The Color of Love

by Sharon Sala

  Sunlight caught and sparkled on every little jewel and sequin as Ruby moved into view, while audible gasps and murmurs of delight followed her every step. She glimmered like starlight, shining only for the man who loved her.

  * * *

  Peanut was standing at the bottom step of the gazebo. Their pastor was standing at the top, just beneath the conical roof.

  He saw the sparkle, and then he saw her—and for a few moments forgot to breathe. Then the closer she came, the more rapid his heart beat. The music of the “Wedding March” surrounded him and flowed through him as he locked onto her face.

  This beautiful woman loves me.

  When she was only yards away, he went to meet her. She looked up at him and smiled as he tucked her hand beneath his arm.

  “Magnificent,” he whispered, and they went the rest of the way together.

  * * *

  There were hundreds of people standing as witnesses all over the park, and yet there wasn’t a sound to be heard from any of them, not even from the children sitting on their fathers’ shoulders. They were convinced that a real fairy had walked into their midst, because what else but a fairy would sparkle like this?

  For Ruby, it felt like a dream, but she knew it was real when the music suddenly stopped and the pastor stepped out of the shadow above them and spoke into the microphone.

  “Dearly beloved—”

  At that moment Ruby shifted to autopilot, answering when questioned. Speaking when spoken to. Never taking her gaze from Peanut’s face.

  When Peanut pulled a ring from his pocket and slipped it on her finger, she gasped. The white-gold band was encircled with rubies, sparkling as bright as the diamond already on her finger.

  Then she heard Peanut’s voice ringing out as loud and strong as it did in a courtroom when he was pleading a case.

  “I, Peanut, take thee, Ruby…”

  Tears threatened, but she blinked them away as she watched his face, lost in the love she saw there.

  Then she heard the pastor say, “Ruby, repeat after me,” so she did.

  “I, Ruby, take thee, Peanut, to be my lawfully wedded husband.”

  Peanut’s grip tightened slightly as she went through the vows as well, and then she heard the pastor saying the words they’d waited so long to hear.

  “I now pronounce you husband and wife. Peanut, you may kiss your bride.”

  Peanut reached toward Ruby, lifted the veil, put a hand on either side of her face, and lowered his head.

  And then he kissed her.

  When he raised his head, her eyes were still closed, so he leaned down and did it again.

  The whole town erupted into laughter as Peanut and Ruby turned and waved.

  “Ladies and gentlemen,” the pastor said, “it is my pleasure to introduce the newest married couple in town, Mr. and Mrs. Butterman, otherwise known as Peanut and Ruby. And since they’re not going anywhere, and we’re all about to eat our dinner, now’s the time to get that birdseed in the air.”

  People were on their feet, throwing birdseed toward them, and at each other, and up in the air.

  Ruby looked at Peanut and burst into laughter.

  All he saw were her eyes, and that smile, and the sparkle. She was shining. He had married an angel. He’d always known she was special, and now it was evident for the world to see.

  Then Lovey came running.

  “Dinner is ready. Your table is up here in the gazebo. If you ever wondered what it would be like to eat a meal in front of hundreds of people, you’re about to find out.”

  “I don’t care where we eat, as long as I’m sharing the meal with my wife,” Peanut said.

  They walked up the steps and then turned and waved, recognizing friends and customers, townspeople and people from the hills—all who called Blessings their home. She saw Melissa Dean, and then the Conroy family, more people from church, and from the hills beyond the town. All of them were standing. Some were crying, and some were clapping, and some were still throwing birdseed into the air.

  When Ruby and Peanut sat down at their table, it was the signal needed for the wedding guests to begin laying out their food. Blankets were spread, and families sat. Food came out and the party began as the air was filled with the sounds of talk and laughter.

  Lovey served them chicken and dumplings, the Saturday special from Granny’s, and then put on a side table an ornate, three-tiered wedding cake that sparkled just like Ruby.

  When Ruby saw it, she beamed. “Oh, Lovey, that is beautiful.”

