A Dusty Dreams Wedding

by Kat Carrington

  Devon was quiet for a moment and then she said, "That's a pretty original idea to come up with. Simple but effective. I'm sorry that happened to you. What happened to the son of a bitch?"

  "He's in prison now, and he'll be there for a helluva long time. There was no point in him trying to plead not guilty, so the whole thing went quickly in court. And Brady probably would have beaten him to death if they hadn't stopped him."

  "Hard to think that would be much of an injustice." Devon looked a little satisfied at the idea.

  "I know, but then Brady and I would both have had that on our consciences. You just can't do things that way. Anyway, we're all hopeful that this will make a difference the next time a real emergency happens, if it ever does."

  "I understand. I hope you do. I'm not comfortable with having my phone number printed on this directory and passed around to everyone. It wouldn't be hard to take on the responsibility to call a couple of people, but I don't like that part at all."

  Jessie thought for a moment and said carefully, "Maybe there's a way you could participate without having your number passed around. I have your number, and presumably there are a couple of other people in town who do, people you deal with. What if I were the one to call you, and then you could take care of your calls in turn. Nobody else would need your number because you'd be on my list to call. And if I'm ever going to be gone for a while, someone else you trust with your number could be the one responsible for calling you."

  Devon was silent for a while. Finally, she said, "I'd like to think about it for a while before I agree to it."

  Jessie said, "Of course. Take all the time you need. Just give me a call when you decide, and we'll take care of everything then. It's honestly pretty simple."

  "It looks like it is, but I'd still like to think about it."

  "Thank you for listening, and I hope you'll decide to join us."

  "You don't have any meetings or anything that I'd have to attend, do you?"

  "Nope, not at all. It's seriously just phone calls."

  Devon rose from her chair and said, "Okay, I'll think it over and be in touch."

  Jessie rose too and gave the other woman a smile. "Thank you, Devon, I really appreciate it. And it looks great in here, by the way. I can't believe you've gotten all this done already."

  Devon smiled briefly. "Thanks. I'm really getting tired of being without a kitchen, and my son is missing his spaghetti and meatball dinners."

  Jessie brightened and opened her mouth to invite her over, but she thought better of it and simply said, "Well, I'll get out of your hair so you can get back to work. And don't forget, if you need help with something, please give me a call."

  "Thanks, I appreciate the offer."

  A moment later, Jessie was back in her truck and pulling out of the driveway. I think that went well. She said she wanted to think about it before she agreed to it. I'd say that means she's leaning toward agreeing to it.

  Jessie went on into town for a few things from the store before heading home. She got there in time to make lunch for Brady and Red and told them all about the visit while the three of them ate.

  Brady said, "I wonder why she's so secretive and why she doesn't want to associate with anyone. That really makes me wonder what she's hiding."

  Jessie gave him a look. "We don't know that she's hiding anything. She just might be a private kind of person. Or maybe something happened to her in the past that scared her off people. Maybe she was mistreated or abused even. That could make anybody private and secretive. If a woman has to run away from an abuser, she has to stay under the radar to be safe."

  "That's possible," Brady admitted. "I wonder if the sheriff knows anything more about her."

  "Brady! You leave her alone; she hasn't done anything to deserve to have people snooping around in her business."

  Brady raised his eyebrows at her. "I don't intend to snoop around in her business. But if she's keeping some kind of secret, maybe somebody should know what it is."

  "Not if she hasn't done anything to harm anyone else. She has a right to her privacy."

  "Really. It wasn't long ago that you were vowing to get to know her better."

  "Well," said Jessie, "that doesn't mean I'm going to go digging for some secret she's keeping. Or to find out everything about her. I'll respect her limits, and so should you."

  Brady said, "Okay, enough of that. We can talk about Devon Bridges later. Now, the men of the house have got work to do. And so do you; your garden's looking a little weedy, woman."

  Jessie's mouth dropped open, and then she saw him laughing at her. And yet, twenty minutes later, she found herself in the garden pulling weeds. Brady was laughing at her as he and Red headed for the hayfields.

