“That’s what I told her,” Lily says.
“Come in the house with me before people get here. Bette wanted me to tell you something before the shower. Jane offered to tell you, but you never went home.” She puts her arm around me and peers back at Lily. “We’ll talk at work tomorrow.”
Lily shrugs and pops a pink candied almond in her mouth. “Sure. Whatever.”
The breeze is starting to kick up, and I’m worried about the place cards. But the look on Haley’s face tells me I’d better follow. It’s not often my beloved, sequined friend gets so serious. We walk into the family room, and sit in front of the fireplace. My stomach twists as I think about the last time I sat on this sofa, but I’m not sharing that. Definitely don’t want to hear the flirting sermon again.
Haley sits down, kicks off her practical heels and curls her feet underneath her. “So…are you going to tell me why you didn’t go home after the cruise?”
“I came home to Jane still living in the house, so I brought my suitcase here instead and decided to stay until today.” I shrug. “It’s my last chance in this house. I fell in love here, and now that I know why mothers dislike me, I figured why put Jane through the turmoil of being around me?”
“With the house or the man?”
“Both, I suppose. Tomorrow, the house will go on the market and I’ll return home like nothing happened.”
“The reason Jane is still at the condo.” Haley inhales. “The reason she stayed is because Cherry died while we were on our cruise, and she thought she should be the one to tell you.”
My smile fades. “No! People like Cherry don’t die.” I’m incredulous. Within me, I honestly thought that Cherry would outlive us all. The news is like a blow to my gut.
“I’m afraid so.”
“She was only eighty,” I say. “That’s not that old, and she had so much fight in her, I just assumed she’d live past me.”
“She was actually ninety-three.”
I can’t help it—in the midst of my grief this makes me giggle right out loud. “I hope that doesn’t get put in her obituary. She would have had a cow!”
“The neighbors wrote it. I brought a copy with me.” She opens her clutch pocketbook and brings out the newspaper.
I nod as I wipe the tears from my cheek. In a way, I’ve become numb to death. “The older I get, the more I feel like it’s frightening to get close to someone, for fear they’ll die on me.”
She puts her hand on my shoulder. “There’s no getting around death, but you’ve experienced so much of it lately. I knew this would be hard for you before the shower, but I didn’t think we should keep it from you any longer.”
“I should have gone home. Jane is someone I’m going to have to face. I’ve got to stop running from my problems.”
Haley nods.
“I can’t believe Cherry’s gone.”
We both giggle, and then I sniffle. “I’m really going to miss her.” The idea of Cherry, a mainstay at my complex, not being there when I get home makes me feel ever more lonely. It makes my desire to redo her condominium seem petty and heartless. “I wanted to fix up her condo. Why didn’t I just go over there and buy her a new screen door, Haley?”
“She wouldn’t have let you put it on.”
“I’m a terrible person.”
“You’re not. You were focused on the business aspect of the complex, and the fact is, she did make that place an eyesore. Gosh, those funky plants she had out front were enough to send anyone back to 1957.”
“Cherry made me laugh. She challenged me. Why didn’t I tell her that?”
“We just don’t know these things, but there’s no sense in regrets.”
“That’s the point, isn’t it? We don’t know, so we can’t take for granted. I talked to her right before I left. She was fine.”
“You may not miss her quite as much as you think.”
“What do you mean by that?” Cruelty is not in Haley’s repertoire.
“According to all the neighbors, Cherry left her condominium to you.”
“To me? Why would she do that?” I groan and drop my face in my hands. “That makes me feel even worse! Why didn’t I take more time? Half the time, all I thought about was how I wanted to kick her cat off my porch and feel the satisfaction. I’m hateful!”
“She said she knew you wanted to bring the complex to its former glory and why not start with hers.”
“Stop, you’re going to ruin my makeup.” I pat my eye with the back of my wrist.
“Before you get too choked up. It was Cherry. Let’s not forget that.”
“What does that mean?” Truly, I’m afraid to ask.
