by Lisa Smartt
A few minutes later I was downing a bottle of water and gathering my bag.
Sally had to reach up to hug me. “Girl, you were a blessing! Thank you, Carlie. We had a great day. You moved women’s hearts and you didn’t hurt our cash register either. Come back and see us anytime! Oh also, a man left a present for you at the back. I guess he was a secret admirer.”
“Wow! That’s a first. Thank you, Sally.”
As we moved to the back door, a young bookstore employee named Hank handed me a large shiny white box.
“Thank you! Wow! This is a surprise.”
“Open it, Carlie. Let’s see who it’s from.”
“Okay. Hang on.”
I opened the box and carefully pulled back the folded white tissue paper. And there it was. I couldn’t believe it. God had answered my prayers. Tears started flowing immediately.
“Gosh, Carlie, it’s a dress! Look, a beautiful, blue sequined dress! Isn’t that a bit odd? I mean, beautiful but odd.”
I still couldn’t speak. Hank handed me a tissue. I wiped my eyes as I read the card:
“Please meet me at the Crowne Plaza across the street at 7:30. I’ll be the one in the monkey suit.”
“Carlie, you better be careful. You shouldn’t meet a fan without checking him out first. This could be really dangerous.”
“Wanda, he’s not dangerous. I promise.”
“How do you know?”
“It’s a long story. But I know.”
“You know this guy?”
“I do. And I don’t care what we have planned for the evening. I’m goin’ to the Crowne Plaza.”
March 20 7:30
Crowne Plaza
I was relieved the dress still fit. I’d been lonely and filling my late nights with ice cream but I’d also walked more and worked harder than I’d ever worked. I guess it all evened out. I wore plain black flats as that’s all I had with me. Plain silver earrings and my hair curled loosely. Nervous was an understatement. I stood by a palm tree in the lobby trying to look natural. Then I saw him get out of the elevator. He looked exactly the same. The same way he looked that day in the store. The unpretentious southern James Bond. Except this time I knew him. He knew me. But I knew we wouldn’t hug, not right now.
“Carlie, thanks for coming. You look more beautiful than ever.”
“Are you kidding? Thanks for coming all the way to Atlanta. Thanks for inviting me here tonight. And wow! Thanks for the dress, Doug. I mean, I can’t believe you remembered. It was a complete surprise. The best surprise I’ve had in a long time.”
“I bought it a long time ago. Thought I’d give it to you for Christmas, but well, things didn’t work out for that.”
I stared down at the red carpet. “Yeah, I guess.”
“They have a table waiting for us. You ready?”
“Absolutely.”
We sat at a beautiful table in a quiet little dark corner. Doug seemed nervous. Three red roses in a clear vase. The waiter showed us a fancy menu filled with expensive food. None of it looked good to me. I was tired of tiny plates of ridiculously over-priced food.
Doug spoke kindly to the waiter, “This may seem strange. But I don’t guess there’s anyone back there who could make us some biscuits and gravy. Maybe some grits and eggs?”
“Yes, sir. If that’s what you want, we can make it happen.”
I smiled. “Thank you, Doug. It’s like you read my mind.”
“Trust me. I’m not a very good mind reader.”
“Sure you are. You bought me this beautiful dress. You drove all the way to Atlanta. You asked me to meet you here. I couldn’t have planned anything more wonderful. When I saw you in Nashville yesterday, well, I was the happiest I’d been in a long time. And then when you left I was sad and confused.”
“Yeah, I was havin’ a rough day. It was great to see you and all, but I don’t know how to explain it.”
“But you came here. Were you at the bookstore today or when did you leave the package?”
“Yeah, I was there…in the back. I heard every word you said. So you’re leaving New York City, huh? I’m sure Today’s Woman and your publisher were sad. Why are you leaving?”
“I’m not a very good New Yorker. I have to stay through the end of May and I’m not sad I went. It was a good experience. But, I guess I miss a small town. Not everyone would understand that but I know you understand.”
