Before they left, Don looked directly at Sharris and took her totally by surprise by what he said. “By the way, my cousin Bud will be going to Disney with us. He’s dying to meet you, Sharris. I think you’ll like him.”
She didn’t know what to say and wound up saying nothing. Grace had to be behind this! But it wasn’t Grace’s fault. She’d never told her about Crew. Truthfully, she hadn’t written to Grace since she’d met Crew. She couldn’t very well blurt out that she was falling in love with a man she’d only known for less than a month. The thought struck her as funny and she chuckled. It was the first time she actually admitted to herself, without wondering about it, that she really might be falling for Crew.
Thinking Sharris was laughing at the thought of being set up, Grace said, “He’s a great guy. Don’t worry. You’ll be comfortable with him. Who knows, you might even like him.”
Sharris looked at Marna but her sister simply smiled. Marna had no idea how she felt either. She hadn’t told anyone because she couldn’t very well admit to someone else what she wouldn’t let herself believe.
Sharris and Marna shared the king-sized bed in the largest bedroom. Taryn and Suzi slept in the second bedroom, where there was also a twin size bed for little Evie. Ricky had a room of his own.
“How long has it been since we slept together, Sharris?” Marna said as she tried to get comfortable.
Sharris laughed. “Since we were about as old as Suzi and Ricky.”
There was a long quietness before Marna spoke again. “I hope you don’t start liking Don’s cousin Bud. I’d hate for you to wind up moving to Florida.”
“No danger of that. You know I’m not marrying anybody.”
“I know that’s what you say, but I think you will. I also know it won’t be Bud.”
“And just how do you know that?”
“Because your heart already belongs to Crew Everton.”
Sharris didn’t reply.
“That’s what I thought. When you don’t argue with me, I know I’m right.”
“I don’t want to love him.”
“Why?”
“I don’t want to love any man. I don’t want to lose my freedom and independence.”
“Do you think I’ve lost mine? Or Taryn has lost hers? It happens sometimes, yes, sadly, but I’ve never been as happy in my life as I’ve been with Devon. And Taryn will say the same thing about John. When you’re with the right person, the one God chose for you, the only thing you’ll wind up losing is your loneliness.”
Sharris grinned, even though she knew her sister couldn’t see it in the darkness. Into her mind came the remembrance of how Ottie had said very nearly that same thing.
“Tell me about Crew.”
She started talking, telling her sister about everything she and Crew had done in the last few weeks. As she went on and on, leaving nothing out – not even her disturbed feelings about how she felt about him – she didn’t notice how quiet Marna had gotten. Not until she asked her a question did she realize she had fallen asleep.
Sharris sighed, then rolled over and closed her eyes. Maybe it was for the best that Marna hadn’t heard everything she’d been saying. She might be better off by keeping her feelings to herself. That way, she wouldn’t have to see all their pitying eyes when she and Crew were no longer together. It would happen. Wasn’t it what they both wanted, to remain unattached and free?
∞ EIGHTEEN ∞
THE WEEK FLEW BY in a whirl of activities. They went to the beach and some large flea markets. When the women wanted to do some shopping, Don volunteered to keep Ricky, Donny and Evie. Not one to let such an opportunity slip through her fingers, Grace insisted they take him up on his offer.
They made a day of it. Even Taryn seemed to have an increased burst of energy and never complained about being tired. It pleased her when she found some lovely maternity clothes at very reasonable prices at one of the outlet stores. John was going to be so proud of her thriftiness, she laughingly told everyone.
Finally, the day they were all waiting for arrived. Their trip to Disney World. Evie and Suzie were the most excited and talked nonstop during the drive toward Orlando.
It was a beautiful, sunshiny day – a little warmer than any of the sisters would’ve liked it, but perfect to everyone else. If only Crew was there, Sharris thought, it would be the best day of her life. Did thinking of him cause her phone to ring at that moment? Did it make his name come up on the caller ID? She answered excitedly. It was the first time he’d called since he went back to the base. She only wished she were someplace a little more private than sitting in the backseat of the SUV.
