Chapter Eighteen
By Saturday morning, Tina began to wonder if the universe was against Walker ever mentioning the kiss or the date again, or for them to have a moment to talk about it.
There were always customers in the store, and after supper each evening, he and Lyle were either cleaning up the remaining debris from the storm, trimming the rosebushes and weeding flower beds, or putting up the new greenhouse.
“What was that sigh all about?” Gracie asked on Friday night.
“I’m selfish,” Tina answered. “What were you saying?”
Gracie poked at Tina’s upper arm with a forefinger.
“You are not selfish, and I was trying to figure out all the details so this wedding can go off without too much stress on any of us. Do you really believe that Cleo and Mae saved all the babysitting money and put it in an account for each of us? When I saw that it was enough to pay for the wedding and buy new furniture for my and Dakota’s new place, I almost cried.
If Dakota didn’t have such a big family, I would have the wedding right here in the house and the reception in the park. ”
“Well, they started keeping me and you when we were about a month old, and Walker when he was a year old. That amounts to a lot over the years.”
“I’ve thought a lot about what you said about this being our chosen family.” Gracie tossed a bridal magazine over onto the coffee table.
“Me too,” Tina said. “And it’s the truth. We got a family when we were born, but . . .” She paused.
“I understand,” Gracie said with a nod. “We all loved them so much that when we were too old to have sitters, we still came to see them all the time. It was always like coming home.”
“Yes, it was.” Tina picked up the bridal magazine. “Now, let’s talk wedding dresses or else I’m going to get weepy.”
“Okay then,” Gracie agreed and pointed to a dress on the cover.
“I used to think I wanted something like that when I got married, but I’ve changed my mind.
What do you think of this one?” She touched the screen on her phone and brought up a picture of a white off-the-shoulder tea-length dress made of a soft cotton with a lace overlay.
“And maybe a pair of these to go with it?” She scrolled down to a photo of a pair of lace-up white lace boots with a kitten heel.
“Are you really going to buy a dress online and not go shopping?” Tina asked. “I figured you would try on at least twenty before you made up your mind.”
“I would rather spend any free time I have with Dakota than trying on dozens of fancy dresses, so what do you think?”
“It is you, and I love it. Are you wearing a veil?”
Gracie shook her head. “I’m thinking a crown braid with white rosebuds scattered around it.”
“Even more you.” Tina cut her eyes around at Gracie. “You’ve already ordered everything, haven’t you.”
“Busted,” Gracie replied with half a giggle. “But this has kept you from thinking about the date tomorrow night, worrying about what to wear and where Walker is taking you and wishing that Mama Fate would have at least given y’all an opportunity to make out a few more times.”
“You know me too well—and thank you,” Tina said.
“Customers seemed to come in a steady stream all week, and Lyle was there right beside Walker when no one else was in the store. Then he came home with us every evening. Cleo and Mae loved having another person at the supper table and watching the two guys work, so I shouldn’t complain. ”
Gracie’s head bobbed up and down in agreement the whole time Tina talked. “And what they liked even more was that Iris sat over on her porch glaring at them the whole time.”
“Yep, and she had to look past that ridiculous metal rooster while she did it,” Tina giggled. “Do you think she will ever forgive them for making her get rid of her goat?”
“About the time that the devil air-conditions hell,” Gracie laughed with her. “Poor old girl needs some joy in her life.”
“Maybe . . . ,” Tina said through the giggles, “we should fix her up with a boyfriend. We could advertise in the Oldham County News, or better yet, on Facebook. It could say Widow seeks male companion. Must have own hair and teeth and a few chickens to go with her rooster.”
Tears rolled down Gracie’s face and she got the hiccups. “After all the ugly memes that’s been posted lately, that would be too funny.”
“We could add Bring chocolates to the small house across from Benson Park.”
“Why candy and not flowers?” Gracie asked.
“One look from her would wilt flowers, but hopefully chocolates would sweeten her up a little. Hey, why don’t we make some special fudge and leave it on her porch?” Tina asked.
Gracie dissolved into laughter at that idea. When she got control, she wiped her wet cheeks with a tissue. “I haven’t laughed that hard since we were kids.”
“Me, either, and I needed it,” Tina said. “Hey, do you remember Roy Timmons?”
“Oh, yeah, I do,” Gracie said. “He used to walk up and down the street in his plaid Bermuda shorts, a striped seersucker jacket, and hot pink tennis shoes.”
