Out of Pocket Read online

  Shay nods. “You most certainly were. So tell us all about it.”

  I shrug. “There’s not much to tell, except he asked me to marry him, and I said yes.”

  Puddin’ bobs her head and closes the gap between us as she reaches for my hand. “Girl, there’s no such thing as not much to tell when it comes to marriage proposals. I want to know all about it from the minute he picked you up to the goodnight kiss at the door.”

  Shay rolls her eyes, glances at me, and looks back at Puddin’. “She doesn’t have to tell us everything.”

  “Oh, she most certainly does. That’s how we do it in this family, and don’t think you’re gonna get away with keeping it from us.” She looks at me with one eyebrow lifted. “Let me get my coffee out of the office first.” She takes a step and stops. “Don’t even think about starting without me.”

  Once Puddin’s back is turned, Shay mouths, “I’m sorry.”

  I smile at Shay and mouth back, “That’s okay.”

  It takes about ten seconds for Puddin’ to join us again, this time with her coffee cup and napkin. “Okay, so what time did he pick you up for your proposal date, where did y’all go, and what did he say?”

  As I talk, I see Puddin’ getting all dreamy-eyed and Shay looking a tad bit impatient. It’s obvious to me that she’s not as romantic as her sister-in-law, and I get it. I wasn’t either, until I started seeing Trace. His sweetness and ability to make me swoon have turned me into the most hopeless romantic ever.

  “He proposed at sunset by the river. That is about as sweet as it gets.”

  Shay nods. “I have to admit, I think it’s romantic too. Have y’all set a date yet?”

  I shake my head. “I want to finish school first, but Trace is tryin’ to talk me into sooner.”

  “Then you best get goin’ on the wedding plans,” Puddin’ says. “That stuff can get the best of you if you don’t stay ahead of the game.”

  Deep down, I think I’d prefer to elope like Sara and Justin did. They went to some small town, got hitched, and came back to everyone wanting to throw a party for them. There wasn’t any worry about making sure the dress was just right, giving everyone who matters a place in the wedding, worrying about hurting someone’s feelings, or dealing with a caterer who forgot to bring the weenies on sticks.

  Shay breaks into my thoughts. “Are y’all planning a big wedding, or do you prefer something smaller and more intimate?”

  Before I have a chance to speak, Puddin’ holds up her hands. “Now wait a minute, Shay. How can she even think about having something small with everyone in this family wanting in on the action? She has to have everyone there, or she’ll never hear the end of it.”

  Shay casts an apologetic look my way and shrugs. “I suppose you’re right. Sara still hears about it.”

  “I reckon I am right.” She chuckles. “I usually am. Just ask Digger.”

  I can’t help but notice the look of amusement shared by Shay and Puddin’, so I know they’re kidding around. It sure would be nice to have someone to share those inside jokes with. Maybe I can get to know Trace’s sister and eventually have that kind of relationship with her. She’s still a teenager, so I’ll have to wait a while.

  “So what brings you here, Coralee? I’m sure you didn’t go way out of your way to hang out with a couple of women who are practically old enough to be your mamas.”

  I turn to Puddin’ and smile. “I would love to hang out with y’all, but I’m actually here to get a new dress.” A touch of embarrassment flows through me, but I want to tell them why I’m looking for something new so they can help me find the perfect thing. “Trace and I are going out tonight for the first time since we got engaged. It’s sort of … special.”

  “I’ll say it’s special.” Shay motions for me to join her by a round rack of dresses. She glances at Puddin’ who nods. “This is on the house—our engagement gift to you and your guy—so pick out something nice.”

  I feel like my eyes might bug out of my head. “On the house, as in—”

  “You don’t have to pay for it.” Shay laughs. “You know we like to help family out whenever possible.”

  “Oh, wow. Thank y’all so much.” I touch one of the light pink dresses and try to imagine myself wearing it. It’s so soft and pretty.

  “Oh no you don’t, girl.” Puddin’ drops what she’s doing and practically flies toward me. “With your fair skin, that will be invisible on you. Let’s find something bright and cheerful.” She gives me a sly grin. “Like maybe a bright red one with a sweetheart neckline.”

