by Karin Beery
He did. He would. But first, Russ leaned across the counter and planted a kiss on Willa’s cheek. “You’re a gem.”
She waved him off, but her cheeks matched her lipstick. “Now stop it. Hurry up and sign this so you can get to kissing your girl instead.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
CHAPTER 18
Ashley snuggled into the corner of the couch. Heat from the fireplace radiated through her. With Russ at the other end of the couch, her senses were on high alert. She looked at the book in her hands but couldn’t concentrate. Kathleen sat in the nearby chair with her feet propped up on the coffee table and a puzzle book in her hands. Tomorrow, Ashley would pick up a marriage license, and Kathleen had no idea.
Guilt gnawed at Ashley’s conscience. She should be giddy. A measure of excitement did bubble up, but so did the weight of hiding from their families. Was this really what her mom would have wanted for her?
Kathleen huffed. “What is going on?”
Ashley set down her book, trying to maintain a neutral expression while her heart pounded. “What do you mean?”
“This.” She waved her book in the air. “This is supposed to be fun? I remember when these used to keep me busy for hours, but this one.” She shook her head. “I’ve finished four crossword puzzles since dinner. Where’s the challenge?”
Russ set down his magazine and reached for his mother’s book. “Where did you find this?”
“In your basket over there. I guess I shouldn’t complain. Wisdom comes with age. I’ve collected plenty of knowledge over the years.”
“This is for kids, Mom. Rachel left it here for when the boys visit.” Russ tossed the book back at her, laughing. “What were you saying about age and wisdom?”
Ashley bit back a smile.
Kathleen tossed her pencil at Russ. “I’m going home tomorrow.”
“It’s an honest mistake.” Ashley slid to the edge of her cushion. “You don’t have to leave.”
The Russells laughed. “I wouldn’t leave over anything that silly,” Kathleen said. “It’s time I headed back to my place. Russ knows where to find me if he needs me, but what about you? What are you going to do?”
“You don’t need to worry. I’m not going to sell your family’s house or anything.”
“I’m glad to hear that, but I didn’t ask about the house. What are you going to do?”
Kathleen’s eyes shone with such compassion that Ashley’s determination wavered. How could she hold the truth back from her future mother-in-law? She caught Russ’ eye. “Well, I …”
“Ashley’s going to stay here for a while,” he said.
“I see.” Kathleen shifted in her seat, crossing her legs and resting her hands on her lap. “I’ve enjoyed getting to know you, Ashley. You’re a wonderful young woman, but are you sure this is a good idea?”
“It is.” Russ took Ashley’s hand. “We’re getting married tomorrow.”
The air whooshed out of the room, or maybe Ashley and Kathleen sucked it all out when they gasped. Russ moved closer to Ashley but never took his eyes off his mom. Ashley couldn’t pull her gaze from Russ’ handsome, traitorous face. What happened to not telling anyone until after the wedding?
“Why didn’t you tell me you two were dating? How long have you known each other? What—”
“We didn’t want to talk about it because there was so much going on.” Russ dropped his free hand onto Kathleen’s knee. “We hadn’t planned on getting married so soon, but we decided not to wait.”
Technically true. Ashley could support the story thus far, as long as she didn’t have to answer any questions about their history. The possibility of lying made her cringe. Then again, the thought of admitting the truth didn’t make her feel any better. Russ leaned back, wrapped an arm around her, and lightly massaged her shoulders. She hadn’t realized how tense she’d become until he started soothing her muscles.
“I don’t know what to say.” Kathleen rubbed a shaky hand across her forehead. “Will the girls be able to make it on such short notice? And tomorrow’s a school day. Maybe if you wait until the evening they can come after work.”
Ashley leaned back, Russ’ nearness supporting her in more ways than one. “Please don’t go to any trouble. The family has been through enough. We don’t want anyone to sacrifice more time for us.”
“Sacrifice?” Kathleen practically bounced out of her chair. “Honey, this is a miracle! Edgar James Russell, your sisters have been trying to marry you off for years. They won’t want to miss it. This is our chance to celebrate!”
