by Debby Mayne
He started to tell her that was exactly what he planned to do, but he didn’t. “You’re right as usual,” he said with a smile. “That’s what I’ll do.”
“Sure you will,” she retorted. “I’ve known you all your life, and you’ve never given up if there’s something you really want.”
The next morning he awoke with a new plan. He’d stop off and visit Cindi to let her know his new business plans. While he was at it, he might just see what he could do to rekindle their relationship. The more he thought about the prospect of being with Cindi again, the more determined he was.
His mother grabbed him before he got out the door. “I have something I almost forgot about. I remembered after church, but by the time we got home, it slipped my mind again.”
“What’s that?”
“Go look in the shoe box on the table.”
After a quick peek inside, he smiled. His mother had just given him an opening with Cindi. “Thanks, Mom. Mind if I take it?”
“Go ahead. It’s yours. I was just holding on to it for safekeeping.”
When he pulled up in front of the bridal shop a few minutes before it was due to open, he saw someone was already inside with the lights on. He paused, said a prayer, then got out to see if Cindi would give him the time of day.
He watched Cindi through the glass door as he approached. As soon as she heard someone enter, she glanced up with a bright smile. When she realized it was him, her expression instantly changed.
Five
The first flutter of excitement at seeing Jeremy faded to annoyance. What was he doing here so early? Did he think being here would change anything?
“Good morning,” he said as he thrust a shoe box toward her. “My mother found this in my old room. Thought you might like to see it.”
Cindi glanced at the box. “What is it?”
He put it on the counter. “See for yourself. Go ahead and open it.”
She cautiously lifted the lid and glanced in the box. Inside was a nice neat stack of pictures that had been carefully layered between tissue. The top picture was a duplicate of one she had stuck away in an old photo album and avoided for years.
“You kept all these?” she asked as she lifted the one that was a duplicate of hers. “We really went all out for prom, didn’t we?”
He laughed. “I remember how nervous I was. My mother helped me pick out your corsage, and my dad had to help me with my tie because my hands were shaking so much.”
Cindi thumbed through the stack before putting the lid back on top. “I’m surprised you still have these.”
He tilted his head. “Why?”
“I never thought you were the sentimental type.”
Jeremy stood there in silence for a few seconds while Cindi watched. Finally, he shook his head.
“To be honest, I’d forgotten about them. These were at my parents’ house. My mom gave them to me this morning.”
“Oh, so you weren’t holding on to them. Your mother was.” Unexpected disappointment flooded her. “That’s sweet of her.”
“Yes, very sweet.” He remained standing there, watching. . . waiting.
“Thanks for the nostalgic moment, Jeremy, but I have work to do.”
“I’m not stopping you.”
“Look, Jeremy, I think I know what you’re doing, but it’s not going to work. I don’t know how many times I have to tell you I’m not selling my business to anyone who doesn’t care about brides.”
He tilted his head forward and set his jaw, holding her gaze for a couple of seconds before she averted her attention to the piece of paper on the counter. She was almost certain he could hear her heart pounding, so she reached over and turned on some music.
She felt her cheeks grow hot as he continued standing there staring at her. Had he sensed her pounding heart and her yearning for the same feeling she’d had as a hopeful teenage girl?
As abruptly as he’d arrived, he backed toward the door. Her muscles gradually relaxed when he was across the room.
“I’m not giving up, Cindi—but I’m not talking about business now.”
She tilted her head with a puzzled expression. “Then what are you talking about?”
“We used to be good together, and I still think there’s a chance for us.”
Had she just heard him correctly? “You’re kidding, right?”
“Nope. I’m as serious as I’ve ever been.” He took a step backward. “I don’t give up easily, so you might as well get used to seeing me around.”
As soon as he was gone, Cindi’s knees weakened, so she lowered herself into the chair by the counter. She bowed her head in prayer for the strength to withstand anything Jeremy said or did. He’d gotten to her years ago, and he was getting to her now.
“Hey, girl, are you okay?”
Cindi jumped. “How did you get in here without me hearing you come in?”
Elizabeth shrugged. “I dunno. I thought you were asleep.” She leaned over and looked Cindi in the eye. “You look like you don’t feel well.”
“I’m okay, just a little rattled.”
“Jeremy?” Elizabeth went around behind the counter and pulled out her appointment book.
Rather than deny the obvious, Cindi just nodded. “He’s been here already this morning. The man simply won’t give up.”
Elizabeth’s glance darted toward the box Jeremy had left on the counter. “What’s this?”
“Go ahead. Open it and see for yourself.”
Elizabeth lifted the lid and looked inside. “Whoa.”
“His mother kept those all these years, so he thought I needed to see them.”
“As if you didn’t already have your own pictures.” She’d pulled out the whole stack and started studying each one.
“Hey, I’m in this one.”
Cindi joined Elizabeth behind the counter. “Let’s see.”