  “But everyone at Stephen’s will look at me.”

  Puddin’s eyes grow huge as she shoves her face toward me. “That’s the whole point, Coralee. You want to be noticed. You’re now an engaged woman, and you want the world to know you’re comfortable in your own skin.”

  “Don’t be too hard on her, Puddin’.” Shay gives her a warning look. “She’s new at this whole being-engaged thing.”

  Puddin’ shakes her finger in a playful way. “Just you wait until you and Elliot get engaged. I’m not gonna give you an ounce of mercy.”

  Shay laughs. “If that ever happens, I’ll have to keep it a secret as long as I can.”

  “You know I’ll find out, and when I do, you’ll be hollerin’ for …” Her voice trails off as a strange look comes over her. “I’m not sure what you’ll be hollerin’ for, but folks will hear you all the way to Hattiesburg.”

  I can’t help but laugh. My family is quirky and tons of fun, even though some of their actions are over the top and sometimes embarrassing. I’m glad Trace already knows most of them so I don’t have to explain too much. He says he likes being around my boisterous family.

  “Here’s a pretty red dress.” Puddin’ holds up something I never would have considered trying on.

  “I don’t know …”

  Puddin’ rolls her eyes. “I’m not asking for a lifetime commitment, Coralee. All I want you to do is try it on.”

  “I reckon I can do that.”

  Shay points to one of the mannequins. “How about that teal dress? That’s a color that I think you’ll be comfortable in, and it has a flattering scalloped neckline that’ll frame that pretty face of yours.”

  Puddin’ looks at it with a frown, but she slowly starts to nod as her expression softens. “Put the right jewelry with it, and you’ll look like you just stepped out of a fashion magazine.”

  Within a few minutes, I have a half dozen dresses to try on. “If you don’t like any of those, we’ll keep looking,” Shay says. “But I think you’ll find at least one in that group.”

  Once the curtain to the fitting room is closed, I stand and look at the dresses all lined up on the hooks. My heart pounds so hard I can feel it in the roof of my mouth. Until right before the last reunion, I never gave what I wore a second thought, and now fashion has me so excited I almost can’t contain myself. I’ve seen firsthand what a difference it makes in how I feel about myself.

  The first dress I try on is the red one. I figure I might as well get it over with since it’s not likely I’ll pick one so bright.

  “Hey, Coralee, have you tried anything on yet?” Puddin’s voice comes from the other side of the curtain. “Don’t keep us in suspense. We want to see how everything looks.”

  “Just a minute. I’m almost ready. I just have to get this zipper up.” I squirm one way and then the other, but it’s too difficult to reach.

  “Let me get that for you. Mind if I open the curtain?”

  I take a deep breath and move the curtain to let Puddin’ in. Her eyes widen, as she looks me up and down. “Whoa, Coralee. Have you seen yourself in the mirror?”

  “No, not yet.”

  “Okay, close your eyes and turn around. I’ll zip you up and tell you when to look.”

  I squeeze my eyes shut. “I’m not so sure about such a bright color.”

  After she’s done, she gives me a pat on the back. “Bright colors look stunning on you. Take a look.”

  I slowly open one eye and then the other. Who is that woman looking back at me from the mirror? A lump forms in my throat, and the only sound I’m able to make is a grunt.

  Puddin’ laughs. “See what I mean?” She turns her head and hollers, “Hey, Shay, come see this gorgeous woman in the red dress.”

  I like the way I look in the dress, as I’m sure Trace will. But my cheeks are flaming so hot they match the dress.

  “Whoa. Yeah, that looks fabulous.” Shay pauses and gives me an understanding smile. “Are you comfortable in it?”

  I glance at myself before I slowly shake my head. “Not really.”

  “But—” Puddin’ starts to argue.

  Shay holds up a hand to silence her. “If she’s not comfortable, it’ll show. Let’s find something else that looks just as good but makes her feel better.”

