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I take a few deep breaths. Marriage? What?
He continues. “I’d ask you right now if I knew you’d say yes, but I understand you’re not there yet and I’m willing to wait for as long as it takes for you to get there. But understand this, baby…” he pauses until I look up at him again. “… nothing, and I mean nothing, has happened between Renee and I since the day I caught her cheating on me in the front of the rescue truck. I swear. Nothing. You are the one I want to be with forever. Do you hear me? It’s you.”
I absorb what he says and then nod, tamping down my fears and panic. “Yeah, I hear you.”
“Good.” He kisses me and pulls me into his arms and holds me tight. “I know Renee, and she can be vindictive if she wants to be. Promise me you will steer clear of her today.”
Nodding, I pull away from him to look him in the eyes. “I promise. But…”
“But?” He suddenly looks scared.
“But… let her try.” I smile up at him. “I dare her.”
His laugh is guttural and strong. “That’s my girl.” He pulls me back into his arms. “Let’s get back out there.”
The day has flown by and by Grace’s calculations, we’ve raised another fifty thousand dollars. At one point, Grace pulled me on stage to say a few words and I got all choked up and cried, trying to show my gratitude to all that had helped me and my little shop. I had no idea so many people cared, and it has renewed my energy to rebuild as quickly as I can.
It's late and everyone is packing it in and cleaning up. Molly is a miracle worker and knows exactly how to run an event. There were a lot of vendors, craft booths, games for the kids, face painting, and so much food. At one point, a local band got on stage and played for a while. It’s been great and very humbling.
“Well, I think that’s the last of it.” Grace claps her hands, trying to get the dirt off of them. “I’m in desperate need of a shower.”
“You, ma’am, deserve anything you want.” I pull her into another hug. I’ve been hugging her every chance I get. “Thank you for everything, Grace. I mean it.”
“If you don’t stop thanking me, I’m going to shut it all down. Enough.” She laughs. “You deserve all of this, if only to prove how wonderful you are and how much everyone loves you.”
I hold my hands up, “Okay. Okay. You win. I’ll stop thanking you.”
“Finally. Now, let’s go wash up so we don’t get our cars all dirty.” Grace leads the way into the bar and to the ladies’ room.
“Too late. I got red clay all over the floorboards of his truck this morning.” I laugh as Grace goes into a stall.
I turn on the water and relish the coldness on my hands. July in Florida is nothing if not hot and humid.
As I put soap on my hands, the door to the bathroom opens and in walks a beautiful, slender woman and instantly, I know who she is. Renee.
“Hello.” I say. I’m nothing if not polite.
“Hm.” She hums. “I wanted to get an up-close look at what all the fuss is about, but I see nothing special.” She looks me up and down.
I don’t answer her, but keep working the soap into a frothy foam as we gauge each other in the mirror.
She smiles at me in the mirror, but her smile is anything but genuine. “I don’t understand why everyone’s so gaga about you, but whatever.” She shrugs her shoulders and stalks around me and suddenly I feel like the outcast in high school. “I suppose everyone needs someone to pity.”
Instead of responding to her ‘pity’ comment, I rinse the soap from my hands, proud of myself for taking the high road.
Apparently, Renee doesn’t like to be ignored. “So, you’re the one that’s been hogging all of Hudy’s time.” The disdain in her voice is clear. I don’t meet her standards.
Newsflash. She doesn’t meet mine, either.
And now I’m off the high road.
“If you mean Hudson’s time, then yes, I am the one that is taking up all of his time. Mostly fucking, though.” I keep rinsing my hands mostly to keep her from seeing them shake.
I continue when I see the anger and shock in her eyes. "I mean, there have been some conversations, of course. Like the one where he asked me to move in with him. Oh, and there’s the one where he told me he plans to propose to me. And then there was this one day we went to meet his mother. She loves me, by the way. Did she like you? I suppose not, with that attitude.” I turn off the water and pull some paper towels from the dispenser. I notice Grace hasn’t made her presence known yet.
“Well, Hudy…” she pauses to emphasize her stupid nickname for him, “and I had dinner together just the other night and he didn’t mention a peep about you.” She fluffs her hair in the mirror.
I’ll admit it. She’s beautiful, really thin, but beautiful, and I have to tap down my insecurities over my weight. She also has some kind of magical powers to not be sweat covered, being in this heat and humidity all evening. But nonetheless, I stand up for myself. Hudson warned me she’s vindictive, and he was right.
