Plain City Bridesmaids

by Dianne Christner

  Late Sunday afternoon, Megan quietly read in the living room, keeping alert for a familiar creaking that would signal Micah’s presence. She wanted to return his straw hat to him. She eyed it on the floor by the door. About halfway through CHAPTER 5, she heard the chains groan, so she laid aside the novel. She swept up the hat and stepped onto the porch. But Micah’s slumped posture faltered her steps. “Excuse me.” His head snapped up. “Oh, hi.”

  “You left this on the swing the other day.”

  “Thanks.”

  Megan seated herself on the top step. “Why so sad?”

  “Have you been to Joy Ann’s house for Sunday dinner?”

  Trying not to laugh at his expense, she admitted, “Not lately. She made you do the dishes, huh?”

  “I’d have gladly done the dishes. Instead, it was a checkers competition, but more like a ploy to spend an hour alone with her while everyone else found excuses to leave us alone. The looks she kept giving me …” He shook his head and ran his hands through his hair.

  As she watched him, Megan wondered when she had quit noticing how his hair was parted way too far on the side. Suddenly it seemed important to her to fix it, and it was all she could do to keep her hands out of the brown, haphazard mane. She looked away, stared at the crooked floorboard planks. She kept her gaze diverted until she’d counted three missing nails. When she looked back up at him, the anguish she saw made her sorry she had joked about the situation. “Poor Micah.” His hands dropped, and she had his full attention. “Could you like Joy Ann, if you weren’t focused on your job? You know, later after you get settled in?”

  He shook his head. “No. But I don’t want to hurt her.”

  “Well, if you’re not worried about burning any bridges with her, I think honesty is the best policy.” She remembered telling him that before when they discussed the librarian, but he hadn’t had the stomach for it.

  “Back at Rosedale, you told me the truth, but I wouldn’t listen.”

  Megan sighed, remembering their encounters at Rosedale. “Everybody responds to rejection differently. You just get more obstinate.”

  “I’m not obstinate.”

  “Yes, Micah, you are. You also have the gift of perseverance.”

  “Well, this isn’t about me. You don’t think I’d hurt her?”

  “I think it’s more likely you’ll make her mad. But you can’t keep leading her on.”

  “She’s leading herself on. But you’re right. I have to do something. The way things went today, I’m going to have to say something to her this week.”

  Megan nodded, having already experienced what he was going through. It hadn’t been easy to give him that set down. And now that she knew him, she felt even worse about it. Scrambling for something to brighten his mood, she said, “At least you didn’t get the hives during your sermon.”

  His gaze darkened. “But did you hear what I said?”

  She’d forgotten all about that. Now she covered her mouth to keep from laughing at the gaffe he’d made at the end of his sermon. He’d told the congregation to “go home and breed the Gospels.” When she thought she could keep a straight face, she said, “Well, at least it’s not on tape. At Lil’s church, they record the sermons.”

  “Right.” He rolled his gaze toward the porch ceiling. “I didn’t even realize what I’d said until I heard people snickering; then when I sensed something was wrong, I backtracked in my thoughts. I could still hear the phrase floating in my brain. So I tried to cover it by saying, ‘go and have a good day,’ which really brought down the house. More than one man asked me how to”—he cleared his throat and cut off his remark, as if remembering he was speaking to a woman.

  “Don’t be so hard on yourself. You’re doing fine.”

  “Oh yeah? Did you know that your dad told me after church that the search committee is going to call monthly meetings?”

  “No.”

  “Yep. They want to discuss how it’s going. Give me their perception of how the congregation’s responding to me. Bill tried to make it sound like the meeting was for my sake. But I don’t believe that for a minute. It’s for their protection.”

  “Whose?”

  “The point is, it wasn’t part of the original agreement. I already meet with the elders regularly. I expect the search committee wants to give me some specific dos and don’ts. Or a hand slap.”

  “Honestly! Sometimes I wonder if my mom doesn’t give Dad any advice at all.” Megan released an angry sigh. “I’m sure the committee doesn’t mean to be disrespectful.”

