I'll Stand By You

by Sharon Sala

  The ice clinked against her mother’s crystal as she took a good long swig of the tea and then set the glass aside as she thumbed through the notebook for Pansy’s number. The phone rang so long, she thought it was going to voice mail, and then a man suddenly answered.

  “Hello?”

  Ethel frowned. Drat. Bart Jones. Bart didn’t like her, and she didn’t like him either. Still, she needed to talk to his wife.

  “Hello, Bart, this is Ethel Carter. Is Pansy home? I need to speak with her.”

  “No, she’s not here. She took herself a little vacation and went to Savannah to see her sister. I’ll tell her you called.”

  He hung up in her ear before she could ask for Pansy’s cell phone number, but she shrugged it off. Maybe it was for the best. Maybe by the time Pansy returned, Ethel would have this mess all sorted out. She reached for her iced tea and the remote, then turned on the television to catch the evening news.

  * * *

  Lovey Cooper was over the moon about standing up for Dori and Johnny but furious as to why it was happening. Once she learned Ruby Dye would also be a witness, she gave Ruby a call.

  Ruby was locking up the salon when the phone began to ring. She almost let the answering machine pick up and then changed her mind.

  “Curl Up and Dye, Ruby speaking.”

  “Ruby, it’s me, Lovey. Are you as pissed off about what happened to Dori and Johnny as I am?”

  “Yes, but I have a good feeling about those two. I think they’ll make this work, even if it was a choice made under duress.”

  “Maybe,” Lovey said. “I called Pansy Jones this afternoon. I was gonna give her what for, but Bart said she had gone to Savannah for a couple of weeks to visit her sister. If you ask me, she hightailed it out of town hoping this would all go away before she returned.”

  “Stirred up all that trouble and then ran off, did she?”

  “She sure did. She’s going to come back to a cold reception if I have any say about it. There was no call for all of this ugliness. But enough about her. I wanted to know what you’re wearing tomorrow. Dori kept stressing that they had to keep it simple, but I think she at least needs a bridal bouquet, don’t you?”

  “Yes, and a cake. Every bride and groom should have a cake,” Ruby said.

  “And pictures, lots of pictures for remembrance,” Lovey added. “My nephew, Junior Cooper, is the photographer down at the Tribune. I’ll get him to come down and snap some shots. It would make a good story, anyway. I can see the headlines: Married to save a family…rather than getting married to have a family. What do you think?”

  “I think it’s too long for a headline,” Ruby said.

  Lovey giggled. “I always take too long to tell a story. They’ll figure it out. I’m still going to give Junior a call. As for the cake, the bakery owes me a favor. They screwed up on a great big order I had last month. I think I can wrangle us a wedding cake for tomorrow. We can have the reception at the party room in the restaurant.”

  Ruby’s excitement was growing. She loved making people happy.

  “Then I’ll get in touch with Franklin’s Floral and get them to do her up a little bouquet,” Ruby added. “And who’s gonna throw the birdseed when they come out of the church?”

  “Birdseed?” Lovey cried. “What about rice for good luck?”

  “Oh, they quit using rice when someone figured out the birds ate what was on the ground, then it swelled up in their little bellies and killed them. A mass bird killing is not a very auspicious beginning to a marriage.”

  “Well, I’ll swan. I didn’t know that,” Lovey said. “We could spread the word about the wedding and let whoever wants to come just show up.”

  “That’s an idea,” Ruby said. “In fact, I like that. I’ll run by the Walmart on the way home, get a sack of birdseed and some net and ribbon, and make up some packets to give out to whoever makes it to the church.”

  Lovey giggled. “This is fun! We should go into the wedding planner business.”

  Ruby groaned. “I wouldn’t want to change my calling. I like making people look pretty. As for what I’m wearing, I think I’ll wear a dress like I’d wear to church.”

  “Me too,” Lovey said. “So, see you tomorrow.”

  “Straight-up noon,” Ruby added.

