Wedding Date in Hot Springs, Arkansas Read online

  I kind of like hanging out with her, too. She’s not like Stephanie. She doesn’t try to force me to be her buddy or whatever. She just treats me like a normal person.

  I miss you,

  Shadow

  Chapter 20

  Violet Matthews: THANKS FOR YOUR HELP! THE LOGO IS AWESOME. ARE YOU OKAY? (Text message sent October 3, 10:22 a.m.)

  Reagan McClure: I’M SO GLAD YOU LIKE IT! I’M AMAZINGLY PRODUCTIVE DURING NAP TIME AS LONG AS I IGNORE MY DIRTY LAUNDRY AND DISHES. CHAD’S MOM IS COMING TO GET THE KIDS FRIDAY MORNING. WE’LL SEE HOW THIS GOES.…(Text message sent October 3, 10:30 a.m.)

  Violet unloaded the last of the chairs from Grandpa’s truck. It was a good thing he still had the old thing, otherwise she’d have made fifteen trips from the thrift store.

  She dusted off her jeans and looked around her garage. She and Shadow had a lot of painting ahead of them.

  “Is that the last one?” Shadow asked.

  Violet nodded. “Yes. Now the real work begins.” She pointed to a table and four chairs in the corner. “Those are ready to paint.

  They’ve been sanded and primed. Do you want to give it a try while I start sanding the rest?”

  Shadow beamed. “Yes, yes, yes.”

  Violet grinned. “It’s nice to see you so enthusiastic about the project.” She was a little surprised at the teenager’s attitude. When Mrs. Kemp had first mentioned her hiring Shadow, she’d been a little hesitant. The first couple of times she’d been around Shadow, the teenager had been so sullen and sarcastic. It seemed to be lessening now. “And that’s a cute outfit. Are those…cowboy boots?”

  Shadow held out a foot encased in a red cowboy boot. “They are. Aren’t they darling?”

  Between the boots, dark jeans, and flannel shirt, Shadow looked like she’d just stepped out of an ad for a dude ranch. “The braid is cute, too. You look like you belong on the show Hee Haw.”

  Shadow wrinkled her nose. “What’s that? I’ve never heard of it.”

  Violet groaned. She hadn’t felt too old until she started spending regular time with a sixteen-year-old. “It’s a TV show that was based in Nashville. I used to watch it with my grandparents.”

  “Oh.” Shadow knelt down to look at the variety of paints. “These colors are awesome. Are we really painting the chairs different colors?”

  Violet nodded. “We are. I have spray paint for the chairs.”

  Shadow made a face. “Are you sure that will work?”

  “I saw it on HGTV. It worked for them, it’ll work for us.” At least she hoped so. “Before you get started, do you want to change clothes? I have some old T-shirts and sweatpants. I’d hate for you to get your clothes messed up.”

  Shadow shrugged. “I guess so.”

  Violet led her into the house. “Hang on a second and I’ll go grab some clothes for you.”

  “Cute dog.” Shadow sat down next to Arnie on the couch.

  “Thanks. He’s fifteen and almost totally deaf.”

  “Wow. He’s almost as old as I am.”

  Violet nodded. That really put Arnie’s age into perspective. “I’ve had him for a long time. But he’s not doing too well right now.”

  Shadow leaned her face close to Arnie and talked to him softly. “Sweet, sweet dog. I have a dog in Texas, and I miss him very much.” The sadness in her voice was evident.

  Violet hurried to grab the clothes then went back to the living room. “These should do fine.” She tossed them to Shadow. “You won’t have to worry about getting them messed up. If they get paint on them, it might improve their looks.” She grinned and pointed to a door in the hallway. “There’s the bathroom.”

  Shadow gave Arnie one last pat and went to change clothes.

  Violet thought about how judgmental she’d been when she first saw Shadow in her Goth attire. She’d never imagined all the trials the girl had faced. Her mother’s death, her dad remarrying and having another child, leaving her pet behind to come live with her grandparents…it was no wonder she seemed so lost.

  Lord, give me the wisdom to know how to help Shadow. Open her heart to letting me be her friend and mentor, and help me to guide her down a path that will lead her closer to You.

