by Rita Herron
Alison struggled not to immediately pull her hand free. "This isn't a social visit."
Disappointment flitted across her mother's face. "Oh, then what exactly is it?"
Alison took a sip of her water, silently asking for courage. Her mother was dressed to the nines today in a designer suit. The perfect outfit made her seem standoffish, contradicting the almost overeager look in her eyes. If Alison didn't know better, she'd have thought her mother really wanted to be a part of her life. "I need your help."
Janelle studied her silently for a moment, her ruby lips slowly moving into a smile. "Of course, honey. What can I do for you?"
She should have asked that years ago, when Alison needed her to take her shopping for her first bra, explain the facts of life, show up at her swim meets… But she bit back the words. Hannah and Wiley and Grammy Rose had been there for all those things. And Alison couldn't dwell in the past. Not with her mother or with Brady.
She placed the envelope on the table, sipping coffee while her mother studied the papers. Finally her mother sent her a questioning look. "You were married?"
Alison nodded. "Brady and I dated his last year in high school, then he went to college and we kept in touch." She hesitated, not wanting to share too many details. "After his father died, we grew closer, then Brady joined the Air Force. The night before he was supposed to leave, we got married."
"Young and impulsive, huh?"
Alison smiled. "Exactly. But Dad found out the next morning and insisted we have the marriage annulled."
Janelle nodded, crinkling her eyes in confusion. "But he never filed the papers?"
"He asked Grammy to file them, but she forgot." Alison twisted the napkin in her lap. "She sent them to me a couple of days ago."
"I see."
The waiter delivered their breakfast, an omelette for Alison, wheat toast and fresh fruit for her mother. Janelle took a bite of her sliced peaches before continuing. "So you want me to file them?"
"Yes. As soon as possible." Alison leaned closer. "And I'd like to keep this between us. I don't want the town to know. I never even told Hannah or Mimi about the marriage."
Janelle arched a brow. "All right, but why the hurry?"
Alison shrugged and pushed the omelette around on her plate, wishing she'd stuck with dry cereal. "It's been almost four years. I'd hardly call that a hurry."
Her mother smiled, smearing butter on her toast. "I guess you have a point. But there may be a problem."
Alison's stomach protested the eggs, so she sipped her orange juice instead. "What kind of problem?"
"There are certain restrictions on the parameters for annulment. You were both legally of age. You aren't cousins or related in any way."
Alison nodded.
"There was no coercion involved – I'm assuming he didn't force you into marriage?"
"No, of course not."
"Neither one of you were already married at the time?"
She shook her head.
"One last thing – did you consummate the marriage?"
Alison's breath caught. Even as a grown woman, she found it way too weird having this conversation with her mother.
Janelle waited, studying her with a knowing look.
"Yes, we consummated the marriage."
Janelle nodded. "Well, then unless one of you can claim mental impairment, you don't fit the parameters for an annulment."
"What?"
"That's the law, honey."
"Then … then what do we do?"
"You'll have to file for a divorce."
Divorce. That seemed like such an ugly word, so much more hurtful than annulment.
"And how long will a divorce take?"
"About thirty days." Janelle poured more coffee, her voice low. "That is, if neither of you contests it."
* * *
Brady had promised his mom he'd stop by the print shop and help out for a while, but he'd also promised Vivica he'd meet her at Alison's to discuss wedding plans.
And of course, he needed to find out about the ending of his own marriage.
Dreading the thought of seeing Alison almost as much as the thought of not seeing her, he strolled down Main Street
, noting changes in the town he hadn't noticed the day before. In the aftermath of the big celebration, the small community seemed unusually quiet, a peaceful blend of nostalgic antique shops and more contemporary businesses popping up. A recreation center had opened on the corner, he wondered if Alison swam there daily. He passed a new law office with the name Janelle Hartwell on the door – could that be Alison's mother, or had Wiley remarried? Moving along, he noticed a sign for Wacky Wiley's Used-Car Fourth of July Sale, then the Hotspot, which Vivi said Mimi had opened next to Alison's bridal shop. Everywhere he looked there seemed to be Hartwells.
