"Maybe somebody should scare her off," Tasha
huffed as she stormed out the door.
Tammy shook her head as she watched Tasha’s
retreat, after the door slammed closed she turned back to face
Aria, "What you must think of us. I promise you, God gave some of
us brains. Now, just never you mind her, she’s just like Lyle, we
keep waiting for them to finally realize they’re two peas in the
same pod and just tie the knot already, Lord knows they’re both
good at that. Anyway, I hope you’ll come back and give us another
chance, I sure would like to get to know you better."
Aria hadn’t given away much at all during the
entire confrontation, she sat perfectly still and her face was a
perfect mask of indifference toward the whole thing, as soon as the
door slammed shut Brian watched her entire body sag with relief.
She looked up at Tammy with a large, forced smile and assured her
that she would love to come back and that she couldn’t wait to try
a piece of her pecan pie.
"I guess it’s a good thing we’re showing our
true colors tonight, I might actually be concerned if they were all
on their best behavior," Brian chuckled, "I promise, life isn’t
usually this exciting around here."
"No problem, I can handle drama, I’m used to
that. Most of the people here seem really sweet, and I can tell
that they all love you."
"They do. It really is a great place to live,
despite those of us that refuse to leave high school behavior where
it belongs."
"Why did you lie to her?"
"Lie? To who?"
"That woman, Tasha, you told her you didn’t
just want to marry just anyone." She trailed off and started
picking at the edge of the vinyl tablecloth. Her comment stabbed at
his heart, did she really think she wasn’t special?
"You think I didn’t meet plenty of women
while I was in Vegas? I was there for a little more than a week, do
you think no other women sat down at my table, or talked to
me?"
"I didn’t really think about that, I’m sure
they did, but still you didn’t know me—"
"I didn’t have to. If I just wanted anyone to
marry I could have asked any of them, or even found a woman here,
but I didn’t, I asked you. You are the one I could see myself with,
the second I saw you, I could see us together. I know that sounds
crazy, but I immediately felt it could work. Yes I was feeling
lousy and wanted a wife, but I wouldn’t have asked if I couldn’t
have seen it working."
"Oh," was her only response, her cheeks
turned a lovely shade of pink again, and she picked up her fork,
and dove into the pie that Tammy had discreetly placed on the table
during his speech.
Twenty minutes, several greetings, and many
reassurances to Bob that Aria enjoyed his food later, they were
finally back in the car, Brian was just about to turn the key when
a knock at the window startled him, and sent Aria jumping in her
seat. He let out a long breath when he saw who it was.
"It’s okay, sweetheart, it’s just Will
Majors, he lives down the road from us," he tried to placate Aria,
she looked like she couldn’t decide if she wanted to faint or run.
She just nodded as she tried to catch her breath. He turned the key
and hit the window button.
"Sorry, Brian, I didn’t mean to startle you,
I just saw you out here and thought I’d let you know I went ahead
and plowed your place for you today, I hope that’s okay. I didn’t
want you to have to worry about it when you got home today."
Typical Will, always watching out for everyone around him, and
never himself, Brian reached into his wallet and pulled out a few
twenties.
"I was worried about that, it can drift
pretty bad out there. I really appreciate it, thank you. Now, I
know you’re going to try and argue with me, but I’ve had enough
arguing already today," he looked at Aria out of the corner of his
eye, "so please just accept this as payment and—"
"No sir, I’m not accepting any payment, I saw
a job that needed doing, so I did it. That’s what neighbors do,
besides you helped me with that mess of paperwork last month and
refused payment, consider this payment." Brian shook his head and
pressed the money into Will’s coat pocket.
"I told you that was nothing, you are taking
the money. I know you didn’t do it for the money, but you deserve
it, now, go inside and ask Tammy about my first night back, I need
to get my new bride home, it’s been a long day." He heard Aria
chuckle, long day was an understatement.
"Yeah, I heard about that already,
congratulations, son. It’s good to see you so happy," he waved to
Aria and made his way into Zimmer’s.
"Okay, let’s try this again, shall we?"
