by Leah Atwood
TWO HOURS LATER, she pulled into the church’s parking lot. After having put the situation into perspective, composure was her friend again. So, she’d allowed herself to fall a little for Rob’s charm. Big deal. It wasn’t like she had given her heart to him. Worse things had happened. A bruised ego was the sole cause of her dramatic indignation.
Nothing more, nothing less.
In a few days, she’d be over it.
Besides, Rob was leaving today, along with Bryce’s other friends from Nashville. They should be on the road already. When she considered that up until the wedding festivities the last few days she’d only met Rob twice, she felt confident she wouldn’t see him again for a long while. By the time she did have to see him again, all would be forgotten.
She stepped out of her Ford Explorer. Her hair was still damp from a shower, she hadn’t had time to dry it completely, and it curled more than its usual natural wave. She smoothed down her yellow cotton sundress and adjusted the short-sleeve white shrug she wore over her shoulders. The purple nail polish on her fingers and toes contrasted with the dress, but she doubted anyone would take notice. Besides, the purple was pretty, and she wasn’t ready to take it off yet.
A line of people came out of the church doors, probably those who left after Sunday school, which she’d missed because of her excessive run. After the service, she would ask someone from class for the notes. The singles class she went to was large, relative to the church’s smaller size, but was rapidly diminishing as its members found mates and moved on.
Inside, she scanned the sanctuary for her parents and grandparents, stopping her gaze at their usual pew. The bench was full and not with her family.
“No, no, no.” This was not happening. She ran a hand through her hair until her fingers caught on the end of a curl.
What were Jay, Caroline, Adam, Elle, and Rob doing in her pew? Well, not her pew by definition, but…
She’d convinced herself she’d be fine because she wouldn’t have to see him again, at least not so soon.
“Good morning, Dani.” Her mom appeared by her side and gave her a shoulder hug. “When I didn’t see you earlier, I wondered if you would show. I thought something might have come up at the restaurant.”
“No, I got involved in something and lost track of time. Angela’s in control for the afternoon.” She nodded toward the pew. “What are they doing here?” The attempt at keeping her voice neutral was a failure.
“They wanted to attend.”
“Even Rob?” She scrunched her nose. Despite all her prayers this morning, she had trouble finding graciousness toward him. “He doesn’t exactly strike me as the church type.”
“Danica Anne Trahan, you know better than to pass judgment on someone.”
“I wasn’t judging. They just took me by surprise. Weren’t they leaving this morning?”
Her mom’s furrowed eyebrows clearly indicated she didn’t accept her reply as truth. “Gram invited them to lunch after church, and they’ll leave from there.”
“Oh.”
“You’re also invited.” She may as well have said be there for the commandment in her tone.
Rarely did her mom put demands on her social calendar. There wasn’t a need because Dani was always a willing participant in family functions. On the occasions she couldn’t make an event, it was accepted that she was an adult who made her own decisions and had her own schedule.
This time was different, and Dani knew she was approaching it with a childish petulance. Taking a deep breath, she brought back her resolve to not let Rob affect her. She exhaled. “I’ll be there.”
“That’s my girl.” Her mom patted her arm in a placating manner. “Let’s go take our seats.”
She followed her mom to the half-empty pew behind their usual one, where her dad, Gramps and Gram were standing. Sliding into the narrow space, she gave Gramps a hug. “Good morning.”
“Same to you, Dani girl.” He took a long glance at her, sentimentality taking over his features. “You look more like your mother every day.”
“I’ll take that as a compliment.” She smiled, then frowned. Gramps’ gaze had drifted to a far off place, not in the present. “Are you okay, Gramps?”
He nodded and gave her a false smile. “Just an old man’s mind wandering.”
Something about the way he said it made Dani sad. Gramps was in his seventies, but she didn’t want to think about him growing old. “Mom said Gram is having a special lunch.” She nudged him with her shoulder. “Any chance she made her special peach cobbler?”
“Just for you, she did.” When he smiled at her again it was real, not forced as his previous one had been.
