“Sara made it.” His eyes dimmed.
“My favorite.” Dayne removed a container from the basket and repeated the statement with each subsequent find.
With the contents emptied, Grayson blessed the food.
The chicken salad sandwiches beat Adrea’s favorite deli.
Dayne carefully tore the crust of his sandwich away and fed it to Cocoa. The large dog waited patiently for an offering, then took each bite delicately between his teeth, careful not to nip his beloved owner.
“This is delicious.” Unsnapped jeans would feel good about now.
“I’ll tell Grace. She’s the most sought-after caterer in town.” Pride echoed in his voice.
“So she’s working today, while we enjoy her mouthwatering food.”
“Trust me. She wouldn’t have it any other way.”
Dayne and Haylee hurriedly finished their meals and ran to swing nearby. The young girl had finally warmed to the little boy.
“I’m glad the kids are having fun.” Grayson watched Haylee push Dayne higher and higher.
“She’s painfully shy. As a kid, I was the same way.”
“Really? You don’t seem shy now.”
“I’m better than I used to be.” Warmth crept up her cheeks. “For my first three months at the shop, Helen put me in the showroom. It was torture. Eventually, I realized I was more uncomfortable not talking to the customers than I was while attempting to make conversation. I still tend to clam up when I’m out of my element.” Or get nervous and prattle. Like now.
“So, that’s why I never met you. You hole up in the back and play with flowers.” Several birds landed in the tree above. Grayson flinched.
“Is something wrong?” Adrea asked.
“On one of our first dates, I took Sara on a picnic and a bird decided to relieve itself—on my head.”
Adrea tried to stifle her laughter but failed. “What did you do?”
“Sara always had a very weak stomach, so she threw up, cleaned me up, and we ate. That’s when I knew she was the girl for me.” He looked off in the distance, lost in memories. “I try to avoid trees.”
The deep timbre of Grayson’s voice cast a spell on her. He smiled, which deepened the crinkles at the corners of his eyes. Her fingers tingled to smooth away the lines of worry and grief. The sable lock of hair playing across his forehead in the mid-March breeze gave her the urge to brush it back from his brow.
Concentrate on something else. Anything but him. She noticed an ant, threading its way through the grass, struggling to carry a bread crumb Cocoa had missed.
“Daddy, I don’t feel so good.”
She looked up in time to see Dayne throw up.
Adrea’s heart tumbled for the sobbing boy.
Sympathetic with her new friend’s plight, Haylee patted his back.
Ineffectively, Grayson tried to clean the boy’s face with a dry paper towel.
“I’ll get wipes.” Adrea jogged toward her nearby car.
Grabbing the towelettes, she ran back to the still sobbing boy and began washing his face and neck.
Grayson pressed his hand against Dayne’s forehead. “You don’t feel warm. You probably ate too fast and then played too hard. I should have made you wait and digest longer.”
“We’ll get you cleaned up in no time.” She tried to assure the child while working on his shirt, then turned to his father. “Does he have extra clothes?”
“Actually, we picked up some fresh laundry from Mom’s this morning.” He flashed a sheepish grin. “She does our ironing.”
“Do we have to go home, Daddy?”
“I’ll get you another shirt. We’ll stay for a while, but if you feel sick again, we’ll have to leave.” Grayson went to his car.
Adrea had the boy cleaned up by the time his father returned. Always the first to hurl at the sight of anyone tossing their cookies, it amazed her that the incident didn’t sicken her. Instead, she simply dealt with the problem.
“Since Dayne seems fine now, I think we’ll go.” She threw their trash away.
“I doubt it’s anything contagious. He got his weak stomach from Sara.”
“If it’s a virus, we’ve probably already been exposed. It’s not that. Mark will wonder about us. And speaking of ironing, I do his shirts.”
A dog yapped. Cocoa raised his ears and stared off in the distance. Following his gaze, Adrea saw a golden retriever lunge into the air to catch a neon orange Frisbee.
“Thanks for helping with Dayne. Seems like every time we’re distressed in the park, you show up to save the day.”
