Sunday morning was an insane marathon. My Aunt Cat was still a little hung over from the half bottle of wine she had tucked away last night at dinner. And Uncle Sidney looked like he had already Taken Holy Communion. Coffee was the first order of business. Strong, black coffee, thicker than oil and strong enough to take the paint off the side of the house. Then showers, I went first. I had to dash through the shower, dash through shaving my legs, dry off and blow dry my hair and remove the polish from my fingernails. I managed to do all of this in fifteen minutes flat. No self respecting Southern Belle would go to church with her nails painted.. Only Jezebel's did that and I was no Jezebel.

Anyway once I was finished Uncle Sidney decided to step into the shower. Aunt Cat was still nursing her third cup of coffee. And I was on my second. There would be no breakfast that morning because we were to have dinner upon the grounds right after Holy Communion. That led to the next thing I needed to tackle. I needed a dish to bring. Again no self respecting Southern Belle would show up without a covered dish. And my cooking was something to be desired, with time slipping through my fingers, I rushed into the kitchen.

My Aunt Cat, who was still half asleep, only looked up from her coffee. I think she was enjoying me rumbling through her kitchen. Finally after watching me struggle, oh she seemed to enjoy watching me struggle, she lifted her head from her morning coffee and pointed with a slender finger.

“There is a collection of Bell's Best. In the reading room. I'd suggest you go and find one and pick out something you can do within thirty minutes. I'd suggest a Macaroni Salad. You make it, you get the credit. I'm too old to be playing that game. It's your turn to play the game.” She said, smirking. “And remember you get double points if your boyfriend goes for seconds.”

“George is not my boyfriend!” I said, taking a deep breath as I marched off to the reading room. I paused before leaving the kitchen to see what my Aunt Cat would say. It took her a moment to respond. She needed to finish her coffee first. “Yet.” She said with a wink.

I swear I started to blush.

“Have you made a Facebook account?” Aunt Cat asked me as she stalked over to the coffee pot. Once more she filled her coffee cup with strong black coffee. She took another sip and peered toward me.

“Not yet.” I said, taking a deep breath.

“Go ahead and make one. You'll need to start posting pictures of you and George together. That would send a clear message to the other girls around the Delta.” She said, taking another sip of her coffee.

“And what message would that be?” I inquired as I peered my Aunt Cat.

“That he's yours. Besides, you're getting at the age that most girls here in the Delta marry. Delta girl's marry young. You're going to seventeen next year? That is about the age most girls start looking for a future husband here. Once they  turn eighteen they are already engaged. By the time they turn nineteen they are married and the husband is co-owner of the family farm.” Aunt Cat said, smirking.

“By twenty two, their mothers and nursing.” She added.

I blinked and blinked again.

“That is, if they let their heart get swept up in a whirlwind. One thing leads to another. And more often than not it starts with a little Summer romance.” She said as she walked out the room. “My Job is to make you into a Southern Belle. Like I made Cindy into one. My job is not to direct your life.” She paused. “Also you'll find the cook books as you first walk in. I'm going to shower now.”

And so Aunt Cat went to shower and I made a mad dash to the reading room. It took me about ten minutes to find the copy of Bell's Best she had mentioned. I tucked the cook book under the crook of my arm and rushed back into the kitchen. Taking my Aunt's advice I flipped to the cold salad section and I quickly found a simple, easy to do recipe for Macaroni Salad. Thirty minutes later, I had a big old bowl of the stuff chilling in the fridge. Now any Southern Mama would tell you, if you're going to prepare a Macaroni Salad you let it sit in the fridge at least overnight if not longer. Well, I only had two hours. So I said a prayer and went to get dressed.

Two hours later, I was dressed. Aunt Cat was dressed, and Uncle Sidney was dressed. Once we were dressed we formed up in a line and Uncle Sidney like a true Christian husband/father led Aunt Cat and I to church.

St. Andrew's Episcopal Church was named after the patron saint of Scotland, St. Andrew. The church had been built by two brothers John Walter Sharbrough and Franklin Wilson Sharbrough. It had been the Sharbrough brothers who had been born and raised in Smith County and had lost everything in the aftermath of the Civil War that had arrived here and first settled the area. That is why the town is called Sharbrough's landing. And I'm a direct descendant of two brothers. Both brothers had been Episcopal and their father Matthew Allen Sharbrough had happened to be an Episcopal Priest. He was also the first rector of the church and had helped to establish the parish.

