Love Conquers All

by Lorana Hoopes

  After pulling on a new pair of jeans and a clean shirt, Lanie raced back out of the house and to the ice cream shop. She unlocked the door with just minutes to spare.

  Her first task was to take all the chairs down and give the tables another quick wipe. Then she needed to check the dishes and remove any from the dishwasher that had been washed before.

  Lanie was in the middle of this process when the bell jingled and Ned walked in. “Hi, Ned, what can I do for you?”

  Ned fumbled with his brown bow tie as he shuffled into the room. He wore a matching brown and cream checkered shirt and brown pants. “Hello, Lanie, I was wondering if you had a date to the Summer Fling next week.”

  “Aren’t you seeing Amelia?” Lanie asked.

  “Well, she said she needed a break, so I thought I’d see what else might be out there.”

  Lanie bit her lip to keep from smiling. It wasn’t a romantic proposal even if she had been looking, so she was thrilled to have a real excuse to say no. “Oh, Ned, I appreciate the offer, but I’ll have a date to the dance.” At least she hoped she would. She had forgotten to ask Azarius, but as it was on a weekend, she assumed he would be there.

  Ned’s face crumpled in and Lanie felt bad for him. She didn’t know Amelia well, but she hoped the girl would come around. The two seemed perfect for each other.

  “I’m sorry Ned. Can I get you an ice cream? On the house?”

  That appeared to lighten his load a little as he shuffled toward the bar and took a seat. “I’ll have the triple chocolate brownie with caramel, fudge, and whip cream. Oh and don’t forget the cherry.”

  Ah, their most expensive dessert on the menu. That made sense as to why it perked him up slightly. Lanie smiled and shook her head as she turned to scoop the dessert.

  “Here you go, Ned,” she said a few minutes later as she set the dessert in front of him.

  “Thank you.” He reached for the bowl, but before he picked up the spoon, his eyebrows crammed together and he tilted his face up to hers. “Lanie, is that a wedding ring on your hand?”

  “What?” Lanie glanced down at her left hand and froze as she realized she hadn’t taken off the simple gold band from the night before. She thought about fibbing as quick remarriages were frowned upon nearly as much as unwed mothers in Star Lake, but she didn’t want to start her marriage out with a lie. And people would know soon enough when she started to show. “It is, Ned. It’s the reason I can’t go with you to the dance. I married my friend Azarius last night.”

  Ned said nothing, but Lanie could see the wheels turning in his mind.

  “That was quite fast,” he finally managed and Lanie sighed. This would be a statement she had better get used to as she was bound to hear it more often in the future.

  “Yes, I suppose it was, but sometimes you just know, right?”

  He dipped his spoon in the dessert and brought it to his mouth. “Yes, I suppose you do,” he mumbled through his bite.

  Lanie sighed softly. Ned had been easy to convince, but she knew there would be other people who would not be placated so easily.

  When Ned finished his ice cream, he pushed the bowl back across the counter to her and left, leaving the parlor empty and Lanie able to call the nearest OB for an appointment. The nearest OB was almost an hour outside of town and was booked for the next two weeks, but Lanie didn’t think that would be a problem. Nothing happened early in pregnancies, right?

  As she hung up the phone, the bell above the door jingled and Paula made her entrance, her dark hair flying behind her.

  “Lanie Perkins,” she said, splaying her hands on the counter, “Ned just told me you got married yesterday. To whom did you marry and why were we not invited?”

  Lanie sighed. She had hoped Ned would keep the information to himself or at the very least that he wouldn’t run into Paula for a while, but secrets didn’t remain secret very long in a small town. “I did, Paula. It was rather a spur-of-the-moment decision, but we will have a party soon and invite everyone.”

  “Do your parents know?” Paula asked, leaning back and cocking one hip to the side.

  “Not yet, but I assume they will soon.”

  Paula’s mouth dropped open at the implication of the snarky comment, and Lanie quickly hurried to amend the situation. The last thing she needed was Paula angry with her.

