by Molly Cannon
“Wow. I detect a sugar theme.” He laughed and nodded toward Nell’s shroud-covered float. “What do you think Nell will be throwing? Fried eggs and biscuits?”
“Who knows? I’m sure it is a highly guarded secret just like her float.”
“If this thing is so competitive, why doesn’t anyone else care about hiding their float?”
“I don’t know. I guess Romeo’s Pizza doesn’t think anyone else is going to build a giant pizza to go on their float.”
“You have a point. Cheese and pepperoni don’t exactly say I do.” Theo finished using the screwdriver to tighten the last bracket into the wood.
Irene laughed. “And Brick’s Bait Shop doesn’t have to worry about anyone stealing their decorating scheme, either.”
Theo pretended to ponder that. “I don’t know. Walking down the aisle through crossed fishing poles might be somebody’s idea of a perfect wedding. But I think when it comes to the trophy, Lu Lu’s might be the one to beat.”
Irene looked concerned. “Why do you think that? What are they doing?”
“I haven’t seen it, but if Mike’s float has a bar and jukebox, that’s going to be where I’m hanging out.” Mike was the longtime bartender and part owner of Lu Lu’s dance hall, and the parade would begin and end in his parking lot on the edge of town.
She pooh-poohed the very idea. “Don’t be silly. I’m pretty sure Mike can’t serve alcohol at nine o’clock in the morning along the parade route.”
“Damn. I guess it’s for the best, though. The folks here in Everson are a wild bunch, and things might get a little rowdy.”
She acted indignant. “Are you making fun of my town?”
He climbed down and took some of the flowers from her arms. “So, it’s your town now?”
She sighed. “It feels more like home than Derbyville ever did.”
“I know what you mean. Since Mom is not there anymore, I don’t have too many reasons to go back. Wally and Jeff from my old high school baseball team asked me to come out and sub on their softball team.”
“Are you going to do it?”
“I don’t know. Maybe. You could come sit in the stands and cheer me on. Since we’ve decided to be friends.”
“I’ll think about it. That might be fun. I still go back and see my aunt.”
“You do? I wasn’t sure you stayed in touch.”
“Oh, sure. Aunt Jo always did her best for me, and since Uncle Eddie died, I try to make certain she has help with the house. Things like that.”
“Where are her daughters?”
“They are both in Dallas. I’m closer and I can afford to pay someone to take care of her yard and paint the house every other year.”
“That’s very nice of you, Ree.”
“She won’t let me do any more, but she seems interested in helping with the wedding planning business.”
“And you like that idea?” He hadn’t seen her look so happy about anything in a while.
“I do. She’s family. You know?”
He did know. Jake was the main reason he’d considered staying in Everson. Spending more time with his big brother had been an ongoing goal. Since he’d be leaving soon, spending time with Irene was easier, too. He didn’t watch every word he said or even try to convince himself that he didn’t want her with every fiber in his being. He just planned to take the time he had left and store it up. Maybe it would get him through the next ten years of living without her.
Irene interrupted his thoughts. “What about your mom? How’s she doing?”
Theo shrugged. “She seems happy. But I’ve thought that before, and she always ends up turning in her current husband for a new one.”
She looked concerned. “Because of your dad?”
“Probably. Finding out he had another family the whole time he was with us. I’d say she has trust issues.”
Irene crossed her arms across her chest. “I can understand how she’d feel. She’s protecting herself.”
Theo wasn’t so sure. “But in the long run she’s being self-destructive. She won’t allow herself a chance to be happy once and for all.”
“Do you think most people ever have that chance?” She looked at him as if she might be lost. She looked at him as if his answer mattered.
He took the rest of the flowers away from her and laid them on the float. Then he did something completely selfish. He wrapped her in his arms and rocked her back and forth. “I don’t have a clue. But you are young and beautiful, and someday you will meet someone to share your life with.” And he wouldn’t be around to see it.
She pulled back so she could look into his eyes. “Are you going to turn into my personal matchmaker now?”
“Not a chance. I’m sure I wouldn’t find anyone I considered good enough for you.”
She laid her head against his chest. “Did I give up on us too easily?”
“That’s a loaded question, and I don’t want to argue with you anymore. If we can scrape out some semblance of friendship by the time I leave, I’ll consider that a victory.”
She pulled out of his arms. “You and me. Friends. That’s a concept that would take some getting used to.”
“It might be nice since I know I’ll be back occasionally to see Jake and Marla Jean.”
“Especially if they start having kids. They’ll need to know their uncle Theo.”
That made him smile. “I can teach them some bad habits. They’ll be crazy about me.”
“I always thought you’d be good with kids.”
He frowned and before he could think it through said, “Just not our kids?”
Chapter Seventeen
She looked like he’d slapped her.
He immediately felt remorse. “Ree, I’m sorry. I vowed I’d stay away from sensitive subjects.”
“I’d say that’s a pretty sensitive subject.”
He walked over and sat down on the edge of the float. “I know, and I’m so sorry. When I found out you were pregnant, I was dancing on the moon. I felt ten feet tall. I was going to be a father. We were going to have a baby. You and me. It seemed like a miracle. But then you had the miscarriage, and I tried to be strong for you, but inside I was dying.” He realized now he should have told her how he’d felt a long time ago.
