A Dusty Dreams Wedding

by Kat Carrington

  "Jessie, it's Devon Bridges. I, uh, I need to return your pie plate and I don't know where you live, exactly."

  "Hi, Devon. Did you enjoy the pie?"

  "Oh, yeah, you must really be a good cook. That's probably the best pie I've ever had. It was really a nice treat. I'm not much of a cook. Anyway, if you give me directions, I'll bring your plate back tomorrow."

  "Well, sure, but I'm actually going to be running errands tomorrow. I could stop by and get it if it's okay with you. I'm honestly dying to get a look at what you're doing there."

  Devon hesitated and then said, a little reluctantly, "Yeah, I guess that's okay. I don't think you'll be too impressed with what you see; there's an awful lot of work to do on it."

  Jessie said merrily, "That's okay. Would around ten in the morning be okay?"

  "Yeah. I guess, yeah, that's fine."

  "Okay, I'll see you then. Have a good night."

  "Okay, you too."

  Jessie hung up before the other woman could have second thoughts about letting her come over. Then she gave a little laugh of accomplishment. She got out a dog biscuit for Indy and pulled out a cutting board to chop vegetables for a stir-fry. She was in such a good mood about getting to stop over at Devon's house that she made a lemon and blueberry crumb cake for dessert. By the time Brady came in, she had started the rice and had everything ready to throw into the big skillet for the stir-fry. She handed him a cold beer and opened one for herself, and they told each other how their afternoons had gone.

  "So, Devon not only didn't slam the door in my face when I took her the pie, she's letting me come back tomorrow and see what she's doing with the house." Jessie said it a little triumphantly.

  "Wow," Brady said, impressed. "She must have really liked your pie."

  Jessie laughed. "She said it was probably the best pie she ever tasted."

  Brady shook his head. "Well, I should have known if anybody could get a foot in her door, it would be you. The guys in town are all going to be jealous."

  Alarmed, Jessie said quickly, "Don't you go telling the guys. She's a very private person. I'm not going to violate that."

  Brady chuckled. "Okay, my lips are sealed. Now I'm going to take a shower before dinner."

  He patted her on the butt on his way out of the kitchen and her eyes went automatically to the lovely wooden paddle hanging on the hook beside the doorway. As usual, a little tingle ran through her belly at the sight. She hadn't felt the touch of the paddle yet, but she suspected that eventually, she would. She wasn't quite sure if she was dreading it or looking forward to it. Well, a little, anyway. Jessie laughed at herself and turned back to her dinner preparations.

  In the morning, Jessie bustled through her morning chores and double-checked her grocery list and her list for the farm store. Indy was clearly disappointed not to be going with her, and she played with her for a little while before she left, checking to make sure the doors were locked. Her first stop was at the Deckers' place, for chicken feed, and then she turned down the road toward Devon Bridges' house. When she got there, she found Devon unloading two by fours from the back of her truck and stacking them on the porch. Jessie hurried over to help.

  "Here, let me help you," she called.

  Devon looked at her doubtfully. "Nah, you need a pair of gloves."

  "I've got them in the truck. Just give me a second."

  Devon stared at her while she pulled on a pair of work gloves and then shrugged. It was never bad to have help, she supposed. The two of them made short work of unloading the lumber, and then Devon stood, hands on her hips and nodded at Jessie.

  "Thanks. I appreciate it."

  "Of course, anytime," Jessie said with a smile.

  "Well. Come on in, but we'd better go through the back." Devon led the way to the back door.

  The two of them went into the house and down a short hallway, into what had been the kitchen not long before. Devon gestured around the room at the half-demolished cabinets.

  "Demo. This is what I was doing when you brought the pie. It's fun at first, but there was a lot to tear out in here. Eventually, it's just work, not so much fun. Good for stress, though, when you get to pound on stuff and break it."

  Jessie grinned. "I bet. I've had days when I wanted to break some stuff."

  Devon said, "As soon as I finish tearing all this out, the fun part will start. I'm building my cabinets out in the garage. I'll frame it in and do the wiring, and then I'll drywall it. I have to bring in a plumber, though; that's not my thing."

