Love in a Small Town Box Set 1

by Tawdra Kandle

  “Yeah.” My hands curled into fists. “You’re right, Rilla would never ... and we’re not. She works for me. She’s amazing with Piper, and my mom loves her, too.”

  “I know.” Darcy patted my arm. “Anyway, you know anything I can do to help while your mom’s in the hospital, you only have to say the word. I can cover shifts for you, bring meals, even watch the ankle biter if you need me to.”

  “Thanks, Darce. I’ll keep that in mind. Call me if anything comes up tonight, you hear?”

  “Will do. Get out of here.”

  I mock saluted her and headed for the door.

  Everything I’d heard from Mrs. Hampton, the woman from Burton Community Church, churned around in my mind as I drove home. I thought of Rilla as a little girl, sober and serious, not allowed to dress like the other kids or run around and play. I didn’t pity her, but part of me wished I could go back in time and save that child.

  But I couldn’t, and hearing that the gossip was flying about our living arrangements worried me. I’d wanted to help her, but was I actually making things worse? I pounded the heel of my hand against the steering wheel in frustration. Dammit, when had things gotten so complicated?

  When I stepped into the kitchen at home, two blonde heads were bent over a coloring book at the table, a bucket of crayons between them. Rilla glanced up in surprise, blinking her blue eyes. For just a split second, I caught something else in her expression—pleasure? Gladness? Whatever it was, I wanted to see it again. No matter what the rest of the world might be saying, it felt somehow right, to come home and find Rilla here in my kitchen, with my daughter. She belonged here.

  Suddenly aware that I was standing in the doorway staring at her, I cleared my throat and walked the rest of the way inside. “Hello, ladies. What’re you up to?”

  “We’re coloring, Daddy.” Piper spoke with a vague chiding, as if she were stating the obvious.

  “I didn’t expect you home for dinner. I thought you were working tonight.” Rilla dropped her purple crayon into the bucket and stood up, looking around the kitchen. “We were just going to order pizza. But I can probably find something to cook.”

  I made a fast decision. “I have a better idea. Why don’t I take my best girls out to dinner tonight?”

  I watched several thoughts pass through her transparent eyes. First, she wasn’t sure I was including her in the invitation. And when she realized that I did mean her, there was another flare of that same happiness I’d seen when I walked in the door.

  “What about Naomi?” Rilla’s eyebrows knit together. “Maybe you should take Piper, and I’ll stay home with your mom.”

  “Nonsense.” Mom’s voice floated out from her room, strong and firm. “I’m fine here. I promise, I’ll stay right in my chair and watch my shows. Y’all deserve a nice night out. Go on now. Rilla, if you don’t go and enjoy yourself, I’m going to be very cross with you, darlin’.”

  “Yes, ma’am!” She grinned and turned to me. “Give me just a minute to change, and I’ll be down, okay?”

  She looked fine to me, but I’d known enough women not to say that. “Sure. I’ll get Piper’s shoes on her. C’mon, princess. Let’s wash your hands, too.”

  Ten minutes later, Rilla was back in the kitchen. I sat at the table with Piper on my lap, and the island counter between us meant I only saw Rilla’s upper half. She’d pulled her hair back in a low ponytail, which made her eyes look even bigger. But what caught my attention was her shirt. It was deep blue and sleeveless, showing her toned arms. The top few buttons were undone; there was nothing revealing about the blouse at all, but it actually fit her, molding to her curves just enough that I wanted to investigate closer.

  And then she stepped closer to us, and I couldn’t hide my grin. “Rilla Grant, are you wearing jeans?”

  She flushed, but I could tell by the way her eyes shone that she was pleased I’d noticed. “Yes. I thought tonight would be a good time to give them a try.”

  Rilla and Meghan had gone shopping together just the weekend past, and while I hadn’t seen any of her new clothes until now, I knew she was excited about what she’d bought.

  “Come in here and let me see!” Mom called from her room. “Dang, I always miss out on the good stuff.”

  Rilla grinned and turned toward my mother’s room, giving me a tantalizing view of the way the denim hugged her ass. God almighty. Who knew shy little Rilla Grant was rocking a body like this under all that material?

