Plain City Bridesmaids

by Dianne Christner

  He kissed her on her cheek. “I need to go change before supper.”

  “Hurry back. I want to show you what I made for my little girl.”

  “Okay, Grams. I’ll be right back.” He looked over at his mom, and she gave him a nod so he hustled up the steps to his room. After his shower, he speed-dialed Lil while he finished dressing.

  “So did she say anything about me?” he asked.

  “She’s not talking to me about you. Except about your work. She’s pleased with that.”

  The compliment gave him a great deal of satisfaction.

  “But I can tell by the way she looks at you that she still cares. It’s like she’s afraid to be around you.”

  Jake leaned against the wall and crossed his arms. “She told me she’s dating David. That she’s only tolerating me. She’s warming up, but too slowly. I’m almost done at the doddy house.”

  “There’s still the building committee.”

  He straightened. “She’s smart. And you’re right about her keeping her distance. I’m scared this isn’t going to work. I can’t stand the thought of that Miller guy and her together.”

  “I have an idea. What do people do when somebody’s in the hospital or there’s a death in the family?”

  Jake shrugged and moved to his window. “I don’t know.”

  “Think, chump.”

  Jake looked down over the flat fields, clumps of snow still evident. “They send cards and take casseroles.”

  “Exactly. Well, you’re going to take her a casserole.”

  “I know you think a lot about food, but that’s pretty stupid.”

  “A good-deed casserole.”

  “Go on.”

  “She’s under pressure at work. Her boss gave her tickets to take Addison to the ballet. To her this is a stressful thing. You’re going to hold her hand.”

  “I’m taking her to the ballet?”

  “Sort of. Here’s the plan.”

  Jake listened and realized that Lil was a genius at more than cooking.

  CHAPTER 13

  February brought Katy a reprieve—clear skies and melting snow–with no storms on the personal front, either. Although she still had the ballet tickets tucked inside her cleaning journal, work had been uneventful. The doddy house was progressing nicely in spite of Jake’s presence, and the weekly building committee meeting had been postponed.

  Also David had asked her out again—date number three, which fulfilled her father’s stipulation. But she wasn’t a fool. A person couldn’t count on a winter’s reprieve to hold out much longer than a week.

  Katy and David eyed each other over a plastic red rose. The cozy Italian place with its white vinyl tablecloths was the type where waiters could be heard calling out their orders and the clinking of dishes filled any break in the music, a place where David didn’t look out of place in his jeans and button-down shirt.

  He snapped open his menu and asked, “Know much about Italian food?”

  “I know spaghetti and lasagna. Love them both.” Katy relaxed in the soft black booth and cast him a smile.

  “Lasagna … number three on the menu.” He set the menu aside. “Since this is our third date, that sounds like a good fit, don’t you think?”

  The pulse-pounding question caught her off guard, and she peeked at him above her own menu. Was he goading her? His eyes shone with something she couldn’t quite read. Straightening, she set down her menu and took a sip of her water. Only she choked. Clutching up a red napkin, she struggled not to send water spewing across the table at David. Quickly she unrolled the napkin and dumped the silverware, pressing the cloth to her face. When she finally could breathe again, she peeped at him through watering eyes. Was he goading? Or just naive?

  He looked concerned. “You okay?”

  “Fine.”

  The waiter came, and David gave him their orders. When they were alone again, he asked, “So you love lasagna? What else do you love?”

  “Clean black cars,” she said.

  “Is that why you go out with me? Because you like my car?”

  “No. I’m here because I wanted to see where Lil works.” When she saw her teasing had hit its mark, she grinned. “And because you’re a really nice guy.”

  His gaze told her he didn’t believe that for a moment.

  “So what do you love?” she asked him, but instantly knew what he would reply.

  “Shiny black cars,” they said in unison and then both laughed.

  “What about farming?” she asked.

