Be My Guest (24 page)

Rose crossed around to the other side of the
breakfast nook and pulled on Aurora's arm. "All right, march right
into the living room. We're going to talk about whatever it is that
has you so upset."

Aurora let Rose lead her into the living
room. She sat in the big blue chair near the fireplace--the one
Will sat in her first night at Rose's. Now Rose positioned herself
on the ottoman. "Let’s hear it. This isn't like you at all. Can you
tell me what's bothering you?"

"It's Will. We argued on Sunday, and he
hasn't called me all week. Kelly hasn't called me either.
Will...Will wants me to marry him." Aurora stared at her lap as she
spoke, apparently oblivious to the twisted napkin she
absentmindedly carried with her from the kitchen.

Incredulous, Rose peered into her face. "And
that's upsetting to you? I had the impression you were more than a
little fond of my nephew."

Aurora sighed. "Yes, I am. I'm in love with
him."

A frown creased the older woman's brow. "I
see, then perhaps it's the idea of raising another woman's daughter
that's causing you to hesitate."

Aurora stretched her hand out to Rose in
protest. "No! You know I adore Kelly, too. You see, I think maybe
I'm just the one who happened along when he decided to get back
into circulation. He seems so in love with Nancy. And, after all,
I've only known him for six weeks. Maybe he doesn't really love me
at all."

With a knowing smile, Rose patted Aurora's
hand. "You have no idea how many women we've tried to match Will
with in the past three years. He wasn't interested in anyone until
he saw you. Anyone who sees you two together can tell you're made
for one another."

Only slightly mollified, Aurora slid her
hand to her cheek to brush away an errant tear. "It's also, well, I
had such a bad experience the last time I was engaged. I didn't
want to rush into a relationship. I'd planned to travel before I
settled down, give myself some time, become independent."

Rose placed her hand to her cheek in dismay.
"Oh, my dear, those words give me goose bumps. Those are the very
words I said myself so many years ago."

Rose continued. "Well, not the part about
being engaged, but the part about travel sounds all too
familiar."

Rose took a deep breath, as if bracing
herself. "Aurora, I told you that the only man I ever really loved
married someone else, but I didn't tell you why or who he was. It's
a subject so painful that I never discuss it. I think I have to
make an exception for you--and for Will.”

Rose stood and walked over to adjust
something on the fireplace mantel and when she turned back to face
Aurora, deep pain gripped her face. "I was so keen to travel and
see the world before I settled down. I was in love with a man I had
known all my life, you see. He was content to stay on his ranch
forever, but I"--she threw her arms wide and her head back--"I
wanted to see the world, experience all of life."

Her arms dropped slowly to her side and she
returned her gaze to Aurora. "It didn't occur to me that I could
travel as easily after I was married as before--or that life was
right here, ready for the experiencing."

Rose paced back and forth as she gestured
widely with her right hand. "I kept putting him off. One spring, I
decided I'd take this grand trip and booked a tour of Europe that
lasted most of one summer. We had terrible arguments about it, but
I left anyway." Rose pounded her left hand with her right fist. "I
was so certain that I was in the right, and that he was being
selfish. I thought he didn't want to understand my needs."

She sighed. "Well, while I was on that trip
I realized that I had been foolish. We were in a different city
almost every day, so I hadn't had a letter from home all summer. I
had never gone so long without communicating with him by letter or
phone. Oh, I missed him terribly. I realized it was I who had been
selfish to expect him to wait around indefinitely. I could hardly
wait to get home to tell him." Rose sat down and slumped
slightly.

Seeing this gracious woman so sad pained
Aurora, but compelled her to ask, "What happened, Rose?”

Rose took a deep breath and straightened her
posture. "When I got home, my parents came to the train meet me. I
wondered where my sister Vivian was, and asked. Even though we're
very different, Vivian and I have always been very close. In my
mind I see so vividly the look my parents shared in an
uncomfortable silence. Finally, Mother said they had something to
tell me. Well, you can guess. The only man I've ever loved was
Will's father, and he had finally given up waiting for me and
married my sister Vivian."