“No problem.” Adrea smiled. “Thanks for letting us crash your lunch. Please tell Grace how much we enjoyed her delicious meal.”
“Don’t go.” Dayne grabbed Adrea’s hand.
“We have to go home, but I liked having a picnic with you.”
“Even though I threw up?”
“Well, I wish that hadn’t happened, for your sake, but it didn’t bother me.”
“One time my Sunday school teacher threw up because a boy in class did.”
Grayson scrunched his nose. “We don’t need the details. Tell Adrea and Haylee good-bye.”
“Bye, Adrea, bye, Haylee. I’m glad you came today.”
“We are, too.” Just how glad, Adrea didn’t want to think about. She patted Cocoa on the head, then regretfully steered Haylee to the car.
“See you tomorrow,” Grayson called.
Grayson paced the kitchen floor. Grace should have been home by now. Numerous times, he’d called her cell and gotten no answer. His heart thudded in his chest. He couldn’t get enough air in his lungs. Not again. It couldn’t happen again.
He closed his eyes and the memories swirled. Sara looked so peaceful by the glow of the dash light. With her seat tilted back a bit, she fell asleep. The slightly wilted white rose lay in her lap.
In his rearview mirror, he could see Dayne curled to the side in his car seat, with one arm flung over his face.
Grayson stopped at the four-way, looked both ways, and continued. A flash of light to his right. The impact hurled the car sideways. A white explosion hit him in the face, the car spun, metal tore, glass crunched. The car slammed into something solid and came to an abrupt halt. His right knee jammed into the steering column. His scream mixed with cries from the backseat.
Sara was silent.
He shook the images away and took several deep breaths.
Willing his fumbling fingers to work, he dialed the hospital. Just as it rang, the back door opened. Grace. Marvelous, healthy, all in one piece, Grace. He hung up.
“Where have you been?” He rushed toward her with a hug.
“Can’t breathe,” Grace whispered.
He eased up but couldn’t bring himself to let go. “You’re late.” His voice broke on a sob.
“Oh Grayson.” She rubbed her palms over his back in soothing circles. “I told you I had a big luncheon today. It went longer than I planned.”
“I tried to call.” At least twenty times.
“My cell needs charged. I’m so sorry I worried you.”
Steeling his resolve, he pulled himself together and let her go. He sank to a chair.
She touched his cheek, her eyes bright with tears. “You can’t go on like this.”
“I’m okay. Really.” He wiped his face with a paper napkin. The wooden legs of his chair scraped against the tile floor as he scooted closer to the table. He leaned his elbows on the surface, his face in his hands.
“Maybe a counselor would help. Mark does counseling on the side.”
“I have the best counselor in all of heaven. I’m fine. Just call me next time.”
“I promise. And I’ll make sure my cell is charged, so I can leave it on vibrate.”
“How did your luncheon go?”
“Great. Several people asked for my card.” She opened the cabinet and got a glass. “So, what did you do today, other than almost have a coronary over nothing?”
�
��Dayne and I had a picnic in the park.”
“Oh good.” Ice clinked into the glass she held under the dispenser. “Quality time.”
“That, too, but we actually ran into Adrea and her niece, so Dayne invited them to join us.”
“Where was Mark?”
“Home studying. They loved your sandwiches.”
“Good thing I sent extra.” Grace filled her glass with ice water and took a sip. “So, Adrea’s very pretty and seems really sweet.”
Grayson cleared his throat.
“I’ll take it you agree.”
Something in his chest boiled. “It wasn’t like a date or anything.”
“I didn’t say it was.”
“We had a picnic in a very public place with two kids.” He stormed out of the kitchen.
She followed. “Grayson, you know Sara would want you to move on. To be happy.”
He took the stairs two at a time.
Saturday evening, Mom and Dad stopped by the apartment.
Adrea tried not to fidget as Mom surveyed her from hair to toenail.
“You’re too thin.” Mom tapped her chin with a forefinger.
“I weigh the same as the last time you saw me.” Adrea hugged her mother, who weighed only slightly more. Somehow, Mom always wanted to fatten her up.
