by Molly Cannon
Theo didn’t think it was any of Donny Joe’s business, but Donny Joe had known Irene for a long time, so he decided to give him the benefit of the doubt. Besides, he didn’t want to start trouble at Jake’s party, so instead of telling Donny Joe to shove it, he nodded and said, “Many moons ago.”
“She’s a wonderful woman.” Donny Joe announced this solemnly as if he was preaching to a hell-bent sinner.
Theo took a sip of his beer. No one needed to sing Ree’s praises to him. “You are telling me this because?”
Donny Joe’s aw-shucks demeanor disappeared, and he pinned him with a glacial stare. “Because I expect you to be on your best behavior while you’re in Everson.”
Theo straightened. He was ready to change his mind about causing trouble if Donny Joe kept pushing it. “Are you threatening me, Donny Joe?”
Donny Joe shrugged. “Not at all. I’m just saying Irene could be vulnerable where an old flame’s concerned. If you fly into town and stir up old feelings and then disappear again, I’ll find you and beat you within an inch of your life. That’s all.”
Theo laughed. It was nice to know Irene had a champion, but Donny Joe was crossing the line. “Okay. For a minute I thought you were threatening me.”
If possible, Donny Joe’s expression grew sterner. “Just watch yourself.”
Theo had had enough. “Look, Donny Joe, if I’m not mistaken you have a history of your own involving Irene. And now you’re engaged to Etta Green. Maybe I should be beating you within an inch of your life.”
Donny Joe tipped his hat back on his head. “Okay. Point taken, but you can’t believe everything you hear through the grapevine.”
Theo didn’t try to hide his disdain. “That grapevine seems to be the main source of information for you folks in this town.”
Donny Joe threw up his hands. “Guilty as charged.” He punched Theo on the shoulder while slipping his good ol’ boy grin back in place. “But I mean it. If you hurt her, you’ll answer to me.”
Theo rubbed his shoulder. “You’ve made your feelings clear. I’ll take it all under consideration. Now if you’ll excuse me.” Theo was growing weary of Donny Joe’s lecture and started to get up, but Donny Joe stopped him with a hand in the air.
“Hang on a minute. Now that we’ve got that straight, there’s something else I want to ask about.”
Theo sat back down. “What about?”
“Well, I’ve heard there’s a chance you’re considering settling down here for good. I know you’d be working with Jake, but I wonder if you’d consider another offer.”
“You heard wrong. Jake mentioned the idea, but I’m not planning on sticking around.” Jake needed to stop spreading that idea around town. “After the wedding I’ll be heading to Australia.”
Donny Joe nodded. “That’s too bad. We could use a pilot to make a few runs to Dallas for the Hazelnut Inn. I thought you might be interested.”
Out of curiosity Theo asked, “For guests or supplies?”
“Both. We have quite a few guests who would pay to fly from Dallas, and if we could offer that as a regular service, it would be a boon. But supplies would be something we’d consider, too, if it was cost-effective.”
“You should talk to Bart at the airfield. He could probably help you out with that.” Theo pondered the idea briefly before dismissing it. If he planned to stay he might be interested, but he wasn’t so there was no point in discussing it further.
“Okay, but if you change your mind, let me know.”
“Sure, Donny Joe. But as of now I plan to sell my plane and head to Australia.” Theo stood up. “Now I need to make a toast celebrating my brother’s big day tomorrow.”
Donny Joe nodded and stood up, too. “I’ll drink to that. To Jake and Marla Jean. Now there are two people who actually belong together.” Theo watched him walk away before clearing his throat and raising his glass.
She should have been worrying about some unattended detail. There was bound to be something important to take care of. But she’d been over her checklist a dozen times and the wedding was well under way. Everything looked beautiful.
At this very moment Marla Jean stood at the outdoor altar with Jake beaming by her side. Their love for each other was obvious, almost painful for Irene to see. She’d given up long ago on ever having that kind of love again in her life.
