The Southern Bride

by Leonra Worth

Roscoe nodded. “Yes, thankfully.” He kissed her and then they left.

  Melissa went into work mode, her prayers centered on her sister. She flipped the burgers and put them on a plate and then made sure the grill was shut down. Then she placed the condiments and the side dishes in the refrigerator. With nothing much to do, she tried calling Judson again.

  “Hello?” He sounded groggy.

  “Where are you?” she asked, her stress level mounting by the minute.

  “What?” She heard shuffling. “Oh, wow. I took some pills and lay down after my shower. I’m sorry. I fell asleep.”

  “Your leg?” she asked, adding him to her worry list.

  “Yeah. I guess I over did it, trying to show off for you and your daddy.”

  “Judson, you don’t have to prove anything to me. I know you don’t mind an honest day’s work.”

  “No, but I need to quit overdoing. It’s killing me.”

  “I’d come over but... Brodie had to take Michelle to the emergency room. She doesn’t feel good.”

  “She didn’t—”

  “The baby is okay, we hope. We don’t know.”

  “I’m coming over there,” he said.

  “You need to rest.”

  “I can rest on their couch, same as here. Probably better since you’ll be there.”

  “Can you drive?”

  “Probably not. I’ll take one of those beach cabs.”

  “You mean the golf cart Beach Buggy Express?”

  “Yeah. Just don’t tell anybody I had to ride one of those things.”

  “Our secret,” she replied, feeling better. “Be careful.”

  He made it in record time, considering the Beach Buggy taxi service wasn’t known for being prompt or fast. Hurry up and slow down again.

  “Hi,” he said when she opened the front door. “Those steps up here are murder on a bum leg.”

  “I didn’t think about that,” she said, staring down at his leg. “How bad is it?”

  “Bad enough,” he said. Then he sank down on the couch and rubbed his forehead. “What if I never get any better?”

  “You will. But maybe you should take it easy for a day or two.”

  “I don’t want to let anybody down.”

  “I can cover your shift at the Surf Shack,” she said. “And Brodie will understand about you not being able to get back out to the ranch.”

  “I should be able to pull my own weight.”

  “You do, Judson. You always have. Just... remember... we’re taking things slow now. And that means healing, too.”

  He nodded but his expression darkened like a brewing storm.

  She knew that look. He’d hold it all in and then he’d explode. Melissa stood and hurried to the kitchen. Her mom believed a good meal could soothe a savage beast. “I’ll get us a burger and some cheesy potatoes.”

  “Your mom’s cheesy potatoes?”

  “You know it.”

  “That was worth the trip,” he said, his mood changing again.

  Thank you, Mom.

  Two hours later, Melissa came awake when she heard a door opening. She glanced over at Judson, asleep beside her on the couch. They’d talked and laughed and wound up watching an old movie, a romantic comedy that dated back to the 1930s. He’d stayed with her, holding her without any demands, and assuring her Michelle would be strong, no matter what happened.

  Now she looked up to find her parents standing there, taking in the scene. Pushing at the light blanket, she managed to get up without waking Judson.

  “How is she, Mom?”

  Her mom’s expression was pinched with worry. “She’s okay, honey. She had a case of severe morning sickness but they gave her some medicine to calm things down. They’re keeping her overnight, just in case. Brodie refused to leave but they wanted us to come home and rest.”

  Relieved, Melissa asked, “And the baby?”

  “So far, so good,” Roscoe said. “They think everything’s fine there, thank goodness.”

  Melissa fought back tears. “I’m so happy to hear that.”

  “We are, too,” Mom said. “We’ve decided to wait a couple more days before we go home. I’ve called the shop and explained but the girls are fine with watching things. Madeline’s Closet practically runs itself, anyway.”

  “I’m glad you’re staying,” Melissa said.

  Then she felt a warm hand on her shoulder.

  Judson.

  “I’m glad, too,” he said. “I know how much that little baby means to Brodie and Michelle.”

