by Peggy Webb
“Congratulations Claude—and Helen.” Amanda felt as if she’d gone to the movie theater expecting to see a tragedy and ended up seeing a comedy. She thought of the sleepless nights she’d spent and of her ragged nerves, and she wanted to burst into laughter. Her mother always had told her worry was a foolish emotion. She wished she’d paid more attention.
Talk among the adults was stilted and awkward at first—and possible only because John was too busy eating to interrupt. Then, when three-year-old Petey crawled under the table and squashed French fries on Tanner’s shoes, they all loosened up. Tanner, who was accustomed to children, viewed the episode with kind indulgence. Besides, it gave him a chance to tell some of his favorite stories about Paul and Martie’s twins.
The meal gradually drew to a close. Tanner and Amanda felt sad at its end. All of them knew that they’d passed another milestone in their relationship. They’d come full circle, from three people who were bound together by circumstances, to best friends, to enemies, and back to three people with a common bond. Amanda, who had loved them both, was the pivot. Her marriage to Claude couldn’t be stricken from the books and forgotten. It would always be a part of her past. But now she could look at it as a pleasant interlude, rather than as a wall that separated her from Tanner. Knowing that Claude had let her go emotionally, freed them to love totally. Whatever angry passion had haunted the three of them could be forgiven.
Claude asked Helen to wait while he followed Tanner and Amanda to their car. On the street he shook Tanner’s hand. “I’m really glad that you and Amanda are going to be married. It makes everything right. What happened can’t be changed, but perhaps we’re all the wiser for the experience.” Turning to Amanda, he hugged her. “Be happy, sweetheart.”
“You, too, Claude,” she whispered. At that moment he was more dear to her than he had ever been.
“Keep in touch, Claude.” Tanner slapped him on the shoulder.
“You, too, buddy.”
Tanner and Amanda climbed into the car. Claude stood on the sidewalk until they were out of sight. The sadness Amanda had felt weighed heavily on her heart. She knew that keeping in touch meant sending cards at Christmas and giving occasional thought to the memories they shared. But that was life, she realized. People and circumstances changed.
Amanda brushed a tear from her eye as they rounded the street corner and Claude disappeared from view.
“Isn’t this the point in the movie where violins play and the hero carries the heroine off into the sunset?”
Tanner reached for her hand. “You don’t have to be brave for me, Mandy.” Lifting her hand, he pressed it to his lips. “It’s over. You can cry on my shoulder if you want to.”
And she did. The bittersweet tears of emotional release.
CHAPTER TEN
During the long drive back home they made plans.
“We’ll get married next week,” Tanner said, “and we’ll live wherever you want. Dallas would be better for me, but I could move my home office without too much trouble.”
“Dallas sounds great. I’ll sell my antique clothing store, and we’ll wait for Hannah and Jacob to come home. Can they be here by March?”
“March! You’ve just broken my heart.”
“Let me kiss it and make it well.” She did, through his shirt. “Better?”
“Yes. There are other parts of me that could use attention.”
“I promise to devote my full attention to all those other parts if you’ll promise me something.”
“Anything. The sun, the moon, a football team, a left-handed, French-speaking chef—you name it and it’s yours.”
“I want a big wedding, Tanner, the kind we would have had eleven years ago. I know it’s my second time around and a big wedding may be tacky by some people’s standards, but it’s what I want.”
He laughed. “Amanda, we’ve made headlines before. I promise you the biggest show in town.”
o0o
The trumpets woke Amanda up. Without a trace of grogginess she bounded to her window and looked out. The entire Greenville High School marching band was assembled on her lawn, brass horns gleaming in the March sun, and polished shoes squashing her buttercups. Tanner, in tuxedo and top hat, was sitting atop Napoleon, directing the band.
Although he’d arrived from Dallas the previous day and she’d seen him at the wedding rehearsal, she felt a wondrous surge of joy, as if she were seeing him for the first time in years.
