by Sharon Sala
“Yes, ma’am,” Junior said.
The mother yanked the kid off Santa’s lap, took the candy, and walked out of the gazebo and disappeared into the crowd as the procession continued.
Cathy had been waiting for Santa’s arrival as anxiously as everyone else, and when the bus arrived with the residents from the Bottoms, she relaxed. Another project checked off her list.
She recognized Peanut and Ruby as Santa and Mrs. Claus almost instantly and took pictures of them and the wagon and mules and sent them to Duke, who was overseeing the appliances being installed at their house.
They were already working on the master bedroom and bath upstairs. Electricians and plumbers were overseeing the installation of central heating and air, light fixtures, and the big black-and-gold six-burner range being hooked up in the kitchen.
Cathy’s claw-foot, cast-iron bathtub that she’d found at a salvage yard had been refinished and refurbished. But it was so heavy, it had taken six burly men to carry it upstairs to the master bath.
“This is one big tub,” one of the men remarked as they settled it into place.
Duke eyed it, picturing the curly-haired redhead he knew in it and up to her chin in bubbles. It was a damn fine image to have.
“Let’s get it hooked up,” he said, and then got the text from Cathy and paused to look. When he saw the pictures of Santa arriving in a wagon pulled by a team of mules, he laughed out loud, and then showed his workers. “Looks like we missed the boat with Santa this year. He’s at the park in Blessings, and here we are hooking up a bathtub.”
* * *
The last house in the Bottoms was finished five days before Christmas, and the furniture to go in it arrived that afternoon.
Cathy stood beside the truck as it was being unloaded, watching the family’s excitement as all their new furnishings were being put into place.
She walked to the front door as the delivery truck drove away, but they were all so excited about moving furniture around to fit their space that she just pulled the door shut and went back to her car.
The adrenaline that had carried her through the mad rush to get this done was crashing. By the time she got home, she was stumbling. She dropped her purse and coat on the sofa, kicked off her shoes in the hall, and fell onto her bed fully dressed. The last thing she remembered hearing was the central heat kicking on.
* * *
Duke had intended to be there with her, but ended up helping Jack get an injured steer into the barn so it would be sheltered while it healed. They didn’t know what it had gotten into that put such a gash in its hip but the vet had been out, and now all they could do was wait for the animal to heal before turning it back in with the herd.
Later he sent Cathy a text, but when she didn’t answer he called, and when she didn’t answer the call either, he got in his truck and drove into town. She’d promised never to ignore a phone call or a text from him again, and now he was worried.
The relief of seeing her car in the drive at her house was huge, but when he got to the front door and knocked, it swung open.
His heart skipped. He walked in, saw her purse and coat on the sofa. When he realized her phone had fallen out of her purse onto the floor, it was apparent why she hadn’t heard it ring.
Then he saw her shoes in the hall and headed for her bedroom. The door was ajar, and when he walked in and found her sprawled belly down on the bed, he had to get closer to make sure she was breathing.
And she was.
“My poor tired sweetheart,” he said softly, then got a blanket from the foot of the bed, covered her up, and walked out of the room, closing the door behind him.
He went into her kitchen to check and see if she had food she wouldn’t have to cook, and then wrote her a note.
You didn’t answer your phone. Your door was unlocked. I covered you up and am locking you in. Sleep well, my love. Call me when you wake.
P.S. We’re gonna have to get married, and soon. I’m wearing out the rubber on my tires. I need you in my life. I need you in my arms every night. I need you.
And then he was gone.
Hours later, Cathy woke up. She didn’t remember getting the blanket she was covered with, and she didn’t remember closing her bedroom door.
She got up and went into the living room, then into the kitchen and found Duke’s note.
“Oh, honey,” she said as she read it to herself, then went to get her phone to call him.
It was dark outside, and she pictured them all in the kitchen together making supper. He answered on the third ring.
“Hey, Rip Van Winkle. You woke up!”
“I need you, too,” Cathy said. “I’m sorry I didn’t hear the phone, but the renovations are done, and after the last load of furniture arrived, I came home and passed out. I can’t believe I didn’t even lock the door.”
“You not only didn’t lock it, but when I knocked it just swung inward, so the latch didn’t fully catch, either.”
“Lord,” Cathy said. “I need a keeper.”
“You have one. Me. I will keep you in my heart. I will keep you safe. Set a date before I lose my mind.”
“How big a wedding do you want?” she asked.
“I want to get married at the farmhouse. I just want family and our closest friends, and as soon as you can find a dress, I’m there.”
“We need to get that marriage license,” she said.
“Then I’ll pick you up in the morning and we’ll go to the courthouse.”
Duke heard her take a quick breath, but then she said nothing.
“Cathy, honey…what’s wrong?” he asked.
“I need a wedding dress, but I’m afraid to go back to Savannah.”
The tremor in her voice broke his heart.
“Sweetheart, I’ll take you to a bridal shop…to all the bridal shops in the city. I will sit in the truck at every stop until you find what you want. I will be with you every step of the way, but I won’t go inside.”
