“I’m going home,” Calla said, breaking away from them.
“No, you’re not.” Joshua grabbed her arm. “You’re not sneaking out of this reception. You, neither, Sarah Jane. It’s disrespectful to the bride and groom. Besides, the entire community is celebrating and I won’t have the two of you moping at the house.”
“I’m not moping,” Calla insisted, glaring at her grandfather, “and I don’t want to be here. I want to go home.”
“You’ll do as I tell you, and that’s the last I’m going to say about it.”
Sarah didn’t know what was so important at home. Calla had been acting strange all month. Every afternoon she hurried to the post office and then sat rejectedly at the dinner table, without a civil word for anyone. Sarah supposed she’d written Willie recently and was waiting for a reply. She never seemed to learn or accept that her father couldn’t be counted on. Calla was setting herself up for disappointment. But she refused to listen to Sarah. Obviously, it was a lesson she had to learn on her own.
Calla’s attitude was affecting her whole life. According to Lindsay Sinclair, Calla’s grades were slipping badly. Sarah had gone in for a parent-teacher conference over the sudden drop in the quality of Calla’s schoolwork. Lindsay had asked Sarah if she knew why this was happening. All Sarah could think of was the break-up with Joe Lammermann—which, of course, Lindsay already knew—but deep down she suspected it was something more.
The prospect of spending her summer with a morose, ill-tempered teenager didn’t thrill her.
The reception and dinner were in full swing by the time the three of them arrived. The buffet line had already formed, and guests were beginning to eat their sumptuous meals. The wedding cake, all three beautifully decorated tiers of it, had been baked by Leta Betts and sat on a round lace-covered table at the far side of the room. A large stack of wedding gifts was piled beside it.
The high-school kids had volunteered to decorate the restaurant as a thank-you to Buffalo Bob for the use of his stereo system for the annual Sweetheart Dance. They’d done a really terrific job, Sarah thought. Streams of white crepe paper flowed from each corner and met in the center of the room, where a large paper wedding bell hung. She knew Calla hadn’t participated in the decorating, and Sarah felt disappointed and concerned that her daughter had so completely separated herself from her friends and family.
As soon as they entered the reception, Sarah’s eyes were automatically drawn to Dennis. He sat with Gage and Lindsay Sinclair. Maddy Washburn was at the same table with—Sarah had to look a second time. That couldn’t possibly be Margaret Clemens, could it? The rancher’s daughter had on a long dramatic dress and her hair was pulled away from her face with a few soft curls dangling about her forehead and temples. Margaret looked positively beautiful.
Sarah’s stomach contracted with anxiety. She probably wasn’t the only one noticing the changes in Margaret. Dennis must see it, too. Forcing herself to focus elsewhere, she tried to pretend she had places to go, people to see. Her father was mingling with his friends and Sarah headed toward the buffet line, looking for an escape.
Soon the music would start, and couples would take to the dance floor. Sarah didn’t know if she could bear to watch Dennis with another woman. All that kept them apart was a lie, the lie she’d been living for the past ten years. She’d thought that once she’d settled her divorce, she’d be able to tell him the truth. She’d been wrong to put it off; she knew that, had always known it, but her shame had led her to continue the deception.
As the festivities proceeded, Sarah exchanged greetings with dozens of people. Almost against her will, she’d become something of a celebrity in town. Her quilts were gaining a degree of fame. A specialty store, this one in Fargo, had asked to display them. Last month, a reporter had come from Grand Forks to interview her and a feature article had appeared in the Sunday edition of The Grand Forks Herald. She was a success story in a region in which there were few. Yet it meant nothing when she was constantly at odds with her daughter and separated from the one man she loved.
All at once it was too much for her. With the restaurant so crowded and the air stifling, she found she could bear it no longer. Making excuses as she progressed across the room, Sarah made for the door.
