Jan came out the door with flowers. She gave the wrist corsage to Lisa; one white rose boutonniere she gave to Alison to pin on Sam's lapel; she gave Sherry her bouquet and pinned the other boutonniere on Frank's lapel. Jan's corsage was already pinned to her light blue suit. She and Frank went in to take their seats at the front of the room.
Everything went as planned until Sherry was walking up the aisle on her father's arm. "Oh, no," she whispered. "I forgot to give Lisa Mark's ring."
"Where is it?" Sam asked trying not to move his lips.
"Pinned to my bra strap."
A grin spread across Sam's face. "Just do as I tell you."
When they stopped one step back from Mark and Lisa, Sam put his right arm around Sherry. "Give me your bouquet and unpin the ring."
The minister had been looking down at the marriage service he was reading and didn't notice until he said, "If anyone knows why this man and this woman shouldn't wed, let him speak now or forever hold his peace."
One of the guests must have made a funny remark because a titter of laughter ran through the room. Rev. Hartman raised his eyebrows when he saw Sherry with her hands inside her dress. "Is there a problem?"
She brought out the ring, and holding it between her thumb and index fingers, showed it to him. The ring popped out of her fingers and rolled away when it hit the floor. Mark quickly stepped on it. Sherry could feel her faced getting hot as Mark bent down and nonchalantly handed her the ring as if it were planned that way.
Rev. Hartman cleared his throat and continued, "Who gives this woman in marriage?"
"Her mother and I do," Sam answered. As Sherry stepped forward beside Lisa, Sam sat down beside Alison.
By then Sherry was completely flustered. She stumbled through her vows but Mark gave her hand a reassuring squeeze. Then he was slipping a wedding ring on her finger, saying, "With this ring, I thee wed."
She almost dropped the ring again as she slid it on his finger. "With this ring, I thee wed."
"By the authority invested in me by God and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, I pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss your bride."
With his hands on Sherry's shoulders, Mark leaned to kiss her as Rev. Hartman said, "What God has joined together let not man put asunder."
Chad stepped forward and snapped his handcuffs around Mark's wrist and grabbed Sherry's to do the same.
"What the h...heck?" Mark asked in surprise.
"I give you Mr. and Mrs. Mark Blakely," said Rev. Hartman.
Mark took Sherry's hand and started back the aisle when they were suddenly pelted by handfuls of birdseed. "Run!" he said and pulled her along until she slipped on the birdseed and nearly fell. By pulling her left arm across her chest, he got his arm around her back and lifted her off her feet and whirled her around just inside the door.
Through clenched teeth, she whispered, "Unless you want everyone here to see those zebra striped panties, you'd better put me down."
Mark realized that, in his haste to pick her up, he'd gotten the back of her dress pulled up. He set her on her feet and turned her around to unwind their arms. "Chad, take these darn things off us."
Chad grinned. "I don't have the key."
"I don't believe you."
"I really don't. I left it at home."
"You better do something soon," Sherry put in. "The bride has to use the rest room." She folded her hand over her thumb and managed to pull free. As she darted for the rest room, she could hear Mark threatening, "If you don't unlock these, you'll get them back in pieces. There are bolt cutters in the shop at home."
Linda came to the rescue as she plucked the key from her cleavage. "I saw that you left the key so I picked it up."
"Too bad I didn't know that or I'd have searched you. I'm good at pat-down searches."
Linda unlocked the cuffs and returned them to Chad. "Stick your toys back in your pocket before I use them on you."
"How soon do we get to eat?" Mike Delong held out his hand to Mark. "Like, dude, you don't have to help with the milking tonight. I'll fill in. That's my wedding gift to you." He was dressed in jeans but he wore a white shirt and tie beneath his FFA jacket. Sherry noticed several other boys dressed like that and guessed they were also Mark's students.
"I need to sit down," she announced suddenly. "I feel dizzy."
