ARKANSAS WEDDINGS: THREE-IN-ONE COLLECTION

by Shannon Taylor Vannatter

  Her heart did a somersault. “You’re making perfect sense, for the first time in months.”

  “If, God forbid, anything happens to you, He’ll be there to put me back together, like He did three years ago. He’s shown me that I need to turn all fears over to Him and rely on Him for my happiness, instead of earthly relationships. God has given me the strength to love you. I need you, Adrea. My son needs you.”

  She pressed a hand to her tremulous lips. “What if something happens to shake that strength? What if you change your mind again? My heart can’t take another breakup.”

  Grayson took her hands. “I need to tell you about the accident.”

  “You don’t have to.”

  “Yes, you need to know the details. It will help you understand me. People who plan to get married need to understand one another.”

  Adrea’s mouth went dry. She couldn’t have spoken, even if her whirling brain could have formed words.

  He scooted two tall stools out of the corner.

  Obediently, she sat, facing him.

  “As you know, Dayne and I were also in the accident. Thankfully, he was in his car seat and came out unscathed. I remained conscious the entire time rescuers worked to cut us out.”

  Adrea watched Grayson mentally relive the past. His pained expression put an ache in her heart.

  “My legs were pinned, so I couldn’t move. Dayne was screaming at the top of his lungs, but I couldn’t get to him. I could touch him, but couldn’t get him out of his car seat to hold him or comfort him.”

  Tears glistened in his eyes. “Sara looked fine but was unconscious. After a while, her breathing became more and more labored. Though she never came to, she coughed up blood a couple of times.

  “She started gurgling. Her breathing grew more difficult and infrequent, until it stopped. A paramedic worked on her through the broken windshield, but it wasn’t enough. She drowned in her own blood, with me sitting right next to her. Completely powerless.”

  Adrea stood and wrapped her arms around him. “I’m so sorry.”

  “When I saw your apartment building on fire, I felt that helplessness again. That night, I dreamed of the accident, the sound of Sara struggling to breathe, and Dayne crying. This time, after a while, it wasn’t Sara beside me, but you. Then the car caught fire.”

  “Oh Grayson.”

  They held each other, tears mingling, before he managed to pull himself together.

  “Loving you still frightens me, but I can’t live my life in fear and lose you. I’d rather love you and risk losing you. I’m tired of wasting time when we could be together.”

  The showroom door opened. “Oh my.” Rachel gasped.

  Adrea and Grayson disentangled themselves.

  Rachel grinned and backed toward the showroom. “I’ll just go find a plant to water.”

  On Valentine’s Day, the showroom door opened and Dayne burst through. “Pretty flowers.”

  “For a pretty lady.”

  Dayne flew into Adrea’s arms as Grayson joined them. “I’m so glad you and Daddy are friends again.”

  “Me, too.” She glanced at Grayson.

  He joined the embrace, his chin resting on top of her head. “Will you come to the cemetery with us today? One last time.”

  Adrea frowned but didn’t ask questions and grabbed her jacket. “Sure.”

  Fifteen minutes later, they arrived at the cemetery. Adrea’s black heels sank into the red clay, but despite the chill in the air, her heart sang. The threesome held hands as Dayne carried the white roses for his mother.

  She no longer felt like an interloper when it came to Sara. Instead, Adrea felt as if Sara’s torch, to love and care for those she left behind, had been passed on. She willingly complied.

  Dayne solemnly placed the flowers and polished the headstone while his father tidied the grave. Adrea stood off to the side with a sense of belonging.

  “Son, head to the car. We’ll be there in a few minutes.”

  “Okay.” The boy hurried in that direction.

  He took both of Adrea’s hands. “I’ve wasted so much time. I never thought I’d be happy again after Sara died, but God sent me you. And I almost blew it.” He kissed her forehead. “I’ve asked Sara’s parents to do the flowers in the future. I’ll only come on Valentine’s Day, and I won’t bring Dayne anymore, unless he asks.”

  “Are you sure?”

  “Dayne and I need to move forward.” He tucked her hand into his elbow and turned toward the car. “With you.”

