“I just might.” Queenie nodded. “I just might.”
“See there, Marie?” Pop plopped back down in his chair and leaned back, crossing his arms. “That’s what happens when you kick over the apple cart.”
“Apples, mmm.” Alva giggled. “Apple pie sounds really good right about now. Katie, do you have any interest in stopping by Sam’s for some pie on our way out of town? We can skip the meal and get right to the good stuff.”
“Skip dinner?” I said. “Go straight to dessert?”
“Sure. I do it all the time.”
“We don’t,” I said. “We eat at the same time. Same place. Same meals. Same . . . everything.”
“Did you not just hear my passionate speech about kicking over the apple cart, kiddo?” My father laughed. “Go to Sam’s. Eat pie. Skip the meal. Do a dance in the middle of the restaurant. Let the people talk.”
“Amen!” Alva chuckled. “What he said. Let’s get some pie. And maybe some ice cream too. A girl only lives once. She might as well enjoy herself, don’t you think?”
“I do.”
Before we left, Alva walked over to Queenie and the two embraced. Genuinely, truly embraced. I gave Queenie a kiss on the forehead, then walked over to her desk and pulled out her stationery and a pen. Without saying a word, I laid both on the desk in plain view. She looked up at me and I gave her a wink. No doubt she’d be writing Reverend Bradford a note shortly after we left. I hoped.
Alva and I landed in the parking lot at Sam’s at 4:17 p.m. I’d never been to Sam’s at 4:17 before. The hostess looked confused, but she walked us to our usual table.
“I don’t want to sit here,” Alva said. “Too sunny. Let’s go in the front room.”
That just about caused the waitress to call for backup. “O-okay.”
Minutes later we were chowing down on huge slices of apple pie. Then I had a brownie. And just to top it all off, I ate a piece of lemon pound cake. No doubt the rumors would fly once Alva and I left. Gretel Ann would call Frenchie at Do or Dye. She’d tell her that “that Fisher girl” had gone crazy. Before long the whole town would be buzzing that I’d had my dessert before my dinner. They’d blame it on my breakup with Casey. They might even speculate that I was losing my marbles like Pop. But I didn’t care. Maybe I was losing my marbles. Or maybe, as Mama said, my apple cart had tipped over.
Mmm, apples.
Just for fun, I headed back up to the buffet for a second slice of apple pie. If I was going to be the topic of conversation in Fairfield, Texas, I might as well go for the gold and really give ’em something to talk about.
33
Heart Don’t Do This to Me
A city becomes a world when one loves one of its inhabitants.
Lawrence Durrell
The week before Texas Bride released their October issue, Nadia flew back to Dallas so that she could attend her charity event. We spent the next several days dealing with the media while preparing for the magazine to hit the newsstands. I’d never seen the folks at the bridal shop so excited.
I’d been nervous about seeing Nadia in person, ever since the day Brady told her about my broken engagement. Still, with my heart becoming more entangled with her son’s every day since, I had no choice. I finally broached the subject the night before the magazine released. We all met up at Alva’s house for dinner.
Over a yummy meal, we shared details about several upcoming press engagements and a visit from a high-end buyer from out of state. The rest of the meal was spent talking about the dress itself and how much Nadia loved the final product.
She used her napkin to dab at her lips, then pulled it down and looked at me. “Katie, I’m going to need to go soon. I really need some sleep. But before I do, I want to talk to you about something. Would you walk me out to my car?”
I nodded, feeling my heart slither up to my throat. “Sure. I’ve been wanting to talk to you too.”
I followed her out of the house to her car, and she opened the driver-side door. Before she got inside, she faced me and placed her hand on my arm. “I need you to know something, Katie.”
“Y-yes ma’am.”
“Before I ever design a gown, I pray and ask the Lord to show me not just the design but the fabrics, the textures, everything.”
“I think that’s great.”