Laughter was her only response, though she had regained her
defensive, glued to the door position, she was now angled more
toward him, her body language was slightly more open. He knew they
had far to go, but he was grateful for the small strides they were
already making. They gave him hope, he could only pray that with
God’s grace they would eventually become a real couple. He could
see himself falling in love with her, if she’d let him.
"Do you do a lot of work for free? Or just
for Mr. Majors, and, was her name Harriet?" Harriet McDaniel had
paid them a quick visit during dinner, he was reworking her will in
exchange for two cobblers and a tray of her walnut fudge.
"Not really for free, you haven’t tasted Mrs.
McDaniel’s baking, you’ll thank me for accepting it as payment as
soon as you taste it, I promise. She’s on a fixed income, and all
of her kids have moved away, she loves the chance to bake for
anyone, I figure it’s a win-win,"
"You’re even buying the ingredients, though,"
she protested, she didn’t seem angry about his business practice,
just confused.
"Like I said, she’s on a fixed income. It’s
not that big of a deal. And, Will is the most generous and giving
guy you’ll ever meet. I’d be willing to bet he cleared every drive
in a ten-mile radius, and didn’t expect a penny for any of it. I’d
also be willing to bet that more of that money than not will find
its way to someone who needs it worse than we do. Will is the kind
of guy that will bend over backwards to help anyone else, and not
even expect a thank you in return. He’s also on a very limited
income, so I figure that helping handle some paperwork here and
there is the least I can do for all he does."
"You’re a good guy, do you know that?" She
was studying him intently when he glanced over at her. The
compliment was unexpected, but made him feel light as air.
"I really can’t take the credit, all of that
goes to the Good Lord and your in-laws."
"And to you, for continuing in the ways they
taught you, I’ve known many men who were raised in church and with
good families, but they do things…make choices that would make your
skin crawl. It’s a choice you make as an adult, too." She looked
out the window as if she were embarrassed at her compliment, and
embarrassed for reveling too much.
The more he got to see the soft, tender side,
the more the walls came down, the more beautiful she was to him, he
was more and more drawn to her all the time. He ached to know her
more, to understand her hurt and take it away.
As they rounded the last corner toward home,
Brian saw Todd Erickson headed their direction, so he slowed to a
stop and waited for him.
"What are you doing? You can’t just stop in
the middle of the road!"
"Why not, three people live down this way,
us, Will, and he’s in town, and the Erickson’s, and Todd’s headed
toward us now, I need to talk to him." Just then Todd pulled along
side them and lowered his window, Brian followed suit.
"Hey buddy, I just left your place, Thunder
and Jax are both well fed and happy, Will must’ve plowed your
drive, too, I was going to do it for you, when I heard you were
back in town, but he beat me to it, beat me to ours too," he said
with a shake of his head.
"Yeah, I saw Will in town. Thanks, I really
appreciate it, here you go." Brian handed him a few bills he had
set aside when he asked Todd to watch his place while he was
gone.
"You’re kidding right? After everything you
do for us? No way am I accepting that, this is just what friends
do."
"You’re right, friends help friends, and when
one friend has a house full of kids and a farm and takes time away
from that to check on the other’s house and animals that friend
owes him much more than this, now take it."
Todd leaned forward to address Aria, "Your
husband is one stubborn man, do you know that? No sense in arguing
anything with this man, his bullheadedness combined with his lawyer
jargon and smooth talking, makes every argument a losing battle,
you may as well just give up while you’re ahead." He gave a mock
grimace and shook his head.
"You’ve heard about our marriage?" Aria
asked, her voice rising.
"Oh yeah, Tasha called Anna crying, saying
she always thought you’d come to your senses and all that," both
Todd and Brian busted out laughing. Aria was clearly confused.
"She’s been chasing him since they were in
middle school, poor girl can’t take a hint, even after two failed
marriages."
"That makes sense," she nodded, her brow
furrowed.
"Anyway, congratulations, guys, don’t let
Tasha get to you, she’s a good girl, just lonely and restless. I
won’t keep you any longer, I’m sure Anna will come pay you a visit
soon, Aria, if that’s okay, she’s excited to have another woman so
close, especially an adult one," he added with a laugh.
