by Tanya Hanson
Ella’s tight arms around his neck helped him think positive and brought him back to today. “Auntie Rachel said I can help her and Mallie put leaves around that.”
She pointed to the temporary altarpiece, a large plywood box that needed all the decorating it could get.
“So how was the ride?” He grinned at Mallie, swallowing hard when she grinned back. What was going on? This wasn’t high school anymore.
“As good as Disneyland.”
“Disneyland. Daddy, I wanna go!”
“Someday, honey girl.” To Mallie, he said. “Well, we aim to please.”
“Aw, Ella, let’s have some fun here and now!”“ Mallie ruffled Ella’s hair.
The little girl’s face scrunched in childish disappointment as Hoop put her down. As she and Oreo scampered off, he held back the urge to touch Mallie. Just something simple like a hand on her arm or to take that hand inside his, but a man-woman touch anyway. He was wearing thick work gloves, though. He wore them to drive the wagon as well as to protect his dead fingers during any work project.
“Mallie. Come with me!” Ella turned with an order.
“I see I’m wanted. I better go. Catch up with you later.” Mallie headed after his daughter, and he had to admit the sight of them together had him thinking some crazy things.
“Listen up.” In his best foreman voice, he addressed the new arrivals, and already twenty feet away, Mallie stopped in her tracks and turned to him. “Let’s make tracks and get this done in an hour. Weather’s expected to be good overnight, but we’re covering everything with tarp anyway after the rehearsal. Wind might pick up.” He indicated the bridesmaids and their boxes of white chair covers and yellow bows. “So y’all can fancy ’em up like you want. Thing is…”
The throng stood silent—his voice had gone a tad serious, but that was just his way. “Thing is, we’re a bit shorthanded right now. My horse-doctor brother Pike and his fiancée Daisy got called to an emergency, but if the rest of us hustle, we’ll get back in plenty of time to gussy up and head right back here in cars and trucks for the rehearsal. Pastor Hale wants to start at four, pronto. Ma’s serving grub back at the ranch at five.” He smacked his lips and everybody laughed.
Not a fancy person at all, Hoop wondered about all the fal-de-rol of dressing up for an outdoor rehearsal on a cold evening. But then he remembered girls. They all had to get new dresses and shoes for any occasion. Even ranch girls who normally preferred boots and jeans.
He grinned as the new shoes that hurt Mallie’s feet came to mind, and his pulse danced when he found her in the crowd. She stood next to Christy, watching him, and a strand of the pretend wedding veil fuzzed against Mallie’s face.
Breathing quick, he nodded at her. She smiled back, but raised her arms to cuddle the opposite shoulders. She was cold. What was he thinking…she was born in the land of eternal sun. Hereabouts they got snowbound at least once a winter. He ached to stand closer and wrap an arm around her.
Rachel and Ella headed toward the “nave” bearing a basket of some kind of leaves. Mallie’s boots crunched in the pine needles as she came to his side like she really wanted to be there, and at the notion, he could barely breathe.
She shook her head. “I gotta admit. The idea of a wedding in a half-built church had me wondering. I mean, I’ve been to a ton of outdoor weddings. Gazebos, the beach. The garden of a historic mansion at a California mission. I couldn’t even envision this. But, seeing it?” She waved her arms wide. “It’s a place of dreams. I totally, utterly, completely get it.” Her face all but glowed with life and health as she raised it upward.
Ella waved her arms at them, and Hoop gently nudged Mallie’s arm to start off toward the altarpiece.
“I hope the emergency with the livestock is nothing.” Her pretty forehead furrowed, and he fought back the urge to smooth the worry wrinkles with kisses.
“Miniature horse foaling the first time. Just needs a nudge or two. Hope Pike and Daisy get back in time. Nice rehearsal for their own rehearsal later on.”
“No Posy’s Grove for them? Sounds lovely.”
Hoop squinted. “Who told you about that?”
“Rachel. She says I should see it before I leave.”
Before I leave made him sad, but wasn’t she hinting he should take her there?
