“Can you marry me and Johnny Pine tomorrow?”
She heard a slight gasp, and then Lawless quickly cleared his throat.
“Did you say marry?”
“Yes, sir. Are you free? If not, we can always find a justice of the peace, but I—”
“No, no, of course I can perform the ceremony. I just had no idea you were—”
“It’s a long story, sir. We’ll tell you tomorrow. Will the church be free in the afternoon?”
“Yes, as a matter of fact, it will. Did you have a time in mind?”
Dori looked at Johnny. “What time?”
He shrugged. “Noon?”
She smiled. “Would twelve o’clock, noon, be okay with you?”
Lawless chuckled. “I think I can delay my lunch for this.”
“Thank you so much,” Dori said. “See you tomorrow.” She laid the phone down and then looked at Johnny.
He started smiling.
She grinned.
Luther took advantage of the silent moment to fill his diaper.
Johnny looked startled.
Dori laughed. “Give him to me. As soon as I clean him up, we can go get the license.”
* * *
Johnny and Dori went into the courthouse, got the license, and walked out without explanation or conversation. The clerk who waited on them immediately told her coworkers, who also shared the news when they went to lunch. Before the noon hour was over, half the town of Blessings knew Johnny Pine and Dori Grant had applied for a marriage license. The news was like pouring water on a flame; if they were no longer living in sin, there was nothing to gossip about.
Pansy Jones had decided to make herself scarce for a couple of weeks and left to visit her sister in Savannah early the same morning. There would be no follow-up call to Ethel Carter regarding their change in status because Pansy wouldn’t know.
Johnny drove Dori to the Curl Up and Dye to ask Ruby if she’d be a witness in their wedding, then waited in the car with Luther, who’d done them all a favor and gone to sleep.
“I won’t be long,” Dori said.
“We’re fine,” Johnny said. “Take your time.”
She got out, careful not to wake the baby, then hurried inside the salon while Johnny called Peanut Butterman to tell him about the time of the ceremony and where it would be held.
Every stylist in the shop had someone in their chair, and Mabel Jean was cleaning off her workstation from the last manicure when Dori walked in.
Mabel Jean went to the front to greet her.
“Hi, Dori. Do you want to make an appointment?”
“No, ma’am. I just need to speak to Ruby for a second if that’s okay?”
Mabel Jean turned and yelled, “Hey, Ruby! Got a minute?”
Ruby saw Dori and waved.
“Sure, just give me a minute.”
She put a bouffant cap over the color job she’d just done on her client and set the timer, then patted her on the shoulder and headed for the front.
“Dori! Great to see you, honey. How are you doing? Did you get any rest last night?”
“Some,” Dori said. “I’m sorry to bother you when you’re so busy, but I wanted to ask you something. Johnny and I are getting married tomorrow at noon at the Baptist Church and—”
Ruby threw her arms around Dori. “What? Oh wow! I am so happy to hear this! I can’t think of any two people more deserving to have some good news in their lives than you guys. Congratulations.”
Dori smiled, a little embarrassed.
“I wanted to know if you would be one of the witnesses for me. I’m not doing a big wedding, so technically you wouldn’t be a bridesmaid, and if you’re busy, I’ll totally understand.”
Ruby’s eyes widened with undisguised delight.
“Oh my sweet Lord! I have never had the pleasure. I would be honored. What time and where did you say this would be?”
“The Baptist Church at noon tomorrow. Just come as you are. We’re not doing anything fancy. We just need to get married really fast.”
Ruby frowned. “I know it’s none of my business why, but are you two in trouble in any way?”
Dori’s eyes welled with tears. “Yes, ma’am. Someone called DFCS and implied that we were unfit to care for the children and that they should take them away. Even if I moved out right now, the damage was already done to Johnny’s character. They even brought up Beep getting beat up at school as if it was Johnny’s negligence that caused it to happen. Our lawyer suggested the marriage as a solution, and we both agreed it was the quickest way to bring the accusations to an end.”
Ruby gasped. “Who turned you in?”
“It doesn’t matter,” Dori said. “It can’t be taken back.”
Ruby glared. “It was Pansy, wasn’t it?”
