I'll Stand by You (30 page)

“Two cookies apiece before supper,” she said.

They bolted toward the cookies cooling on the racks as she headed down the hall with the baby, then put him down for his nap. When she came back into the kitchen, the boys were at the table, nibbling on their cookies with their noses in their new books.

“Wanna split a root beer?” she asked.

Their eyes widened. “We get cookies
and
pop?”

“You do today,” she said.

“You’re the best,” Beep said.

Marshall glanced up and then smiled shyly. “Yeah, you’re awesome.”

Dori smiled, a little surprised her capacity for joy was still intact. “Does anyone have homework?” she asked.

“I have a little,” Marshall said and put his new book aside and got it out of his backpack and went to work.

Dori got the roast out of the refrigerator, seasoned it up, and put it in the oven, then began preparing the vegetables she’d cook with it later.

By the time Johnny came home, the scents of his surprise supper drew him all the way into the kitchen, where he found Dori setting the table and Luther banging on the high chair with a teething biscuit.

Johnny paused in the doorway, absorbing the homey atmosphere and the girl who’d soon be his wife.

Dori looked up and smiled. “You’re home!”

Johnny swallowed past a lump in his throat. He hadn’t had anyone to come home to in so long, he couldn’t remember when the last time had been.

He set his lunch box on the counter and then hesitated.

“I would sincerely love to give you a hug, but I’m too dirty.”

“There’s no such thing as being too dirty for a hug.”

He laughed, scooped her up in his arms, and swung her off her feet, then stole a quick kiss before putting her down.

Dori felt like she’d taken flight, and when his laugh sent a chill up her back, she hung on for dear life.

“Where are the boys?” he asked as he put her down.

“In their room, reading their new books. I hope you don’t mind but the—”

“Oh man, the book fair!” Johnny said and slapped the side of his head. “I completely forgot. You took them?”

She nodded. “You don’t care, do you?”

“No, no, of course not! I’ll pay you back as—”

“No more yours and mine, Johnny Pine. After tomorrow, everything we have is ours. Okay?”

He hesitated and then agreed. “Yes, okay. I’m just not used to having anyone to depend on but myself.”

“There will be lots of things changing after tomorrow,” she said.

He frowned. “Like what?”

She shook her head. “You’ll see but not until after the wedding.”

He grinned. “You have a secret?”

She nodded. “Yes, but trust me, it’s all good.”

“Yeah, I trust you,” he said softly.

“Go wash up, and while you’re back there, tell the boys that supper is ready. We have much to discuss with them. I sure hope they won’t care.”

“They won’t care,” he said. “I promise you.”

Chapter 19

They were all the way to dessert, which consisted of more chocolate chip cookies, when Johnny told the boys they needed to have a talk.

Beep gave Marshall a frantic look. “You said you wouldn’t tell.”

Marshall rolled his eyes. “I didn’t.”

Johnny frowned. “Beep, what did you do?”

“It was an accident,” he mumbled.

Johnny kept waiting.

Beep sighed. “I axaldentally broke the night-light.”

“Well, accidents happen,” Johnny said. “Besides, it was already half-broken, wasn’t it?”

Beep’s eyes widened. “Oh wow, Johnny! I thought I was gonna get the wax for sure.”

Dori stifled a laugh. Beep’s expressions were priceless.

“No, buddy. You’re good. I’m the one who broke the first half of it when I was little. You’re the one who finished it off.”

Beep sighed. “But now we won’t have no light to sleep by.”

“Any light,” Johnny said. “I’ll leave a light on in the bathroom tonight and get a new night-light tomorrow.”

Dori arched her eyebrows, as if to remind him there were other things on the agenda for tomorrow too.

“Right,” Johnny said. “And we still need to have a talk. How would you two feel about Dori staying with us?”

“But she’s already with us,” Marshall said.

“No, I mean for always.”

Beep looked at Dori and then at the baby in her lap.

“Would ole Joe stay too?”

Dori nodded. “Yes, where I go, Joe goes.”

Marshall gave Johnny a long look and then glanced at Dori the same way.

“Are you guys gonna get married or somethin’?”

“Yes, we’re going to get married tomorrow,” Johnny said.