  His words warmed her heart. She snuggled against his side.

  The next day, Grayson sat at his desk at the church. Footsteps headed his way and he looked up to see Mark.

  “Good, just the person I need to see.” Mark closed the office door.

  He didn’t look happy about it.

  Grayson offered his hand.

  Mark ignored it.

  “What’s on your mind?”

  “My sister.”

  “Isn’t that a coincidence? She’s on my mind, too.” Grayson smiled, but it died on his lips when Mark didn’t match his cheerfulness.

  “Look, as long as Adrea is happy, there’ll be no interference from me. But if you hurt her again, you’ll have me to answer to.”

  “I’m well aware of that.” Grayson rubbed his stomach as if it were still tender from Mark’s blow. “I love your sister. I’ve talked with God about her and placed her in His hands. Through His strength, I can move on.”

  “You’re sure?”

  Grayson opened his mouth.

  Mark raised his hand to silence him. “Let me finish. You’ve been through a lot and my concerns may seem callous. But are you certain that you’re ready this time?”

  “I plan to propose. Our life together can’t begin soon enough for me.”

  Mark nodded. “Adrea deserves to be happy.”

  “I’ll do my utmost to never hurt her again.” The two men shook hands.

  Adrea hummed as she put together a bridal spray. Early March brought preparations for the first spring wedding of the year. The showroom door opened and she turned to find her very own prince.

  “Close your eyes.” He shot her a devilish grin.

  “What are you up to?”

  “I’m kidnapping you.”

  “Sounds heavenly, but I have a wedding today.”

  “Rachel promised to handle it.”

  Tears pricked her eyes.

  “What?” His hand cupped her cheek.

  “I’m not used to having a man care about my schedule or my business.”

  “Get used to it.” He kissed the tip of her nose. “Everything’s taken care of. Now close your eyes.”

  Shivers moved over her as she obeyed. A soft linen cloth draped over her face and she could feel Grayson tying it in place, careful not to pull her hair. Spicy cologne filled her senses.

  His arm came around her waist and he walked her out.

  “It better not be very far. The suspense will drive me mad.”

  Adrea lost all sense of direction as Grayson drove. Each turn took her stomach.

  “Is it much farther?”

  He stopped the car. “Actually, we’re here.” His car door opened, then hers, and he helped her out.

  “Can I see now?”

  “Not yet.” With his arm around her waist again, he walked her across bumpy ground. “Slight step up.”

  Level, a sidewalk perhaps.

  “Now, three steps down.”

  Water. The rush of water.

  “Romance Waterfalls.”

  “You’ve been here before?” He sounded disappointed. “Eight steps down.”

  “I’ve done two weddings here, but I always love coming.” She touched the blindfold. “Can’t I see now? I’m missing all the landscaping.”

  “Not just yet. Five steps down.”

  She followed his instructions and the sound of rushing water grew louder, until finally, he stopped and removed the handkerchief.

  They s
tood on the balcony overlooking the waterfall. The water crashed over jutting rocks.

  “Even though I’ve seen it before, I’ve never seen it with you.” She turned to scan the flower beds, kept fresh looking with silk blossoms in the winter.

  “Good, I wanted this to be special.” He knelt on one knee. “Will you marry me?”

  “Oh Grayson.”

  “Is that a yes?”

  “Yes.”

  Grayson swept her into his arms. He had proven Rachel was right, after all. Men do indeed sweep women into their arms.

  “Let’s get married on Easter. We usually dismiss evening services. What better time for a wedding?”

  Joy welled in her soul. “Can we pull a wedding together that fast?”

  “We’ll put an army on it, my mom, yours, Grace, Rachel, Helen.”

  She pulled away to look into his eyes. “At Palisade. A fresh start for both of us.”

  “We’ll create good memories. Together.”

  Adrea thought back to when Grayson announced their engagement at church this morning. Everyone applauded. After services, well-wishers surrounded Adrea. Sylvie’s friends offered congratulations, but Sylvie didn’t.

  Despite Sylvie’s disapproval, it was no longer Grayson and Sara, but Grayson and Adrea. He spoke of his first wife less as he and Adrea developed a history of their own. Their names were now synonymous to those who knew them.

