The Harder They Fall

by Brooke St. James

  She not only asked me if I would call my friend to see if she wanted the job, but she also asked if she could possibly come in starting next week so I could train her. I honestly couldn't believe they were asking me to do such a thing. It made me feel frustrated and maybe even a little hurt. I knew I was leaving them in a bind, but I barely felt like working the last four days much less scrambling to find my replacement and train her. I told Barb that I would see what I could do and call her back in a little bit.

  I decided to go by Isaac's job site, but I went home to pick up Patrick first. I hadn't been gone very long, and I knew Patrick would be fine in his kennel, but I liked to take him with me because everybody loved him.

  I was surprised to find that Isaac wasn't at the site. I went into the trailer, hoping to find him there, but he wasn't. I talked to Diane, one of the contractor's secretaries, who said, "He was here first thing this morning and stayed for a couple of hours, but he had to go back to his hotel. I can try to call him for you, but I think he's coming back after lunch."

  "I'll call him," I said. "Or I'll just go by his hotel. Thank you."

  I left, heading to his hotel. I tried to call him on the way, but he didn't pick up. It was late morning, so I figured he had grabbed an early lunch or had squeezed in a workout and jumped in the shower.

  Patrick and I had been to his hotel lots of times. They didn't technically allow dogs, but they knew we didn't stay long, and the concierge loved him, so he always winked at us and said something out loud about what a good 'service dog' Patrick was.

  A family was in the elevator with us, and they talked to me the whole time about how breathtakingly large Patrick was and how owning a dog so big must be like having a horse in my house. They said he must eat me out of house and home. I had heard similar comments before and I always smiled and agreed with them, but, honestly, I was used to how big he was and I didn't even notice it by now.

  The family got off on the third floor and Patrick and I rode up to the sixth before stepping off to head to Isaac's room. The fact that the station had asked me to help them find my replacement was in the back of my mind, but I chose not to think about it. I chose to look forward to seeing Isaac. I would tell him what they had said and see what he thought I should do.

  I was just about to knock on his door when I overheard Isaac using an irritated tone.

  "I just had to deal with this crap explaining myself to Mom and Dad, Justin. I thought of all people, you would understand. I expected you to just drop everything and come over here."

  (There was a pause.)

  "Because I love her, Justin. I told you that."

  (Another pause.)

  "No, she's not pregnant."

  He wasn't yelling, but his tone was impassive, and I stood next to his door, feeling stunned and hurt.

  "Mom and Dad are coming," he said. "And I wanted you to come and bring your family. I'd like them to meet you guys."

  (He paused again.)

  "Oh, my gosh, Justin, don't be ridiculous."

  I swallowed hard, thinking of all the possible things Justin could have said to make Isaac respond in that way.

  Then, I remembered something. I remembered that day when I sat there and eavesdropped on my family at Shug and Doozy's house, and how I ultimately regretted doing that. I reminded myself that nothing good could come of eavesdropping. As curious as I was, and as much as I wanted to stand there and listen, I made up my mind to leave. It was only going to hurt me to hear him have to defend me. I took a deep breath and started to walk away, tugging on Patrick's leash.

  He dug in, looking straight at the door like I was crazy for leaving when we could clearly hear Isaac's voice.

  "Come on," I whispered bending down to speak near Patrick's ear. "Come on, Patrick. Don't do this." I tugged, and Patrick stubbornly tugged back, staring at the door like he really wanted to stay. "Please," I pleaded, still whispering in his ear.

  This made him let out a loud bark.

  It was so loud that I jumped.

  Stunned and petrified, I stared at my disobedient dog with wide eyes. "No sir!" I whispered through gritted teeth before tugging him toward the elevator. He could see my distress, so this time, he stopped tugging against me and ran with me.

  I felt like bad guys were chasing me as I ran with all my might down the hallway. I glanced behind me before disappearing into the elevator. I could see Isaac's door opening, but thankfully, he didn't catch sight of me. I pressed the button for the lobby over and over and over again, knowing that the only way he would catch up to me before the doors closed was if he ran.

  I had never been so scared and out of breath in my whole life, and I felt like a huge weight had been lifted off my shoulders when the doors closed and the elevator began to move. I let out a long sigh of relief and glanced at the ceiling. I was so shaken up that I paced without even realizing it. I took one last calming breath, trying to get myself together before the elevator door opened.

  "Did y'all find Mister Charles?" Benson asked when we walked by him in the lobby.

  "Yes sir, we sure did," I said, trying to act confident and happy even though I felt like I was about to come undone.

  "I guess we'll see y'all next time, then," he said with a huge smile and wave.

  "Yep, see you next time," I said, beaming at him and walking quickly out of the lobby.

  I had parked on the street about a half-a-block away, and I walked to my car as quickly as possible without looking like I was running from something.

  "Come on, boy," I said, guiding Patrick into the back seat in a hurry.

  "Shelby!"

  I knew who was yelling my name before I even turned toward the hotel. Isaac had just come out of the front door and was heading toward me. I hadn't seen him all morning, and he was wearing jeans and my favorite red jacket. I was too overwhelmed with love for him to worry about the fact that I had been trying to run away. I closed the door, making sure Patrick was safe in the backseat before turning toward Isaac. I let out a long sigh, watching him approach me.