“Mom said you were taking a vacation so I didn’t want to bother you with telephone calls. If it’s a bad time, we can talk later.”
There was never a bad time to talk to him. “It isn’t a bad time. We’re on our way to Disney World and we won’t be there for twenty or thirty more minutes. I’ve missed talking to you.” And seeing you. And looking into your eyes. And everything else about you.
“Is everything all right? I was surprised when you took off so quickly. You never even mentioned wanting to go on a vacation before I left.”
“I just decided to do it on the spur of the moment. Truth is, the house suddenly felt too empty with Judy gone and I needed to get away for a while and it seemed like a good idea.” She could feel the eyes of Ricky, sitting next to her, on her, and knew he was listening to every word. Turning to him, she smiled.
He looked away and started playing with his phone.
She listened as Crew described what he’d been doing since he returned to the base. There was no question that he enjoyed being in the service and proud that he was able to serve his country with the abilities he’d been born with. When he stopped and asked her what all she’d been doing, she laughed. A little bit of everything, she told him and went on to describe her week.
“I always wanted to go to Florida,” he said then, a smile in his voice. “Maybe, someday, I’ll make it there.” He was glad she couldn’t read the unspoken part of his sentence, that maybe someday they could go together. He quickly scolded himself for his thoughts. She probably wouldn’t be very receptive to an idea like that.
They ended their conversation much sooner than she’d have liked, and for a long time, she merely sat there, thinking about him and everything they’d talked about. Not once had he said anything personal or led her to believe he was missing her the way she was missing him. She told herself it was better that way. Neither of them wanted to make any kind of commitment, so they didn’t need to start anything they couldn’t finish.
She started wondering about the man she was going to meet when they got to the park, Don’s cousin Bud. She didn’t want to meet him but couldn’t very well refuse since Don had already set it up. Or had it been Grace? She wasn’t sure which one of them was the main instigator. More than likely, it had been Grace. Before she’d gotten married and moved to Florida, she was always trying to fix Sharris up with somebody or other.
Oh, well. It didn’t matter. She’d try to enjoy the day with this Bud character and he’d be out of her mind when she laid down to sleep that night.
She was surer than ever that was exactly what would happen when she met him. He was nice looking, with dark hair and eyes and a small mustache, but he was also short, probably not more than an inch taller than her. She never cared for short men. He had a nice smile that seemed genuine and a deep, rich voice that was pleasant to listen to. She could be comfortable with him for one day.
To her surprise, he didn’t pay that much attention to her. He stayed with the children most of the time, showing them around and going on rides with them. Even as she told herself she was glad, at the same time, she couldn’t help feeling a little offended. She couldn’t remember being so ignored by any man.
“Bud’s nice, don’t you think?” Marna asked her when they were taking a restroom break.
“He likes the kids,” was her only reply.
/> Marna turned on the water and began to wash her hands. “You aren’t jealous, are you?” she teased.
“To be honest, I have no interest in him but I feel insulted because he’s totally ignoring me.”
Marna laughed. “You aren’t used to that, are you? Every guy you know winds up falling all over their own feet to do anything and everything they think you want them to.”
“Do I really act like that? Truly?”
“I don’t go on your dates with you, but I know most of the ones you go out with want to take you out again and you usually turn them down.”
“It doesn’t matter. I don’t want the burden of a man hanging around my neck.”
“Oh? Does that include Crew?”
She didn’t answer, but walked outside once again, back into the brilliant, hot sunshine. Momentarily, she was forced to shield her eyes from the brightness and was surprised when she bumped into someone. “Oh, I’m sorry!”
