A Wedding at the Blue Moon Cafe

by Masters, Cate

  When she reached the street, J. D. was climbing out of his pickup. He had that glow he always had after flying, the rush of it still coloring his cheeks. He looked up, and the glow faded.

  Aha. Guilt. “Hey!” She hurried toward him.

  Glancing left and right, he hitched his jeans, looking every bit like Wile E. Coyote about to sprint away to safety. Or get hit with an anvil.

  Not yet, you don’t. “Hold up, J. D. I want to have a word.”

  Trademark dimples deepening, he aimed a thousand-watt smile at her. “Always happy to have a word with you, darling. But I’m late for a dinner date.”

  “Why, J. D.? Just tell me why you felt the need to do it, and you can be on your way.”

  “Do what?”

  Seriously? Playing games with her? “Scare the shit out of Dylan. What the hell did you do to him up there?”

  “Gave him a free ride.” His smile turned into a smirk.

  For the first time since meeting J. D., she didn’t like him. Maybe she’d only fooled herself into thinking she knew the real man beneath those killer dimples and caring conversations. “Most glider rides don’t resemble carnival Tilt-A-Whirls.”

  “They do when the pilot’s getting in some early practice for the extreme gliding competition.”

  Unfreakingbelievable. “Why would you do it to him?”

  He smoothed his mustache, and then his expression soured. It reminded her of middle school, the snarky bully talking down to the weak kid. “To make an impression. So he’d heed my advice.”

  Oh Lordy. “You have no reason to be advising him.”

  He set his steely gaze on her. “Oh, but I do. He’s not going to use you and walk away.”

  Where did that come from? “Use me? Come on, J. D.”

  “I see the way he looks at you.”

  “The way you used to?” Instant regret. Why throw that in his face, especially when she’d never wanted him to think of her as more than a friend? Or maybe you enjoyed it more than you wanted to admit?

  From his tight expression, she’d hit the mark, too. “Yeah, I guess. But I knew my boundaries. He’s clueless.”

  “I’ll take care of patrolling the boundaries, all right?”

  The fire left his eyes, and the warmth faded from his face. “Fine. Have a pleasant evening.” His smile turned wry and he tipped his Stetson before striding off.

  “J. D.…” She stopped short of asking him to wait. She had no right. And there was no point. For now, she had to let loose a dear friendship if she wanted it to survive at all. So long as J. D. understood he couldn’t play it both ways, either.

  For about two seconds after getting in her car, she hesitated. Maybe she should go check on Dylan. Check on him? Or strip him and fuck him?

  God, her head was so screwed up. Mitchell Flat seemed the less hazardous option. Once there, she leaned over the platform rail and breathed in the night air. With the Chinati Mountains as a backdrop, the lights bobbed and floated in their own mysterious dance, joining together and separating, vanishing and reappearing. No wonder some people thought them ancient Apache spirits.

  They couldn’t be dangerous or the pronghorn antelope herds wouldn’t graze so peacefully in the field among them. Spirits, phosphorescent mineral displays, UFOs, even leftover military gas…. she didn’t care, so long as they kept giving her such a peaceful feeling. She hoped it would get her through Jeff and Amy’s wedding.

  Or at least the wedding shower tomorrow. She almost wished Amy hadn’t asked her to be maid of honor. Living alone hadn’t bothered Clarissa until Jeff proposed to Amy. It was like losing a sister and served as a reminder that Clarissa couldn’t stay with any guy longer than a few weeks. She usually chose cowboys who lived on ranches outside Marfa, guys who made her feel good for a little while but who made breaking it off with them easy.

  She understood why Amy had fallen for Jeff. The way they couldn’t go two minutes without looking at each other, touching each other, they’d made her believe in love again. For a long time, she’d refused to accept the idea of only one soul mate. One lover for life. One person to share every dream, every hope, every triumph. And cushion any failure.

  So how come she couldn’t find a guy who completed her? The yin to her yang? A guy who could stand beside her on the platform and marvel at the Mystery Lights, share her wonder and joy without copping a cheap feel? Someone with whom she could share her deepest pain without fear of having it thrown back at her during a vulnerable moment, who’d understand what drove her to get each new tattoo and not laugh at her for it?