The tears were back, which was ridiculous. This should be a happy time in her life, dammit! Within a few weeks, if everything went as expected, she’d be a free woman. Her small quilting enterprise was prospering. Today was her friends’ wedding and a community celebration. The signs of love were all around her. Buffalo Bob and Merrily were married. Rachel Fischer had danced every dance with Heath Quantrill. It wouldn’t surprise her if those two announced their engagement soon. Even Jeb seemed happier than she could remember seeing him. Sarah had faith that the situation between him and Maddy would soon be resolved. But she no longer believed that would happen for her.
Needing to sit down, she walked over to Knight’s Pharmacy and sagged onto one of the park-style benches Hassie had installed. She didn’t know how long she sat there, facing the street, with no will to move. Then out of nowhere she heard Dennis murmur her name.
She went still.
Uninvited he sat down on the bench beside her. “You all right? I saw you step outside and I came to check.”
“Just fine,” she said, forcing a note of enthusiasm into her voice, praying she could fool him.
“Oh, Sarah,” Dennis said with an exaggerated sigh. “You never were much good at lying.”
Sarah shook the hair back from her face. “That just goes to prove you don’t really know me at all.”
He grew suddenly quiet, the way he always did when he was thinking. “Have you been lying to me about something?”
Joshua’s handkerchief was completely crumpled by now. Not trusting herself to answer, she nodded.
“You want to tell me about it?”
She adamantly shook her head.
“I’ve got a right to know, don’t I?”
At that she shrugged, still unable to trust her voice.
He waited several moments, as though giving her the opportunity to change her mind, then silently stood. “If that’s how you want it.”
He would have walked away, but even greater than her shame was her need to be with him. “I’m married, Dennis…I’ve been married all these years…Willie and I were never divorced.”
“Married?” he repeated as though he didn’t understand the meaning of the word. “But you said—”
“No. I never told anyone I was divorced. You all just assumed I was. When I moved home, Willie and I were legally separated. He’d run up the credit cards and we were near bankruptcy—there were all those bills and I was responsible for half of that debt. I’ve paid them off, every cent. It took me years. I couldn’t afford to pay for the divorce, too. I tried to do the honorable thing and repay the people we owed first.”
“But if you’d asked me or your father, we would gladly have helped. Gladly!”
“No!” she cried. “I wasn’t about to ask my dad…not after what he’s already done for Calla and me. I couldn’t put that worry on his shoulders in addition to everything else.”
“But I—”
“No,” she sobbed. “Credit me with some pride.”
Apparently he needed several minutes to absorb her confession. “I still don’t understand why you couldn’t tell me,” he murmured.
“Because I’m weak,” she cried, furious with herself for allowing the deception to continue all these years. The time to be completely honest was now. “I…I was afraid that if you knew, you’d…you’d stop loving me and I didn’t want to think of my life without you.” The truth sounded so selfish, but she refused to diminish her faults.
“Stop loving you?” he repeated as if that were the biggest joke of all. “I’ve tried, Sarah, God help me, I’ve tried.” He lifted her hand and laced their fingers together. “Do you love me?”
“Oh, Dennis, yes, but—”
“Now it?
??s your turn to listen. We’re going to do whatever is necessary for you to get your divorce…”
“I have an attorney and—”
“It’s my turn, sweetheart, remember? And this time I’m not taking no for an answer. We’re getting married. Understood?”
She nodded, smiling through her tears.
“As soon as we can follow through with the divorce, we’ll set the wedding date.”
“Is next month too soon for you?” she asked, giggling with happiness. “Everything should be finalized in another couple of weeks.”
“I’ve waited four years for you. I’ve had a diamond engagement ring in my pocket for most of that time. Now I’m going to put it on your finger because that’s exactly where it belongs.”
“Oh, Dennis, I love you so much.”
“I know,” he whispered, and reached for her. “I’ve always known.”
The dress Maddy wore to Bob and Merrily’s wedding could, in her opinion, have been designed by Omar the Tentmaker. She was feeling very pregnant at the moment. The reception was going well. Almost everyone was finished with dinner, the cake had been cut and served and the band was playing. The mood was festive, as though those who gathered had welcomed a reason to celebrate.