Pastor Glen stepped to the pulpit and Dani sat down. The congregation silenced as he welcomed everyone and offered a greeting. Several announcements were given, and then the worship leader took the pulpit. The opening song was a new one she wasn’t familiar with, and she tried to follow along with the words on the screen.
That song ended, then another one. Next would be a traditional hymn, but first a time of greeting. Dani tapped Caroline, Bryce’s manager and good friend, on the shoulder. “I’m glad you could make it today.”
“Thanks, me too. Bryce has such good things to say about this church. We all decided to leave a little later than planned so we could attend today.” Caroline smiled at Jay, who was her fiancé and another member of the band. “Plus when the guys heard Gram wanted to cook for them, there was no hope of leaving this morning.”
“They’ll be spoiled on home-cooking now.” Elle, Adam’s wife, leaned over the pew and gave Dani a hug. “The cooking gene skipped me. I can make a passable meal, but we order out more often than we should.”
“Gram’s the best cook around, taught me everything I know.” Dani realized she was going to miss Elle and Caroline. Their lives were vastly different from hers, but they’d become good friends in the last week.
“Maybe she can pass on some recipes.” Elle’s suggestion met with approval from Adam and Jay.
Dani glanced toward Gram and saw her deep in conversation with another church elder. “I’m sure she can, but if not I’ll be happy to. I’ll even gather some tonight and email them to you.”
“That’d be great. Thanks,” Elle said.
The music’s volume increased, bringing the greeting time to a close. Dani quickly went down the aisle, shaking hands with Adam and Jay. When she reached Rob, she stiffened. Saved by the worship leader’s return to the pulpit, she gave him a curt nod and returned to her spot.
Chapter 4
“You’re welcome back anytime.” Bryce’s grandmother engulfed Rob in a hug, the likes of which he hadn’t experienced since before he moved to Nashville.
He returned the embrace, fighting off nostalgia of his own Nana. “I’d be honored to visit you again, Mrs. Landry.”
“Drop that Mrs. Landry business. Any friend of Bryce is family, so you just call me Gram.”
“Okay, Gram.” The last one to leave, he backed up and grabbed the box of cookies that Gram was sending home with him. How did she know that peanut butter cookies were his one sweet indulgence? “Thank you again for your hospitality.”
“You’re welcome. I’ve enjoyed getting to know you and your friends. It’s a shame you can’t stay longer.”
Gracie came running into the room. “You’re leaving too, Mr. Rob?”
Crouching down, he put himself at eye level with her. “Yes, but I’ll see you in a few weeks when you’re in Nashville. You’re going to have fun with Gram and Gramps while your daddy and Miss Sophie take a trip.”
“It’s called a honeymoon,” she told him with complete authority.
He chuckled. “Yes, it is.”
“I’m going to miss you.” She threw her arms around him.
His balance faltered, and he shot a hand down to the ground to steady himself. Her words caught him off guard, struck him right in the heart. “I’ll miss you also, but I’ll see you soon.”
“
Let him go now.” Gram placed a hand on Gracie’s shoulder and pried her away with gentleness. “This is for you. Read it when you stop to fill up on your way out.” She slipped a folded piece of paper into his free hand when he stood.
He placed it in his pants pocket. A final wave goodbye and he was out the door. His Jeep Wrangler waited for him, ready to take him home. He got into the driver’s seat, adjusted the radio, turned the key switch, and drove away.
In rhythm to the music blaring, his fingers tapped against the steering wheel. A small green sign popped into view a few miles from Gram’s house. Oden Bridge, Pop. 5348.
“Not much more than home.” His fingers stilled. What had made him say that? Sand River hadn’t been home in a long time—that title was reserved for Nashville.
Glancing down at the dash, he saw the fuel tank was half full. He could stop now, or further down the road. Oden Bridge was rural, but not so much that it was a hundred miles away from any other gas stations. Curiosity about the paper Gram had handed him got the better of him, and he navigated into the only convenience store with pumps that he remembered seeing in town.