  I’m grateful to Shay for her understanding. After Shay unzips me and they leave, I take the red dress off, put it on the hanger, and pull on the teal dress. When I look in the mirror, I see that it looks just as good, only it’s not so loud. It is a tad snug, though. I turn one way and then the other to make sure nothing is puckering or pinching.

  “You okay in there, Coralee?” Puddin’ hollers.

  “Yeah, and I think I’ve found the dress I want.”

  “It can’t be as pretty as the red dress—” Puddin’ stops mid-sentence as I swish open the curtain and step out of the room. Her eyes grow big as saucers.

  “What do you think?”

  She opens her mouth but smacks it shut without saying anything.

  Shay walks up behind Puddin’ and lifts her eyebrows in approval. “Very nice. In fact, I think I like it even more than the other one, even though it was pretty too.” She turns to Pu
ddin’. “Well, what do you think?”

  Puddin’ sucks in a breath and slowly lets it out. “All I can say is wow. Coralee, you look positively amazing.”

  Shay points to the other dresses on the hangers. “Have you tried any of the other ones?”

  I shake my head. “Should I?”

  “If you have time, it’s probably a good idea. Since we’re covering the cost of this one, you might want to get another dress to wear to one of your bridal showers.”

  “Oh. Okay.” I hadn’t even thought of anything beyond my date to Stephen’s.

  Shay turns to Puddin’, who nods, then she looks back at me. “Tell you what. If you want, we can sell you two more dresses for the price of one.” She grins. “That way you’ll have three pretty new dresses.”

  “Are y’all sure?”

  Puddin’ nods. “Sure as shootin’.”

  “Speaking of that, I’ll need to stop off at Sure as Shoe-Tin for something to go with my new dresses.”

  “Why don’t we help you find something here?”

  Even with a huge family discount, I can’t afford the prices of the shoes they carry at La Chic. “I’m afraid I’ll have to go to—”

  Shay interrupts me. “What size do you wear, Coralee?”

  “Eight. Why?”

  She clears her throat. “I have some shoes that I bought in a size eight, and they’re a tad too snug on me. Maybe they’ll work for you. You have narrower feet than I do.”

  “I do?” I glance down at my feet, then look at hers. “They don’t look—”

  “You can’t tell by looking. Just trust me on this.” Shay smiles. “I have them here, so why don’t you try them on with the dress?”

  A half hour later, I walk out of La Chic with three gorgeous dresses, including the red one, a pair of designer shoes that Shay has only worn once, and jewelry to go with everything. I feel like Cinderella, only I have two fairy godmothers who just happen to be related.

  3

  Shay Henke

  It really touches my heart to see Coralee blossom as she has. And it tickles my funny bone to watch Puddin’s expression as the blooming takes place. Everyone in the family, including those who married into it, rarely saw Coralee as anything but dowdy. Now she’s a stunner.

  I have to admit, I didn’t see her potential until the first time she came to the shop for an outfit and wound up going home with an entire wardrobe. Heads turned at the last family reunion, and now people have a completely different impression of her.

  That seems to be the way with everyone in the family, though. Folks assumed I was a boring corporate executive because I stayed with the same company, kept getting promoted, and acted all buttoned up. Now that I’ve let loose a little and started dating the former town golden boy, people are shocked.

  Puddin’s reputation has gone from being a dowdy housewife to a fashion expert. It amazes me that family members turn to her and me for fashion advice—all folks who never gave either of us the time of day.

  And then there’s Marybeth. I still have mixed thoughts about her. After she and Bucky struck oil, they both seemed pretty caught up in the materialism, but she’s shown some signs of wanting to bring back a little humility. It must be difficult because she keeps yo-yoing back and forth between her newfound snobbishness and her old humble ways.

  I don’t think any of us has changed deep down, but appearances can be everything when it comes to relationships. A prime example of that is what’s happening with Elliot Stevens and me. I always saw him as an untouchable icon who would forever be heads above me in social status, while he was worried about my rejecting him because I was the smart girl. Now that we’re together, we’ve discovered how many more things we have in common than we ever would have imagined.

