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Fran jerked to a halt, gri "I don’t have time for this" Excuse me?

"Mom" Taf put a hand on Peri’s shoulder "Go do what you need to do Take Howard He can wash up at the jockey showers I’ll give Peri so of mine to wear We’ll uests settled, and then we can talk"

Shower? Peri’s i that ht "You are a lifesaver I’ve been wearing this for three days" She knew that if they got Howard alone hein the last three days that she’d do differently--given the chance

"Howard?" Fran pro her

"You’ll be okay?" he asked, the depth of question in his brown eyes startling

"Y’all go along, Howie," Taf drawled cheerfully "I’ve got this"

But he didn’t leave until Peri nodded Somehow it made her feel even more vulnerable

"I told you to lose that accent, Taf," Fran said as she and Howard got into one of the golf carts, and Taf frowned

"I don’t knohat they’re worried about," Peri said drily when Fran told her security to stay with Peri "They took my jackknife"

"Coht and accent al that will go fabulously with your skin tone"

"I’d be happy with just so to coverher up to the perainst Taf was still s, but the tension between her and her mother was easy to see, old and deep

The shoas surprisingly decadent for soed until the water went cold, appreciating the expensive soap and shampoo After some talk about the nonfunctionality of the first painted-on dress that Taf had picked out, Peri settled into skintight white jeans and a black blazer with a white silk button-down shirt underneath There was even a litzy black-and-silver monstrosity in hand, she left the tiny bathroom vestibule and went into theup "Wow, you look better in that than I ever did It’s a little casual for the races, but da in pleasure, Peri spun to show it off "You don’t think the hat is too , Taf all but pushed her down into one of the cushy chairs "Sit"

Flustered, Peri sat, watching Taf through the irlfriends It was easier to drive potential friends away than have them think she was stupid when she couldn’t reether last week "Thank you," Peri said softly, not knohat to et in trouble about the pants, are you?" They were Fran’s, seeing as Taf had legs the size of toothpicks

"What is she going to do? Ground me?" Taf took the hatpin fro it to hold the hat on "Sorry about my mom She’s intense Here Try this on your eye"

"Don’t worry about it," Peri said as she popped open the coer to dab the ood match "My mom is worse Bless her heart," she added in a thick southern drawl to make Taf chuckle "She wantedup to Taf, except that they both had overbearing, controlling mothers "I took all the classes, spent my summers at dance camps, blah, blah, blah"

"My mom just wants me to be hed at the dry humor she’d put in her voice, but Howard’s crack about the MRS degree now anizer," Peri said as she spun around to find Taf slumped into the cushions "What did you lumly

Which was clearly not her first love "What else did you minor in?" she pros," she said, clearly avoiding the issue "My ot almost-raduate, Peri thought, co It was far easier to avoid a do mother than to stand up to someone you loved And Taf did love her mother "Taf You can’t live your life on what your mother wants," she said, and Taf looked up, shocked "So it’s a hassle standing up to her So she ot your first twenty years Don’t give her your second By then, it’s too late"

Her lips pressed, one too far But then Taf stood and held out a one too far Peri took the shawl fro depressed "Thanks"

Taf’s pensive silence held all the way up the sawdust-packed path to the track, giving Peri ti the attire, and thethe rare opportunity to flaunt pinstripes and fla hats, eous ties one with Taf’s first instinct of the short red dress