“I know, Mom, but we want to do this privately. The last two weeks have been, well …” He shook his head. “Nothing has been this hard for me since Dad died. I appreciate that you’ve been here for me, but I need time to deal with Tom’s death.” Russ’ arm slipped lower, wrapping around Ashley’s waist and securing her against his side. “And I want to have Ashley with me.”
The tightness in her chest eased. Did he really? Even if he didn’t completely mean it, it was nice to hear.
“Oh, Russ.” Kathleen’s eyes glistened. “Are you sure? This is a wonderful thing. Your family wants to celebrate it with you.”
Family. Tomorrow Ashley would finally have one, but she wasn’t going to have them with her? How contradictory. “We will celebrate,” she said, “but after the wedding.”
Kathleen sat a little straighter. “This weekend?”
“That’s quick,” Russ said.
“Is that enough time to plan a party?” Ashley asked.
“Of course. The girls have been secretly planning his wedding for years.”
Russ turned to Ashley. “I don’t mind, but we won’t do this unless you want to.”
“I do. Your mom’s right. This has been a hard time for all of us. Everyone could use a reason to celebrate.”
“Oh, yes!” Kathleen clapped her hands. “I’ll call the girls and tell them to clear their schedules. I’m sure we can find a place in town this weekend. Maybe the church rec room is available.”
“Don’t bother, Mom. We can have it here.”
“Don’t be silly. You don’t need to worry about hosting a party. You have other things to take care of.”
“I’d prefer it,” he said. “But only family.”
“Fine, we’ll wait until Saturday.” His mom pulled a cell phone out of her pocket. “You should tell Liz first.”
Russ swiped her phone. “Not yet. Not until after the wedding.”
“Russ—”
“Mom, if we tell Liz, she’ll keep me on the phone all night. Then she’ll call Carrie and Rachel. I don’t have the energy to explain our decision to them, and you know Carrie. If I don’t give her the answers she wants to hear, she’ll harass me until the minute I say ‘I do.’ I don’t need to explain this, and I don’t need their permission. We’ll call them after the wedding.”
Kathleen chuckled. “You’re right. My girls are a determined bunch.”
“Exactly. Give us twenty-four hours. Then you can start the phone tree.”
Ashley waited as the Russells stared at each other.
Kathleen’s eyes watered, then she cried. Then laughed. “I have waited thirty-eight years for you to find a good woman. I almost gave up hope, but it’s finally going to happen, isn’t it?”
Russ squeezed Ashley. “Yes, it’s going to happen.”
“I’ll wait.” His mom clasped her hands together. “I can’t believe this is finally happening!” She jumped up, grabbed Ashley’s hands, and pulled her into her arms. “Welcome to the family, honey.”
Ashley sank into Kathleen’s embrace, savoring the comfort of a mother’s hug. John and Rose had given Ashley so much, hugged her so many times, but Kathleen’s embrace filled a long-empty hole in her heart. “Thank you for understanding.”
“Are you kidding me?” She leaned back, shaking her head. “I don’t understand a thing about this, but I’ve seen the two of you this week. I could tell there was something there.”
She could? Ashley blushed. “And you’re okay with it? I mean, you’re not trying to talk us out of it?”
“This little old mama isn’t going to stop her son from doing anything. I can’t even convince him to shave that beard. Besides, you two are adults. I’ll support you in whatever way I can, including waiting until tomorrow to call the girls.”
“Tomorrow night, Mom.” Russ patted her shoulder. “After the ceremony.”
“Fine, after the ceremony. Will you call me when it’s over?”
“I can, but I was hoping you’d be there with us.”
She pressed her hands to her lips. “Don’t tease me. Do I really get to come?”
Russ hugged her. “I know you’ve been waiting for this longer than anyone else. I wouldn’t dream of not having you there. Besides, we need a witness.”
She smacked his back but didn’t let go. “Where should I meet you?”