Once again, in the same way it had been doing all day, her gaze strayed to Theo. He stood tall and proud by Jake’s side. She found it hard not to stare at him. Impossible really. And right now she could probably get away with it without anyone noticing. All the good folks of Everson were rightfully focused on Marla Jean and Jake, so Irene could safely steal a moment to study Theo without being caught.
The first thing that struck her was a certain sense about him, an air he carried, that he’d lived life to the fullest. He was a bit older obviously. No longer the young man she’d fallen in love with all those years ago. And she’d seen more than one woman sitting in the audience check out the way his body filled out his tuxedo. The afternoon was warm, but Irene wasn’t sure if the women were fanning themselves because of the heat or from the sheer impact of seeing the two Jacobson brothers standing side by side in front of them. They made quite a picture.
Irene thought it was almost unfair for two men to be so good-looking. Jake was a little taller, his frame a little broader, but Irene preferred Theo’s slim elegance. The leanness of youth had turned to muscle, and he carried himself with a confident grace that said he’d seen the world and was sure of his place in it.
And then there was his face. A strong jaw, a slender nose, and a mouth that could tempt any woman with a pulse. That dark hair she remembered so well falling down onto his forehead and brushing his collar. The way it curled when she used to run her fingers through it. His eyes hadn’t changed. They were still as blue as the sky on a bright, sunny day. After all these years she still dreamed about getting lost in those laughing eyes. Now a few lines fanned out from the corners when he grinned. And he seemed to grin all the time. Those lines hadn’t been there back in the days when they shared an apartment. They gave him a dashing, happy-go-lucky air that dared the world to join him on his next adventure. With Theo there was always a next adventure.
At that moment he looked up and caught her staring. He winked. Damn him. She could already tell he was not going to make the next few weeks easy for her. Breakfast at the Rise-N-Shine hadn’t been the nightmare she’d expected. Everyone stopped by to say howdy and stare at them like they’d escaped from the circus. She was already a bit of a curiosity to folks in town, so finding out about Theo was just another piece added to her shadowy past. Marla Jean and Jake helped, though. They took it all in stride, and soon the gossipmongers went away disappointed at not finding anything scandalous to report. For his part, Theo smiled and chatted with his arm draped across the back of the booth, just grazing her shoulder, and Irene shivered from the barely there touch. Since then he’d been friendly, maybe a little too friendly for her peace of mind.
Irene snapped out of her daydream when the preacher announced grandly, “I now pronounce you man and wife. You may kiss your bride.”
Jake smiled and leaned down, placing a gentle kiss on Marla Jean’s lips. She was having none of that. She threw her arms around his neck kissing him passionately, and the crowd went hog wild, and then they made their trek down the grassy aisle as newly united Mr. and Mrs. Jacobson.
Irene got ready to corral the newlyweds and the members of the wedding party so the photographer could finish getting pictures of the big day. And the minister was directing the guests to the pavilion where dinner would be served by Etta and her staff.
Irene beamed. The ceremony had gone off without a hitch. Everyone was so happy for Marla Jean and Jake. It was contagious. Now everyone was ready to kick up their heels and enjoy the reception inside the pavillion. A big party where the guests would eat, drink, and dance the night away. But she couldn’t stand around patting herself on the
back. She still had work to do.
“As best man, it’s not only my duty, but my honor to toast the bride and groom.” The wedding guests turned their attention to the front table where Theo stood with a glass of champagne in his hand. “I’m not the best public speaker in the world, but I want everyone to know the kind of man Jake is.”
He turned to face his brother, and the two men exchanged a significant look. Theo’s voice was full of love and pride as he continued, “He’s my big brother, but you might not know that we didn’t meet until after our father died. Jake, even though he was still in college, took it upon himself to be there for me, no matter what. He came to all my baseball games, he helped me out with my first car, let me crash on his couch when I got drunk after my first girlfriend dumped me.” He paused and added with a grin, “I know it’s hard to believe any woman would ever dump me.”
