“We have four weddings this week in Honey Grove,” the preacher said when the reading was done. “That’s why I chose this passage to talk about this morning, but the more I thought about it, the more I realized that this is a message to all of us.”
“Amen,” Sonny said loudly.
“Glad you can agree, Sonny,” the preacher said.
He went on to talk about each aspect of the verses, but Addy only heard the droning of his deep voice somewhere off in the distance.
Love doesn’t have to be all fire and heat, the voice in her head whispered. It can be a quiet companionship, a relationship between two people who have similar interests and respect for each other.
I want both, she argued. I want it all.
You’ve kept your secrets, but if you ever want to have a marriage, you’re going to have to open Pandora’s box and let them out.
“No,” she muttered.
Jesse nudged her on the shoulder. “Don’t argue with the preacher.”
“Shhh…” She put her finger on his lips and wouldn’t have been surprised if lightning had shot through the ceiling and zapped her into a pile of ashes right there on pew three. No one with a boyfriend as special as Grady should be letting an old flame make her feel like that.
She would simply have to get over her silly infatuation.
When the services were over, folks gathered around Jesse to welcome him home with hugs and pats on the back. She and Grady headed for the door, shook the preacher’s hand, and went straight to his car.
“I don’t have time for Sunday dinner today,” Grady said, “but I can take you home. Has the tension eased up between Mia and Jesse? It can’t be easy on you for her to act like she is. I’d hate it if she treated me like she does Jesse.”
“I believe she feels threatened so she’s lashing out.” Addy got into Grady’s SUV and closed the door. “You don’t pose a threat. You’re just my good friend. Jesse is going to be her boss before long.”
“It’ll all work itself out, Amelia,” he said as he got in behind the wheel. “Oh! I’m so sorry. I was thinking about her when the preacher talked about love. I didn’t mean to call you by her name.”
Addy patted him on the shoulder. “It’s all right. She was a big part of your life for a very long time. It’s only natural that you’d think of her when the subject of love came up.”
“Thanks for that. I don’t know what I’d do without you to talk to.”
“That’s what friends are for.” Addy wondered if she was always going to be just a friend. Not that she wanted more with Grady, but Jesse could be a very different matter.
“Yes, and I love having you for my best friend.” He started the engine, backed out of the parking lot, and started driving toward the ranch. “You want me to talk to Mia? Maybe I could help her see that Jesse is a good person.”
“Not right now,” she said, “but I might take a rain check and ask for help if she doesn’t straighten up.”
“Just let me know,” he said.
Addy’s phone rang, and she fished it out of her purse. When she saw that it was Mia, she sighed.
“Mama, I won’t be having Sunday dinner with the family. Ricky and I are going to Bonham to eat at that little café over there, the one that serves those wonderful chicken fried steaks. See you later. Don’t wait up for me. I might be late coming home tonight.”
“Whoa, girl! You’ve got evening feeding chores,” Addy said.
“Tell Jesse to do them.” Mia ended the call before Addy could say another word.
“Want to cash in that rain check now?”
“Not just yet, but there are times when I wish I could ground her like I did when she was in high school,” Addy admitted.
“Amelia wanted to start a family when we first got married, but I wanted to wait until I was established. Look what it got me. You ever going to tell Mia who her father is?” Grady asked.
Addy shivered in spite of the heat. “Maybe someday, but not today. She’s not in the right frame of mind to tell her anything. I can’t understand how she turned into a person I hardly know.”
“Jesse came home,” Grady said as he drove toward the ranch.
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Addy asked.
“He has always been the wonder boy, and she could live with that. But now that he’s back, she feels like her place on the ranch is threatened, like you said before, and one other thing. Ricky is bad news, and he’s probably encouraging her behavior,” Grady answered.
“Jesse’s not like that. He’s doing his best to get along with her, but she just won’t cut him any slack at all,” Addy defended him.
“It wouldn’t matter if he had wings and a halo. The point is that she has always had first place in your life, in Pearl and Sonny’s and now she’s having to take a step down to second place,” Grady said. “I know how she feels.”
“What are you talking about?” Addy shivered again.
“I had a crush on you for a while in high school,” he admitted, “but the only boy you could see was Jesse Ryan, and he didn’t ever even ask you out. I would have been so honored to take you to either of our high school proms. And there you were with Jesse in your eyes, and he didn’t even ask you.”
“Was it really that obvious?” Addy asked.
“Yep, it was, but then Amelia woke me up and made me feel like I was somebody even better than one of the almighty Ryan boys who were always best at everything. I knew I’d fallen in love with her the night we won the academic bowl. I wouldn’t have even joined the team, but she talked me into believing that together we could beat the socks off Jesse Ryan’s team, and we did.” Grady’s whole face lit up at the memory.
“I never knew that,” Addy said.
“Doesn’t matter now. We’re all adults. I’m just trying to make you understand how Mia feels.” He patted her on the shoulder.
“Jesse was always just my best friend, like you are now,” she said. “We decided in junior high that we couldn’t ever get involved because it would ruin what we had.”
“Honey, everyone knew how you felt about him back then except you. I’m just glad that he’s not Mia’s father. I’d rather it was anyone but him. Was it a guy who worked on your grandmother’s farm?” Grady asked.
“Her biological father isn’t important. She belongs to me.” Addy air-slapped him on the shoulder.
“You’ll have to tell her someday. That could be part of her attitude right now. Everyone she knows has a dad, whether he’s worthless or a wonderful person, and she’s needing to know where she comes from.” Grady parked in the front yard and said, “I’ll see you at the end of the week. Call me if you need a listening ear.”
Addy undid her seat belt with one hand and opened her door with the other. “Thanks for the ride and for the therapy session.”
“Honey, you know you are welcome. God only knows how many times you’ve gotten me through the tough spots.” He nodded.
Her high-heeled shoe got stuck between two boards on the top step and she stumbled, threw out her hands, and tried to grab something, but all she got was an armload of hot Texas air. Then Jesse’s strong arms scooped her up like a bride. She wrapped her arms around his neck and took a deep breath.