"That would be great, it’ll be nice to have a
female friend out here. Tell her I look forward to meeting her, and
all of those kids I’ve heard about." He just nodded, waved, and
went back on his way. Brian did the same, and within minutes they
were pulling up their driveway.
Suddenly Brian was nervous again. He’d always
loved this house, the farm, the country, and everything about it,
but what if she reacted like Kara? What if she hated it and was
completely miserable? Only time would tell. Lord, if it be Your
will, let her find the peace, security, and love in You I find so
readily out here…and please, Lord, help me to be the husband You
need me to be for her. He silently prayed as he hit the button on
the opener and pulled into the garage.
"Here we are, home sweet home."
"We live in a garage? Here I thought we lived
in a house," she mocked him with a broad smile, she couldn’t
believe how easy it was to fall back into her old self, a self she
hadn’t know since she was a child, with Brian, she hadn’t laughed
and joked with anyone since before her mother died. It was
terrifying and wonderful all at the same time.
"Very funny, let’s just take in the
refrigerated groceries for now, I’ll give you the grand tour, and
while you decide which room you want I’ll haul in everything else,
sound good?" She nodded, and looked out at the garage as Brian made
his way to the back to grab the cooler they had put the perishable
groceries in earlier.
She stepped out and looked around, they were
pulled in next to a large, dark blue pick up truck, darker than the
Durango, but still a beautiful color blue, Brian wasn’t kidding
when he said it was his favorite color. She noticed a set of wooden
stairs leading up into what she assumed was a loft, at one end of
the garage, and three large chest freezers along the far wall,
accompanied by an old refrigerator, next to that was a door leading
to what she assumed was the back yard.
A large black and gray dog climbed threw a
doggie door she hadn’t noticed, and immediately ran to Brian, who
sat the cooler on the ground and squatted to pet it.
"Hey, ya, Jax, I missed you, too, buddy. See
the pretty lady? That’s your new mommy, her name is Aria," he
talked to the dog, scratching behind his ears, but smiled at her.
Her heart jumped when she heard how sweetly and affectionately he
spoke to Jax.
She moved over to the other side of Jax,
squatted, and cautiously held her hand out for him to sniff, "Hey,
there, big guy, nice to meet you," Jax responded to the greeting by
placing his paw in her outstretched hand. She laughed out loud at
this, and looked to Brian who was studying her intently. "You’re a
good boy, aren’t you, Jax? I can tell, we’ll be good friends," she
let go of his paw and gave him a quick pet before they both stood
up.
"Good boy, Jax, go lay down," Brian
commanded, firm, yet gently and Jax immediately made his way over
toward the stairs. She noticed a large dog bed and food and water
bowls with large containers attached to them so that he wouldn’t
run out tucked under the stairs. Brian clearly loved his pets, she
wasn’t overly surprised, he seemed to care for everyone. His eyes
betrayed him, toward even Tasha and Lyle, though she could tell
they both got under his skin. She was sure he was the kind of guy
that would still do anything for them.
"May as well start the tour in here, I
suppose. Up those stairs is a loft, mostly used for storage,
Christmas decorations, baby pictures, every picture I or my sister
ever colored, ever. Stuff moms keep, you know?" Her heart squeezed,
no, she didn’t know. She never would know if her mom kept anything
like that, she’d never get to see it ,it was all gone now. She
nodded despite herself, he hadn’t meant it to remind her of what
she didn’t have, she knew that.
"Jax lives under the stairs, his food is
there," he pointed to a lidded storage tub. "I usually keep it
filled for him, he doesn’t come inside the house, but he’ll try, he
comes and goes around here as he pleases. Most of the time he
sleeps in here, it’s climate controlled, but sometimes he sleeps
with Thunder in the barn, I’ll go check on him in a minute. Oh, you
aren’t allergic to any animals are you, sorry, I didn’t think to
ask."
She chuckled, he sounded so nervous, it was
adorable. "No, I don’t have any allergies that I know of."