“What can I help you with?” she said in a small voice.
“It has to do with Amy.” He turned around to rest his elbows on the hood of the truck and his gaze on the new foal prancing with his mama in the pen. “She called last night.”
“Is something wrong?” The concern in Bliss’s voice couldn’t be missed.
“Well, she says there isn’t, but she was supposed to be flying back tomorrow.”
“And?”
The mare tossed her mane, then gave the colt her attention. “And I’m wondering what you think about that.”
“What did she say, exactly?”
“Just that she was delayed. That was her exact word: delayed.” He shook his head and closed his eyes. “I’ve got a bad feeling about this, Bliss. I’m wondering if I ought to call the whole thing off.”
“Why don’t you just call and ask her?”
He opened his eyes, then blinked to adjust to the blinding sunlight. “Now why didn’t I think of that?”
The answer to his question came in the form of a most feminine giggle. “Call her, Bobby,” she repeated. “Tell her your concerns and be completely honest. And ask her point-blank if she wants you to call off the wedding.”
After another few minutes of making small talk with Bliss, Bob did just that. “Hey, sweetheart,” he said when he heard his little girl’s voice on the line. “How’s my princess today?”
“Your princess is tired,” she said. “I had no idea how much walking I did today until I quit. Now I’m sitting in my hotel room too tired to draw a bath.”
“Poor baby,” he said. “Did you have a good day?”
“I had an amazing day.”
“Tell me about it,” he said as he walked toward the pen. “What did you and Chase find to do in Paris today?”
“Chase had to work.”
“I see,” he said as he tested the strength of the gate. “So what did you do all alone in London?”
For the next half hour, Amy told him all about her adventures. By the time she finished, he’d fed the chickens, made coffee, and put a steak on to grill.
He punched the button on the microwave to start the potato cooking, then stepped out of the kitchen to settle in his favorite chair on the deck. “So you did all that by yourself?”
“Daddy, please, I’m not twelve.”
And yet something in her tone told him it might be.
Twelve
“All right, sweetheart,” Bob said. “Suit yourself. I guess I was just a little surprised that Chase wasn’t with you, especially since the idea of staying over was to spend time with your fiancé.”
“It was.” She paused. “Look, we will have plenty of time to spend together on our honeymoon. I know he won’t be working on an audit then.”
“Are you sure?” Bob watched a pair of scissor-tailed fly-catchers swoop and dive at the far end of the pasture. Likely as not, there was a new nest out there somewhere.
“Daddy, what are you saying?” Her voice went up an octave, putting him in mind of all the times she’d expressed indignation at some offense her father committed. Back then it had been such travesties as forgetting to wake her up in time to wash her hair before school or daring to tell her that the shorts she wanted to leave the house in were staying home without her. “Daddy?”
He shook his head and prayed for the right words to come. “Honey, I need to say something to you, and I want you to hear me out before you answer. Okay?”
“Okay,” she said in a tentative tone.
“Okay. And when I finish, I want a truthful answer, even if it’s not the answer you think I want. Deal?”
“Always,” she said.
“All right.” Bob took a deep breath, let it out slowly, and then forged on. “Amy, I like Chase just fine. He’s a good man, hardworking, and an all-around nice guy. A father couldn’t ask for a better provider for his daughter.” He paused. “But, honey, are you sure he’s the one? Are you 100 percent certain Chase Cooper is the man God wants you to marry?”
“Daddy, stop worrying about me.”
“Amalie Clothilde Tratelli, answer the question.”
Silence.
“Amy?”
“I’m here, Daddy.” He could hear her sigh. “I’m tired. Can we talk about this tomorrow?”
“No, Amy. Right now. If Chase is not the man you’re supposed to marry, then I’ll make a couple of calls and the wedding will be off.”
“Yes,” she finally said. “I think Chase Cooper is the man God wants me to marry.” Another pause. “Happy?”
“It’s not about me being happy, sweetheart. This is about you being happy. That’s all I ever wanted for you.” He cleared his throat and tried to find his voice. “I promised your mama I would see to your happiness, and I’m not going to let her down. So, when’re you coming home? If you leave me alone to handle this wedding much longer, there’s no telling what will happen.”
“Daddy, stop worrying. I believe in you; you’ll make this day the most amazing of my life. Now, tell me about this new wedding planner you hired.”
“Planners, actually. Their names are Isabelle and Isolde, and they’re twin sisters. They run a place called Divine Occasions, and they’ve got everything under control. Bliss and I drove over to Lafayette to meet them, and they seemed to know what they were doing.”
“That’s a relief.” She paused. “So, tell me about this Bliss person.”
Bob chuckled. “This Bliss person is Bliss Denison. She and I went to high school together. She’s recently come back to Latagnier. She owns the cake shop next to Wedding Belles.”
“I think I met her the day before I left. She was having coffee with Neecie when I went in for a fitting. She’s a pretty lady.”
“I suppose.”
“And you’ve spoken a lot about her in the last couple of phone calls.”
Bob shifted in his chair and set his sights on the horizon. “Have I?”
“Daddy, are you interested in her?”
