Always A Bride

by Henderson, Darlene

  Harvey kissed her throat, murmuring, “I know but—”

  “But nothing, Harvey. We can’t do this.” Alex emphasized her words by pounding on Harvey’s chest as she pulled farther away from him.

  “I want us to have the chance that we missed, but I can’t just tell Molly ‘I’m sorry the engagement’s off because Alex is back in town’.”

  “Harvey, what's going on here? I don't understand. If you want to be with me rather than Molly, then do it. I don't expect you to just dump her. You can end it nicely.” Alex sighed and rested her head against Harvey’s chest. “If it meant being with you, I would quit the circuit this very minute and move back here. I’m sorry it took losing you to realize what you mean to me, but now I’d do anything to have you back.”

  “Alex, it’s complicated.”

  “So tell me. We can work this out. Just tell me what’s going on.”

  “Let’s have dinner tonight, someplace quiet. We can talk and I’ll tell you everything.” Harvey kissed Alex again.

  “Okay. Call me and I’ll be ready.”

  “In the meantime, call Allison at the office and tell her I said for you to come in and get a quick check-up—vitals, history, a finger prick—the basics, and to go ahead and draw blood for the standard labs.”

  “I didn’t know Allison was working with you. That’s awesome.” Alex's hesitant grin turned into a genuine smile, lighting up her face.

  “She’ll be thrilled to see you. She’s missed you too.” Harvey kissed her again.

  “If you have to go, please go. You are making me crazy.” Alex brushed her lips across Harvey’s once more and got off the couch. “Go now.” She dragged Harvey to the door and practically pushed him out.

  “See you tonight.”

  Chapter Three

  Alex returned to the couch and tried to take in what had just happened. It was too much. She found Harvey’s card and called his office. When Allison came on the line, Alex smiled at her old friend’s greeting. “Allison, it’s so good to hear your voice.”

  “Then why didn’t you call sooner.” Allison sounded more than a little bitter.

  “I’m sorry, Allie. I’ve made so many mistakes. I don’t know where to begin fixing things.”

  “Well, start by getting down here so we can be sure you’re going to be around to make things right.”

  Alex laughed. “There's my friend. When can you see me?”

  “How quick can you get here?”

  “Fifteen minutes.”

  “Come on. I can’t wait to see you, even if it is professionally.” Alex could tell Allison was smiling.

  Fifteen minutes later, Alex arrived at Harvey’s office. She was very impressed. Everything appeared to be brand new. The sunlight from the picture window in the lobby sparkled off the gray slate tile. The scent of the waiting room furniture burned her nose slightly, just like a new car. The counter tops were shiny and unblemished.

  Harvey must be doing something right to have such a great office.

  She smiled at the receptionist. “I’m Alex Dodson and I’m here to see Allison Brent.”

  “Ms. Brent is expecting you. Please come through the door and I’ll show you to the examination room.”

  The receptionist led Alex past a long line of doors to the end of the hall. She stopped and tapped on a door, waited a second or two, turned the knob and opened the door. Allison was waiting inside, sitting on a rolling stool and typing on an electronic tablet. “Come in and hop up on the table,” she said. “We’ll start with your medical history.”

  “Really, Allison? I haven’t seen you in, like, two years and you want to start with a medical history? You probably know it anyway. You came to see me when I had my appendix out in ninth grade. You brought me cookies when I had pneumonia my junior year. What do you need to know?” Just like in the lobby, the examination room was filled with shiny new equipment and furniture. She spun one of the stirrups at the end of the exam table. She moved back a bit, causing the paper sheet to crinkle underneath her.

  “Whose fault is it you haven’t seen me?”

  “Mine. Okay. What do you want to know?”

  Allison went through a handful of standard questions and Alex was relieved when her friend started acting like a friend again. “So tell me what the heck is going on with you and Harvey?”

  “I wish I could. I don’t know myself. You tell me what’s going on with him and Molly.”