While everyone laughed he spotted Irene at the back of the room. She glanced up and their eyes collided, locking in a heated stare. She raised her glass of punch in acknowledgment. The flower arrangement on the table suddenly seemed to require all of her attention, and she looked away.
He continued, “Some of you have actually known Jake longer than I have, and everyone agrees he’s a great guy. I wasn’t sure he was ever going to smarten up and ask Marla Jean to marry him, but I’m glad he finally did. I don’t know of any two people who belong together as much as you two do.” He clapped Jake on the back and raised his glass. “Here’s to Jake and Marla Jean. I love you both.”
Everyone raised a glass to the newlyweds. Marla Jean hugged his neck and Jake did, too. He looked like he had a tear in his eye. “Thanks, little brother. I am the happiest man in the world today.”
Theo looked him straight in the eye and said sincerely, “You deserve it. Thanks for everything, Jake.”
After that there were more toasts, more well-wishers telling stories about the couple. Marla Jean and Jake danced their first dance as a newly married couple. Soon everyone else joined them on the dance floor.
As the maid of honor, Dinah, despite her hugely pregnant condition, decided to lead the group in a line dance. Lincoln joined his wife, and Theo laughed, watching Hoot and Dooley with their wives doing the Cupid Shuffle. Even Milton and Bitsy joined in.
Theo looked around for Irene, but she seemed to have disappeared.
He hadn’t realized how much this wedding would make him think about what could have been. Considering the life he could have had if they’d gone through with their plans to marry. He’d given up that dream years ago, and these days he was all about keeping things light and casual. But if he was honest, no woman had ever lived up to his memories of Ree and the days they’d spent together.
There was always a chance since he’d be working for her now that he’d discover he was painting the past with a rosy glow that wouldn’t live up to the harsh light of the present day. They were both older now and different people than the two kids who’d thought they’d been in love. Reality would probably give him a nice kick in the head and show him that she wasn’t the same woman he’d dreamed about. And if he was lucky, he hoped he could finally say he was over her once and for all. Spending time with her would be good. Build up some immunity so she didn’t have the power to lay waste to his emotions with every smile or glance. At least it sounded like a good excuse to do what he really wanted to do. He spotted her across the room and headed in that direction.
Chapter Six
Can I have this dance?” Theo approached Irene while she was checking on the punch bowl. As soon as the ceremony was over, he’d watched her bustling around, making sure everything was running smoothly. He had to give her credit. She’d done a nice job with the wedding. Maybe her new career wasn’t such a crazy idea after all.
“Go away, Theo. I’m the hired help. I can’t take time from my duties to dance with you.” She laughed like he’d just suggested the silliest thing.
“Sure you can.” He took an empty glass from her hand and returned it to the table. He tossed his head in the direction of the couple that owned the Inn. “Donny Joe and Etta are dancing. I think that means you can, too.” He held out his hand.
“People are starting to stare, Theo. Now just go away.”
“They are only staring because they can’t believe how beautiful you look today. Green was always a good color on you.” She was wearing a short dress the color of apples, and it looked like it would be silky to the touch.
She laughed, but he thought she blushed, too. “Wow. You’re dragging out the charm for me? Why don’t you go dance with someone else? I’m sure they’ll be more susceptible.”
“You don’t need to remind me how completely immune you are to my charms. Ree, I have deep scars to prove that.” He put his hand over his heart as if she’d wounded him.
Her eyebrows shot up. “Deep scars? Don’t make me laugh. And when did you become so dramatic?”
His grin was unapologetic. “Okay, the truth is I’m only asking for Jake and Marla Jean’s sake. If everyone sees us getting along, they won’t have anything to gossip about. That way the focus can stay entirely on the happy bride and groom. Where it belongs.”
“So noble of you, Theo.” She turned to watch the happy couple, who swayed in the middle of the crowd. “They do look happy, don’t they?”
Theo turned, too, and leaned over to whisper in her ear, “They look as if they’re the only people on the planet.” He heard her sigh and pressed his advantage. “That’s true love. It took them awhile to find each other, but I’d say that’s a case of happily ever after if there ever was one.”