  I knew I had to rein myself in. I hadn’t been blowing smoke when I’d told Rocky that Rilla and I were only friends, that she worked for me, that she was far too young for me. I meant it all. But just for now, just for tonight, it was fun to let my mind down paths of possibilities. It felt right to pretend that we were a little family, that I was going to enjoy a night out with my girl and my daughter.

  Mom ooohed and ahhhed, and once Rilla was satisfied that she was settled for the evening and would be all right while we were out, the three of us got into my truck. I buckled Piper into the backseat and then stood back to help Rilla climb in, clasping her small hand tight in mine for a little longer than necessary and holding back from giving her a boost. My fingers itched to cup her backside, just to cop a feel over the jeans. I lectured myself sternly as I walked around to the driver’s side. Cool it, buddy.

  Other than my own establishment, Kenny’s Diner was the only place to get a decent dinner in Burton. Consequently, it was almost always busy. Mondays were a bit slower, but I saw the lot was nearly full when we pulled in. Rilla carried Piper, and I held the door for the two of them as we went inside.

  It was a seat-yourself place, and we found a booth not too far from the door. I handed out the laminated menus, and Rilla helped Piper decide what she wanted to eat.

  Our waitress had just taken our drink order and left when a shadow fell over the table. I glanced up, expecting to see her returning with a tray. Instead, a tall man with black hair and heavy brows that were drawn together stood next to us, staring down at Rilla.

  She didn’t notice him at first. She and Piper were giggling over a picture they were drawing on the kids’ menu, and her attention was fully on my daughter.

  “Rilla.” His voice was deep and full of shocked censure. At first, I assumed he was her father, but then I noticed the woman standing alongside him. She was nearly as tall, though much slimmer. Her hair was graying, and her lips were pursed as though she’d sucked a bowl of lemons. This was definitely not Rilla’s grandmother, and I doubted Mr. Grant frequented restaurants with women.

  Rilla looked up, the smile on her face fading as she took in the man and his wife. Her eyes darted between them, and the color left her cheeks. For a moment, I thought she might try to run.

  Then she drew herself up to sit straight. Her thumb went to the edge of her lips for a second before she dropped it and curled her mouth into a smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes.

  “Pastor Shand. Mrs. Shand. So good to see you.”

  They didn’t answer, and Rilla’s eyes flew to me. “Uh, this is Mason. Mason Wallace, and this is Piper. His daughter.” She shot me a look of pleading. “Mason, this is Pastor Shand. And his wife. They, um, they’re from church.”

  I slid out of the booth and offered my hand to the man. I had a dual purpose: first of all, no matter how sour this woman was, she was a lady I was meeting for the first time, and my mother had taught me that a gentleman stood when meeting a lady. Second, I had the good pastor by several inches, and I wasn’t above a little height intimidation.

  Pastor Shand looked at my hand as though it might bite him, but finally he took it, shaking half-heartedly.

  “Nice to meet you, sir. And ma’am.” I glanced at the woman. “Did you have a good dinner?”

  “We did, and then we were just leaving when we spotted you. Rilla, I don’t have any desire to make a scene, but ...” He shook his head. “What’s happened to you? You leave your father’s house, run off to live in sin with this man who’s not
a believer. I just can’t believe this of you.”

  “Pastor, it isn’t quite like that. And with all due respect, this is between my father and me. Not you. Not the church.”

  “There’s where you’re wrong.” The pastor stabbed a finger at Rilla. “First of all, what you did affects the entire body. And your father is an elder. You’ve caused him shame and embarrassment. He may be forced to step down. Did you stop and think of anyone but yourself?”

  Rilla’s face flushed. “Pastor, I didn’t do anything to shame my father. I took a job, working to help a man whose wife has passed, whose child needs tending and whose mother is ill. What he does for a living doesn’t matter. Not to me, and it shouldn’t to you, either. And did my father share with you the fact that he made me leave? I didn’t just up and go. He threw me out.”