  “Look, Paula, I’ll tell my folks, but I’m thirty years old. I’m allowed to marry who I want when I want and I don’t need anyone’s permission.”

  That seemed to soothe Paula’s fragile ego for the moment as her face softened and she leaned forward. “Was it at least that handsome friend of yours or did you pick up a random stranger on the street?”

  Lanie let the dig go and smiled back at Paula. “It was my handsome friend whom I’ve actually known for years though we just recently began hanging out again after my separation. You can rest assured I didn’t marry a stranger.” As the words left her mouth, Lanie wondered how true they were. He had opened up about his ex-wife, but there was still so much in Azarius’ past she didn’t know, and she wondered how long it would take to peel away all the layers and finally feel like she knew him, the real him.

  “Well, that is nice,” Paula said, but her face told a different story. Lanie knew Paula would keep digging until she knew the real reason for the marriage.

  After Paula, Lanie enjoyed a steady stream of customers. Some knew of her hasty marriage and asked questions, but others either didn’t care or didn’t know. Still, by the end of the evening, Lanie was exhausted.

  A minute before closing time, the bell jingled again. Lanie nearly threw her hands up in frustration but smiled when she saw it was Layla. She gestured her inside and then locked the door behind her.

  “I’m so glad it’s just you. It’s been busy tonight,” Lanie said, sinking down into a chair and dropping her head onto her hands.

  “For you or for Paula?” Layla joked as she pulled out the chair across from Lanie. Lanie groaned and rolled her eyes.

  “You could have told me at least,” Layla said. “I thought we were friends.”

  Lanie’s head shot up. “Oh, Layla, I’m so sorry. I meant to tell you first, but I got in late today, and then Ned saw my ring and it just spiraled out of control from there.”

  “It’s okay, I’m just teasing you. I guess that means the test was positive then?”

  Lanie slapped her forehead. The stress of telling her parents and deciding what to do had weighed so heavily on her mind that she had forgotten to tell Layla. “Yes, but no one knows that part yet except for you and my parents. Azarius asked me to elope the night we told them. I wasn’t going to at first, but then I thought about how people would react when I started to show, and I took him up on his offer.”

  Layla nodded, her dark hair rustling against her shoulders. “What about the secrecy thing? You guys work that out?”

  Lanie’s lips twisted together as she broke away from Layla’s gaze. “Some, he told me about his ex-wife, but I didn’t ask for more and he didn’t volunteer any more. I’m hopeful now that we’re married, he’ll share his life with me.”

  A small sigh escaped Layla’s lips. “I hope so for your sake, Lanie, but what are you going to do if he doesn’t?”

  Lanie shook her head. She had no idea.

  Chapter 14

  Azarius walked into his apartment with an extra bounce in his step. Some happy tune he couldn’t place whistled from his lips.

  “How did it go?” Greg asked from the couch.

  “It was amazing. Lanie looked like an angel in her dress. I forgot rings, but they had simple bands for us,” he said, looking down at the band on his left hand. Though small, the gold band stood out against his dark skin. “I’ll have to get better ones soon as she deserves something with diamonds.”

  “Yes, she does. I’m glad you finally came around. Did you two have your heart to heart?”

  Azarius shifted his weight and turned his face as he dropped his bag in the oversized cha
ir. “Uh, not exactly. I told her about Krista but not my mama yet, but I will.”

  “You need to man. She deserves the truth, and she isn’t going to run.”

  Azarius plopped down next to his bag. “I guess I know that, but I still worry, you know?”

  “You don’t have to worry about her. Lanie is all in when it comes to you as long as you stay all in.”

  As long as he stayed all in. That did seem to be his issue, didn’t it? But this time would be different. He promised himself this time he was all in.

  His day proved to be busy, but Lanie was never far from his mind. He waited as patiently as he could until nine pm when he knew she would be done at the diner before dialing her number. It rang two times before her angelic voice filled the earpiece.

  “Hello?”

  “Hello, wife, how was your day?” Azarius lay back against his black pillow and folded one arm behind his head.