“Really?”
“Yes.”
“Can you get away before Christmas to do that?” she asked.
“The perk of being my own boss is that I can do any damn thing I want to make you happy,” Duke said.
“You know the stores will be crazy with last-minute shoppers,” she said.
“I don’t know how many last-minute shoppers there will be looking for wedding dresses, but I don’t care,” he said.
“If I can find a dress and get it fitted…”
“We’ll find it,” he said.
“Then let’s aim for getting married on New Year’s Eve and see what happens. I know they aren’t finished with our house, but I don’t care.”
“The downstairs is mostly done. The kitchen is finished and wearing a layer of dust. The master bedroom and bath will be done before New Year’s Day. We can move into our own home. We’ll have to live with some dust and noise until they finish the rest of the upstairs, but the downstairs and our bedroom will be done.”
“I cannot believe you’re that close. I got so wrapped up in the Bottoms project that I left all ours up to you.”
“You couldn’t help with what we were doing. You did exactly what we needed, which was to pick out the appliances and the colors and tiles and flooring. And the design of it.”
“I had no idea it was this close to being done. Oh, Duke. It’s really happening, isn’t it?”
“Count on it,” he said. “See you in the morning. I’ll pick you up at nine. I checked on the requirements days ago. We need two forms of ID for the license. We’ll go to the courthouse to get the license and then head to Savannah…if you’re free.”
“I’m free,” she said. “Let’s do this.”
“I love you, baby. It’s all going to be okay,” Duke said. Then as soon as they disconnected, he went to find Jack. “Wher
e’s Hope?” he asked.
“She’s on her way home from grocery shopping now. Why?”
“Cathy and I are getting a marriage license tomorrow, then I’m taking her to Savannah to find a wedding dress. She’s afraid to go back by herself.”
“Why? Because of that shooting?” Jack said.
“Something like that,” Duke said.
“But the groom isn’t supposed to see the dress beforehand,” Jack said.
“That’s why I’m staying in the truck at every stop.”
Jack grinned. “You are the ultimate case of arrested development, brother, but I am seriously proud of you. You stayed single so long I didn’t think this day would ever happen, but boy, when you fell, you fell hard, didn’t you?”
Duke shrugged. “A shoe either fits or it doesn’t. The same way with women you meet. They either fit or they don’t. We fit. Just like you and Hope fit. Just like Lon and Mercy fit. You just know when you know.”
“Hope will be excited,” Jack said.
Duke grinned. “I hope so. I want to get married here on New Year’s Eve. Just our family and a few close friends. No big deal. No big dinner. Just me, my girl, and a cake.”
* * *
As it turned out, getting the marriage license at the courthouse was a breeze. The giggles, the smiles, and the congratulations were what slowed the process down.
The clerk who helped them was full of questions.
“This is so exciting. I’m so happy for the both of you. Are you having a big wedding?”
“No,” Cathy said. “We’re getting married at the family home. Just family and a few close friends.”
“That sounds special,” the clerk said. “Less turmoil, easier to make wonderful memories when you’re not under stress about the details. It’s the bride and groom and their day, after all.”
“As long as she says ‘I do,’ it’ll work for me,” Duke said as he gave Cathy a hug, and then they were gone.
By the time they left town, word was already spreading. Duke Talbot and Cathy Terry were getting married.
* * *
Driving back into Savannah made Cathy’s stomach hurt. She was tense and pale, and Duke knew it. So when he suddenly pulled off into a Starbucks drive-through, her focus shifted from panic to curiosity.
“Plain coffee or something fancy?” he asked.
“Dark chocolate mocha,” Cathy said.
“Cookie or muffin?” he asked.
She grinned. “Chocolate chip cookie.”
Duke nodded, then ordered the same thing and pulled forward to the window to pay. When their orders arrived, Duke could tell by the gleam in her eyes that this had been a good move. He’d given her something else to focus upon besides the bad memories.
“Umm,” Cathy said, as she took her first sip of the flavored coffee. “This is perfect.”
He took a sip of his own as they drove away.
“You’re right. This is good. Really good.”
“So is the cookie,” Cathy said, and broke off a piece and popped it in her mouth.
“Now this is how you shop for wedding dresses on a cold day,” Duke said.
“You have the best ideas,” she said, and by the time they reached the first bridal boutique, her cookie was gone, she was warm inside from the mocha coffee, crumb-free, and ready to shop. She leaned across the console and gave Duke a quick kiss on the lips.
“I know what I’m looking for, and if they don’t have anything like it, this won’t take long.”
“Take your time,” Duke said. “I’m just gonna sit here and contemplate the wedding night.”
She blinked, and then burst into laughter.
He grinned.
She was still smiling as she went inside.
* * *
Two hours, one pit stop, and three bridal shops later, they pulled up and parked at Le Trousseau on Broughton Street.
“Here’s hoping,” Cathy said.
She was thinking of her mother as she walked in.