They spent the next several minutes going through the pictures and recalling the events. “It’s amazing how something like this can make the memories so clear—it’s almost like it happened yesterday,” Elizabeth said. “Look. This one was taken at the Varsity after we won the last football game of the season.”
“Yes, I remember,” Cindi replied softly. In fact, she even remembered what she ordered that night, but she wasn’t about to share that. The whole evening was vivid in her mind because that was the night Jeremy had told her he loved her.
Elizabeth belted out a hearty chuckle. “Look at this one. Remember when we all piled into that new guy’s car and headed out for Macon? We’d gotten halfway there when you suddenly remembered you had to be home early.”
How could Cindi have forgotten? She was embarrassed she had an early curfew that night, so she didn’t say anything right away. But when she did, Jeremy didn’t hesitate to make sure she got home on time. He’d been such a gentleman before he suddenly. . .
“Are you okay?” Elizabeth asked.
Tears stung the back of Cindi’s eyes as she nodded. “I’m fine. I just need to concentrate on business right now.”
Elizabeth put the pictures back into the box, lifted it from the counter, and stuck it in a cubbyhole. “I understand.” She flipped open the appointment book. “Let’s see. . .we have one appointment this morning for a final fitting, then three brand-new brides coming in back-to-back.”
The phone rang, signaling their busy day had begun. Cindi welcomed the pace, but with each new bride she helped, she wondered how the marriage would work out. Would the bride still be happy a year later? Would her husband continue to be as attentive as he was during the dating period and the honeymoon? The statistics were downright heartbreaking.
Cindi had mixed feelings at closing time. She was exhausted, but without the steady stream of customers to assist and vendors to contact, she had to face her own thoughts.
She’d just locked the shop door when Jeremy pulled up in front of her and lowered his window. “It’s a nice night. Want to go for a drive?” he asked.
A lu
mp formed in her throat. She slowly shook her head. “I really need to go home, Jeremy.”
“And do what?” he asked.
She wanted to tell him it was none of his business—that her time was her own and she needed that time away from him. All he did was muddy her thoughts. But she couldn’t. Her will wasn’t strong enough to resist talking to the man who had her emotions swirling among her confused thoughts.
“I really don’t have specific plans.” She shrugged. “But I had a busy day, and I’m tired.”
“Then hop in and you can tell me all about it.”
She squinted and stared at him for a few seconds. Was he serious, or was he being sarcastic?
There didn’t appear to be any mischief in his expression. In fact, he looked hopeful.
He continued watching her as she mulled over the thought of being with him. Her initial reaction was no way. But seeing the pictures had brought out something in her that she hadn’t felt in years—since she’d last been with him—and she sort of enjoyed the feeling.
Finally, she nodded. “Okay, but I can’t stay out late.”
“Want me to follow you home and leave from there, or do you want me to take you back to your car here?”
She shook her head as she tried to organize her thoughts. It was time to be direct. “Why don’t you just follow me home? My place isn’t too far away.”
He smiled. “I know.”
❧
It didn’t take long to get to her place. She pulled into the driveway, and he was right behind her. As soon as she got in his car, he turned to her. “We really need to talk about what happened. I was such an idiot for how I handled myself when we were kids.”
He watched her expression change from surprise to resignation. “That’s just it, Jeremy. We were kids. It was just a high school crush.”
“Oh, I think there was more to it than that,” he replied. “And I believe, deep down, you agree with me.”
“I don’t think it’ll work, Jeremy,” Cindi said as she tried to look everywhere but at him. “It’s been a long time.”
“Can we at least give it a shot?”
When she glanced at him, he felt a surge of emotion he had to fight to keep down.
“I don’t know. I’m so busy, and my life is exactly how I like it.”
That raised another question. “Then why are you selling your shop?”
Cindi closed her eyes momentarily then opened them. She looked him in the eye and said, “I don’t believe in what I do anymore.”
“You what?” That was an answer he hadn’t expected.
“Ever since my parents split up, I realized all I’m doing is trying to peddle a fairy-tale life that doesn’t exist.”
“Your parents split?” He couldn’t imagine how he’d feel if that happened to him. “They always seemed fine to me.”
She snorted. “They seemed fine to everyone, including me, which is why it was such a shock. When I first started my business, I imagined all marriages being as wonderful as my parents’. When brides came to me looking for a dress, I spent time helping them pick out the perfect gown to wear as they walked toward their life partner. After I was open a year, one of the brides came in to tell me she was getting a divorce. That shocked me. And I felt bad that I’d been part of an illusion. But at least then I had my parents’ marriage to hold up as a model.”
“People get divorced, Cindi. It had nothing to do with you.”
“I know.”
As he watched her wince, he felt an overwhelming grief at how her dream had shattered.
“But it still hurt. Then I found out about other bridal customers whose marriages hadn’t worked out.”
“Okay, so some of your brides divorce, and your parents have split. That’s going to happen. Granted, it’s an awful thing, but you can’t control what happens to other people after you do your job.”
“You’re right,” she agreed, “but I can stop playing the game of happily-ever-after when it’s nothing but an illusion.”
