by Arianna Hart
Eventually, the parade came to an end with the town council marching straight up the gazebo steps. The chairman shook Grant’s hand and thanked him for his service before addressing the crowd.
Grant listened with half his mind elsewhere. He made sure to nod and clap at all the right times, but his attention was on Ellie and the warmth he felt in his chest every time he saw her. How could he have been so stupid not to recognize his own feelings for her when they were right in front of his face? Why had it taken seeing her with his parents at the parade to bitch slap him with reality?
His timing sucked.
He wanted to grab the microphone from the droning chairman and shout to the town that he loved Ellie, but she deserved a little better than that. For Christ’s sake, he hadn’t done one romantic thing for her yet. He could at least buy her a flower or something. When he’d asked Chastity to marry him, he’d had a limo filled with roses and champagne and they’d driven along the coast with the sunroof open. He hadn’t picked Ellie so much as a daisy.
Ellie isn’t Chastity. She doesn’t need the props. She just wants the honest emotion.
Sometimes his subconscious was a hell of a lot smarter than his active mind. So Ellie didn’t need the grand gesture, but she did deserve a little more than having him just blurt out the words that were filling his heart.
He was still puzzling the best way to tell her he loved her when the chairman handed him the microphone and the crowd let out a roar.
Oh, shit. He’d forgotten he was supposed to say a few words. Everything he’d prepared flew out of his head. Instead of mooning about Ellie, he should have been practicing his speech. Time to wing it.
“Happy Founders’ Day, Dale!” He looked over the crowd on the town green. People of all ages gathered around on blankets and camp chairs. There were babies being rocked by parents and grandparents, little kids running around, teenagers sitting off to the side trying to look cool, and his parents sitting right in front of him, pride shining through them.
For him.
“When Mary Ellen asked me to be the honorary grand marshal, I almost turned her down. I didn’t feel like I deserved such an honor. It’s been ten years since I’ve spent any time in Dale and a lot has happened in that decade.”
He paused to look at all the faces staring up at him. Some were familiar, some were not, but they were all part of the fabric that made up his past, and hopefully, his future.
“As I made excuses as to why I shouldn’t be given the honor, someone reminded me that you all are the reason I served in the Navy in the first place. When I was injured, you were the ones who sent cards and letters and flowers and even stuffed animals. I got care packages while I was in Afghanistan that had my whole team jealous. By the way, Mrs. Farley, if you ever want to go into the bakery business, I know plenty of soldiers who’d be lining up to buy your cookies.”
“Give me their addresses, I’ll make them each a batch,” Mary Ellen’s mom called out and the crowd laughed.
“I bet you would. And that’s the reason I proudly served my country. I went overseas to protect all the towns like Dale where people go out of their way to help others, who make enough casseroles to feed a third-world nation when someone gets sick, and have bake sales for the library. I don’t know if the founders realized what a great town they were creating back in 1753, but I’m sure they’re all looking down, proud of what they accomplished. Thank you, everyone.”
He handed the microphone back to the chairman and took a deep breath to get his emotions under control. That wasn’t the speech he’d prepared, but it was what he felt in his heart. The townspeople didn’t need to hear about his trials, they needed to know they were appreciated, and he hoped he’d done that.
By the volume of the applause, he thought he’d managed to get his message across, loud and clear.
“If I hear how good I look in this uniform or how I haven’t changed a bit one more time, I think I might run screaming down Main Street,” Grant said as yet another member of the Garden Club walked away. “I wish I had brought clothes to change into so I wouldn’t stick out here like a beacon.”
“You could always change when you bring your dad back home,” Ellie offered, collecting his empty paper plate to bring to the trash can.
“Good thinking. Although, I’m afraid if I go in the house, I might not come back. I feel like I’m in a fishbowl.”
“Join the club,” Nadya said. She sat on the picnic blanket and dragged J.T. with her. “At least everyone staring at you likes you. Sometimes I’m still afraid an angry mob is going to come after me with pitchforks and torches.”