  "Wow, you're going to do all the rest by yourself?"

  "Yeah, except I think I'm going to have to get somebody to help me when I put the sheetrock up on the ceiling. I just don't have enough hands for that. In fact, if I could find a drywall guy who doesn't charge an arm and a leg, I'd be really tempted to hire that done, too."

  Jessie said, "There's a plumber on the list of phone numbers I gave you. He'd be a good one to ask to point you to somebody who might be able to do that for you. He's been around here all his life. He learned the trade from his dad, so he knows everybody."

  Devon said, "Good. I'll call him. Want something cold to drink?"

  "Sure," said Jessie.

  Devon pulled two bottles of water out of a cooler full of ice and led Jessie out of the kitchen. They went into a small dining room that hadn't been worked on yet and through another doorway to a living room that was stripped down to studs.

  "I've checked this over, and I think I'm going to tear out that wall and make this one big room. I don't need a dining room, and that one is so small and closed in that I'd never use it. One bigger room with a fireplace would suit me better."

  "Wow! I can picture that; it'd be a lot nicer if it was open like that."

  Devon nodded and said, "My thoughts exactly."

  They walked through the living room to the front door that opened onto the porch. Entering the house, there was a staircase to the left that led to the upstairs bedrooms. There was a hallway off to the left of the stairway that held several doors. It turned out that one was a long coat closet, another was a decent sized bathroom that needed renovating but was functional and the other was a bedroom or office. It was currently holding a queen-sized bed against one wall and a twin sized bed against the other.

  Devon explained, "The bedrooms upstairs don't have to be completely torn apart, but the bathroom does. So, we're using this one for the time being."

  Jessie asked, "We?"

  The other woman gave a short nod. "My son and I. He's four."

  Jessie's face was transformed. "Oh, you have a son! My friend, Kayla, has a three-year-old son. He's amazing. Where's your little boy now?"

  "He's in preschool. He needed to meet some other kids, and I needed to have some work time. The preschool turned out to be the perfect solution, and he loves it."

  "That's great. Kayla's mom keeps Caleb while his mom works."

  Devon's face closed. "Well, I don't have anyone like that to help me; it's just me and my son. And I like it that way."

  Jessie knew instinctively not to push. "So, eventually, you'll be using the bedrooms upstairs?"

  "Yes, and this will be my office. But we can't finish off the upstairs until I get that bathroom redone. I've got it gutted, and I'm going to look at fixtures tomorrow. I've got a line on an old-fashioned clawfoot tub and I'm hoping it'll be within the budget. Come on, we can go up and see it."

  Devon led the way up, and Jessie was charmed by the mental pictures she drew of the bathroom she had in mind. There were three roomy bedrooms with big windows and nice sized closets in each.

  "I can picture it all, the way you describe it. It's going to be perfect!"

  "Well, I got lucky up here. The bedrooms need a minimum of work; even the windows just need a little attention and then they'll be fine. The bathroom is the biggest project up here." She had finally relaxed enough to smile a little as she described what it would look like.

  "I can't believe you're doing all this mos
tly by yourself. I wouldn't know how to do most of this stuff."

  "I used to work construction, building houses, before my son was born. So, I have plenty of experience." Devon was leading her back down the stairs.

  "It's going to feel really good to you when you get it finished, isn't it?"

  Devon gave her a look and nodded slowly. "Yeah, it really is. It's going to be ours, just the way we want it, and from my own hands. That does feel good."

  Jessie sipped her water and asked, "So what kind of work do you do now?"

  "I'm a writer. Nothing exciting. Most of my work is for corporations that need things written for business. It's nothing like being the kind of writer who turns out a bestselling novel, but there's plenty of work out there, and I can do it all from home."

  Jessie was impressed once again. "I never even thought of that, but businesses do have all kinds of written materials, don't they?"

  "Yep. I have all the work I can handle."

  Devon was starting to look a little restless, so Jessie said, "Well, I have a lot of errands. I guess I should be on my way."