“Sometimes I have a real sense about things. Other times, not so much. But in your case, I knew without a shadow of a doubt just what sort of dress would be perfect. I didn’t know anything about your fiancé, nor did I need to. The dress I designed was for you. And it was heaven-inspired. I need you to know that in case you have any doubt in your heart about whether or not that Loretta Lynn gown was meant for you.”
“Oh, Nadia.” I threw my arms around her neck. “You aren’t mad that I didn’t let you know right away? I wanted to. I really did. But everyone seemed to think I should keep it to myself so that you wouldn’t be hurt. Please forgive me.”
“Well, of course I forgive you. I was never mad, just a little perplexed. I was sad that you didn’t think you could tell me right off the bat, but I’m definitely not hurt that you’re not marrying the wrong man. That would have been catastrophic.”
I felt the edges of my lips curl up in a smile.
“I knew the minute Brady picked me up at the airport the other day and from the smile on his face every time he mentioned your name—he’s fallen . . . again. Only, this time he didn’t break anything.” She grinned. “If you know what I mean.”
I pressed back a giggle. “If anyone had told me I’d end up falling for a pro basketball player in Dallas, I would’ve said they were crazy.”
“So you do have feelings for my sweet boy?”
“Do I? He makes it so easy. I’ve never met anyone like him. These last couple months have more than convinced me that my heart is tied to Dallas.”
“Well, speaking of which, I wanted to talk to you about the dress, but something else too. Madge tells me that you’ve been a huge help around the shop. She’s really impressed with your design skills.”
“I’ve enjoyed helping rearrange the layout and the window displays. And I’m so grateful for the income. It’s been a fun way to freelance.”
“Well, we’ve seen an upswing in sales since those displays have been redesigned. Not only that, she said that you’re the one who came up with the national ad that’s going in the In Flight magazine next month. Is that right?”
I nodded.
“From what I can tell, you’ve got a penchant for PR. You see what it takes to draw people in. That’s why the windows go over so well with the customers.”
“You think?”
“Well, sure.” She smiled. “Katie, I want to make this official. I want to offer you a full-time position at the shop.”
“Really?”
“Yes. Your dedication over these past several weeks has convinced me that you are more than just a customer. You have a natural talent, and I’d love to see it cultivated.”
“Oh, Nadia. I’d be honored. You have no idea.”
“I think I have some idea. I was young once too, and needed a break. I hope you enjoy being with us at Cosmopolitan.” She reached over and gave me a motherly hug. “I know it’s not the same, being in Dallas. But it’s not really that far from Fairfield.”
“I know. And my parents are going to be coming back and forth more often now. In fact, they’re coming tomorrow so they can be here for the big day.”
“So they know about the dress now?”
“Yes ma’am.”
“Wonderful. I can’t wait to meet them.” She yawned and then slipped into the driver’s seat. “Give that boy of mine a kiss from me and tell him not to stay out too late. We have a big day tomorrow.”
“Will do.” I gave her a little wave and watched as she pulled away. My heart was so full I could hardly stand it. When I turned around, I saw Brady standing in the open doorway of my aunt’s house. I sprinted to him.
“What did she say?”
he asked.
“She offered me a job.”
He smiled. “I had a feeling that was coming. Madge has been singing your praises.”
“Just Madge?”
“Well, the girls put in a good word for you too.” He pulled me into his arms and gave me a little kiss on the forehead.
“Just the girls?” I gazed up at him and caught a glimpse of the moonlight above.
“Well, maybe someone else. But he’s a little biased, so I’m sure the decision wasn’t based on anything he had to say.”
“Surely not.” I gave Brady the sweetest kiss, and then we stood in a comfortable embrace.
After a few moments, Brady loosened his hold on me. I could tell he had something on his mind. “I, um . . . I saw the orthopedist this morning.”
“You did?”
“Yeah. He wants to do another surgery on my knee.”
“Why didn’t you tell me, Brady?”
He shrugged. “I’ve been thinking about it. Praying about it. Hadn’t really decided until tonight, so I didn’t bring it up.”
“Well, now I can pray too. Are you going to do it?”
