A July Bride

by Beth Wiseman

  Dalton did his best to keep his truck from sliding on the ice, but it was like bumper cars on Highway 77. He’d never heard the term black ice until yesterday, when everyone was talking about the weather in Oklahoma. But when he tried to steer into a skid the way he’d always heard, he just kept sliding. He cringed as he sideswiped another truck. Not a minute later, someone slammed into him. This was insane, and the sleet was coming down hard now. He pulled into a grocery store parking lot along with a lot of other people who were getting off the icy highway.

  He managed to park, then pondered his next move. First priority was to make sure Alyssa was okay since she hadn’t answered her phone. He was relieved when she picked up after the first ring. “You okay? Where are you?” he asked.

  “I’m still at the boutique. I think the bluff is too slick for me to get home.”

  “Oh man. I shouldn’t have left until you were ready. And I didn’t even make it home to wrap my pipes. It’s crazy on the roads. I can’t even see, it’s sleeting so hard. You’re better off staying put. I’m sorry you’re by yourself, though.”

  Silence.

  “Alyssa. You okay?”

  “Yes. I’m fine. But I’m not alone.” There was a long pause. “Brendan is here.”

  Dalton’s chest tightened. “I knew he was there to bother you. Hold on—I’m coming back to get you.”

  “No. Listen to me, Dalton. This thing is bad. People have died in Bastrop.”

  He cringed as he watched a woman fall down in front of the store. But once she was up, he refocused on Alyssa. “I’m in the HEB parking lot. That’s not very far. I can get there okay.”

  “No! Please, Dalton. Just go inside the store like everyone else. No one here knows how to drive in this.”

  “Okay, you win.” He stifled a string of curse words on the edge of his tongue, then climbed out of his truck and started taking slow, careful steps toward the store as the sleet pounded his cheeks.

  “I love you, Alyssa.” He couldn’t hear whether or not she responded, and by the time he got inside he’d lost service. He couldn’t stand the fact that Alyssa was with Brendan, but that was better than her being alone. And Dalton knew how much Brendan loved Alyssa. He wouldn’t let anything happen to her. And right now that was the most important thing.

  Brendan breathed a sigh of relief when Alyssa ended her call with Dalton. It was hard to hear her worry about another man, but at least she hadn’t told Dalton she loved him. Brendan had been able to hear Dalton almost yelling into the phone about the ice and sleet, and he’d heard him tell her, “I love you.” She hadn’t said it back. Surely that meant something.

  “Call got dropped.” She gave a little growl of frustration as she punched at her phone. “And now he’s not answering.” She sat down in one of four chairs surrounding a square table in the back room and peered at the screen. “I’ve got to call my parents.”

  That news blew a hole in Brendan’s theory. She’d gotten cut off from Dalton before she could say “I love you.” But she did love the guy. Of course she did. She was planning to marry him.

  Brendan pulled out his own phone while Alyssa tried repeatedly to call her parents. “I can’t get through,” she said. “I keep getting a message that all the circuits are busy.”

  “I can’t even get a text through to my dad. This is what happened with the cell phones last year when those tornadoes came through. Remember? I guess so many people are using their phones, it just overloads the system or something.” Brendan sat down in the chair across from Alyssa. “I can’t get my weather stuff on the phone either. Is there a radio or TV back here?” He glanced around the small room.

  “I don’t think so.” Alyssa stood up and walked to a row of cabinets that ran the length of the wall to the right of a small sink. “And if the power goes out, it’s going to be pitch black in here.” She squatted down in front of one of the cabinets and started rummaging around. When she got back to the table, she had four pillar candles. “I know there’s a flashlight here somewhere.” She went back to the row of cabinets and eventually returned with a flashlight and a book of matches. “Just in case.”

  Brendan thought about his parents and hoped they would be okay. Especially Mom. When he finally pushed the thoughts aside, he looked up, and Alyssa was staring at him. He locked eyes with her. “What? Why are you looking at me like that?”

  “You have the worry look on your face. I’m guessing it’s about your parents.”

