Julia 03 - Miss Julia Throws a Wedding by Ann B. Ross Read Free Book Online Page B

to be able to talk to Mr. Pickens in private.
     
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    “Well, Lillian,” I said, pushing through the swinging door into the kitchen a little while later. “I hope you’re happy. I’ve invited Sam, and a good thing, too, because Coleman has asked him to be the best man. So now we’ll have an uneven number at the table because I want Little Lloyd, too. Let’s put the boy opposite me at the foot of the table. Binkie on my right and Coleman on my left, since they’re the guests of honor. Then Hazel Marie and Mr. Pickens opposite each other in the middle. Sam can sit on Little Lloyd’s right, opposite nobody.”
    “Guess that’ll fix him,” she said, half under her breath. “If he notice.”
    “Don’t give me a hard time, Lillian. That man’s made my life a misery lately, blowing hot and cold like he’s been doing. Now, what’re we going to serve?”
    “I already took that tenderloin roast outta the freezer.”
    “That’ll be good. Let’s do oven-roasted new potatoes, and see if you can find fresh asparagus; call Mr. Wheeler’s store and have it delivered. If you can’t get fresh, get the canned andmake that casserole with the cheese on top. A nice salad and some of your yeast rolls. And whatever you feel like making for dessert. You know I don’t eat dessert, so whatever you want will be fine. The men will love anything you fix.”
    “What about that lemon chiffon pie what Coleman like so much?”
    “Perfect. I might even have a small piece myself.”
     
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    Hazel Marie, in her downstairs bedroom, and I, on the upstairs line, spent the morning hours on the telephone issuing invitations. In between calls to guests, I managed to line up the florist, the caterer and a rented piano. On top of that, I spent futile time looking for someone whose piano playing was better known to me than Lillian’s friend from the AME Zion church. Half the people we called were not in or closed on Saturday. I declare, planning a wedding was a lot more involved than planning a tea, which I could’ve done in my sleep.
    On my way downstairs, I looked in on Hazel Marie. She was talking on the phone to someone, so she waved happily at me as I went on to the kitchen.
    “Lillian,” I said, “where’s Little Lloyd?”
    “He settin’ on the back steps ruinin’ his eyes with that Gametoy.”
    “Boy,” I said.
    She glanced at me, frowning. “What boy?”
    “Game Boy, not toy.” I opened the screen door. “Little Lloyd, I have a job for you, if you don’t mind.”
    “No’m, I don’t mind.”
    “I want you to take the hose and wash off the front porch, the front walk and the driveway. There’s brick dust and plaster dust and every other kind of dust everywhere you look from that construction site. Hose off as much of it as you can, and give the boxwoods a good spraying. They’re coated with it, too. We want it all looking nice for our guests tonight.”
    He got up from the steps and put his Game Boy in his pocket. “It sure does need it. And I better weed the flower beds some, too.” He cut his eyes at me and grinned. “That’s what I get the big money for, isn’t it?”
    “Your allowance is plenty adequate, you little rascal,” I said, smiling back. “But, Little Lloyd, stay in the yard. Your mother’ll worry about you if you wander off.”
    And I would, too. Not that I was concerned about Dixon Hightower, who was probably already back behind bars, but I always felt better when I knew where the child was.
    As he got the hose from the garage, I went back in to set the dining room table for Lillian. Before I got out of the kitchen, though, Hazel Marie came running in.
    “Miss Julia, guess what!”
    I’d never seen her so excited, so I guessed: “Mr. Pickens wants to get married!”
    “Oh!” She had a momentary drop in her excitement level, but it didn’t last long. “No, that’s not it, but I just talked to Binkie. You know, just to be sure that J.D.’ll be here tonight. And he