Seeing the spot finally vacated, Tippy took her plate and nestled right in next to Billy. Ian watched her exercising as much control as she possibly could. He was finding it highly entertaining.
“Sugar Plum, those flowers we planted yesterday look so nice. This will be the prettiest backyard in the whole neighborhood.” Tippy smiled. “Don’t you think so Billy?”
Billy mouth was full of pancake. He just smiled and nodded his stuffed cheeks.
“You know I think it might be fun to have a garden.” Tippy shoved Billy’s shoulder a little. “We haven’t had a garden in years, but it would be fun, I think. Don’t you?”
Once again, Billy was in mid chew. He’d tried to communicate through facial expressions. Ronnie started giggling.
“Now, Tippy.” Colton chided her. “Where would you even put a garden?”
“We could find a place. Ian wants to take that wall down. Maybe he’d let Ronnie and I put out it there.” Tippy turned to the chewer. “What do you think? Wouldn’t that be a nice place for a garden?”
Billy tried hard to swallow a mouthful of pancakes. He choked and reached for his water.
Tippy looked at Billy. “Honey, you’re going to have to learn to get more in your mouth than that before you start choking. I’m Reese’s mother. I’ve seen him naked.”
Billy spit water and half chewed pancake all over the table.
“Mom!” Reese grabbed a towel and tried to help clean up the mess.
“What?” Tippy stood and took the roll of paper towels Ian handed her.
“Ew!” Ronnie said. “Billy barfed in my plate.”
“It’s okay, Puppy.” Ian was trying his best to keep a straight face, and handed his son a clean plate. “Let me have that one I’ll put it in the dishwasher.”
“Mrs. Shores…” Billy finally choked out. Ian secretly wondered if his buddy’s face would ever be anything but a shade of violet again.
“Now, Billyboy. The Mrs. thing will never do. Here, honey, have some more water.” She handed a glass and made him drink. “Better?”
Billy nodded his head and tried to wet the rags he’d just made of his throat.
“Why don’t you just call me Mom?” She said causing Billy to choke some more. “Honey, is there something wrong? Do I need to call a doctor?”
“Tippy, I think it’s your timing.” Ian, as much as he was enjoying it, he had to finally admit.
She looked up innocent. Colton finally looked at her. “Now Tippy, let the poor boy finish his breakfast, before you kill him and make us all have to take a shower again.”
Ronnie looked up at Ian. “I’m not sure what this is all about, but it’s kinda fun.” He whispered.
Reese leaned over and whispered. “You won’t think so when you bring you’re first girlfriend home to meet the family.”
Ronnie looked at Reese. “Is Uncle Billy your girlfriend?” That stopped the show.
Ian looked at Tippy. “You opened this can of worms…”
“Not a problem.” Tippy smiled and leaned toward Ronnie. “You see, Sugar Plum sometimes two men…”
“Stop!” Billy cried out. “Yes, Ronnie. The answer to your question is yes. Do you understand?”
“Sure.” He smiled. “But it’s so much fun tryin’ to make you adults figure out what to say.” He looked at his father. “Can I go outside now?”
“Yes, but take the rest of your milk and finish it.”
“’Kay…” He picked up his glass and nonchalantly went out side. The table watched him go. As soon as the door shut everyone looked back at Tippy.
“What?” She said, spearing some Virginia Ham from Colton’s plate. “I think that went well, don’t you all?”
Ian laughed and turned back to his cooking. Colt stole his ham back. Reese looked at Billy and said. “Welcome to the family.”
“She’s tagged you with a nickname…Billyboy. You are stuck with us now.” Ian said lighting a can of Sterno under a chaffing dish.
“You’re lucky Billy.” Colton said. “She waited a little over twenty-four hours.”
Tippy patted the side of her lips with her napkin. “I have no idea what you all are talking about.” She placed the napkin on her plate. “Now let me see pictures of my gran…your little girl.”
Billy smiled pulling out his wallet. “I may have one or two.”
“Oh she’s a little angel.” Tippy cooed after snatching one from his hands.
“That’s just the light. She’s a little hellion.” Ian said.
“Oh pooh!” Tippy said. “How could anything with a face that sweet?”
“He’s right.” Billy admitted. “My baby girl’s a doll, but the doll’s name is Chuckie. She’s into everything.”
“She’s just four.” Reese said. “Granted, a handful, but she’ll grow out of it.”
“What’s her name again?” Tippy asked handing one of the pictures to Colton.
“Vonda Rae.” Billy said. “We call her Vonnie.”
“That’s an interesting name.” Colton said. “Family names?”
Ian grinned and looked at Billy. “Tell ‘em…Billyboy. I can’t wait for that reaction.” He saw it register on Billy’s face. Ian reached across the table and removed the glasses in front of Billy and Tippy.
“Donna named her after her two favorite…” Billy wasn’t sure about going on.
Reese got it, too. He was grinning ear to ear. “Go on…if you don’t tell her you know Vonnie will.”
“Tell me what?” Tippy said.
Billy finally just spit it out. “Donna named her after her two favorite Miss Americas.”
Tippy just beamed. “Why that’s so sweet. Which two?”
The men in the room busted out laughing, all finally in on the joke.
“What’sa funny?” Tippy asked.
Ian gathered some composure. “Tippy I love you.”
“I love you, too, Baby Doll. Now what’sa funny?”
Billy wiped tears from his tears. “Vonda Kaye Van Dyke and…”
“Oh she’s a sweetheart. We have lunch every once and a while.” Tippy reached for some toast and smeared some apple butter on it. “Do you think Vonnie’d like to go with us sometime? Oh, what am I saying? Of course, she would.” She munched her toast. “Okay, Vonda and….I can’t think of a Miss America named Rae…well that girl who had the Hawaiian name. Is that the one?”
Of course the men all convulsed again. “Okay, you boys are just bein’ mean.” Tippy tossed her toast on the plate and crossed her arms.
Colton looked at his wife. “Sorry, we can’t help it…Mamie Rae!”
“She’s named after me?” Tippy squealed. “Its just fate! My first grand daughter was named after me and she didn’t even know I was destined to be her granny!” She hugged Billy till he turned blue. “Oh let’s call her. Let’s call her right now!”
“Hold on Granny.” Colton snapped her attention. “Just calm down. Let the boys, and the little doll rest a little bit. You’ve got plenty of time. Just finish your breakfast.”
Tippy held up her hands. “You’re right, Poppy. You’re right.” She picked up her fork. “But next time you call her, tell her we send our love.”
“Of course.” Billy was started to get his breathing back.
“I just can’t believe she was named after me.”
“It took Donna two weeks to decide between Vonda Rae and Mamie Kaye. I was just getting used to calling her M.K. when she switched it up on me and went in the other direction.”
“Either way, it was better than what you wanted to name her.” Ian snorted.
Billy looked up from his pancakes. “I thought Petra D’lynne was pretty.”
“Petra D’Lynne?” Tippy said. She looked at Billy and then to Reese. “When you two have children of your own, keep this man away from the birth certificate.”
“Tippy, let the boys get past the you’re so hot let’s screw stage before you go bouncing their babies on your knees.” Colton told her.
Billy only coughed on that one. Reese smiled. “Besides, I don’t think either one of us quite have child bearing hips.”
“You know what I mean.” Tippy said. “Now tell me, Billy…”
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