by Peg Cochran
She heard a gasp in back of her and turned to glance over her shoulder. Jessie was right behind her and had both hands over her mouth. She looked as if she was about to cry. Before Shelby could ask her what was wrong, Jessie ran from the barn, nearly colliding with one of the waitstaff who was coming in with a platter of freshly barbecued chicken.
Shelby felt responsible for Jessie, and she excused herself from Matt and pushed back her chair. She followed Jessie as she ran toward the house. Shelby heard the screen door to the mudroom slam shut as Jessie bolted inside.
Shelby went through the mudroom and into the kitchen. Jessie wasn’t there, but Bert was. She was slumped over the kitchen table, a grimace on her face, which was alarmingly pale. Shelby rushed over to her, Jessie momentarily forgotten.
“Bert, are you okay? What’s wrong? Is it your heart?”
Bert shook her head. “My heart’s perfectly fine. I’m afraid it’s my gallbladder. Dr. Gregson told me I needed to have it out, but you know how I hate hospitals. Never could stand them. The smell gives me the willies.”
“But you’re in pain. You need help. I’ll get Dr. Gregson.”
Shelby was seized by a panic that turned her palms cold and clammy. She couldn’t let anything happen to Bert. She didn’t know what she’d do without her. It wasn’t only her help around the farm—Shelby could always hire someone for that—it was Bert’s support she counted on. No matter what the situation, Bert always had an answer and a shoulder for Shelby to cry on. Because Shelby’s parents were traipsing around Oregon in their RV, Bert had become like a mother to Shelby.
“It’s his wedding day. You can’t bother him,” Bert said. “Besides, I’ve had these attacks before, and they always go away. I need to give it some time.”
Shelby squeezed Bert’s shoulder. “I’m going to get Seth.” She held up a finger as Bert started to protest again. “It’s either that or I’m taking you to the emergency room.”
“All right,” Bert mumbled. “Anything’s better than the ER.”
A new wave of pain must have hit her, because she slumped over the table again, her eyes closed, her mouth twisted into a grimace.
Shelby ran outside and headed back toward the barn. The band was taking a break, and Travis was outside leaning against a tree, his arms folded across his chest. Jessie was standing in front of him, her shoulders tense. She must have run into the house and right back out again.
Shelby had almost forgotten about Jessie in her panic over Bert, but she didn’t have time to talk to the girl now—she had to find Seth.
Seth and Kelly were seated together at one of the tables, their heads close together. Kelly was feeding Seth a bite of her salad. Dear Reader, it looks as if all is right in the world of the newlyweds again.
As Shelby approached them, she saw Kelly take the edge of her napkin and wipe a smudge of barbecue sauce off Seth’s chin. They had eyes only for each other, and they both jumped when Shelby tapped them on the shoulder.
“I’m so sorry, Seth, but it’s Bert. She’s in terrible pain. She says it’s her gallbladder.”
“I’ll be right there,” Seth said, wiping his mouth and pushing back his chair. He tossed his napkin on the table. “She’s in the house?”
“In the kitchen.”
Seth leaned over and kissed Kelly, then followed Shelby out of the barn and across the field to the farmhouse.
“I feel terrible, taking you away from your own wedding,” Shelby said as they walked. “I didn’t know what else to do.”
Seth squeezed Shelby’s shoulder. “You did the right thing.”
Shelby wanted to ask him why he had stomped out of the barn so abruptly earlier, but she didn’t want to sound as if she was prying.
“The wedding has been lovely so far,” Shelby said tentatively, hoping Seth would respond to the bait.
“It has. And Kelly and I can’t thank you enough. Everything is perfect—just the way we’d envisioned it.” Seth laughed. “Even if my mother was having dreams of ball gowns and men in black tie and a sit-down four-course dinner lit by thousands of candles.”
“So everything is fine?” Shelby said.
“Yes, of course.” Seth glanced at Shelby. “You must have seen that little scene earlier.”