“I am.” He nodded. “It still bothers me . . . a lot. I know that Stan thinks I’m ready to play again, but I’m not. And my mom still needs me at the shop. And now that you’re there, well . . .” He pulled me close again. “Just one more confirmation that it’s okay not to return to the game just yet. I’ve got to be healed up before I get back on the court.”
“Getting healed up is for the best.” Alva’s voice rang out from behind us. “Sorry to be a nosy poke, but I had to come out to, um, take out the trash.”
“Sure you did.” I laughed and then extended my arm so that she could join us in a hug.
After Brady left that night, I settled into bed but had a hard time sleeping. With so much stirring, the sense of anticipation kept me wound up tighter than a clock. When the alarm went off at 6:30 I’d only had three hours’ sleep, but I had to put on my game face.
Game face. Ha. Those words made me think of Brady, and thinking of Brady made me want to get to the shop as quickly as I could. I had to wait on Aunt Alva, of course. She moved a lot slower than I did but still managed to be ready by eight.
We arrived to a flurry of activity. The girls were all dressed to the nines. Well, all but Crystal, who was noticeably absent. I asked about her, but Brady just shrugged. “I get the feeling she’s going through a transition of some sort.”
“Transition?”
“I’m not sure. Did you know that you have guests?”
He pointed to some customers on the far side of the shop who were busy looking at gowns with Nadia and Madge. Only when they turned to face me did I realize I was looking at my parents. Not that I would’ve recognized Mama. She’d had her hair colored, a lovely honey shade. And the makeup . . . wow. I’d never seen her look so polished and professional before.
I rushed to greet them and wrapped them in a warm embrace. “You’ve met Nadia?” I asked.
“Yes, and Madge too. They’re even sweeter than you described them to be.”
“She called me sweet?” Madge put her hands on her hips and laughed. “Go figure.”
“We were just telling the ladies what a beautiful shop this is.” Mama pointed to the gown on the mannequin near the front of the store. “And your dress! Katie, it’s fabulous. Looks just like something Loretta Lynn would wear, but it also reminds me so much of you. It’s perfect!”
Nadia beamed. “That’s the idea. But we have Dahlia to thank for that. She’s been a big help to me while I’ve been in Paris.”
“That Dahlia is the sweetest thing,” Mama said. “She was such a comfort to us on the weekend that Queenie was hospitalized. Oh, and speaking of Dahlia, did you know Dewey drove us here? He’s been dying to come for a visit. And thank goodness too! If it hadn’t been for him, we would’ve gotten lost.”
“Not me,” Pop said. “I’ve got that newfangled GPS thing on my phone. Now that we’re out and about more, it’s come in handy.”
“Where is Beau?” I asked. “And Jasper? Are they both coming?”
“Well, it’s the strangest thing.” Mama wrinkled her nose. “Beau is coming in his own truck. But Jasper said he’d rather stay at the hardware store. Pop offered to shut it down for the day, but Jasper wouldn’t hear of it.”
“Very strange.”
“You can say that twice and mean it,” Mama said.
“Very strange,” Pop and I said in unison.
That got a laugh out of Mama and Nadia. Mama stayed in good spirits until Beau arrived a few minutes later. When he entered the store, he went straight to the counter to visit with Twiggy, only giving the rest of us a little wave.
“Well now, that boy of mine.” Mama clucked her tongue and took a step in his direction.
“Marie.” Pop rested his hand on her arm. “Let it be.”
“Let it be? But I just want to say hello to my son.”
“Marie.”
Turned out Beau wanted to talk to Mama more than any of us knew. After saying a few words to Twiggy, he headed our way and announced that he’d loaded his truck with all of his belongings from home and planned to stay in Dallas, starting today.
“Wait, w-what?” Mama looked stunned.
Pop, on the other hand, looked relieved.
Dewey, who’d just joined us, didn’t say a word.
“I’ve got a new job, Mama,” Beau said. “Making good money too.”
“There is a God and he loves me!” Pop raised his hands to the sky.