“Interested?” he sputtered. “Bliss is an old friend, nothing more. I’m too old to be interested in anything but a good steak and a soft recliner.”
“Methinks thou doth protest too much.” She giggled. “You are interested in her. I can hear it in your voice.”
“I called to talk about you, not me. Now, honey, I’m going to give you one more chance to pull the plug on this shindig. Do you want to marry Chase the last Saturday in March, or would it be more advisable to postpone the wedding for a while?”
“Thanks to my amazing father and the help of the ladies at Divine Occasions, I’m marrying Chase the last Saturday in March. All I have to do is drag him away from his audits.”
“Amy.”
“Daddy! I was kidding!”
But was she? The question dogged him the rest of the evening, rendering even the best chicken he’d grilled in ages tasteless. Finally, he paid one last visit to the mare and her colt before heading up to bed.
As he laid his head on the pillow, Bob closed his eyes—not to sleep, but to pray. He ticked down the list of concerns, starting as he always did with Amy, then his parents, and on down the line. Just before he said, “Amen,” he slipped in a prayer for Bliss that sent him to sleep with a smile on his face.
The next morning, the smile remained. He’d dreamed about horses and London and, strangely, Bliss. Amy had been in the dream, too, but only as an observer. The odd thing was, at the end, it was he and Bliss who walked down the aisle at the church and not Amy and Chase.
All during Sunday service, the dream teased at the corners of his mind, fighting a sermon on tithing for his attention. Bliss wasn’t in attendance this morning, but then he’d discovered she generally attended the later service.
He might have called her to grab a bite of lunch, but there were too many tasks on his to-do list and not enough hours to get them accomplished. Knowing that on Monday morning he would pay for his time spent on the wedding last week, Bob decided to pass the afternoon in a less
taxing manner.
“There’s just something about a Sunday afternoon nap that makes the whole week ahead look brighter,” he muttered as he settled into the recliner.
When thoughts of Bliss crowded out any plans for a nap, Bob gave up and headed out to the airport to putter around in the hangar. One hour turned into four, and before he knew it, his stomach complained and he realized he’d missed dinner.
A grilled cheese sandwich and a bag of chips later, Bob climbed back into the recliner, the remote control in his hand. As his eyes closed during a commercial break of his favorite mystery show, he promised himself he would rest them for just a moment.
When the phone rang, he nearly jumped out of his skin. It took him a full minute to realize where he was and to whom he was speaking.
“Everything’s fine, Mama,” he said as the awareness of his surroundings gradually returned. “We had a near disaster when the wedding planner skipped town; I’ve hired another firm, though, and we’re back in business.”
“Oh, honey, I should be there,” his mother said. “I can be on a plane home tomorrow.”
“Don’t you dare do that. Pop would have my hide if I hauled you back here before the end of your visit.” He paused to set down the remote he’d been holding. “Amy’s not here anyway, so I don’t know what you’d be doing.”
“Amy’s not there?” his mother said. “Where is she?”
“In London with Chase.”
“Now isn’t that interesting! In my day, the honeymoon came after the wedding.”
“It’s not a honeymoon, Mama. Amy was working in London, and Chase was sent to London to do an audit. When Amy completed her work, she stayed in London to spend time with Chase.”
“Well, isn’t that nice! I’m sure they’re having a wonderful time together.”
Bob shook his head. “No, actually it sounds like Amy has spent very little time with Chase, although she says she’s having a blast.”
“Now isn’t that interesting!”
“Mama, you’re repeating yourself.” Bob sat forward in the recliner and pushed to his feet.
“I might be repeating myself, but I do find it interesting that the bride-to-be is spending so much time alone and doesn’t seem to mind it a bit.” His mother paused. “How involved has she been in the wedding of late?”
“Involved?” He stretched the kinks out of his back as he clicked off the television and set the remote on the table. “What do you mean?”
“I mean, has she been participating in the planning of this thing, or is she letting you handle it?”
Bob hesitated. “Well, at first this wedding was all she talked about. Remember?”
“Oh, I do.” Mama chuckled. “She and I had some long talks about it way back when he gave her that ring. Amy had definite ideas about what she wanted that wedding to be like.”
“Yes, well, I’m not so sure how much she cares about that right now.” He sighed. “Mama, I don’t know what to do. I’ve got some concerns. I told her that when I talked to her. I offered to let her walk away from this marriage for now and told her I wouldn’t be the least bit upset with her.”
“What did she say?”
“She said that she feels like Chase is the man God wants her to marry.” He paused. “How can you argue with that logic?”
“You can’t, honey,” Mama said. “So you’ve got to trust and let go. Oh, and to pray that the Lord will close this door if it’s one our Amy isn’t supposed to walk through.”
“Well, I can’t argue with that, either.” He chuckled. “I guess I ought to count myself lucky that I am surrounded by smart women.”
“Not lucky,” his mother said, “but blessed. So, tell me about this woman you’ve been seeing.”
“Woman?”
“Oh, don’t play coy with me, son,” Mama said. “Latagnier’s a small town. I knew you were having coffee with Bliss Denison before it was cool enough to sip without scalding your tongue.”
All he could do was laugh. Sadly, his mother spoke the truth.