“I think I can manage it,” he said without seeming too eager. “But no Posy’s Grove for them. We don’t snowplow that far out.” He chuckled. “They’re tying the knot at Christmas. Posy’s best for a late spring or summer gig.”
“It all sounds wonderful.”
“There’s a cool legend about the place, too. I’ll tell you when I take you there.” He tested the waters.
“Oh, I’d love that.”
“After church on Sunday morning?”
“You got a date!”
He thought her voice shook a bit, but she did seem enthusiastic. A date. She’d actually used the word. Hearing Ella’s shrieks, Mallie rolled her eyes and said, “OK. You better excuse me. I’ve got an altar to decorate.”
“Thanks for helpin’ out. Ma declared there’s just no time to do all this the morning, with the ceremony starting at eleven.” He sighed. “It started out a simple country to-do, but my ma and Christy’s hijacked those plans. Hence, this little outing.”
“As I already declared,” Mallie’s eyes were brighter than dawn, “this little outing has been spectacular.”
“OK, let’s get you put to work, woman. That altarpiece has been painted a very grim brown. It’s gonna take some downright beautifying. Better get going before my daughter has a conniption.”
“Aye aye, captain.” Mallie tossed him a merry salute.
“Oh, and Mallie?”
“Yes?”
“I know you’re here with Brash—Brian—and all, but would you mind being my ‘plus-one’ at the dinner tonight?”
She grinned and tossed her head in the direction of her brother whose big hands managed to tie yellow bows on chair backs. Of course there was a pretty, young Asian woman with straight black hair directing him. “I think he’s not going to miss me a bit. No, I don’t mind. And yes, I’ll be your plus-one.” Her grin turned into a heart-stopping smile.
Hoop’s breath started galloping at the sight of her sassy saunter through the trees.
****
“I’ve got four rolls of double-sided tape. It’ll have to do,” Rachel said, worry glazing her eyes as she applied a natural leaf. With a delicate hand, it didn’t crumple, which meant Ella was delegated to apply the silk ones. “If we run out, I’ll have to make a trip to town in the morning.”
“If we run out, I’ll go,” Mallie assured her. “Remember, as an event planner, I was the one taking care of last-minute stuff like that.”
Rachel looked up with gratitude in her eyes. “Oh, would you mind? Coordinating things, I mean? I’ll be busy with the baby, and Ma, well, tonight she’ll rule the rehearsal roost perfectly, but tomorrow…she’ll be a wreck. And Christy’s mom, well, she’s stumbling around with so many emotions.” Rachel’s jaw clenched. “You can just about bet something will go wrong.”
“No worries. Consider it done.”
Mallie watched Rachel relax, and with zest they started their task. Even with Ella’s childish attempts, the altar wore its new look in no time at all. As Mallie gathered their supplies into the basket, she heard footsteps on the plywood floor, and her heart raced. She got to her to her feet, swallowing a girly disappointment when it wasn’t Hoop.
Christy Forrest, whom she’d met only briefly, gave her a radiant smile. “I can’t tell you how much it means, you celebrating our wedding day with us. Brian has been an important friend to Kenn all these years even with all the miles between them.”
“I’m thrilled to be back in this part of the world again,” Mallie said hoping the truth of her words reflected in her eyes. California was home, her birthplace, her birthright, but she had to admit deep down something about Colorado ran in her veins. Had
ever since those summers at the Last Chance. Unable to help herself, she took her eyes from the pretty bride and followed the outline of the mountains around them.
“It is something, isn’t it? I’m a California girl, too, but Hearts Crossing, well. It’s done a number on me.”
“Oh, I didn’t know!”
“Yep, Calabasas. Lovely, but Valley traffic is endless.”
“Downtown L.A. Same here.” Mallie chuckled, then got serious. “Christy, I can see Kenn’s happiness. I wish you and him every good thing.”
“We know the Lord got us together. As Kenn says, it happened quick, but it happened real. No doubts about it.”