  Did such a guy exist?

  The feather on her shoulder warmed the way it had when Dylan had touched it. Yeah right. Frat Boy. Definitely not him, she told herself, but the sensation stayed with her long after she’d left the Mystery Lights behind.

  ***

  Monday morning, Clarissa’s nerves jangled as she moved through the Blue Moon Café on autopilot, though hardly any customers showed. Not even J. D., their most regular of the regulars. Why hadn’t Dylan? Was he sick? Dammit, she should have followed her instincts last night and checked up on him. From the conversations she’d overheard, witnesses to J. D.’s extreme gliding with Dylan as an unwilling participant, he might have gone back to the yurt and had a heart attack. Or packed up and left.

  No Jeff or Amy either; they’d stayed at home to spend time with family. Normally the café closed on Mondays, but today was a special day. The day after the Mystery Lights Festival ended, and Amy’s wedding shower.

  Just before lunch, Vonnie Seacrest floated into the shop, not unlike a glider herself.

  Wonder if J. D. has taken her up for an aerial view of Marfa?

  None of your business, Clarissa.

  She flashed a grin at Vonnie. “Hey there.”

  Vonnie’s toothy smile grew wider. “Hey, Clarissa. Is the café open? It is Monday, isn’t it?”

  “Yes, it is, and yes, we are. Until one, and then I have to start decorating for Amy’s wedding shower.”

  “It starts at three, right?”

  “Yep.” The sooner it started, the sooner it would end. “So are you here to eat?”

  “Yes, I’m famished.”

  Clarissa grabbed a menu and led her to a table by the window. “This okay?”

  “A view of the street. Perfect.” Vonnie took the menu, opened it and glanced around. “No sign of J. D. yet?”

  “Not yet.” Probably laying low after yesterday. Clarissa hoped he’d stay away until he cooled down. “Did you enjoy the festival?”

  “Yes, it was fantastic. I’d heard so much about it, but of course there’s nothing like experiencing it firsthand.”

  Or with J. D.’s hands all over her. “We had some great bands this year. You and J. D. dance so well together. Like you’ve been doing it for years.” A flush of embarrassment went through her. Didn’t mean it to sound that way, like they’d been lovers for years. But that’s how they appeared, their moves easy and synchronized. A pang of regret hit her. Lovers—if they weren’t already, they probably would be soon. He’d seemed so happy with Vonnie at the festival. One wave at Clarissa, and he’d unleashed all that silver foxiness on Vonnie, who looked completely entranced by him.

  Vonnie wrinkled her nose. “I’m terrible, but J. D.’s a wonderful dancer.”

  “Mm.” He sure liked to dance around the truth.

  Humor became concern as Vonnie peered up at her. “Is everything okay?”

  “Oh yes, fine.” No need to go into it further. “So what can I get you to drink?”

  She took Vonnie’s request for a raspberry iced tea and ran with it. Almost literally. When she returned, Vonnie still scanned the menu. “Do you need a few minutes?”

  Vonnie slapped the menu shut with a smile. “It’s almost impossible to decide. Too many yummy choices!”

  Clarissa kept her grin steady and nodded. “I’ll come back.”

  “No need. I’ll have the spinach salad, please.”

  “Coming u
p.” Clarissa slipped the menu from the woman’s grasp and fled. Awkward. And no reason for it, she reminded herself.

  Harvey prepared the dish within minutes, and Clarissa had no excuse not to deliver it.

  She breezed past Vonnie’s table, barely stopping to set the dish in front of her. “Here you go.”

  The woman called after her. “So fast! Thank you.”

  Clarissa waved. “Let me know if you need anything else.” She busied herself with checking the condiments. Brushing her hand against a candle brought a vivid image of Dylan asking about them. Admiring them. The warmth infusing her came as a surprise. A few more days and he’ll be gone. That brought a worse pang of regret than before.

