Caught off guard, Annajane sat back in her chair and regarded Pokey, who was calmly finishing off the last bite of her candy bar.

“Mason never said a word,” Annajane said.

“We swore to keep it a secret,” Pokey said. “We didn’t even tell Davis. It was awful. For both of us. You remember that summer Mason moved away? Right after graduation? The only summer he didn’t work at the plant?”

Annajane nodded. What she remembered most was the way her heart beat faster the first time she saw Mason Bayless roaring through town in the red convertible, headed for a summer job at the Outer Banks, and how her sixteen-year-old self pined for a man who barely knew she existed.

“Daddy said he was giving Mason the Chevelle as a birthday present. But really? It was a bribe. Or maybe a peace offering. Mason wasn’t even speaking to Daddy at that point. I don’t think he spoke to him that whole summer.”

“But Mason came back home in the fall. And he went back to work for Quixie,” Annajane pointed out. “And I never heard him say a single bad thing about your dad. I always thought it was so sweet, the way they worked together.”

“They patched things up,” Pokey agreed. “But they were never as close again as they were before that summer. Mason loved Daddy, but he didn’t respect him.”

Annajane shook her head. “I don’t even know why we are having this conversation. The past is past.” She held up her left hand, and wiggled her ring finger pointedly. “I’ve got a new life; Mason has a new life. It’s time, all right?”

Pokey rolled her eyes.

“I know you don’t like Celia,” Annajane went on. “And no, she’s not who I would have picked for Mason, but the important thing is, he picked her, and he apparently loves her, and I honestly think she’ll be good for him and for the company.”

“The company!” Pokey exclaimed. “Who gives a rat’s ass about Quixie? We are talking about my brother’s happiness. And yours. Celia is totally wrong for him. Did you notice he only asked the bitch to marry him after you announced your engagement? And don’t get me started on the topic of Celia as mommy material.”

“Sophie seems okay with Celia,” Annajane broke in.

“Sophie doesn’t know her like we do. But I don’t care what kind of show she puts on; Celia just barely tolerates Sophie. I mean, Sophie is another woman’s baby, not hers. Celia doesn’t have a maternal bone in her body. The woman is an ice queen. And as for her company—so what if she made money selling kids’ clothes? That doesn’t mean she can keep Quixie from going down the tubes. Soft drinks are an entirely different ball game. I don’t care if she is Miss Congeniality. I don’t like her and I don’t trust her. What do we really know about this woman, aside from what she’s told us?”

“We know Mason wants to marry her,” Annajane said softly. “Anyway, much as I love you and the rest of your crazy clan, Pokey, the company is no longer my problem. In case you forgot, I’m moving to Atlanta in five days. I have a new job, and I’m starting a new life. Going to the wedding was about closure. I’m engaged to Shane, remember?”

“Closure?” Pokey scoffed. “And you really intend to marry a guy named Shane? Really? Shane? What kind of name is that for a grown man? Is he a cowboy or something?”

It was Annajane’s turn for an eyeroll. “Hello, Pokey? May I remind you that you named your own sons Glenndenning, Peterson, and Clayton? And that you have brothers named Mason and Davis?”

“Those are family names, and you know it,” Pokey said.

“Fine. I think Shane is a perfectly nice name. And he’s a nice guy, and he loves me and I love him.”

A wicked, familiar glint shone in Pokey’s eyes. “How’s the sex?”

“None of your business.”

“I knew it,” Pokey crowed. “You’ve been dating, what, six months, and you haven’t fucked him?”

“I hate that word,” Annajane said irritably. “And our sex life is perfectly normal. Divine, if you must know. Although, remember, we do live four hours apart. And up until this week, I still had my job here.”

“If you were really attracted to him, you’d be screwing like a pair of jackrabbits,” Pokey said, “instead of hanging around here in Passcoe. You think I don’t know how you and Mason used to be when you were engaged? Jesus! We never once had Sunday dinner on time in the old days, because you two were always off over at the lake, getting it on.”

Despite herself, Annajane blushed. “You knew?”

“Everybody knew. Mama, Daddy, hell, I think even Nate the yard man knew what you two were up to, and he’s nearly senile. Those windows didn’t get steamed up by themselves. My point is, if you are really this hot for this Shane guy, nothing could keep you apart. Hey!” she said, brightening, “maybe he’s gay.”

Annajane stood up abruptly. “I think we’re done here. Nice talking to you.”

“You still can’t admit it, can you?” Pokey taunted.

“Admit what?”

“You can’t admit that you were wrong to end your marriage to Mason. That the divorce was a huge mistake. That you loved him then and you love him now, and you would take him back in a minute if you could.”

“But I can’t,” Annajane pointed out, gripping her water bottle so tightly she heard the plastic crumple. “I’m engaged to another man. To Shane. And Mason’s wedding was postponed, not called off. And as soon as Sophie is well again, this wedding is going to happen.”

“Fuck the wedding,” Pokey said fiercely. “You’re still not being honest with me. You’re still bullshitting me. Come off it, Annajane. We have been best friends since we were five years old. Just be straight with me. Will you?”

Annajane walked over to a trash bin and tossed in the water bottle.

“All right,” she said finally. “Okay, maybe there is still something there. It’s probably just jealousy, wanting what I can’t have. But yes, I had a twinge when I saw Mason standing there at the altar.”

She allowed herself a sad, lopsided smile. “Happy now?”

“Yesss!” Pokey said, fist-pumping.

“I don’t know what to do,” Annajane heard herself admitting. “I can’t believe I am saying this out loud.”

“Tell him,” Pokey advised. “It’s not too late. Just be straight with him. If not for yourself, then at least for Sophie’s sake.”

“I can’t,” Annajane said. “I am engaged to another man. He is engaged to Celia. This is hopeless. And pointless.”

“Then I will,” Pokey vowed.

“No!” Annajane clutched Pokey’s arm. “Don’t you dare. If you say a word about this to Mason, I swear, Pokey, I will never speak to you again. I mean it. Just stay out of it, please?”

“This is so stupid,” Pokey said stubbornly. “He will ruin his life, and Sophie’s if he goes through with this charade and marries Celia.”

“But it’s his life,” Annajane said. “Not yours.”

*   *   *

They heard the voice as they were rounding the corridor back to the waiting room.

“Now, darlin’, you’ve got to eat something,” Celia cooed. “I fixed up this basket just for you. Maybe just a ham biscuit, or some of the tenderloin. I had the waiter slice it from the rare end, just like you like it.”

Annajane felt her spine stiffen. Beside her, Pokey made a soft gagging noise.

She wanted to turn around and run out the door. Instead, she forced herself to keep walking back to the waiting room.

Celia had changed out of her wedding gown and was wearing an aqua velour tracksuit, with the jacket unzipped far enough to reveal a tantalizing amount of cleavage. A huge picnic basket sat by her feet, and she’d dragged a table over to the seating area, where she was unwrapping foil packages and plastic cartons.

“Hey there!” she said, as she saw the two women approaching. “I hope you’re still hungry, because Sallie had the catering people pack enough food for the Russian army.”

“I’ve eaten,” Pokey said bluntly.

“Annajane?” Celia held out a petite yeast roll stuffed with blood-red prime beef and a leaf of arugula.