Mark quickly escorted her to the table set up for the wedding party with the participants in the middle and the parents and grandparents at either end and on the other side.
While a couple of the guests swept up the birdseed for safety's sake, Frank went to the front of the room and used a stainless steel bowl for a gong to get the guests' attention. "Find your places. As soon as I ask the blessing, we can see what all the ladies have cooked up for us. Wedding party, parents and grandparents first. Let's bow our heads." Frank not only asked a blessing on the food but prayed for Mark and Sherry to have a blessed marriage.
The afternoon became a blur to Sherry. It seemed she was a spectator watching the event through a wall of water. When a man she didn't know came around with a cartful of champagne bottles, Chad said, "The bride and maid of honor can't have any of the hooch or I'll have to arrest you for providing alcohol to minors."
The man turned the bottle with the label toward Chad. "It's non-alcoholic."
People kept coming around introducing themselves and offering best wishes. Most of them were strangers to Sherry. When a pretty blond woman stopped across from Mark and said, "See, I told you to come back to the woman you love."
Sherry had never seen her face before but a picture of the back of her head hung on the wall in her kitchen. The young man she was with shook hands with Steve, Chad and Mark. She guessed he was the fiance who came back from Iraq.
The woman reached across the table to shake Sherry's hand. "I'm Rochelle Logan. You want to keep a short leash on that guy."
Sherry gave her innocent stare. "I don't think so. I've been thinking more along the lines of a shocker collar."
"Yes!" Lisa burst out.
Sherry ate little. She did manage to commandeer the stainless steel bowl Frank used as an attention getter for potato chips which she nibbled along with the tiny chicken salad sandwiches, scalloped potatoes, and fruit salad Jan brought her. By the time they were ready to cut the cake her stomach was feeling very queasy. "If you smash it in my face you will regret it," she warned Mark as they walked to the table where the three-tiered cake sat.
Hannah handed Sherry a chef's knife with a white ribbon around the handle. Mark put his arm around her and wrapped his hand over hers as he guided the knife through the thick layer of white icing with pink roses. They each took a small bit and put in the mouth of the other. Mark sucked Sherry's finger into his mouth. "Very tasty," he said when she pulled back.
Suddenly Sherry clapped her hand over her mouth and ran for the restroom. She barely made it in time. As she stood against the wall by the toilet, Rose came in with a glass of water. "Rinse your mouth and drink the rest."
Sherry did as she was told. As soon as the water hit her stomach, she brought it back up. Mark stood at the door watching. "I think we better cut things short so I can take you home."
"I'll be all right in a minute." She forced a weak smile.
Rose went out the rest room door and told the roomful of guests, "I think she'll live. Pregnancy complicated by nerves."
The rest of the wedding was a hurry up affair. Lisa caught the bride's bouquet because she was the tallest with the longest reach. Mark removed the lace garter from Sherry's leg and tossed it over his shoulder. Chad made a jump to catch it but Mike Delong beat him to it.
Alison packed herself a lunch from the food there and changed into her work clothes in the rest room. She told Sherry and Mark, "I won't be home tonight. Grammy and Sam have invited me to stay over with them so you have the house to yourselves for one night." She kissed each of them and left.
They had plenty of help loading the wedding gifts in Mark's truck and Jan's SUV.
Chad hung a "Just Married" sign in the rear window of Mark's truck. As soon as she was in the door, Sherry went upstairs to change clothes.
After Frank and Jan helped carry in the gifts and put them on the dining room table, they left the newlyweds alone. Mark went upstairs to change to jeans and a tee shirt. When he came back down he found Sherry in the den with an afghan wrapped around her.
"I'll make a fire in the fireplace. If you're tired, lie down and rest a while. I won't disturb you." He kissed her and went to the kitchen to make coffee.
Chapter 33
Sherry came out of her sleep slowly, opening her eyes and closing them again. A blanket was spread over her. Mark must have covered her after he made a fire in the fireplace. She had been so cold when they got home.
