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"You sure took your time. So when did you finally catch him?"
"The day of the wedding."
"No...tell me it isn't so. That's cruel."
"I'm not kidding. It was the day of the wedding. But it's just not something you go around talking about. I thought Chad was just about the sweetest gentleman I'd ever known. I never dreamed...." Savannah plopped onto the bed with a heavy sigh.
"Oh honey, I'm so sorry. I should have told you. Long ago. So...so his parents know?"
"Oh no, he couldn't tell them. I wouldn't have known either, if I hadn't caught him in the Rose Garden."
"Who was it?" Janet nearly screamed. Savannah nearly laughed at the absurdity of it all.
But the truth had a way of leaking into the conversation. "I promised not to tell," she admitted as her shoulders slumped.
"But I'm your best friend." Janet's face turned red, and then she touched her arm. "Oh honey. I can guess...it was Carol Stewart, I'll bet."
So Janet didn't know Chad was gay, Savannah sighed to herself. No one knew.She almost wished she had known. At least she could let down all the pretenses and tell the truth then.
"This is one secret I'm keeping to myself. I might have been naive, stupid even, but I'm not about to blurt this one out."
"Well, it doesn't matter," Janet announced, "You weren't really in love with him either."
"How could you know I didn't love him? I didn't know myself until recently."
"Yeah...you were smitten by that gorgeous Sheriff. Doesn't that tell you something? I mean, you can't fall out of love with one man, and into with another that quickly. Unless you are the most fickle person in the world. And I know you too well, you aren't."
"Oh now Janet, I'm not sure how I feel about the Sheriff, really." Savannah cried, afraid her little lie was escalating into a full blown problem.
"Well, if Chad cheated on you, you have every right to do what you want. So go after that Sheriff."
"There's a problem."
"What?"
"He's marriage shy. He's been hurt badly and he doesn't want to take a chance on it happening again. I can't blame him, I guess." Savannah was hesitant to admit it to her friend, but perhaps it would be a welcome albatross, later. "I believe his words were, he didn't want a woman, rope and hog tying him."
Janet shook her head, "Oh you can't go by that. They are all marriage shy, at first. But once they are smitten, what can they do?"
"Janet, you are incurable. But don't get your hopes up about this cowboy. I
'm not kidding, he is marriage shy. Very much so. Maybe it has something to do with his being a Sheriff. Maybe he's had a bad love affair, who knows. And you know me, I want marriage more than anything. I'm afraid it's not going anywhere."
Janet refused to be discouraged for her, "Maybe he just hasn't bumped into the right woman, yet!"
"It's way too soon to worry about how serious the Sheriff might be." Savannah scoffed and put the dress on, smoothing it as she looked at herself in the mirror.
"That dress looks better on you, than it does on me." Janet chuckled.
"I'm glad you are here, Janet. I need you right now. Especially since my aunt isn't home." Savannah hugged her friend to her.
"Do you know when she's coming home?"
"Tomorrow, according to Ben..."
"That soon, huh? Well, I'll finish out the week here, since I took my vacation now, and I'll be leaving too. Besides, I've got to give this Leroy a chance at me. Say, his name is Ben...I like that name." Janet sighed and then giggled.
"Yeah, but his last name isn't very appealing…"