Dori shrugged. “I have no way to prove who I think did it. But I thank you for agreeing to be at the services. You have been so good to me, helping us after the fire like you did. I was hoping you would say yes, so I’ll see you at noon tomorrow?”
“Absolutely,” Ruby said and then hugged her again. “Bless you, child. You don’t know it yet, but I think you two are going to find that this turns out to be quite a blessing.”
“I’m already blessed,” Dori said. “I’ll see you tomorrow, and thank you very much.”
Ruby watched her get back in the car, saw Johnny touch her shoulder in a gesture of comfort, and nodded.
“They’re going to be just fine,” she muttered. “On the other hand, Pansy Jones is going to be a long time living this stunt down.”
She strode back to the work area with a smile on her face and quickly announced, “You will not guess who is getting married tomorrow or why.”
* * *
Dori called the restaurant to see if Lovey was there, but she was not.
“I’ll call her later,” Dori said. “Let’s go home. You need to eat some lunch before you go back to work, and I have cookies to bake before I go pick up the boys.”
“Sounds good to me,” Johnny said. “And you know what else sounds good? The fact that you think of that old house as home.”
Dori heard the apology in his use of “old” to refer to his house and didn’t want him to feel like it was necessary.
“Don’t say that. It’s a wonderful house. I found out at an early age that it isn’t where you live that matters as much as who you’re living with, and I consider myself very blessed that you came to our rescue. You will forever be my white knight.”
Johnny blinked away tears, and as soon as he braked for a red light, he reached across the seat and took her hand.
“I’m no hero, honey, but I will make you the same promise I made the boys. We aren’t going to live on that side of town forever.”
Dori shook her head. “But you are a hero to me. You took on so much when you chose to raise your brothers, and now you have taken on even more by adding Luther and me to the mix.”
“We’ll make it work,” he said. “You’ll see.”
Dori smiled. She wanted to tell him about her inheritance so badly but decided that would be her gift to him after the ceremony was over.
* * *
Dori took the last pan of cookies out of the oven five minutes before she had to leave to pick up the boys from school.
Luther was sitting in the high chair, banging his teething ring against the tray and talking to the red rooster clock hanging on the wall.
Dori laughed as she dried her hands and went to wash Luther’s face and hands before they left.
“I swear, Luther Joe. Ceiling fans and rooster clocks are all the same to you, aren’t they?” she said and kept digging the wet cloth beneath his little fat chin, wiping away the drool and cracker crumbs.
Then she made a face at him, and he promptly made one back. She was still laughing when she put him on her hip, slung the diaper bag and her purse on her other arm, and headed out the door to get the boys.
She pulled into the pick-up area at school and parked, then left the car running and the air conditioner on as she settled in to wait. Her head was still spinning from the events of the day, going from abject horror and fear to relief and anticipation. She wasn’t sure if she knew what love felt like, but she certainly cared for Johnny Pine in a very special way. Five days and counting. Tomorrow would be the sixth day since the Pines had taken them in, and when she woke up on the seventh day, she would be one of them.
Luther thought about fussing, then poked his thumb in his mouth and was still sucking when Dori heard the last bell ring across the school yard. She sat up to watch for the boys, and when she saw them coming across the grass looking for her car, she got out and waved. As soon as they saw her, they started running.
Dori circled the car and opened the door for them to get in. When Luther heard the sound of kids squealing and talking, his thumb sucking quickly ended, and he began kicking his feet and waving his arms.
Dori laughed. “You’re glad to see them too, aren’t you, little man?”
Marshall reached the car first.
“Hi, Dori! Hi, baby!” he said and climbed past the car seat and buckled in, then poked Luther in the belly just enough to make him laugh.
Beep was lagging, and Dori frowned when she saw his face.
“What’s wrong?” she asked as he dumped his backpack in the seat and crawled in the car.
He shrugged and ducked his head.
Dori got in the car and then looked in the rearview mirror at Marshall.
“What’s wrong with Beep?”
“He wanted to buy a book at the book fair after school, but we forgot to ask Johnny for money.”
“Is it still open? Can you still buy the books?” she asked.
Beep looked up. Had hope sprung anew?