There was no pay-at-the-pump feature, so he went inside. Coolers of beverages lined the rear wall of the store. Rob slid open a door and pulled out a bottle of iced tea then grabbed a pack of gum off the top row of a shelving unit. After paying for his purchases and fuel, he returned outside to fill the Jeep.
The pump cut off, and he replaced the nozzle on its holder. No one waited for his spot, so he leaned against the Jeep’s door and pulled the note from his pocket. He unfolded the single crease and held it to his line of sight.
Don’t leave without saying bye to her, was written in a soft, flowing manuscript, followed by an address. He half laughed, half groaned. Man, Gram didn’t miss a thing. He knew exactly to whom “her” referred.
Dani had left Gram’s house about an hour after the meal ended. Conveniently—purposefully, he was certain—while he’d excused himself to take a phone call. At the time, he’d been relieved. She was ticked at him for last night. All the feigned politeness in the world couldn’t cover the narrow glint every time she looked at him.
Let her stay mad—he was okay with that. Or so he’d thought, until he realized he’d hurt her, which had never been his intention. The thing was, he didn’t know how to make it right. He figured they’d just go their separate ways, and in time the past week would be forgotten. A few months or a year from now, whenever they saw each other again, they’d act as if nothing had ever happened.
Obviously, Gram had other ideas. Did she really expect him to just show up at Dani’s house? He was liable to get hit over the head with a frying pan. If he did go, what was he supposed to say? “I was a jerk, forgive me?” How about, “I’m crazy about you, but I know it will never lead to anything.”
“Yeah, that’s a good one.” Full of sarcasm, he laughed at himself.
A horn beeped behind him. Turning his head, he saw a man in an older model Toyota gesturing toward the pump.
“Sorry,” Rob mouthed. He hopped into his vehicle and pulled into a side spot, allowing the man access to the pump.
He held the paper against the steering wheel, staring at it until he’d memorized the address.
“It couldn’t hurt to apologize. I’m going to do it.” Grabbing his phone, he swiped at the screen and opened a GPS app. He typed in the address and adjusted the phone’s volume to hear the directions.
“Your estimated time of arrival is four sixteen” the computerized feminine voice from his phone said.
He looked at the time— 4:02. Could he come up with something to say in fourteen minutes? Probably not, but he’d wing it. He’d be hard pressed to leave her with a worse impression of him than he’d already made.
Remaining in the parking lot wasn’t getting him anywhere. The GPS directed him to make a left onto the road. He put the Jeep in gear and drove off. Down Main Street he went until he was on the opposite side of town. Then a right, followed by a sharp left. The road hosted an occasional house along its sides, but was predominately surrounded by fields and a few wooded areas with overgrowth reaching out to the edges of the paved way.
“You have reached your destination.” The voice seemed to taunt him.
His chest tightened when he pulled into Dani’s driveway. The entire drive there, he hadn’t actually thought about what he’d say, only of what Dani’s reaction would be. He sat in the driveway for a few seconds, procrastinating by observing her house. A porch, several feet deep, had two large burgundy ceramic planters with green, fern-like plants spilling over the tops. The tan, vinyl-sided home had a black-shuttered window on each side and a door in the center. A metal star hung on each side of the door.
The paper with her address sat on the passenger seat. Unsure why, he fingered it, then picked it up and tucked it into his pocket. Reassurance maybe that Gram had sent him here, and he wasn’t crazy? He rolled his neck and shook his arms. It wasn’t that big of a deal, he could do this. As he walked to the door he couldn’t even conjure up his trademark smile.
There was nothing that looked like a doorbell, so he knocked on the door that was painted black to match the shutters. He waited. And waited. No one answered, and he turned to walk away. A quiet voice in his thoughts told him to knock again. He rapped on the door a second time.
“Be right there,” Dani called, too chipper to know it was him on the other side.
A few seconds passed. His fists clenched, then unclenched, repeating the process until the door opened, the moment at which he froze. She stood in the doorway, wearing a pair of jeans and a red, Ragin’ Cajuns T-shirt.