Oh, Mama…you were with me when I shopped for my wedding to Blaine. I wish you were here now. You didn’t like Blaine, and now I know why. But you would love, love, love Duke Talbot. I just know it. Is this the one, Mama? Is my dress here? You know what I want, and you know why.
A consultant approached her, smiling.
“Welcome to Le Trousseau. I’m William.”
She eyed the middle-aged man in his dapper pin-striped suit and liked him on sight.
“Hello, William. I’m Cathy Terry. I know what I want, so let me describe it, and if you don’t have anything remotely like it, we’ll save both of us time and trouble.”
William’s eyebrows arched, and then he nodded.
“This is a breath of fresh air. Talk to me,” he said, and so she did, and the more she talked, the wider his smile became. “Follow me, Miss Terry. Let me show you something.” And then he eyed her more closely. “What size are you…about an eight?”
“Good eye,” Cathy said, and followed William back to the dressing room.
“Have a seat. I’ll be right back,” he said.
Cathy sat, looked up, and saw herself reflected back in the three-way mirror. She looked happy because she was. She leaned back, waiting…and when William came back a few minutes later with three white dresses over his arm, she stood.
“Oh my gosh! You did it!”
“Now let’s try these on. There are subtle differences in all three, but I see where you’re going here. You are going to look amazing.”
Two young clerks appeared to help her into the dresses as William stepped out. It wasn’t until she tried on the last one and walked out onto the showroom floor to look at herself in the big mirrors that she knew.
This is it, Mama. This is it.
“It fits you like a glove,” William said. “Unless you’re unhappy with the length, I wouldn’t touch any part of the bodice.”
“It needs to be hemmed up a bit,” Cathy said.
“I agree. Let me get the seamstress in here,” he said, and left, coming back minutes later with an all-business woman in boho chic with a tape measure around her neck and a pincushion in her hand.
She measured, she fussed about, and then she waved her hand.
“All done. Take it off. I’ll fix it.”
Back to the dressing room they went, and when Cathy came out again, she was beaming.
“When is the wedding?” William asked.
“New Year’s Eve.”
“This New Year’s Eve?” he said.
She nodded.
He flew back into the sewing room, and then returned nodding his head.
“Yes, Sunny likes you. She likes your red curls. She will put a rush on it just for you.”
“When can I pick it up?” Cathy asked.
“She said the day after Christmas.”
“Perfect,” Cathy said, then paid the deposit, picked up her paperwork, and hugged him. “Thank you. Thank you for being so wonderful about this.”
William beamed. “There’s nothing that makes me happier than a happy bride,” he said. “We’ll see you the day after Christmas.”
Cathy bounced out of the store with a smile on her face, and Duke could tell she’d found the dress. Before he could get out to help her into the truck, she was already climbing up.
“I found it,” she said. “They’re altering the length. I’ll pick it up the day after Christmas. This is the best day ever. Thank you for putting up with me.”
Duke leaned across the seat and kissed her. “I’ll collect later. Right now I’m going to take you to eat at the best shrimp shack in the city.”
Her lips were still tingling from his kiss as she buckled herself in.
“I am suddenly starving and shrimp sounds perfect.”
* * *
> It was midafternoon when they got back to Blessings, and after a heartfelt goodbye, Duke left her safe and sound inside her little house.
“It won’t be long now before this business of going our separate ways at the end of a day is over,” he said. “I’ll call you tonight. Love you.”
“Love you, more,” Cathy said, and then stood at the window and watched him drive away.
But the moment he was gone, she jumped in her car and headed to the florist to order her wedding bouquet and what she wanted to wear in her hair in lieu of a veil. Then she dug through her closet to make sure the heels she planned to wear with her dress weren’t any higher than the ones on her boots.
“Ta-da!” she crowed when she lined them up side by side and saw they were the same.
She didn’t bother to make a list of who to invite, because she’d been here for such a short time. The only people she really cared about being there were Dan and Alice Amos, because Dan had trusted her enough to rent her a house on her word, and Ruby and Peanut Butterman. Peanut, because of his help in getting the Bottoms, and Ruby for keeping her secret about the shooting. And Mavis Webb, for being the single reason that Cathy was free of Blaine Wagner forever. Duke was the one who’d grown up here. He needed to invite the people who meant the most to him.
* * *
Christmas Day arrived in sunshine. Cathy drove herself up to the farm with a sweet potato casserole topped with a brown sugar and walnut crumble and a sack of gifts.
Duke met her at the car, and when she handed him the hot dish wrapped in a tea towel, he smiled.
“Lord, but something sure smells good,” he said.
“It was my mother’s recipe. Just me including her in our life.”
“Can’t wait to try it,” he said, and then walked her inside.
She left her presents under the tree and went into the kitchen. It felt so normal to be with the Talbots now. She was only days away from becoming one herself, and so integrated within the family that she felt like she’d been there forever.
Hope’s baby bump was showing now, and her last day of work had come and gone. Just being able to pace herself and her days now had made all the difference in her energy level, and Jack was happy she was home.
“Are you sure you’re up for a wedding here so soon after Christmas?” Cathy asked.