  “Thank you, son,” Roscoe said, patting Judson’s shoulder as he passed. “I think I’m going to bed.”

  Ruby nodded. “Me, too. You can lock up.”

  Melissa watched them go down the hallway and then turned to Judson. “What a relief. I guess Brodie’s beside himself.”

  “Yeah,” he said, staring over at her, a look of awe and fear in his eyes.

  “What’s wrong?”

  “Nothing,” he said, his voice low. “Everything’s right for a change.”

  “Okay, I’m glad to hear that.”

  “No, I mean it. I finally get it, Missy. I kept pushing you away and making bad choices because I didn’t know what it meant to have a real family. I resented all of you.”

  “Yes, you seemed to but—”

  “But now, I don’t want to resent you anymore,” he said, grabbing her close. “I want to be a part of all of this. I want your family to be my family.”

  Then he pushed his hands through her hair and kissed her.

  Melissa sighed, her lips moving over his, needing him with her tonight, needing him in her life. But then she’d always known that.

  When a door opened, they pulled apart and she looked down the hallway to see her mother standing there with a soft smile on her face. And a sweet acceptance that sealed the deal.

  Chapter Eleven

  “We still have a long way to go,” Judson said after Ruby closed the door again. “But I don’t mind one bit getting there.”

  Melissa kissed him, confident that they’d passed a few hurdles. “I don’t mind either.”

  He checked his watch. “Guess I’d better head back to my room.”

  “How are you feeling?” she asked. It was easy to see now why she’d held back. Melissa didn’t like seeing those she loved in pain. And Judson had been at the top of that list with his recklessness and unfiltered courage. She couldn’t remember a time where he didn’t hurt physically, from headaches and neck pain to back problems and bruises, cuts and sprains.

  “I’m better.” He rubbed his leg. “The pain meds kicked in and I got a long nap. Plus, my stomach is happy.”

  “Okay, I’ll let you leave then. Hey, I can give you a ride.”

  “That’d be good. It’s kind of late for the Beach Buggy Express.”

  They went downstairs and got in her car. Soon, they were zooming down the main drag between the Intracoastal Waterway and the Gulf. Melissa braked at a traffic light and turned to him. “You’ll get tired of that room after too much longer. Uncle Jaybo might let you rent out the cottage.”

  “Nah,” he said. “I think I’m gonna ask Brodie if I can rent that smaller cabin down by the river. It needs some fixing up, but I don’t need much.”

  “That’s a good idea,” she said. “I’ll help you clean it up. I’m sure Brodie won’t mind your doing that since he wants to eventually rent it out for hunters and fishermen. If you fix it up, he’ll be good to go when that time comes.”

  “I’ll ask him when he’s not so worried about being a daddy.”

  “That’s a big responsibility,” she said. “I don’t know how anyone does it.”

  “My mom apparently couldn’t handle it.”

  Wanting to kick herself, Melissa tried to change the subject. “Do you like it down here?”

  “I don’t know if I’d be a good father,” he said, as if he hadn’t even heard her.

  One more hurdle to cross. “You can’t know that. I think yo
u’d be good with children. We can practice when my little niece or nephew is born.”

  He turned in the seat. “You understand about me, right? My daddy wasn’t good at being a parent and my mama left me when I was a baby.”

  “I get that,” she said, trying to say the right thing. “But that doesn’t mean you can’t be different. You’d never treat your child the way you daddy treated you and... you certainly wouldn’t abandon your own child.”

  “How can you predict that?”

  “Why are we even discussing this?” she finally said. “We haven’t made it to the altar yet.”

  She saw a flare of aggravation in his eyes before he squelched it. “I guess we do need to get that far before we start arguing about having kids.”

  “Agreed,” she replied with a breath of relief. “One step at a time.”

  “Still and quiet. Sitting on driftwood.”

  “Holding hands,” she added.

  His gaze met hers. “Falling asleep together on the couch.”