  It was a couple of days before Jessie heard from Devon, but she was delighted when she heard Devon say that she was willing to be part of the network on the condition that her phone number was protected. Jessie offered to stop by and pick up the little form that Devon had filled out and deliver it personally to the sheriff. So it was, that she found herself at Devon Bridges' house once again. The other woman was a little more relaxed when she answered the door this time.

  "Good morning, Devon," Jessie said with a smile.

  "Morning, come on in."

  Devon led Jessie to the kitchen once more and Jessie stopped in her tracks as she went through the door. The cabinets had been hung and they looked absolutely beautiful. The countertops weren't on yet, but Jessie could see that it was going to be a great kitchen.

  "Devon! This is beautiful! Did you say that you built your own cabinets?"

  Devon nodded with some pride in her smile. "I did; I started learning carpentry when I was just a kid."

  "Wow," Jessie said, truly impressed, "you're really talented. They're the prettiest cabinets I've ever seen."

  Devon actually gave her a real grin. "They turned out exactly the way I wanted. Well, you probably want that paperwork."

  "I want a closer look first," Jessie said. "May I?"

  Devon waved a hand and said, "Help yourself."

  Jessie opened and closed doors and drawers, impressed all over again at the workmanship of the solid hardwood cabinets. "This isn't just carpentry; it's artistry."

  Devon laughed. "I can't say I ever thought of myself as an artist before."

  "Well, you should. I can't wait to see it all done. What kind of countertops are you going to have?"

  "I have a sample," Devon said, opening another drawer and taking out a sample of polished granite.

  "Oh," Jessie said with awe. "That's going to be absolutely gorgeous!"

  "Thanks, I like it."

  "If I ever remodel my kitchen, can I hire you?"

  The other woman laughed. "Not if my house isn't completely finished before that. And by then, I might be sick of carpentry."

  Jessie laughed. "I guess I can understand that. This is a huge project, and you must be a real perfectionist to have it turn out like this."

  "Yeah, I'm not sure if it's a blessing or a curse."

  "I'd say you have to take it as a blessing if these are the results."

  "Yeah, well, when I'm redoing a drawer for the third time, it definitely feels more like a curse."

  Jessie chuckled and said, "I guess it would. So, have you done any other fabulous things since I saw your place last?"

  "I got the downstairs bathroom refurbished a little. Just cosmetic, but it looks a whole lot better."

  Jessie clapped her hands together and said, "Oh, can I see it?"

  Devon shrugged and said, "Sure."

  She led the way to the bathroom and Jessie's mouth fell open at the sight of it. She had repainted the whole bathroom and refinished the vanity. The floor was tiled, and the new shower curtain, towels and rugs tied the whole thing together. The bathroom was a cool ocean blue and white and was altogether pleasing to the eye.

  "You only made cosmetic changes in here? It looks like a completely different room!"

  "Just spruc
ed up what was in here, other than putting tile down. The floor was really in need of replacement. The rest is literally cosmetic. It just needed a little attention. It's a nice relaxing color and that's good at the end of a long day."

  Jessie looked at her with admiration. "You have wonderful taste."

  "Thanks. I get to do whatever I want, so that makes it fun."

  "Well, you make me want to go home and redo my own bathroom. It's basically all white. I think it needs some color."

  Devon actually laughed at her. "Well, go ahead, go crazy! You can always change it if it doesn't suit you once it's done."

  Jessie nodded and said earnestly, "You're right. I really am, I'm going to go look at paint colors!"

  "If you go to the farm store, you can get any color in the world mixed for you. I'll jot down the paint I usually get. They like to sell the most expensive version, but it's not necessary. What I get isn't nearly as pricey and it's every bit as good. In fact, I think it holds up a little better than the expensive stuff."

  "Thanks! I love saving money."

  "You and me both," said Devon as she handed Jessie a card with the paint mix written on it.