Mallie had to ask. “So…do you think you’ll ever miss California?”
Christy chuckled with an elaborate shrug. “Oh yeah. Especially when those winter storms blow through. But I’m still keeping up my landscaping business there, and I make trips back from time to time. With Skype and conference calls, I can keep a good handle on things. My staff is terrific.”
“Sounds like you have the best of both worlds.”
“Oh man. Like you wouldn’t believe.” Then Christy’s radiance turned to a deep solemnity. “I…Kenn and I will pray for your continued health every night, Mallie. I know the Lord has good things in store.”
Mallie wished it so, but such things as wedding days and quick but real love weren’t in the plans. If “the Lord” truly was in charge, He was playing a mighty sorry trick on her. She didn’t want to dampen the bride’s joy, so she held off a remark about glioma being incurable. She wasn’t that cruel or rude. The Martins had just been through Hoop’s ordeal, and their Pa’s a few years back. They knew the ropes. Then she giggled secretly. Looked like Kenn had spilled beans here, too
“Thank you for your good wishes.” She said as that big list of good things in her life rushed through her mind, and it hit her right then. God, wherever and whoever He was, might not be giving her the typical lifeline, but He had given her today. And an entire weekend in this wonderful place. She peered around for Hoop, busy staple-gunning more pine boughs to the two-by-four framing. A wave of something she couldn’t quite identify wafted over her. It happened quick, but it happened real. She silenced the words right away, concentrating instead on the unorthodox yet absolutely stunningly appropriate decorations.
“All righty.” Hoop jumped from the ladder. “Looks like we did this in record time. Hop aboard, and let’s make tracks to the ranch.”
As she headed for the wagon, Mallie couldn’t help a head-shake seeing her brother all goo-goo eyed over one of the bridesmaids. Of course she wished him luck in the relationship department—his heart had shattered over Danielle, but she figured it was his own fault and hope he’d learned something.
“What’s got that pretty face of yours all wrinkled up?” Hoop drawled as he came over to her. Her heart started that deliberate pounding again.
“Now you know a gentleman never says the word ‘wrinkle’ to a lady.” She lightly punched him on the arm, then allowed her hand to rest there. His hand lifted to rest atop hers and even with his thick glove she liked it there.
Flying into the danger zone. She realized she didn’t care. “It’s my goofy brother. I was thinking I need to give him lessons in the romance department.”
“Meaning?”
“He was with Danielle for five years and never thought to get a ring on her finger. There was always something. Saving for a down payment on a house. Bulking up his 401K. Getting his MBA. Then, he had to take one last trip with the guys to climb Kilimanjaro. Finally, she’d had enough.”
“There always is something,” he said quietly. “If she means something to you, and vice versa, you work through it.”
Mallie wasn’t sure how to react. Was he talking about his former wife? Or...her. She had to know.
“Did you? With your wife, I mean?”
He walked slowly, pulled off his glove and took her hand. She let him. “Oh, yeah. I believe marriage in His name is sacred. Lynn and I weren’t reckless kids, and I meant those vows with my whole heart. Just like Christy and Kenn, Pike and Daisy, too, we met with Pastor Hale for pre-marriage counseling. Ella was a very wanted baby, and Lynn seemed on board with everything. Even after she up and left, I hung on to my conviction.” He cleared his throat as his fingers tightened over hers. “I fell out of love with her, but she was my wife. For better, for worse. I reckoned she might come back at least for Ella’s sake.” He looked at her with bleak eyes. “However, I never saw her again or heard from her until last year when I got served divorce papers. And that was just an attorney. I wonder…I wonder if I’d even recognize her if I saw her again.”
Mallie didn’t know what words to choose to comfort him; his tone was so full of pain. It occurred to her that God had sure sent him a ton of misery. How was that fair? She couldn’t even make sense of it. Instead of saying anything at all, she squeezed his fingers hard, hoping he could feel it.