She propped her elbows on the windowsill and listened to the song, A New Kind of Love. When it was over, Tanner turned toward her and saluted.
“Good morning, love. Happy wedding day.”
She blew him a kiss. “You’re not supposed to see the bride before the wedding. They say it’s bad luck.”
“My day doesn’t start until I see you, and I don’t believe in bad luck. Besides, I didn’t want you to miss the parade.”
“What parade?”
“The one you’re in. Put on your wedding gown, love. We’re leading the band through the streets of Greenville. I want everybody to share our joy.”
She laughed with sheer delight. Life with Tanner would always be a parade.
“I’ll need some help with the buttons,” she called down.
“Be right up.” Tanner started the band playing a love song, dismounted, and came into the house.
Amanda thought that the happiest sound she’d ever heard were his footsteps on the stairs. She met him in the middle of the bedroom.
He kissed her thoroughly, then glanced at the bed. “What a shame to let it go to waste.”
“But we might miss our own wedding.”
“Can’t have that.” He gave her one last kiss. “Now, where’s that wedding dress?”
She took the lovely Victorian dress she’d bought in Savannah from the closet. Tanner helped her slip into the billowing satin and lace creation, then turned her around to fasten all the tiny covered buttons that ran up the back.
His large hands fumbled. “That’s one method of birth control—just keep the bridegroom unbuttoning the bride’s dress.”
Laughing, Amanda held her breath and waited. Tanner finally got all the buttons fastened. Together they went down the stairs and out the front door. He helped her up to sit sidesaddle, being careful not to damage her dress, and mounted behind her.
The marching band behind them, they set out for the center of town.
Lord Pritchard had cleared the streets for them. Music filled the air, brass instruments flashed in the sunshine, Napoleon pranced as if he knew it was a special occasion. Tanner and Amanda waved, and smiled and smiled and smiled. The huge crowd cheered and shouted good wishes as Greenville’s favorite couple shared the happiest day of their lives with the entire town.
o0o
Later that day, just before sunset, Amanda stood in the dressing room of the church with her best friend, preparing for the actual ceremony.
Maxine pulled the Victorian gown over Amanda’s head and began to fasten the buttons.
Amanda sucked in her breath.
Maxine struggled with the buttons at the waistline, then stopped to face Amanda.
“Amanda?”
Amanda smiled and nodded yes.
“Well, hot damn! Does Tanner know?’
“Not yet.”
“He’s going to be thrilled pea-turkey pink. How long have you known?”
“I wasn’t sure until February. My first impulse was to call him, but I wanted to tell him in person. The brief weekends we’ve been together have been so hectic, the time didn’t seem right. It will be his wedding present.”
The faint echoes of Lohengrin’s Wedding March drifted into the dressing room.
“Hurry and fasten those buttons, Maxine. I’ve waited eleven years for this.”
Minutes later she stood at the back of the church and watched as Tanner’s twin sisters, Hallie and Hannah, marched down the aisle. Maxine trailed sedately behind them. Then little Elizabeth skipped down the aisle,
strewing rose petals and humming a nursery song under her breath.
At long last Amanda began her walk down the aisle to Tanner Donovan. He was waiting for her at the altar rail, flanked by his father and his brothers, his eyes shining.
They pledged their vows, and there was a collective sigh from the audience when Tanner kissed his bride. As the triumphant strains of the Wedding March filled the church, every head turned to watch the customary exit of the newlyweds.
Much to the delight of the guests, Tanner scooped up his bride and carried her down the aisle. His brother Jacob was waiting for them outside the church, along with Napoleon—and the sun.
Tanner lifted his bride into the saddle, and they rode off into a picture-book-perfect sunset.
o0o
They didn’t have a private moment until Tanner’s jet had touched down in New York and they were settled into their room at the Plaza.
He held out his arms. “Come here, Mrs. Donovan. I’m dying to get to know you better.”
She lifted her face for his kiss. “I pledge to you a lifetime of love, Amanda Donovan.” His mouth was hungry and eager on hers, and yet there was such tenderness in his touch that she almost wept with the sweetness of it.