“Exaggerate much? You’re almost as big a hero as Grant is. After all, if you hadn’t brought your brothers’ business into town, there’d be a lot more people moving out to find jobs,” J.T. said.
“And if you’d sold your land to that developer, there wouldn’t even be a town anymore,” Ellie added.
“There are some people who wanted that development. It would have created higher-paying jobs than the trail-riding business.”
“In the short term, yes, but once the houses were built, the jobs would be gone again. The trail-riding business is a constant source of income, if somewhat less lucrative,” Ellie said.
“I just love it when she sounds all businessy,” Grant said, pulling her to his side while everyone laughed.
“How did two stupid Joes like us end up with such smart women?” J.T. asked.
“I’ve been told anyone with estrogen turns to mush at the sight of a man in uniform,” Grant answered.
Nadya shot a glittering look at her husband dressed in his police uniform. “I agree. Although, being such smart women, I think we like seeing a man out of uniform much more. Wouldn’t you agree, Ellie?”
“Absolutely.”
Grant felt his dick twitch at the look Ellie turned on him. She wriggled a bit and he knew she was thinking about sex, which made his cock harden even more.
“Grant, honey, I think we’re headed home. Dad’s just tuckered out and I’m ready for a nap myself,” Mrs. Anderson said, wheeling Mr. Anderson to their picnic blanket.
“I’ll bring the car around.” Grant stood and pulled Ellie up with him. “Will you be okay while I take care of my folks?” He hadn’t liked the way Pansy had been shooting glares at Ellie all afternoon. What was wrong with that woman?
“Of course. Why wouldn’t I be?” she asked, clearly puzzled.
“No reason. I’m just used to having you with me.” He couldn’t put a finger on what was bothering him, but something had him on edge.
“Then hurry back.” She smiled and went on tip-toe to kiss him. “Nadya got me thinking about you out of uniform,” she whispered in his ear.
“Hold that thought. I shouldn’t be gone longer than half an hour.”
Grant kissed her again and then turned to his mom. “If you give me the keys, I’ll take a load of stuff to the car and bring it back here.”
“I’ll go with you, you might need some help getting the car over here with all the barricades,” J.T. said.
“Appreciate it.”
It took a while for them to wind their way through the maze of picnic blankets, kids playing ball and well-wishers who wanted to shake his hand, but eventually they made it to where his mom had parked the car. Several other couples his parents’ age were getting into their cars as well.
“It looks like things are thinning out,” Grant said, taking the chairs from J.T. and putting them in the backseat. They’d need the trunk space for the wheelchair.
“A little bit. I imagine folks with young kids will be leaving before too much longer as well. There’ll still be plenty of people here for the dance and fireworks, which will make things interesting for my crew.”
“I bet.”
“Have you thought any more about joining the force? Chief Birch told the men t
oday that he was retiring in June. I could really use someone with your experience.”
“To be honest, I haven’t thought about it. A lot of stuff has been going on with my folks and the store. Give me a few weeks to get some of those issues cleared up and I’ll give it some serious thought. Do you have any information I could look at to get a better idea of what’s required in the police academy?”
“Funny you should ask. It just so happens I have an application in my cruiser. I’ll drop it off at your parents’ house the next time I swing by.”
“I’m not promising anything,” Grant warned.
“No pressure, just take a look. I think you’d be surprised at how well it would match up with your skill set.”
“We’ll see. Hey, would you do me a favor and keep an eye on Ellie while I’m gone?”
“Sure, but why?”
“I don’t know, I just have a bad feeling, you know?”
“Who would want to hurt Ellie? She takes care of half the town.”
“I don’t know,” he said again. “But I don’t like the looks Pansy’s been shooting her. Like it’s Ellie’s fault I don’t enjoy having Pansy shove her hand down my pants.”
“At least she hasn’t shown up at your house in nothing but some lace and high heels,” J.T. said with a mock shudder.