  There was a slight pause before she answered. “It was eventful. I forgot to take my ring off before I went to work and now half the town knows I got married.”

  “Well, that’s okay, right? We knew they would find out eventually.”

  “Yeah, I guess I just wasn’t expecting it to be so quickly.” Another quick pause and her voice came again, lighter this time. “How was your day?”

  A smile crawled across his lips. “It was great. I got to wake up with the most beautiful woman I know and call her my wife. The only thing that would have made it better was if I got to come home to her too.”

  “We’ll have to figure that out soon. Oh hey, I scheduled the first appointment with the OB if you want to come. It’s for the end of June. Also this weekend there’s a Summer Fling. I know you say you don't dance in public, but would you be interested in going?”

  Azarius’s heart leapt. He wasn’t much of a dancer, but the chance to see Lanie again and hold her in his arms was too good to pass up. “Of course I’m interested. You tell me when, and I’ll be there. I’ll stay the weekend if that works for you.”

  “I’d love that. I miss you already,” she said.

  “I miss you too.” The feeling didn’t go away as he hung up the phone. Instead, it intensified, growing and churning in his stomach. He couldn’t remember ever feeling this way about a woman before, not even Krista.

  When Friday finally rolled around, Azarius could barely wait for work to end so he could see Lanie again. Even though they had spoken every day of the week, it wasn’t the same and he really wanted to hold her in his arms again. He missed the smell of her hair and the feel of her soft skin against his.

  The house was dark as he pulled in, and he briefly wondered where Greg was, though it was possible he was sitting in the dark. He often did that when he had headaches, and he suffered from migraines often.

  Azarius threw the Mustang in park and turned off the ignition. His plan was to be back on the road in half an hour, so he needed to pack a bag as quickly as possible. He should have done it last night, but work had run late, and he’d fallen into bed bone tired.

  Not bothering to flick on the lights, he bounded up the stairs and clicked his bedroom light on. His bag still sat near the bed from the road trip to Oklahoma.

  One at a time, he pulled open the drawers and grabbed the needed items. A few shirts, pants, socks, and underwear. Then he moseyed into the bathroom to grab his lotions, toothbrush, and shower items. He added those to the bag and grabbed a jacket for good measure. Mid-June in Texas normally meant warmer weather, but sometimes a cold front would sneak in, and he didn’t want to be left unprepared.

  As he opened the front door and stepped outside, he realized he still hadn’t seen or heard Greg. Maybe he had gone to visit his folks. They did live close in town, so he could walk there if needed.

  With a shrug of his shoulders, Azarius locked the door behind him and jogged back to the car. He had made great time and should see Lanie before she turned in for the night. The thought sent an extra tingle of joy through him and a smile across his lips. He turned the radio up and nodded his head to the beat as he pulled out of the driveway and back on the main road.

  Two hours later, he was parking in front of Lanie’s house. Her porch light gleamed, a welcoming beacon in the dark night. Reaching over, Azarius grabbed his bag and climbed out of the car, locking it behind him. The front door opened before he had a chance to knock and Lanie rushed into his arms.

  The bag fell from his hand as he wound his arms around her and planted his lips on hers. Heat swirled through them, dispelling any chill in the surrounding air. When they broke apart, he smiled down at her. “I guess you did miss me.”

  “More than you know,” she said. With her fingers firmly locked with his, she pulled him into the house, pausing only long enough for him to rescue his bag.

  Sunlight streaming in through the windows woke Azarius the next morning. A glance to his left revealed Lanie’s auburn hair splayed across his arm. He tightened his grip on her shoulder, relishing the feel of her against him. The realization that he had almost lost her made him squeeze her a little tighter, and she opened her eyes.

  “Hey you,” she said, her voice still heavy with sleep.

  “Hey, sorry, I was enjoying the scent of your hair, go back to sleep.”

  She tilted her head to smile up at him. “What is it with you and my hair?”

  “I don’t know,” he said, pushing her head back against his chest, “but yours has always smelled fantastic.”