  He nodded. “You know me so well.”

  She looked down and sighed before she looked back up at him. “I thought I did.”

  Brendan stared at her for a while before he asked, “Do you really love him?” He blinked a few times. “Because if you really love Dalton—and you will really be happy with him—then I will pray for all the happiness in the world for you.” He glanced down at her hands and forced himself to study her ring. Dalton would be able to give her more than he could.

  Her bottom lip started to tremble and he felt hopeful for a moment. Then she said, “Yes,” and Brendan was sure he could feel the crack in his heart deepening.

  “Okay,” he said softly.

  Alyssa couldn’t pull her eyes from Brendan’s as she waited for any hint of regret in his voice, but he held on to the stony expression and was quiet. She stared into his eyes, hoping to see his soul, to understand why he’d ruined everything for them. “Why did you do it, Brendan?”

  He closed his eyes, took a breath, and leaned back in the chair, slouching as he folded his arms across his chest. “I told you. I told you what happened. I’ve tried to tell you over and over how wrong I was and why I freaked out.”

  “Tell me again.” Maybe she could make sense of it now that she was detached from the situation and planning to marry someone else.

  “Will it make any difference? Is there anything I can say to keep you from marrying Dalton?”

  The room went black just as she shook her head. In the dark, her heart pounded in time with the rattle of sleet on the tin roof a story up. She knew all Brendan’s reasons—lame as they were. But she also knew she’d pushed Brendan into marriage, even if it was only a little bit. She wasn’t sure she’d even realized it until she was on the other end of the scenario—with Dalton being a little pushy about tying the knot.

  A lit match brightened the table between them. Brendan touched it to a candle wick, then went on to light all four candles. Alyssa turned the flashlight on and pointed it toward the ceiling.

  I’m so lucky and blessed to have Dalton. She planned to keep that thought in the forefront of her mind. Things had been good between her and Dalton these past months. Different than with Brendan. Much safer on her heart, even if she did have to keep a rein on Dalton’s physical advances. She was determined to wait until after she was married to have sex. It was a vow she’d taken when she was young. But sometimes she wondered if that’s why Dalton was in such a hurry to get married.

  “I messed up, Alyssa.” Brendan slouched back down into the chair again.

  Aren’t you even going to try? Can’t you offer up something that makes sense?

  Brendan kept his eyes down, but she saw him take a deep breath in the semidarkness. “It won’t take long for it to get really cold in this room without any heat.”

  Alyssa nodded. The floors in the shop were concrete that Jillian had stained a light beige, so it was hard to keep the place warm even with the heat on. And it was probably just as well that Brendan changed the subject.

  “Do you think we’ll be okay in here?” She thought about the people who’d died in the path of the storm. She silently prayed for them and asked God to keep her and Brendan safe. And their families. And Dalton.

  “I think so. The main danger is out on the roads.”

  Brendan sounded confident, but she knew he would, even if he thought the storm was going to level the building.

  They were quiet for a while, listening to the howl of the wind outside, but memories of her and Brendan kept flashi
ng in her mind. She tried to focus on the memories she’d be making with Dalton after they were married. But Brendan’s eyes shone like beacons in the darkness, and she couldn’t help thinking about all the times she’d imagined them making love on their honeymoon night. Now that experience would be shared with Dalton. Would she wonder for the rest of her life how it would have been with Brendan?

  “Thank you for stopping all the antics to win me back.” Which is what I thought I wanted. Now it was so over. Ended. Done.

  “I never meant to hurt you.”

  “Well, you did.”

  They were quiet again, and Alyssa wished she knew what was going on outside. The winds seemed to be a little quieter, but there was a steady pelting of rain or sleet on the roof. Maybe they should talk about something else.

  “Have you seen Sherry and Monroe’s baby? Little Monroe Junior looks just like his father. They’ll be great parents.” She forced a smile, but Brendan rolled his eyes. “What was that for?”

  Brendan shook his head. “Nothing.”