  “It was his only option, given the level of your disobedience.” Pastor Shand nodded, emphasizing his own point.

  “How could you, Rilla?” This time it was Mrs. Shand who spoke. “The girls in the church look up to you. What kind of example are you, living in sin with this man?” She glanced at me, distaste filling her eyes.

  “I really don’t care what anyone else thinks. If you want to know the truth, I’m happy to tell you that I haven’t done anything wrong. If you don’t believe me, well ...” Rilla spread her hands. “That’s your problem. That’s between you and God, because I know sure as—as heck that everything between God and me is A-okay.”

  “As long as you continue to live in sin and in defiance of your father and the church, you will be estranged from God, no matter what you think.” He folded his hands over his stomach and pressed his lips together. “When you are ready to repent, Rilla, your brothers and sisters in the Lord will be ready to receive you in love and forgiveness.” He turned to look down at his wife. “Come on, dear.”

  They swept away from us, hurrying out. The bell over the door jangled in their wake.

  I was almost afraid to look at Rilla, for fear I’d see devastation and pain. Instead, though, her eyebrows were raised and her mouth arranged in a slight smile. Only her hands, fisted as they rested on the table, gave me a hint about what she was really feeling.

  “Do you want to leave?” I leaned forward to murmur across the table. “We can order our food to go.”

  Rilla shook her head. “No. I’m not going to let him force me into hiding. I haven’t done anything wrong, Mason, and I’m tired of people making me feel like I have.”

  I gazed down at her face, still flushed, her eyes bright and certain. She was making a stand, I realized. It was almost killing her, but she wasn’t going to let the assholes get to her. I admired the hell out of her.

  Whether it was what Rocky had said, or Mrs. Hampton telling me a little more about Rilla’s childhood, the sight of her in my kitchen with Piper when I came home or the way she’d stood up to the pastor just now, I wasn’t sure. I wanted to protect her from anyone who’d hurt her. I wanted to stand between this girl and the world. Suddenly, nothing was more important than protecting her, making her happy, and there wasn't a damn thing I wouldn't do to make it happen.

  Something shifted deep inside me, and I heard myself speaking words I’d never expected to say again in this lifetime.

  “Rilla, let’s get married.”

  “You’re crazy. Just flat-out, no-holds-barred insane.”

  Rilla didn’t wait for me to open her door this time when I pulled the truck into the driveway. She jumped out and then leaned back to unbuckle Piper. “Come on, sweet pea. Let’s get you ready for a bath and bed.”

  “Rilla, come on. We need to talk about this.” I followed her into the house. “Just wait a second.”

  “No, thanks. I’m going to put Piper to bed, and then I’m going to help Naomi with her medicine and help her get changed for bed. And then I’m going to my room and going to bed myself. I suggest you do the same. Clearly you got too much sun today, and it fried your brain.”

  “It didn’t go above seventy-two degrees today, Rilla. I don’t have heat stroke. I just—”

  “No.” She stopped and spun on her heel, shooting me a stern, shut-your-mouth look that halted me in my tracks. “Not another word.” She turned around again, pausing only at the doorway to my mother’s room. “Naomi, as soon as I get the little one down, I’ll come help you, okay? You all right ’til then?”

  I heard my mom speak, cautious and curious. “I’m fine, darlin.’ The bigger question is, are you okay?”

  “I’m peachy. Be right back. Piper, say good-night to Nan.”

  Rilla bent to set my daughter on the floor, and Piper scampered to hug her grandmother. She ran back to grab Rilla’s hand and marched up the steps.

  I went into Mom’s room and dropped into the easy chair, rubbing the back of my neck.

  “I’m nearly afraid to ask, but what happened? Here I was happy, thinking the three of you were off having yourselves a time, and instead Rilla comes home in a snit and you’re trailing her around, begging her to give you a minute of time.”

  I sighed. “You’re not going to like it, and I’m not sure I can deal with another pissed female tonight. So let’s just say I said something that made perfect sense to me, but apparently was the last thing Rilla wanted to hear.”

  Mom laid her head back against the chair. “Oh, son. ‘Fess up, now. Tell me what you did.”