“Well . . .”
“It was childish of me to react the way I did. Kelly had no idea.”
“No idea . . .”
“That I knew Travis Cooper. Although that wasn’t his name at the time.”
“I didn’t know that either.”
“It’s not something I talk about very much. Travis and I were at Michigan State together, and we were in the same fraternity. One night he had the bright idea that it would be funny to pull a prank on me. He monkeyed with my car, and in the morning it wouldn’t start.
“Unfortunately, I had a very important exam to take in the science building all the way on the other side of the campus. I had to walk and by the time I got there, the exam was already in progress and the professor wouldn’t let me into the room.”
“That’s awful.”
“What made it worse was that the professor wouldn’t let me make up the test and I got a failing grade for it. That affected my final grade for the class and ultimately my grade point average. And when you’re planning on applying to medical school, that becomes very important.”
“So there’s no love lost between you and Travis.”
“You’ve got that right,” Seth said as he held the door to the mudroom open for Shelby. “I’m afraid I acted childishly.” He hung his head. “Fortunately, I have a very forgiving wife, and she’s agreed to accept my apology.
“What do we have here?” Seth said in a jovial voice when they entered the kitchen.
Bert was still in a chair by the kitchen table, but Shelby thought she looked slightly better—her color had improved and she was no longer grimacing.
“I told Shelby not to bother you,” Bert said. “It was only a gallbladder attack. Nothing to get all worked up over.”
Seth put on a stern face. “Those attacks aren’t going to stop, you know, until we take out your gallbladder.”
“I know. I know,” Bert said with a scowl. “You’ve told me often enough.”
“Does that mean you’re going to call my office and get a referral for a gastroenterologist? Dr. Hampton is excellent. You’ll like him.”
“Fine,” Bert said, using one of Shelby’s teenage daughter’s favorite words.
4
Dear Reader,
I love wedding traditions. Don’t you? At one time, the bride’s gown was considered good luck and guests would try to snatch a piece of it. In order to protect the newly married girl from this savage practice, the tradition of throwing the garter came about to appease the crowd.
The bridal veil was originally meant to hide the bride from evil spirits. The diamond engagement ring is a more recent tradition created when the advertising slogan “A Diamond Is Forever” was coined by copywriter Frances Gerety.
As for the wedding cake, it’s rife with traditions. The bride and groom serving each other symbolizes their commitment to provide for each other.
Shelby didn’t want to leave Bert, but Bert insisted she was going to be okay. She promised to get comfortable on the sofa and put her feet up. Shelby saw Bert glance at some dishes piled up next to the sink and had a sneaking suspicion that Bert wouldn’t spend very long on the couch.
The band was still on the stage when Shelby walked into the barn, although they’d paused momentarily for a break. Travis was bending down to pick up the bottle of water at his feet, and Brian had come out from behind the drums to jump off the stage and head out the door.
Travis took a long, deep drink from the bottle, then put it down and picked up his microphone. He whispered something to Cody, who nodded.
Brian was walking back int
o the barn as Cody began strumming the opening chords to a song with Travis humming along. Brian got a strange look on his face. Alarm? Shelby thought. He glared at Travis as he brushed past him to take up his place behind the drums. His expression remained strained throughout the song, which sounded hauntingly familiar to Shelby. She supposed she must have heard it on the radio at some point.
Paislee joined Travis and once again, their heads bent together over the microphone. Cody glared at the pair as he fingered his guitar. Was he jealous that Travis and Paislee were singing together or simply that Travis was the one standing up front while he played in the background? Shelby couldn’t tell for sure.
The final notes of the tune faded into silence, and Paislee stepped away from the microphone.
Travis grinned at the crowd. He took the microphone from the stand and walked toward the edge of the stage, waiting until he had the crowd’s attention. He looked over his shoulder at Brian.
“Can I get a drumroll, please?”
Brian obliged and the crowd looked around expectantly.
