by Linda West
Aunt Carol bit her lip. She knew Dodie must be shook up and all because they had led her astray from her own instincts. She looked over at her sister Ethel who was happily seated with Earl at her side. She let our her breath in a big sigh. Well you win some and you lose some. She brightened up and put a big smile on her face for Dodie’s behalf.
“Now, our last lady, is a newcomer in town, and a darn sweet addition if I might say so, our own Dodie Randall.”
The crowd clapped for the lone standing baker on the stage.
She took a deep breath and stared right ahead of her, so intently that everything blurred. She plastered a smile on her face and waited.
“Your date, the final date is… Nathan Rose!”
Justine’s intended. Figured. If it was possible for her stomach to sink any further, it did.
A young, hipster-looking guy swaggered up the steps and offered her a winning smile. They looked ridiculous together, like he was her teenaged son. The audience cheered and laughed and Dodie felt heat rush to her cheeks.
He looped his arm into hers and made a play of romance and infatuation, batting his eyelids and swooning. The crowd laughed and laughed and she laughed right along, though humiliation burned in her heart. She was a punch line now. Nothing but a punch line.
Chapter 20
As soon as Nathan had led her into the crowd and they were out of the spotlight, Dodie excused herself.
“I have to go to the bathroom, sorry.”
She dashed away, hoping against hope that she wouldn’t burst into tears on the way. This was so unlike her, she thought to herself. Usually she was the first one up for a joke, for a laugh, but now it felt like every single giggle was a pin getting stuck in her. After the way the whole audience had laughed she felt like one certified voodoo doll.
When she got there, the main section of the bathroom was empty, but she heard the faint sound of muffled crying in one of the stalls. It made her strong and she managed to swallow the lump in her throat.
“Who’s there?” she asked softly. “Is everything okay?”
“Dodie, is that you?” a voice thick with tears said.
“Yes, it’s me.”
The door opened and Justine flung herself at Dodie in a hug, a mess of tears. “It all went wrong,” she wailed. “I dropped my cake and now this. Valentine’s Day is ruined. I don’t like Jason at all.”
“And Nathan’s not right for me,” said Dodie. “He was just playing it up for the crowd.”
“Now we’re stuck all night with the wrong guy.” Justine blubbered.
Dodie felt so bad for Justine. She was just seeing the other side of love. The lost side. She felt bad for her. Dodie wiped at Justine’s tears with a tissue. “Come on Justine it will be all right…”
Justine just shook her head distraught. “I tried so hard Dodie.”
“Hey, you know there’s nothing in the rules to say we can’t switch dates,” Dodie said, though her heart pounded as she realized how presumptuous she was being. Who said that Jason really wanted a date with her? Maybe he just liked chocolate cake. But this wasn’t about her and Jason right now, this was about a young girl’s first love and that’s all that mattered.
Justine straightened up. “You’re right.”
“You could go and tell Nathan what happened and straighten it all out,” Dodie said.
“And you could go after Jason.”
“I could?” Dodie’s heartbeat pumped all the way up to her temples. “Could I?”
“Go, go, go!” Justine said, pushing her out of the bathroom. “He won’t wait around forever!”
Before Dodie could change her mind she ran out of the bathroom, hurried along the lobby and out of the front door, the cold air of the evening rushing onto her face as she stepped out. She looked around but couldn’t see Jason anywhere. One part of her wilted, urging her to go back into the party and enjoy everyone else’s happiness, but another part propelled her pumps along the ground in the direction of the main street and the bakery.
“Jason?” she called out. She was being so bold that it almost felt like an out of body experience, but she wasn’t going to stop now. “Jason?”
The town was the emptiest she’d ever seen, all of Kissing Bridge crowded into the Valentine’s Day Ball.
“Jason?” she called out again as she turned the corner to the street where the bakery stood.
And there he was. Standing by the bakery. A soft snow was falling and it sparkled in the moonlight as it fell. Jason turned to look at her.
“Dodie?” he said, his voice soft with awe. “Is that you?”
She ran over to him. “Yes, it’s me.”