Marshall smiled. “I told Beep you guys were in love, but he didn’t believe me. I think it’s a good idea.”

Dori glanced at Johnny, but he was staring intently at the boys.

“Why did you think we were in love?” he asked.

“’Cause you guys watch each other when you think no one’s looking. I know how that stuff goes down.”

Johnny rolled his eyes. “Let me guess. You were watching romantic movies at Miss Jane’s too?”

“No, just the afternoon soaps. There’s lots of love stuff going on in those shows.”

Dori saw the look on Johnny’s face and burst out laughing, which made Luther laugh.

Beep wasn’t sure what was funny, but he was still so relieved that he wasn’t in trouble for breaking the night-light that he went ahead and laughed too.

“What? What did I say?” Marshall said.

Johnny grinned. “So, Beep, how do you feel about me and Dori getting married?”

“I like it. She likes us, and she makes good stuff to eat, and she’s really, really nice. And when ole Joe gets a little older, me and him can play together.”

Marshall frowned. “What about me?”

Beep shrugged. “You’re gonna grow up and get a girlfriend just like Johnny did. I’m gonna need someone to play with, aren’t I?”

This time it was Johnny who laughed. “So how do you feel about staying home from school tomorrow and being my two best men at the wedding?”

“Yes! We feel like that’s a good deal,” Marshall said. “Don’t we, Beep?”

Beep nodded. Anything that had to do with missing school was fine with him. “Can we go watch TV?” he asked.

“Yeah, sure,” Johnny said and then grinned at Dori as they ran out of the kitchen. “I told you they would be fine with this.”

Luther squawked because the boys left, then poked his thumb in his mouth and leaned against Dori’s chest.

“Even ole Joe doesn’t seem to mind,” Johnny said.

Dori glanced down at the baby and then back up at Johnny. They’d do whatever they had to do to keep their boys where they belonged.

“Do you have something clean to wear tomorrow?” Dori asked.

“All I have is what I wore to the funeral.”

Dori smiled wryly. “I find myself in the same position. I don’t think Granddaddy would find that so strange. He and Grandy were big on recycling.”

Johnny circled the table, then got down on one knee and put his arms around the both of them.

“I know you don’t love me, but maybe one day, if I’m lucky, you’ll look up and realize you can’t live without me. In the meantime, I can love you enough for both of us.”

The declaration was so moving to Dori that, for a moment, she was speechless. And then she cupped his face with one hand and leaned forward until their lips were only inches apart.

He could feel the warmth of her breath against his face, and when he suddenly saw his reflection in her eyes, it felt like she’d captured his soul.

“I already see you, Johnny Pine, and if it’s just the same with you, I’d rather live my life beside you, not without you.”

He kissed her because he could no longer talk, and when the baby grabbed his ear and then his hair, he laughed.

“Hey, little guy, we don’t intend to leave you out. You’re coming too. Okay?”

Dori leaned forward until their foreheads were touching.

“We are going to have a most wonderful life,” she said softly.

Johnny put his hand on the back of Luther’s head and ruffled the soft baby curls.

“Yes…yes we will.”

* * *

Ethel Carter had put in a request for a copy of the school incident involving Brooks Pine and the police, and had filed her report at the office before leaving on visitations with some of the other cases she was working. When she finished for the day, she went straight home. She had a bone to pick with Pansy Jones and intended to call her up as soon as she got off her feet.

After changing into something comfortable and slipping into her old house shoes, she poured herself a glass of sweet tea and sat down with her phone and her notebook.

The ice clinked against her mother’s crystal as she took a good long swig of the tea and then set the glass aside as she thumbed through the notebook for Pansy’s number. The phone rang so long, she thought it was going to voice mail, and then a man suddenly answered.

“Hello?”

Ethel frowned. Drat. Bart Jones. Bart didn’t like her, and she didn’t like him either. Still, she needed to talk to his wife.

“Hello, Bart, this is Ethel Carter. Is Pansy home? I need to speak with her.”

“No, she’s not here. She took herself a little vacation and went to Savannah to see her sister. I’ll tell her you called.”

He hung up in her ear before she could ask for Pansy’s cell phone number, but she shrugged it off. Maybe it was for the best. Maybe by the time Pansy returned, Ethel would have this mess all sorted out. She reached for her iced tea and the remote, then turned on the television to catch the evening news.