  “Will do. Bye now.”

  “Good-bye,” Ruby said and then locked up the shop and headed to Franklin’s Floral before they closed.

  * * *

  Night came and Johnny was in bed but couldn’t sleep. This time tomorrow, he would have a wife but in name only. He didn’t know when or if they’d consummate the marriage, but he wanted to; God knows he wanted to.

  On the other side of the wall, Dori was sleepless as well, contemplating what it would be like to be married. Would Johnny expect her to sleep with him right away? She remembered how her grandparents had been with each other. Even at their ages, the love they had for each other was obvious. She wanted that; she wanted a partner in life, but she thought she was ready for a lover too. Then she rolled over and willed herself to sleep, convinced that she would know when it was right.

  * * *

  Granddaddy was smiling at Dori and blowing her a kiss when he suddenly disappeared. She woke up with a gasp and remembered he was gone and that today she was getting married. She abruptly burst into tears, sick at heart that he would not be here to give her away. Still crying, she went across the hall to the bathroom, did her business, and washed the tears away. Today was not a day for crying. Today was the beginning of the rest of her life.

  She hurried back in the room to get dressed so she could make breakfast. This was not an oatmeal morning either. She’d shopped purposefully for this and hurried up the hall to get busy before everyone woke up. As soon as she started the coffee, she dug through the refrigerator and then got to work.

  * * *

  Johnny opened his eyes to the smell of bacon frying and immediately two things went through his mind: they were not having oatmeal, and today Dori would be his wife. He rolled out of bed and hurried across the hall to the bathroom, resisting the urge to dance. He shaved with care, thinking about the wedding taking place at noon, and as soon as he was dressed, woke up the boys.

  “Hey, guys…time to get up,” he said.

  Marshall groaned without opening his eyes.

  “I thought we got to skip school today,” he mumbled.

  “You do,” Johnny said.

  Beep whimpered then shifted into a whine.

  “Then why do we have to get up?”

  Johnny grinned. “Take a deep breath and tell me what you smell.”

  They sniffed and then as if on cue, sat up.

  Marshall grinned. “Bacon! Dori is making bacon!”

  “What else is she makin’?” Beep asked.

  “Get yourselves dressed and come see,” Johnny said.

  They passed him on his way out the door and were laughing and giggling as they ran into the bathroom.

  Johnny paused in the kitchen doorway, looking for stress on her face, saw nothing but joy, and let the truth of their future settle in his heart. It was the best day of his life.

  He walked in with a smile on his face.

  “Something smells wonderful.”

  “Special supper last night. Special breakfast this morning,” Dori said.

  “That roast and vegetables last night was super. I can’t wait to dig in to this. What can I do to help?”

  “You can set the table, and we’ll need butter and jelly there as well. And you can taste test this bite of bacon, just to make sure it’s edible.”

  He grinned and opened his mouth as she popped in the piece.

  “Yum,” he said and headed for the cabinet, chewing as he went.

  The boys were fast on Johnny’s heels and in the kitchen before he’d finished sett
ing the table.

  “We smelled bacon!” Marshall cried.

  “There’s eggs! We got us some eggs!” Beep added and threw his arms around Dori’s waist. “We sure do love you.”

  Dori’s heart stopped. She shoved the eggs off the fire and put her arms around Beep’s neck.

  “Thank you, honey. I love you guys too.”

  Johnny smiled. She had enchanted all the Pines.

  “Guys, come sit and let Dori finish, okay?”

  They pushed and shoved on their way to the table to get the same seats they always sat in, which made Johnny roll his eyes. Why they thought they had to fuss to sit in the same chairs cracked him up.

  Dori dished up the eggs and added hash browns and bacon on each plate.

  “Oh man, this looks good,” Johnny said and carried plates to the table while Dori got the plate of toast.