  Jessie looked like an excited little girl and Devon had to laugh at her again.

  "Okay, I'm going shopping and you can get back to work. Thank you again for joining the network. I'll take this form to the sheriff before I do anything else." With a merry wave, Jessie was gone.

  When Brady came in at the end of his day, he found Jessie in the bathroom with a handful of paint chips, holding them up and frowning in indecision.

  "What in the world are you doing?" he asked.

  "Brady! I didn't know it was so late. I'm trying to choose a new color for in here. It's too…too white in here. It's boring, and I want it to be pretty."

  "Okay. I mean, it looks fine to me, but if you want a new color, you should have one. What made you decide this?"

  "Oh, Brady, Devon made her bathroom look like a completely different room and all she did was paint and put in new towels and rugs! It's so pretty and fresh looking, and it didn't take a ton of work or cost a lot of money. So I want our bathroom to be pretty and colorful, and I really want to try my hand at decorating a room. I've never done it before—"

  Brady was holding up a hand and laughing. "Whoa, slow down, I can't even keep up with you. Jessie, if you want a colorful bathroom, you shall have it. But right now, I need to use this bland old white bathroom to shower off the day's work."

  Jessie threw her arms around him and kissed him. "Okay. I love you! I'll go start supper and we can try to pick a color after we eat."

  Brady was still laughing when he stepped into the shower and heard Jessie singing in the kitchen while she worked.

  A few days later, Jessie put the finishing touches on her bathroom. There was still white in the color scheme but there were varying shades of gray and the towels were a medium gray, fluffy and luxurious. The rugs were deep gray, and her toes sank into the deep soft pile when she stepped on them. She'd found little touches to bring it all together and put a couple of framed prints of woodlands full of gray and white birch trees on the wall. Altogether, it was an immediately pleasing and restful room to step into. Jessie was almost absurdly proud of it and she was delighted that Brady liked it as much as she did.

  "You really did a great job in here, Jess," he said, dropping a kiss on the top of her head.

  "You really like it?"

  "Yes, I do. I thought it was fine before, but this looks, I don't know, relaxing, I guess."

  Jessie gave a little hop of delight. "That's what I was going for! I love it!"

  Brady chuckled at her and tightened his arms around her. "Did you take before and after pictures?"

  "I sure did! I'd love to show Devon; she was the inspiration for doing this in the first place."

  Brady looked thoughtful. "Well, why don't you invite her over for dinner sometime?"

  "I'd love that! I wonder if she'd come."

  Brady shrugged. "Only one way to find out."

  "I'll do it. First, I'm going to think it over, so I come up with the best way to get her to say yes."

  "If anybody can do it, you can. Now, are you ready to go to town?"

  "Give me five minutes, and I'll be ready."

  They were going to run a few errands in town and stop for a burger when they got done. Indy looked so pitiful when they got ready to leave that they decided to take her along. Mitch had added an enclosed outdoor seating area at the Rusty Spur so they could take Indy there while they ate. The delighted dog bounded into her spot in the truck and laid her head on the back of Jessie's seat, watching the passing scenery.

  The first stop was the bank, and the teller, who knew her well from her visits to the drive-through window, treated Indy to a dog biscuit. Next, was the pharmacy, and Indy waited in the truck while Jessie picked up a few things she needed. Then on to the main reason for their shopping trip, the farm store. Indy got to go in there, on the leash, and they browsed the aisles while Brady gathered the items on his list.

  As Jessie rounded the end of an aisle, she saw a familiar figure ahead of her and grinned. "Devon!"

  The other woman turned quickly, a guarded look on her face that relaxed when she saw Jessie. Still, she looked reluctant as Jessie went toward her. Then Jessie saw the little boy standing beside her and broke into a big smile at the prospect of finally meeting Devon's son. As they got closer, the dark-haired little boy's eyes got huge.

  "Mommy! Look at the doggie!"

  Jessie said, "Hello, you two!" She bent closer to the little boy and said, "This is Indy and she loves kids."