  “I like driving the big machinery, but it’s pretty dull in the winter. Ivan and I get along good, though. If it wasn’t for him, I’d probably be doing something else by now.” He studied her a moment, then ventured, “It’s not the farming I like, it’s the driving. You know, anything with a motor. Brrrm-brrrm.”

  She smiled.

  He leaned close, and his aftershave wafted over her, warm and inviting as his secretive hazel eyes. “I like engines. Speed. You ever go to the races?”

  When he leaned back again, the scent was gone but there remained a more vivid impression of the workings of the man across the table, one that might explain the mischievous glint that often appeared in his eyes. Was it a desire for something more than the ordinary, and might that be fast cars? In her imagination, she saw David yanking his gearshift down and racing his shiny black beast down some country road. “No. You drag race?”

  “Now that would be breaking the law,” he grinned. The smell of garlic, and the appearance of their salad and a basket of buttery breadsticks instantly commanded their appetite and attention.

  He passed her the basket then said offhandedly, “How’s the doddy house coming?”

  The warm bread melted in Katy’s mouth. Savoring it, then swallowing, she said, “We’re moving in next weekend.”

  “We missed your friend Jake last Saturday at the cleanup. Was he working at your place?”

  She couldn’t miss the jealous tone of David’s voice and felt instantly defensive. “He did help us paint last Saturday.” She tried to make her tone cheerful. “And we finished that today.”

  A glance across the table caught David’s jaw tensing. He’d always been so kind and attentive that she found his resentful behavior unsettling. In fact, he was ruining her appetite. She dangled a fork. “You still want to help us move in?” She pushed her salad, hoping he would redeem himself.

  “Yeah, maybe we can make a contest of it.”

  She pushed her plate aside, no longer able to disregard his barbed comments. He was obviously ticked at her. “What do you mean?”

  “See who can carry the most boxes. Me or Jake.”

  Her face burned. “That would be fun.” She slid out of the booth. “You’ll excuse me a minute?”

  “Sure.” He ran a hand through his hair.

  Katy slapped her napkin on the table and headed for the restroom, but just as she rounded the corner, Lil appeared, slightly breathless and her face slick with moisture. Her hair was plastered into a smooth brown knot with a hair net securing it, and her newly cut bangs were bobby-pinned. She wiped her hands on a long white apron that protected her white blouse and black skirt uniform. “I wanted to come out sooner, but I couldn’t get away.”

  “Great place.” Katy shouldered open the door to the restroom.

  Lil followed her. “Hey, what’s wrong?”

  “Oh, David. He’s acting weird tonight.” Katy didn’t miss the little light that danced in Lil’s eyes. “I guess you’re happy about that.”

  Lifting both hands in the air, Lil objected, “Whoa. Don’t get me involved in your lovers’ spat.”

  “I’m sorry. This really is a great place. We ordered lasagna. Did you make it?”

  “Cooked the noodles and stirred the sauce.” She put her hand on Katy’s shoulder. “Look. Everything’s going as planned. Don’t lose sleep over David. If he blows it now, at least you had your three dates. And he had his chance.”

  “I’m so sick of
hearing about three dates. One more time and my head’s going to explode. I think I’m just going to go back out there and tell him the truth.”

  “Fine, except please taste the lasagna first. Tell me my noodles are perfecto and not sticky.”

  Grinning, Katy said, “Okay. And I mean it. I really do love this place. We’ve got to bring Megan sometime on your night off.”

  “It’s kind of a dead-end job. But it’s fun. Did you see how cute the waiters are?” Lil went to the sink and washed her hands, then hit the electronic dryer, raising her voice over the blowing air. “I’ll call later.”

  “No, it’ll wake up the household.”

  The blower shut off, and Lil left.

  Katy washed her hands and caught the image of her brooding eyes in the mirror. She fiddled with her covering, wishing she’d brought her purse to the restroom so that she could refresh her lipstick, the only makeup she ever wore. Then it hit her. Lil hadn’t had her prayer covering on. She bit her lip. That didn’t surprise her much.