Her face shone with the radiance of a madonna, as the kiss ended and she looked up at him. “Do you think you can manage a few antique buttons?”
He turned her around and began to unfasten buttons. “Does every dress you own have these blasted buttons?” he muttered, then added, “There’s never been a dress designed that would keep me away from you.” He slipped the garment from her shoulders and hugged her from behind.
Amanda turned in his arms, glowing with joy and passion and her secret.
“It’s been so long, Mandy. I’d almost forgotten how perfect you are.” He slid the dress over her hips, taking her slip and panties with it.
Amanda unbuttoned his shirt and ran her hands over his chest. “And I, you.”
Tanner picked her up and carried her to the bed. The moonlight set off flaming highlights in her hair and touched her body with silver. Tanner knelt beside her, tracing her with his eyes and his hands.
“You’ve never looked more beautiful.” He tenderly touched breasts, her abdomen. It curved gently under his hands. “You’ve been eating right, Mandy. I approve. Who’s responsible? Maxine?”
“You.” She smiled.
“Me?”
“Yes. Christmas Eve, I think. In your bed.”
She watched as the slow dawning of comprehension and a look of joy spread across his face. Then, cocky, arrogant Tanner Donovan, who made all of life his private parade, developed tears in his eyes.
“We’re going to have a baby?”
She laughed. “You don’t have to whisper, Tanner. There’s nobody to hear except you and me.”
He pulled her into his arms and rocked her jubilantly on the bed. “I want the whole world to know. I want to lean out the window and shout it in Central Park. I want to have a parade down Fifth Avenue. I want—”
“Tanner,” she said, interrupting him.
His grin was sheepish as he pulled back and looked at her. “What?”
“Do you think the parade can wait till tomorrow?”
His smile became wicked. “Do you have something else in mind, Mrs. Donovan?”
“A proper wedding night, Mr. Donovan.”
He lowered her to the bed and gave her one.
-o0o-
HALLIE’S DESTINY - Excerpt
(The Donovan’s of the Delta, Book 3)
Peggy Webb
o0o
CHAPTER ONE
Hallie left the rodeo with her pockets full of winnings. Her spurs jingled as she unhooked them. Then she climbed into her 1967 El Dorado Cadillac and headed toward home.
Home was a modest duplex with a fenced-in yard, a garage, a roof that didn’t leak, and a front porch with a scrawny potted petunia and two enormous Great Danes. She leaned down to cuddle the dogs’ big heads and receive their lavish attentions. Opening her front door, she whistled them inside.
“Let’s pack, boys. We’re going camping.”
She could almost hear the freedom of the outdoors calling her name. Besides her family, that large rambunctious group of Donovans, she loved freedom and adventure most in the world. She had decided to camp for a few days before wheeling on up to her brother’s ranch to meet her twin sister who was coming down from Alaska for her vacation.
She pulled off her chaps, then flipped on the radio while she worked, finding a station that played the kind of classical music her dogs were partial to. They cocked their big heads and wagged their tails in time to the music.
When she had finished packing, the three of them piled into her car. She was glad to be leaving the city behind. Even in May, it was hot in Dallas. The buildings and the streets seemed to soak up the heat of the sun and reflect it back. She’d feel cooler just glimpsing Ray Hubbard Lake.
Hallie turned off at the lake, following the main road until she came to the gravel lane that would take her to Armadillo Cove. The cove, with its multiple curves and bends and its thick growth of trees, was a favorite spot of hers.
She parked her car in the shade of a cottonwood and set up camp. The dogs rolled and tumbled in the grass, as happy as their mistress with their wonderful freedom.
“Wolfgang, Ludwig,” she admonished them, “don’t get into anything I can’t get you out of. I’m going fishing.”
In no time at all she had caught a big catfish, skinned it, cut it into filets, and iced it down. Hallie looked up from her work at the setting sun. The sky seemed bigger out here, she thought, grander, more beautiful. Right now it was painted gold. She stood very still, letting the awesome beauty of the sunset wash over her.
