When the large front door clanged open, she gave a nervous start and almost spilled punch down the front of her dress. Time was running out. She couldn’t make any more excuses to keep her away from J.T.’s side.
As his date, he had a right to expect her attention. So far, he’d been good natured about her need to carry out ‘duties’ for the event. After the opening dance, she had managed to stay busy.
Turning toward the noise at the entrance, Edee crossed her fingers. Hoping the arrivals would be the guests she was looking for.
When Mr. Jensen walked in, dressed in a light tan suit, Edee sighed. But seconds later, a slim elderly couple followed him. All three paused to look around the dance floor.
Edee studied the newcomers curiously, feeling her heart thud against her ribs.
She hadn’t expected Mr. and Mrs. Oliver to look like an ordinary couple. After all she had heard about the former principal and his wife, she had expected them to be tall and regal, at least.
About the time she realized she had blown the couple up in her imagination, she heard a gasp from the crowd. A flash of color swarmed around the couple as numerous people rushed to greet them.
“I didn’t expect to see Mr. Oliver and his wife.”
When he sent her a long questioning look, Edee almost choked on a gasp. He knew!
J.T. stared at the elderly couple.
Edee’s insides turned upside down. She could feel his suspicion and knew he thought she had something to do with their attendance. But his gaze focused on the people who had influenced his past.
Doubt and a growing fear he would reject all her efforts, rose up and almost choked her. All her dreams rested on J.T.’s reaction to these visitors.
Her future was at stake. Everything rested on how J.T. responded to the unexpected guests.
Heart in her throat, Edee studied the expressions on his face. Nerves snapping with tension, she darted a glance toward the elderly couple holding court across the room. Instinct clawed at her, holding her frozen to the spot. Fear sent chills racing over her skin.
The word, rejection, bounced in her head.
She felt the full impact of the word as she turned back to see J.T.’s expression. Now wasn’t the time to tell him she had meddled in his past for a good reason.
She had waited too late to tell him the principal and his wife were invited. By waiting, she couldn’t expect him to be happy. He would be too angry with her for poking into his past and calling the Olivers.
He would think she didn’t trust him.
She had contacted the elderly couple before she had talked with him this afternoon. Looking back, she knew she should have told him and taken the risk that he wouldn’t attend the dance. All she could do now was wait.
Tightening his grip on the punch cup, J.T. stood rigid until Mr. Jensen spotted him. The intensity of the old man’s stare battled with J.T.’s reluctance to join the crowd greeting the newcomers. But respect for the man who taught him so much won over the battle with his pride.
Lifting one heavy foot after the other, he approached the elderly man’s side. “Good to see you, Mr. Jensen.”
The old man studied J.T. for long seconds as he nodded his head.
The pressure in J.T.’s chest eased. Mr. Jensen’s nod acknowledged J.T.’s effort. The old man’s silent approval almost choked him. He valued this man’s opinion. When others were ready to believe those long ago rumors, Mr. Jensen had ignored them.
Realizing that was why Mr. Jensen had saved his motor bike added to the lump growing in his throat. Clutching the fragile cup in a crushing grip, he offered his hand. “How’s your sister doing?”
“She’s too stubborn to stay in bed long enough to heal.” The old man chuckled. “Good thing, though. I’m glad to be home.”
J.T. heard the words and felt the hair on the back of his neck stand up. Glad to be home. He knew the meaning of those words. Releasing a pent up breath, he glanced over his shoulder to search for Edee.
She stood in the circle of one of the spotlights. The green dress floated gracefully around her as she swayed to the music filling the room. Her hair glistened under the bright light. But it was intense look in her dark eyes and her tentative smile that grabbed his attention. The air between them crackled with intensity. Sucking in a deep breath, J.T. filled his lungs with the scent of vanilla and something elusive as Edee reached his side.
Turning back to Mr. Jensen, he smiled. It was possible to start over. “I know what you mean. It is good to be home.” In that instant, J.T. made the commitment he longed for. He said the words needed to clear the way for his future. He was home, for better or worse.
“Is that you, Jacob?”
Blinking away the haze filling his head, J.T. looked at the elderly man standing at Mr. Jensen’s side. “How are you, Mr. Oliver?”
“Son, I can’t tell you how happy I am to see you. Wait until you see—”
“Jacob Troy Knight!”
The high thin voice pierced the air and instantly took J.T. back to his senior English class. And even at thirty, the feeling wasn’t pleasant. Tremors ran all the way to his toes like jolts of electricity.
“Yes, ma’am?” He turned from shaking Mr. Oliver’s hand and faced the teacher who made seniors at Redbud High shake in their shoes. Even the tough athletes.
Mrs. Oliver was shorter than when he last saw her. Or else his memory of his senior English teacher had made her larger than life. Taking the thin blue veined hand she offered in a gentle grip, J.T. smiled down at the woman he had respected and feared.
“How are you, Mrs. Oliver?”
“Fine! Just fine, Jacob, and I can’t tell you how glad I am to see you.” She gripped J.T.’s hand with both of hers. “Mr. Jensen tells us you’ve made quiet a success with your business.” Her faded blue eyes twinkled up at him. “I always knew you would be successful.”