  When she felt like she could face David’s interrogation again, she left and returned to her booth, relieved to see that their meals had arrived. As if they weren’t in the middle of a spat, she slid into her seat and took up her fork. “Looks good.”

  David reached across the table and touched her hand. “I’m sorry for making you mad.”

  She nodded, avoiding the impulse to shy away from his touch. It was warm and assuring, and her anger melted away. “I wasn’t back there sulking. I met Lil in the restroom.”

  He drew his hand away with a nod. Then he tasted the mild, creamy dish, studying her. “Mm, good. She make it?”

  Grinning, Katy said, “She boiled the noodles. And she wants our opinion on their consistency.”

  He grinned back, holding her gaze until she blushed. The rest of the meal, he reined in his jealousy, and afterward, they even lingered over coffee. She was relaxed, enjoying herself, when abruptly, he started in again. “So what happens after date three? You going to go out with me again?”

  He hit the nerve dead-on, jarring her out of her complacency. The dreaded question now hung in the air between them. She tensed. If she didn’t go with him again, then she was a user. After her second date, she had already known that she was not romantically interested in him. Her hands clasped her cup, its soothing warmth her only bit of comfort. “Why do you keep bringing up date three?”

  “I think you know why. I was allotted three dates to prove myself.”

  Holding back a moan because her nightmare had come true—he was aware of her despicable behavior—she asked softly, shamefully, “How long have you known?”

  His clipped response barely contained his anger. “Before date one.”

  She sighed, placing her hands on her lap. “So you’ve been playing me.” Her anger suddenly flared, too. Just like everybody else in her life, he’d been manipulating her. She looked at him through the blur of pain-filled eyes. “Why?”

  “I wanted to follow the course. See where it led. Are you a user, Katy? Using Jake, too? To get the doddy house fixed up cheap?”

  Katy folded her napkin and placed it neatly on the table in front of her. “You figure it out. I’m ready to go now.”

  David didn’t make any moves to leave the restaurant. He had more to say. “Ivan told me about the deal he made with your dad. I’d hoped that after the first date, you’d go with me because you liked me, not because you were using me. I hoped you’d tell me the truth.”

  “What I told you before is still true. I never intended to look for a guy, but I like you, and I was willing to get to know you. I opened myself to the possibility of falling for you.”

  “A win-win situation for you, wasn’t it? So back to my question. What did you decide? Is there going to be a date four, or are you finished with me?”

  “Wow, you are so romantic. So persuasive.” She reached for her purse. “Probably not, David.”

  He took care of the check, and drew his lips in a tight line. “Let’s go.”

  The car ride was dreadful and quiet, except for a country song on his radio about some forlorn man who’d just been dumped by his girl. From the sounds of it, Katy figured the guy in the song deserved it. There was a hint of smoke in the air, emanating from the jacket that David had loaned her the night of the fire. She had returned it earlier, and it now was on the backseat of his car, reminding her of his heroics the night of the fire, heaping more coals to her shame.

  When they pulled into her drive, he spoke again. “I guess I could have gone along with the game, but my pride wouldn’t allow it any longer. One of us needed to address the issue. Make a new start if there’s ever to be a date four. Something real to go on, you know?”

  She nodded. “It’s been wearing on me, too. I’m sorry for using you. Although you did use the situation to your advantage, too.”

  “Guess I was willing to settle for scraps.”

  She gave him a weak grin.

  He said, “A promise is a promise. I’ll help you move in next Saturday.”

  “No, please. You don’t need to.”

  “You want to get rid of me?”

  “No. I—”

  “Good. There probably will be a contest between me and construction cowboy. After all, it’s almost Valentine’s Day.”

  “Cowboy?”

  “His holster. The tool bags.”