  “We have Mercy to thank for this and the five hundred vanilla cupcakes with white icing and silver sparkles.”

  “Where are they?” Ruby asked.

  Lovey pointed to four long tables beneath the trees. “They’re putting them out right now.”

  “Hey, Wife,” Peanut said.

  Ruby turned, saw the bite he was holding out for her to eat, and opened her mouth, and the meal began.

  When they finished, they were guided toward the four long tables set up beneath a swath of shade trees, and to the wedding cake and five hundred cupcakes surrounding it.

  Peanut and Ruby cut the cake, fed each other the traditional bite, and then stood talking and laughing with everyone who came to get cake.

  Two hours later, Ruby grabbed her bouquet and headed for the steps of the gazebo and reached for the microphone.

  “Hey, all you single ladies interested in catching yourself a man…gather around. I caught the bouquet at the last wedding I attended, and look what happened. Now’s your chance.”

  Much giggling ensued as women gathered. Some, like Alice Conroy, weren’t ready to join that crowd, but Melissa’s ache was old and familiar—that she was alive and Andy was not.

  Ruby climbed up on the steps and gave the bouquet a big toss. Everyone watched as it launched, hit its arc, then started falling, falling, right down into the middle of the crowd, into Mabel Jean Doolittle’s hands.

  She gasped, then squealed, and everyone laughed.

  Then Peanut stepped up and knelt at Ruby’s feet, ran his hands up one leg until he felt the blue garter, and slid it down with a gleam in his eye while Ruby laughed and laughed.

  Peanut grabbed the microphone. “Got any single men in this crowd?”

  A roar of laughter rose as men, both young and old, came through the crowd and gathered around the gazebo.

  Peanut winked at Ruby, then pulled back on the garter like a slingshot and sent it flying into the air, right into the outstretched hands of Elvis Kingston, the fry cook at Granny’s Country Kitchen.

  Elvis turned red and grinned, but he pulled the garter up his forearm, wearing it like a poker dealer in a casino, and walked off through the crowd.

  * * *

  The picnic was still going strong when Peanut and Ruby snuck out through an alley and hopped in the back of Lovey’s car so she could drive them to the back parking lot of the Curl Up and Dye.

  Vera and Vesta had volunteered to be responsible for the tux and wedding gown and were waiting inside the shop.

  After Ruby and Peanut had changed and Ruby had returned Lovey’s diamond earrings, they slipped out the front door to where Peanut had parked his car for the getaway. Lovey was unloading Ruby’s bags into the car, and they laughed at what they saw.

  JUST MARRIED was written on the back window. There was a big banner tied to the front bumper that also said JUST MARRIED, and red, silver, and black streamers were tied from one end of the back bumper to the other. A big, silver balloon had been tied to each of the front door handles. One said BRIDE. One said GROOM.

  Ruby was giddy from the joy.

  “Oh, Peanut. This is the most wonderful, most perfect day!”

  He looked at her then, saw her cheeks as pink as the dress she was wearing, and leaned down and kissed her.

  “Now, it
is the most wonderful, most perfect day,” he said, and opened the door for her to get in while the balloon bounced above his head in the breeze. “Buckle up. We’re about to begin this ride called life.”

  She slid into the seat as Peanut closed her door, then circled the car and jumped in behind the wheel. Lovey and the twins were waving as Peanut and Ruby drove away. A couple of blocks down, he turned back toward the park.

  “Honk so I can wave,” Ruby said as she rolled down the window.

  Peanut began to honk repeatedly with his window down.

  The wedding guests turned just in time to see Peanut and Ruby waving out the windows as they drove by. A huge roar rose from the crowd as everyone began shouting and waving goodbye. Then as they watched, the Bride and the Groom balloons came loose from where they’d been tied and began floating up, up, up until they finally disappeared from view.

  * * *

  Peanut and Ruby were on their way out of town when they met a big, silver pickup truck pulling a U-Haul trailer.