“You—”
She looped her arm through her husband’s as they shared a loving glance, and turned back to J.T. “Any one who could fix that old truck for James is a winner in my book.”
“You knew all this time that J.T. had fixed that truck?” Stella’s gum popped as she gave an ‘I told you so’ glance around the group.
“Oh, yes!” Mrs. Oliver’s laugh tinkled. “I was so proud he knew how.”
“I thought you hated that ole truck.” J.T. blurted.
“Yeah,” Sam added. “You used to get this funny look on your face when Mr. Oliver pulled in the parking lot in his green machine.”
“Sam, you’re married now, so I’ll share a little secret with you.” Mrs. Oliver darted a glance at her husband, her eyes dancing with humor. “Things aren’t always what they seem, even in marriage.”
“Well, I’ll be—”
“You didn’t hate that old green truck?” Pauline interrupted J.T. as she elbowed her way to Mr. Jensen’s side.
“No!” Mrs. Oliver shared a smile with her husband and hugged his arm tight against her side. “You see, James had two trucks before he bought that old green thing. But each time, he ended up selling them.” She sighed and patted her husband’s arm. “He always said we could use the money better for something else.”
“Well, we could. There was always something—”
“He means some student needed school shoes or lunch money,” Mrs. Oliver added, giving her husband a pointed look.
“So, you didn’t hate that old truck?” Sam looked dazed.
“I pretended to,” Mrs. Oliver said, looking at J.T. and smiling. “You see, I wanted James to fight for what he wanted for a change.”
Exchanging a puzzled look with Sam, J.T. shook his head. “Why do women say men are hard to understand?”
Mrs. Oliver reached out a thin hand to pat J.T.s arm. “When you get married, you’ll understand.”
Holding his hands up like a shield, J.T. gulped. “I don’t—”
“J. T., it’s like this, hon.” Stella said, gum popping as she put one hand on her hip and fluttered h
er lashes at him. “Men do the opposite of what a woman wants. So, if you want a man to do something…like make five hundred individual quiche for the Strawberry Festival Ball, then you have to convince him it’s his idea.” She cocked her head and sent an arched look at the man at her side. “Ain’t that right, Roy?”
Throwing his head back, J.T. laughed, feeling as if a heavy weight had just lifted from around his neck. His glance roved over the group, searching for Edee’s smiling face.
This ‘backwards’ psychology was new to him. But he could see from the look in Edee’s eyes that she understood the idea just fine. That was okay by him. Someday he would tell her how much he appreciated her arranging this meeting.
“Exactly,” Mrs. Oliver replied, joining Stella’s laughter.
“You’ve got that right.” Pauline wore a wise expression as she nudged the Mayor with her elbow.
“Let me get this straight.” Sam pulled Ellie snug against his side as he glanced from Mrs. Oliver to J.T. “You didn’t assign all that extra homework because you were mad over that truck?”
The spotlight brought a gleam Mrs. Oliver’s gray curls as her laugh tinkled. “Sam, shame on you for thinking such a thing, I was trying to get the seniors to buckle down for final exams.”
“You didn’t hate that old green truck?” J.T. leaned close to his former teacher, careful not to spill his punch on her.
“I wanted James to keep that truck. The only way I knew how to make him fight for it was to pretend I hated it.”
“You never rode in it.” Sam sounded doubtful.
“And take away the fun James had clipping around town on his own?” Mrs. Oliver shook her head. “That truck was his toy. I couldn’t spoil it for him.”
“See!” Stella faced the crowd surrounding them. “I told you J.T. was a good guy all along.”
An hour later, J.T. pulled Edee close as they danced to the band’s version of Love Me Tender. “I didn’t think you would come with me tonight.”
“I didn’t think you were going to ask me.” Edee tilted her face up to smile at him. Over the past hour, she had watched tension drain from him. His broad shoulders had a carefree swing. The light in his eyes sparkled bright when he smiled.
Squeezing her hand, J.T. looked in her eyes, allowing his gaze to offer promises. “You went to a lot of trouble…getting the Principal and his wife lined up to come tonight.”
His jaw clenched. Emotion filled his chest. “Thanks to you. Now everyone in town knows the truth about that old truck. I can’t tell you how much I appreciate that.” He pulled her tight against his chest. “For a while there, I thought about giving up—leaving town—again.”
Edee squeezed her eyes shut and let the heat of his body warm her from shoulder to knees. Her head settled on the width of his shoulder, a perfect fit. The strength of his arms held her close. She sighed, feeling she had found the place she belonged.
She felt his heart beating over time, just like hers as she inhaled the scent of his after-shave that identified him from all the other men in the room.
J.T. was honorable, trustworthy and he made her blood sing with longing. He was so right for her…if only she could win his heart.
She didn’t want to go back to the way things had been before the dance. She realized that, now after witnessing the way the past had held J.T. back from finding real happiness.
Inhaling a deep breath, as fog cleared from her head, she thought everything seemed so simple. She could visualize her dreams for the future. Trying to help J.T. forget the past had proved one thing.