  The smell of charbroiled burgers beckoned her back to setting the table. She rubbed her chilled hands together. Crazy. Who else would grill outdoors in the middle of March? But Dayne loved it.

  She caught Tripod. “Away from the table, or I’ll lock you in the house.”

  “Have you settled the new shop yet?” Grayson asked.

  “I promise it will all be under control before the wedding. I’ll find a great manager, so I won’t have to go there but maybe once a month.”

  “Make it happen sooner.” He flipped the burgers. “I’m tired of our bicoastal relationship.”

  “It’s only two days a week and not that far.” The nagging at her conscience wouldn’t let up. “Have you talked to Edward and Joyce about our wedding?”

  “Yes.”

  “And?”

  “It’s hard on them, but they’re happy for us.”

  “I think we have one more thing to take care of before we can move forward. Do you think your mom or Grace could watch Dayne after supper?”

  “Tonight?” He quirked an eyebrow. “I’d like to get it over with.”

  By the time Grayson parked in the Owens’ drive, Adrea’s whole body trembled.

  “I can do this.” He squeezed her hand.

  “No, it’s my place.” She jumped out of the car and hurried to the door, but he halted her.

  “Okay, but do what you have to do. Then go.”

  “I can’t drop my bomb and skulk away. What will they think of me?”

  He smoothed her hair. “I don’t want anything said in a moment of shock that could hurt for a lifetime.”

  Adrea shook her head.

  “Okay, I’ll leave with you, take you home, then come back to check on them.” Grayson waited until she nodded, then rang the doorbell.

  “Well, how nice to see you,” Edward said. “Come in. I hear congratulations are in order.”

  She was thankful for his always gracious attitude. In contrast, Joyce looked anything but happy.

  “Joyce, sorry to bother you without calling first.” Grayson hugged his former mother-in-law. “Adrea and I need to clear some things up.”

  “Oh.”

  There wasn’t any way to ease in to it, and her heart felt as if it would surely burst from her chest. “I was engaged to Wade Fenwick.”

  “Oh my.” Joyce clasped her hand to her heart and reclaimed her seat on the sofa.

  Adrea felt the blood drain from her face.

  “Let me.” Grayson tried to steer her toward the door.

  “No, they should hear it from me.” Adrea closed her eyes. “He’d been sober for two years when we met. Shortly before our wedding, I learned he’d been unfaithful, and I called off the engagement.”

  “Do we really need to do this?” Edward pulled his wife into his arms. “I’d just as soon never hear anything about that dreadful man. It’s past history; what does it matter?”

  “But it does matter.” Adrea stared at the floor. “Our wedding day would have been February 14th, three years ago. He started drinking again because of our breakup.”

  Edward’s face crumpled and a sob escaped Joyce.

  Grayson urged Adrea toward the door.

  “I’m sorry. Truly I am, but I—we—were afraid you’d hear it from someone else and be angry with us for not being honest with you.”

  Grayson hurried her outside.

  Feeling cowardly, she wiped her eyes and looked toward the house next door. A redhead ducked behind the swaying curtains.

  Adrea pulled away from Grayson and ran to his car.

  On Easter evening, the twenty-six-year-old bride sat in one of Mountain Grove’s classrooms. While Rachel wove baby’s breath into Adrea’s dark hair, Grace applied pale pink nail polish. Emma and Mom fluffed and clucked nervously as Adrea calmly sat in the midst of all the fuss.

  When the door opened, all eyes turned, fearing the groom might have decided to do away with traditions. Instead, Joyce stood uncertainly in the entrance.

  “Adrea, you look lovely.”

  “Thank you.” She smiled, hoping her nervousness didn’t show. “This is my mother, Samantha Welch, and my sister, Rachel. This is Joyce Owens, Sara’s mother.”

  The women exchanged greetings.

  Joyce turned her attention back to the bride. “I was hoping to speak with you.”

  Her stomach did a somersault. “Of course. I think they’ve done all they can do with me.”