  “Okay, the whole Molly thing is pretty crazy. Josh and I have talked about them, and we've talked to most of the old gang who still lives here in town. Nobody can figure out what is going on. I mean, they weren’t dating or anything. Harvey would take Molly to events at the country club. You know, those social events that everybody who’s anybody attends to be seen.”

  “I know, I remember going to them when I was younger. Hated those things. Harvey and I would inevitably end up in a cabana by the pool after we had been properly seen. So they were doing the social events and fell in love?”

  “Crazier than that. I don’t know that they ever were or are in love. Harvey is always nice and polite to Molly. You know Harvey. He’s that way with everybody. But it’s not like when you two were together. You couldn’t keep your hands off of each other…and those looks. I thought I was going to get diabetes from all the sweet, syrupy crap between you two.”

  Alex smiled. She remembered that time in their lives all too well.

  “Then the next thing we knew they were engaged.” Allison’s brow furrowed. She opened her mouth to say something and stopped. She scratched her head, a nervous habit Alex remembered well from their cheerleading days. “I haven’t told Harvey this because I just don’t know how, but did you know Josh is working at the Fairmont Inn out by the interstate? You knew we're still dating, right? He said he’s seen Molly’s car in the parking lot relatively frequently. He doesn’t know who she’s with because she’s never been the registered guest, but she’s there a couple times a week. Her car is always backed in so no one can see her vanity plate. It’s the same princess one she’s had since high school.”

  “Do you think Molly is cheating on Harvey?”

  “I don’t know, but someone needs to let Harvey know that Molly’s been hanging out at the Fairmont in the wee hours of the morning,” Allison said. “I’ve been trying to figure this out since Josh told me last month.”

  “Why doesn’t Josh tell Harvey?”

  “Harvey and Josh have never gotten along. I love Josh, but not everyone else does. When you first meet him he can be pretty obnoxious. But once he turns on the charm he’s great.”

  Alex laughed. “Josh is a love-him-or-hate-him kind of guy. I wasn’t so sure at first. What about a common friend? Maybe if one of their mutual friends dropped by to say hello to Josh and saw Molly’s car at the Fairmont, they could tell Harvey.”

  “Great idea. I’ll talk to Ben. He and Josh are always hanging out. He’s the perfect man for the job.”

  “Perfect. Ben is awesome.”

  “The other thing about Harvey and Molly is this office. I think Molly’s dad paid for everything,” Allison said, looking around the room.

  “What?”

  “Harvey was working at one of those clinics. You know the ‘Doc in a Box’ kind of place. I was working there too. Of course, Harvey being Harvey, he also volunteers at the nursing home.”

  “He’s taking care of my grandma.”

  “Then just before we found out he and Molly were engaged, he announced he was going into private practice and we moved into this office…all set up.”

  “Why do you think Molly’s dad paid for everything? And if Harvey and Molly are engaged, wouldn’t that be okay?”

  “That's the crazy thing. They weren’t engaged. I'm telling you the engagement came straight out of nowhere. Before we opened, I came by to look at the offices and pick mine and Molly was here with her dad. There was no reason for them to be here. It seemed like he was giving input about how things should be set up. He
even told Harvey about these x-ray light boxes and which brand he should order.”

  “Really? That’s weird. I wonder what’s up. Harvey promised he’d tell me everything tonight. We’re supposed to meet.”

  “Let me know what you find out and I’ll talk to Ben and Josh and we’ll see what we can come up with about Molly hanging out at that Fairmont. Now let’s get through with this exam so we can make sure you’re okay.”

  Allison gave Alex a quick, but thorough examination.

  “Well, will I live?” Alex asked when it was over.

  “At least another fifty or sixty years. Everything seems normal. Unless the lab work shows something out of the ordinary, I think you’re fine.”

  “Great. Will you tell Harvey so he’ll leave me alone?” Just before Alex climbed off the examination table, Harvey walked in.

  “It won’t work. I have no plans of leaving you alone again.”

  “There’s nothing wrong with me.” Alex walked over to him. “I told you,” she poked him in the chest, “that I was okay.”