* * *

Lovey Cooper was over the moon about standing up for Dori and Johnny but furious as to why it was happening. Once she learned Ruby Dye would also be a witness, she gave Ruby a call.

Ruby was locking up the salon when the phone began to ring. She almost let the answering machine pick up and then changed her mind.

“Curl Up and Dye, Ruby speaking.”

“Ruby, it’s me, Lovey. Are you as pissed off about what happened to Dori and Johnny as I am?”

“Yes, but I have a good feeling about those two. I think they’ll make this work, even if it was a choice made under duress.”

“Maybe,” Lovey said. “I called Pansy Jones this afternoon. I was gonna give her what for, but Bart said she had gone to Savannah for a couple of weeks to visit her sister. If you ask me, she hightailed it out of town hoping this would all go away before she returned.”

“Stirred up all that trouble and then ran off, did she?”

“She sure did. She’s going to come back to a cold reception if I have any say about it. There was no call for all of this ugliness. But enough about her. I wanted to know what you’re wearing tomorrow. Dori kept stressing that they had to keep it simple, but I think she at least needs a bridal bouquet, don’t you?”

“Yes, and a cake. Every bride and groom should have a cake,” Ruby said.

“And pictures, lots of pictures for remembrance,” Lovey added. “My nephew, Junior Cooper, is the photographer down at the
Tribune
. I’ll get him to come down and snap some shots. It would make a good story, anyway. I can see the headlines:
Married
to
save
a
family
…rather than getting married to
have
a family. What do you think?”

“I think it’s too long for a headline,” Ruby said.

Lovey giggled. “I always take too long to tell a story. They’ll figure it out. I’m still going to give Junior a call. As for the cake, the bakery owes me a favor. They screwed up on a great big order I had last month. I think I can wrangle us a wedding cake for tomorrow. We can have the reception at the party room in the restaurant.”

Ruby’s excitement was growing. She loved making people happy.

“Then I’ll get in touch with Franklin’s Floral and get them to do her up a little bouquet,” Ruby added. “And who’s gonna throw the birdseed when they come out of the church?”

“Birdseed?” Lovey cried. “What about rice for good luck?”

“Oh, they quit using rice when someone figured out the birds ate what was on the ground, then it swelled up in their little bellies and killed them. A mass bird killing is not a very auspicious beginning to a marriage.”

“Well, I’ll swan. I didn’t know that,” Lovey said. “We could spread the word about the wedding and let whoever wants to come just show up.”

“That’s an idea,” Ruby said. “In fact, I like that. I’ll run by the Walmart on the way home, get a sack of birdseed and some net and ribbon, and make up some packets to give out to whoever makes it to the church.”

Lovey giggled. “This is fun! We should go into the wedding planner business.”

Ruby groaned. “I wouldn’t want to change my calling. I like making people look pretty. As for what I’m wearing, I think I’ll wear a dress like I’d wear to church.”

“Me too,” Lovey said. “So, see you tomorrow.”

“Straight-up noon,” Ruby added.

“Will do. Bye now.”

“Good-bye,” Ruby said and then locked up the shop and headed to Franklin’s Floral before they closed.

* * *

Night came and Johnny was in bed but couldn’t sleep. This time tomorrow, he would have a wife but in name only. He didn’t know when or if they’d consummate the marriage, but he wanted to; God knows he wanted to.

On the other side of the wall, Dori was sleepless as well, contemplating what it would be like to be married. Would Johnny expect her to sleep with him right away? She remembered how her grandparents had been with each other. Even at their ages, the love they had for each other was obvious. She wanted that; she wanted a partner in life, but she thought she was ready for a lover too. Then she rolled over and willed herself to sleep, convinced that she would know when it was right.

* * *

Granddaddy was smiling at Dori and blowing her a kiss when he suddenly disappeared. She woke up with a gasp and remembered he was gone and that today she was getting married. She abruptly burst into tears, sick at heart that he would not be here to give her away. Still crying, she went across the hall to the bathroom, did her business, and washed the tears away. Today was not a day for crying. Today was the beginning of the rest of her life.