  Jackson slid into the booth at Chili’s and grinned. “Sorry I’m late. Traffic was terrible.”

  Jeff shrugged. “Don’t worry about it.” He motioned toward the appetizer platter. “More for us.”

  “Oh, you two. Stop with the small talk. Tell us about the girl.” Lauren banged her hand on the table like she was calling a meeting to order. “I’d kind of hoped she’d be with you tonight.”

  Jackson smiled. “Patience doesn’t mean anything to you, does it?”

  Lauren scowled.

  “Okay, okay. I didn’t ask her to meet us because she’s really busy right now getting ready for the grand opening of her bakery.”

  “Fine. Just as long as she is in fact a real person and we will get to meet her soon.” Lauren popped the rest of her mozzarella stick into her mouth.

  For a moment Jackson wished he could come clean to them about the arrangement he and Violet had. He’d love to hear their advice. Ever since his run-in with Reagan last weekend, he’d felt remorseful for the way he’d treated Violet all those years ago. “You will definitely get to meet her, and I promise she is one-hundred-percent real.” Their relationship, on the other hand, was not.

  “Fair enough.”

  Once they’d placed their orders, Jeff nudged Lauren. “Can we tell him now? Please?”

  “Tell me what?”

  Lauren smiled broadly. “We’re pregnant. You’re going to be a faux uncle again.”

  “Congratulations! That’s very exciting news. I didn’t realize y’all were going for number three.”

  Jeff beamed. “With Bennett in school now and Levi starting next year, we figured it was the right time.”

  “I’m hoping for a girl to even out some of the testosterone in my household.” Lauren grinned. “Maybe a little less rough and tumble would be nice.”

  “Levi has his arm in a cast right now because Bennett convinced him to try jumping from the top bunk.” Jeff shook his head. “It’s always something.”

  “We’re on a first-name basis with the nurse at the walk-in clinic.” Lauren laughed.

  Jackson was happy for his friends. Lauren and Jeff were great parents. They seemed to have found just the right balance between too worried and too laid back.

  “So…not to pry, but do you think this girl could be ‘the one’?” Lauren made quote marks in the air with her fingers. “Or is she just a way to pass the time?”

  Jackson took a sip of sweet tea. “Violet has a lot of wonderful qualities. She’s smart and funny and very pretty.” He grinned. “And she’s a good person. She lives her life striving to do God’s will.” He shrugged. “But I don’t really know where things will go with us.” Actually, he was pretty certain they’d lead to a breakup the third week of January, but he didn’t dare mention it.

  “Sounds like a keeper to me,” Lauren said. “And it’s about time. You haven’t had the easiest road.”

  Jeff sent his wife a dirty look.

  “What?” she asked. “He hasn’t. We all know how tough things have been at times.”

  Jackson shrugged. “I don’t like to dwell on the past. You know that. By the grace of God, I got through the bad stuff and I’m here now. But everyone has had difficulties. Not just me.” He’d always tried to downplay the bad parts of his life, preferring to look at the bright side.

  “How’s your mom?” Jeff asked, going for a swift subject change.

  “Dating.” Jackson couldn’t help but roll his eyes. “Can you believe that? It’s something you don’t think you’ll ever have to deal with. One of your parents having a love life.”

  “Yeah, Kathleen mentioned it,” Lauren said. “She’s good with it though. Says she’s glad your mom has someone to talk to and go out and do things with.” She grinned. “And for the r
ecord, I think it’s great, too. I mean, if something ever happened to me, I’d want Jeff to move on.” She gave Jeff a wink. “After a very lengthy grieving period, of course.”

  Jeff laughed. “I’ll keep that in mind.”

  Were they right? Was Mom dating again just the natural order of things? “I’ve met the guy once at church, but it was only briefly. I don’t usually attend where Mom does, so I haven’t really been around him. But she says he’ll be at our family Thanksgiving.”

  “Will your girlfriend be there, too?” Lauren asked.

  He nodded. “She will.”

  Lauren shot him a cat-that-ate-the-canary grin. “I’m liking this more and more. I cannot wait to meet her and see how cute you guys are together.”

