Page 5 of The Wedding Gift
“Hello, Will.” Andy stuck out his hand. “I don’t think we’ve ever met. Darla and I graduated together from good old Tish High seven years ago. We were quite the item back then.”
Will shook hands with him. “She told me that she had dated you when y’all were young. Pleased to finally put a face with the name. Have you moved back to Tishomingo? I’m in the real estate business. If you’re in market to buy a place, I could help you out.”
That was Darla’s Will—always ready to help someone out, even her old flame from the past.
“His grandmother told Granny that he’s just here for a visit, so I doubt that he’s interested in staying around these parts.”
“I’ll only be here another week, but it’s good to see you, Darla, and meet you, Will.” Andy flashed one of those brilliant smiles. “We’ll probably run into each other again. Maybe in church tomorrow morning?”
“Probably not,” Will said. “I have to be in Mannsville at nine thirty to show a home. I usually don’t work on Sunday, but it can’t be helped this weekend.”
“Will you be there?” Andy locked eyes with Darla.
“Right beside my granny and the rest of the family. She asked that we all line up with her on her pew at church tomorrow as her anniversary gift from us.” Darla felt like she was babbling, but she didn’t have the power to stop. “We couldn’t disappoint her. After all, sixty years is a long time to be married.”
“My grandmother sits on the pew behind her, so I guess I’ll see you there. Don’t know that I could ever stay with one woman for the rest of my life.” He did a mock shiver. “There’s only one lady I can think of that I could manage to do that with, but she’s already off the market. Hey, you want to come to dinner with the two of us and talk about old times after church?” Andy asked.
“Sorry, we’re all having a family dinner with Granny and Gramps.” Darla could feel the blush starting at her neck and creeping around to her cheeks.
“Maybe another time, then. Be talking to you.” Andy turned and walked away.
Darla’s heart thumped like a bass drum in her ears. She could have strangled Andy and enjoyed watching his pretty blue eyes pop right out of his head, especially when he came off with that comment about one woman for the rest of his life right in front of Will.
Will tucked her arm into his. “That was a little intense. Do I have anything to be worried about? Do you think he was talking about you being that special woman that he could spend the rest of his life with? Do I need to get out the dueling pistols and tell him to meet me at dawn down by the creek?” he teased and shot another of his playful winks her way.
“Maybe so, but only load yours and be sure you shoothim dead. It’ll save a lot of women some broken hearts.” Darla loved Will’s sense of humor and the way they enjoyed teasing each other.
“So he’s that kind of man, is he?” Will grinned.
“No one can change a leopard’s spots.” She rose up on her tiptoes and kissed Will on the lips.
“For another kiss like that, I’ll call off that appointment to show a house in Ravia in thirty minutes.” He grinned.
“Get on out of here.” She gave him a gentle shove. “You’ve got to make money so we can make the mortgage payments on that house we’re buying.”
“Since the family is in for the weekend, are we still on for tomorrow night? Movie in Ardmore and maybe ice cream afterward?” Will asked.
“Of course we are,” she said. “I love my older sisters and my family, but by tomorrow evening, I’ll be ready for some downtime with just the two of us.”
“Pick you up at six.” He gave her a quick hug and walked away.
Just as Will disappeared out the door, Andy started toward Darla. Pretending that she didn’t realize he had zeroed in on her, she turned around and hurried into the ladies’ room. She fell back onto the sofa in the small powder room and put her palms over her eyes.
“Hey, sis, are you all right?” Sarah startled her when she sat down on the end of the sofa beside her.
“Little bit of a headache,” Darla answered. That wasn’t a lie. Being in the same room with her fiancé and her old flame was enough to give any woman a headache.
“It’s just wedding nerves,” Sarah said.
“Did you ever wonder if you were marrying the right person?” Darla asked.
“Sure I did. That’s normal.” Sarah nodded. “Sometimes, when Bryan makes me mad, I still wonder. No one lives with another person twenty-four seven without having disagreements. Doesn’t matter if it’s roommates, sisters, or a married couple. That’s just life.” She patted Darla on the knee. “It’s all normal, honey. Don’t worry.”
“Thanks,” Darla said, but she couldn’t even force a smile.
The church pew was long but still cramped with thirteen people lined up on it, shoulder to shoulder and hip to hip. Darla was sitting on the end and hardly heard a word the preacher said that morning, not with Andy Miller sitting right behind her. The weather had gotten hot—Indian summer, the old folks called it—but the sweat rolling down Darla’s neck and into her bra had nothing to do with the temperature outside.
“Sometimes, we just need to pray about our decisions.” The preacher’s words finally caught her attention. “The devil will test us, just like he did Jesus.”