Before she could protest again, he drew her out onto the dance floor. The song was a country two-step, and he wrapped her up in his arms. She fit perfectly. Randy Travis was singing about loving someone forever. Amen. He held her hand in his remembering the delicate shape, her slender fingers, the soft skin of her palm nestled against his. His other hand rested on her waist, and he could feel the warmth of her body through the material of her pale green dress. He’d been right. It was silky. And smooth, just like the skin it was lucky enough to skim over.
“Remember when we used to go dancing at the Blue Lagoon?” He didn’t know if he should be bringing up old times or not, but when they’d been young and broke and crazy happy, they’d spent a lot of time spinning around the dance floor of the club close to their apartment in Dallas.
“I remember.” Her voice was soft.
“We had some good times back then, didn’t we, Ree?” He pulled her closer, and she reacted by pushing away.
“Don’t do this, Theo. Don’t try to soften me up with a half-assed corny walk down memory lane.”
He did a quick spin and grinned. “Are you saying we didn’t used to burn up the dance floor back in the good old days?”
“If they were so good, why haven’t we talked to each other in all these years?”
He stopped dancing and moved to the edge of the dance floor. “I believe that was your choice, Ree.”
“I was only following your lead.” She smiled breezily at the folks dancing past them, but they still gawked at the two of them like they’d shed their clothes and were dancing around naked.
Theo narrowed his eyes and dropped her hand. “You can revise our history all you want, but I’m the one who got a letter saying it was all over. Just like that.”
“Theo, lower your voice, please. It wasn’t just like that, and you know it. Now is not the time to rehash all of this. I’m working and your plan backfired. People are staring at us. Not in a good way, either.”
Theo glanced around and saw that it was true. He pasted on a big smile for show. “You’re right. I apologize. Next time I ask you to dance we’ll just talk about the weather.”
“What in the world makes you think there will be a next time?”
“Darlin’, as long as we’re in the same town, there will always be a next time.” As long as they were on the same damned planet, he thought, next time was all but inevitable
.
She reached up and patted him on the cheek. “Don’t hold your breath, darlin’. Now if you’ll excuse me, it’s time for the bride and groom to cut the cake.”
Irene walked into the empty pavilion and looked at the ravages left behind by the wedding revelers. She couldn’t remember ever being so tired.
She dropped into a chair, allowing herself a minute to sit down and look over her checklist. She decided right then and there that planning and executing a wedding was a snap compared to cleaning up the aftermath. Not that she didn’t have plenty of people helping, of course, but there was so much to be done and a short amount of time to do it. Part of her contract with the Hazelnut Inn was a promise to return the pavilion back to normal as quickly as possible. It wouldn’t help to have weddings at the Inn if they were too disruptive to the other guests staying there.
Thank goodness Etta and her kitchen staff from the Inn had taken care of gathering up all the dirty dishes, and they’d also packaged up any leftover food, including the cake. Irene had hired some college kids, one who happened to have a pickup truck, to help with the chairs rented for the ceremony. The pavilion had tables and chairs for the reception, but it didn’t make sense to keep two hundred or more chairs around for outdoor ceremonies, too. Besides brides liked to choose the type of chairs they wanted. Renting them was the most sensible thing to do. Marla Jean had opted for simple chairs with cloth covers. So all of the covers had to be carefully removed first, and then the chairs had to be folded and stacked and loaded into the truck. The boys had finished their task awhile ago and immediately left to take the chairs back to the rental place. She looked at her list. Check. That was taken care of.
The reception space had looked spectacular, an exploding summer garden with flower arrangements gracing every table and surface. Now they were all gone. Oliver Barton was a local handyman she used for odd jobs around her house. Since starting her new business she paid him to help with setting up before the ceremony and taking everything down afterward. She had already helped him fill the bed of his truck with the flowers, and he was on his way with them now to the hospital to spread cheer and happiness to lonely patients. There was no reason for them to go to waste. That was another large job checked off her list.