  The driver saw them as he approached, noticed the JUST MARRIED banner tied to the front bumper and the streamers waving in the wind behind them, and honked and waved as he passed.

  Peanut glanced up in the rearview mirror and then shook his head. “Well, I’ll be. I wonder if he’s moving back. I never thought I’d see him again.”

  “See who?” Ruby asked.

  “Aidan Payne. He was a guy I went to high school with. Oh, wow, I’m just now putting two and two together. While I was recovering, didn’t Preston Williams pass away?”

  “If you mean the old man who lived across the street from Mercy’s old landlord, yes, he did.”

  “Aidan is Preston Williams’s grandson.”

  “So what’s the big deal about him coming back?” Ruby asked.

  “The whole family moved away during Aidan’s last year of high school under a very dark cloud of suspicion. Nothing was ever proven, but everyone thought that Aidan’s father burned down his own business for the insurance money. To make matters worse, it burned down the business next to it, and someone died in that fire.”

  Ruby shivered.

  “Poor Aidan, having to grow up with that cloud of suspicion hanging over the family name.”

  Peanut nodded. “Well, I guess we’ll find out if he’s staying when we get back. Right now, all I care about is going on a honeymoon with my honey.”

  “Me too,” Ruby said, and leaned back in the seat as they added to the miles taking them away from Blessings.

  Still, she couldn’t help but wonder what Aidan Payne was like, and if he stayed, would there be trouble for him again?

  Ruby sighed. It was always an interesting event when a lost son of Blessings found his way home.

  Order Sharon Sala’s next book

  in the Blessings, Georgia series

  Come Back to Me

  On sale September 2018

  Keep reading for a sneak peek of the next book in Sharon Sala’s Blessings, Georgia series

  Aidan tossed a couple of boxes of cereal into his cart, and moved from the cereal aisle to canned goods, picking out soup and cans of tuna before moving on to condiments and pickles.

  He passed shoppers up and down the aisles of the Piggy Wiggly, aware he was being watched. Either it was because he was a stranger in a small town—or because they recognized him from all those years ago. He wasn’t in the mood to strike up a conversation with anyone, so he chose not to make eye contact, and apparently no one felt the need to speak to him.

  He was halfway down the bread aisle when he saw an older woman coming toward him, pushing a cart filled with bananas and stacks of juice boxes. He recognized her instantly and was surprised at how little she had changed. She glanced at him almost absently, then did a double take and broke into a huge smile.

  “Oh my word! Aidan Payne! What a surprise! My stars, you sure take after your grandfather. My sympathies on his passing.”

  “Thank you, Miss Jane. I see by the juice boxes and fruit that you still have the day care.”

  Jane Farris rolled her eyes. “The Before and After is still in business, although some days I think I’m getting too old for it. Did you come to wind up Preston’s affairs?”

  “Yes, ma’am. I’m staying at his house for the time being. I’ll likely be putting all of his rental properties up for sale. I live too far away to be an absentee landlord.”

  “Where do you live now?” Jane asked.

  “New Orleans. I own a four-star restaurant called Mimosa. If you’re ever in the city, stop in and let me treat you to a meal.”

  Jane beamed. “That’s so sweet of you,” she said. “I’ll be sure to do that if I ever get up that way. It’s wonderful to see you.”

  Aidan smiled. “Thank you. I’m sure we’ll see each other again before I leave.”

  “Absolutely,” Jane said, and gave his arm a pat as she moved on.

  Aidan grabbed a loaf of bread and made his way to the checkout stand. He got in the shortest line, and then took the time to recheck his list, making sure he hadn’t missed anything. He glanced up just as a tall kid in his late teens walked into the store.

  The boy moved toward the registers in a long, lanky stride. When he stopped at register three, Aidan watched him suddenly step behind the checker and put his hands over her eyes.

  “Guess who?” he said.

  The woman’s squeal of delight made Aidan and everyone around them smile. He was still grinning when the woman turned around. At that point, everything faded into the background as he watched an older version of his Phoebe Ritter throw her arms around the boy’s neck.