  She guessed she wasn’t the only one who’d noticed Jake wore his pants too tight, and his tool bags only added to his attractiveness. But what had David meant about Valentine’s Day? Was he still going to pursue her? The idea of date four had been left hanging. She felt confused but remained quiet.

  He walked her to the door, drew her close, and kissed her forehead. Then he tilted her chin up and kissed her mouth, slow and sensual, but he broke it off abruptly. She hadn’t wanted to kiss him at all, but she hadn’t wanted to humiliate him further by rejecting him. The kiss was calculated, the kiss of a bitter man.

  With a sigh, she watched him go, sorry she’d hurt him. She stepped inside the dark interior of the house.

  “Do you love him?” came a startling voice out of the darkness.

  Katy clasped her heart. “Karen! Don’t scare me like that. Why are you still up?”

  “To answer the phone. It was Lil.” Karen offered, pulling back the curtain and looking outside. “I told her you weren’t home yet, and she didn’t seem happy.”

  Katy pushed her sister’s hand away from the curtain. Hadn’t she told Lil not to call? Maybe she hadn’t heard her above the din of the hand dryer.

  “So do you?” Karen repeated.

  “No. Why are you standing in the dark?”

  “I—”

  “Were you spying on me?”

  “I—”

  Suddenly Katy thought better of having this conversation so near their parents’ bedroom door. “Come upstairs.”

  “If you don’t love him, then why were you kissing him?” Karen whispered before they’d even reached the landing.

  CHAPTER 14

  On moving day, ominous purple clouds swallowed the sky. Everyone involved in the move met at the Landis farm, where the furniture was stored in the barn. Katy’s car was packed to the roof with clothes, and the rest of its interior resembled a bag of puzzle pieces vying for space. Her new upright vacuum cleaner rode shotgun, and stacks of bedding filled the seats. She crawled out, careful that everything remained wedged in place, and eyed Megan. “I can’t believe that leather couch your mom found at a garage sale. What can we do to thank her?”

  “Just let her come see the place sometime.”

  Lil strode away from the place where David and Jake were loading furniture and joined Katy and Megan.

  “Maybe we should have a parents’ night and make dessert or something,” Katy suggested.

  “Nah!” They all protested, giggling and then shivering when a fierce gust whipped through the yard. It forced the girls into a huddle then rolled on across the farm’s barren fields.<
br />
  Katy straightened her covering, watching the swirling snow and debris. “Wow, glad my car door wasn’t open.”

  “Careful,” Jake yelled.

  Looking over to see if the warning was for them, Katy saw Jake nod at David to move slightly to the right as they maneuvered a table onto the bed of his truck. Jake must have felt her gaze, because he glanced over. “We’ve almost got it, if you girls want to go on over and meet us at the doddy house in a few minutes?”

  The scene drew her curiosity, Jake and David working together. Jake winked and brushed his gloves before heading back to the barn. David trailed behind. When he saw that Katy was watching them, he made sport of Jake by mimicking his walk for a few strides, probably to get even for Jake’s ordering him around like a hired lackey.

  As if David didn’t know how to keep things nice, she thought, having always admired that part of his personality. But so far, the two were at least remaining civil enough with each other to have packed their first load of furniture. Katy dismissed their antics and looked back at Lil, thinking about the day’s work. “It was great of Jake to take the appliances over earlier this week.”

  “I love that stainless steel GE stove.” Lil did the garbanzo shimmy.

  Katy didn’t know the difference between a GE or a Viking, but as long as they had sparkling drip pans and working ovens to cook Lil’s mouthwatering dishes, they suited her. Grinning at Lil’s enthusiasm, she started toward her car. “See you over there.”

  When everybody reached the doddy house, the unending trips to the cars began. Katy started with the boxes in her trunk—kitchen and household odds and ends her mom had donated—and was sweating by the time she had to struggle with the piles of clothing still on their hangers. Nearly colliding with Megan on the path of freshly laid plastic floor covering—her genius idea—she cried out, “Look out, green bean, or I’ll squish ya.”