  "Oh, let me get your pan." Devon handed it to her in a bag. "It was clean, but it's hard to keep the dust off things in here. Thank you for the pie; it was really good, and my son loved it."

  "You're welcome! Thank you for showing me your place. It's amazing what you're doing here."

  Devon walked her out to her truck and waved as Jessie left. Jessie's thoughts were busy as she drove to town, marveling over the work that Devon was doing on her own. It occurred to her suddenly that Devon had never mentioned her son's name. Well, she'd shared more than Jessie had really expected her to, and she found the way that the other woman made her living completely fascinating. She couldn't wait to tell Brady about her visit.

  Jessie got her groceries all put away and her farm store purchases unloaded, leaving the bags of feed for Brady to unload. She cut up strawberries for their dessert of strawberry shortcake. Brady made a great steak dinner, but dessert wasn't his area of expertise and he had a serious sweet tooth. Then she sat down with her laptop and looked for information on the kind of writing that Devon did. She was right, there seemed to be a big demand for it and Jessie shook her head and wondered how Devon had ever even thought of it. Well, she probably had taken writing classes in college and no doubt they had information on all kinds of writing opportunities.

  Brady finished earlier than usual and did his chores before he came in. He dropped a kiss on Jessie's head and told her he was going right to the shower. She decided to wash the baking potatoes while he was in there. When he came out, he gave her a proper hug and kiss, sweeping her off her feet as he swung her around.

  "How was your day?" Jessie asked, laughing.

  "Good day, how about you?" He took a long pull off the beer she handed him.

  "I had a great day!"

  Brady got the potatoes ready for the oven and listened while she told him about Devon and her house. She was bubbling over with it and he had to chuckle as he heard the whole story. Jessie was clearly impressed with all of Devon's abilities, and he had to admit he'd never heard of her type of writing as a career before, either. Jessie finally talked herself out and they sat down together on the back-porch swing, Brady, with his beer and Jessie, with a glass of wine. Indy played in the yard while they relaxed and enjoyed the warm day.

  After they finished their dinner, they did the dishes, taking a break before dessert. Brady led Jessie into the living room and pulled her down onto the couch beside him. He held her close for a long, deep kiss and Jessie gave a little moan in the back of her throat. He looked seriously at her and kissed her eyelids before he moved away a little.

  "Jessie, I love you with all my heart. I want us to spend the rest of our lives together. I know you know that, but it's time to make it official. I know I asked you before to marry me and I know you said yes, but now I'm asking again."

  Brady got down on one knee in front of her and Jessie's eyes filled with tears.

  "Jessie Mills, will you marry me? Will you be my wife forever?"

  "Yes, Brady, you know I will." Her absolute faith in him shone in her eyes.

  He pulled something out of his pocket and said, "Then I'd like to give you this token of our commitment to each other.

  Jessie gasped as he opened the little box and she saw the beautiful but simple diamond ring he had selected. It was exactly to her taste and her hand trembled as she held it out for him to slide the ring onto her finger. It was a perfect fit and a happy tear spilled down Jessie's cheek as she gazed at it shining on her finger. She threw her arms around him and hugged him as tightly as she could.

  "Oh, Brady," she said in a shaky voice. "It's the most beautiful ring I've ever seen. How did you know? It's exactly perfect."

  He kissed her before he answered. "It just looked like you. I looked at so many, but as soon as I saw it, I knew it was right."

  "I love you so much! We're going to have the best life together."

  "I love you back, baby." He kissed her again and she melted into his arms.

  Somehow Brady and Jessie never got around to strawberry shortcake that night, but they never missed it.

  Chapter 3

  The next day, Brady and Jessie had to Facetime with Brady's mother and sister, to show off the new engagement ring. Linda and Becca both talked at the same time, bubbling over with their delight at the fact that the engagement was official.

  "Now you need a date," Becca said.

  "Yes, you definitely need to set a date. And start planning this wedding!" Brady's mother chimed in.

  "Yes! We'll help you," Becca said with a merry laugh.