Wolfgang, nudging her leg, brought her out of her trance. “Hey, old fellow. Let’s go skinny dipping before dinner.”
She stripped, spread her clothes on a bush, and waded into the water. It was deliciously cool. Taking a deep breath, Hallie ducked her head under and came up in time to see Wolfgang attacking the bush that held her clothes. She stood knee-deep in water and watched.
“Careful with those pants,” she called as her jeans shook loose from the bush. They fell to the grass, one leg in the water. She’d started to rescue them when her bra fell victim to Wolfgang’s attack. It sailed off the bush and landed with a plop in the lake. Her bra, drifting with the current, floated majestically by and disappeared around the bend, sinking slowly as it soaked up the water.
Hallie was nearly helpless with laughter until she realized that she was losing her favorite bra, the one she’d gotten at Neiman Marcus. She waded after it.
o0o
Deep around the bend, Josh Butler got a strike on his line. He had been fishing for some time without success, due, he figured, to the loud splashing he’d heard upstream. Probably some kids playing.
He reeled in his catch, his mouth watering as he dreamed of the catfish supper he’d have. The weeds tangled his line, slowing his progress, but he finally landed his fish. He picked it up and held it, dripping, with two fingers. Black lace, size 34C. A woman’s bra.
“Unhand my underwear.”
Josh Butler nearly dropped his catch, not to mention his guard. Standing armpit-deep in the water was the woman he’d dreamed of for five years, Hallie Donovan, his woman in red, the woman whose beautiful smile started his day.
Judging from his partial view of her, she was stark naked. He was stunningly aware of her, of her black hair, wet and sleek, her eyes, wide and exotically tilted at the corners. He’d known they were an astonishing silver-gray, like a winter sky on an overcast day, but he’d never before noticed their exotic shape. They were gorgeous, sexy. And her skin, he thought, delectable. Drops of water glistened on her bare shoulders. He felt an insane urge to lick the moisture away. Hallie as a model on an advertising poster was sensational, but Hallie in the flesh was lethal.
He was instantly on guard. If he weren’t careful, s
he’d make him forget the dreadful betrayals women were capable of. He’d seen enough firsthand to last a lifetime.
“Well, now, if it isn’t a damsel in distress come to ruin my fishing.”
Hallie hated being at a disadvantage, naked in the water while a large, golden man on the bank lorded it over her. And that’s what he was doing, she thought, flaunting his good looks, his golden hair and sun-golden skin. It was just her luck to come to the lake for freedom and end up with a fatally attractive man as a next-door neighbor. Lord, deliver me from another fatally attractive man, she silently pleaded.
“Look who’s talking. You’ve ruined my swim.”
“Do you always wear that fetching outfit when you swim?”
“Only when I’m not expecting strangers.”
He smiled. “Then you wear that charming outfit with friends? By all means, let’s be friends. My name is Josh Butler.” He watched her closely for any signs of recognition, but there were none. He considered it a lucky break. He was at the lake for anonymity, not recognition.
“Josh Butler, you have to be the most arrogant man I’ve ever met.”
“I try.”
He gave her such a sizzling look, she was sure the water around her heated up fifteen degrees. Her tongue flicked out over her lips.
“You’re losing your pole,” she said.
“Indeed?”
When he lifted his eyebrows, Hallie noticed that even his eyes were golden, a curious amber that reflected the sunset.
“Your fishing pole. If you intend to catch any fish, you’d better hang on to it, or it’ll drift off with the current.”
He quickly scooped up the pole, cursing himself for being so mesmerized by a woman—a dangerous woman at that.
“It’s not likely I’ll catch anything else today. You’ve scared off every fish for miles around. That was you having a wild party around the bend?”
“Yes. And I’m liable to have another.” Hallie took swift inventory of the camp set up on the shore. “You might as well pack up and go somewhere else.”
“No. I never leave unfinished business.”