“It’s that time, folks,” Travis said, kicking the microphone cord in back of him and walking up and down the stage.
A murmur of expectation went through the guests.
“It’s time for the bride and groom to cut each other a piece of cake. Put your hands together for Mr. and Mrs. Seth Gregson.”
The crowd burst into applause as Kelly and Seth, with sheepish grins on their faces, approached the table where the cake was displayed.
Seth picked up the silver-and-crystal cake knife, and Kelly put her hand over his. He held the knife poised over the cake for a moment before slicing through the multiple layers and carving out the first piece. One of the waitresses rushed forward with a small plate and two forks. Seth slid the piece of cake onto the plate and then licked the buttercream frosting off his fingers.
Seth picked up the first fork, scooped up a bite of cake, and held it toward Kelly. Kelly then did the same for him. Seth turned toward the crowd and gave a thumbs-up and everyone burst into applause.
Several waitresses scurried forward to deal with the business of serving the rest of the cake.
The band played another full set of their unique blend of country and rock, and then the party started to break up. People slowly drifted out of the barn and the band began to pack up their gear. Travis had already disappeared outside while Cody broke down the equipment. He was about to pick up one of the amplifiers when he changed his mind and dug a pack of Marlboros and a lighter out of his shirt pocket. He walked outside and a moment later, Shelby caught a whiff of cigarette smoke as it drifted through the open doors of the barn.
The rest of the band had vanished. Shelby thought she’d heard Paislee say something about going to the Dixie Bar and Grill for some cold beers.
Kelly, Seth, and Matt had insisted on staying behind to help clean up, and there was no way Shelby could talk them out of it. Seth and Matt had draped their blazers over the back of a chair, had rolled up their sleeves, and were folding up the chairs and stacking them against the wall. Kelly had kicked off her cowboy boots and was walking around the barn barefoot, plucking dirty glasses off the tables, while Shelby pulled the linens off the cleared tables and bundled them up.
Shelby looked around for Jessie, but she was nowhere to be seen. Shelby was slightly miffed—she’d been counting on Jessie for help cleaning up. If she had other plans, she should have said so.
Seth had turned off the fans they’d rented for the occasion, and the barn was heating up. Shelby felt a trickle of sweat make its way down her back, and she dabbed at her forehead with a slightly used napkin. She felt like she was stifling and she stepped outside briefly, hoping there would be a breeze to cool her off.
She heard raised voices coming from behind the barn and became curious. She walked around back to see Travis talking to Jessie. They both looked angry. Jessie’s fists were balled at her sides, and her face was red. She looked like she was about to cry. Travis looked more annoyed than angry, Shelby decided. He was making the sort of face a person makes while waving away a pesky bug—a persistent gnat or mosquito.
Jessie suddenly turned on her heel and stalked off. Shelby quickly slipped around to the other side of the barn and watched as Jessie stalked across the field. A man was coming from the opposite direction—Shelby couldn’t see who it was until he got closer. Then she realized it was the man who had been talking to Travis earlier before the band began to play.
He grabbed Jessie’s arm, but she shook his hand off and folded her arms across her chest. Obviously she knew him. And equally obvious was the fact that she wasn’t very happy to see him.
Shelby continued to watch, curious, as they headed toward the farmhouse, their strides out of step with each other.
Shelby took a deep breath of fresh air and went back into the barn. The caterers had taken away their grills and Kelly was sitting in a folding chair, rubbing her feet.
The bowls for Shelby’s salad were gone—she suspected Bert had come out to help and taken them back to the house. So much for Bert getting some rest, Shelby thought, rolling her eyes. Dear Reader, I’m pretty sure that the expression “stubborn as a mule” was coined with Bert in mind.
Cody hadn’t come back inside, Shelby noticed. There were still a few pieces of equipment that needed to be loaded into the van. She hoped they would hurry. Suddenly she was very tired and the thought of sipping a tall glass of iced tea while sitting in one of the rocking chairs on the front porch seemed like the best thing in the world.