His parents' print shop was situated a few doors down from Alison's store, with a photography shop and a dress boutique in between. Brady entered the Weddings to Remember shop, bracing himself to see Alison.
She stood behind a long counter filled with a selection of bridal books, crystal champagne flutes and bridesmaid gifts. A long, white, lacy wedding dress covered in pearl beads hung behind her on a padded hanger. As he drank in the sight of her, his vision blurred and he imagined Alison wearing the dress – to their wedding.
The bell tinkled, announcing his arrival and shaking him back to reality. "Alison."
She looked up. "Brady."
At one time, she would have launched herself into his arms. Now she seemed wary, distant. What had he expected? "I'm supposed to meet Vivi here."
She nodded, adjusted a stack of brochures and walked around the counter. "Can I get you some coffee?" She gestured toward a corner table draped in a rose tablecloth, complete with coffee, condiments and sweet rolls.
He pressed his hand to his stomach. "No, thanks. Mom stuffed me this morning."
Alison's mouth curved into a smile and his gut clenched. He'd forgotten how her eyes sparkled with flecks of gold when she smiled. "I bet she loves having you home."
"I'll probably gain twenty pounds in a week."
A small laugh escaped her and he couldn't help but smile. God, he missed the sound of her voice and laughter.
"So, you want to sit down? Vivi should be here soon, then we can discuss the plans. I've worked out a tentative schedule to make sure all the details fall into place."
The shop seemed amazingly intimate as he limped to the sitting area and situated himself in the green chair again.
As if she read his mind, Alison said, "The shop shouldn't be very busy today. Everyone's probably gone into Atlanta to the big malls for the holiday sales." She rattled on for several minutes, filling him in on her sisters' jobs and how Mimi had come to own the coffee dessert shop. "So Mimi and Seth ended up together. They were married in the gazebo on Pine Mountain at Grammy Rose's, just like Hannah."
He nodded and was just about to open his mouth to ask how he could help with his sister's wedding plans when she continued. "I had breakfast with my mother this morning."
That surprised him. "I didn't know she was back in town."
"She came back a couple of months ago. We were all surprised."
He remembered Alison mentioning her mother once, not in a good way, either. "So, how is it?"
"Awkward as all get out."
Honest, forthright Alison.
"But we're managing. She set up a law office downtown."
"Oh, yeah, I saw it on my way over." Alison nodded, gathered some paperwork he assumed had to do with his sister's wedding, and sat down on the love seat. Today she was wearing a peach-colored shell and a floral skirt that hit her mid-knee, showcasing those dynamite long legs. He tried not to think about how they'd felt wrapped around him, or how they would feel again.
"Anyway, I asked my mother to handle the annulment."
Oh, right, so Alison could marry someone else. "I see. And she agreed?"
"Yes, but there's a problem."
S
he didn't want the annulment? His heart missed a beat as he waited.
"Technically we can't annul the marriage. There are parameters for that." She listed several reasons. "And since the marriage was consummated…" A slight blush swept across her features, making her appear young and vulnerable again, reminding him of that night when she'd lain naked in his arms. "Well, unless one of us pleads mental incompetence, we have to file for a divorce instead."
"I guess we could both plead mental incompetence. We were only kids."
"Yeah, impulsive, crazy in love…" She laughed, a nervous sound this time.
"Crazy teenage hormones. But I don't suppose the judge would buy that." He forced a laugh, too, but the laughter died quickly, fading into awkwardness.
"Anyway, my mother agreed to file the papers for us. She said a divorce takes about thirty days, unless someone contests it." She fiddled with her notepad. "I told her to keep everything confidential, that I didn't want the whole town to know. Since I'm a wedding planner, a divorce might not be good for business."
So her job was more important than his feelings. And she probably didn't want her new boyfriend to know she'd married him.
