Small Town Romance Collection: Four Complete Romances & A New Novella

by Brown, Carolyn

  “Because I want something bigger with more kitchen room,” he said.

  “Colleen?” It was good to think about something other than whether or not Rocky would come back to tell me that it was over.

  James blushed. “It will take a while to sell my place and probably even longer to buy something but, yes, Colleen. And don’t fuss at me. I really, really feel chemistry with her, Jessie. I think this could go somewhere and if it does, I want to be ready.”

  “I’m happy for you.” I meant it. James deserved someone that made him happy. Someone that he could say my before he said her name. I only hoped that I could be so lucky. I stopped pacing and hugged him.

  “Times up, darlin’. I’ve got to go to court. If the hussy comes back, kick her all the way to the street and then call me while she’s dialin’ 911,” he grinned.

  I stood in the window watching cars go by, replaying the past week through my mind, one frame at a time. It was probably only a few minutes but it seemed like hours before Rocky’s truck pulled up in the parking lot. He sat there for a long time and I figured he’d come to say goodbye.

  Finally, he got out of the truck and I hurried back to my desk. I backed up and sat on the edge for support as I watched him slowly walk up the sidewalk, pause at the door, and hesitate several moments before he turned the knob. He looked at the carpet when he entered the room and my heart stopped.

  He finally looked into her eyes. “Guess I’d better do some tall talking.”

  “Where’s Sabrina?”

  “Gone home. Gone to Dallas. Gone to Europe again. Gone to hell for all I care.”” He said.

  “And what are you going to do?” My heart sounded like a base drum thumping in my ears.

  “Depends on you, I guess,” Rocky said.

  “Well, I intend to fight for what we’ve got. I happen to be in love with you. I even like you. And that’s important. If we’re ever going to have a permanent relationship out on that farm, it’s essential that I like you as well as love you. And I do both. Sabrina might think she’s got you tied to a way of life, but I intend to show you something different. So now what are you going to do?”

  “I’m sorry that she came here and tried to stir up trouble,” he said.

  “The past is the past. It’s gone and can’t be called up to be redone. What’s important is right now. I love you. It’s too soon for either of us to say that but I do.”

  He was around the desk in two easy, long legged strides and gathered me into his arms. “I love you, Jessica Graham. With my whole heart and all that I am, I love you.”

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  Four weeks later

  I could hardly wait Fridays to come to an end so I could drive over the border to Shreveport, Louisiana. That was the closest airport and Rocky flew to spend the weekends with me. He wanted to rent a car but if I met him at the airport then that meant I got an extra hour with him on Friday and on Sunday evening when I took him back. We were making this long distance relationship work with video chats every night, dozens of texts through the day and weekends.

  “We’ve got the week wrapped up.” Ashley came out of her office and poured a glass of sweet tea. “You can go if you want to.”

  “His plane doesn’t land until seven so I’d just walk the floor and watch the clock. I’ll stay but you can leave if you want.”

  She sunk down in a chair. “My guys are having a tailgate party at the football game tonight. Graham can’t wait until next year when he gets to suit up with the high school. All I hear at home is quarterbacks, plays and fumbles. You have got to get married soon and have a girl so we can talk shoes, shopping and makeup.”

  “Why don’t you and Danny have a tag-along? You’re only thirty eight. That’s the new twenty five, you know.”

  “Don’t tempt me,” Ashley smiled. “But I’ll leave the girls up to you and Rocky. You think Edward will ever come around?”

  “Probably not but I’m okay. I got my third wish and it brought me the love of my life so I can’t complain. Sometimes fate or destiny or God, whatever it is, works in mysterious ways. If I hadn’t gone looking for Edward, I would have never found Rocky.”

  “Life is a crazy ride, isn’t it?” Ashley pointed to the clock on the wall. “Ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one—now it’s officially five o’clock and time to go home. Have a great weekend. And remember, we’re all going out to eat after church on Sunday at the Italian place.”