  A giggle escaped her lips, and she batted his chest playfully. “I love you, funny man.”

  The words permeated his heart and a feeling of joy coursed through his body.

  “We should probably get up,” Lanie said as her finger lazily traced a pattern on his chest. “My parents probably know, but we should stop in and tell them before the dance in case they don’t.”

  That sounded like torture to Azarius, but he would do anything for Lanie, and so after another kiss on her forehead, he released her from his grip. She leaned up and planted her lips directly on his, nibbling slightly on his bottom lip and sending a tingling sensation through him.

  “You better stop that if you want to get up,” he said.

  She winked at him, but pulled back, and he immediately missed the warmth. Sighing, he rolled over and out of the bed.

  As Lanie padded to the shower, he wandered into the kitchen to make some tea. He filled the tea kettle and set it boiling on the stove while he opened cupboards in search of some tea bags. Lanie loved green tea almost as much as her coffee, so she was sure to have a few bags around somewhere. His search yielded a stash in the pantry, and he pulled out the box.

  Lanie entered the kitchen as the tea kettle began whistling. “Shower’s free,” she said, planting a kiss on his cheek.

  “I’ll jump in as soon as I finish my tea,” he said, returning her kiss and filling a mug.

  She filled a mug as well and sat down at the small table across from him. As he sipped the warm tea and took in her porcelain skin from across the way, he knew he could no longer be content with only seeing her on weekends. He’d have to make the decision to either move here with her or convince her to move back with him, but it could wait until after the dance tonight. Maybe by then he’d have an idea of what to do.

  A few hours later, they pulled up in front of Lanie’s parents’ house. Though they were married now, Azarius’s mouth still dried up at the prospect of seeing her father again.

  “Come on, it can’t be any worse than last time,” Lanie said, sensing his discomfort.

  “Yeah, I know,” he said with a shrug. “I just wish we could win them over.”

  “We will one day,” she said and turned off the engine.

  The walk up to the door felt like the green mile to Azarius. Lanie squeezed his hand as she rang the doorbell. Again her mother was the one to answer it.

  “Lanie, Azarius, come on in,” her mother said with a smile, but Azarius noted it didn’t quite reach her eyes.

  “Hi mom,
sorry we didn’t call first, and you’ve probably already heard the news, but Azarius and I wanted to make sure you heard it from us before you were accosted at the dance.”

  “I'm not sure to what news you are referring,” her mother said. “But you should share with your father too.”

  They followed the older woman into the living room. Lanie’s father looked up as they entered. “Well, hello again. To what do we owe this pleasure?”

  Lanie opened her mouth to speak, but Azarius stepped forward and spoke first. “We wanted to say again how sorry we are that we didn’t do things right the first time, but I took your words to heart. The Army taught me to follow through with commitments and so Lanie and I eloped last weekend. We hope you’ll be able to give us your blessing now as we want to move forward.”

  Her mother clasped her hand to her mouth and collapsed into a chair. “Oh, Lanie, you eloped?”

  “It was my idea, ma’am. I wanted Lanie to be married before she started showing and people began asking questions.”

  “But we plan to have a big party to announce it mom,” Lanie said, stepping in.

  There was a moment of silence as her parents looked back and forth at each other. Then her father rose from his chair and approached. “Army, huh? What’s your rank, son?”

  “I’m a sergeant, and I’m still in the reserves sir.”

  Bob’s eyes narrowed even more. “Well, I certainly can appreciate your service. I too served my country. One more question. What is your stance on God?”

  “Dad,” Lanie said with a shake of her head.

  Azarius took a deep breath. “To be honest sir, until I met Lanie, I believed there was a God, but I didn’t have a relationship with him. However, after hearing your daughter talk about him and seeing her faith, I started looking and praying.” He smiled as Lanie turned to him with wide eyes. “I hadn’t told you yet, but I did. I started praying, and with your help, I’d like to deepen that relationship. I know I may not know exactly how to be a strong leader yet, but I’d like to try.”