Wedding Date in Hot Springs, Arkansas

by Annalisa Daughety

  Hardly. “That’s the thing. Jackson and I actually know each other from college. We aren’t exactly compatible.”

  Mimi giggled. “I beg to differ, dear. You both fit the bill almost perfectly for what the other is looking for. I rarely make a match like that.”

  “Maybe on paper. But not in real life. In real life we’d kill each other.” Violet drummed her fingers on her desk. “Please tell me you can find someone else for me. And fast.”

  The sound of fingers clacking away on a keyboard came through the line. “I’m looking at all of your available matches right now.”

  “And?” Violet held her breath.

  Mimi giggled again. “And there’s exactly one. Jackson Stratford.”

  Violet let out a loud groan. “This is ridiculous. There’s got to be more than one man in your whole database who is a match for me.”

  Mimi clucked her tongue. “You forget, dear, that you also have to be a match for him. And only one person in my database fits that bill for you. Jackson Stratford.”

  “Stop saying his name.” Violet pushed a strand of hair out of her face. The situation bordered on insane. “Surely there is another option.”

  “I offer a money-back guarantee. If you aren’t satisfied with your encounter with…him, then I’ll be happy to refund your money.”

  “Then what am I supposed to do?”

  “I can’t help you there, dear. There are other services out there, but I can’t speak to their success rate. I can only tell you that according to the questionnaire you two filled out, as well as what I saw in your personal interviews, the two of you are—in my professional opinion—very well suited for one another.”

  “But why, exactly?” She couldn’t imagine what she and Jackson had in common. He was probably a cat person who hated the outdoors and only ate takeout. He probably hated to travel and only listened to classical music. No way was he her match. No way.

  Mimi sighed. “I encourage my clients to find that out for themselves.”

  Violet had had enough. “No thanks. I’ll come by your office later in the week for my refund.” She hung up the phone.

  So much for that.

  Her intercom buzzed. “Violet?” Dad’s voice boomed through the office. “Can you come in here please?”

  “Sure.” She smoothed her yellow dress and hurried down the hallway. She smiled widely as she walked into the ornate corner office.

  “Have a seat.” He motioned toward the leather couch.

  Violet sat down and waited for him to talk.

  Dad paced in front of his desk.

  “Is everything okay?”

  Dad stopped pacing and looked at her. “We need to talk about the amount of pro bono work you do.”

  It was a fight they had about once a year. “You know that’s important to me.”

  He leaned against his desk. “I know. And I’m proud of the work you do. It’s just that over the past year, that has been the bulk of your workload.”

  “And you want me to find a better balance.”

  Dad nodded. “Sometimes we don’t always get to do what we want to do. Sometimes we have to think of the good of the firm.”

  Violet hadn’t done what she wanted to do in years. She’d dabbled in art in college and taken some creative writing classes. But her liberal arts degree wasn’t too helpful in landing a job, so she’d chosen law school out of desperation. “I know. It’s just that those are the only cases I enjoy.”

  Dad frowned. “Violet, you’re not always going to enjoy every minute of your day. It isn’t possible.”

  “I disagree. I think there are a lot of people who enjoy every minute of their days. You do, don’t you?”

  He shrugged. “I’m a different kind of person. I wanted to be a lawyer since I was a little boy and your granddaddy would let me come with him to the office.”

  She’d never felt that way. Not once. She’d wanted to be partner because it seemed like the kind of accomplishment she could be proud of, that her parents could be proud of. But not because it was fulfilling some kind of lifelong passion. “I want to be the kind of person who is happy with every minute. We’re only given so many minutes to live.”

  Her eyes filled with tears as she realized what she had to do.

  Jackson couldn’t concentrate on work. He’d like to think it was just a bad case of spring fever, but he had an idea it was because of his redheaded lunch date. Or nondate, as she’d been quick to point out.

  His cell phone buzzed against his desk.

  Kathleen.

  “Hey, sis. What’s going on?” She was his only sibling, and despite past differences, they were great friends now.