  She sat down, watching as the Pines dug in, and knew she was right where God meant her to be. Regardless of what had precipitated this relationship, it had become a blessing. Aware that Luther could wake up at any moment, she picked up her fork and began to eat with them.

  And so the morning went. The closer it got to noon, the more frantic the activity became. Dori knew they would likely miss dinner, so she made some small sandwiches and let them graze from the platter as they passed through. Just as everyone needed in the bathroom at once, Luther took the opportunity to spit up on his clean outfit, and Dori had to stop and change him. By the time they left for the church, they were frazzled.

  “Getting married makes me tired,” Beep moaned as Johnny drove over the old railroad crossing.

  “I’m hot, and the baby looks mad,” Marshall stated.

  Johnny turned up the fan on the air conditioner, and Dori reached over the seat and rubbed Luther Joe’s curls. He squawked his disapproval, then popped his thumb in his mouth and the moment passed.

  Johnny glanced at Dori to see if she was upset by all the whining, but she looked absolutely Zen. He didn’t know how she did it. He didn’t know that she was storing all of the moments up for the years to come and the “remember whens.”

  When they arrived at the church, there was a rather large assortment of cars, and that was when the boys realized they were at the same place where the funeral had been held. They looked at each other and panicked.

  “Did someone else die?” Marshall asked.

  Johnny frowned. “No. What makes you say that?”

  “We’re back at the dead house,” Beep said.

  Johnny was stunned. Yet another sign of how he had neglected their upbringing. He looked at Dori.

  “Sorry.”

  She shook her head.

  “You have nothing to be sorry for, and, no, this isn’t a dead house. It’s a church. People come here every Sunday to sing songs and learn about the stories in the Bible. People also get married in churches.”

  “We don’t go to church,” Marshall said.

  “Well, we will today,” Johnny said.

  Beep frowned. “I don’t wanna go where no dead people are.”

  “Me either,” Dori said. “Let’s go inside and get ourselves married. Okay?”

  “Yay!” Beep cried and then poked Luther’s belly just to hear him laugh.

  “I’ll get the baby and the carrier,” Johnny said. “You get the outlaws.”

  Dori smiled at the boys as she grabbed her purse and the diaper bag.

  “Let’s go hold the door open for Johnny and ole Joe, and remember, quiet voices and best behavior in church.”

  “Yes, ma’am,” Marshall said. “I’ve got Beep covered.”

  They were almost at the door when it suddenly opened and Ruby and Lovey came out, all smiles and waving.

  “Come in, come in,” Ruby said. “Dori! I love how you did your hair, up on top of your head with those pretty curls down around your face.”

  “You all look amazing,” Lovey said. “Guys, come with me. Dori, give me the diaper bag. Mabel Jean is going to take care of the baby during the ceremony.”

  “Oh thanks,” she said and watched her man and men-in-training all disappear around the corner of the hallway.

  “You’re with me,” Ruby said and took her by the hand as they went in the other direction.

  “What are all the cars doing here?” Dori asked. “Is there another event?”

  “They belong to your friends, honey, and Johnny’s friends. They heard about what happened to you two, and they wanted to show their support by coming. I hope you don’t mind?”

  “Mind? It’s wonderful,” Dori said.

  Ruby frowned. “Don’t cry! You’ll mess up your face.”

  Dori dutifully blinked away tears as they entered one of the classrooms.

  “You got me flowers!” Dori cried as she picked up the bridal bouquet and held it beneath her nose. “I didn’t think we’d have any—”

  Ruby was grinning from ear to ear.

  “Oh, that’s not all! Junior Cooper from the Tribune is going to take pictures, and Lovey has a wedding cake and a reception set up at the party room at the restaurant for afterward.”

  Dori’s eyes widened and then she took a deep breath to keep from crying all over again.

  “So everyone pretty much knows about why this is happening?”

  “Yes, and they’re livid. Pansy Jones’s name is mud in this town right now, and it’s going to be a cold day in hell before all is forgiven.”

  “I never said her name. I can’t prove she did it,” Dori said.