“I do. Here’s the deal, Carlie. I need to apologize. I didn’t exactly handle things well a few months ago. Truth is, when you were going to interview for the job in New York City, I thought that was a rejection of me as a man. I know now that that was crazy. But that’s the way I saw it. So I decided that I would just let you go. I wouldn’t even try to hold you back from becoming this famous writer in New York. I would just keep livin’ my life in Sharon and move on without you. It was a solid plan.”
“It sounds like a solid plan.”
“Oh, it was. And part of it worked. You did become a famous writer in New York and I did keep living in Sharon. But there was one problem with the plan. I couldn’t move on without you. I tried. Believe me, I tried. I even tried to like Sandra again. That seemed like a convenient way to make the original plan work. But it didn’t. None of it worked.”
I wiped tears and managed to say, “I understand.”
“So here’s the deal. I’m gonna lay it all out on the table. And then you can take some time to think about it. I can’t leave Sharon, Carlie. It’s my home. That farm, it’s been in my family for generations. And I know that life…and I get that it’s not for everyone. I eat questionable casseroles with Uncle Bart and Aunt Charlotte at least once a week. Old women at church are always in my business. The International Aisle at our grocery store consists of Pace picante sauce and Kraft taco shells. And it’ll always be that way. It will. I know there are men who could wine you and dine you. I’m not one of those men. I don’t pretend to be. I saw how that Philip guy looked at you at the bookstore in Nashville. I’m a man and I know that look. But the thing is…well, the thing is…I looked at you like that before you were famous. I knew you were wonderful before Matt Lauer laughed at your jokes or before people stood in line to meet you. I bought one of those funny little coffee makers that puts foam on top just like you like it. I don’t know why I bought it other than it made me think of you and the day in the mall and how you said you’d always wanted one. You know my old room? The one where you stayed that time? Well, I moved all those trophies into the attic and painted the room green, that green you liked from the Italian restaurant in Athens. Yeah, and I can put a desk in there that will work with your computer. And if we need a separate phone line, I can do that, I don’t mind…I mean, a business line for your work and all. I love you, Carlie. I’ve loved you all this time. And I’m gonna choose to love you for the rest of your life. I don’t want you to move to Commerce in June. I want you to move to an old farm house in Sharon, Tennessee. I want you to be my first…and my last. I want you to be my wife. No man will ever love you as much as I love you. I can promise you that.”
The stiff white linen napkin made a poor handkerchief as I wiped my eyes and nose. My tears would not stop flowing.
“You don’t have to decide now, Carlie. If you need to think about it…I get that.”
“Think about it? Doug, that’s all I’ve thought about…every day since I met you. Even that first day at Cracker Barrel, I thought about it. But after your mom’s funeral, well, I was sure. I love you too, Doug. I love you and I want to marry you. Yes! A thousand times yes!”
By the time the waiter brought our biscuits and gravy, we were both laughing and crying.
The waiter smiled. “Is this good news? Are we celebrating something today?”
“We are. This beautiful woman just agreed to marry me. So…well, bring us your finest coffee, how ‘bout that?”
“Congratulations! I’ll bring it right out.”
“Carlie, I don’t know how you feel about this.” He
pulled a ring from his pocket. “It was the ring my dad gave my mom. I want you to have it but if you think, well, that you want something bigger or something that’s not used or…”
“Doug, it’s perfect. It’s absolutely perfect.”
“Do you have to get right back to New York?”
“Not if you have a better offer.”
“Drive to Sharon with me. I want you to be there when I tell Aunt Charlotte and Uncle Bart and the rest of the family.”
“I’d love to. My parents will still be in Hawaii for a week. Do you think you could drive to Commerce next weekend and we could talk to them together?”
“Sure. But I’ve already talked to your dad.”
“When?”
“I called him this morning on the way here. I told him I wasn’t sure if you’d have me, but that if you agreed, would he be alright with it?”
“And?”
“And he said he was glad to get rid of you.”
“I bet!”
“No, actually, he wasn’t a pushover, Carlie. He had some questions. Some legitimate questions.”
“Like?”
“Well, if I remember correctly, he said, ‘Doug, what does a rural banker make nowadays? In round averages.’”
“He did not!”