She was taken on how piercing his gray eyes were, how they made her feel he had so much kindness in him that he could see right through to the real her, through all the walls she had put up. All the letters between them had not prepared her for the actual living breathing man in front of her. Nor for the feelings he would awaken in her that she thought were dead forever.
Taking a deep breath, she looked at a spot behind his shoulder, determined to find the courage to speak. She’d come this far.
“I was just wondering if you bought the cake because you liked chocolate cake or because you wanted… because you wanted… you wanted me to be your date?”
“Both,” he said immediately. “Both. And I’m allergic to apples.”
She looked up at him, feeling a spark fly as they made eye contact. Now it was his turn to feel awkward. He thrust his hands into his pockets and stared at the cobblestone.
“I wanted to tell you how much your letters helped me,” he said. “Sometimes they were my only reason for living.”
“Really?” she said, her chest area sinking with awe. Sometimes writing letters to him was her only way of staying sane, of encouraging herself that she would get out of the rut she had somehow plunged into, that she could have a good life in the future. She told him these things, and she felt them herself. Both their hearts had been kindled by the words she had written. She had never known simple letter writing, simple words, sentences, could have so much power.
“Yes,” he said. “And… and when I saw you at the bakery, I thought you were the most beautiful woman I had ever seen. But I didn’t know who you were. Now I know that, if you’re really Dodie and I’m not dreaming, that you’re the most beautiful woman there ever was, on the inside and out.”
Her heart soared, she suddenly she felt free from all the doubts and worries and fears that had plagued her. She felt as if she was being lifted up out of her darkness on the wings of angels, scooped up from her place on the cobblestone and taking off into the vast starry night. Suddenly love didn’t feel scary at all. Suddenly it felt like a gift from God.
“If I may, can I hug you Dodie…” Jason said, leaning forward toward her.
“Yes,” she whispered, with her whole heart.
Dodie lost all track of time as they clung to each other. When Jason pulled away and asked, “Do you want to go back to the ball?” She’d forgotten that there even was such a thing.
“Yes,” she said, beaming from ear to ear.
Just like those on stage had done, he held out his arm for her to loop hers into it.
As they made their way back down the starlit streets, she swelled with a contentment that was so plentiful it spilled over from her heart and lit up her face.
When they reached the door of the hall, the moon streamed down upon them and romantic music wafted out from the Valentine’s Ball. He paused on the threshold and looked into her eyes. She felt like the world was spinning in a whole new orbit.
“Dodie,” he said. “It was really you who wrote me those letters?”
“Yes.”
“Then you saved my life.” He traced the contours of her face with his fingers, as if he were studying her face, trying to commit it to memory. His finger was gentle, tingling across her skin. “I know life is a lot different than letters, and we both said we intended to never let ourselves b
e hurt by love again…but, maybe this was our destiny. Maybe we were our destiny.”
Jason held her chin and looked deeply into her eyes. Searchingly.
“I know we have both been hurt and I know it will be hard to trust again…but I hope you are willing to take a chance Dodie because I’m falling in love with you and I sure hope I’m not alone!”
Dodie looked at him with all the love she felt spilling out of her.
“I’m willing to try out love again if you are.”
Jason wrapped her in his arms protectively and kissed the top of her head.
“It’s going to be different this time Dodie. You and I were meant to be, you’ll see.”
Jason held out his strong, bronzed hand and she slid her own hand into his. It wouldn’t be easy to be vulnerable again, but for this man she would risk anything. Even her heart.
“Will you dance with me?” he said, grinning.
“I would love to!” Dodie beamed back.
They entered the ballroom and the warmth of the room and the love enfolded them. As Dodie wound her arms around Jason’s neck and swayed to the music, she looked around at all the couples at the ball. Justine was rocking to the music, pasted to Nathan. Carina was shining as she looked up into Oliver’s face and Ethel and Earl were a sight to see, prancing around the dance floor like a couple of spring chickens!
Aunt Carol returned to the stage, microphone in one hand and a slip of card in the other looking very professional. She was chased by Summer, who was trying to snatch the slip of card away from her.
“Well look at this!” Aunt Carol announced to the crowd.
Summer was still jumping up and down trying to snatch the card out of her Aunt’s grasp.