  With J. D. involved with Vonnie, and Jeff and Amy away on their honeymoon, she’d have plenty of time to herself. Maybe I should take a trip, too. San Antonio? Too far. Presidio? She could picture herself ending up in trouble at the Mexico border. Hike through Big Bend National Park? No, too much space. As much as she loved Marfa, she needed a change of scenery, something she hadn’t yearned for in years.

  Vonnie’s melodic yodel caught her attention, and the woman waved. “I hate to rush, but I have tons to catch up on. Did J. D. tell you about the twenty-four-hour theater festival this weekend?”

  “Nope.” Their conversation yesterday hadn’t been quite so casual.

  “Oh, I hope you’ll come.” Vonnie gushed on about teams of actors and writers putting on seven-minute original plays. “They’ll be practicing all over town Friday morning, so you might overhear a few of them. Then on Friday night, they'll take the stage.”

  “Sounds cool.” Drama. Like she needed any more in her life.

  Vonnie’s black hair swooshed around her shoulders with her enthusiastic nod. “It’s going to be intense. And amazing.” She handed Clarissa a twenty. “Keep the change, honey.”

  Vonnie’s warmth made the endearment sound real. Clarissa could easily picture them as friends. Once the weirdness between them faded. Much of that would depend on J. D.

  Clarissa began clearing the table and waved to Vonnie, who smiled and hurried down the street. It wasn’t hard to like the woman. No denying Vonnie’s passion for theater. Just what Marfa needed. And after a while, it wouldn’t be awkward seeing J. D. with her.

  She locked the front door and carried the dishes into the kitchen. “Slow day, Harvey.”

  “Back to the old Marfa.”

  “Yeah.” Why did it make her a little disoriented? “Do you need me to help make any food for the shower?”

  Harvey scraped the griddle. “Nope, I finished this morning. All you have to do is unload the fridge and serve the guests. I have to run out and get a card and a present, but I’ll be back as soon as I can.”

  Typical guy, waiting till the last possible second. “You’re a sweetheart.”

  “Amy and Jeff deserve the best. How about you, need any help decorating?”

  She attempted a perky attitude. “Nope, I’ve got it covered. Jeff and Amy didn’t want a lot of disposable decorations, so it’s mostly flowers. Easy stuff.”

  “Then why the droopy face?”

  “Nothing, I’ll just miss Amy.” Already missed her. With family and friends from both sides in town, both Amy and Jeff had left Clarissa behind already.

  “She’s not leaving,” Harvey said. “Except for the honeymoon, but they’ll be back in two weeks.”

  “I know, but it’ll be different. They’ll be married.”

  Harvey laughed. “Do you think their infatuation with each other could get any more intense?”

  She smiled, but sadness still bothered her. No real clue why. “I hope not. They’d never do anything else but stare at each other.” What was it like to fall into someone’s eyes and get lost there? Like falling from the sky in a glider? Then the inevitable crash and burn—investing so much love in one person, then having it all ripped away. Jeff and Amy braved the risk. The very thought of marriage scared the bejesus out of Clarissa.

  “Hey.” Harvey startled her out of her thoughts. “Sure you’re okay?”

  “Yeah. I’m just preoccupied with all the details. There’s so much to do, and now it’s all happening.” Too fast.

  Harvey shrugged. “These things take on a momentum of their own once they start. It will all fall into place the way it should. See you in a bit, kid.”

  “No need to rush.” How could one guy have so much optimism? She took a moment to try to embrace it. He’s right. Let it go. And don’t let Amy and Jeff see you like this.

  Humming “Hakuna Matata,” she cleared all the tables of their usual condiments and candles, and spread white linens on the food and gift tables. No worries for the rest of her days? Typical Disney fairy tale, and she wasn’t exactly a typical Disney princess. Not even a typical girl. While others in school spoke of their dream weddings and dream guys, she wondered why they made such a fuss about it.

  Her dream guy? She couldn’t even conjure an image of him. He’d have to be kind. Considerate. Interesting. Someone she could talk to. Be herself around. Someone like….

  A knock at the window made her turn. Dylan?

  Chapter Four

  A day. It had only been one day since Dylan had seen her, but it seemed so much longer. How could she look more beautiful than yesterday? He stood outside the café like the village idiot, uncertain whether he should wait, or see her now.