  Indy was wriggling with excitement as the boy reached to pet her, laughing as she licked his cheek and rubbed against him. Devon didn't look exactly happy to have run into Jessie, but it was too late now, and her son was thrilled to see the dog. Jessie beamed at her, clearly totally happy that they had run into each other.

  "I've been wanting to talk to you," Jessie said. "I did it! I redid my bathroom, thanks to you, and I just love it! And this is your son, obviously. I'm so happy to meet him!"

  Devon said reluctantly, "This is Jacob. Jacob, this is Miss Jessie. Say hello properly."

  The little boy straightened and offered his hand. "Hello, Miss Jessie, it's very nice to meet you. I'm Jacob Boyd Bridges."

  Jessie gravely shook his hand. "And I'm Jessie Mills. I'm very happy to meet you, Jacob."

  Even though Devon was clearly uncomfortable with the chance meeting, she couldn't hide the look of pride in her son.

  Jessie gave her a radiant smile. "He's such a handsome young man. You must be so proud of him."

  Devon finally had to smile. "I have to admit, I'm guilty as charged. He's an amazing little person."

  Jacob had his mother's dark hair and eyes and he was going to be tall, like she was. He was just as handsome as she was strikingly attractive. Devon was not beautiful in a typical girly way, but she was a strong, lovely woman who drew appreciative looks wherever she went. Jacob had dropped to his knees to hug the ecstatic dog and he was laughing at the way she wriggled in excitement.

  "Devon, I've been wanting to invite you two to our house for dinner some weekend. Nothing fancy, we'll put something on the grill and just relax. Jacob can play with Indy, and if it's okay with you, he can take a ride on my horse, Pokey."

  Devon opened her mouth to automatically refuse, but Jacob had heard the invitation and he looked even more excited as he said to his mom, "Yes! Mom, please, please, please! I want to ride a horse and I love Indy!"

  Jessie said, "I'm sorry, I didn't think he was paying attention to us."

  Devon gave her an exasperated look, but when her son turned his pleading eyes on her, she hesitated and then said with a sigh, "Well, I guess I can't really say no, can I?"

  Jessie was thrilled. "Oh, good, I'm so glad! Will next Saturday work for you?"

  Devon shrugged helplessly and said, "I guess…yes, that's fine. What time, and what can I b
ring? Oh, I need your address too."

  "How about two o'clock, and you don't have to bring a thing, just an appetite. I'll text you our address; it's totally easy to find, but just call me if you're not sure. Oh, I'm so excited!"

  Devon smiled, a little reluctantly still, and said, "I've got GPS; as long as I have the address, I can find you. And thank you for the invitation. Jacob, we should get going now. We still have to go to the grocery store."

  Jacob got up, giving Indy a last hug, and looked directly at Jessie. "Thank you, Miss Jessie; it was nice to meet you."

  Jessie beamed at him and said, "It was really nice to meet you, Jacob."

  Jacob took a few steps away and suddenly turned and ran back to Jessie, throwing his arms around her legs. "I can't wait to come to your house! Bye, Miss Jessie, bye, Indy!"

  Devon finally had to break into a real smile as she took her son by the hand and gave Jessie a little wave.

  Jessie was still beaming when she found Brady selecting landscape timbers. "You'll never guess who we ran into!"

  "From the look on your face, it must have been Santa Claus," Brady observed.

  Jessie laughed. "No, silly, it was Devon. And her little boy; he's so cute and such a little gentleman. And they're coming for dinner next Saturday. I told them we'd cook on the grill and he absolutely loved Indy; I knew he would. And he's so excited about riding Pokey and—"

  Brady laid his hand over her lips, laughing. "He couldn't have been any more excited than you. Let's finish up here and you can tell me all about it over lunch."

  After Jessie told the whole story to Brady, he said, "You know, if it hadn't been for the little boy being in on the whole conversation, it sounds like she would have said no. Lucky for you, he was there."