“I am proud to announce that my lovely niece, Summer Landers and Brad Anderson hereby announce their wedding, to take place on Easter Monday, in Kissing Bridge Mountain Church!”
Aunt Carol squealed with delight and the whole place erupted in cheering.
Dodie joined right along and Jason’s face lit up with gladness.
Aunt Carol motioned for Brad and Summer to come up on stage.
“Well, we didn’t want to overshadow the Ball,” said Summer, “so we were going to wait until the very end, but it looks like you’ve outed us Aunt Carol!”
Summer leant back into Brad and he squeezed her shoulders. He took the mic. “Thanks everybody. I am the luckiest man in the world, right? Take one last look at Summer Landers because next time we are all together she will be Mrs. Brad Anderson!
The crowd clapped louder and louder.
Summer leaned into the mic,”Oh and you’re all invited!”
Brad held up a bunch of invitations and the crowd went wild. He and Summer left the stage and went around and handed out the wedding invitations to everyone.
The romantic music cranked back up and everyone partied the night away, gazing into their partner’s eyes and sinking into that gorgeous loving feeling.
“Well look at that,” Aunt Carol said to her sister Ethel who had joined her onstage, turning the invitation over in her hand. “Looks like the Landers curse is well on the way to being broken for good Ethel.”
Ethel hugged her big sister tight. She caught Earl beaming at them from the crowd and she smiled. “Maybe we should reframe this curse thing Carol.”
Aunt Carol looked at her. “Whatever do you mean Ethel?”
“Well, if we were with the right men and we lost them, then that would be a curse. But what if were with the wrong men? What if God was looking out for us like we believe he does…might he not be saving us for our true love?”
Aunt Carol considered this. “So you are suggesting that perhaps it was more a case of the Landers’ having luck then of the Lander’s having a curse.”
Ethel nodded emphatically. “Why not?”
Aunt Carol looked at how happy Summer and Brad looked as they made their way around the room accepting congratulations and passing out invitations. That had certainly worked out to be a case of Landers’ luck. Against all odds and multiple states they had made their way back together. She saw Ethel waving to Earl and considered that perhaps her sister was right.
Now Earl was headed there way, and he had Old man Jennings with him. Old man Jennings was in a bright red shirt and bright red pants and he had the biggest grin on his face. His white hair stood out even more starkly against his bright attire. When he walked up onstage and stood next to Aunt Carol with her red dress and red hair it was almost too much, but also just perfect!
He grinned broadly at Aunt Carol as she looked at him like he was slightly deranged. “Why are you looking at me like that Jennings?”
Old man Jennings cleared his throat. “Well Carol seeing as you didn’t bake anything for the auction, I also didn’t buy anything.”
Aunt Carol was not understanding. Earl nudged him to continue. Old man Jennings cleared his throat.
“What I’m saying Carol is, how about being my date for the night?”
Aunt Carol turned an even brighter shade of red then either of them had on, and for once was speechless. Old man Jennings was encouraged by her silence.
“I’ll take that as a YES!”
And just like that Old man Jennings looped his arm around Aunt Carol and led her away toward the dance floor before she could utter a word.
Earl and Ethel broke into laughter like two conspirators.
Soon Jennings was whisking Aunt Carol about the room and Aunt Carol was smiling from ear to ear.
Brad came over to the table and handed Dodie her invitation and winked at his brother Jason.
Dodie opened up the beautiful wedding invitation and read it. She couldn’t have been more at peace. All around her people were celebrating love. The warm glow of the feeling made Dodie feel happy all over. She couldn’t believe this was all happening. Just a short time ago she was heartbroken and now she was sitting next to the man of her dreams. This town of good people and friends had saved her from herself. Given her hope, and now love again.
She was so glad for Brad and Summer, and the proof that true love really doesn’t die. It was good to know that real love was still possible in this crazy world. Looking up at Jason, her heart bubbled over with joy. It wouldn’t be easy for either of them to open up again, but in time she knew they would.
Brad and Summer’s love was like a full bloomed flower, bright and eye-catching and wonderful. Her and Jason’s were like a bud, just beginning to open.
Dodie smiled to herself, she couldn’t wait to see how it bloomed.
The end
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