  “Well, the fact that she hightailed it out of town says a lot,” Ruby muttered. “But enough about her. I hear the music beginning. We’ve got to get you into the chapel. As soon as the wedding march begins, Lovey and I will head down the aisle. Marshall and Beep are walking out with Johnny to the altar. We didn’t think Beep could handle too much ritual.”

  “Wise decision,” Dori said, and then she shivered as Ruby led her back into the hall. “I can’t believe this is happening.”

  Ruby paused. “Are you okay with it?”

  “I am very okay.”

  “Good. That’s what we want to hear.”

  * * *

  Lovey shuffled Johnny and the boys into a classroom where Mabel Jean was waiting. Mabel Jean took the baby in his carrier and the diaper bag and was sweet-talking to the little guy all the way to the sofa on the other side of the room.

  Johnny looked a little anxious and then decided to give in and let the rest of this happen without his control.

  “Uh, hey, Lovey, what’s with all the cars outside?” Johnny asked.

  “Oh, they’re friends. When they found out why this was happening so fast, they wanted to do their part to make this special for you.”

  He couldn’t believe it. After all the years he’d spent trying to live under Blessings’s radar, people were suddenly showing support. Lovey was fussing with the boys’ collars and their hair when Peanut Butterman walked in.

  “There you are!” he crowed, slapping Johnny on the back and winking at the boys. “Johnny, I have something for you.” He opened his hand and dropped the diamond-and-ruby ring into Johnny’s hand.

  “This was in Meeker Webb’s safety-deposit box. Dori said it belonged to her great-grandmother. I think today is a great day to give it to her, don’t you?”

  Johnny stared at the huge square-cut diamond and the smaller rubies set on either side and gulped.

  “Is this thing real?”

  “Yes, it is,” Peanut said. “Have you and Dori talked about uh…finances yet?”

  Johnny nodded. “Yes, we know it will be tight, but she’s going to get another computer and finish her online classes, and I’ll be saving money by not having to pay a babysitter. We’ll make it work.”

  Peanut grinned. “Boy, you are in for one really great surprise, but I need to
get back into the sanctuary. I don’t want to miss a moment of this. The whole wedding is going to be the lead story in tomorrow’s paper. You know that, right?”

  Johnny stared. “What? Why?”

  “You two have become something called ‘big news.’ This wedding isn’t to start a family. You’re both getting married to save yours. It’s what’s called a feel-good story, and I can promise it’s going to hit the Associated Press before it’s done.”

  Now his head was spinning. He didn’t know if this was bad or good.

  “Uh, does Dori know this?”

  “She didn’t, but if I know Ruby Dye, she does now. How do you feel about that?”

  Johnny shook his head. “I don’t care. We both agreed we’d do anything to save our boys.”

  “But how do you feel about her?” Peanut asked.

  And just like that, all the anxiety he was feeling went away; his voice lowered as the tone softened. “She and that little baby have become the light in our lives.”

  Then they heard the organist tuning up.

  “Here we go,” Lovey said. “Johnny will lead the way, then Marshall and then Beep, in that order. Boys, you will stand beside Johnny and you will not talk, fidget, or move out of position, is that clear?”

  The three looked at each other, then at Lovey, and spoke in unison.

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  She giggled. “This is going to be so much fun. I have to go and catch up with Ruby. See you soon.”

  Chapter 20

  Johnny and his brothers walked out into the sanctuary, and the moment he saw the pews filled to capacity, he nearly stumbled. The boys were right behind him, moving like little soldiers with their faces set and their arms swinging at their sides. He saw face after familiar face, and the ones that weren’t smiling were dabbing tears. When they stopped at the pulpit, he turned to face the congregation and the boys turned too. He took the ring out of his pocket and bent down and whispered into Marshall’s ear.

  “Hold this for me, buddy. And whatever you do, don’t put this in your mouth. It’s worth more than my weight in gold.”