  "Benson said you told him you saw me upstairs," he said with a curious expression.

  "He did?" I asked in such a way that made it obvious that I had been dishonest. Isaac instantly took me into his arms. His touch was gentle and tentative, but he held me in his arms nonetheless.

  "I thought I heard Patty upstairs. Was that y'all?"

  I nodded.

  "Why'd you run away?" he asked.

  I looked at him, trying to figure out what I should say. "I heard you talking to your brother," I said, opting for honesty. "I could hear you through the door when I walked up."

  "So, you ran away?"

  I shrugged. "I didn't want to stand there and eavesdrop. From what I heard, he didn't seem very happy with…" I trailed off, and not wanting to finish my sentence.

  He smiled at me. "I seem to remember Jane Kennedy telling you right in front of me not to rush into anything," he said.

  I rested my face on his chest, loving the feel of his arms around me.

  "I know," I said. "And I don't blame Justin for whatever he was saying. I guess I just thought that I needed to leave you alone. You know. Let you finish your conversation."

  He rubbed my back. "I heard Patrick bark, and then I went out in the hallway and saw the elevator door close. I had the most terrible sinking feeling. I just knew you had run away from me, Shelby, and I couldn't handle it." He pulled back far enough to look at me. He was looking straight into my eyes when he said, "You have to promise me that you won't get scared and run away, my love. No matter what you think you hear, and no matter what scares you, you have to promise me that you'll be tough enough to confront it and stay with me. Things aren't going to be just perfect a hundred percent of the time, and when they're not, you know what? We'll talk about it and get past it. You have to trust me just like I have to trust you."

  I touched the side of his face, marveling at how very much I loved him. "I didn't mean to run," I said. "I just didn't w
ant to stand there and listen to you guys, when I went to walk away, Patrick got really stubborn and wouldn't come to the elevator. That's why he barked."

  "That's a good boyyy," Isaac said, looking at Patrick through the window.

  Patrick barked again, causing me to roll my eyes. "What'd you tell your brother?" I asked.

  "That I'd call him right back."

  "What if he doesn't come?" I asked.

  He shrugged. "Then he doesn't come," Isaac said. "He probably will, but even if he can't, it won't change anything. My parents will be here, and so will my grandparents. And really, all that matters is me and you, right?"

  "You already talked to your grandparents?" I asked.

  He smiled. "No, but I know they'll come. They're both retired. They'll be here. If my brother doesn't come it's only because he's busy with work and his family and everything. It wouldn't be because he's not happy for us. Whatever you overheard was only momentary concern, Shelby, I promise. He'll come around, no problem. They're all gonna love you."

  "I know," I said. I laughed, catching myself. "I mean, I know it's only momentary concern, not I know they're all gonna love me."

  He narrowed his eyes at me in a teasing way. "You know they're all going to love you," he said.

  I gave him a confident shrug. "Yeah, probably," I said, causing him to smile.

  Chapter 21

  The following week was a huge whirlwind.

  I sucked it up and agreed to help the crew at WMC find and train my replacement. I contacted a friend of mine named Emma that I knew from beauty school. She was talented, and she was excited about the opportunity, so it seemed like a good fit for everyone. She worked at a local salon, but she said she could go down to Friday and Saturday at the salon and come to work Tuesday through Thursday at the station. This only left the producers with a one-day gap to fill, which made everyone happy.

  Training Emma meant more responsibility for me, thus it was a little bit of an added stress to my last week at work, but honestly, it worked out. Having her there with me meant I constantly had someone to talk to; therefore I did not have to get into any awkward conversations with Cindy. Okay, maybe there were a few uncomfortable moments, but having Emma there with me definitely helped matters.

  Cindy knew I was quitting, obviously, but I didn't talk about where I was going, or why, or even that I was getting married that weekend. I didn't tell Emma either. I liked her, and I was close enough to her to talk about it, but I really didn't want them speculating once I was gone and she had the whole crew in her chair for hours a day. I was private like that and was content to hold my plans in my heart in spite of my excitement.

  My family helped plan the party, which would take place the following Saturday at Daniel and Courtney's. Everyone was thrilled for us, but Courtney was beside herself. She and I had bonded one time way back when I dressed her as an old lady so she could go to my cousin's high school graduation without getting hassled. Ever since then, we have been best of friends.

  I had a brother and a lot of male cousins, and I was typically the type of woman who didn't need to gush about my feelings, but in the time since Daniel had married Courtney, we had grown really close and had several extensive conversations about life and love and all those things. She was not only invested in me as a person, but she was also ecstatic that she had been the one to bring Isaac to Memphis for the project. You would think she was my sister with how excited she was about us getting married.

  Courtney and Daniel had a home on some acreage outside of Memphis. They rearranged their living room to comfortably accommodate the sixty people we had present at the ceremony.

  She hired a team of people to come in and adjust her couches, adding chairs and other furniture that she rented. They strung lights and brought in fresh flowers, and by the time they were done, Courtney and Daniel's living room had been completely transformed into a fairytale setting. She wanted it to be a surprise for me, so I didn't see it before the ceremony happened.