“Thank God for small favors.”
“I’ll keep my eyes open for trouble of the female variety. Pansy had a hate on for Nadya for a while too, but Nadya shot her down. She’s a tough chick for a contract lawyer.”
“Ellie isn’t as tough. Or at least I didn’t think so before.”
“Don’t worry, Mary Ellen’s around too, and she’s been looking for an excuse to tear into Pansy since Nadya left town after high school. She’ll protect your Ellie.”
Grant liked the sound of that. His Ellie. Now he needed to get his ass in gear so he could get back to her.
Chapter Twenty-Five
“Those two look just as good going as they do coming,” Mary Ellen said, joining Nadya and Ellie as Grant and J.T. walked off. “There’s something about a man with a nice butt that makes me glad to be a woman.”
“Mary Ellen. What if Bill hears you?” Ellie asked, scandalized.
“He knows he has nothing to worry about. I like his skinny butt just fine. He might not have the muscles of your men, but he’s got a wiry strength. And lots of energy. I like that.”
Ellie felt as if her face were on fire, she was blushing so hard. Nadya just laughed and put her arm around Mary Ellen. “There’s such a thing as too much sharing, Mar, really. You’ve got poor Ellie so embarrassed she’s going to get a sunburn from that blush.”
“Oh, poo. You know you both agree with me. A man can be as good looking as a Greek god, but if he’s no good in bed, what’s the point?”
“Grant definitely doesn’t have that problem,” Ellie blurted out.
Mary Ellen whooped with laughter. “I knew it. He looks at you like you’re his favorite flavor of ice cream and he’s dying to lick you up.” She waved a hand in front of her face. “Lordy, when he planted that kiss on you, I about thought my panties were gonna catch fire. I just love it when a man lays claim. It’s so sexy, in a caveman sort of way. Remember when J.T. planted one on you at the park, Nad? It was like he was staking his territory for all and sundry.” She sighed gustily. “I need to go find Bill. My folks are taking the kids back to the house after the sack race and I want to make sure he and I find some alone time before I have to get back to work. Bye now.”
Neither Ellie nor Nadya could get a word out for at least a solid minute, they were laughing so hard. “Oh my God, she hasn’t changed a bit. I still find it hard to picture her with Bill, but I know he makes her happy and that’s all that matters.” Nadya wiped the tears from under her dark, slanted eyes. “When I first came back to town, I’d forgotten how outspoken she was. It didn’t take long for me to realize she might be a married woman, mother and business owner, but she was still the same Mary Ellen.”
“I imagine it must have been hard coming back to Dale after…everything,” Ellie said.
“It wasn’t easy, that’s the truth. I had a lot of bitterness about Dale and some of its townspeople, but it didn’t take long to realize there were more good memories than bad. And of course, there was J.T. and Mary Ellen and the Farleys. I’d missed them much more than I’d realized.”
“Do you miss New York City?”
“Not a bit. Sure, it was an exciting place to live. But I worked so many hours, I never did anything exciting myself. I enjoy going back occasionally and visiting some of my friends and doing some shopping, but I’m glad I made the decision to stay here in Dale.”
“I’m glad too.” Ellie took a deep breath. “There’s something I need to say to you. When we were in high school, I was in the cafeteria when Pansy dumped her iced tea on you, soaking your white shirt in front of everyone. I didn’t do anything to help as she and her friends picked on you. I’ve felt terrible about that since it happened.”
“Are you kidding me? Ellie, if I remember correctly, I was a senior then and you were what? A freshman? I didn’t need you to stick up for me.”
“I know you didn’t need me to, but the right thing to do would have been to at least offer you a sweatshirt or something. I just stood there.”
“If you had stepped in, you would have become Pansy’s next target. As it was, J.T. gave me his shirt and we started dating shortly after that, so it all worked out for the best. Don’t hold on to negative memories like that, nothing good comes from it. I really feel sorry for Pansy. She’s looking for love and acceptance so desperately that she doesn’t realize she has to find it within herself, not in some man’s pants.”