  Well hell. That had to be her son.

  * * *

  “Lee, you tease! I didn’t know you were coming home!” Phoebe was saying.

  “Aw, Mom, you know how it is. I ran out of clean clothes,” he said, which made everyone around them laugh.

  Everyone except Aidan.

  When the woman at his register called out “next” and waved him forward, he began unloading his purchases onto the conveyor belt. He could still hear Phoebe and her son talking, but he couldn’t bring himself to look up. Less than two hours back in town, and already his head was spinning. Not only was Phoebe still here, but she was a parent. She’d definitely done a better job moving on than he had. He didn’t want to know who she’d married. All he wanted was to get out of the store before she saw him.

  He loaded up the sacks of groceries into his cart, paid, and walked out while Phoebe and her son were still talking.

  * * *

  Phoebe cupped Lee’s cheek, feeling the burr of a day’s growth of whiskers, and thought wistfully that his little boy years were already behind him.

  “I have to close tonight, honey. There are leftover ribs in the fridge, and some coleslaw.”

  “I got this, Mom,” Lee said. “I can take care of myself. See you at home, okay?”

  “Okay,” Phoebe said. “I’m off for the next two days. Perfect timing.”

  “Great,” he said, and gave her a quick kiss on the cheek before he left.

  He jogged out of the store and was crossing the parking lot to his car when he noticed a stranger unloading groceries into his vehicle. There weren’t many strangers in Blessings, and none of them drove a truck that sharp.

  “Nice ride, man,” Lee said.

  Aidan looked up, startled to find himself face-to-face with Phoebe’s boy.

  “Uh…yeah, thanks,” Aidan said, and shut the door. He walked a couple of cars up to return the shopping cart, then headed back to his truck. The boy was loping across the parking lot, cell phone in hand.

  Ignoring a painful twinge of regret, Aidan got in the truck and drove back to his grandfather’s house, parked by the U-Haul, and took the groceries in.

  Although it had been a long time since he’d been here, he felt
at home as he put everything away. It was hard for Aidan to believe his grandfather was gone. He had visited Aidan often in New Orleans, staying active and in fairly good health. Aidan swallowed past the lump in his throat. It seemed like granddad should come striding into the kitchen to greet him.

  He was about to go upstairs to unpack when the doorbell rang. He hurried into the foyer and opened the door to a caller he didn’t recognize.

  The old man smiling at him sported a mane of white hair and was wearing white slacks and a flamboyant blue shirt with puffed sleeves. Aidan’s first thought was that all he needed was a Mexican sombrero and a guitar. And then the old man actually bowed.

  “Pardon my rude intrusion into your day without calling ahead, but I am Elliot Graham, your neighbor across the street. I came to welcome you to Blessings, and to extend my sympathies for your loss.”

  Aidan liked him immediately. “Thank you, Mr. Graham. Come in.”

  “Elliot…please,” he said as he stepped over the threshold, then followed Aidan into the living room and sat down. “Preston and I were good friends. I don’t mind admitting how much I miss him.”

  “I’m going to miss him, too,” Aidan said. “He came to see me often.”

  “Oh, I know. He talked about you all the time, so of course I asked why you never came here to visit. When he explained, I apologized, but he assured me none of it was a secret.”

  “That’s true,” Aidan said bitterly. “The whole town had a hand in the decision Dad made to leave.”

  Elliot nodded sagely. “The truth will come out, and soon. You’ll see.”

  Aidan was still struggling with what the old man had just said, when Elliot suddenly stood and headed for the door. “Well, I’ve intruded too much already on your privacy. I’ll be going now, but my door is open to you anytime.”

  Aidan hastily followed. “Uh, sir…Elliot?”

  “Yes?” Elliot said as he stepped out onto the porch.

  “What did you mean, the truth would come out soon? It’s been nearly twenty years with no suspects for who started that fire.”

  Elliot waved his hand, as if moving the question out of his space. “Oh…that’s just me being me. Sorry. It popped out before I thought.”