Queen Bee Goes Home Again (43 page)

He peered at me, considering. “I need to talk to you more often.”

I beamed. “That's what I've been tellin' you. Now come on.” I picked Barrett up and headed for the fellowship hall. “Let's celebrate with ice cream and cake.”

Connor came over and introduced himself to my son and his wife, then Callista.

Enchanted, Callista practically climbed up into his arms. “Who are you?”

“I'm your new granddaddy. What would you like to call me?”

She considered, frowning. “I don't know.”

Connor gave her a reassuring smile. “How about I give you some names to choose from, and you can pick your favorite?”

Barrett chose that moment to intervene. He pointed to me, then Connor. “GoGo, Dodo.”

Callista clapped. “That's it. GoGo and Dodo.”

I couldn't help laughing. “That's what you get when you let a four-year-old choose your name.”

Connor rolled his eyes. “Very humbling, but I accept. I reserve the right, though, to encourage them to change it.”

David chuckled. “Good luck with that one.”

Then we all went to the party. It was hard work, laying the groundwork for good relationships in the congregation, listening to their concerns and encouraging them, so by the time everyone else had left, I was worn out.

Connor put his arm around me. “I saw what you did. It was wonderful.”

“I'll never learn all their names,” I admitted.

He gave me a sidelong squeeze. “You have me for that.”

We soaked in the silence, then Connor got out his key to the church. “Come on, Mrs. Allen. Let's lock up, then go home and go to bed.”

Yes! Sex. Sex, sex, sex!

So we strolled home, hand in hand, the chemistry building with every step. Then we had a very interesting shower together, after which we rolled all over that big old bed and acted like we were twenty-five again. And again. And again.

Nothing like what I'd known before. This was like fireworks compared to an ember.

Heaven. It was heaven.

Halleluiah, amen!

Who cared if I passed math? I mean, really.

 

Also by Haywood Smith

Out of Warranty

Wife-in-Law

Waking Up in Dixie

Ladies of the Lake

Wedding Belles

The Red Hat Club Rides Again

The Red Hat Club

Queen Bee of Mimosa Branch

 

About the Author

HAYWOOD SMITH is a
New York Times
bestselling author of fifteen books. She lives in Castle Rock, Colorado. Smith loves to hear from readers who enjoy her books at [email protected] or at
haywoodsmith.net
.

 

 

This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, organizations, and events portrayed in this novel are either products of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously.

 

QUEEN BEE GOES HOME AGAIN.
Copyright © 2014 by Haywood Smith. All rights reserved. For information, address St. Martin's Press, 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10010.

 

www.stmartins.com

 

Cover photographs by Shutterstock.com

 

eBooks may be purchased for business or promotional use. For information on bulk purchases, please contact Macmillan Corporate and Premium Sales Department by writing to [email protected].

 

The Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available upon request.

 

ISBN 978-1-250-00351-5 (hardcover)

ISBN 978-1-4668-6453-5 (e-book)

 

e-ISBN 9781466864535

 

First Edition: September 2014