Meanwhile, my husband separated the battling McKees and dressed them all down with his rebel commander voice.
Bubba stomped over to me when Jack wound down. "Thanks, Tess, for holding my snake."
"You're welcome. Maybe take her home out of the crowds?"
Behind him, I saw Jack's face twist up like he was trying desperately not to laugh, but I saw nothing funny in the situation. Also, I was hot and grumpy.
Suddenly fed up with all McKees, I whirled around and marched out of the tent. I needed water. Lots of water and maybe another funnel cake.
Lola and Bubba left, and Jack and Cletus followed me outside. I put my hands on my hips. "What was it about this time?"
Cletus held up his hands. "Hey. I stay as far away from the Dead End McKees as I can get.Theyintruded onme."
Since they'd been in his tent, it was hard to argue with that.
"Do you want me to stay until after the fireworks?" Jack asked, but he was looking at me. I had a feeling he didn't care what Cletus wanted but would stay to keep the peace for me, Aunt Ruby, and Dead End.
"That's so sweet," I said.
Cletus snorted. "Yeah, yeah. You two are just delightful. I don't care if you stay. I'm getting on with the show shortly, and then I'm out of this place forever. Honestly, if your uncle hadn't confiscated my keys, I'd probably be on the road now."
"You'd back out of the contract?" I was horrified but not really surprised, all at the same time.
"I'd refund the deposit," he muttered, not meeting my eyes.
I doubted it.
Jack narrowed his eyes, and Cletus suddenly was too busy to talk to us. He rushed back into his tent, so Jack and I headed for the food stalls again.
"I doubt they're going to come back anytime soon," I told Jack. "You put the fear of Jack into them."
"The fear of Jack?" He looked startled.
I folded my arms across my chest and put on my grumpiest face. "You! Puny humans! Stop fighting, or I will show you the fearsome might of my furry self!"
Jack threw his head back and laughed. "You know I love you, right?"
"You'd better."
"Yeah." He put an arm around me, and we started back toward the funnel cakes. "But it nearly killed me when Bubba asked you tohold his snake."
"Snake Hissken is …" I looked over and saw him cracking up. "What?"
"Tess."
"Oh. Oh!" I laughed so hard I had to stop walking to catch my breath. "First, I find out he asked Uncle Mike and Aunt Ruby for my hand in marriage, and then he asks me to hold his snake. It's lucky I'm already married. I might be overcome."
Jack's laughter stopped as if he'd flipped a switch. "He didwhat?"
The fireworks were glorious. No matter what else Cletus might be or might have done, he was very good at fireworks. Shelley, Zane, and Oscar loved every minute, and I heard people around me talking about how much more exciting the show was than the one last year.
It was true. Skeeter Hatfield had been phoning it in for a few years, complacent in his long-term stranglehold on the gig. Still, I felt a momentary pang and hoped he didn’t hear either the raves about Cletus or the grumbling about himself. I'd heard enough about how some people believed I could never carry on the pawnshop after Jeremiah died. It had been hurtful and rough on my self-confidence.
But I'd worked my butt off. Skeeter … hadn't.
The show ran for fifteen minutes, and the fireworks grew progressively bigger and more elaborate. It was truly wonderful,and I leaned back against Jack with his arms around me and thought there was no place I'd rather be.
The finale was unprecedented and made everybody in the crowd gasp. Somehow, and maybe magic was involved, Cletus spelled outDead Endin huge, bold, fiery letters. The pops and crackles and booms thundered through the air with the letters, followed by a loud bang to punctuate the final D.