  “Oh, you know. Trying to find my Superwoman cape, but I keep losing it.”

  He chuckled. “How are Andy and the kids? Everyone well?”

  “Andy is busy with work. Olivia and Tyler are both playing soccer this year. You’ll have to come to a game.”

  Jackson nodded. He loved his niece and nephew dearly. “I’ll be there. Send me a schedule.” The drive from Little Rock to Memphis wasn’t a bad one, and he tried to visit at least monthly.

  “They’ll be thrilled. And you know Andy and I would love to see you any time.”

  “Thanks.”

  Kathleen cleared her throat. “Have you seen Mom lately?”

  “Sunday at church. Why? Is something wrong?” Since their dad’s death last year, Kathleen and Jackson had been monitoring their mother closely.

  “Not exactly.” She sighed. “She called yesterday and seemed awfully chipper. After we talked for a few minutes, she told me she was having dinner with a man from her Sunday school class.”

  “What?” Jackson hadn’t expected this news. “That’s crazy.”

  “Not really, if you’ll just keep an open mind. Daddy’s been gone for a year. I kind of expected it to happen eventually.”

  “It’s too soon.” Jackson raked his fingers through his hair. “Way too soon.”

  “I had a feeling you might have that reaction, so that’s why I wanted to give you a heads up.” Kathleen had always been the calm one. “Don’t overreact though. She’s only fifty-six. Not exactly over the hill, you know? It’s perfectly normal for her to want to date.”

  Jackson wanted his sister to be as outraged as he was. Clearly that wasn’t happening. “I still say it’s too soon. And what does Mom know about dating these days? Things have changed since she and Dad got together.”

  Kathleen laughed. “Mom is a smart woman. She’ll figure it out. Does she text you as much as she does me? She loves her new iPhone so much that she wants an iPad for her birthday.”

  Jackson hadn’t even gotten an iPad yet. “She texts sometimes. And I know she’s a smart woman. That’s why I’m surprised she’s starting to date.”

  “Do you expect her to stop living? Relationships are an important part of life.” Kathleen paused. “Speaking of…Did Lauren talk to you yet?”

  He groaned. “Yes. She made her point—your point—very clear.”

  “We’re just worried about you. Life can be more fun if it’s shared.”

  “I’ve gotten along just fine over the years.”

  She laughed. “Let me rephrase. Meaningful relationships make life worth living. You’re getting too old to keep playing games.”

  He loved his sister, but between the bombshell about Mom’s newfound dating life and the analysis of his own love life, he’d heard enough. “I’d better go. Thanks for the info. E-mail me the kids’ ball schedule.”

  Jackson hung up the phone and tried to concentrate on work.

  But Violet’s yellow dress and pretty face kept flashing through his mind.

  Chapter 8

  Violet Matthews: I JUST QUIT MY JOB. (Text message sent August 27, 4:22 p.m.)

  Reagan McClure: I THINK CHAD IS HAVING AN AFFAIR. (Text message sent August 27, 4:24 p.m.)

  You win.” Violet clutched the phone to her ear as she boxed up her personal belongings from her office. />
  “Actually just the opposite. I lose. Big time.” Reagan’s hiccup gave away her recent crying jag.

  Violet crammed some framed pictures into a box. “Tell me what happened.” She listened as Reagan described seeing Chad and a woman having coffee.

  “It’s no wonder. I’m just a big old blob. I’m always covered in pee and poop and vomit. And I’m cranky. Not exactly the kind of woman a man wants to come home to.”

  Violet stopped what she was doing and sat down in her chair. “First of all, you aren’t a blob. You look great considering you had twins just a few months ago. And who can blame you for being cranky? You haven’t had a good night’s sleep in forever. Let Chad get up with the kids all night and I’ll bet he is a little cranky, too.”

  Reagan snorted. “Like that will happen.”

  “Seriously. Don’t sell yourself short.”

  “Do you see those Hollywood actresses on the cover of People? Four or five days after they give birth, they’re back in their size twos and strutting on a red carpet without a care in the world.”

