledonia grabbed her arm and said, “Trixie, I love your dress.”
Caledonia had on a coral and mint flowered dress, cinched at her small waist with a coral belt. Her headband was also coral as were her sandals. Trixie wore a loose-fitting multi-colored bohemian style dress that had a small pattern at the top and larger patterns from the waist down. The two women’s styles were widely different.
“Why thank you, Caledonia. How lovely of you to say. My mama used to say good looks won’t put food on the table, but she also said to always look your best; it’s just plain politeness.”
Caledonia laughed. “You have a smart mama. Have you been to Miss Penny’s shop yet?”
“No, not yet.” She tried to inch away, but the woman wouldn’t stop talking to her.
“Well, I’d love to show it to you. Maybe we could go sometime.”
“Oh, I don’t know how long . . . ” Wynona was astonished how Caledonia worked it so that before she could stop it, they’d set a date for eleven o’clock tomorrow morning.
Caledonia invited Paprika to join them. She begged off, explaining she’d have to work.
Just then, Penny and her husband walked up. “Speak of the devil,” Caledonia said, then realized how it sounded and quickly added, “We were just talking about your dress shop.”
“How lovely.” Penny’s tone was ice. “Caledonia, you . . .”
Before she could finish her sentence, Paprika blurted out, “Well I’ll be dipped in bacon fat.” Everyone stared at her. “That’s uncanny. Not only do Cal and Penny resemble each other, their husbands dress the same way from head to foot.”
Philetus was across the room, but when he saw all the eyes in that little group aimed at him, he walked over. Like Penny’s husband, Oren, he was wearing a white Polo shirt. Their starched shorts were different colors, but very similar in style, and they both were sockless with penny loafers holding shiny new pennies in the
“Officer Beanblossom, I didn’t know you had a date for tonight. Hi, darlin’. I’m Caledonia Culpepper.” She stuck her hand out and the woman shook it. “I’m so sorry, but I didn’t catch your name.”
“Trixie.” She offered a weak smile.
They all exchanged hellos, and then Paprika joined them.
“Trixie, Hank, I’d like y’all to meet my good friend, Paprika.”
Caledonia leaned in and whispered to Hank, “If it doesn’t work out with this one, you give my Spice Girl here a chance.” She patted his arm.
“I told Mama we’d have so many people in here we wouldn’t have room to swing a cat.” Martha Maye stood under her husband Johnny’s arm, smiling and surveying the bookstore.
“Not to take away anything from Tess, and I’m sure that’s why most people are here, but honestly, honey, word got out that y’all were cooking. That’s why they flocked here in droves.”
“What are you two lovebirds doing next weekend?” Jack put his arm around Martha Maye.
“Watch it now, Jackson. She’s a married woman,” Johnny joked.
“And a happily married one at that.” Jack slapped Johnny on the back.
Martha Maye beamed.
“We’ll talk to y’all later.” Caledonia and Paprika moved on.
Johnny said to Hank, “I hate to talk shop at a social function, but right before I left the station, I got a fax about a murder over in Atlanta. It looks like a professional job.”
“Got a description of the perp?”
Wynona shifted her weight from foot to foot and pretended to survey the room.
“No description. Fax said the vic was tortured something awful.”
Wynona excused herself. Hank called after her telling her not to run off. That’s exactly what I’m going to do . As she walked away, she heard him say, “Thanks, Chief. Your shoptalk chased my date away.”
She tried to weave in and out of people, hoping to stay under Hank’s radar until she could find the door. As she passed the food table where Caledonia and Paprika were, Caledonia grabbed her arm and said, “Trixie, I love your dress.”
Caledonia had on a coral and mint flowered dress, cinched at her small waist with a coral belt. Her headband was also coral as were her sandals. Trixie wore a loose-fitting multi-colored bohemian style dress that had a small pattern at the top and larger patterns from the waist down. The two women’s styles were widely different.
“Why thank you, Caledonia. How lovely of you to say. My mama used to say good looks won’t put food on the table, but she also said to always look your best; it’s just plain politeness.”
Caledonia laughed. “You have a smart mama. Have you been to Miss Penny’s shop yet?”
“No, not yet.” She tried to inch away, but the woman wouldn’t stop talking to her.
“Well, I’d love to show it to you. Maybe we could go sometime.”
“Oh, I don’t know how long . . . ” Wynona was astonished how Caledonia worked it so that before she could stop it, they’d set a date for eleven o’clock tomorrow morning.
Caledonia invited Paprika to join them. She begged off, explaining she’d have to work.
Just then, Penny and her husband walked up. “Speak of the devil,” Caledonia said, then realized how it sounded and quickly added, “We were just talking about your dress shop.”
“How lovely.” Penny’s tone was ice. “Caledonia, you . . .”
Before she could finish her sentence, Paprika blurted out, “Well I’ll be dipped in bacon fat.” Everyone stared at her. “That’s uncanny. Not only do Cal and Penny resemble each other, their husbands dress the same way from head to foot.”
Philetus was across the room, but when he saw all the eyes in that little group aimed at him, he walked over. Like Penny’s husband, Oren, he was wearing a white Polo shirt. Their starched shorts were different colors, but very similar in style, and they both were sockless with penny loafers holding shiny new pennies in the
Similar Books