“You’re taller than I am. You need some meat on your bones. Men don’t like beanpoles. Isn’t that right, dear?”
“Yes, dear,” Daddy said.
“Daddy, you’re supposed to be on my side.”
“Sorry, sweetness, after thirty years, I’ve learned to just agree with your mother. It keeps the peace.”
Mom playfully swatted at her husband. “I thought you might need help with tomorrow’s lunch.”
Adrea lifted the lid off the slow-cooker. The brisket bubbled with floating potatoes and carrots.
“Smells like everything’s under control.” Mom settled on the floral sofa beside Daddy. “So, Adrea, are there any candidates on the horizon? Surely a big ole church like Palisade has plenty of eligible bachelors.”
“There are no candidates.” Adrea straightened the magazines on the coffee table. “Besides, candidates are in politics. Why don’t you bother Mark about women? He has a thing for Grace Sterling.”
“I already told her.” Mark flashed a beat-you-to-it grin.
“Tell me about him?” Mom prompted.
“There’s no him.” Adrea fluffed a throw pillow and sat beside their dad. Unsatisfied, Mom turned to her son. “Mark?”
“There are a few sparks flying between Adrea and my potential new pastor.”
“There are not.” Adrea hurled the pillow at her brother.
He caught it.
“Grayson Sterling?” Mom smiled at the possibilities.
Mark nodded. “Adrea calls him Prince Sterling.”
“I do not!” Adrea jumped up.
“I always knew you’d make a perfect preacher’s wife.” Their mother clasped her hands together as if in prayer.
“Mother!” Adrea propped both hands on her hips. “Mark, I’m never speaking to you again. There are no sparks.”
“You’re protesting too much, dear. Ooh, and a twin. I might just get twin grandbabies.”
“Mother!”
“Tell me more, Mark.” Mom patted the seat beside her.
“When I first met Grayson, he assumed Adrea and I were married.” Mark chuckled. “He even thought Haylee was our daughter. When he learned different, I’ve never seen such relief on a man’s face.”
Incapable of stopping the conjecture, Adrea rolled her eyes heavenward and left them to it. “I’ll go iron Mark’s shirt.”
A few minutes later, as Adrea and the iron steamed, Mom entered the room.
She perched on the edge of Adrea’s yellow satin and lace comforter. “So Grayson sounds wonderful.”
“He is, but he’s still in love with his wife. She’s only been gone two years.”
“Well, he can’t go it alone forever. He’s a young man. His son needs a mother.”
“You may be right.” Adrea sighed. “But I don’t feel up to the challenge of getting a man to move forward from his past. I tried that with Wade.”
“Sorry I brought it up. You know I just want you to be happy.” Mom touched her hand. “We’re leaving. Turn the slow-cooker down soon, or the meat won’t be tender.”
After class, Adrea waited on the steps of the church until their parents caught up.
Mark stood with Grayson at the entrance to the sanctuary. “Mom, Dad, I’d like you to meet Pastor Grayson Sterling. This is his son, Dayne, and his sister, Grace. Everyone, our parents, Theodore and Samantha Welch.”
“Call me Sam.” Mom surveyed the stained-glass windows lining the sanctuary with a rainbow of color bursting on the white walls.
“And I’m just Theo.”
“It’s a pleasure to meet both of you,” Grayson said as Daddy pumped his arm. “I’m glad you could join us for the service.”
“We wouldn’t miss Mark’s first official sermon at Palisade.” Mom hugged Grace a little too eagerly.
Mark winced.
Adrea stifled laughter.
“Go ahead; put the pressure on, Mom. It’s not like I wasn’t nervous already.”
“You’ll be fine.” Mom kissed his cheek, imprinting him with her trademark fuchsia shade. “I’ve been praying for you.”
Branded many times before, Mark wiped the smear away with his handkerchief as Rachel and Haylee arrived.
“I didn’t know y’all were coming!” Mark hugged them.
“I wanted to surprise you. I couldn’t miss my brother’s first official sermon.”