  I knew the wedding was taking place in their living room, and that the whole thing had been spur of the moment, so I hadn't been expecting much of a change. I was blown away by the transformation, and there was nothing I could do to keep myself from crying as I walked through the living room toward Isaac.

  I ended up wearing Shug's wedding dress. I had gone to a bridal store after work one evening that week to look at buying something, but I had trouble finding anything I loved. My mom was there with me and so was Taylor because she was going to help me with any needed alterations, and we got into a conversation that lead to Mom mentioning Shug's dress.

  It was a simple, straight, knee-length cotton and lace number, and I wore gloves and simple white pumps just like Shug had done. Taylor made a couple of slight alterations, but it was pretty much perfect for me the way it was.

  Taylor also hooked Isaac up with a sharp black suit that made him look like a movie star. The combination of seeing the living room full of lights and flowers with my handsome groom standing on the other side of it was just too much. Tears fell onto my cheeks the whole time I walked through the room. My face didn't crumple, and it didn’t look like I was crying, but tears fell nonetheless.

  Uncle Jacob performed the ceremony, and he talked about how he was continually amazed by God's patience and timing. He talked about Joseph, son of Jacob, who had been sold into slavery and then arrested under false accusations only to later save his family and a nation from famine. He had talked to Isaac and me before the wedding, asking us detailed questions about our pasts and our lives, and he said that while the stories weren't exactly the same, he just kept thinking about Joseph the whole time we told him our stories.

  During the short ceremony, he made a point of saying how amazing it was that it could take years and years for us to finally come to the place where we see what we were waiting for, and once we do—once we look back—it's clear that God was in control the whole time.

  Isaac had bought me a ring that week before the wedding, and that, too, was a surprise. He put it on my finger once Uncle Jacob had finished leading us through our vows, and I stared at it, feeling awed by the sight. I honestly didn't think I would ever get married. I just didn't see myself doing it. And gazing at that beautiful, vintage inspired diamond on my finger made it all hit home for me. Of course, it was just a symbol of our commitment, but the sight of it still took my breath away.

  The whole moment, the whole evening was breathtaking. Isaac's parents and grandparents had come, along with Justin and his family. His mom also mentioned it to her sister who decided to make the trip as well. There were nine of them in total, and all of them were happy for Isaac and didn't seem hesitant or concerned in the least. They all got along nicely with my family and wanted to know all about our family businesses.

  The whole thing passed quickly and in a blur. We said our vows in the living room, and then enjoyed a huge spread of food that had been brought in by a catering company. Courtney and Ivy had put together a playlist of songs, which played on their home stereo system while we ate, drink, talked, laughed, and danced.

  After we had the chance to eat and hang out for a while, Courtney turned down the music and tapped her fork on her glass to get everyone's attention.

  She was already tearing up before she began talking, and Uncle Jesse gave her a good-natured hard time about it, making us all laugh.

  "I just want to say thanks to you all for coming here today," she said. "This has honestly got to be one of my favorite days ever." She paused and stared at Isaac and me with a sincere smile. "I really do love these two. Shelby, in the time that I've been with Daniel, you have become like a sister to me. We've laughed together, and cried together, and you've just taken up this special place in my heart, you really have." She put her fist to her heart. "I hope you know how much I really do love you."

  I nodded as tears welled in my own eyes.

  Courtney looked at Isaac and let out a long sigh. "Isaac, you have no idea how happy I am that you
're the one who won Shelby's heart. And it's even cooler that I got to play a small part in you two connecting. I honestly knew you were wonderful from the first time we talked. Shelby got a smart, handsome, compassionate man who I truly believe will take care of her for the rest of her life. I'm so happy that she has you. I know you're gonna do right by her, and that means everything."

  She paused, and we watched as her face contorted with tears. She tried her best to hold them back; we could all tell that by the way she shook her head and made a pained expression like she was mad at herself for not keeping it together.

  "But," she said speaking slowly in a high-pitched tone through the tears. "But you're the one who hit the jackpot, here, Isaac. I know that because I hit it too. These people…" She paused crying and gesturing around the room, at my family, most of whom were crying right along with her. "These people are truly the salt of the earth," she said. "They're kind and generous, and they will have your back no matter what." She smiled and raised her glass with tear-streaked cheeks, and we lifted our glasses with her. "So cheers, Isaac, because just like me, you've been grafted in. And believe me when I say that's a good place to be."

  Courtney received cheers and hollers for her speech, but I couldn’t tell who was yelling because I had stood up to hug her. My parents gave a speech after that, and so did Isaac's. The speeches were all short and sweet, and afterward, we went on hanging out and listening to music together. It was a simple family gathering where everyone enjoyed each other's company and had the chance to get to know Isaac's family.

  It was around 9pm when Isaac and I decided to go back to his hotel. Most of the guests were still at Courtney and Daniel's when we left, and they came outside, cheering for us as we drove away.

  Ivy and a few of her friends had written all over the windows of Isaac's truck, and I was relatively sure that somewhere it instructed people to honk at us because we got a lot of that on the way to the hotel.