“So I finally made the break. Divorce is horrible and against my beliefs.” He glanced at her. “I prayed. Pastor Hale and I had some real heart-to-hearts about it. Now I do believe it was the right thing for me and Ella. I could find someone else to love. Find Ellie a new mom. Maybe give her a brother or sister.”
Over boots crunching pine needles, his voice ground to a halt, sounding like truck tires against icy gravel. Then his face broke in to a glorious smile, and he shook his head. “Forgive me, please. Don’t know what got into me. What a rotten conversation for a wedding. I’m really OK about it all. I mean, I have Ella. But now at least you know my deep dark secrets.” He pulled her along as he ran toward the wagon.
As he helped her up, his gaze met hers the whole time. “Wish I could ride along side, but I gotta job to do.” Then he looked away. “Sorry about all that, back there.”
“It’s all right. It’s OK to be honest. I don’t mind…being easy to talk to.”
“Yeah, but you and me, we just met today. But then. We do have that bond.”
She nodded. It was cancer, and it was awful, yet it was a real connection between them. It was turning into something more, wasn’t it? “We can catch up later at dinner.”
With a final squeeze of their fingers, he jumped atop the seat and called out, “Let the wagon roll” before telling the team to “step up.”
Because most of the riders had gathered atop the hay bales before she and Hoop got there, she found a spot way at the back of the wagon, pleased that Rachel and Ella stomped along beside her.
“Oh, the walter looks so pretty,” Ella sighed.
“Altar, sweetie. No double-u.” Rachel tussled Ella’s long brown hair from her eyes. “But you’re right. It’s beautiful.”
“And I helped!” Her little hand squeezed Mallie’s now. “Will you come with me, Mallie? On Tuesday? To the punkin patch? Teacher said we could ask big people to come along.”
“Aw, honey.” She stopped herself from using Hoop’s term for her, honey girl. “I won’t be staying. I’m just here for the wedding. You know that, right?”
“But I want you to stay! I like you. Daddy likes you, too.”
“Of course he does, honey. He likes everybody. But I have a job, a life, in California. Not far from Disneyland,” she added hopefully to change the subject. She remembered Ella’s call to go there.
“But you said this is just as good as Disneyland.” Ella grumped as the wagon wheels bumped along the road.
Well, Mallie had done just that. “That’s true. Nature is always better than anything people make. Still, I won’t be staying. Just like the other guests, I’ll be going home after the wedding.”
Ella tossed her a look full of childish rage before she bounced off knees and trampled feet as she stomped off to the front of the wagon.
“Oh, goodness. I’ve made her mad at me.” Mallie’s spirits darkened. Her nature was all about happiness, and the doctors had claimed her inborn, positive outlook had a tremendous effect on her successful treatments and stability, an
d the return of her strength and stamina.
“Well, you know kids.” Rachel blew out a breath. “I guess she got her hopes up. Hoop’s never been on a date before that I can recall.”
“A date?”
Rachel’s shoulders moved. “Well, bringing a woman to pick her up at school. Going to the café after. I heard all about it.”
“A date?” Mallie repeated in shock.
“That’s how it looks when you’re five though, and don’t have a mom in your life. Aw, Ma and we aunties try, but it sure isn’t the same. You know kids. She’ll be over it in five minutes.”
“It was no such thing. A date? Hoop invited me along so I could see the scenery and get a look at Mountain Cove. Ella wanted ice cream.”
But, Mallie admitted silently, that wasn’t exactly how it had gone down, or how Hoop had acted, or how she had felt. She’d wanted to go, badly. Then a strange anger simmered. What had he wanted? Was it merely a good host’s hospitality or had it been some sort of pre-date? Him checking Ella’s reaction to her before putting on the move.
And what was this plus-one deal tonight? She chewed her lip. Folks around here believed everything a part of God’s big plan, so she’d take advantage of being with him to tell him. Even though she still felt the tingle of Hoop’s fingers wound through hers, she had to tell him, tonight, while they were together at his request. About not being able to give Ella a little brother or sister. About never giving her heart or promising any man a future. And stop forever what either of them might think they were feeling.