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I turn to see what looks like the whole town standing out there. Since we’re one of the first booths they’ll see, I’m expecting to be bombarded. “Okay, now I’m officially nervous.”
“Baby, you’re gonna do amazin’.”
“I hope so,” I say, my anxious-excitement nearly getting the best of me. I sit down and pull out the journal Kane gave me and go over my checklist. “We’ve taken care of everything I wrote down so there’s nothing else to do.”
“You should take a pic of the setup and text it to Harper so she can see how awesome it looks. Especially before all those people destroy it,” he suggests.
“See, this is why I keep you around.” I hurry and snap a shot of the table and send it to Harper like he suggested. Then as if someone opened the floodgates, hordes of people rush through, many of who come straight toward us.
A couple of hours pass, and I don’t even notice because we’re swamped. By the time the initial rush fades, I notice how little we have left in stock.
Kane gently squeezes my shoulder.
“You’re doing amazin’, baby,” he encourages.
“Thank you so much. I would’ve drowned without you. I didn’t expect that,” I admit, repositioning my wig. Right now, I’m glad I’m wearing jeans, but then I realize Kane has been busting his ass helping in that costume.
I’ll totally make it up to him later.
Once we have a small break, I see my sister and Knox in the distance. I wave, and they return the gesture.
“How did Hadleigh talk him into being a Thing from Dr. Suess?” I ask Kane, and he shrugs. “She has her ways. Hads always gets what she wants from him.”
When they’re closer, Knox blurts out, “That shit is hilarious.”
“Ivy’s idea,” Kane admits. “But yours. Thing 1, Thing 2, and Hendrix is Thing 4.”
“Obviously,” Knox states.
“I’m confused,” I say to Hadleigh. “You skipped a number.”
Then my sister lifts her shirt and reveals another one that says Thing 3 on her belly. I immediately run over to her and squeal. “You’re pregnant!”
“Yes,” she says, and we both start crying.
“I’m so happy for y’all,” I say, just as I turn to see Kane hugging his brother. Then he wraps his arms around Hadleigh and smiles at Hendrix.
“Do you have any idea how many people just thought we didn’t know how to count?” Hadleigh asks, chuckling. “You’re the first one to say anything about the missing number!”
Kane wraps his arm around me as we chat, and I lean into him. “Looks like we’re gonna be sharing another niece or nephew.”
“It’s gonna be twins this time,” Knox confirms.
“Do not wish that upon me.” Hadleigh playfully smacks him. “Carrying one at a time was enough.”
A few more customers walk up, and we say our goodbyes. So many of Kane’s aunts and uncles stop by to support the business, and I’m so appreciative of them buying anything. Another hour passes, and that’s when I see Grandma Bishop along with Grandpa walking toward us.
“Holy shit,” Kane says. “She’s dressed like a stripper.”
I turn my head and giggle. “No, she’s not. She’s a sexy devil. Wait. Is your grandpa…Jesus?”
As they make their way toward us, the red sequins on her costume glint in the late afternoon sun.
“Grandma!” Kane scolds after we exchange hugs.
Her bright red lips turn into a smirk. “Hi, sweetie.”
Kane looks at his grandpa. “Was this your idea?”
“Oh, I can’t take credit for this,” he states, flipping the long-haired wig he’s wearing over his shoulder. “I’m heaven, and she’s hell.”
All I can do is snort. “I think it’s perfect.”
“Thank you, dear,” she says, then leans in and whispers. “I lost a dare at quilt club so this was my punishment.”
I meet her eyes. “Well, we love a spicy devil.”
She winks. “A Bishop never passes up a dare.”
“Your costume turned out adorable, Kane. Didn’t you get Betsy Sue to sew it for you?”
“Yes, ma’am, she did. Needed a lot of material for this big hunk of butter,” I explain, squeezing him.
Kane chuckles as some ladies from the church pass by and nod toward us. We both look at Grandma Bishop.
“I’m happy to give everyone somethin’ to talk about. At eighty-four, makes life a little more interestin’, don’t it?”
“It does,” I say. Grandma looks over all the soaps we have left and picks up a few. Of course, she gets the family discount, then she puts them in her purse that has flames on it.
“Y’all stay outta trouble, ya hear?” Rose tells us as she and Scott walk away.
“We will because we don’t want to go to your eternal hell,” Kane shouts back at her. I see his grandma playfully but discreetly shoot him the finger.
His eyes nearly bug out of his head.
“Oh my God,” I tell him. “That was the best thing I’ve seen all week.”
“She’s gonna be the talk of the town,” he says as we try to restack and restock the soaps. “You saw the church ladies' expressions.”