  Now. Everything in him urged him to go inside. Talk to her. Clear the air. Now, while she was alone in the café, before all the shower guests arrived.

  The changing look on her face—surprise, then happiness, then shyness—made him realize he’d made the right choice. She waved him to the door and hurried to unlock it.

  “You’re early.” Said softly, she made it sound inviting rather than a problem. He’d have preferred something along the line of, “How are you.”

  “I thought you might need some help.” He stepped inside and glanced around the room. “But as usual, I’m wrong. It looks great.”

  “Yeah, I’m almost done. Except for the food, but I’m waiting until others arrive because most of it needs to be refrigerated.”

  Rambling? Was she nervous? As nervous as I am? “Good thinking.”

  “In fact, I was about to go change and come back.”

  “Oh, sorry. Should I leave?”

  “No.” Her shoulders slumped. “Please don’t. I’m glad you’re here. I’m glad you’re…okay.”

  “I don’t know if I’d go that far. I’m alive and breathing.” After the glider experience, his mind couldn’t center again, like the controls on the dashboard of his brain kept spinning. At least it had prevented him from his usual worry: what to do about his business and the proposed buy. Mario’s last text kept haunting him, the new guy asking probing questions about the business. Something about it bugged him.

  She searched his face. “Because of the glider ride.”

  He scratched his head and looked away. “Yeah, though I’ve come to think of it as the glider ride from hell.” He’d laid in his yurt most of the afternoon, wondering why. Why had J. D. acted so insane?

  “J. D. didn’t run into any trouble in the air, did he? Someone at the café said the plane pitched forward at one point.”

  And sideways and up and backward. Dylan had had no idea a glider could imitate a roller coaster. Had Clarissa known beforehand what the cowboy had in mind? She’d argued against him going, and her concern seemed genuine. None of it made sense. “The control slipped in J. D.’s hand. I’m not really sure; it’s all kind of a blur.”

  “He’s normally very precise with his flying.”

  He withheld a wince. “I gathered that.”

  “I’m so sorry.” Her shyness returned. “He…looks out for me.”

  “I know.” Definitely something he wouldn’t forget.

  “We never….” She bit her lip.

  “I know.” He said it softly, no judgment. He’d gathered as much from Jeff. So why did hearing her say it fill hi
m with such a heady sense of triumph? When she released her lip and it uncurled, he almost forgot to say, “If you need to go change, I can stay here and hold down the fort till you get back.”

  She studied him a beat longer than seemed necessary, then glanced at the clock. “Guess I should. I can’t wear my work clothes.”

  “No one would notice.” When she furrowed her brow, he hastened to add, “You look great in anything.”

  She backed away. “I’ll be back soon.” She hesitated at the kitchen doors, then disappeared, growing smaller with each swing of the doors.

  Curious, he went to watch through the small window in the swinging door, then through the kitchen to the back door. She disappeared again down a path and past a flowery trellis. She lives close by? He resisted the temptation to follow and instead took a seat at the coffee bar with his cell. No need to check messages, really. He’d caught up on the backlog yesterday and taken care of a few more this morning. Weird that he still couldn’t shake the feeling about the new guy, Randy. Something about him set off alarms in Dylan’s head, but he couldn’t pinpoint it. And couldn’t do anything from here, so he’d have to let it go until he returned.

  Within a few minutes, the back door slammed. “I’m back,” Clarissa called. “Want to help me bring out the food?”

  “Sure.” He entered the kitchen. Noise at the rear drew him to the large refrigerator, its door wide open.

  “Harvey made too much, I think.” She straightened and held three lidded glass containers toward him.

  Dylan reached for them but his grasp slipped as he took her all in. “Wow.”

  A white flower tucked behind her ear, pale yellow sundress, Marilyn Monroe-style, tied behind her neck. Backless. Smooth skin over muscle and bone, her body elegant but with a bearing of strength.

  She steadied the containers in his hands. “Whoa, careful. Those are breakable.”

  “Sorry. I wasn’t….” Part of a tattoo swirled out from beneath the dress, and he wanted to find the rest of it. Trace the lines and colors with his tongue, his mouth.