  Micah propped his elbows on his knees and leaned forward. “It’s not that I blame them. But I have to believe that it’s a sign that I’m failing.”

  “You don’t know that for sure. Let’s think about something else. Remember how my friend Paige came up with those man repellents?”

  He eyed her warily, leaned slightly away from her. “The ones that didn’t work for you? Yeah?”

  She moved closer. “I have one that might.”

  He gave her a reluctant grin. “I’m listening.”

  “If you parted your hair about a quarter-inch deeper on the side than you already do, like this—” She reached out and ran her fingers through his hair, making a deep and even sillier part than he normally wore. Then using both her hands, she brushed the rest out of his eyes.

  He froze at her touch, but she ignored it. She leaned back and bit her bottom lip, studying him. A few wisps stuck straight up. She carefully brushed them into place. Releasing her lip, she smiled. “Then our worries would be over.”

  But Micah didn’t return her smile. His eyes narrowed and darkened. “And what about you, Megan. Would that chase you away?”

  Feeling confused and slightly embarrassed, she snapped, “No. If your hairstyle mattered, I’d already be gone. Honestly, you can use my help.”

  His gaze took on a glint. “If I repel one woman, I might repel them all. What if I don’t want to repel you?”

  “Don’t be ridiculous. I’m trying to help. It’s just that you part your hair way too deep. And if you didn’t, you’d be rather handsome. But either way, it doesn’t affect me.”

  He snatched her wrist and scowled. “Are you sure?”

  She jerked her hand away, wretched that he’d felt her racing pulse and saw the truth that curled deep in the pit of her stomach. She wanted to see him at his best because she actually enjoyed staring into his face. Disconcerted, she wheeled and started to the door, tossing over her shoulder, “Or wear it the same. And everybody will just make do. ’Night.”

  Behind her, he got in the last word. “I’ll think about it. Don’t want to make any rash decisions. We must guard our steps, Megan. One wrong move, and life can become a jungle.”

  Her face now burning, she stepped into the darkening room, snatched up her Christian novel, and headed upstairs. Maybe she needed to take Micah’s advice and draw a line in the sand. For him! Because she didn’t want to hurt him again. But mostly, she didn’t want to get her own heart broken. Yet she might. If Micah didn’t get the position at the church, she was going to miss him. Unless, of course, she was living in the jungle.

  That night Megan prayed about her future but remained torn. Every time she envisioned Chance’s hopeful smile, the way it had been when she’d left him on Saturday, Micah’s sad expression chased it away. She knew she’d hurt him badly. Wished she could turn back the time. Wondered why it bothered her almost as much as her indecision. What was it about Micah that disturbed her?

  Was it the way he’d pinned her with his black scowl, after she insisted that she wasn’t affected by his looks? He’d almost sneered when he’d asked, “Are you sure?”

  She flicked on her lamp and went to the foot of her bed. She knelt in front of her hope chest and opened the lid, taking in the scent of cedar and the pull of nostalgic dreams. A pang of regret saddened her, to think of the many ways that Ecuador would change her life. How would her parents react if she married Chance and moved out of th
e country? The news would be shocking. She was their only child. Folding back her grandma’s quilt, she searched for the journal she’d kept in college, the year she’d known Micah.

  It was beige with green vines. She took it back to her bed and slipped under the covers, thumbing through its pages, looking for the entries pertaining to Micah. As she read, she felt ashamed. The entries were no longer humorous. She must have hurt him deeply. Why had he been so obstinate? That’s what she’d called him today. It was true.