  “We’ll be there.” I gathered up my purse and tote bag, gave my sister a hug and headed out the door. Leaves had begun to drop from the two oak trees in the parking lot. Fall was pushing out summer a day at a time. It wouldn’t be long until Rocky and I would spend our first Christmas together.

  I thought about what kind of gifts I’d get for him as I drove toward Shreveport. It only took an hour on a good day to go from Jefferson to Shreveport but the Interstate could get pretty busy at five o’clock on Friday. If I arrived too early, I could always wait for him in baggage claim.

  There was a hold-up right near the Louisiana border over a little fender bender but I sat in line for fifteen minutes while they got the two vehicles off the road. To pass the time I read through the texts that Rocky had sent through the day. Some of them made me giggle; most of them still turned my cheeks crimson. I had to circle through the parking garage three times before I finally found a parking space. When I reached the baggage claim, he was waiting for his suitcase to come around.

  “Hey.” He opened up his arms.

  I walked into them and breathed in scent of his aftershave. When he kissed me, I tasted peanuts and coffee. “I missed you so much this week. They get longer every time I have to be away from you.”

  His grabbed his baggage and hand-in-hand we walked outside. When we reached the car, I handed him the keys. He put his suitcase into the trunk and then wrapped me into his arms for a long, hard kiss. “It’s not ever going to get any closer between the two places.”

  Traffic was light so we made it to the farm house in a little over an hour. Peeta met us at the door and the smell of soup simmering in a slow cooker filled the air. Rocky parked his suitcase at the bottom of the stairs, stopped long enough to scratch Peeta’s ears and then swept me up into his arms. His lips found mine in one scorching hot kiss after another as he carried me up to my old bedroom.

  It was fully dark when we made it back down to the kitchen and we’d both worked up a voracious appetite. We were sitting at the table when he covered my hand with his. “I’ve looked forward to this all week, darlin’. I brought something for you but right now let’s just eat and talk about the future.”

  “You talk. I’ll listen.”

  “I’ll start with a question.”

  “Number one,” he held on one finger.

  “I thought you said ‘a question’,” she said.

  “Several,” he said.

  “Okay.” I was hoping that he’d ask the question but I guess it was too early after only six weeks.

  “Number one. I will be talking to a banker tomorrow morning about a new job. I sent him my resume this week and he’s impressed with it. If he hires me and I take the job I’ll be working a loan officer, dealing with real estate primarily.”

  “Is that a question?” Why would he be changing jobs, only to work in basically the same field but with less money?

  “No, but this is? The job is at one of the banks here in Jefferson. Do you have a problem with me living here at the farm house with you and Peeta?”

  “Oh. My. Sweet. Jesus!” Was I hearing him right or dreaming? No more waiting all week to see him. We could be together every single night. “Are you sure you want to move here?”

  “I’ve never been surer of anything in my whole life, but you didn’t answer my question. Can I move in with you?”

  “Yes! Yes! A thousand times yes!” I stood up so fast that I knocked my chair backwards. Without even stopping to pick it up, I sat down in his lap and kissed him until we we
re both breathless.

  “Question number 2?” He panted.

  “Whatever it is, the answer is yes,” I nodded.

  He reached into his pants pocket and brought out a velvet box. My heart stopped. I don’t mean that it skipped a beat—it stopped dead. My hands went clammy. My pulse raced and I couldn’t stop staring at that beautiful red box. Then he popped it open.

  “Jessica Susanne Graham, will you marry me?” He snapped it open to reveal a sparkling engagement ring.

  I was so speechless that for several seconds all I could do was nod.

  “Does that mean the answer to question number two is still yes?” he asked.

  “Yes, yes, yes!” I found my voice.

  He slipped the ring on my finger and I wrapped my arms around his neck, keeping the sparkling diamonds in plain view so that I could still see them glistening in the light. I was marrying my soul mate and maybe by this time next year, I’d even have that baby girl that Ashley wanted in the family.