She went to the kitchen where she found Mark washing dishes that she didn't recognize. "What's this?"
"The dishes from the wedding feast. Many of the guests brought their gifts full of food. Mom brought over some of those plastic dishes she uses to freeze in and we put some of it in the freezer. The rest is in the fridge. What's left of the cake is on the counter. And we can't leave food on the table unless we move the chairs away. Mitzi learned to climb up. She has a sweet tooth. That's why there's a slice of cake missing where she licked away the icing."
"Where is she?" Sherry looked around but didn't see the kitten anywhere.
"I put her out in the breezeway so she can't get into any more mischief while I'm busy."
"I have to get something to eat. Now." She opened the freezer to take out the ice cream. "I thought you said you put things in the freezer. There's nothing in here that wasn't here this morning."
He closed the freezing compartment of the fridge and took her hand and lead her down the basement steps to show her an upright freezer. "Our gift from your great-grandmother. And if you walk over here." He flipped a switch to light the side of the basement where the water pump was. "We now have our very own washer and dryer, compliments of Mom and Dad."
"That's why they were late getting there. This is where that truck that almost ran Mom off the road was coming." She headed back for the stairs. "I'm still hungry."
"You can scoop out a dish of that ice cream for me, too," Mark said as they got back to the kitchen. He opened the pantry door. "I need to put a light in here so a person can see without a flashlight," he grumbled. "Bad news, Sherry. No more potato chips."
"Then you better go get some."
"I'm not going anywhere tonight." He picked up the receiver to the phone. "It's been so long since I called home on a land line that I can't remember the number."
Sherry rattled it off and he pushed the right buttons. After five rings, Lisa answered. "Is Mom there?" he asked.
"Where else would she be? Mom, it's Mark." She couldn't resist asking, "Bored already?"
He chuckled. "Haven't even started yet. Sherry's been sleeping because she didn't sleep last night. She got up hungry and there are no chips. Hi, Mom. Do you have any potato chips?"
"Sherry doesn't need all that salt. It'll put her blood pressure up. Yes, I have chips but I don't feel like bringing them over. I told you once before, I'm not a delivery person. You're lucky this time. Lisa has volunteered to bring them over. I'll talk to you later. Right now I just want to go to bed."
Mark hung up the phone. "Lisa's going to bring them."
Sherry had dished up two dishes of ice cream and was making herself a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. "Help yourself to some ice cream," she said when Lisa walked in with a bag of chips. "Thank you." Sherry tore open the bag and pulled out a handful.
"Mom's a little grumpy tonight," Lisa reported. "She said she's just tired. Besides working at the bank and at home, she's been helping put together your wedding."
"I must thank her." Sherry took a spoonful of ice cream and let it slowly melt in her mouth.
"And I must apologize to you for the way I behaved Wednesday night. I'm sorry. I thought you were marrying Mark for his money. He told me you don't even know about the money."
Sherry looked at Mark. "What money?"
"After Mom got killed, the drunk that caused the accident got two years probation. Dad was furious that he got off so easy because he was an old man. But he was an old man with a lot of moolah. Dad sued for an unlawful death. The jury awarded him a half million bucks--two hundred and fifty thou for him and two fifty thou to be put in trust for me. Not much of mine was spent except for my braces. And I paid for my college tuition and Mom's. I bought my truck and made the down payment on the combine and I'm making the payments.
"Dad paid off the mortgage on the farm. That's when it became incorporated with Dad holding half the stock and Grampa and Gramma holding the other half. When Grampa died, Gramma held half. She left her half to Lisa and me. We each hold a quarter interest. Dad had Mom's name put on his half. He's president and CEO, I'm vice-president and Mom's CFO.
"With all the interest that's accrued over the years, I still have a tidy sum in the bank. Some I've invested in an IRA. I add to it every paycheck. And I have a 401K at work. I'm not rolling in dough but I have enough to live comfortably for some time to come."