Aurora reached for Rose and clasped her
hand. "Oh, Rose, I'm so sorry. I didn't know."

"You've met my sister. She's very easy to
love. She had never let me know how much she loved Riley, because
she thought he and I would be married. That's just the kind of
person she is, you see."

Rose's composure broke and she took the
napkin from Aurora and dabbed her eyes. "When I left for the whole
summer after Riley and I had quarreled, she thought it was really
over between Riley and me. There's no way I could find fault with
either Vivian or Riley. The only fault was mine." She sat with her
head in her hands.

"No wonder Will is your favorite." Aurora
patted Rose's shoulder gently. She should have realized, but did
anyone?

The older woman raised her head and smiled
through tears. "Yes, he's my favorite. I can't help it. He’s the
spitting image of his father, you know. Yet, each time I see him,
I'm reminded of my foolishness. I can't help thinking that if I had
only been more understanding, Will could have been my son instead
of Vivian's."

"Does Will know how you feel?"

Pausing a moment, Rose answered, "I believe
he does. I've never told him, but he's dropped hints a few times
that let me know he understands. He's always been very attentive to
me--much as a son would be."

Rose leaned forward and took Aurora's hands
in hers, "Now I don't want you thinking I'm unhappy or that I think
I've wasted my life. I've had a good life and expect to continue
doing so for many years. The whole reason for this depressing
story, my dear, is to prevent you from making the same mistake I
made."

She stood. "If you love Will as I think you
do, tell him so. Don't make him pay for another man's mistakes. He
can't help loving Nancy, but that doesn't mean he'll love you any
less. As for the travel, well, you can take trips together that
will mean much more than any you could ever take alone. You can
grow together instead of separately."

With resignation, Aurora stood and paced
about the room. "I know you're right, Rose. I'd reached the same
conclusion myself during the week, but needed reassurance, I guess.
That bad experience with Russell made me afraid to trust my own
feelings, afraid to trust Will. I thought he might have chosen me
because I happened along when he decided to get back into
circulation. And there was the terrible fight about my owning my
own business."

"I'm sure you can work it out, dear. Just
give him time and a chance. The only woman in our family who has
had a career is me. It will take him some getting used to, having a
working wife. It isn't that he doubts you."

Before Rose could protest further, Aurora
continued, "I knew deep down that was true, but I had doubts. I
know that I love Will more than I ever imagined possible."

Aurora twirled around to face Rose, "I'll
call him now. No, wait, this is not something to be discussed over
the telephone. I'll tell him in person tomorrow night at his
party--that is, if it's not already too late."

Chapter Ten

Aurora
could hardly wait for the day
to pass on Friday. More than the usual number of customers came
into the store, choosing cards as well gifts for birthdays,
Father's Day, or a June wedding. There were so many customers, that
Aurora found it impossible to get away in the afternoon to make her
usual trip to the bank.

About half past four, Rose and Vivian came
in to take her with them to the ranch. Susan's mother had become
ill while her husband and father were on a fishing trip, though, so
Susan had left at four to get her children from her mother's home
and check on the ailing woman. Emily and her family were on
vacation and Mattie back at work, but even with her improved
eyesight Mattie could not close out the cash register and make the
bank deposit. Surgery’s miracles only accomplished so much.

Aurora’s spirits dipped. “I have no choice
but to remain until closing.”

Vivian hugged her. “Now don’t you worry a
bit, dear. We’ll go on and tell Will you’ll be there in time for
dinner.”

Aurora asked Rose, “Does he know I’ve told
Peggy I’ll buy the shop?”

“We’ll let you tell him the news tonight.”
Rose patted her shoulder. “Everything will be fine, you’ll
see.”

Finally six o'clock arrived, closing time,
and the last customers left by a quarter past six. Aurora hurried
to get the day's receipts ready for night deposit. When she
finished preparing the deposit, she slipped into the new clothes
purchased for tonight. Changing at the store rather than at Rose's
would only save a few minutes, but time was precious.