  I was almost too excited to finish eating supper and that was saying a lot for me, since food was my answer for everything from sorrow to joy. When we finally had the clean up done and were cuddled up on the sofa trying to decide on a date for a wedding, he suddenly stood up and headed out to the foyer.

  “Leaving me so soon?” I teased.

  “No, I remembered that I brought something for you.” He unzipped the side pocket of his suitcase.

  “I thought this gorgeous ring was what you brought me.” I held it up to the light, still wondering if I was dreaming.

  “It’s a double prize night.” He put an envelope in my hands that had my name on the outside. No return. No stamp but the writing looked very familiar.

  “What’s this?” I asked.

  “Don’t know. I’m just the messenger.” He sat down beside me and draped his arm around my shoulders. “But you might want to read it.”

  I held the letter in my hands long after I’d recognized the handwriting from Edward’s letters to my mother. When I was eight years old and made that wish, I would have squealed to have a letter from my father but tonight with Rocky’s proposal, it took a back seat to what was most important in my life.

  “Well?” Rocky asked.

  I dropped it in my lap and laid my head on his shoulder. “I don’t know if I want to know what it says. Maybe I’ll just put it up for a few years.”

  “Afraid of what it might say?”

  I barely nodded. “Terrified and this night is so special that I don’t want to ruin it.”

  “Want me to read it to you?” He asked.

  “No, but hold me, please. And don’t argue with me if I tear it into shreds.” I tore open the end and shut my eyes as I unfolded it. Then I took a very deep breath and read:

  Dear Jessica,

  I’m not sure how to begin to write this letter. You have been on my mind so often these past weeks. I’ve talked it over with my wife, Eva. Mainly because I believe that she needs to be informed and willing for what I want to do. And she’s stood beside me faithfully. I loved your mother with a love that can’t be described in words. It was something neither of us seemed to have control over as you’ve already read in those letters. That anyone else would ever know how I felt about her and she, me, is more than a little bit embarrassing. I would like very much to get to know you and Eva has agreed. I think it would be best if we started off as friends and see what can develop from that. Rocky talks about you so much I feel like I already know a lot about you . . . but I’d like to spend some time with you. If you’d even consider such a notion. Please let me know. Awaiting your answer.

  Edward Rollin

  It was so much more formal than the carefree letters that he’d written to my mother but then they’d known each other intimately. It was with mixed emotions that I laid the letter on the end table.

  “Well?” Rocky said.

  “He wants to be my friend,” she said. “I just realized that since Tamara is married to your brother, that she’s going to be my sister-in-law when we get married.”

  Rocky laughed. “That’s hardly what I expected you to say.”

  “I’m not sure how I feel about his offer so I’m going to think about it a few days before I call him with an answer. But I do know how I feel about you, darlin’, and our engagement and upcoming marriage. I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that I love you and I’m so glad that I went to Florida. Now let’s go back upstairs and take a long shower together. What’s important right now is us and I want to spend the whole night celebrating that.”

  “Yes, ma’am.” Rocky took my hand and together we went back to the bedroom.

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  December 17

  Ashley stepped up on a chair to put the veil on my head that Saturday evening. The idea that I was marrying Rocky that evening was surreal even though my sister and I had planned for three months.

  “Wow!” Danny peeked inside the nursery where I was getting dressed and then came on inside. “I’m looking at the two most stunning women in the whole state of Texas. Ashley, darlin’, you should wear red velvet more often. And poor old Rocky is going to be speechless when he sees you in that.”

  “I have something to say before we do this.” I swallowed hard several times before the lump in my throat disappeared. “You both have always been there for me. Ashley has been as much mother as sister and I couldn’t ask for a better brother than you’ve been all these years, Danny. You’ve both been my rock.”

  “Right backatcha kid.” Danny said hoarsely as he held out his hand to help Ashley down from the chair.

  She grabbed a tissue and dabbed at her eyes. “You’re going to make me cry and we agreed not to get all sentimental today. Mama wouldn’t want that.”