Oh, she’s really hurting. He wanted to reach out and comfort her—to touch her cheek and feel the softness of her skin.
She offered a forced smile. “So that’s why I’m selling my business.”
“Let me get this straight,” he said as he carefully chose his words. “You don’t believe in marriage anymore, so you’re selling your very profitable bridal shop.”
“Right.”
“Then why does it matter what the new owner does with it—whether the person is hands-on or an absentee owner?”
“I know this probably doesn’t make sense, but I still care.”
“It does make sense,” he replied. “I’ve known you for a very long time, Cindi Clark. You care about everything. Sometimes too much for your own good.” He paused to smile, and he was delighted that she grinned right back at him. “You’re a sweet, honest, caring woman who doesn’t want any part of less than the best.”
She glanced down then shyly looked back at him. “Thanks.”
“I mean every word of it, too.”
“Good. Now are we going for a drive, or did you just want to sit here?”
He snickered. “I was so caught up in the conversation, I forgot.” He put the car in reverse. “So what do you plan to do after you sell your business?”
“I have no idea.” She blinked a couple of times before grinning. “Okay, now it’s my turn. Why did you come back to Marietta?”
“Good question.” He took a moment to decide whether or not to let her know the real reason versus the shorter version he reserved for when he didn’t feel like talking. He chose the latter. “I’ve been feeling sort of nostalgic for my family, and my parents aren’t getting any younger.”
“Your parents look pretty good to me.”
“Yes, they do, don’t they?” he agreed. “That’s not all. I felt like I needed to make amends with you after the way I botched the best relationship I ever had.”
“Jeremy.” Her voice held a warning tone.
He pulled off the road into a parking lot and put the car in park before turning to face her. “You do understand the reason I broke up with you that night, don’t you?”
She closed her eyes and folded her arms. With a heavy heart, he unfastened his seat belt, scooted closer to her, and gently put his arm around her. At first she stiffened, but she gradually relaxed. However, she didn’t lean into him the way she did back in high school.
He reached over and turned her chin so she was facing him. “I never stopped loving you, Cindi. I figured since I wasn’t going to college, I needed to let you go so you could fulfill your dreams.”
She frowned. “So you’re saying you did it for me?”
He nodded.
She pulled away. “I don’t buy that, Jeremy.”
She might as well have sprayed him with water then tossed a load of bricks at him. He took a deep breath and slowly let it out. He’d hurt her more than he realized. He needed to give her a little space and let things happen more naturally.
“Hey, let’s lighten up a bit,” he said. “Why don’t you fill me in on what everyone is doing?”
She looked at him with suspicion, but she took the question and ran with it. He enjoyed watching her as she told him about several of their old high school friends, letting him know who was doing what and where they were. He wanted to know more about her family, but after her revelation about her parents, he wasn’t about to go there—at least not now.
Finally, she pointed to the road. “I really need to get home now, Jeremy. I have a long day tomorrow, and I haven’t eaten yet.”
“We can grab something if you want.”
She offered him a smile. “Thanks, but I’ll just get something at home.”
“I’d like to get together again. This was fun.”
She didn’t respond directly to his comment. She waited until they got to her driveway. “Thanks for explaining things.”
Being with Cindi brought back memories and gave him a different per
spective of who he was. His business dealings since he’d left town had been cold and calculating. Now he had to do things differently. He had to be softer. Gentler. In a way, even coddle her. But he couldn’t be the least bit condescending. He didn’t want her to think he was interested in anything but her.
❧
The rest of the evening Cindi’s thoughts vacillated between how Jeremy made her feel and whether selling her business was such a good idea. When she’d listed it with Fran, she figured some stranger—some woman she didn’t know—would come in and fall in love with running a bridal shop. Cindi thought she’d teach the basics of running this sort of nurturing business to a person who’d never done it before. At first when she turned Jeremy down, she thought she was protecting her business from someone who didn’t care about it. However, now that he’d backed off, she knew she was protecting her heart.
This was insane! She could have dreamed all day of how things would go, and this scenario never would have crossed her mind. Being with him had opened the floodgate of memories that brought her back to a time in her life when she was innocent and naive.
Being naive at this point in her life wasn’t an option. However, she’d maintained her innocence to keep from giving in to the ways of the world. After losing Jeremy years ago, Cindi had held out hope that one day she’d meet a great guy who loved the Lord as much as she did. Until then, she’d keep running her shop and being there for young women who’d found their Prince Charming.
Even after announcing they were separating, her mother had tried to talk her into keeping her shop. “This is what you’ve wanted all your life. Don’t give up on your dream,” her mother had said.
But how could she hang on to a dream that involved something that didn’t exist? Everlasting love. Unconditional love. The type of love the Lord wanted for His followers. It was the idea the Lord had designed but the world had scorned.
Her parents had always gone to church and brought her and her brother to church, yet they’d still decided to go their separate ways. No amount of explaining would justify how that could happen.
