The house is filled with warmth, conversation, and laughter spilling out of the rooms and down the hallway.
We follow the sound of clattering dishes to the kitchen, which is bustling.
Charli, Shelby, and Harleigh are wearing aprons and prepping food alongside Evelyn, Imma Jean, and Irene.
It all looks and smells heavenly.
Meanwhile, in the living room, Albert and Earl sit in their recliners, watching NASCAR, with Shelby’s boyfriend, Waylon Ludlow, and a handsome man I don’t recognize.
At the coffee table, Ruby, Waylon’s daughter, is drawing on a large posterboard with a crayon.
“Come on in!” Evelyn calls.
I carry the deviled eggs to the island. “Where do these go?”
“Right there, honey.”
I set them down carefully.
“What can I do?” I ask.
Evelyn points a wooden spoon at me. “You and Matty can set tables.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
Matty hands AJ to Caison.
The baby goes willingly, and they head toward the living room, where he reaches out his arms as soon as he sees Albert. Albert takes his grandson and sets him on his knee, bouncing him while the men watch the race.
Matty and I gather stacks of plates and silverware.
The dining room table is huge, but even with the extra folding chairs, it’s still not enough. There’s an additional table next to the large bay window overlooking the front yard.
We spend the next fifteen minutes arranging plates, glasses, napkins, and enough silverware to serve a small army.
“How many people are we feeding?” I ask.
Matty doesn’t even look up. “Depends.”
“On what?”
“Whoever wanders in.”
I laugh.
By the time we’re finished, we’ve set the tables for twenty.
Half an hour later, the front door bursts open, heavy boots stomp across hardwood floors, and loud male voices fill the entryway.
I look up just as Boone, Axle, Royce, Cabe, and Micah come through the door.
Every single one of them looks sweat-soaked, exhausted, and covered in dust.
“Good Lord,” Evelyn says as Royce kisses her cheek. “Y’all smell like livestock.”
She shoos them toward the staircase. “Upstairs. All of you. Go freshen up.”
The men instantly obey.