  She smiled as she turned into the parking lot of his hotel. “I’m beginning to see that romance isn’t all about flowers and candles. It’s more about just being together and doing simple things.”

  “Boring things that are less boring when you’re with someone you care about.”

  “Less partying and shenanigans and more quiet times.”

  Both started laughing.

  “Have we finally grown up?” she asked, wiping at her eyes.

  He bobbed his head. “I think we just got tired of fighting, baby.”

  Then he reached over and pulled her close. “I’m an idiot.”

  “I’m a spoiled brat.”

  “We were made for each other.”

  “I can’t see it any other way.”

  He kissed her, his touch more centered and quiet now, his kisses deepening into something that showed her this was about more than just a romp or a good time or a burst of pure lust.

  “I think we can do this,” he whispered. “I don’t want you to leave.”

  “I have to get back to work,” she said, wanting to tell him of her plans to change her life. “But... I come down here a lot.”

  “You could find work here,” he said, his eyes that rich, dark blue she thought of as persuasive blue.

  She lifted away. “So you think you might stay here in Driftwood Bay?”

  “I don’t have anywhere else to go right now and I like the ranch. We need to give that place a name.”

  “Wow, you do sound serious.”

  “Brodie lets me do my thing, with no pressure. He doesn’t rag me, except when it comes to you.”

  She laughed. “Brodie has this kind of pirate mentality that’s both rare and accurate.”

  “Yep. He’s one of a kind. I like him.”

  “He must like you. He trusts you.”

  “Yeah. I don’t know how he sees what everybody else seems to miss.”

  “Maybe because he used to be you?”

  “Oh, okay. We’ll go with that.”

  They sat silent for a minute and then he said, “Will you think about it. Coming back here?”

  She didn’t want to start a fight, not after things had been going so well between them. But she wasn’t sure she was ready to change her life so completely without giving it some serious thought. She’d had plans to start fresh here, maybe find a good job. Judson’s showing up had put that into a tailspin. For some reason, she needed to make that decision on her own.

  “Trust me,” he said, as if he knew what she was thinking.

  “I will.” She leaned over and touched a hand to his five o’clock shadow. “But I need you to do the same for me.”

  “I’m supposed to leave in another week,” Melissa said to her mom a couple of days later. “But I might leave earlier.”

  They were at Michelle’s house, cooking up casseroles for her and Brodie while she stayed on bed rest for a few days. The baby was fine and she was doing much better. A late bout of morning sickness, the doctor had explained.

  “A few more weeks and this too shall pass,” he’d told her with a reassuring pat on her arm.

  “We have to leave tomorrow,” Ruby said, glancing toward where Michelle lay propped on the couch. “I worry about her. Are you rushing out of here because of Judson?”

  Melissa worried, too. She had to be honest about this. “Maybe. Things are good between us. We’ve had good talks all week long and I’ve helped him up at the ranch all week. Judson is probably going to live here for a while since Brodie is preoccupied with Michelle and the baby right now. He’s really glad to have someone helping with the ranch.”

  “That might be good for Judson, too,” Ruby said, nodding while she dipped cooled beef stew and lasagna into plastic containers to be frozen. “Judson is certainly experienced with taking care of the horses and Brodie likes what he’s seen so far. I think Judson just needed to find his confidence after his terrible accident.”

  “He’s lucky to be alive,” Melissa said, remembering the severity of his injuries. “Can you believe he used to resent how close we all are?”

  “I could tell,” Ruby admitted with a motherly smile. “He would watch us and then he’d start pouting.”

  Melissa let that soak in, but she couldn’t blame her Mom for not mentioning it when she hadn’t even seen it herself. “I wish he’d been blessed with a good family.”

  “We can be his family,” her mother replied. “He just needs to respect how family works.”

  “He’s learning. Brodie and Sam can keep him centered.”

  “You can do the same,” Ruby said. “And in turn, you’ll become centered yourself.” Giving Melissa a smile that tipped her lips and showed off her dimples, she added, “You have to quit running sometime, honey.”