  “I think I may have the perfect time for us to hang out.” Jeff scrolled through his phone. “The Razorbacks are playing at War Memorial in a couple of weeks. Does your girlfriend like football?” The University of Arkansas football team played most of their games at the Fayetteville campus, but one or two games each year were played at Little Rock’s stadium.

  Jackson had no idea if she liked it, but she’d signed a contract agreeing to attend a game. “We’ve actually talked about going to that game.”

  “Let me see what I can do. I think I can get us four tickets together. We can tailgate before the game and get to know her.”

  Jackson nodded. “Sounds like a plan. I’ll talk to her later and make sure her schedule is clear.” So far they hadn’t tried to convince anyone of the nature of their relationship. He hadn’t stayed at the taste testing long the other night, and from what he could tell, Reagan thought they were just friends with potential. But if they went to a Razorback game with Jeff and Lauren, their every move would be under constant scrutiny.

  They’d have to come off as a convincing couple. Jackson knew he was on board—he looked forward to it. He was just afraid Violet would balk at the idea. Especially if he held her hand or hugged her. So far when he’d gotten close to her, she’d tensed up.

  Was that because he repulsed her? Or was she becoming aware that he was attracted to her?

  Only time would tell, but Jackson knew one thing—he was looking forward to playing the role of her dutiful boyfriend in public.

  Just how much he looked forward to it surprised him.

  Dear Mama,

  I met the cutest boy the other day at the feed store. What a strange place to meet a boy! I went with Granddaddy to get some weed killer for his garden and there, standing next to a display of fake turkeys, was the cutest boy I’ve ever seen.

  His name is Dale, and he had on a cowboy hat and everything. He rides horses in competitions. He asked me to go watch him ride a bull sometime, and he got my phone number.

  Granddaddy embarrassed me though because he came over to meet him and asked a million questions.

  Anyway, he texted me today, so I think he really likes me.

  Oh—Violet and I got the tables and chairs painted for the bake shop. They are so pretty. We painted the chairs all different colors—yellow, pink, blue, orange—you name it! And then we did the tables white, but Violet let me do some free-hand painting on the top. I mostly did little swirly designs and stuff to match the chair colors. It looks so neat.

  Violet thinks I should take an art class, but I don’t know.

  Love you,

  Shadow

  Chapter 21

  Jackson Stratford: Two QUESTIONS: DO YOU HAVE PLANS TOMORROW NIGHT AND WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE COLOR? (Text message sent October 5, 9:09 a.m.)

  Violet Matthews: WORKING AT THE SHOP I GUESS. WHY? AND PURPLE IS MY FAVORITE COLOR. DID YOU REALLY HAVE TO ASK? HOW ABOUT YOU? (Text message sent October 5, 9:15 a.m.)

  Jackson Stratford: HOW ABOUT DINNER AT 7? AND YEAH, I GUESS THAT ONE SHOULD’VE BEEN OBVIOUS. MINE’S GREEN, ALTHOUGH VIOLET IS A CLOSE SECOND. (Text message sent October 5, 9:18 a.m.)

  Reagan stood in the driveway and waved good-bye to the kids. There’d been a few tears from Ava Grace, but when Chad’s mom had promised that she and their Paw Paw would take everyone for ice cream later, the tears had miraculously disappeared. Ava Grace was a girl after her mom’s own ice-cream-loving heart.

  She glanced at her watch. It wasn’t quite three yet. She’d be able to take her sweet time showering and getting ready for her date with Chad. In some ways, she was as nervous as a teenager. They’d spent so little time together during the past few months, and when they had, their conversation centered on the kids. What if they didn’t have anything to say to each other anymore? What if Chad couldn’t help but compare her to Reese?

  Reagan pushed the thought from her mind and took the longest, steamiest shower she’d had in a very long time. It was pure joy to get to wash and condition her hair and even shave her legs. Motherhood trumped things like personal pampering.

  She wrapped herself in the plush robe Violet had given her when Ava Grace was a baby. She’d called it a spa robe. Whatever the name, it was made from the kind of material that seemed to envelop her in a warm, fluffy cocoon.

  Reagan took her time drying her hair, making sure all the kinks were straightened out. Her long blond hair was her one throwback to her pre-mommy days. Chad’s mom had chided her for not getting it cut short when she had kids, claiming it would be so much easier to care for, but Reagan had resisted.