“It means she also left you three cats. They’re all seventeen years old, so she didn’t expect them to live long, but—”
“Three cats? I hate cats!”
“She said they liked you. The neighbors were disappointed. They’re good cats, apparently, and they all volunteered to take them.”
“How does a good cat differ from a bad cat?”
“I suppose you’ll find out.”
“See, this is my luck. Ronnie inherits this house. I inherit Cherry’s.” But it’s an honor. I know it is. It makes me miserable that Cherry had no one to leave the condo to except for me. “I don’t want to be lonely like her, Haley.”
“You won’t be, but that doesn’t mean you have to flirt with everyone that crosses your path as potential, either.”
“So I guess I’m going to be designing after all, huh?”
Lily walks in. I wipe my tears again, sniffle, and sit up on the couch.
“Are the guests arriving?” I ask her.
“No, there’s someone here to see you, Lindsay.”
I stand up and look out the window. My heart jumps at the sight of Ronnie, but as the girls catch my enthusiasm, I tone it down immediately. “It’s Ronnie,” I say casually. “He’s probably here to ensure I don’t ruin the house before it goes on the market Tuesday. The realtor tour is tomorrow, so he’s probably nervous. Excuse me, won’t you?”
Nervous? No one could possibly be more nervous than me at the moment. With calculated thought, I take slow, deliberate steps out onto the patio, and I measure my words in a formal tone. “Is everything all right?”
He smiles, and it’s as though it’s in slow motion. His green eyes glisten under the late morning sun, and my heart feels as if it’s glowing. I’m E.T. and I want to go home. Stay home, and break into a Neil Diamond tune.
I feel myself pulled back by a firm hand, and Haley spins me around to give me her mother look. “With the way he’s looking at you, you need to be careful. This is all fresh, and you’re very sensitive right now.”
“All right, Mother.”
As I get closer to Ronnie, all caution is thrown into the Santa Ana winds, and I can’t keep any part of my face from participating in my smile. “I missed you.”
“I missed you.”
“Are you still mad at me?”
“No.” He’s wearing a pair of worn-out jeans with the sexiest hole in the knee.
“Is there a reason you’re not looking at me?” he asks.
Deep breath. “Yes.”
“Is there anything I can do to change that? I was looking forward to seeing those blue eyes.”
I can’t help it. I stare up at him, and every moment of his kiss on the beach comes streaming through my brain. “I went on a cruise,” I say with Helena-like conviction.
“I heard. Any particular reason for the sudden vacation?”
“I needed to get away. It seems I made everyone in my house angry.”
“She loves you, Lindsay. My mom’s all bark.”
“She doesn’t love me where her son is involved, that’s for certain.”
“She will. She’ll warm up to the idea.”
“Do you mean it?” I look at him imploringly, wondering if he means we do, indeed, have a future, or that his mother will get used to the fact that we had an attraction once.
“You’re wrong, you know. You said I didn’t have an emotional attachment to the house like you did, but I had one of the best days of my life in this house, and if I had a few million on my teacher’s salary, those kids at my Mexican school would be in for more trouble, so I guess God knows my heart after all.”
“Don’t.” I shake my head. “Don’t tease me, Ron. Haley says I’m a flirt, so you can’t trust me. I might have ended up snuggling with anyone that night, according to my friends. It seems I might be a tad bit desperate.”
“You’re going to tell me that in front of the fireplace, that was just flirting? If that’s flirting, I don’t think I could handle the hard stuff. We’d better stick with that and…” He walks toward me, placing his palm on my cheek. “If you think I’m foolish enough to believe that night could have happened with anyone, you don’t know yourself very well. Self-awareness is key in Greek wisdom. Know thyself.”
“Now you’re sounding like Helena. What are you saying?”
“Come to Mexico with my mission team for the summer. Find out if this is real, or if we’re victims of what God has for us.”
“Victims?” I laugh.
“Maybe that wasn’t the best word to use.”
“I have three cats to take care of now.”