“With five or six big necklaces around his neck and one of those fur hats with the flaps down over his ears,” Tina added.
“I saw him a couple of days ago, and after all these years, he’s still in town.
I asked Walker if he ever found out why Roy did that, and he told me that Roy said it was so people could see him. ”
“Whatever brought him to your mind?”
“What if we put an announcement on Facebook that he and Iris are dating, or better yet that he was seen leaving her house at daylight?” Tina asked.
“You wouldn’t!” Gracie gasped.
Tina acted as innocent as she possibly could. “If I’m going to have the blame, then I really should have the game, don’t you think?”
“I suppose so, but if you are going to do it, at least get it done soon so I can see the results,” Gracie said.
“One more little stunt out of her, and it will be posted,” Tina said. “Now, let’s get serious about what you want me to wear to the wedding.”
“A Hawaiian print shirt with chickens on it will do just fine,” Gracie said and burst into another round of laughter.
“Remember that I’m the troublemaker, so don’t tempt me.”
“Anything you want, as long as it’s green.
That’s going to be the signature color for the wedding.
I’m carrying a small bouquet of wildflowers tucked into ferns,” Gracie answered.
“Walker is going to walk me down the aisle, but when the preacher asks who gives me away, Cleo and Mae are going to stand up and say that they do.”
“Yep, and they’ve been arguing about what shade of green they’ll wear. Cleo says mint, and Mae says she likes a mossy color better. They live to argue.”
“And argue to live,” Gracie added. “If they didn’t bicker, they would be like Iris.”
“Then bring on the squabbles!” Tina said with conviction.
Saturday morning at the feedstore was busier than it had been all week, and they closed an hour later than usual.
For the first time, Walker laced his fingers with Tina’s when they walked across the parking lot.
Just that simple gesture meant more to her than eating at a fancy restaurant or sitting beside him at a movie.
“What’s on the agenda for tonight?” she asked.
He let go of her hand and opened the truck door for her. “Well, I know this sweet little place to eat, but if you have something else in mind, we don’t have to go there.”
“Isn’t tomorrow the day that they have Trade Days?” Tina asked.
“Yep, I thought maybe you could pack a suitcase when we get home and we’d spend the weekend over there,” he said. “Grandmother says that we can use her little travel trailer for the night since she uses her spare bedroom as a workroom for her jewelry.”
The vision of Walker in the shower resurfaced and left her speechless.
“We can always do something different on our first date, if that isn’t what you had in mind.” Walker sounded worried.
“It’s perfect,” she said, still a bit breathless about the idea of spending the night with him in a trailer.
“Then throw together whatever you need when we get home, and we’ll head that way. We can hook up the trailer and drive it about five miles out into the desert. I will cook supper over a campfire, and we’ll come back to help Grandmother tomorrow morning.” His tone had changed to excitement.
“Yes, to all of the above—but, Walker, this is our third date, not our first,” she told him.
His brows drew down in a frown. “How do you figure that?”
“First one was when we went to Trade Days. Second was when we brought Iris her metal beast. So this is our third.”
“It’s not a date until I get a good-night kiss,” he argued.
“I guess you get three tonight, then,” she teased.
“Oh, no!” Walker disagreed. “If the first two were dates, then the kisses have drawn interest, and you owe me extra.”
“I always pay my debts,” she promised.
Walker’s grandmother left a note on the door saying that she and a friend had gone to Tucumcari to buy more silver and wouldn’t be back until late.
What Walker had asked for was in the cooler on the cabinet.
Tina was a little disappointed that she didn’t get to see Ally, but at the same time excited about spending the rest of the afternoon and night alone with Walker.
When he drove around to the backyard, Tina’s eyes went so wide that she thought they would pop out of her head.
She hopped out of the truck before he could even open the door for her and walked all the way around the wildly decorated trailer that looked like something out of the ’60s.
A collection of dream catchers was painted on one side, an eagle with outspread wings against a bright blue sky on the back, and wildflowers on the other side.
“Having second thoughts?” Walker asked as he finished hooking it up to the truck.
“Hell, no!” Tina answered. “Would she be willing to sell it to me?”
“No, but I’m sure she’ll let us borrow it anytime we want.” He grinned and swept her up in his arms like a bride.
“What are you doing?” she asked.