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Love hurts.
Jess
“Yes, you heard me right. Marshall and I got married this morning!”
Kelli’s voice echoed through the soap bubbles coating my phone speaker. My whole phone was dripping because I’d dropped it in the sink when she first made her announcement. All the blood felt like it had drained from my face, and the only response I could manage was a gasp and a gulp. “Whhaaa… How? Why??? Weren’t you guys fighting, like, two days ago?”
“That’s called ‘miscommunicating,’ we decided. I’m sure we’ll have some bumps in the road, but… Honey! Get back to bed! What do you think you’re doing trying to… Hang on.”
The phone muffled, and I could hear Marshall and Kelli bickering cheerfully in the background. Kelli was scolding her… I guess he was her husband, to stay off his feet, but it sounded like he had no intentions of going back to bed without her.
“Oh, for mercy’s sake,” I sighed. “I don’t need to listen to this!” I called loudly enough that she had to be able to hear me. I was about to hang up when Kelli’s voice came back on.
“Sorry about that. Cowboys! You know how they are.”
“I have an inkling.”
“So, anyway, I figured I’d better let you know the news!”
I laughed. “Uh, yeah! I can’t believe you didn’t invite me to the wedding. Did you just go to the courthouse?”
“We sort of got it up in a hurry. It was just my family and his there, but hey, we got what we went there for! We’ll have a big party when he’s feeling better. So, that leads me to the next thing. Joy.”
“Uh-huh. I thought you’d come around to this. I assume you’re keeping her after all, and you’ll be moving her up to Walker Ranch now?”
“Well…” Kelli’s voice sounded hushed like she was trying not to be overheard. “Yes. Marshall made a big deal about living at my place in town to start with. We haven’t figured out anything else yet, but he’ll still be going to the ranch daily to work once he’s feeling better. It doesn’t make any sense to keep Joy somewhere else. I’ll sure miss riding with you, though.”
“I understand. You’d already moved her out anyway to sell her. Doesn’t really change anything for me at this point.”
“I know, but I wanted to explain what was going on. You deserve that. I’d have never survived these past couple of months if you hadn’t been helping me with her.”
I smiled into the phone. “I enjoyed having you here. You lit a fire under my britches to get out and ride more.”
“Oh, I’ll light a different kind of fire under you, just give me half a chance. Once Marshall’s all healed up, you and that handsome rancher of yours are all mine. Coffee isn’t the only thing I’m good at mixing up, you know.”
“I’ll take your word for it. But I think I’ll just take my time with this one, Kel. I’m not in any rush to get married.”
“Don’t knock it till you’ve tried it!” she giggled. “Okay, I’d better go. Mom’s calling again. She told me she was making a huge chicken soup for Marshall and if I don’t answer, she’ll be over here spoon-feeding it to him in ten minutes. I don’t think she understands what I meant when I said ‘Wedding night.’”
“I don’t understand why you’re still on the phone. Sounds like you have better things to do.”
“Whoo-eeee!” she whooped. “Later, Jess!”
My screen went dark, and I pushed the phone across the counter so I could finish rinsing the dishes. I chewed my bottom lip as I tried to take in the shock of it.Kelli married.
I heartily wished her and Marshall the best, and I couldn’t imagine either of them with anyone else. But there went another couple, paired off and starting their own life together. It wasn’t like it was a race or anything, but I was beginning to feel more and more left behind in the dust.
How does a person know, reallyknow,when they’ve found the one for them? Where is that feeling that flicks on? Is it an instantaneous thing or something that grows in fits and starts? Morgan had told me once that she knew Cody was special by the end of their first date. But my mom had taken months to make up her mind about my dad, so when was I supposed to know? And was Austenitfor me?
I dried my hands, tossed the towel on the hook, and wandered into the living room. I’d worked in a cold auto shop all day, finished my chores, cleaned up after dinner, and now I wanted to curl up under a fuzzy blanket on the couch with a syrupy romance. After Kelli’s news, I was in the mood for a happily-ever-after to feed my soul this evening, but when I thumbed through the stack of books on the end table, none sparked my interest. I was tired of all of them, and I’d never felt like that before.
Something new sounded good. Maybe there were still some holiday specials on; the cheesy ones I couldn’t help adoring. I reached for the remote, realizing only then that Dakota had snuck up beside me on the couch. I let my arm rest on his back as I flicked through the channels.
Stupid. Already saw it. Boring. Old. And who thoughtthatwas a good plot? I sighed and clicked off the TV after half an hour of nothing. How could I be so hungry for a good story when absolutely nothing sounded interesting?
It was a pity I’d given Austen back his journal. A little bit of his poetry and ramblings would be fun to read right now. Light and entertaining, but thoughtful enough to make me smile and camp on them for a while.
Maybe I should just call him. Except the man I would talk to on the phone wasn’t very much like the man in the journal. When would he show me that side of himself? There had to be more under the surface that he hadn’t let me see. I guessed it would take time. That was why I’d told Kelli I was in no hurry. You didn’t rush the kind of love I was looking for.
