Granny Reid declared, lifting her glass of lemonade in a toast. “All members, and us honorary members, too, are present and accounted for!” “Let the revelries begin!” John shouted, hefting his glass of merlot to the stars. Ryan did the same. Dirk, who was exhausted, simply grunted and raised a beer bottle. Tammy toasted with a glass of mineral water, and Savannah joined in with a mug of root beer. Normally, she’d be having a margarita, frozen, with salt. But she never drank alcohol in front of Granny. That way Gran stayed happy and Savannah didn’t get her ears boxed. It worked out well for everyone. The backyard cookout had been a wild success. Dirk’s barbecued ribs and Savannah’s potato salad, baked beans, and corn on the cob had been devoured along with Granny’s deviled eggs. Eventually, they’d get around to the blackberry cobbler and homemade ice cream. But between dinner and dessert, while everyone waited for their belts to loosen just a bit, the Moonlight Magnolia gang had decided to do a little work.