The church was a simple, wooden building. The outside was painted white, it had no stained glass windows. The inside was simple, wooden pews, a simple wooden communion rail, behind the communion rail an unadorned simple copper cross  could be seen. Behind the church one would find a dozen wooden picnic tables. To the side one would find a small graveyard. Here resting under the sod were six generations of Sharbrough's. And other families that had settled the area along with the Sharbrough Clan.

I can't recall what happened during the service. Nor can I recall the sermon. My eyes were firmly glued to Mr. George Stoner who was sitting up front with I'm going to assume his mother and father. The Service lasted around one hour, maybe a little longer considering Holy Communion was given. And then the real fun began.

Now 'Dinner on the Grounds' is a hallow southern tradition. It's like one huge picnic, the wooden tables located behind the church seemed almost to shake from the weight of the food placed upon them. It was a spread fit for Lord God himself. Mountains of tender buttermilk fried chicken, fried golden brown with a seasoned crust, mountains of soft, buttermilk biscuits, bowls of speckled butter beans, pinto beans, seasoned black eyed peas, cold salads of all kinds.

And pitchers of tea, both sweetened and unsweetened, and coolers of pops. If you left hungry it was your own fault, nobody else's. And for dessert, mountains of pies and cakes, some store bought, some homemade, some even brought from one of those big chain bakeries you often see in the city. Good food, good fellowship, and plenty of gossip. What more could a Southern Belle ask for.

Anyway once the preacher, an older fellow, with thinning gray hair and steel gray eyes had said grace, we all lined up and started to help ourselves. Then through the crowd I spotted him, sitting under the shade of an old pecan tree was George Stoner, he was chatting it up with a few of the locals. I felt my heart jump into my throat as I watched him move his arms, his strong arms and point toward the Sunflower River, a river that was only a half a mile away. I closed my eyes and then I decided to make my move. I moved through the crowd till I reached that old pecan tree. Then putting on a big smile I said.

“You mind telling me what you want George.” I said smiling. “I'll fix you a plate and bring it to you.” I said with a smile and a wink.

At that moment you could have heard a pin drop. The two older men blinked and peered sly toward George who only blushed and looked around. I enjoyed seeing him blush, it gave me such a thrill. He was just about to say something when an older woman walked up to him, the woman looked at me and then at George. I'm ashamed to say I started to bristle like a cat who just met another cat peeing in its litter box.

“George, would you mind telling me who this young lady is?” The woman said as she peered at me. She had blonde hair that reached a little past her shoulders, blue eyes that reminded me of Sapphires, and a heart shaped face with a dimpled chin.

“Oh of course mom.” George said as he looked around. “Mom this is Hailey the girl I was telling you about. She the girl I meet at that meeting that grandmaw had dragged me too.” He said blushing. As he looked around.

“Oh so this is the Hailey Shabrough that caused such a fuss at the meeting.” She said smirking. “A pleasure. My name is Lavender Stoner. And George here is my son.” She said holding out her hand. “Its a pleasure to finally meet the girl George as been rambling on about for the last few days.”

I blinked and gently reached my hand out and took it. “It's a pleasure Mrs. Stoner.” I said. I paused and then decided to add. “It's a pleasure to finally meet the mother of this fine Southern gentleman.” I said as I peered toward George who only blushed and turned his face away.

Mrs. Stone smirked a little and as she gently shook my hand she said.

“Edith warned me you were a charmer.” She said as she gently slipped her hands out of mine. “Please, just Lavender honey. So, what brings you all out to this tiny little village.” She said smiling as she peered directly into my eyes. I could tell she was sizing me up a little.

“Oh visiting family for the summer, and maybe way into the autumn.” I said smiling as I started to play a little with my hair. I knew this day would come, but I was not expecting it to come so soon. Something deep inside me told me that I was on trial, a trial that all girls go through at least once in their life, the trial to win the mothers approval of a boy they like.

“Oh nice.” Lavender said. “So, where did you come from?”