Mama’s eyes narrowed to slits as she looked at Beau. “You took a job . . . where?”
“Well, it’s the craziest thing,” he said. “I think you’re going to laugh.”
“Try me.” Mama crossed her arms at her chest. “And please don’t tell me you’ve developed a penchant for dress design. I’m not sure my heart could take it.”
Dewey slung an arm around Beau’s shoulder. “Now there’s a brother I can be proud of.”
My father pinched his eyes shut and shook his head. “It’s my fault. I should’ve been a more manly influence. I let your mother coddle you, and now look at what we’ve created . . . a wedding dress designer.”
“No, Pop. It’s nothing like that.” Beau rolled his eyes. “It’s something completely different. I’m going to get to use my God-given talent to help others. It’s a great feeling.”
“Talent?” My father looked stumped by this. “You have talent?”
“Easy, Pop.” I gave him a stern look.
“Yes,” Beau said. “It’s a great opportunity, and I can say without any hesitation that I already love it.”
“And what he really, really loves,” Dewey interjected, “is a certain little gal who’s no longer gluten intolerant.”
“He’s in love with her?” Mama turned and glared at Beau. Her tightened expression softened after a moment. “Well now, I have an idea. Why don’t you work from home in Fairfield? People do that all the time these days. And if that little skinny gal is truly interested in you—and who wouldn’t be interested in this handsome face?—she would come to Fairfield. She has to know that you live there, after all. And a woman’s place is with the man she loves.”
“Well now, maybe it’s the other way around,” Pop said.
We all stared at him.
“What do you mean, Herb?” Mama asked.
“Maybe, just maybe, a man’s place is with the woman he loves.”
You could’ve heard a pin drop at that statement.
“Don’t you remember when we were dating?” he said. “I wanted to move away to Waco? I had a great job offer.”
“I remember the job offer, but I thought you turned it down because you really wanted to stay put in Fairfield.”
“No, you wanted that. And I loved you, Marie. Still do. So I stayed in Fairfield and took over my father’s hardware store. I’m not saying I regretted that decision, but I will say that I just wanted to see the smile on
your face every morning. Being where you wanted to be made my heart happy enough to stay put.”
My mother put her hands on her hips and for a moment looked as if she might cry. “Herbert Fisher, why didn’t you ever tell me this?”
He shrugged. “I got over it.”
“Got over it?”
“Well, you know what I mean. I grew to love our life in Fairfield and hardly ever thought about that job again.” He slipped his arm over Beau’s shoulder and gazed at Mama. “But Marie, maybe our boys need the same consideration.”
“Are you saying . . .” Mama flinched as she glanced at Beau. “Are you saying that my baby boy should really move far, far away from home, from those he loves, to enter into a relationship with a gal from someplace we don’t even know?”
“Precisely.” Pop nodded. “And I’m also saying that he’s not a baby. He’ll figure that out when he has to show up at work every day and pay rent on an apartment. In Dallas. Which, by the way, isn’t far, far away from home.”
“Technically it’s a house,” Beau said. “I’ll be living in a house with a guy named Stan.”
“What?” I said. Now here was an interesting piece of the puzzle.
“Yep. He’s great. And that’s what I was trying to say earlier. I’m going to be working for Stan, not the bridal shop. He’s a sports agent and he needs someone to assist him. You won’t believe the big-name players he represents. I’ve met so many cool people.”
“Oh, thank the Lord.” My father slapped Beau on the back. “I couldn’t quite picture how I’d go about telling my friends that my son designed wedding gowns for a living.”
Beau rolled his eyes. “Stan’s been agenting for years, and he’s going to teach me the ropes.”
Stan chose that very moment to enter the front door.
“Oh, great,” Madge said as she and Brady walked our way. “Look who’s come for a visit.”
“C’mon, admit it, Madge,” Brady said. “He’s growing on you.”
“Like a fungus.” She rolled her eyes.
The door opened again, and this time Lori-Lou entered with Josh and their girls. Alva followed behind them holding baby Joshie.