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“Confession is good for the soul, so they say,” Sally said, hoping to put Norma Jean at ease.
“I’m afraid you guys are going to hate me.”
“We aren’t going to hate you,” Peter said, and Sally squeezed him closer. She knew he meant that. And it made her heart sing.
“I left the gate open on purpose. I was hoping that Peter would come up and put cows in and give me some attention. It was... Stupid. I understand that I might owe you the cost of your medical bills, and whatever else you want me to pay. I’ll work for the rest of my life to pay it off if that’s what I have to do.”
“What?” Miles’s voice sounded threatening as he walked from where he stood at the door toward the kitchen.
Norma Jean turned toward him. “I should have told you before we did what we did this morning. I’m sorry. I understand if you... Want to get an annulment or something.”
“We can’t just pretend we didn’t say vows,” Miles said, and he didn’t sound happy about it. “Yeah. That definitely was something that you should have told me. I shouldn’t be finding out now in front of everyone else.”
“I’m sorry,” Norma Jean said.
Sally felt terrible for her. Norma Jean was strong and tough, and Sally couldn’t remember ever seeing her cry, but her voice wobbled now.
Miles didn’t say anything more, but a muscle in his cheek moved back and forth, and a vein popped out in his temple as he stared at his new wife.
Finally, he looked over at Sally and Peter. “Congratulations. If you need me, you know where I’ll be...with my...wife.” He spit the word out, none too gently, and then, he lifted his brows at Norma Jean as though asking if she was ready to go.
She lifted her chin, and Sally’s heart went out to her at the look she gave her husband. Sally managed to keep from putting her hand over her mouth, but from that look, Sally was sure that Norma Jean was in love with Miles. Unfortunately, it sounded like her marriage wasn’t a love match, and Norma Jean had definitely started things out in the worst possible way.
Sally hoped their marriage could survive, but... It was hard enough to stay married in a regular relationship, let alone when the marriage started out with one person keeping a secret from another, and then offending them by telling other people something that their spouse should have already known.
But, Sally couldn’t fix that at all, although she watched with sadness as Norma Jean turned, took Holly’s hand, and walked out the door in front of Miles, whose shoulders were stiff and filled with tension.
“I think Miles has it bad for her,” Peter said as the door closed behind them.
“You’re kidding. And here I was thinking that Norma Jean was infatuated with Miles, and I felt bad for her.”
Peter laughed. “Maybe you’re right. I’ve just...never seen Miles like that. I’d say he is head over heels. But he swore he wasn’t getting married again, and maybe he did that so she wouldn’t get away.”
The idea of some man not wanting Norma Jean to get away was kind of a new idea and a little odd, but Sally hoped it was true.
“I think they’ll be able to work things out,” Peter said.
“I’d love to be a fly on the wall following them around for a little while, because... I think they could have a really interesting love story.”
“The way you and I do.”
“I think ours was pretty easy. All I had to do was get you to break your leg, have a concussion, and be stuck on the couch for six weeks, and presto, you have no choice but to fall in love with me.”
“It was that easy?”
“Yeah. You should really think about playing hard to get some time.”
“I suppose me reminding you that you said we could get married tomorrow is not me playing hard to get?”
“No. But, maybe you can start after that.”
“Or maybe I could just kiss you instead. That sounds like a lot more fun to me.”
“Me too,” Sally said, and she forgot about lunch as she moved to put her arms around Peter and lifted her head as he lowered his lips toward hers.
It seemed like maybe both of them had decided to choose happiness, which was a lot easier when a person got to be with the one they loved.