Brady nodded, glancing sideways at the fake wedding cake sitting on the table. They hadn't had a cake the night they'd married, but they'd stopped at the doughnut shop, bought crème-filled doughnuts and fed them to each other to celebrate their union. Everything had been so simple – they hadn't cared about details. They'd only cared about being together.
Now she wanted to erase that past without anyone ever knowing they'd shared it.
* * *
Alison wondered if Brady was remembering their wedding, the simple but romantic ways they'd celebrated. Maybe she could put their relationship behind her if she understood more about where it had gone wrong. He looked so lost and faraway that she forgot her pride.
"Why did you stop writing, Brady?"
His head jerked back to hers, his breathing raspy. But he quickly looked away, studied his hands, his shoes, finally resting his hands on his knees. "I intended to keep my promises when I left. But…"
"You met someone else?"
"No." His gaze flew to hers, a hint of desperation there, as if it was important to him that she believe him. "I was sent on a training assignment and was out of touch most of last year."
"That's when the letters stopped."
He nodded. "I couldn't contact anyone, not even my family, to let them know where I was."
"What about when you returned?"
"I intended to write you then, but we did some combat maneuvers in Arizona, and I had the accident."
"You were in the hospital?"
"About three months."
Alison's hand flew to her chest. "That serious? Vivi didn't tell any of us."
He nodded again, his eyes dark as he stretched his fingers in front of him and studied his hands. "I asked her not to say anything."
"Why not? You knew we'd be worried."
"Look, Alison, I'm sorry."
"Was anyone else hurt?"
Brady hesitated. "My best friend, Josh, was killed."
Alison's heart broke for him. "Oh, Brady, I'm so sorry."
"It's over now, but things change, Alison. People change." He flexed his hands, then balled them into fists. "When I was recovering, I realized I'd been away too long, that it was time for both of us to move on."
She frowned in confusion. "Because you lost your friend?"
His voice took on a hard edge. "Because you have your life here, and I have another life. Why keep writing, hanging on to silly teenage dreams? Like you said, we were impulsive kids. We're not anymore."
His words sounded so harsh, so final. Alison tried to absorb what he was saying and the things he wasn't saying. She had a feeling the parts he'd left out were as important as the things he'd openly revealed.
"When do you have to report back for duty?"
"In a month, but my enlistment time's almost up." He shifted, avoiding eye contact. "Mom's pressuring me to come home and run the print shop, and with Dad gone and Vivi moving to Atlanta, I'm … I'm considering it."
"What?" Alison couldn't have been more shocked if he'd said he wanted to open a bridal shop. "But, Brady, you hated working there in high school, even for the summer. You never wanted to do anything but fly."
"Like I said, Alison, things change. And so do people."
Alison stared at him in confusion. Some things did change, but Brady giving up flying? He couldn't have changed that much. Or could he?
* * *
Chapter 5
« ^ »
The bell on the door tinkled, interrupting them, and Vivica walked in, followed by Brady's mother. Brady breathed a sigh of relief, grateful for the change in subject.
"Hey, Brady, Ali, I'm sorry we're running late, but we got tied up looking for shoes at the mall."
Brady stood. "That's okay. Where's Joe?"
"He had to go back to Atlanta. He's trying to finish designs on a big shopping complex so he can take time off for the honeymoon," Vivica explained. "He gave me free rein, told me to do whatever I wanted for the wedding."
"We do need to do a fitting for your dress," Alison said. "The alterations may take time."
"Okay." Vivica plopped down onto the sofa. "But give me a few minutes. I'm worn-out."
Alison explained the checklist she used to make certain all the arrangements would be completed on time – the photographer, caterer, florist, reservations for the chapel, the wedding cake, bridesmaids' dresses, invitations, music.
"You're a dream," Vivica said, giving her a hug. "I don't know how I'd get through this without you."
"It seems like you have everything under control," Brady commented. "You've turned into quite the businesswoman."
Alison smiled, obviously picking up on the admiration in his voice. "Thanks. Dad'll be glad to know college was worth something."