“Let me confirm everything with Pastor Stanford, then I’ll let you know. Sometime in the afternoon, but we need to double-check everything.”
“Of course.” Kathleen stepped away, wiping the back of her hand across her cheeks. “I’m going upstairs to plan the menu. I’ll let the two of you have some alone time.” She wrapped them in a tight hug before padding through the living room and up the stairs.
Ashley’s anxiety faded with each step. They’d survived telling the first family member. Tomorrow, while Kathleen called her daughters, Ashley would call John and Rose. Rose would be sad to miss the ceremony, but she’d understand. Maybe. At the very least, she’d forgive Ashley. Eventually.
The bedroom door whined and clicked, then Russ dropped onto the couch.
Ashley plopped down beside him. “My heart almost popped out of my chest. You handled that really well.”
“I’m glad you think so. I hardly remember what I said. I just started talking and prayed for the best.”
“You’re good on your feet. And your mom is wonderful. She won’t call anyone, will she?”
“Nah. Mom’s word is good.” He tipped his head back and draped an arm along the back of the couch, closing his eyes as he inhaled deeply. “There’s no turning back now. I doubt my mom will sleep tonight, and she’ll hog-tie and carry me to the wedding tomorrow if she has to.”
Excellent. Ashley didn’t have to worry about Russ changing his mind at the last minute. She shifted in her seat, turning so she could watch him. Light from the fire flicked across his face as the logs crackled in the fireplace. He may have exaggerated what he told his mom, but nothing about his posture suggested any anxiety. If he hadn’t just been talking with Ashley, she might think he was asleep.
Lucky him. She doubted she’d get much sleep. “Is there anything else we should consider before tomorrow?” she asked. “Is it possible your sisters will randomly drop by the house? Should we have a backup plan?”
“They live too far away. They won’t come back until there’s a reason to, especially now that winter’s coming.” Russ’ voice trailed off, his breaths getting deeper and slower.
While she listened to him breathe, her thoughts swirled. Tomorrow he’d be her husband. Eventually he’d relax in bed beside her, fall asleep next to her. Warm shivers ran across her arms. Her husband. Memories of their kiss tickled her lips. The crook of his arm invited her to scoot over.
A snore echoed through the room.
Ashley hopped up and ran upstairs. No sense tempting fate. Tomorrow would arrive soon enough.
CHAPTER 19
Russ tightened another bolt, confident the lawn mower was finally winterized and ready for storage, as were the weed whip and chain saw. No signs of snow yet, but he could feel it coming. He didn’t need to tune up the snowplow. Snow shovels leaned against the house on the porch and back deck, waiting for the first flurry. Finding the ice scrapers for the cars wouldn’t take long. That left him—he checked his watch—ninety minutes before he and Ashley needed to leave for the wedding. Ten minutes to shower, five minutes to get dressed. Seventy-five minutes to kill. Russ looked around the barn. What else could he tinker with?
HONK! HONK-HONK-HONK!
Perfect. A distraction. He tossed his wrench in the toolbox and headed to the driveway, willing to sit through any sales pitch today. The sharp air outside refreshed his spirit.
Rachel’s van barreled toward him. It had barely stopped moving before the doors popped open. His nephews jumped out, the older boys helping the younger ones, while Rachel and Carrie charged at Russ.
They knew. Mom had promised not to tell anyone, so how did they know?
“You’re getting married?” Rachel spewed the last word like spoiled milk.
“Why are you all here? Don’t your kids go to school?”
Carrie reached him first. “Teacher training day. And don’t try to change the subject. You told us she was a friend of Tom’s. Why didn’t you tell us you were engaged?” She wore the same face she used when disciplining the kids. Just what he needed. A lecture.
“Ashley and I didn’t want to talk about it in light of the funeral. How did you—”
Rachel grabbed his arm and spun him toward her. “You’ve never talked about her. You didn’t look like you were even interested in her, much less engaged. What happened? Why are you getting married?”
He wrenched his arm away, surprised at her grip. “You’ve been bugging me about getting married for decades.”