  “You are more than okay.” He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close.

  “Stop. You can’t do that. Not here. People will talk.” Alex moved away.

  Harvey pulled her back into his arms. “Yes, ma’am. I’ll pick you up around seven?”

  “Perfect. See you then. Now go so I can finish talking to Allison.” She kissed him lightly and extracted herself from his embrace.

  “Get a room you two.” Allison laughed. “Never mind. I take that back. There are too many rooms around here.”

  “See you later.” Harvey leaned in and quickly kissed her, laughed and left the room.

  “Call me when you talk to Josh and Ben and let me know what they say. Then we’ll have to find a way to get everyone together so Molly's escapades can come up in conversation.”

  “I’m all over it. My next appointment is here and I am sure you need to go home and get ready for your date tonight.”

  “Thanks, friend,” Alex said, hugging Allison before she left.

  * * * * *

  When Alex got home she had a message to call Molly.

  Oh no. Has she found out Harvey and I are meeting tonight? What’s going on?

  Alex hesitantly dialed the number. “Molly?”

  “Hey, Alex. I’m glad you called me back. I just wanted to check up on you. I was so worried about you yesterday. Anyway, I was planning a little get together at the country club tomorrow night and Harvey and I would love for you to be there. We have some news to share and while the whole gang is in town we thought it would be the perfect time for a mini-reunion.”

  “That sounds fun. Who all will be there?”

  “Allison and Josh, Ben, Julie, Mariah, Wesley, you, me, and Harvey. We’re still calling folks. Anyone else you can think of?”

  “What about Seth? And Greg. Isn’t he still in town?” Alex asked.

  “Oh, Seth of course. Greg?”

  “You remember Greg,” Alex answered. “You went to our junior prom with him. Greg Roberts.”

  “I guess he’s still in town. I had forgotten all about him. He might be a good match for you. I wouldn’t want you to feel lonely.”

  “I’m sure I’ll be fine. What time tomorrow night?”

  “Say seven. Tomorrow is a busy day for Harvey, so we don’t want to start too early.”

  “I’ll see you there. Thanks for putting this together, Molly, it should be fun.”

  After she hung up, Alex twisted a strand of hair around her index finger.

  This is going to be interesting.

  She still had three hours to wait until Harvey was supposed to pick her up, but wasn’t sure she was ready to see Harvey. She questioned whether or not she was prepared to be alone with him. How would she react if he touched her? It had been over a year since they had been on a date and after that much time, Alex couldn't help but wonder how different things might be.

  Overwhelmed with all the sudden and powerful emotions bombarding her, she ran to the bathroom, afraid she was going to throw up. She had spent more than twenty minutes alone with Harvey since she'd been in town. Those times had been fine, but when they had the chance to be alone for an extended period of time, it might be a different story.

  She showered and went through every outfit she had brought with her. She needed the right thing to wear. She wanted to look good, but not overly eager. Sexy, but not slutty. She had to send the right message. At ten minutes to seven she was finally ready. She had decided on a skirt and blouse. The skirt hit just above her knees and had a little bit of flow to it, so with just the right turn it would show a little more leg. The blouse was very sheer, but she wore a camisole underneath so it didn’t expose too much. She thought the outfit would have the desired effect on Harvey. He should take one look at her and not be able to think about anyone else.

  She took one last glance in the mirror as the doorbell rang. Her heart raced. She wanted to run to the door, let Harvey in, and throw herself into his arms. But she had to show some restraint.

  I can't get involved any deeper or let things go any farther…not while Harvey's still engaged to Molly anyway.

  Alex took a deep breath, braced herself, and opened the door. There stood Harvey, a bouquet of flowers in hand, looking more handsome than ever. Her will-power melted away.

  She grabbed his hand and pulled him inside. “Get in here before someone sees you.”