  “Your maid of honor is here.” James breezed into the room. He looked taller somehow in that black tux with a red cummerbund and tie to match Ashley’s dress. “Thank you for picking red and for not expecting me to carry a bouquet.”

  I handed him a white velvet pillow with our wedding rings tied in the middle with a satin ribbon. “No problem. I love it that you are the ring bearer as well as bride’s maid.”

  “When I marry Colleen, I will expect the same from you,” he said.

  “My pleasure.” I told him as Ashley put a dozen red roses in my arms. “And when will that be?”

  “Before summer, maybe at Valentines. If you get a holiday wedding then I should get one, too. There’s the music. Time for us to go, Ashley. I love you, Jessie. Be happy.”

  “Love all of you. Have you seen Rocky?” I whispered as I looped my arm into Danny’s. “Ashley wouldn’t even let me talk to him. Made me stay at her house last night and all day today. We should have run off to Jamaica and not told a living soul until it was all done.”

  Danny and I proceeded to the double doors that led from the church foyer into the sanctuary. “I saw Rocky a few minutes ago and he’s every bit as nervous as you are. His sister, who is his best man, is knock-down-dead, good-looking, and I bet all the men at the reception forget about the tall, beautiful bride and try to win her affections. His Uncle Jasper is a hoot and is real proud to be his groom’s man. It’s time. You look lovely. Now let’s go get this part done so we can go to the party. I know you’re hungry.”

  “Starving.” I grinned as the doors opened.

  From the moment I could see Rocky standing up there with his sister beside him and his Uncle Jasper on the other side of her, all my jitters disappeared. In a few minutes I would be Mrs. Rocky Rycroft. I would have the second half of my wedding ring set on my finger. He gave me the whole package—sparks, electricity and chemistry—and I was getting it for the rest of my life.

  The preacher made a motion with his hands and everyone rose to their feet. I could hear the shuffling and the sweet comments about my dress as I walked past friends and family but nothing mattered except making it to the pulpit where Rocky waited. Ashley stepped up to take my bouquet and Danny put my hands into Rocky’s and
stepped back to sit on the front pew with Trey and Graham.

  The preacher made a motion for everyone to sit. “Who gives this woman to be married to this man?”

  “I do,” Ashley said from her place.

  He went on to do the ceremony. “Rocky and Jessica, I’m honored to be here this day. I’ve watched Jessica grow up from a baby. I christened her at birth, and her mother was faithful in bringing both of her daughters to church every week, so it’s with pleasure that I share this special day with you both. I’d like to speak to you about a passage of scripture found in the thirteenth chapter of Corinthians. It says there that love is kind, love isn’t jealous.”

  Ashley wiped a tear and James sniffled.

  “Love knows no boundaries,” the preacher said. I really was trying to listen, but Rocky’s eyes met mine and we were in our own world.

  “Rocky, do you take this woman to be your wife?”

  Rocky pulled me toward him and kissed me on the forehead. “I do take you to be my wife, Jessica. I want to live with you through hardships, and good times. I want to come home with you at night to know the love and comfort in your arms. I promise to be faithful for all our life together and I promise to love, keep and protect this love between us with a jealous zeal all the days of my life.”

  “Jessica, do you take Rocky to be your husband?”

  After that, I wasn’t sure I could get words out without crying. “I will be your help meet through bad times as well as good ones. I promise to be faithful until my last breath and I promise to never forsake this love we between nor take it for granted. I will love you up to and through all eternity.”

  We exchanged rings—his was a wide gold band and mine matched my engagement ring. The preacher said a brief prayer and pronounced us man and wife, Mr. and Mrs. Rocky Rycroft.

  The reception was held in the church fellowship hall. Ashley, Rocky’s sister, Christine, and his mother, Marlene, had joined forces the two days before and decorated it with poinsettias and Christmas decorations in every corner. After pictures with the cake and having our first glass of wedding punch together, Ashley nodded toward Graham, who was in charge of music.