“We want you to be happy, to find someone to settle down with, but this?” Rachel waved an arm toward the house. “How long have you known her?”
“Why does that matter? Saturday you all loved her. You were ready to sell her a house.”
“We do like her.” Carrie’s voice softened a fraction. “She’s nice, but we didn’t realize we were going to be related to her in less than a week.”
“Maybe we should have told you, but there was a lot going on, and we didn’t want to distract from Tom’s memorial. You’re obviously upset, but why did you drive all this way?”
“Because Rachel’s crazy, and she had to find out if it was true.”
“You could have called.”
Carrie rolled her eyes. “And you would have ignored us.”
True. “So now you’re here, and you know the truth, and your sons are digging up my driveway.”
Rachel turned in time to see Phin throw a fistful of dirt in the air. “Leo, I told you to watch him!”
While she stormed toward them, Carrie slipped her arm around Russ. “She’s freaking out.”
“Why?”
“Why do you think? She thought you’d meet a girl, they would become friends, Rachel would be a bridesmaid. They’d organize a bridal shower and bachelorette party. She had plans, and you ruined them.” Carrie tugged his arm, guiding him toward the house.
“And what do you think?”
She shook her head. “I don’t think I believe it yet.”
“It’s happening.”
Her grip tightened. “You’re sure about this?”
“Yes, I’m sure. I made the arrangements myself. We head into town in an hour and a half.”
She jabbed him with her elbow. “Not about the wedding, about the marriage. Do you really want to spend the rest of your life with this woman? You don’t have any doubts?”
“Of course I have doubts.”
“Then don’t do it.”
“And you didn’t have any doubts about Paul? Come on, Carrie. No one’s perfect. If I concentrate on all the things wrong with women, I’ll never get married. I need to focus on the right things. Ashley’s kind, intelligent, devoted to the marriage, and ...” Tom.
“And what?”
“Tom really liked her. He’d approve.”
Rachel met them at the porch steps, a squirming Phin under one arm. “Who’d approve of what?”
Russ wrapped his free arm around her, steering her up the stairs. “I’m getting married. It’ll be fine.”
“You weren’t going to tell us, were you?”
; He shook his head. “I can’t believe Mom called you. She promised not to.”
“Oh, Mom didn’t call me.”
Every fiber in his body stiffened. “We didn’t tell anyone else.”
“Laney’s mom, Sue, works at the clerk’s office, and she told Laney last night at dinner.” Rachel sat Phin on her hip. “They probably weren’t supposed to talk about it, huh?”
A thousand pounds of frustration dropped onto Russ’ shoulders. Maybe not a thousand, but at least one hundred twenty pounds of Laney Whitley. “Did she tell anyone else?”
“Probably her family, but she has four siblings.”
If only the porch would swallow him now. So much for keeping it a private affair. “I don’t suppose they’ll keep it to themselves?”
“Don’t know. Laney called me first thing this morning to find out if it was true. I felt like such an idiot, so I said yes and made up a bunch of stuff. It’s kind of big news. A few years ago, the women at Mom’s salon started a betting pool to guess when you’d get married. I wonder who’s going to win.”
“Are you serious?”
“What does it matter now? The big news is that you were one of the most eligible bachelors in the county, and now you’re not. Those ladies have been waiting.”
The mob of boys rushed the stairs. Phin kicked, but Rachel adjusted her grip. “Can we move this thing inside before I drop my son?”
Russ took his nephew, then tossed him in the air. As the little guy giggled, Russ tried to figure out how to warn Ashley about the mob.
Carrie opened the door, but it stopped abruptly.
“Ouch.”
He cringed. “Ashley?” She peeked around the edge of the door. Her eyes widened. Russ cleared the frustration out of his throat. “So, my sisters are here.”
She held onto the door, inching it open as she backed away. “What brings you both back to town?”
“They know about the wedding.”
Ashley’s jaw clenched. “I thought we were going to call them later.”
“We forgot to tell the assistant clerk that. Apparently she’s Rachel’s best friend’s mom.”
