Wanna be my date to my wedding?
—KERI
Mama, Iris, and Sue were waiting for me when I got home. The three of them sat side by side on the couch, facing the front door. The television wasn’t even on. I guessed I was the entertainment. The thing about small towns is that news travels fast, gossip faster. So, when your best friend yells about your evening plans at lunchtime, you can assume your family knows by dinner.
I should have remembered that.
“Hi.” I slowly slid out of my shoes and put my purse down.
Iris scooted over to make a space between her and Mama, a space Mama patted. “Come sit with us, Mae.”
I bet this is what the victims of the Inquisition felt like. Except, you know, higher stakes.
I sat.
“Honey,” Mama said, putting a hand on my knee and squeezing. “How are you?”
“Yeah, how are you?” Iris repeated with a smirk.
“Got any big plans tonight?” Sue asked.
Subtle, they were not. “I guess you heard.”
“What would that be?” Mama asked, barely keeping her smile at bay.
I sighed. “I have a date.”
Iris tried to look bored. “I heard it was with Chris Sterns.”
“Yes.”
“Huh.” But I could see she was interested, even a little impressed. “He’s kind of hot.”
Mama put her arm around my shoulders. “He’s such a nice young man. Do you know he fixed our dishwasher? Only took him a few minutes.”
“All I know is that he is one fine specimen,” Sue said. “Though I haven’t seen him up close yet. When’s he picking you up?”
“Six thirty.”
“Excellent.” Sue rubbed her hands together.
“Maybe I should make up some cookies? Or some banana bread?” Mama said. “Something to offer him. You think?”
“A boy like him must eat an awful lot.” Sue helped Mama to her feet and handed her the walker. The two of them shuffled toward the kitchen. “Maybe we should make him a meatloaf. He needs protein.”
“Do not make a meatloaf,” I yelled at their receding backs. “Or anything else. He’ll only be here for a few minutes to pick me up.”
Sue turned. “Well, now, we need to make sure he keeps his strength up for that goodnight kiss.”
Seriously. How was this my life?
I tried on three different outfits before deciding on a soft green knee-length sundress, a pair of cowboy boots, and gold hoop earrings. With a bit of makeup and my hair braided loosely, I was ready fifteen minutes early. That gave me plenty of time to stare at myself in the mirror for far too long. I switched out the earrings and left my hair down. Then I got annoyed at myself for wasting this much energy on a fake date.
Mama and Sue managed to whip up a batch of brownies and a veggie tray. The three of them piled back on the sofa by the time Chris knocked on the door.
“You want me to answer?” Sue asked.
But she looked so comfy sitting on the couch, eating a bag of popcorn with a slightly deranged look of excitement on her face, I told her no.
With a flourish, Chris whipped out a bouquet of roses from behind his back when I opened the door. “For you, madam.”
“Oh, thank you.” I took them and stood back so he could pass by. “Enter at own risk.”
He brushed by me, that same clean, warm smell hitting me immediately. I introduced him to the welcome committee, although he’d met two of them.
“Oh, my. Did you bring flowers?” Sue said. “Those are beautiful.”
A dozen, gorgeous dewy pale-pink roses just beginning to unfurl. I wondered where he’d gotten them. They were most definitely not grocery store flowers.
Iris smirked. “Mae hates roses.”
“Iris!” I turned to Chris and hesitated ever so slightly before I put a hand on his arm. PDA, Mae. PDA. “They are lovely. Truly. I’ll go put them in water.”
As I rushed to the kitchen, I heard Mama offer Chris brownies.
“I don’t want to spoil my dinner,” he said.
“Come on now,” Sue said as I returned. “Just a brownie or two so you can keep your strength up.”
I sighed. “Just do it or they won’t let us leave.”
He took a brownie, ate it in three bites, and smiled. “That was great.”
Sue elbowed Mama. “Did you hear that, Lucy? He said it was great.” She turned her attention to me. “Mae, he’s a looker, for sure. I’d let him get to second base, at least.”
“I might let him go for a home run, if you know what I mean,” Iris said, just in case we didn’t.
“Iris,” Mama snapped. “Watch yourself.”
Iris rolled her eyes. “I would.”
“Baseball gets all the good innuendos,” Chris said. And then he winked at them.
Which caused my mother to giggle and Sue to mutter something that sounded like, “Batter up.”
“Time to go. We are going.” I pushed Chris toward the door. “I’ll be home in a couple of hours.”
“You can keep her out as late as you want, Chris,” Mama called. “Don’t rush back on my account. You two have fun.”
When I closed the door behind us, Chris stopped on the porch and grinned down at me. “You don’t like roses?”
I shrugged. “Nope. But you didn’t know.”
“What’s your favorite?”
“Tulips. Carnations. Lilies. Gerbera daisies. Irises. Peonies. Wildflow—”
“So pretty much any other flower except roses?” Smiling, he brushed a piece of hair from my cheek.
The movement was done so casually I wasn’t quite sure how to react. My cheek buzzed in the spot his finger had touched me though.
“Why did you do that?” I asked. My voice more an accusation than a statement.
“What?”
“Touch my cheek.”
“PDA Clause.”
“We aren’t in public.” I waved a hand wildly around. “There’s no need for a display of affection at the moment.”
He leaned down and whispered. His breath smelled like toothpaste and cinnamon gum and the thought drifted through my brain that I liked that combination an awful lot. Irritated, I reminded my brain I was not interested. At all. “Pretty sure someone is spying on us from that front window.”
I whipped around just in time to see the curtain flutter. “Can we go?”
When we got to his truck, he opened the door for me. “Let me get this straight. You don’t like roses, frogs, or Monopoly?”
“That about sums it up.” I climbed into my seat.
“You are full of surprises.” He leaned a little closer, a smirk lingering at the corners of his mouth. “And, by the way, I like your dress. It suits you.”
“Thank you.” I clicked the seatbelt into place and ignored the curl of pleasure in my stomach at his compliment. “Now let’s get this over with.”