She sat down beside him and took his hand. “You really wanted the baby, too?”
Her soft question ripped him apart, and he tightened his grip, holding on for all he was worth. He could see the pain in her eyes, and he hated that he’d had a part in putting it there. “Of course I did. How could you have ever doubted that?”
She let out a shuddering sigh. “Well, I knew the timing was all wrong. We were so young and still in school. But I was thrilled. And scared. And happy. And devastated when I miscarried.” She leaned her head against his shoulder.
He turned, cupping her face in his hands. “Me too, Ree.”
Her eyes were wet, but she seemed determined not to cry. “It seems there were lots of things we didn’t talk about. I guess we were both caught up in our own pain.”
“When we lost the baby, I started thinking I needed to be more responsible for you and any other children we might have. It played a big part in deciding to join the Navy. We were two young kids playing house, and when you got pregnant, I woke up and realized it wasn’t a game. Why do you think I talked to that recruiter? I needed a plan for the future.”
“I just thought you wanted out.”
“After I got your letter saying it was over, I used to think about those kids we might have had. The family we might have been, and I couldn’t understand why you didn’t love me enough to give me that chance.”
“Theo, we both ended up hurting each other, and that probably means we were too immature to deal with our feelings. When you left, I felt abandoned and completely alone. But now I can say I’m sorry for the way I handled it.”
“I’m sorry, too.” He pulled her into a hug, and they held each other, healing some of the old pain that had lai
n between them all these years.
Dooley walked by and yelled, “Hey, you two, no making out on the job. Get to work.”
They pulled apart laughing, wondering what new rumor Dooley would spread about the two of them now.
Theo turned away and dashed the tears from his eyes. As a distraction he gathered up some of the flowers. “There’s something I wanted to talk to you about. Wally said there’s a big Derbyville High School reunion planned for the weekend before the Fourth. He said I should come.”
Irene started poking the flowers into the chicken wire. “Are you going to go?”
“Maybe. Would you go with me?” Once the idea occurred to him he couldn’t let it go.
She seemed surprised. “Me? I don’t have a lot of good memories from high school. I had to work and didn’t have many friends.”
“Except for the guys on the baseball team, I didn’t, either. But it might be fun. We could go back and you could say, ‘Hey everybody, look at me now.’ ”
“Oh, that would be awfully petty of me, don’t you think?”
“I think some of those snotty girls and boys have grown up and become nicer people. We won’t know unless we go to the reunion. I’m game if you are.”
Irene laughed and shook her head. “I don’t know. Let me think about it.”
Theo stood up and reached down and picked up more flowers. “Okay, now tell me what the heck we’re doing with all these flowers.”
Irene looked at her image in the mirror. Theo was picking her up for the reunion in about an hour. Getting ready to go out had been an exercise in mental gymnastics. She wanted to look elegant without being too dressy. Classic and tasteful without looking like an old lady. But then again she couldn’t help but want to show a touch of sexiness without being trashy. There were so many lines she didn’t want to cross. She’d gone online and looked at the reunion announcement. The dress code said semiformal.
She couldn’t decide if that meant knee length or floor length. In a small town like Derbyville, it might mean not wearing flip-flops with your sundress.
She’d finally given up all pretense of not caring what she looked like and drove to Dallas the day before to shop for the perfect dress. She settled on a cobalt-blue above-the-knee dress with three-inch blue-and-coral heels. They made her legs look nine miles long. The dress was made from silky, swirly material that made her feel feminine and pretty. It wasn’t the same type of armor she donned for a night on the town at Lu Lu’s, but it was armor all the same. And if she was honest, she hoped to see a reaction from Theo when he came to pick her up for the date.
“A date with Theo.” She said it out loud, letting the words hang in the air of her bedroom. She’d tried to downplay that idea, but Theo wouldn’t let her. In fact, he’d crowed about it when she’d finally said yes.
He’d grabbed her around the waist and twirled her around. “I don’t believe it. You’ll go with me?”
She pounded on his chest until he put her down. “Stop it, Theo. I said I’ll go.”
“I need to tell someone.” He looked across the hangar and yelled at Lincoln and Dinah. They were working on their float for the parade. It had a desk sitting in front of a giant calculator. “Hey, guys, Irene agreed to go out with me.”
“Congratulations,” Linc hollered back. Dinah turned with her hands on her giant pregnant belly. “Irene, you better watch that guy. I hear he can be trouble.”
Irene waved in acknowledgment to them. “Hush, Theo. It’s not a date.”
“Of course it’s a date. I’m going to wear a suit. You’re going to wear a dress. If I’m wearing a suit and tie, then it better be a date.”
She finally relented, and now she was looking forward to the night. Since they’d talked about the miscarriage, she’d felt more at ease with Theo. At the time she’d been so caught up in her own fog of sorrow and suffering that she hadn’t been able to see that he’d been in pain as well.