  Chad had told her once that her hair was the first thing he’d noticed about her. So she’d kept it long, even though it meant more trouble.

  And as her family grew, it became more of a hassle, yet she still kept it as a reminder to herself that she was still in there somewhere—the girl Chad had fallen in love with.

  She painted her fingernails and toenails red and sat down on the bed for a moment. Still plenty of time left.

  She couldn’t resist leaning back and resting her head on the pillow just for a second. Last night she’d been up almost every hour with someone, and by the morning when it was time to get Izzy to school, she’d been exhausted.

  Reagan burrowed into the soft robe and closed her eyes, thinking about the fun she and Chad would have tonight.

  Just like old times.

  She heard a loud noise and sat upright. The bedroom door was closed. That was weird. “Chad?” she called. “Are you home?”

  The door cracked open, and Chad peeked inside. “Hello, Sleeping Beauty. It’s about time you joined the land of the living.” He grinned.

  She stood up. Her brain felt so foggy. No wonder she didn’t nap anymore. “Sorry. I’ll be ready in just a sec.”

  Chad laughed. “Ready for what? The kids will be back soon. You were asleep when I got home last night so I cancelled our reservation and closed the bedroom door.” He grinned. “I slept in the guest room so I wouldn’t wake you.”

  Reagan sank onto the bed. “Wait. It’s tomorrow? Already?” She closed her eyes. “I don’t understand how this happened.”

  “Babe, you’re exhausted. There was no way I was going to wake you up. No dinner was that important.” He sat down next to her. “You look upset. Are you mad?”

  “What? No.” She bit her tongue. “Actually yes. I’m mad.” She stood up. “I can’t believe you didn’t wake me up. You know how much trouble I’d gone to. I arranged for your mom to take the kids, I made a reservation.” She frowned. “I even made chocolate-dipped strawberries for dessert.”

  “I know. I had them as a little snack while I watched SportsCenter last night.”

  He thought he was being funny. “It’s me, isn’t it? You didn’t want to have a romantic night with me.” She’d planned to fill him in on her gym membership last night. She’d expected that if they actually had some time alone together, he’d finally notice that she’d lost almost ten pounds. But he hadn’t. Because he hadn’t woken her up.

  “Don’t be silly. I was looking forward to the night, too. But you looked so cute asleep, I didn’t want to wake you up.”

  She glared. “Don’t try to make me feel better by saying I looked cute.�
� She sighed. “You aren’t attracted to me anymore.” Hot tears sprang into her eyes. “Are you?”

  Chad groaned. “Reagan, that’s crazy. And you know it.”

  The doorbell rang.

  “That’s Mom with the kids.” He stood up. “This conversation is not over.” He walked out of the bedroom.

  As far as she was concerned it was over. Ten years ago, there was no way he would’ve just let her sleep through what was supposed to be their first romantic night together in months. No kids. Just the two of them.

  It was just as she’d suspected. Something was off between them.

  And she had no idea how to fix it.

  Violet glanced around the shop. It was amazing how much she’d gotten done this week. The taste testing had sent her into full-on panic mode, and she’d felt like she was moving in fast forward all week.

  Shadow had turned out to be a huge help, painting and then helping to transport the furniture.

  Violet sat down in an orange chair and ran her hand across the smooth tabletop. The multicolored swirls added an extra kick. She couldn’t help but smile. This place was a dream come true.

  A tap at the door startled her. She glanced up to see Jackson on the other side of the glass, a grin on his face.

  “I didn’t mean to lock it,” she said, opening the door.

  He chuckled. “With you up here alone, I think I feel better knowing it was locked. Most everything on this street is closed or closing for the night.” He walked past the tables. “Someone’s been busy. It looks incredible.”

  “Thanks. I’m really happy with the way it all turned out.”

  He pulled back a turquoise chair and sat down. “Can I be honest?”

  She nodded. “Always.”

  Jackson grinned. “When you first told me the plan—the yellow walls and the multicolored chairs and mismatched tables—I couldn’t imagine how that would possibly look okay.” He glanced around. “But you had a real vision. It looks perfect for a cupcake shop. People are going to love it.”