The three-piece band had a wide repertoire. Everything from the “Beer Barrel Polka” to the old Bee Gees hit “Saturday Night Fever.” Every now and then, they threw in a Perry Como tune from the fifties. No matter what they played, the dance floor was packed.
After taking his wife out for a swing around the floor, Gage Sinclair made a token offer to dance with Maddy. She was sure Lindsay had suggested it; she thanked him and declined. To her surprise, Joshua McKenna, Jeb’s father, asked for the next dance.
“You’re the prettiest woman here next to Sarah and Calla,” he told her. Okay, so she was running a distant third. She found the compliment amusing and very sweet. “Don’t think the men in this area haven’t noticed, either.”
If that was the case, they weren’t exactly beating a path to her door. The number was a polka, and in her condition, Maddy couldn’t be described as light on her feet. She was paying attention to her steps when she saw Margaret, shoeless and with her dress raised halfway to her waist, come barreling across the floor. She let out a cattle call that rattled the roof and slid past Maddy with another whoop, waving one arm high above her head. It did Maddy’s heart good to see Margaret enjoying herself, but she wished she’d thought to review conduct with her—that of a more ladylike variety. However, it didn’t surprise her to see that she had two or three men following her eagerly. Bernard Clemens, who stood in a corner talking to friends, frowned in obvious disapproval.
The song ended and Joshua was about to lead her back to her table when Matt Eilers came forward. “A dance?” he asked.
Maddy agreed, rather reluctantly. She barely knew Matt, had only talked to him briefly. This was an opportunity to learn why Margaret thought he was so wonderful. He was handsome enough, she supposed, and that was one of the few observations she’d managed to make during their previous encounters. He had the lean look of the rancher he was—hard, angular features, his skin bronze from the sun.
Joshua stepped away, scowling as a slow number began and Matt turned her toward him. “Hey, I knew I’d get you in my arms yet,” he joked, maintaining a safe distance between them. A good plan, seeing that her baby was wide awake and kicking.
“Take a look at Margaret,” he said, glancing over his shoulder. “Is that really her or is this a body double?”
“It’s her…” Maddy would have said more but she caught a glimpse of Jeb out of the corner of her eye. It surprised her so much that she abruptly stopped dancing and nearly collided with Matt. Jeb walked directly toward her.
“Maddy. Eilers,” he said, tilting back his hat. “I believe this dance is mine.”
Matt glowered at Jeb. Then he turned to Maddy, eyes narrowed, and seemed to look pointedly at her extended belly. “By all means,” he said, and stepped aside.
Maddy was breathless. “What are you doing here?”
Jeb gathered her in his arms. “Dancing,” he informed her curtly. Apparently to him this meant rocking from side to side.
“I wouldn’t call this dancing.”
“All right, so I’m no Gene Kelly.”
“You just don’t want me dancing with Matt Eilers.”
“Damn right I don’t.”
It was almost laughable. He didn’t seem to take into account that at seven months pregnant, she possessed about as much sex appeal as a battleship.
“Why’d you come?”
He refused to answer her.
“You’re jealous.”
“Yeah,” he said, “you’re probably right. I am jealous. That’s my child you’re carrying and I’m so damn much in love with you, I can’t think straight anymore. The way I figure it, that allows me to act like a fool when I see you in some other guy’s arms.”
Maddy stopped their rocking and stared at him. “You love me?”
He nodded. Then, with a gentleness that brought tears to her eyes, he pressed both hands against her abdomen and added, “Our baby, too.”
Maddy didn’t know what to say. He must have noticed because he resumed speaking, his voice matter-of-fact. “You have to know how I feel about you. I’d do anything for you, Maddy. Haven’t I proven that by now?”
She thought about their trip to Grand Forks, and the significance of his walking into Dr. Leggatt’s office. Until that day, she hadn’t understood his fears.
“You’d do anything for me?” she repeated slowly, looking away. “Anything but marry me.”