Tonight should be fun. Except for the nagging feeling that she might throw up any minute. Seeing all those girls would bring back memories she wanted to forget. But it was too late to back out now. It would be cowardly and unfair to Theo.
She grabbed her purse and went downstairs to wait for Theo.
Charlie was on the couch in the living room reading and stood up as she came down the stairs. “My goodness. You look great.”
“Thanks, Charlie.” They needed to get some things settled about his working schedule. And while they were at it, they needed to address his living arrangements, too. It was a big house, but she wasn’t comfortable sharing it with Charlie permanently.
“What’s the occasion?”
“It’s my high school reunion.” She felt a little embarrassed.
“You went to high school here?”
“No, I went to school in Derbyville.”
“I wouldn’t mind tagging along if you’d like some company. I’m bored out of my mind sitting around this place.”
“Sorry, but someone is picking me up.”
“You have a date? Who’s the lucky guy?”
“It’s not a date. I’m going with Theo, if you must know.”
“Theo. Your ex?”
“You don’t have to say it like I’m committing a crime. He went to school in Derbyville, too. He heard about it from some of his old friends. He told me about it, and we both decided it might be fun. You know, see what kind of adults those kids turned out to be.”
His voice was full of appreciation when he said, “Well, I know it’s not your prom, but I think you’ll turn a few heads.”
“Thanks, Charlie. You might try hanging out at Lu Lu’s if you’re bored. That’s where most folks go on a Saturday night in Everson.”
He nodded. “I might just do that.”
The doorbell rang, and she jumped, unable to hide her nerves. “My date,” she said breathlessly.
He laughed. “Now it’s a date. Do you want me to get it?” He stood up and started toward the door.
She hurried after him. “No, no, I’ll do it.” She gave him a pointed looked, and he took the hint.
“Okay, I can see I’m not needed. I’ll make myself scarce. Have fun.” He grinned and disappeared toward the kitchen.
Irene took a deep breath and walked to the front door. Pulling it open, she smiled at Theo.
His eyes were wide with appreciation. “Ree, you look amazing.”
She did a little twirl, asking, “Do you like it?”
“You’re going to knock a few socks off in that dress.” His eyes raked her from head to toe, and she loved every minute of it.
Her heart sped up under his gaze. He wore a gray suit with a crisp white shirt and a blue tie. He was the one that looked amazing. She didn’t try to hide the pleasure she would feel by just being on his arm tonight. “Thank you. But I’m afraid I wanted to look good for all the wrong reasons.”
He laughed, and his eyes twinkled in a way that had her tummy doing backflips. “In that case, wrong never looked so right.”
She grabbed her purse from the side table and joined him on the porch. “You’re being nice, but I didn’t want to walk into that room and give Christine Dempsey anything to be catty about.”
“Christine Dempsey. I haven’t thought about her in years. Didn’t she have a mouthful of braces?” He took her arm as they walked down the steps.
“She did. But braces were all the rage back then.” She smiled and pointed to a lightly crooked tooth. “We couldn’t afford braces. That was only one of the many ways I didn’t fit in.”
He frowned. “I guess I never realized that. When I looked at you, I always saw the prettiest girl in school. Nobody else compared.”
“Theo, you don’t have to try to make me feel better.”
“I’m not. You knew how I felt. Even way back then. Don’t pretend it was a big surprise.”
“Okay, but back to Christine. As soon as you mentioned the reunion, I remembered how she and her little clique of followers used to torment me every
day of the school year.”
“Why?” He opened the car door and helped her into the passenger seat.
Before he closed the door, she said, “Who knows? My clothes weren’t fashionable enough. My hair wasn’t cut the right way. Girls like that don’t need a reason once they decide you aren’t one of them.”
He shut the door before trotting around the car and climbing into the driver’s seat. Once he started the engine he said, “Well, they might as well wear paper bags tonight, because no one will give them a second look once you make your grand appearance.”
“Well, that’s the way I imagine it happening, anyway. But I’ll settle for civil, polite behavior.”
“That’s awfully tame.” He pulled out of the driveway, heading down the hill toward town.
“Well, I’m a mature woman these days. Even if I did have all sorts of trouble picking out the right dress, I’m not going let a few bad memories from years ago keep me from having a good time tonight. Do you think there will be dancing?”
He flashed a grin illuminated by the dashboard lights. “I’m counting on it.”
To hide her smile, Irene turned to stare out at the dark night. Trees and the occasional streetlight passed in a blur as they drove out of Everson and headed toward their old hometown.
“Hey, do you remember the progressive double two-step we used to do when we lived in Dallas?” Theo asked.
“Oh, right. That dance instructor Barb gave free lessons at the Blue Lagoon every Friday night. How could I forget?”
Theo glanced away from the road. “And we’d get there early because they offered the free appetizer buffet.”
She sighed. “I do believe that buffet kept us from starving the first year we were in Dallas.”
“Between what we could eat at the buffet and the leftovers you brought home from the country club, we managed. But with the buffet we learned a new dance as a bonus.”
Irene supposed a little reminiscing was in order while driving to a reunion. And those were fond memories. They’d had some good times in that club. “Okay, you convinced me. I’ll save you at least one dance. Maybe two.”