The harpist began a hymn.
“Thanks, sis. It means a lot to me. I better get up there.”
Everyone found seats.
The congregation sang; then Mark took the pulpit, obviously ready to launch into his sermon.
“Ephesians 3:17–19 says, ‘That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; and to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.’ ”
Several amens echoed.
Mark flipped back toward the Old Testament, Bible pages rustling. “Now turn to Isaiah 53:5, ‘But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.’ ”
Adrea’s eyes welled with tears several times during the service. Mark’s sermon demonstrated how deeply Jesus loves us. Enough to leave His heavenly home and come to live among us, knowing He would be savagely beaten and killed.
When the altar call came, she went to thank God for sending His Son to save her soul and Jesus for enduring the punishment for her sins. It made her dilemmas seem so trivial.
She memorized a few more members of the large congregation. Red hair, nosy, Sylvie Kroft. No husband, at least no one mentioned him. Gray hair, slightly stooped over, Mrs. Jones, kind, forced smiles. Tom Deavers, the deacon/doctor with a handshake so firm, her fingers ached afterward. His wife, Patty; sons Tommy, Timmy, and Terry. She only saw Helen in passing. The older woman seemed a bit more at peace. Maybe Wade’s treatment was going well.
When she and Mark arrived at the apartment, a mix of smells permeated the kitchen. Succulent beef brisket and the perfume of flowers, from her garden and the shop, filled the air creating a captivating aroma. Their parents arrived in time for Daddy to help Mark put both leaves in the table and round up every seat they owned, even a couple of lawn chairs.
Just as Adrea took their dessert from the oven, the Sterlings arrived, followed by Curt, Rachel, and Haylee.
“I’d like to offer my help.” Grayson leaned against the counter. “But I’m useless in the kitchen.”
“I’ll help.” Grace stepped around the dividing island.
“There’s not mu
ch left to do other than put ice in the glasses.” With trembling hands, Adrea set the final plate on the wall-to-wall table. “And, Grace, you do this sort of thing all the time. You are taking this day off.”
“I can handle ice.” Grayson grabbed a glass and Adrea heard clinking.
With the table ready, Mark said the prayer and they all took their seats.
“So, how’s the church?” Curt passed the rolls.
“I love Palisade. The people are wonderful. I only wish…”
Adrea watched Grayson mentally leave, though he sat at their table with his glass of sweet tea halfway to his lips. Conversation stalled as everyone waited for his return and he snapped out of the memory.
“Sara always loved this area. In fact, we were married at Mountain Grove. My typical bride wanted her wedding in Romance.”
“She’d be proud of you.” Mom patted his arm.
“Mrs. Fenwick is definitely proud.” Daddy passed the brisket. “She was singing your praises to everyone she saw.”
“Dear Helen. I’m afraid I haven’t always been there for her.” A shadow passed over his face. He glanced at Dayne. “Adrea, this is one of the best meals I’ve had that my sister didn’t cook.”
Her face warmed. She gestured toward her mother. “Mom helped.”
“I didn’t do a thing.” Mom, a firm believer that the way to a man’s heart was through his stomach, grasped the opportunity to plug Adrea’s cooking. “Adrea had it all prepared before our arrival.”
“But Mom taught me how.”
“A bit belatedly,” Mark said. “Ow! Adrea, you have the boniest elbows.” Laughter followed the exchange.
After the meal, the children ran to play outside. Mark and Grace insisted on helping Adrea clean up, but Grayson managed to shoo them away to supervise the kids. Traitors, her parents, Rachel, and Curt disappeared also.
Alone with the man of her dreams. A man who still loved his deceased wife.
“How does Mark like the church?” Grayson gathered the plates while Adrea loaded them.
She turned on the dishwasher. “He loves it.”
“What about you? What do you think of Palisade?”
“At first, the size intimidated me, but I’m getting used to it. However, it’ll take me quite some time to learn everyone’s name.” She set the yellow quilted place mats back on the table.
ARKANSAS WEDDINGS: THREE-IN-ONE COLLECTION Page 6