The tall man smiled down at her. “I’m not sure I am. I may have never met you otherwise.” He had light brown wavy hair and clear blue eyes the shade of the summer sky. Almost like Crew’s. At first glance, when he smiled, he actually reminded her a little bit of Crew, although he was older. She quickly dismissed the idea. She couldn’t seem to get Crew off her mind no matter how she tried or who she met.
He went on, “I’m Joe Callen, from North Carolina.”
Her eyes widened. “North Carolina? I’m from North Carolina, the Murphy area.” She rarely mentioned her hometown of Marble’s name to strangers. The larger town of Murphy was more often recognized.
“Small world, isn’t it? I live in Durham, so I know all about Murphy. I guess you’re here on vacation, huh? I think it’s a nice place to visit but I wouldn’t want to live here. Too hot!” He wiped his forehead and laughed.
“It’s hot all right. It doesn’t cool off any at night either, like it does at home.”
“You got that right. I’ve been here two days and I’m ready to go back. Are you visiting friends?”
“I am. How about you?”
“No, it’s simply me and a motel room. The truth is, I had to come here on business, so I’m enjoying a little down time away from all the endless demands and pressures of the job.”
She liked the sound of his voice and found herself enjoying the conversation with him. Even his voice reminded her of Crew.
“You know,” he said then, “I was just getting ready to find a bite of something to eat. Would you like to join me? I hate to eat alone.”
Why not? “Let me just tell my sister…..” She stopped when Marna stepped out of the rest room at that moment. “Oh, here she is. Marna, this is Joe Callen. Would you believe he’s from Durham?”
Marna looked at the stranger and he looked at her. She immediately recognized the all too familiar shock that filled his eyes at first sight of her face, as well as the attempt to cover it up with an even wider smile. “Marna. Your sister and I….” He stopped and looked at Sharris. “I don’t even know your name.”
“Sharris Cord.”
“Sharris and I were going to go find a bite to eat. Would you like to join us?”
She knew he was merely asking out of politeness. She also knew he was a total stranger and she had no intention of sending Sharris off alone with him. “Sure.”
She could imagine his inner distain when she said that, but paid no attention as she and her sister followed him to the nearest food court. She couldn’t help wondering where everyone else had disappeared to. She was sure the kids were with Bud, who hadn’t let them out of his sight all day, and wasn’t concerned about them. She hoped Taryn was with Grace and Don and hadn’t wandered off by herself. Her sister wasn’t comfortable in unfamiliar surroundings and might become frightened if she found herself left alone. Besides that, as much as the scorching sun was making her more tired than usual, it had to be even worse on her pregnant sister.
The more Joe talked, the more Sharris enjoyed his company, and the more uncomfortable Marna became. She rarely made first impressions, but tried to live by the familiar words of her mother that you should never judge a book by its cover. Of course, that wouldn’t apply to Joe Callen. He was nice enough to look at on the outside. For some reason she couldn’t define, she didn’t trust him. She chided herself, thinking she was merely wary of him because he was a stranger in a strange place. Just the same, she hoped Sharris would soon be willing to walk away and leave him.
She was relieved when she spotted Grace, Don and Taryn a short distance away and stood up and waved at them to get their attention. No sooner had Sharris introduced them to Joe than he commented on how nice it was to have met all of them and left.
Marna almost sighed aloud, but held it in.
“He was nice,” Sharris said.
Don’s eyes followed the retreating figure as it disappeared into the crowd. “You can’t trust strangers you meet accidentally, Sharris. It was an accidental meeting, wasn’t it?”
She grinned. “You might say that. I was blinded by the sun and ran into him.”
Bud and the children joined them at that moment.
“Boy, am I having fun!” Ricky gasped. “I wish I lived in Florida so I could come here all the time.”
Donna laughed. “If you lived here, it wouldn’t be nearly as exciting because you’d be used to it.”
“I still like it,” Donny said. “If I come here a thousand times, I’ll still like it.”
Little Evie started jumping up and down, trying to get everyone’s attention, and squealed. “I saw Mickey Mouse!”