  Otherwise, he’d never have returned to Plain City. She let the journal drop onto the covers and lay back on her pillow, staring into the past. Once he’d told her that she had awakened something inside him. She felt something similar. She wished her dad and the search committee weren’t making things difficult for him. She hated to see him despondent. Even if she moved away, she wanted to think of him happily ministering at Big Darby. She sat up and reached for her other journal. Lately prayer had replaced her journaling, but she’d missed it. Still, she found herself unable to do anything more than jot down her prayer requests:

  1. Direction regarding Chance.

  2. Forgive Mom.

  3. Accept whatever Aunt Louise brings us.

  4. Micah getting the desires of his heart

  5. Randy being able to save his marriage

  6. Lil getting along better with Fletch

  7. Be with Katy and Jake

  CHAPTER 26

  Megan drove into Char Air’s employee parking lot and parked in a partially shaded area about sixty yards from the front of a row of sleek buildings. When she opened her door and stepped out of her car, the sight of Chance striding toward her sent a surge of alarm. Dread curled in the pit of her stomach because he would press her to go to Ecuador. A longing pushed her toward the thrill of his kiss and the remembrance of his sweet promises.

  “Does this old girl have air-conditioning?” His admiring glance swept over the Nova then rested on her.

  “No. Sorry to say.” She reached back for her purse. “So why does something old and classic have to be a she?”

  With a shrug, he admitted, “If it’s something appealing to a guy, it’s usually female. No air-conditioning and yet you always look so pretty and fresh.” He leaned close and brushed a kiss on her ear.

  Megan shivered. “Better not do that here.”

  “But we only have ten more workdays until I leave. And if you go with me, then who cares?”

  Megan studied him regretfully. “Ten days isn’t long. But you did remember that my aunt is coming to visit?” Did he really think she’d pack up her life in two short weeks?

  “Yes. You want to talk to her before you decide about Ecuador. But what does that have to do with us?”

  Megan drew her purse strap over her shoulder as they started toward the office building. “It’s just a mystery that I have to explore.”

  “So she’s coming this week?”

  Her steps faltered. “No. Late next week, and we don’t know how long she’ll be staying.”

  Chance grabbed her arm and wheeled her around to face him. “But I’ll be leaving.”

  Reading the alarm in his expression, she softened her voice. “If you really care, you’ll make do.” She remembered saying something similar in his apartment, feeling as though they’d already had this conversation once.

  “I know. I’m just disappointed.”

  “Chance! Hey. Wait up, buddy!”

  Megan flinched at the unexpected intrusion. A quick glance revealed Randy and his wife Tina walking toward them.

  Almost protectively, Chance whispered, “Go on ahead.”

  His words yanked her out of the clouds and dropped her back to her lowly station, where she was merely a Char Air employee. Thinking she’d do well to remember it, she nodded. She gave the approaching couple a little wave and went on toward the entrance of the office building. With a soft grunt, she tugged the long door handle and entered the building. Why were Randy and Tina here? The question troubled her, because it was the first time she’d seen Randy since his leave of absence.

  “Hi, Summer.” She passed the receptionist. The hallway opened into a space with several modern cubbies. Her space carried an uncomfortable feel now that she’d been to Chance’s apartment. There was nothing safe about it. He had invaded every inch of it with his smile and his adventuresome style. She felt like she had lost her grip and was now only along for the ride.

  If she bailed, he would still fly off to his jungle, letting her crash. And when she hit the ground and crawled back to her space, she’d find it vacant and meaningless. She sank into her chair. She could always buy a plant to place on the corner of her desk where he liked to perch. She could go on a vacation. No, Randy would need her.

  “Hello, Megan.”

  Megan snapped her head up and quickly pasted on a smile. “Tina.” It felt awkward to be addressing Randy’s wife, given the private knowledge that their marriage was falling apart. “Good morning. Can I get you some coffee?”

  “Oh no. I already had some.” The tall, thin woman gave a little wave with a tanned, manicured hand. “We stopped for breakfast on the way over. Randy just needs to pick up his passport for our cruise.” Silence pervaded for a few moments. Tina said, “It’s my first one. Randy’s always been too busy for getaways. But you know how everybody raves about cruises?”

  Megan dropped her gaze, for the people she knew didn’t go on cruises. Mostly they worked for people who went on cruises. When she looked up again, she noticed that Tina’s eyes bore more sadness than anticipation and wondered if the cruise could restore the happiness the couple had lost.

  “How’s work going?”