“Clinton.” I said blushing,

“Were you going to school?” Lavender said with graceful ease.
“I was enrolled in St. Clare's Episcopal Academy in Vicksburg. But with mom and dad away on an extended holiday. I might be enrolling in Sharkey-Issaquena Academy.” I said as I looked around. It seemed George had been sent away, no doubt on a fetch quest by his mother so she could grill me a little.

Then something happened that totally took me by complete  surprise.

“We'll welcome you to the village. How about this, this Thursday, I'll throw an ice cream social in your honor, to you know welcome you into the social life of this little town and introduce you to some people your own age.” She then moved in a little closer and in a low tone of voice she whispered into my ear. “I'll make sure my son is there and I'll keep the other girls from getting too close to him so you two can have some alone time.”

I blinked and blinked again and my face I swear started to turn as red as a vine ripen tomato. Lavender just seemed to laugh a little as she gently patted me on the shoulder.

“Hailey, honey you have nothing to worry about. From what I've heard so far you are a truly charming girl. Now, run along and find George, I need to find my husband.” She said winking. “Oh one last thing we need to talk about, we are hosting our annual Cotton Festival next month. This year we are doing something different though, we are going to  bring back an old tradition. They used to hold a beauty pageant back when it first started back in the sixties. But as the village population shrunk they kind of did away with it.” Her voice trailed off a little. “Anyway if you want to, I would love it if you could consider signing up for it.

Lavender did not give a chance to respond, she just walked away, whistling a little tune as she did. My cheeks were still blushing. I then remembered a promise I made to George and quickly I walked to the line and loaded a paper plate down with food. Including what remained of my humble dish. Aunt Cat at this point had found a chair and was sitting it in, she was half asleep, no doubt still half hung over from the night before.

Anyway a few minutes later, I had two massive plates, and two mountains of food. Now, it's true a Southern Belle has to watch her waist, but when you're attending an event like this, people would consider it rude if you don't just stuff yourself and go hog wild. An unspoken rule was to get a little of everything, just a spoonful and to sample a bit of everything. And to lavish praise on whoever provided the dish. That is how you score brownie points in the deep south. And right now I needed all the brownie points I could get.

“Hey George.” I said smiling as I spotted him, sitting by himself away from the crowd. “Sorry I took so long, but hey I got plenty of food.” I said grinning as I sat the plate down in front of him. His plate like mind was a sampler plate, fried chicken, pulled pork, smothered in a dark, brown sauce, baked beans that have been seasoned with brown sugar and molasses, potato salad, not my personal favorite, but still something to chew on, and of course cornbread and what remained of my salad.

“Hey thanks.” He said smiling as he peered at me.

“Why are you sitting all alone?” I said as I sat down beside him.

“Just thinking.” He said he then stood up and walked away. I was puzzled at first, but soon noticed that he returned with some two sets of plastic forks and knives and of course two ice cold cans of coke-cola.
“Thinking about what?” I asked as he pushed one of the cans toward me.

“Us, you said your only staying the season and well, I don't know if I can deal with losing you.” He said taking a deep breath. “There something that just so charming about you. I know we've only known each other for a few days, but it seems like we've known each other much longer than that. I swear to God I feel like I've met you before.” He said peering at me. “It's like I've known you all my life.”

I took a deep breath. I guess now was a good time to tell him.

“Well, good thing for you mom and dad decided to extend their European holiday for a little while longer, a lot longer. And knowing them I doubt they'll come back any time soon.” I reached out and smiled and touched his hand. “So you and I have plenty of time to well get to know each other.” I said with a wink.

“Oh.. well then.” His voice trailed. “I guess I'll just have to give you a grand tour of the delta.” He said as he peered toward me. “There's plenty to see here.” He then leaned over and whispered into my ear. “And I want to see a lot more of you too.”

“Oh George.” I said smiling. “I think you and I will be seeing a lot of each other in the coming days.” I said as I closed my eyes, I had to open them though before I started to day dream about me ripping his shirt off, followed by his shoes, then his socks and then his pants and then his boxers. I kind of wondered what colored boxers he was wearing, that is if he wore boxers, he might be wearing briefs.

“Oh.” George said, smirking. “And I know some private spots too.”

I raised a eyebrow and took a sip of my coke. It seemed another chapter was opening up for me. I felt like somebody had tossed me aboard a speeding bullet train. And with each passing second the train was gaining speed. I just hoped the train would stay on the tracks. That and I hoped the conductor was sane.