She was the one who held the key to her future, no one else.
She could run and try to escape unhappiness, or she could follow J.T.’s example when he came back to face the past.
Flight, or fight?
She was ready to fight for the man she loved.
Clearing emotions blocking her throat, she leaned back to look in J.T.’s face. His strong features held her mesmerized for long seconds.
This was a man she could count on, a man who would stand by her when things got rough. Her heart danced a two-step in her chest. J.T. was everything she had ever wanted, and more than she dreamed.
“I…know you thought about leaving.” Staring in his eyes, she prayed he would see what was in her heart and understand what she was trying to say. “We both know about running away.” She sighed. “I lived with the results of running all my life. So did you.” She gripped his hand tighter and wouldn’t let go his gaze. “But I’ve learned a lot about staying, too.” Her voice dropped. “I learned that from you.”
Air whooshed through his lips. “From me?”
She snuggled against his shoulder to keep him from pulling away and looked up. “Yes—from you. When issues started popping up, you could have left town, but you didn’t.” Lips trembling, she smiled. “You stayed and faced the rumors from the past.” her voice broke. “And I know why.”
A strange expression crossed his face. His arm tightened around her. His brow smoothed. One corner of his mouth lifted in the half-grin she loved.
“Oh, you do, uh?” His eyes darkened as he pulled her tight against his body and buried his face in her hair. “Tell me, Ms. Cutt.”
His drawling pronunciation of her name felt like a caress. She remembered the first time they met. He had pronounced her name the same way. That memory and the tight grip of his arm holding her close gave her courage. “Because you know some things are worth fighting for.”
“Such as?” He breathed the question against her ear.
Edee shivered as his breath tickled her skin. Her heart pressed against his as they danced. Noise of the combined beating of those two organs almost drowned out the loud music. Inhaling a quivering breath, she lifted her chin. Their eyes locked in a look that promised everything she had ever wanted. “You love Redbud and you’re willing to stand up for who you are.”
“What about you?” His glance dropped to her lips, making her heart race at the thought of kissing him. “Why didn’t you run?”
Air shuddered from her lungs. Her lips quivered under his stare. Everything that mattered in her life came down to this second. “Running is easy.” She angled her chin higher. “Besides, everything I want is here.” Her breath hitched. “And…what I want is worth fighting for.”
“What do you want, Edee?” His voice sounded hoarse as the words feathered across her ear.
Edee took courage from his tone. “A future with the man I love.”
J.T.’s sparkling gaze locked with hers. After long seconds, he lowered his head. Their breath mingled, as his lips claimed hers in a kiss filled with promise.
Her knees wobbled and she would have fallen if he hadn’t hugged her tight to his chest. This is all she had ever wanted. A man to love her and make her feel she belonged.
The music changed.
Lifting his head, J.T. stared deep into her eyes for long breathless seconds. “The last dance.” His arms tightened around her, again. “Dance with me?”
Edee held his gaze. The emotion filling his eyes told her all she needed to know. The past was gone. Their future waited.
“I thought you would never ask.” Her breath caught as her glance dropped to his lips. In that instant, she knew she had come home, that J.T. was her future, and Redbud was where their dreams would come true.
“I love you, Edee.” J.T. stared into her eyes. “Marry me?”
“Oh, yes!” She managed past the excitement stealing her breath. “A thousand times yes!”
J.T. pulled her so close they could barely move as the last notes of the song filled the hall. But neither wanted to let go their grip on their future, their dreams.
***
Two weeks later, this announcement appeared in the REDBUD GAZETTE.
The women of Redbud hosted a wedding reception yesterday on the courthouse square for Mr. and Mrs. Jacob Troy Knight.
The bride, in a white hat and dress, carried long-stem red roses, a gift from Pauline Morgan’s rose garde
n. The Mayor was overheard telling Chief Proctor that his wife wouldn’t have cut those roses for anyone but Edee.
The groom, polished as a new penny in his dark suit, grinned wide for the cameras. Sam and Ellie, the best man and matron of honor, provided the photographer, a contact of Ellie’s from her time in New York.
Emily Proctor and Mae Oliver poured punch by the gallons as Stella and Roy served up enough of Roy’s wings to fly the whole wedding party to Bermuda…but wisely, the guests stayed behind as J.T. and Edee departed.
After their honeymoon, J.T. and Edee plan to reside in Redbud.
The End
Dear Reader,
I hope you enjoy this return to Redbud to revisit familiar characters as you read Edee and J.T.’s story. The residents of Redbud hold a special place in my heart as the characters in my debut novel. Even several novels later, those residents begged for another story and here it is.
A BRIDE FOR MR. RIGHT.
Keep watch for the next story set in Redbud as these characters continue...
If you enjoyed this book, you might like another novel WHEN A DOG PLAYS CUPID.
Happy Reading!
Carol
Keep watch for a story filled with a hunger for power, danger and desire...coming soon.
Also, love conquerors all…but can true love be based on the birth of a child that isn’t even your own? Coming soon.
http://www.carolhutchens.com
A Bride For Mr. Right (Redbud Romance Book 2) Page 19