Bob stepped into the kitchen and put the phone on speaker as he began to prepare the coffeepot for tomorrow. He winced as he noticed the time on the microwave clock.
A quarter past eleven.
“So,” she continued, “are you interested in Bliss?”
“You’re starting to sound like your granddaughter.”
“Oh,” Mama said, “the smart one?”
“Very funny. She’s your only granddaughter. Look, I’ve got to get to bed. It’s two hours earlier out in California, and some of us have to work for a living.”
“Work for a living? Son, you don’t fool me for a minute.”
“What are you talking about? You know how many hours I spend at the office.”
“Oh, I surely do. Hours and hours, sometimes forgetting what time it is because you’re so engrossed in something you’re working on out at one of the hangars. Am I right?”
“You are,” he said grudgingly. “But it is hard work.”
“You don’t have to convince me, sweetheart. I’ve been there since the beginning, you know.” Mama chuckled. “You and your daddy are too much alike for me not to realize that what you might tell other people is work is really just the thing you love and get paid for. And you’re also not fooling me about Bliss Denison.”
“I could remind you that we’re just old friends,” Bob said, “but that wouldn’t do any good, would it?”
“My memory’s just as sharp as it’s always been, and I remember how you used to moon over that girl while she spent all her time trying to catch the attention of the Gallier boy,” Mama said. “Did I hear that she’s been helping you with the wedding plans?”
“She took a drive with me to Lafayette to speak to the wedding planner there. If I’d gone by myself, it would have been like sending a woman to buy power tools. Other than that, she’s not any part of the wedding plans. Where did you get that information?”
“You know I can’t reveal my sources. And shopping for power tools? That makes no sense, son,” Mama said, “but nonetheless, I want you to remember she comes from a good family—and her mama and uncle were my best friends. Don’t you dare be on anything but your best behavior around her.”
“I’m not twelve.” He cringed as soon as the words were out. Hadn’t Amy just told him the same thing?
Fortunately, his mother responded with a giggle and a swift change of subject. After she’d recapped the Oscar ceremony and the various parties they’d attended, she hung up with the promise that she would be back in Latagnier in short order if she were summoned. She also stated she might come even if she weren’t summoned.
Bob set the phone down and shook his head. How in the world did he end up in the middle of a group of strong-willed females?
Blessed? Maybe Mama thought so, but Bob had to wonder if his luck just hadn’t run out.
That night he dreamed about London again, and this time he swooped Bliss off on a tour by horseback while the wedding planners followed, shouting questions about the color of carpet runners and the scent of candles. He woke up in a cold sweat and wondered once again about his luck.
“No, my blessings,” he said as he rose to check how far from dawn the clock stood. “No sense going back to sleep now. I’d probably just have another crazy dream about the wedding.” Bob yawned. “Once Amy gets back, this will all be her deal, and I can finally get some sleep.”
Then it dawned on him. Amy never did say when she was coming home.
Bob grabbed for the phone and punched speed dial. He got Amy’s voice mail.
“Probably out walking around London alone again,” he muttered before hanging up. “Or maybe she got cold feet and is afraid to tell me.”
The thought bothered him such that he paced the confines of his bedroom twice before calling her again. This time he let the voice mail pick up.
“Amy, this is your dad. I need to know when you’re coming back, and I need to know today. You have to take over this weddin
g business. It’s making me crazy.”
Bob punched the button to end the call, then padded into the kitchen to make a pot of coffee. While he waited for it to perk, the phone rang. He raced back into the bedroom to pick it up just before it rolled over to the message.
“Amy?”
“Daddy, you have absolutely got to get control of yourself,” she said. “I promise I will be home as soon as I can.”
He ran his free hand through his hair and sighed. “Honey, I’ve got a bad feeling about all of this.”
“Why?”
“I’m just afraid I’m going to mess something up. I’m no good at planning weddings.”
Silence.
“The sooner you get home, the better it will be for all of us, understand? I don’t plan weddings. I plan airplanes and I plan logistics for clients all over the world and I plan—”
“Okay, Daddy, I get it. You don’t plan weddings, and I need to come home, like yesterday.” She paused. “Look, I love you so much. I know you’ll do a great job of handling this. You already have. Look at how you averted disaster by finding another planner.”
Bob smiled despite himself. “I guess I did, didn’t I?”
“See,” she said. “So, I’m not worried, and you shouldn’t be, either. I’m having an important dinner tonight with Chase and his boss. I know I need to be back in Latagnier, but I also need to be here for Chase. If I’m going to be his wife, I need to be willing to support his career, don’t I?”
He was hard-pressed to find an argument for that question. Rather, he had to give her a grudging “Yes.”
“Okay, so, after dinner Chase and I will make our plans to return. As soon as I know what those are, I’ll call you and let you know.”
“That’s fine, honey, but I still have a bad feeling about this.”
“Daddy! Now you’re making me nervous. Stop, please.”
“Sorry, sweetheart,” he said quickly. “No matter what happens, your dad’s in charge. It’s going to be fine.”
How could Bob promise Amy everything would be fine when worry followed him like a cloud? He tried finding answers in his morning visit with God. Instead, the concerns grew.
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