Matt rolled down his sleeves, grabbed his jacket, and slung it over one shoulder. He quickly folded up the last remaining chair and added it to the stack against the wall.
“I’m afraid I have to take off,” he said, walking toward Shelby. “Will you be all right?” He gestured toward the barn. “Everything is ready to be picked up by the rental company.”
“Thanks, Matt. You’ve been a huge help.” Shelby stood on tiptoe and kissed him on the cheek.
He grinned. “My pleasure, ma’am. I’ll call you. I think it’s time we went back to Lucia’s for dinner. Don’t you?”
Shelby nodded. “I’d like that.”
She and Matt had gone on their first date to Lucia’s—a lovely restaurant in nearby Allenvale.
She waved as Matt headed toward the open door of the barn.
Kelly was sitting on a bale of hay, pulling her cowboy boots back on.
“Where’s Seth?” Shelby sat down next to her.
“He said he’d wait for me outside. He wasn’t getting very good reception on his cell in here.” Kelly made a face. “His mother called to wish him bon voyage even though we’re only going as far as Niagara Falls. She was acting as if we were going to the moon. She said she’d meant to do it before she left but had forgotten. Frankly, I think she couldn’t wait to get out of here.”
Shelby laughed. “I hope you have a grand time on your honeymoon even if you are only going across the border. You deserve it.”
Kelly smiled. “We will. Neither of us could take much time away from our practices at the moment, so we only have a few days. But we’re planning a two-week trip out west next year. I’ve always wanted to see the Grand Canyon.”
Shelby realized she rarely left the farm except to go to the farmers’ market, the store, and church, and she hadn’t traveled more than an hour outside Lovett in years. Now that her blog was taking off and she was being asked to advertise cookware and other kitchen products, perhaps she could plan a trip somewhere that would be fun for Billy and Amelia—although their interests were so different that it was hard to imagine any place other than Disney World that would appeal to both of them. And it would be years before she could afford a trip to Florida. Shelby suspected she’d be buying a new roof for the farmhouse long before she bought airplane tickets to the Sunshine State.
Sometimes she
wondered if life wasn’t passing her by. Shelby gave herself a shake. She loved life on Love Blossom Farm and wouldn’t trade it for anything.
Kelly gave Shelby a hug and when she let go and stood back, Shelby could see she had tears in her eyes.
“I can’t thank you enough,” Kelly said, swiping at the tears glistening on her face. “You’ve given me my dream wedding, and I’ll never forget it.”
“I’m so glad everything turned out as well as it did.”
Kelly nodded. “Except for the whole Travis thing. But Seth quickly realized I had no idea about him and Travis.” Kelly shrugged. “At the time, I thought it would be a great surprise.” She laughed. “Well, it was a surprise, just not the way I anticipated.”
“The band did a great job, and everyone enjoyed them.”
“Yes. Like they say—all’s well that ends well.” Kelly gave Shelby another quick hug. “I’m going to find Seth so we can get going. Thanks again.” As Kelly walked away, she called over her shoulder. “Love you!”
“Love you, too.” Shelby waved as Kelly disappeared through the barn door.
The sudden silence was almost palpable. Shelby plopped down on the bale of hay and stretched her legs out. Fatigue washed over her, leaving her feeling limp. She ran a hand along the back of her neck, which was damp with perspiration.
Cody still hadn’t returned for the rest of the band’s equipment. Shelby was wondering if she could leave him to it and head back to the house when he reappeared.
“I was about to go looking for you,” Shelby said.
Cody must not have noticed her sitting there, because he jumped.
“Sorry. You startled me. I guess I was in my own world.”
He scratched at a red spot on his left arm. Shelby thought he seemed nervous about something, but then again maybe he was simply as tired as she was.
“I’ll get the rest of this stuff out of here.” He gestured toward the tangle of cords and microphone stands still on the makeshift stage.