  I steepled my fingers and stared down at them. “I asked Rilla to marry me.”

  There was silence for a long moment, and then she spoke, her voice even. “Oh.”

  “It didn’t come out of the blue. Or maybe it did. We ran into the pastor from her church, and he and his wife were horrible to her. They accused her of being a sinner and disobeying her father ... it was ugly.”

  The lines of confusion on Mom’s face smoothed out. “Ah. And then after that, you proposed.”

  “Well, yeah. It made sense to me. The way the people from her church see it, as long as Rilla’s living here with me, she’s committing some sin. The truth doesn’t matter to these people. So if we get married, we’ll no longer be sinners in their eyes.” I paused, considering. “Well, probably I would still be a sinner, since I don’t go to church. But Rilla would be okay.”

  “And has Rilla said anything to you, about how she’s worried that people are talking about her?”

  I shrugged. “Not in so many words, but I know it bothers her. She might not believe in everything they taught at that church, but it’s still the way she was raised. You can’t just turn your back on that all at once. And what if she decides she wants to go back to church there one day? If we’re married, she can do that.”

  Mom nodded. “Right. And what was your angle on this proposal?”

  I frowned. “What do you mean, angle?”

  “What do you stand to get out of marrying Rilla? What’s in it for you?”

  I didn’t have a good answer to that. “I don’t know. I guess the satisfaction of knowing it’s the right thing to do, for Rilla.”

  “Is she in love with you?” Mom’s voice was gentle.

  I drew my brows together. “No. I don’t think so.”

  “And are you in love with her?”

  “Of course I’m not.”

  “Then how can you think getting married is a good choice? Mason, we’re not living in the dark ages. People don’t jump into marriages of convenience anymore. All of this talk will blow over, eventually. And you know that. So I have to think that you have another reason for wanting to marry Rilla, something you might not be admitting even to yourself.”

  I didn’t know how to explain my thought process to my mother. “Sometimes marriage doesn’t start with love. Maybe it can begin with ... respect. And like.”

  “Maybe.” My mother regarded me, her eyes steady. “But I think that’s risky.”

  “Well, you don’t have to worry, because not only did Rilla turn me down flat, she thinks I’m crazy. I thought girls were supposed to be flattered when a man proposes, but she act
ed like I’d insulted her.”

  “Possibly because she thinks you proposed out of pity. Think about it, Mason. Rilla just got out of her father’s house, where her life was planned out for her. She’s finally getting a sense of standing on her own two feet. And then you sweep in and tell her you’ll marry her out of the goodness of your heart. That’s not something that’s going to send a girl into swoons.”

  I pushed myself to stand up. “Thanks for the pep talk, Mom. I appreciate the support for your only child. Remember the dude who’s giving you his stem cells? That’s me. At least you could’ve told me my heart was in the right place.”

  Mom laughed. “Oh, all right, darlin.’ Your heart’s in the right place. You mean well.”

  “Thanks.” I leaned over to kiss her cheek.

  Before I straightened, she added in a whisper, “You know what they say about good intentions and the road to hell.”

  “I heard that. Good night, Mother dearest.” I winked at her as I left the room, just to be sure she knew I was teasing. Exhaling a long breath, I trudged up the steps, where Rilla ran smack into me at the top.

  “Sorry.” I grasped her by the top of her arms, and I couldn’t stop my fingers from rubbing against the bare skin there.

  “My fault. I should’ve watched where I’m going.” She took one step backwards and crossed her arms over her chest.

  “Is Piper asleep?” I lowered my voice.

  Rilla nodded. “Or close to it. I’m going to down to give Naomi her medicine.”

  “Can you wait just a minute?” I caught her arm again before she could slip past me. Emotion warred across her face before she closed her eyes and sighed.

  “Okay.”

  I followed her into her room and watched her hesitate before she closed the door behind us. She leaned her back against it and crossed her arms again.

  “Before you say anything, I guess I need to apologize.” I held up my hands as she began to speak. “Hold on. I want to say I’m sorry for how I asked you ... that question. It was insensitive.”