“He did. And Carlie, it didn’t hurt my feelings. He wants to know if I’m serious about making a decent living. It wasn’t so out of line.”
“And you told him?”
“I did. Then he said, ‘Carlie’s kinda serious about this writing thing. If she kept goin’ with it and kept bein’ successful, I mean, are you okay with that? You think you’re the kind of man who can stand in a crowd and be the author’s husband?’”
“And? I’m waiting with bated breath.”
“I said, ‘No, I never thought I could do that. But the girl I fell in love with ended up being that person. So it’s gonna be fine. I’ll adjust. She’ll adjust. I trust her not to believe her own press. I do. They love her today, but could throw her away tomorrow. She knows that. It’s the fickleness of the business. But if you’re wonderin’ if I’ll ever throw her away. No. I play for keeps.’ And then he said that you do tend to be sensible and not worried about what people think about you. And how he thinks you secretly liked working at the dollar store because it challenged people’s way of thinkin’, especially your mother’s.”
“You guys really had a heart-to-heart, didn’t you?”
“He asked about church and family and children. And did I think we knew each other well enough? He must have liked my answers. He gave me his blessing.”
“And if he hadn’t given his blessing?”
“I never thought about it. I knew that he would. I had confidence with your dad. I was much more worried about your answer. I knew your dad would be thinkin’ things like whether I pay my bills, commit felonies, attend church regularly, come home after work every night. Did I know how to treat a woman with kindness? Could I lead a family with love? I knew that with God’s help I could. I had the ‘parent questions’ answered. But I wasn’t sure if you’d found a life you wanted in New York City. If you had, well, I knew I wasn’t the man who could give you that life. Then I went to Nashville and I saw you up there in the spotlight and the way that Philip guy looked at you and you looked so comfortable in that role…and I thought I had my answer. You’d found something better. I was crushed and physically sick. But that night I got your e-mail.” Doug’s eyes grew watery and he wiped them slightly with his hand. “And what you said about us sittin’ on the front porch together and how you’d never forget Aunt Charlotte’s deviled eggs and how not seein’ a deer in New York City didn’t seem right. And that’s when I knew. I decided then and there that I would step out on a limb and tell you the truth.”
“Wow, you crafted this little plan quickly, Doug.”
“I never looked back. After I read your e-mail, I got up from the computer and found Mama’s ring in the jewelry box. I got on your website to find the Atlanta location. I said a prayer, went to bed and slept soundly, and borrowed this tux from a friend this morning. And there you have it.”
“That tux is a rental? I mean, a borrow?”
“Of course. You didn’t think I’d be crazy enough to buy one, did you?”
“Of course not. Everyone knows rural bankers don’t even wear ties.”
“I love you, Carlie.”
“I love you too.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR: Rainbow After The Rain
DOUG
March 22 6:30
Family potluck at the farm house
Uncle Bart and Aunt Charlotte were the first ones to arrive. They brought deviled eggs (as requested), macaroni and cheese, and pickled beets. Michelle and Buster brought ham sandwiches and Chips Ahoy. Chester and Ida were proud of their squash casserole and a pitcher of watery Kool-Aid. Brother Dan added fried chicken from the Pic Pac and a plate of brownies to the table. I was so happy to learn that Uncle Stanley and Aunt Beth were in town visiting Charlene. All three of them plus Charlene’s boys were able to come. They contributed corn casserole, coleslaw, odd-shaped sugar cookies, and a gallon of sweet tea. I had convinced Dave and Shannon to drive up from Chattanooga, said that I needed them desperately and that we’d first have supper with the family and then we could talk. They came. I knew they would. Ralph went by to pick up Uncle Charlie.
“Can I have your attention, everyone? Thanks for comin’! I promise we’ll eat in a minute. I just have a quick little somethin’ I want to say. It’s been a strange six months. You’ve all helped me. Really. After Mom died, you became even more important to me. After the wreck, you helped me pick up the pieces, in more ways than one. Thank you for lovin’ me, for carin’ about me. I called you here tonight because I’m makin’ an announcement, a big announcement.”