  Once contact between them had been established, the last of her self-control drained away. Harvey was close enough the heat emanating off his body warmed her skin. She continued to hold his hand. Harvey laid the flowers on the table next to the door and used his free hand to pull her against him. Alex let herself be drawn into his embrace. She tilted her face up and waited for his kiss.

  She fought to catch her breath as Harvey kissed her—first her cheeks, then her eyelids—and by the time his lips met hers, her heart was pounding.

  She pulled away. “We have to stop this. While you are engaged to Molly we can’t behave this way.”

  “Then I’m going to have to hurry up and deal with Molly and her father. Because I can’t bear to be near you and not touch you and kiss you, and soon that won’t be enough.”

  “Let me get these flowers in water so we can get out of here. You know what a small town this is, and someone is going to see your car in Mom’s driveway and talk.”

  “I’m ready. We’re going downtown for dinner to try and avoid the small-town crowd.”

  The flowers tended to, Alex and Harvey left. They were quiet during the ride into town. It was about a thirty-minute drive and Alex just enjoyed the very nearness of Harvey. She held his hand and closed her eyes. She thought of their past and future. Hopes and fears ran through her mind.

  What if Harvey doesn't get out of his engagement to Molly? Or what if he does and we don't get along at all? Maybe it will all work out and everything I've ever dreamed of is about to come true.

  Too may “what ifs”. Alex shook her head and focused on the moment. “Where are we going?”

  “The Varsity.”

  “Okay.” Alex loved the Varsity, but she thought this date was about talking and dealing with their issues. While a chili cheeseburger and a frosted orange would be fabulous, The Varsity was always loud and crowded and not the best place for an intimate conversation.

  “Just kidding. A quiet, little Italian place in midtown. One of those places with booths with curtains and candles in wine bottles. You’ll love it.”

  “It sounds perfect.” Alex squeezed Harvey’s hand and leaned her head against his shoulder for a moment.

  * * *

  Harvey had made reservations, so their table was ready—a booth in the corner with a semi-circular seat so they could sit next to each other. A bottle of Pinot Grigio was waiting for them.

  Harvey’s hand shook ever so slightly as he filled their glasses. He had a lot to tell Alex tonight, and part of it wasn’t going to be easy at all.


  “Thanks for coming with me tonight. I hope you’ll understand I never intended for things to turn out this way. I always thought you would come home.” Harvey took a long drink. “I don't even know where to start. I had to attend those dang social events and Molly was there. I never planned on things going as far as they did.”

  “Harvey, you aren't making much sense. Just tell me why things are so complicated,” Alex said.

  He held Alex’s hands and looked into her eyes. “I fell in love with you in sixth grade. I never expected to be explaining to you how I ended up engaged to someone else. I didn’t want things to turn out this way.”

  “Harvey, honey, what the heck is going on?”

  His stomach churned and sweat beaded on his brow. “Molly and I started going to those country club events together. The fundraisers, the special occasion events, you know what I mean. I wasn’t seeing anyone else. I had to go and she was always going too. It just made sense for us to go together.”

  “I understand that completely. God Bless Sam. He’s taken me to more of those things than he ever wanted to.”

  “Really? I thought you said you hadn’t dated anyone?”

  “I haven’t. Frank is Sam’s partner. They’ve been together for years. Sam and I work together so much, it just helps for us to be seen together socially too.”

  “Oh.” Harvey was a little bit embarrassed. That will teach me to make assumptions.

  “I still don’t understand how some social events led to you being engaged and why this is so complicated.” Frustration leaked into Alex’s voice.

  “There’s no easy way to say it. Alex, Molly is pregnant.” Saying the words released his tension and the burden he’d been carrying seemed lighter. He hadn’t told anyone and, other than her parents, he didn’t think Molly had either.

  Alex pulled her hands out of his and slid away from him. “Oh.”

  That one small word spoke volumes. Her voice didn't crack but that one syllable rang with anguish. It hurt him. He had heard it before, when she called to tell him her father had died, and it hurt him then as well. Now the pain pierced his heart because he had caused it.

  “Alex. I’m sorry. I don’t know how it happened.”