He raises his brow. “You’re a smart girl, you’ll figure it out. Think about my offer. I feel I need to prove this relationship to you, as well as my mother. The trip is chaperoned with plenty of people who know me and what I stand for. Give me a chance to prove our meeting was more than happenstance. That’s all I ask. Just a chance for you to see your true self, engaging in the world.”
I nod, as I gaze dreamily into his eyes. “I’ll come. I don’t know how, but I’ll come.”
“Have you ever been on a mission?”
I shake my head. “Other than for the perfect pair of shoes? Never.”
Everything happens for a reason. I just hope this hasn’t happened to prove how incredibly ill-prepared I am for the mission field. Looking into Ronnie’s eyes, though, I have to say, the chance to be with him is enough. I am officially back to life.
Epilogue
Lindsay
Haley’s wedding day is perfect. The sun is shining, the sky has never looked more blue, and Haley sparkles without the help of beading or Svarovski crystals—though her gown is embellished well with both.
Her gown is a satin halter with full skirt and the bodice covered in seed pearls and crystal beading, but it’s the back that makes it Haley’s dress. It’s a lace-up corset that covers a subtle fuchsia (if fuchsia can be subtle, she’s found a way to do it) cathedral-length train with old-fashioned, fabric-covered buttons all the way to the floor. On top of the fuchsia, there is a bodice band of silver beading that makes the gown seem Victorian.
Naturally, our dresses are fuchsia, but I have never been happier to be in a bridesmaid gown, tacky or otherwise, than for my best friend Haley. Bette’s gown is more mother-of-the-bride, but still hot pink. I suppose it’s a good thing Bette is a tiny woman. Her own wedding will be coming up soon, and I imagine it will be nothing like this one, but a joy nonetheless.
“Haley, it’s probably a good thing you didn’t marry Gavin. I don’t know what he would have thought of this dress. Pink, my goodness, what this L.A. lifestyle has brought to you!”
“Stop it, Mom. You sound like Lindsay. This is who I am.”
“Yes, Mrs. Adams, even L.A. won’t take credit for Haley’s taste.” I wink at her. “I’m kidding. It’s a beautiful dress, Haley. I could have never picked a better one for you. The glow on your face is unmistakable. I daresay you’re in love.” I pull at my gown, which is strapless. The fuchsia is just an added bonus, but maybe that’s what friendship is all about—you give a little of yourself up so that someone else can refine you and make you that much better, and they, in turn, do the same for you.
All of my Trophy Wives have improved me. Bette’s made me realize I’m made of more mettle than I thought; Haley taught me that my looks were nothing more than temporary and God had more important things to do with me. Lily taught me that I’m an entrepreneur by nature and a good manager in both design and the occasional lunch for whiny, fat men in bad suits. Penny taught me I have a long way to go before I’m ready for children rather than cats, and Helena showed me that when all else fails, blurt out the truth.
“Is it true that Jane’s getting married in Mexico?” Helena asks me.
“Next month in her local, Catholic church. The priest has been trying to marry them for years.”
“Focus, Lindsay. Haley’s just about ready to walk the aisle,” Bette chastises. I run to my favorite bride and adjust her train and check her lipstick, and then I hand her the bouquet of pink roses.
“My stomach is churning. I’m so nervous for you, Haley.”
“I’m not nervous at all. I have been waiting for this day far too long.”
“He’s a good man, Haley. I pray you make each other’s dreams come true.”
“We’re certainly going to try.”
The wedding coordinator from the church appears and says, “One minute!”
Haley turns to face me, her flawless skin the very picture of a Disney princess come to life. “Don’t let my pink side flip over and show the white underneath, all right? I want everyone to see this silver beading.”
“Crystal and bead patrol. I’m on it.”
“Don’t think we all don’t know you’ve been seeing Ronnie, either,” Haley adds. “We’re the Trophy Wives. Nothing gets past us. When Jake got married, did we leave you in the dark? Heck no, we told you he finally got up the guts to marry that poor girl. But Lord love her, I pray she’ll be all right in that family.”