  Alyssa knew Brendan, and his expression was not indicative of nothing. Maybe he was deep in regret that he and Alyssa would never have children. “Sherry has a lot of baby weight to lose, but I don’t think Monroe cares about that. He just adores her.” Brendan grunted, and even in the dimly lit room, Alyssa saw him roll his eyes again. “Why are you doing that? Rolling your eyes—and grunting?” She folded her arms across her chest, too, and they faced off. The candles cast shadows across Brendan’s face. Shadows that mirrored Alyssa’s heart.

  “Things aren’t always as they seem.” Brendan turned toward the door. “I should probably go check on things. It sounds like maybe it’s letting up.”

  Alyssa wasn’t about to give up on this conversation thread. “It’s still really cold, so it’s going to be icy for awhile. So what do you mean, things aren’t always as they seem?”

  Brendan avoided her eyes as he shrugged. “I’m just sayin’.” He shrugged again.

  Alyssa frowned and tapped a finger to her chin. “I don’t know of anyone who loves their spouse as much as Monroe loves Sherry.”

  “Well, you should know.” Brendan still wasn’t looking at her. “She’s your best friend.”

  “Yes, I do know. And Sherry loves Monroe just as much.” Alyssa realized she was hoping for a fight. And she didn’t really care what it was about. She just wanted to yell at Brendan. Hurt him. “And I actually thought you loved me like that too. But how wrong I was.”

  Brendan finally locked eyes with her. “Guess it doesn’t matter now anyway.”

  Alyssa knew with every inch of her being that it shouldn’t matter, but somehow it did. And she wanted to make sure that Brendan felt at least some of the pain she’d been toting around like luggage weighing her down.

  “You’re absolutely right.” She sat taller and smiled. “Doesn’t matter at all.”

  But suddenly nothing had ever mattered more. She wanted Brendan to revert back to the desperate guy who’d been begging her to come back to him. If he did, would she? Could she give up Dalton, a man so perfectly suited to her that God had surely blessed their future? And she trusted Dalton. He’d never hurt her.

  “Just for the record . . .” Brendan met eyes with her again. “I loved you with all my heart. I will love you forever. That is never going to change for me. Never.”

  Alyssa fought the urge to run around the table and dive into his arms. She was engaged to someone else, but it took everything she had to keep her behind in the chair. “You don’t hurt the people you love.”

  Brendan cocked his head to one side, his expression stony again. “Of course you do. When the love is real and deep, you have the capacity to hurt someone more than you ever thought. People who love that deeply hurt each other, even though they don’t mean to.”

  Alyssa couldn’t argue, but she would have spent the rest of her life wagering that she and Brendan would have kept the hurt to a minimum, relying on their love instead. She stayed quiet, thinking how much easier life was going to be with Dalton. Brendan was complicated.

  “I guess,” she finally said. “But I think that Monroe and Sherry could be the model for what a good marriage can be.”

  “If they are, it’s a sad day in La Grange, Texas.”

  Alyssa tapped the table with her palm. “Quit talking in code, Brendan. If there’s something you want to say about Sherry and Monroe, just spit it out.”

  Brendan narrowed his eyes and stared at her from across the table. “Marriage ruins things for people.”

  Now it was Alyssa rolling her eyes. “What are you talking about?”

  “I thought Monroe and Sherry were the happiest couple I’ve ever known. They seemed proof positive that marriage could be the most beautiful experience. It was partly because of them that I believed two people could really love each other that much and make it work.” He held up a palm toward her as he always did when he didn’t want to be interrupted. “My parents really struggled with being married. I’m actually amazed that they’re still together. And I’ve heard lots of guys bashing their wives—way more than just at the bachelor party. So I was terrified that marriage would ruin us.” He looked at Alyssa and blinked a few times. There was no mistaking the tears in his eyes.

  “But when I saw Monroe kissing another woman the morning of our wedding, I lost faith in everything. Even us.”

  Alyssa couldn’t breathe. She started trembling, and she wasn’t sure if it was because of the cold or this news. “What?” was all she could manage.