"Have you started plans of your own with Thomas?" Vivica asked.
Brady tensed, waiting for Alison's reply. Was she planning a big splashy wedding to Emerson?
Alison blushed. "Did Joe tell you about Thomas?"
"Of course." Vivica turned to Brady. "Joe and Thomas were college buddies. Thomas actually introduced me to Joe."
She turned back to Alison, and Brady ground his teeth. So the four of them were chummy, huh? How nice.
"He shouldn't have said anything," Alison stated in a low voice.
Vivica grinned, oblivious to their discomfort. "Even if he hadn't, Ali, this is Sugar Hill. Proposals and pregnancies are the stuff that keeps the gossip vine alive."
"You're pregnant?" Brady asked in a shocked voice.
"No!" Alison screeched. "And I haven't given Thomas an answer yet, Vivi."
Mrs. Broussard cleared her throat. "Vivica, honey, if you don't need me, I'm going to grab Brady and take him to the print shop."
Brady's chest tightened. Had he made a mistake by agreeing to help his mother temporarily? She was already dropping hints and pressuring him to stay permanently.
"Vivi, go on into the fitting room and start changing," Alison suggested. "I'll help you in a minute."
Brady's mother grabbed his arm.
"Mrs. Broussard, I need to discuss some things with Brady before you go. Maybe you can look over the invitation list and see if there are any names we need to add. We should get those printed and in the mail right away."
"Oh, certainly, dear."
Brady stiffened, not wanting to resume their earlier conversation about the accident. In fact, he didn't want to meet with Alison to plan his sister's wedding at all. Seeing her and not being with her was almost as painful as his throbbing leg. "We could get someone else to take care of the wedding arrangements if this is too uncomfortable."
"Don't be silly, Brady." Alison frowned. "Vivi's my best friend. I want to help plan her wedding."
He grimaced inwardly, angry that his hands itched to reach out and touch her. "All right, then."
She pointed to her desk calendar, a pastel-pink book with an inspirational verse about romance at the top of each page. "My mother wanted us to meet her for lunch tomorrow to discuss the divorce. How about noon?"
He adopted his best military expansion. She obviously wanted a quick divorce so she could marry Emerson. "Sure. We should get this over with as quickly and painlessly as possible."
She simply nodded.
Then he turned and walked toward the door, maintaining his rigid posture and gritting his teeth every step of the way.
* * *
Alison folded the underarm seam of Vivica's wedding gown and pinned it, then proceeded to tuck in the waist. "Brady seems different. Does he ever talk about the accident?"
Vivica shook her head, sucking in her tummy. "No, I wish he would. Frankly, I'm worried about him."
"I know. He said he's considering staying here and taking over your father's business."
"He what?" Vivica gasped, unintentionally letting out the breath she'd been holding. The fabric slipped and Alison stabbed her finger with the pin.
"Ouch."
"Oh, sorry."
"No big deal. Maybe it's too tight. We don't want you passing out halfway down the aisle."
Vivica laughed. "No, it's fine. I'm losing five pounds before the ceremony."
"You don't need to lose weight," Alison said with a laugh. "Joe seems perfectly happy with you the way you are."
"I know he's wonderful." Vivica relaxed. "But Brady's a mess. He can't stay here and run that print shop. He'll be miserable."
Alison tucked in the bodice, forming a small dart to make the bustline fit properly. "I know. All he ever wanted to do was fly. He used to go on and on about it in high school. He even wrote me and told me about how excited he was when he saw his first fighter jet."
"I think he blames himself for the crash, but I'm not sure why." Vivi caught Alison's hand and forced her to meet her gaze. "I was hoping you could get him to talk. You know – open up. You two were always so close, Ali."
"But he's different now, Vivi. Distant, closed off."
"Like he was ever a big talker?"
Alison chuckled. Vivica was right. She knew how stubborn Brady could be. Maybe this month-long wait would be good for both of them. If she got to know him again, she might realize they weren't compatible anymore and she could finally get over him.