Chester hollered out, “Make an announcement that it’s time to EAT!”
“Ha ha. Yeah, we’ll get to that, Chester. We will. I promise. We have a surprise guest with us tonight. Everyone, please welcome my soon-to-be-WIFE, Carlie Ann Davidson!”
Carlie opened the guest room door, pointed to the ring on her left hand, and yelled, “Surprise” as she reached out to hug me. Aunt Charlotte started screaming and crying and fanning herself with a John Deere apron. Uncle Bart had to open the kitchen window so she could get some fresh air. Shannon started crying and hugging Charlene. Dave shook my hand and hugged me real hard. Uncle Stanley wiped his eyes and Aunt Beth said, “Your mama and daddy would be proud of your choice, Doug. She’s a fine Christian woman.” Carlie and I asked Brother Dan and Dave if they could do the ceremony together on June 12 in the back yard at dusk. They happily agreed. And that was the end…or rather, the beginning.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE: Building An Eagle’s Nest
CARLIE
June 12 7:30 pm
Despite Mom’s desire to create an over-the-top Martha Stewart wedding, we managed to keep it simple. The weather was a balmy 75 degrees. Friends and family members sat on chairs from various church basements. Everyone faced the field behind the farm house. Michelle played the wedding march on a keyboard and when everyone stood, Daddy wiped a tear and walked me down the aisle. I stopped halfway to hug Mr. and Mrs. Rockford and they both cried. Mr. Rockford had stepped out in faith that day and given me Doug’s card. But it was his abiding love for Mrs. Rockford that had motivated me to use it. God had orchestrated it all. I wore a simple long white dress. Doug looked at me exactly like he did that day in the formal wear store.
Doug wore the borrowed tux again and this time his friend, Joe, gave it to him as a wedding present. “Seein’ as how you’re marryin’ a famous woman, you’re gonna need this, Doug. You’ll be goin’ to all them fancy big city parties and you need to represent Sharon well.” We both laughed and assured Joe that we’d be eating pinto beans in Sharon more than we’d be at fancy parties but that his gesture was much appreciated.
Brother Dan and Dave worked together beautifully to paint a picture of marriage.
The groom and his bride. Christ and His church. Sacrificial love and blessing. Doug looked into my eyes and made a promise to love and protect me until death. I promised to honor and respect him. We acknowledged our need for God’s help in such lofty endeavors. Dave’s voice cracked with emotion when he said, “You may kiss the bride.” And Doug did. He brushed back my hair with his hand and kissed the bride. Happily. Joyfully. He never shed a tear.
After the ceremony Uncle Bart and Aunt Charlotte handed us a message written on a faded pink note card, “Doug, your mama and daddy would be real proud of you today. We know that for sure. Carlie, they would have loved you like a daughter. We love the both of you like our own and we hope you know that. We want you to go on that trip to Ireland you always dreamed about. Maybe it’d be nice for your first anniversary. Charlene looked it up on a computer for us and we put the money in a special account down at the bank. Just ask Jolene at First State and she’ll get it for you. That’s our wedding present to you. Now don’t worry. We got plenty of money. God knows Bart’s still got the first dollar he made. Congratulations. We love you both, Aunt Charlotte and Uncle Bart”
We were touched beyond words. All we could do was cry and hug them both. Uncle Bart said, “Now let’s not get all crazy ‘bout this. Time for cake. Charlotte, stop blubberin’ and let’s eat some cake now.” And that was that.
The honeymoon in the Smokies was perfect. More than worth the wait. We stayed in a tiny cabin and hardly saw another human being. We drove into Pigeon Forge for dinner every night. But we had breakfast and lunch on the porch of the cabin. Now I knew what the Bible meant when it said, “And the two shall become one.” This oneness was sexual and physical and emotional and spiritual. When one of us hurt, the other one would hurt. When one of us celebrated, the other one would celebrate. Five days later we drove into our farm house driveway in Sharon for the first time as a married couple.
“Doug, I have a wedding present for you.”
“I know and I love it. Thank you. A million times thank you!!”
“Ha Ha. Not that. I mean, a real present.”