  Rachel cleared her throat, prompting the other women to begin filing out. “We’ll go see how things are coming along.”

  Adrea looked in the mirror and applied a little more blush. The white satin sapped her fair complexion of all color.

  “I owe you an apology,” Joyce said.

  “You don’t owe me anything.”

  “Yes, I do.” Joyce pressed her fingertips to her temple. “I treated you badly at Dexter’s and at Grace’s wedding. Grayson never told us what happened, until a few days ago. I assumed that you’d broken up with him. But, even if you had, I shouldn’t have ignored you.”

  “You gave our relationship your blessing, and then we broke up.” Adrea adjusted her veil with trembling fingers. “It must have seemed like added heartache for no reason. And this new revelation certainly doesn’t help matters, but I felt you had a right to know.”

  “And you were very brave for telling us the truth.” Joyce moved to the window. “I trust God’s plan and His timing completely. I won’t claim to understand why bad things happen in this world.”

  Joyce turned to face her, as Adrea’s tears spilled. “Now, don’t do that. You’ll muss your makeup.” Joyce dabbed Adrea’s cheeks with a tissue. “We don’t blame you.”

  “But if I’d married Wade, Sara would still be alive.”

  “I don’t think so. That goes back to God’s plan and timing. I believe their lives would have collided, ending Sara’s, no matter what you did.”

  “He’d been sober for two years, until I broke the engagement.”

  “The only thing that would have come of you marrying Wade Fenwick would have been heartache for you. Men don’t usually change after marriage. He would have remained unfaithful, you’d have been miserable, and some disappointment could have set him to drinking eventually.” Joyce handed her another tissue.

  “Or maybe he would have celebrated at your wedding reception and you’d have been in the accident, as well. Or maybe something else would have ended Sara’s life, but it would have happened. It was her time to go. God only lent my angel for a short time and then He took her home.”

  Adrea gulped a sob, and J
oyce took her hand.

  “I wanted to welcome you to our family today.”

  Her eyes swam with tears. “That means a lot to me. Thank you.” The two women hugged.

  After repairing her makeup, Adrea and Joyce stepped into the foyer to find Edward waiting.

  “Ah, looks like things are okay.” He hugged Adrea. “Wade Fenwick caused you and Grayson a lot of pain. Now, God has brought the two of you together. No more looking back, only forward.”

  Daddy joined them. “Ready?”

  Adrea nodded and the doors opened. The church echoed with the wedding march as Daddy escorted her down the aisle. Yellow roses filled every crevice and perfumed the air. Grace and Rachel, the matron of honor, dressed in yellow satin and lace with hooped skirts, stood with Haylee, the flower girl. A veritable feast waited in the fellowship hall.

  Her breath caught at the sight of Grayson standing at the altar, beaming at her. Her very own Prince Sterling, resplendent in a white tuxedo with tails.

  Dayne, as ring bearer, tried not to fidget. Best man, Mark, seemed almost as happy as she felt. Jack served as Grayson’s groomsman while Joyce and Edward were given a seat of honor next to his mother. Helen sat with Adrea’s mom, both dabbing their eyes with tissue.

  Adrea’s huge satin hoop skirt whispered with each stutter-step across yellow rose petals strewn by Haylee.

  Love welled in her heart until she thought she might burst. God had taken the tattered pieces of her and Grayson’s hearts and mended them into one.

  When Graham declared Grayson and Adrea husband and wife, the sanctuary erupted with a joyful standing ovation.

  Tears laced Adrea’s lashes.

  “You may kiss your bride.”

  Prince Sterling swept his bride into his arms and did just that.

  WHITE DOVES

  Dedication

  To Daddy, my number-one fan. I’ll never forget our trip to Dallas when you took me to claim my first important unpublished writing award, babysat my five year-old in the pool all day, and told everyone you met that your daughter was a writer.

  I’d like to thank the real Romance, Arkansas, Postmaster, Angie Davis; Postmaster Relief, June Sullivan; and West Point, Arkansas, Postmaster, Debbie Minyard, for their insight into the inner workings of the post office. I appreciate EMT Doug Perry for his help with medical questions.