Her mouth dropped open when she saw him, her eyes widened. “Rob? What are you doing here?”
“I have no idea.” The right words wouldn’t form, not yet.
“Umm…okay.” She arched her eyebrows and looked past him, toward the Jeep. “Are the others stopping by as well?”
“No, just me.” He shoved his hands into his pocket, all too aware of them.
A wary expression shone in her eyes, and she seemed to falter on what to say next.
“Gram gave me your address.” The admission slipped out.
He thought she’d be angry, but was surprised when she gave him a hesitant smile. “Gram doesn’t believe in leaving unfinished business.”
“She doesn’t miss anything, does she?”
“No, she doesn’t.” She shifted on her feet. “Do you want to come in?”
It was an uncomfortable invitation, one granted with hesitation, but he couldn’t say no. “I guess, for a few minutes.”
She led him through the house, to the eat-in kitchen in the rear. “Sorry for the mess. I wasn’t expecting company.”
Translation—she wasn’t expecting him.
“It looks fine to me.” It was then that he took the time to look around. Her house wasn’t messy as she claimed, nor was it in perfect order as he would have imagined. The discovery of a flaw, no matter how minor, only made him like her more.
Perfection was unattainable. Imperfection gave him hope. Not for now, but maybe one day…
“You can have a seat here.” She directed him to a round table that was covered in papers. “Can I get you a drink or anything?”
“Water’s fine. New menus?” he asked, seeing the varying styles spread out.
“Yes, I have a meeting with the graphic designer tomorrow to finalize the design.” Bending over, she gathered all the papers into a pile and set them on a counter.
A tabby cat came up to him and rubbed against his leg. Leaning over, he gave the cat a pet and was rewarded with a purr.
“Traitor,” Dani mumbled, pulling a bottle of water out of the fridge.
“What was that?”
“Nothing.” She set the water in front of him and returned to the counter. “Pip doesn’t usually take to strangers.”
Maybe a compliment would break the ice of awkwardness. “I’ve heard great things about Bayou Bits. Owning a
restaurant must be a lot of work.”
“I couldn’t have done it without Bryce’s help. He lent me the money to get it started.” Hints of a smile appeared, but her stance remained rigid, her hands gripped the counter’s edge behind her.
“Bryce is a good guy.”
“Yeah, he is.” Her gaze traveled around the room before landing askance on him. “Why are you here, Rob? I’m trying to figure out what game you’re playing now, but I don’t get it.”
“No games, Dani.”
“Then what is it?” The hurt in her eyes was clear, but she didn’t blink, nor did she back down.
He drummed his fingers against the wooden plain of the table. “I owe you an apology.” Pushing his chair back, he stood. “I was a jerk the last few days and pushed the limit. I’m sorry.”
“No big deal.” She shrugged and grabbed a tumbler, taking a sip from it.
“Maybe not.” He’d play along with her lie. “Regardless, I kept pushing when I knew you wanted to be left alone.”
“Apology accepted,” she said, an undertone of sadness in her voice. “No hard feelings. I’m sure we’ll see each other again because of Bryce, and this will all be behind us.”
But I don’t want to put it behind us. “For what it’s worth—last night, the dance—my leaving had nothing to do with you.”
“You don’t owe me any explanations.” Her bottom lip trembled even as she spoke. She felt something for him, he knew it.
Reaching out, he wanted to place a comforting hand on her, but withdrew. “In another time, another place…” He trailed off. What good would it do?
“It’s okay. I get it.” She crossed her arms over chest.
“Not everything is what it seems, Dani.” For the first time in a decade, he wanted to tell someone, break free from the memories that had held him prisoner for so long. He wouldn’t, but it didn’t stop the longing.
Slowly, she shook her head, as though she was absorbing what he’d said and trying to make sense of it. “No, it isn’t.” A few seconds passed. Her body relaxed, and she stuck out her hand, offering an olive branch. “Friends?”