  Violet let out a chuckle. “Come on, Reagan. First of all, I’m sure Photoshop is hard at work on some of those pictures. And second of all, I’d definitely put you on my list of hot mommies that I know.”

  “Shut up. I am not in that category at all.”

  “It’s probably like ninety-percent attitude. Cut yourself some slack. It isn’t exactly like you’ve had time to focus much on yourself during the past several months.”

  “True. And now Chad is off cavorting with some woman at Starbucks.”

  “Seeing him at Starbucks with a woman isn’t exactly proof of an affair. Chad is in HR. He interviews people all the time and not always in the office. You know that.”

  “An interview? You think that’s what it was?” Reagan asked.

  “Until you know otherwise, that’s what I’d guess. Try not to jump to conclusions, okay? I know things haven’t been perfect lately, but try to keep calm.”

  “Calm.” Reagan let out a laugh. “My life hasn’t been calm in ages. I mean, I managed okay with just two kids. There were two of us and two of them. I wanted to wait to try for a third. I told Chad I really wanted Izzy and Ava Grace to be a little older. But he wanted a boy so badly, and then when we found out we were having twins…well, I guess that’s the last time I was calm.” She sighed. “I love them all dearly. I’m so blessed to be their mama. And I know this part flies by so fast that I’ll look back and wish I had it back.”

  “Still though. You’re overwhelmed. Have you thought about calling your mom and seeing if she can stay with you for a couple weeks? Maybe if you have an extra pair of hands for a little while it will help you get a handle on everything.”

  “She and Daddy just got settled in their new place in Branson. He’s finally feeling better, but I know he depends on her a lot. I hate to even ask because I know she’ll come over right away. It would be different if Daddy would come, too, but I know he’d rather be at his own house.” Reagan’s dad had a variety of health problems, and her mother served as his primary caregiver.

  Violet emptied her top drawer. “Isn’t there someone who could look in on him for a little bit so she could come stay with you? And I know you don’t want to consider this, but Chad’s mother isn’t too far away. Can you put up with her if it means preserving your sanity?”

  Reagan didn’t say anything for a long moment. “Maybe.” She let out a huge sigh. “But I’m still not sure what I saw today. They were talking and laughing. It definitely didn’t seem interview appropriate.”

  “So ask him. Tell him you thought you saw him there and see how he reacts. Just don’t jump to the worst conclusion possible until you have some facts. Okay?” Violet hated the situation Reagan was in, but sometimes looks could be deceiving. Lots of interviews probably took place every day at Starbucks. Of course lots of affairs probably started there, too, but she’d keep that to herself.

  “You’re right. I’ll ask him. Now what’s this about you quitting?”

  It was Violet’s turn to sigh. “I resigned. Is that the craziest thing you’ve ever heard? First I learn that Jackson Stratford is the only man in the state of Arkansas that I’m a match for, and then I up and quit my job without even having a plan in place.” Her dad had tried to talk her into staying put until the end of the year to give her plenty of time to find a new firm, but she’d asked for an immediate release.

  “I can’t even process all of that. The job first though. What happened?”

  Violet filled her in on the conversation she’d had with Dad. “I normally take a ton of time in making big decisions like that. I pray about them, and I think about them. But in that moment in his office, I knew there was only one thing I could do. And that meant quitting.”

  “What will you do now?”

  Violet finished filling the box. “I have no idea.” She sighed. “I could interview for another firm, one that’s more focused on pro bono work.” She hated to tell Reagan about the other possibility.

  “This is an important decision for you. You haven’t been happy with your job in years. Ever, maybe. You could reevaluate.”

  “And what? Start a new career?”

  Reagan sighed. “I’m just saying. Once upon a time in a land far, far away, I had a career that I loved. Adored. I was happy at work. Fulfilled.” Reagan had worked as a graphic designer and had dabbled in photography. She’d given it up when Izzy was born, and she and Chad had agreed she’d stay home until the kids were all in school.

  “I know. And you were good at it.”