He caught her chin and moved her gaze back to meet his. “What did you just say?”
“I…I was commenting on what you said, about doing anything for me. I was being flippant—sorry.” The constriction in her throat was so tight that speaking hurt.
“Now, just a minute here. I thought you were the one who didn’t want to marry me.”
She blinked at his abrupt change of tone. “You never asked. Your father suggested it—but not you.”
Jeb frowned as if searching his memory.
“As I recall, you were highly amused by my affection after the blizzard,” she reminded him, unable to hide the pain the memory brought with it. “My impression was that you wanted to forget the entire episode.”
He patted her stomach. “I think that’s pretty much impossible.”
He was saying the things she’d dreamed he would—but not quite. “In other words, you’d be willing to marry me.”
“I want to marry you.”
She stiffened. “Because of the baby?”
Everyone in the room seemed to be on the dance floor, swirling about them as they stood there facing each other. Not moving.
“You’d marry me because I’m pregnant?” she asked again.
“I love you, Maddy, with or without the baby. It’s that simple.”
She gazed up at him, eyes wide.
He moved closer, spoke into her ear. “After I lost my leg, I gave up the thought of having a wife or family. I wasn’t sure I could make love to a woman properly.” He gave her a shy smile. “You showed me I could. I love you, Maddy. Every time we’re together you encourage me to look past the accident, to do more, be more. I’m never going to become Mr. Personality, but I can promise to love you the rest of our lives…and promise to love our baby.”
“Oh, Jeb.” She leaned her forehead against his shoulder.
“When I heard you were pregnant, I drove straight into town, but before either of us had a chance to discuss our options, my dad and Sarah showed up—and they both had their own views on the matter.” He shook his head. “Given the chance, we might have settled everything that night. I loved you then, Maddy, and I love you now.”
Maddy’s smile was so big it hurt her face. “Has Father McGrath left yet?”
Jeb laughed, too, and hugged her. Then, utterly shocking her, he raised two fingers to his lips an
d released a piercing whistle. Everyone in the room turned in their direction. The band stopped playing.
With his arm about her waist, Jeb thrust his arm high in the air and waved. “Could I have your attention, please?”
“Jeb?” she whispered, embarrassed and excited and so damn happy she could hardly stand it.
“Shh,” he told her, kissing her cheek. He glanced toward the expectant crowd. “I have an announcement to make. Maddy and I are going to be married as quickly as we can arrange it.”
His words were followed by a loud cheer.
Dennis Urlacher and Sarah Stern made their way forward.
“I have an announcement of my own,” Dennis added. “Sarah Stern and I are officially engaged.”
Sarah held up her left hand, fingers splayed to show off the diamond ring.
“Two more weddings,” Hassie cried, stepping toward them. “This is excellent news.”
“Wonderful news,” Leta Betts agreed.
The priest was next to comment. He studied both couples. “From the looks of it,” he pronounced, “I suggest we hold Jeb and Maddy’s wedding first.”
Everyone howled. Jeb and Maddy did, too, hugging each other tight.
Calla heard the news of her mother’s engagement as she stood near the band at the wedding reception. Great, just great. She noticed that no one had bothered to ask how she felt. No one had even bothered to give her some warning. Already she was a nonentity as far as her mother and Dennis were concerned.
The situation was intolerable. They honestly couldn’t expect her to stick around, could they? Maybe they were hoping to be rid of her. She wouldn’t put it past her mother. Or Dennis.
Without a word to anyone, she snuck out of the reception and hurried over to her grandfather’s house. Leaving Buffalo Valley wasn’t a new idea; she’d been planning it for months. This wasn’t exactly the timing she’d had in mind but she no longer had a choice. Not as far as she could see, anyway.
On the off-chance someone had seen her, the first thing she did was lock her bedroom door. Hurrying now, moving as quickly as possible, she slid her suitcase from beneath the bed. It was already packed. She’d done that shortly after she’d written her father the last time. He hadn’t written back, but she had his address and enough money to catch a bus.