“Yes, in the library,” Marshall said.
“Well, we can fix that,” Dori said. “Hang on while I get out of this line and go find a place to park. We’ll all go to the book fair and see what’s what, okay?”
“Okay!” Beep cried.
Marshall looked relieved that Beep’s sadness was gone as Dori headed for the school parking lot. A couple of minutes later, she found a space and killed the engine.
“Here’s the deal, guys. We’ll go in, and you can pick out one apiece, okay?”
Marshall looked surprised and then happy, but felt obligated to bow out.
“I don’t have to have one,” he said.
“I know, but I want you to if you want it,” Dori said.
“Can ole Joe come inside too?” Beep asked.
Dori chuckled. “Yes, he’s coming too.”
They got out of the car, and by the time Dori had Luther out of the car seat and her purse and diaper bag on her arm, the boys were doing a two-step, anxious to get back inside before the “good” books were gone.
She had a moment of déjà vu as they walked into the building, remembering only a few short years ago when she’d been in this same elementary school. Now, here she was with a baby on her hip and Johnny’s little brothers bouncing along beside her. This morning she thought her world was ending and now she felt like a million bucks—maybe even more.
She laughed to herself as she followed the boys down the hall to the library. As she had expected, it was full of kids shopping and parents standing in line to pay.
“Go pick out the book you want, guys. I’ll wait here near the checkout line, okay?”
“Okay!” they cried and headed for the racks where the books were displayed.
Luther was fascinated by the room full of kids and started wiggling in Dori’s arms.
“No, you can’t get down,” she said softly. “They’d squash you in a minute and never know you were there.”
She watched the boys, their heads together as they talked, trying to make their choices, and thought how great it must be to grow up with a sibling. She was still watching them when someone tapped her on the shoulder.
She turned and recognized Gigi Potts, a woman who had been one of Grandy’s best friends.
“I thought that was you,” Gigi said. “I’m here with my youngest grandson, Nate. Remember him? He’s the one with the green stripe in his hair. Fetching, isn’t it?”
Dori laughed. “Hi, Gigi. Last time I knew anything about him, he was a toddler. Time sure passes quickly.”
“Well, your little guy is a charmer. Look at all that curly hair. He has your eyes and smile, doesn’t he?” And then her smile slipped. “I was so sorry to hear about the fire and about Meeker. My husband and I were in San Diego. We just got back into town late last night or I would have been at the funeral.”
“The last five days have been long and hard,” she said.
Gigi gave her a hug. “I can only imagine,” she said and then rolled her eyes when she realized she could no longer see her grandson. “I better run that boy down and get him home. I’m still jet-lagged and in no shape to be babysitting. It was good to see you.”
After Gigi left, it didn’t take long for other people to recognize her and come up to talk. Some came to offer their condolences, while others came to make a fuss over the baby.
She was still talking to a lady she knew from church when the boys came running up.
“We’re ready!” Beep cried and then threw his arms around Dori’s waist. “Thank you, Dori. Thank you for my book.”
“Yeah, Dori, thanks a lot. I have been wanting to read this,” Marshall said.
“You’re welcome, and we better get in line.” She waved good-bye to the lady from church. “It appears we are done here. It was nice to see you.”
She ushered the boys toward the checkout line while Luther tap-danced against her belly, kicking in excitement. They paid and left the library, talking in tandem, and then when they got in the car, they clammed up, both intrigued by their books.
The ride home was quiet. Luther had fallen asleep, and Dori was hoping she could get him in the house and down for a nap without waking him up.
“We’re here,” she said as she pulled up into the driveway and parked. “Give me a second to get Luther out. If we’re quiet, maybe he’ll stay asleep.”
The boys stayed quiet. They’d heard him cry before and didn’t want to precipitate a new crying spell.
Marshall got out so Dori could reach the baby carrier, and Beep crawled out on that side after she’d gotten her stuff and the baby. She locked the car and handed the keys to Marshall.
“Will you unlock the front door for me, please?”
They ran ahead, and by the time she got inside, the boys had moved from the living room to the doorway of the kitchen. She removed the keys and locked the door, then walked up behind them. It was obvious what had their attention.