Sherry shook her head trying to absorb all he told her. She had never lived in a circumstance where there was money available to fulfill all her needs. She was used to scraping and scrounging to get by. "Then..."
"Then you don't need to shop at the thrift store anymore. If you need money just tell me and I'll fulfill your every whim."
"Just because you have a lot of money doesn't mean you have to spend it all," she shot back. "Don't let Mom know about it or she'll bleed you dry."
"She doesn't have to pay you back for all the things she broke. I'll replace them."
"Oh, no! That's part of her sentence and she's going to do it. If you give her an inch she'll take a mile. I know Mom. She doesn't have to pay it all at once though."
Changing the subject, Mark asked his sister, "What do you think of my bride's sexy pajamas?"
"I thought it was just a sweat suit."
"That's what she wears to bed."
Sherry gave him a simpering smile. "It's not the pajamas, it's what's under them."
"What?" he asked.
Sherry pulled up her sweatshirt to show him the zebra striped bra. "That's what you wore to entice me..." He stopped remembering his sister didn't know about his transgression.
"I didn't know you were half drunk."
"Uh-oh. Markie's been a bad boy," Lisa joked.
Mark's face got red but he didn't reveal his sin. "If I remember correctly that bra opens in the front. Lisa, hurry up and finish your ice cream so we can go to bed."
"Oh, no. We're going to open our gifts first," Sherry told him.
Lisa finished her ice cream and set the bowl in the sink. "I gotta go get some shuteye. I have to get up early to get Troy's truck back to him."
"Uh-oh. He let you use his wheels. Sounds like this is getting serious." Mark grinned at his sister.
"It is. Troy asked me to marry him. Not right away. We both want to finish college. Don't tell Mom and Dad. Okay?"
Mark's grin widened. "Now let me see. What price can I ask for my silence?"
"I don't have anything you want," she snapped. "Go ahead and tell them. I don't care. It's not going to change anything. Troy just wants to get engaged. See you on Thanksgiving."
After Lisa left, Mark sat at the end of the table gazing at his wife. "You have made me a very happy man."
"I am proud to be your wife," she responded. "There's only one fly in the soup. Mom. She is going to make our life very complicated."
"That's no fly; it's a bee."
****
The next two weeks, Alison spent little time at home. When Sherry asked her where'd she been, she replied, "None of your business."
"It is my business. I'm responsible for you."
"You won't be much longer. I'm going down to the courthouse tomorrow and have that changed. You and Mark don't need me here and I
don't want to be here. As soon as I can make other arrangements I'm moving out."
"Are you moving in with some man?" Sherry demanded.
"As a matter of fact, I am." Alison couldn't keep from smiling when she gave Sherry the news. "Your father and I are getting married."
After taking a minute to absorb what her mother told her, Sherry threw her arms around her and hugged her. When she stepped back she reminded her mother, "I thought you said you didn't need a fifty-two-year-old man who is overweight, going bald and can't see his hand in front of his face without his glasses."
Alison shrugged. "I changed my mind. We're going to start a catering business in that car dealership building. I know the restaurant business and he has a degree in business administration. Do you think Mark would save us some money by helping with the remodeling? He did say he minored in architecture."
"Why don't you ask him? He just pulled in the driveway."
###
Coming soon:
Lost Memories under the pen name of Annie Zarr. It's a mystery about a girl who lost her memory after a bad fall and the cop who tries to help her after she witnesses a murder. It seems more and more like she is involved with something illegal after an FBI agent shows up in New York saying she was in the witness protection program. There is already bad blood between Drew and FBI Special Agent Lewis Drumheller. Every turn takes Lt. Drew Ward deeper into what appears to be morass of intrigue and subterfuge, especially after two internationally wanted criminals try to abduct Ellie, aka Dana, aka Jillian, aka Antonia.
Table of Contents
Copyright
Dedication
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
No Plans for Love Page 29