  “We’re keeping Randy’s customers, but I can’t deny that he’ll have a few pieces to pick up when he returns.”

  Tina tucked blond hair behind her ear. “Yes, he’s been doing a lot of that lately.”

  Thankfully Megan didn’t need to respond to the bitter comment because Randy and Chance entered the office and strode up to her desk. Randy paused long enough to give Tina a peck on the cheek before heading into his office. Outside the door, Chance hesitated. He gave Megan a tender expression that assured her everything was fine.

  Her blue eyes suddenly glittering, Tina stared at Megan. “I can’t believe what I just saw.”

  “What?”

  “You two.” Tina narrowed her eyes. “There’s something going on between you guys.”

  Megan knew exactly what the other woman meant. She had just lumped Megan in the same category as Randy’s previous assistant, whom Tina detested. Her expression shot sparks of blame as if Megan was responsible for her marriage problems.

  “It isn’t what you think,” Megan defended, but it sounded like the cover-up it was, and she knew that eventually the truth would surface. It always did. For all she knew, at that very moment, Chance could be spilling out everything about their relationship to Randy.

  “I don’t know you that well,” Tina continued, her eyes spewing accusation, “but when Randy hired you, he assured me that you were chaste because of your religion.”

  Chaste! Anger bubbled up Megan’s throat like bile; one kiss didn’t make her promiscuous. And her personal life wasn’t any of Tina’s business. She fought for control of her tongue. I can’t fly into the boss’s wife. She’s hurting and pathetic.

  “Anyways, I thought Mennonites were some sort of pacifists.”

  “What?” Megan’s head spun from Tina’s baffling and unjust allegations.

  “I’m just shocked that you’d lower your morals and fall for an air force fighter pilot. That’s all.”

  Stricken by the words fighter pilot, Megan clutched the underside of her desk. Her thoughts swirled to make sense of Tina’s rebuke. Fighter pilot? She panted slightly then felt her heart clench. When she could speak, she repeated, “Chance is a fighter pilot? He told me he was a missionary pilot.”

  “Now he is. But he served in the air force. Even received a medal.”

  Mega
n read the truth in Tina’s eyes. “I didn’t know that.”

  Tina lifted her chin in justification. “I see. Let me tell you something for your own good. Women are fools around men. But not me. Not anymore. Don’t be a fool, Megan.”

  Looking up through burning eyes, she nodded. “Thanks for the tip. If you’re sure you don’t want coffee, I’d better get back to work.”

  Tina tapped her flamingo-pink fingernails on Megan’s desk. “I’m serious. If he lies to you once, he’ll do it again. Anyway, he’s not the settling-down type. Never has been.”

  The door to her husband’s office opened. Randy and Chance stepped into the room, oblivious to the undercurrents. Megan watched Tina’s gaze turn icy, before she averted her own. The bitter woman had pushed her out of the plane, and she was plummeting, but Megan determined not to crash until she was alone. With wooden movements, she changed her calendar and pulled out her to-do list.

  “See you soon, Megan. I’ve heard some glowing reports about you,” Randy said.

  Megan felt Tina’s smirk and gave her old boss a weak smile. “Just doing my job, sir.” She lowered her gaze back to her desk.

  When the space around her cubicle grew silent, Megan lifted her eyes. Randy and Tina were gone, and Chance had disappeared into his office. She stared at his door, feeling belittled and deceived. When Tina shoved her out of the plane, her decision about him and his jungle had been made—the painful way.

  Her phone rang, bringing her thoughts to the present. She answered it and then worked frantically for the next hour, refusing to dwell on the painful disclosure, because if she did, she’d crash. Megan didn’t want to do that at work. Didn’t want to see the sympathy in Paige’s eyes. Didn’t want to hear, I told you so.

  Megan went through an entire stack of paperwork before she stalled. When she did, she was unable to proceed. As much as she fought it, her mind sank its teeth into the information that Tina had divulged. Chance was a fighter pilot, turned missionary pilot. How little she knew about him. Tina’s loathsome words held merit in Megan’s case: “Women are fools around men.”