  Brendan sighed. “I left the room where all the groomsmen had gathered. I wanted to make sure Monroe had the ring in his pocket, and I hadn’t seen him in a while. I looked everywhere, and when he wasn’t in the sanctuary or outside where a few people were hanging out, I headed toward the kitchen. I figured Monroe was looking for something to eat since we were hours away from the reception.”

  Alyssa held her breath as she waited for him to go on.

  “He was in the corner with . . .” Brendan blinked again. “Amy Shanks.”

  Alyssa started shaking her head. If there was a second-place winner for happiest couple alive, it would have to be Amy and Bob. She recalled seeing them when she walked down the aisle, both smiling, and so proud of Raelyn and Joshua as flower girl and ring bearer. “If they were hugging or something, then . . .” That was all Alyssa could allow herself to believe.

  “No, Alyssa. They weren’t hugging or talking. They were making out. Full-blown making out. And it wasn’t the first time. Monroe finally ’fessed up when I confronted him. He and Amy slept together.”

  Alyssa’s left hand had joined her right hand across her chest as she tried to figure out which part of this awful picture upset her the most—that Monroe would do this, or that Amy would. But she hadn’t even processed the thought when she thought about Sherry. And their new baby. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

  Brendan took a deep breath. “Sherry is your best friend.”

  “Even more reason.”

  “Maybe. I don’t know. Anyway, I couldn’t go through with the wedding after I found that out. Monroe said they’d only actually been together once and they were sort of saying good-bye when I caught them. Said he’d been freaked out about being a father and a whole bunch of other stuff, and . . .” He stopped. “But it just shook me so hard. I could almost see you with some guy somewhere down the line. I was afraid our love wouldn’t be strong enough, that we’d end up all messed up like everyone else I know.”

  “I would have never done that, Brendan. And I know you wouldn’t have either. Our love would have lasted forever.”

  Brendan smiled, but it was a thin-lipped smile. “Really? Because it didn’t take you long to hook up with Dalton and accept his proposal. So clearly, what we had wasn’t real at all, and I’m thankful I realized that before we went through with the deed.”

  Alyssa trembled. “The deed? Is that what we’re calling it now?” A tear slipped down her cheek as she glared at him. �
��Thank God I am marrying Dalton.”

  “Yeah. Thank God.”

  It was eerily quiet in the dark room, and Alyssa was pretty sure the worst of the storm was over. But as darkness settled on her heart, she wondered if Brendan was right. Would their marriage have been doomed from the start, if for no other reason than Brendan didn’t have faith in them? And why was she marrying Dalton so quickly after her breakup with Brendan?

  Good questions. And she had no answers. But heaviest on her heart was Sherry.

  “I’m sorry.” Brendan hadn’t moved from the chair across from her. “I really am. I can’t stand to see you cry.”

  She lifted her chin. “I’m fine.”

  “Are you going to tell Sherry?”

  She’d been thinking about that, reversing the situation and knowing she would want Sherry to be honest with her. “I think I have to.”

  “I shouldn’t have told you.”

  Alyssa wished that too. She wondered what she would have done if she’d caught Monroe and Amy together.

  “Amy came up to me that same afternoon and asked if I was going to tell Sherry and Bob. She swore to me that aside from a few kisses here and there, they’d only been together once. He was trying to end it, but they got caught up in the moment.”

  Alyssa poured the buildup of melted wax from one of the candles onto the paper plate it was sitting on. “This will destroy Sherry.”

  “Maybe don’t tell her.”

  Alyssa was quiet. She didn’t want to be responsible for wrecking a marriage and family, but she wasn’t sure this was a secret she could keep. “I don’t know. I’ll have to think about it. Sherry has a right to know that her husband was unfaithful.” She poured the wax from the other three candles onto the plates beneath them as she tried to envision Sherry’s reaction to this sad news. She checked her phone for cell service, and when she saw three bars, she tried her mother’s cell. “It still says all circuits are busy.”

  Brendan checked his phone. “I don’t have any service at all now.”