  "Wow, it's so much to think about!" Jessie was a little breathless. "I really only thought up to now about being married to Brady one day. I never really thought about the wedding."

  "Girl, this is your biggest day, getting married to the one you love!" Becca exclaimed.

  Linda was laughing at her daughter. "Becca, give her a chance to get used to being engaged. Jessie's absolutely right; it's the marriage that's important, not the wedding. But we'll make it a perfect wedding."

  Jessie laughed at them both, and Brady just shook his head.

  "Well, you ladies plan your hearts out, and I'll do what I'm told," Brady said.

  Brady's dad, Pete, peeked around his wife at the screen. "That's the way, Brady. Just be ready to run a lot of errands and do what you're told, and it'll all be fine."

  "Oh, Jessie," Becca said excitedly, "what kind of dress do you want? We have to go shopping!"

  Jessie said helplessly, "I have no idea. I've never thought about it before."

  "Okay. Mom, we have to plan a shopping trip. Right?"

  "Don't get ahead of yourself, Becca. The date makes a difference in the dress, so first things first. You two talk it over and decide when you want the wedding to be, and then we'll start planning."

  Brady rolled his eyes. "Gee, thanks, Mom. I thought I was done with my part."

  Jessie gave a peaceful smile. "I'd be happy if we were married tomorrow."

  Becca looked panicked. "Don't even think about just running out and getting married. We have to celebrate this!"

  Jessie laughed. "Yes, we do need to celebrate it and share it with all of you."

  They all exchanged their congratulations and finally signed off the call.

  Brady heaved a huge sigh. "Geez, I knew it would be like that, but they still surprised me by how excited they were."

  "Your mom told me you were happier with me than she'd ever seen you."

  "Yeah, my mom's pretty smart." Brady grinned at her.

  "I really love your family, Brady." Jessie dimpled up at him.

  He bent to kiss her and said, "They love you too, every one of them."

  "Well. I guess we better be thinking about dates. What do you think?"

  Brady shrugged. "The sooner the better, as far as I'm concerned."

  "Me too, but we have to have some time to plan it and make
all the arrangements. It's May. I don't really have any idea how quickly we could do all of it."

  "What do you think of a wintertime wedding? Would you be okay with that, or do you want warm weather?"

  "I love the winters here. Oh! Brady, what about a Christmas wedding?"

  He looked at her thoughtfully for a long minute. Then a slow smile spread across his face. "I like it. And it would make it easy for me to remember our anniversary."

  Jessie burst out laughing and swatted him on the arm. "Maybe not right on Christmas Day, but at Christmas time."

  "Well, what do you think of Christmas Eve?"

  Jessie felt like she was melting at the thought. "Oh, Brady, I'd love that. A Christmas Eve wedding. It would be so beautiful."

  He was watching her with fascination. "You'll be so beautiful. Do you think we can pull it off?"

  "Well, let's find out. If Pastor Dean says it's okay for him and the church, then I think we can work out anything else we need."

  "Make an appointment with him, and we'll find out."

  Jessie jumped up and threw her arms around him. "Okay, I'll call right now. I'm so excited!"

  Within minutes, Jessie and Brady had an appointment to meet with the minister at their church two days later.

  Brady said, "I've really got to go get some work done."

  Jessie kissed him and said, "I have to go see Kayla. She gets home early this afternoon. I'm going to make a batch of cookies for Caleb, and then I'll go see them. She's going to be so happy for us."

  Brady looked alarmed. "You're not going to take all the cookies to Caleb, are you? He probably shouldn't have that much sugar."

  Jessie burst out laughing. "No, honey, I'll leave cookies here for you." She laughed harder at his look of relief.

  After one more kiss, Brady said, "Tell Kayla and Caleb hi for me. Now I'm out of here."

  Jessie baked her cookies, stopping often to admire the way her new ring sparkled in the light, and sent Kayla a text to make sure it was okay to stop over. Then she gave Indy a biscuit and went out the door. When she rang the bell at her friend's house, she had to laugh at the sound of Caleb's running footsteps. Kayla opened the door and greeted her with a hug while Caleb tried to squeeze in between them.