  “So find what you’re good at. Find your passion. I’ve been telling you for years that you should rethink your career.”

  It was the truth. Violet’s favorite thing about being a lawyer when she’d gotten out of law school had been living in DC. Not her career. And when she’d moved back to Arkansas to join the family firm, she’d always thought she’d find the joy, but the only time she’d come close was doing the pro bono cases where she felt like she was actually making a difference. “Well…there is one thing I’m considering.” She paused. “But it’s totally crazy.”

  “Sometimes the best ideas are, don’t you think?”

  “Grandma e-mailed me this morning to let me know the shop next to Mrs. Kemp’s is available.”

  “I’d forgotten about Mrs. Kemp’s shop. What’s it called?”

  “Aunt Teak’s.” Violet smiled. “There’s a shop right next door that used to be a sandwich place. Grandma thinks I should consider finally opening my own cupcake place.”

  Reagan let out a squeal. “Oh, Violet! You’ve always wanted to do that. And I have to say, every time we have a birthday party everyone always wants to know what bakery I use.” She laughed. “Of course, now I’ll have to start paying you.”

  Violet giggled. “Let’s not get ahead of ourselves. This would be a gigantic decision. I mean, moving to a new city is a huge deal, even one as nearby as Hot Springs. Not to mention launching a store.”

  “I could design your logo. And website. And come in and do some pictures.” Reagan’s voice grew more animated than Violet had heard in a long time.

  “I’ll keep you posted on my decision. I need to go home and really think things through and look at my finances. I might go to Hot Springs soon though, just to look at the space.” She couldn’t believe she was saying this out loud.

  “Well I, for one, am totally supportive. Even though it would mean you’d be an hour away.”

  Violet smiled. She could always count on her friend for support. It was just one of the many blessings in her life. “Thanks. If you want to pray for me to make a good decision here, I’d appreciate it.”

  “And if you want to pray that Chad and I can get on the right track, I would, too.”

  “Done.” Violet hung up and picked up her box. She wanted to leave before Dad came to see her. He’d been pretty upset.

  She hated disappointing her parents. But maybe it was time to start livin
g out her own dreams.

  Dear Mama,

  Did you really like working at Aunt Teak’s? Because I’m totally bored being around all that old stuff all the time. Nana says you liked it, but so far I haven’t found anything in your journal to back her story up.

  I’m trying to talk them into letting me get an after-school job somewhere a little cooler than an antique store, but so far I’m not having much luck. Nana’s friend from across the street told me that her granddaughter might be opening a bakery next to Aunt Teak’s. I haven’t told Nana yet, but if that happens, I’m going to get a job there.

  I met a cute boy at church on Sunday. His name is Chase, and he plays tennis. He invited me to play sometime, so I’ve been practicing by playing Wii tennis with Granddaddy. I don’t think it’s going to help much, but we’re having a good time.

  I miss you.

  Love,

  Shadow

  Reagan put the last of the dirty dishes in the dishwasher and closed the door. Maybe they should start using paper goods. It would be bad for the environment, but it might save her sanity.

  She glanced at the clock. Almost nine. This was getting ridiculous. She’d tried all day to put the scene from Starbucks out of her mind. Of course Violet was right. It was probably an interview. But each time she’d texted Chad after she got home, he hadn’t mentioned it. Only said it was a hectic day and he’d be home late.

  So once again she’d been alone to feed, bathe, and put the kids to bed.

  “The door was unlocked,” Chad said.

  Reagan jumped at the sound of his voice. “I didn’t hear your car.”

  “I was driving my super stealthy silent car tonight.” He grinned. “But seriously, you should lock the door. Do I need to put that on your list?” He opened the fridge and took out a Coke.

  She stopped wiping the counter and glared at him. He’d made fun of her list for months now. “I have a lot on my mind. You try getting out of the house with four kids and see if you can remember everything without looking at the list.” She’d written all the necessities on a Post-it and stuck it next to the back door. One trip to church with no diapers in the diaper bag had been one too many.