She hurried to change clothes and repair her
makeup in the mirror of the tiny employee's bathroom. At last, she
could slip out the back door on her way to the bank and then on to
the party. Vivian and Rose would already be at the party enjoying
the evening. She thought again that it was too bad she could not
have accompanied them.

Actual starting time for the party was at
six. When Will told her about the party, he mentioned the meal
would not be served before seven to give all the guests time to
arrive. Vivian and Rose offered to wait and go with her, but Aurora
insisted they go ahead. She assured them she would arrive there as
soon as she could. With luck, she could be there by a quarter of
seven.

Last week, Aurora had spent a large part of
her salary from Peggy on clothes for this party. She chose a long
blue denim broomstick skirt. At the same store, she found a
western-cut blouse with a vent flap in back. Aurora knew the greens
in the blouse’s pattern made her eyes turn an even deeper green, a
fact confirmed by both Rose and the sales clerk at the dress shop.
At Rose's urging, Aurora splurged on a new silver necklace and
earrings in a Zuni sun pattern.

She wiggled her toes and wished she had
taken time to break in her new brown boots. Kelly would approve of
the beautiful tooling on the sides, but the stiff leather made them
unwieldy. At least the new clothes gave her the boost of confidence
she needed to face Will tonight. Reassured, she picked up her
handbag, the gift she had for Will's birthday, and the bank deposit
pouch.

The Jeep sat parked facing the sun all
afternoon. Even though she had one of the folding sunshades in the
front window, Aurora could hardly touch the blistering hot steering
wheel. She folded the sunshade and searched about the seat for
something to use to hold the steering wheel. Suddenly, the door
flew open and a dirty hand gripped her arm.

Connected to the hand stood the bearded
blond man who had tried to force her car off the road on her first
day in the area. He must have walked up the alley behind her or
have been hidden in a doorway. The dark-haired man drove the red
truck now rolling to a stop behind her Jeep.

"Let go of me!" Aurora yelled as she pried
at the fingers of the bearded man.

"We heard you'd been asking for us, honey.
We thought we'd help you out. You just come with me, now." The
burly man tightened his hold on her arm. She could smell his stale
breath and foul body odor as he reached across to grab her other
wrist. Aurora bit his arm and then shoved him as hard as she could.
She twirled sideways and kicked him in the groin and tried to slam
the Jeep door. Doubled over in pain, the cursing man used his
shoulder to keep the door from closing.

The second scraggly man appeared, coming
around the front of the truck to assist his friend. Aurora slid
across the seat and exited the Jeep on the other side. The
dark-haired man saw her intention and rushed to prevent her
escape.

Aurora searched around for assistance, but
no one appeared. The other stores and businesses which shared the
alley were closed and their personnel either gone for the day or
working inside.

"Help! Call the sheriff!" She yelled as loud
as she could before a greasy hand clamped across her mouth.

As the men dragged her into the red truck,
Aurora thought she glimpsed a face in the window of the back door
of the feed store across the alley. She prayed she was right, that
someone saw her and heard her cries. Suddenly, peering from a
window, she saw Eunice Foster's face dawn with the comprehension of
what happened.

The dark-haired man drove the truck. The
blond had Aurora's left arm twisted behind her back so far that she
had to turn sideways in the truck seat.

The driver gave her a leering grin. "Well,
well, you think you're purty smart don't you? You 'n that fancy
boyfriend of yours, asking all over the county 'bout us. Me and
Billy have some nice plans for you to show you what we think of
that."

* * *

Will stood at a massive barbecue wagon
borrowed from a friend who used it to hold chuck wagon cookouts. He
checked the meat once more. Perfect. Ready to serve, but a few
minutes longer would be all right.

Some of his guests swam in the pool. A small
western band set up under an awning on the sun deck played
"Tennessee Waltz," and a few couples danced on the patio. Other
guests sat or stood about in small groups visiting with one
another. Most also glanced frequently at their host, ready to eat
their share of the meat and the multitude of other dishes prepared
for the backyard party,