“Don’t think about that, Haley. It’s bad luck. Purge your mind. Purge your mind.” I move my hand like I have a washcloth. “Clean?”
“Clean. I believe you, Lindsay.”
“You believe me about what?”
“It’s more than a flirtation. Ronnie looks at you the way a man in love looks at a woman, and you look at him like he could lift the world if he wanted to. Naturally, it’s inconvenient. Love usually is.”
“I’ll tell you a little secret,” I whisper. “I think he probably could lift the world. He’s got the kind of faith that can move mountains.”
Haley’s vote of confidence fills me with joy. The bridal march begins, and we all fall into line like bright, pink ducklings. Hamilton’s jaw goes slack as he sees Haley, and I don’t think there’s a woman alive who wouldn’t covet that expression on their man’s face. I peek around her, and I notice he gets teary. Hamilton Lowe is teary. Wonders never cease. I didn’t know lawyers actually possessed these emotions, but if anyone could provoke them, Haley could.
Ronnie is toward the front of the church in one of the pews beside his mother. At the sight of him, I am in eighth grade again, feeling the surge of emotion when a guy walks across the gym in front of the entire school and asks you for your first slow dance. That is what Ron Brindle Jr. does to my heart. And who says it’s so inconvenient? I won’t have to change my name if things work out.
Jane’s given up the battle over her son. I suppose she found the wars waged in her life were useless in the end, so why prolong this one? Ronnie takes after his mother in that way—he has a very strong will all of his own accord.
The truth always rises like cream to the surface—no matter how long you try to push it down under a milky film of lies.
Jane and I pass a knowing smile to each other. We Trophy Wives converted her to Jesus and she, in turn, converted me…to a cat lover. The women at the condo complex are going to care for my three while I leave for Mexico for the wedding and our mission trip. I’ve been told to bring good walking shoes, and I’m going to do that—just as soon as I find out what they are. I am very attentive to the pink on Haley’s gown throughout the entire ceremony. I even help her back to the altar for pictures.
“Lindsay, it’s okay. You don’t have to be
quite that diligent.”
“No?” I look up innocently.
“No.”
“Beautiful wedding.” Ronnie appears beside me, and I bask in his smile. He secretly takes my hand for a brief moment, and I feel flushed by his very touch.
“I think everyone’s onto us.” I grab his hand publicly and pull it to my waist. “We don’t have to pretend anymore.”
“It’s been fun, though. I’ll miss it. My mother probably ratted us out.”
“She was worried I was seeing someone who wasn’t you. She’s exactly like me in that she thinks there could be no one else out there. But she couldn’t figure out who I would spend so much time with who didn’t bother to get me at the door.”
“That stoop of yours is like Grand Central Station. Never know who you might run into there. But not picking you up at the door.” He drops his head, shaking it. “You think a guy would be raised better than that, wouldn’t you?”
I giggle. “So it’s official. We’re dating, and the Trophy Wives know it. Which mean our romance is now for public consumption.”
“So we can dance at the reception. Maybe we can sneak to the backroom and cop a kiss.”
I slap his shoulder. “You’re a missionary boy, now. Don’t forget that.”
“No, I wouldn’t. Besides, my mother is burning holes in your back right now. If you’re not planning on treating me right, you’d better let her know right up front.” He whispers this into my ear, and the tickling makes me laugh like a schoolgirl.
“Pictures! Pictures everyone! Bridal party I need you right here.” The photographer points to a place in front of the altar.
“I have to go now. I’ll see you at the hotel for the reception.” I look to Jane who watches her son with level eyes and a knowing gaze. “She would do anything for you, Ronnie. You do realize that.”
He walks me into the picture. “I do.”
“Even give you the one thing she thought wouldn’t be good for you.”
“She’s sacrificed her entire life for me. Now it’s my turn to pay it forward. I plan to let one woman in my life know I’d sacrifice anything for her.”
Back to Life Page 23