  “Is that what you think I’m doing?”

  “You two come together and then you run away from each other. I don’t know what you’re both so afraid of.”

  Melissa shook her head. “It’s been a wild ride, knowing him most of my life. Sometimes, I think I truly want to be done with him but then—”

  “He finds you again.”

  Melissa pressed her hands against the counter. “This time, he seems different. That accident has changed him but I’m afraid he’s pushing too hard, trying to show me this is real. I don’t want another ride. I want a lifetime.”

  “The ride can turn into a journey,” Ruby said. “Your journey together.”

  “Compromise.”

  “Exactly.” Ruby glanced at Melissa. “Let’s go check on your sister.”

  They walked over to the couch where Michelle sat reading a book.

  “How you doing?” Ruby asked.

  Michelle put down the book. “I’m bored but... afraid to move.”

  “I think you can move,” Ruby said. “Just take it easy. We had fun shopping and you’re a strong woman, physically. But it never hurts to be pampered for a few days.”

  “I can get used to that,” Michelle said. She looked over at Melissa. “How are our horses?”

  “Blackbeard is ornery as usual and Coco is very loving. She probably senses something is up with you.”

  “I haven’t ridden her in a while,” Michelle said. “You could take her out for a good run.”

  “Would that make you feel better?” Melissa asked.

  Michelle nodded, tears shining in her eyes. “I’m so emotional about everything. Brodie probably thinks I’m a big baby.”

  “Brodie thinks you hung the moon,” Ruby said. “He’s gonna be okay, honey. And so are you.”

  After their mom got up to finish storing the food they’d cooked, Michelle pinned Melissa with a questioning glance. “So how are things with you and Judson?”

  “Better,” Melissa said. “We’ve reached a turn in the road.”

  “That’s good.”

  “It is but we’re both worried things will go back to the old way if we go home.”

  “I hear he might stay here. Would that be so
bad?”

  “No, that would be the best thing for him right now.” She told Michelle about Judson wanting to live in the small cabin by the river.

  “I don’t have a problem with that,” Michelle said. “It would be good to have someone on the property. An overseer of sorts. I’m sure Brodie could up his salary if he’d agree to that job.”

  “He’d probably love that,” Melissa said, hopeful and filled with regret at the same time. “Judson is so good at that kind of thing but he can’t seem to see the good he has inside.”

  “You’re learning to help him and encourage him,” Michelle said. “We’ve all noticed it.”

  “I’m trying. We’re both working on better communication.”

  Michelle gathered her blanket close. “Then why do you look so confused?”

  “He wants me to move down here. I haven’t told him I was already thinking of doing that. It would only make the pressure even worse.”

  “Oh. Are you ready for such a big change? Living here if he’s here, too?”

  “I don’t know. I play at having a career back home, but I’m not sure working part-time for the paper and the magazine will transfer down here. I haven’t even considered finding a job.”

  “You do have a degree,” Michelle reminded her.

  “Yes, in General Studies. Not much to shout about.”

  “You worked hard for that degree. Check the papers and online and see what you can find. The Panhandle is coming back to life after hurricanes and a long recession. We need good people around here.”

  Melissa smiled at the compliment. “How would you and Brodie feel about me being here, with Judson?”

  “We’d do a fist pump,” her sister said. “Babysitters!”

  “Oh, so you have an ulterior motive?”

  “Of course,” Michelle said. “Maddie and Sam will be home in a couple of days and if you move down here, too, I’ll have both of my sisters with me.”

  “Mom isn’t going to be happy,” Melissa whispered.

  “Why am I not going to be happy?”

  Melissa whirled to find their mother standing there with her hand on her hips, a frown on her face.

  “You’d better sit down,” Michelle said.

  Later that afternoon, Melissa looked over the jobs she’d circled in the local paper, her mind buzzing with excitement. One company was looking for a travel writer with experience in photography. It only required regional trips and mostly covering events that could draw tourists to the area.