“I saw Donald Duck,” put in Suzi.
Don’s eyes twinkled. “And what did Donald say, Suzi? When he talked, did he sound like this?” He did his perfect imitation of the animated character.
Everyone laughed and Evie begged him to do it again.
Which he did.
Joe Callen was forgotten.
∞ NINETEEN ∞
SHARRIS STARTED TO ENTER the kitchen the next morning, unaware that Don and Grace had come over with a tray of fruit and were sitting at the table talking to her sisters. As she approached the doorway, she heard her name and stopped to listen.
“Sharris swears she’s never getting married,” Taryn was saying. “She will, though. She’s just never found the right one.”
Grace answered. “I can’t believe she’s still single. She’s one of the most beautiful girls I’ve ever known.”
Don sighed. “Maybe she’s too aware of her beauty. Maybe she’s never found a man she thought was good looking enough to be her equal.”
Sharris’ eyes narrowed in anger. How could he say something like that?
“That’s an ugly thing to say, Don,” said Grace. "Inside that beautiful head of hers, she has a very loving and caring heart. I don’t think the looks of a man would make a difference to her, if she found the right one.”
“Well, Bud agrees with me,” Don went on. “He told me last night, after you all came back over here, that he didn’t even try to get to know her because, once he saw her, he knew he didn’t stand a chance with her and wasn’t in the mood to have his heart broken.”
Marna said, “He seemed more interested in the kids to me. He was just using that as an excuse because he didn’t like Sharris.”
Taryn sighed. “We shouldn’t be sitting here talking about her. I think I know her better than any of the rest of you, even better than you, Marna, because we were alone together in the house for several months after you left.”
Don met her eyes. “If you’re close to her, Taryn, maybe you should warn her about trusting strangers. That Joe Callen gave me the willies.”
Sharris blinked in disbelief at what she was hearing.
“I hope she didn’t give him her phone number or anything,” Grace said. “I didn’t have any first impressions about him because he left almost as soon as we got there, so…..”
Don interrupted before she could finish. “So that means he only wanted time with her and not
all the rest of us. If a person’s friends make a new acquaintance nervous, the new acquaintance – namely Joe Callen – is there for all the wrong reasons.”
“They didn’t exchange phone numbers,” said Marna. “I hate to say it, but I agree with Don. There was something about him that I didn’t like.”
Marna never made first impressions, Sharris thought. She decided it was time to stop eavesdropping and make her entrance known. Walking into the kitchen, she said quickly, “I want you to know I heard this entire conversation. It’s nice that you’re all so concerned about me and who I keep company with, but it’s my business and not yours.” Going to the coffee pot, she poured a cup, then cupped it in her hands as she remained standing near the sink. “If your cousin Bud would’ve been interested, he wouldn’t have had to make excuses as to why he wasn’t. And as far as Joe Callen, I enjoyed talking to him, and I’ll probably never see him again, which is fine with me. I liked him because he reminded me of Crew.”
Total silence ensued and she realized what she’d said. No one but Marna had any idea how she felt about Crew, and she only knew what little she’d heard before she fell asleep that night. As far as her friend Grace, she had never mentioned the name Crew to her.
Marna was the first to speak. “He reminded you of Crew?”
“Who’s Crew?” asked Grace.
“He’s a guy that seems to be coming pretty important in Sharris’ life,” Taryn answered.
Sharris looked at her. How long had Taryn known?
“So who’s Crew?” asked Grace again.
No one heard anyone else enter the room until Evie laughed and ran over to them. “I like Coo. He’s white but his mommy is black.”
Even as Sharris felt the eyes of Don and Grace on her, she sighed and looked at the little girl. Such an innocent and sweet little face and only words of truth coming from her cute little lips. Reaching down, she picked her up and gave her a kiss, then released her again. Evie ran to Taryn and jumped onto her lap.
Inside the Beauty Page 9