“Save your pity for someone who needs it,” Pansy said from behind them, looking mad enough to shoot laser beams out her eyes. “I have my own house, a Mercedes and don’t have to buy my clothes from someone else’s rag pile.”
“Yet you go after every man in town under the age of fifty.”
“Even older. Branson Taylor is fifty-five,” Ellie said, stepping up and slightly in front of Nadya. “You talk about the material possessions you have, but those won’t make you happy. Until you realize that, you’ll just be a bitter, nasty woman who has more silicon in her body than warmth.”
“You could use a little silicon, String Bean. It won’t be long before Grant gets tired of playing with you and goes looking for someone with a little more to hold on to.”
Ellie felt a jab of insecurity, but she pushed it aside. “That may be the case, but at least I’ll know Grant and I shared something a lot more special than a quickie against the back wall of the hardware store.”
“You disgusting whore, how dare you?”
“How dare she what? Tell the truth?” Mrs. Anderson said.
Ellie hadn’t realized Mrs. Anderson had moved close enough to hear the conversation. Frantically, Ellie replayed it in her head, trying to figure out if she’d said anything she’d regret. She stopped worrying about it though when Mrs. Anderson got right up in Pansy’s face.
“You know you’d trade all your clothes and your cars to have Grant look at you the way he looks at Ellie. Quit trying to step on others to feel better about yourself. It doesn’t work and it only makes you look bad.”
Pansy stepped back and finally looked around her at the people who’d stopped what they were doing to watch the drama unfolding in their midst. “I-I,” she stuttered to a stop and fled. A few of her cronies followed her out to the parking lot.
“Good riddance,” Mrs. Anderson said, rubbing her hands together. “Do you know she showed up at my house the other day looking for Grant? She was wearing that long trench coat and I can only guess what she had on under it. Her momma should have slapped some sense into her instead of filling her head with jealousy and entitlement.”
“Spoiled b
rat,” Mr. Anderson said from his wheelchair. “She can’t pick on our Ellie.”
Ellie hugged first Mrs. Anderson and then Mr. Anderson. She was so lucky to have such great people in her life. “Thanks for having my back.”
“Anytime, dear. Now you go freshen up and I’ll make sure Grant is back in two shakes.”
“Dance one for us,” Mr. Anderson said.
“You bet.”
Nadya moved next to Ellie and they watched the Andersons follow the path to the parking lot. “He’s come a long way since he’s been home from the rehab hospital. I visited him while he was in there and he couldn’t get a word out.” Nadya bent down and gathered up the picnic blanket.
“He still struggles with speaking. Sometimes he’ll say something that makes no sense. The words are understandable, but they don’t fit the context of the conversation. It gets him so frustrated. We’ve made up a sheet of words that somehow get mixed up between his brain and his mouth and he’ll point to them when he has trouble. It’s slow going, but it’s working. He’s talking more every day, and today I got to see him walk for the first time. I didn’t think I’d ever see him on his feet again.”
“That’s great. The Andersons are like the Farleys, just wonderful people. I don’t know what I would have done without them in my life growing up.”
“Tell me about it. My grandmother was in her sixties when I was born. Having a toddler at the age of sixty-five wasn’t part of her retirement plan. The Andersons taught me how to drive and helped take care of Grandma when I was in school. I owe them so much more than I can ever repay.”
“The nice thing about folks like the Andersons and Farleys is that they don’t need or want repayment.”
“True.” Ellie shook off the heavy mood with some effort. She’d gone from feeling euphoric when Grant had kissed her in front of the entire town, to angry when Pansy had verbally attacked Nadya, to humble when the Andersons had stepped in. It was like being on an emotional roller coaster, and she was ready to get off the ride. “It’s too nice of a day to get bogged down in drama. Let’s see if they need help setting up for the dance and then find Mary Ellen. I bet she has a bottle of wine hidden somewhere.”