  As if Elliot knows I’m thinking about him, my phone rings, and I see that it’s him. “Hey, gorgeous. Whatcha up to?”

  I smile. No one ever called me gorgeous before I started seeing Elliot. Now everyone seems to think I’m something special. “We just sent Coralee home with some beautiful dresses to celebrate her engagement.”

  “Engagement? Coralee?”

  “Yup.” I’m more than happy to share the great news, so I tell him everything she told Puddin’ and me.

  “Sounds pretty romantic.”

  I sigh. “I know.”

  Silence falls between us, so I clear my throat. He laughs. “You’re not jealous, are you?”

  “Jealous? Who would I be jealous of?”

  Again he laughs. “No one. Never mind.”

  “So what are you up to today?”

  “We had an assembly at school this afternoon, which meant sticking around to clean up the auditorium after it was over. I don’t know how those kids manage to sneak so many sodas in with all the teachers watching them like hawks.”

  “Are you saying you never brought drinks to the assemblies?” I remember him and his buddies all sitting together on the right side of the auditorium, mostly because at least one of them would be called up to be recognized for something athletic.

  “No, I didn’t say that. I just didn’t think anyone would be able to get something past me.” He pauses. “I know all the tricks.”

  “Apparently not.”

  “So what do you want to do tonight?”

  “Are you asking me out?” I inspect my nails.

  “I reckon you can say that. We can either go out for an early dinner, or I can cook something here … or at your place.”

  “Wow. I have too many choices. The pressure is on.”

  He starts humming the Jeopardy! theme song as I try to decide what I want. The more he hums the more amused I become, until I start laughing.

  “What’s so funny?”

  “You’re distracting me. I can’t think with you carrying on.”

  “That’s the point.” He clears his throat. “Why don’t we just go over to the Blossom Diner for a quick bite? I have a lot of papers to grade tonight.”

  We make concrete plans for him to pick me up at my townhouse later. I love the comfortable feeling of being in a relationship. Don’t get me wrong. It’s comfortable but never boring. Elliot constantly surprises me with things he says, does, and brings me. It’s never anything terribly expensive, since he’s still paying off the bills from his first marriage, but it’s always very thoughtful.

  “Earth to Shay.” Puddin’ snaps her fingers, snagging my attention.

  I shake myself. “Oh, sorry.”

  “Was that your dream boy on the phone?” Puddin’ bats her eyelashes in an exaggerated manner.

  “What do you think?”

  “Did you hear what I said about Sally and Sara before he called?”

  I narrow my eyes and try to remember anything she might have said about the twins. But nothing comes to me.

  I grimace. “Sorry.”

  “That’s okay. Sally just called and said they’re on their way here. Sara’s been fluffing the nest, waiting for the baby.”

  “She’s not due yet, is she?”

  Puddin’ lets out a sigh of exasperation. “Okay, you clearly didn’t hear anything I just told you.”

  “I’m sorry. Would you mind telling me again?”

  “Okay, but pay attention this time. Sara’s starting to get antsy and driving both Sally and Justin crazy, so Sally’s bringing her here.” She shrugs. “I reckon it’s our turn to help calm her nerves.”

  “I never thought Sara would be this way. The whole time I lived with them, Sally was the one who seemed more high strung.”

  “Something changes when a woman is pregnant. She wants to make the world a perfect place for the little one, and since that’s impossible, she does stuff that annoys everyone around her.”

  I smile. “Is that what you did to Digger?”

  Puddin’ gives me a teasing smile and shakes her head. “No, I would never do anything like that.” Then she belts out a loud laugh. “What do you think, Shay? I’m the mother of all mamas. Poor Digger. I’m fortunate he stuck around for all four young’uns.”

  I place my hand on her shoulder. “He stuck around because you’re so lovable, and he made a promise to stick with you through thick and thin.”

  “Well, I was definitely thick back then.” She rubs her hips. “Still am.” She leans around and nods her head toward the door. “Here come the twins.”