The Only Man for Her

Her friend yawned again. “I’m right behind you.”

She wouldn’t be surprised if Jess fell asleep on the way to see about the bride. “You need to tell your husband to lay off and let you get some rest.”

Jess grinned. “Why would I do that when I’m married to a gorgeous, sexy guy like Chase? But seriously, my fatigue has a lot to do with the school year ending in less than two months. Try containing twenty-two second graders who have summer vacation on their minds. It’s a good thing I like kids.”

Rachel liked kids, too. A lot. Yet it didn’t seem to be in the cards for her to have one of her own. As usual, the soul-deep sadness returned, and the nagging tears weren’t far behind.

Fortunately, Savannah emerged from the dressing room, providing a much-appreciated distraction, and a little nip of envy. Rachel had worn a simple Sunday-best white dress on her wedding day, not a formfitting, satin, halter-style gown with a silver beaded sash at the waist. Funny, that hadn’t mattered way back then, so it certainly shouldn’t matter now. For some reason, it did.

Savannah stepped in front of the three-way mirror and twisted her blond hair back at her nape. “So what do you two think?”

Rachel managed a generous smile around the memory barrage of her own simple wedding. “You look dazzling, girlfriend.”

“Sam is going to have a stroke when he sees you in that,” Jess said. “Guess I better brush up on my CPR skills.”

Savannah turned and looked over a shoulder to study her reflection, then frowned. “Are you sure it doesn’t make my hips look too wide?”

Jess rolled her eyes. “What hips? If you want to see a butt, step aside and let me in front of that mirror. We’ll make a comparison.”

“Enough about butts,” Rachel said. “Are we finished with everything here?” She hadn’t meant to sound so cross, but she truly needed to get away from “wedding central.”

Jess checked her watch. “It’s almost six and I’m starving. We should have dinner while we’re in Memphis. They have some fantastic restaurants on Beale Street.”

Rachel only wanted to go home, not wade through the masses out for a good time on a Saturday night. “I’m wearing jeans, which isn’t really appropriate dinner attire. And isn’t your husband expecting you to be back by now?”

“We’re all wearing jeans,” Jess said. “We don’t have to go to a four-star restaurant, and my husband is on deputy duty until seven, not to mention we haven’t been apart since we married. You know what they say about absence and the heart growing fonder.”

“Dinner works for me, since I told Sam we might be late,” Savannah added right when someone’s cell began to ring.

After Rachel and Jess checked their phones, Jess lifted Savannah’s purse from the floor and held it up. “It’s yours. And if that sappy love-song ringtone is any indication, it’s the groom.”

“It is.” Savannah took the cell from Jess, flipped it open and smiled. “Hey, honey. I was just about to call you…I know, I miss you, too… .”

Savannah disappeared back into the dressing room to talk to her fiancé, leaving Jess and Rachel alone to wait it out again.

Rachel wished she’d brought her own car so she could make a speedy exit. Wished she didn’t feel so ready to jump the bridal-party ship. “Let’s hope this conversation doesn’t detain us any longer than necessary.” When Jess didn’t respond, she glanced over to find her looking somewhat pale and slightly alarmed. “Are you okay, Jessica?”

Jess muttered, “No,” slapped her hand over her mouth and rushed into the nearby ladies’ room.

Rachel hated that Jess might be coming down with something, but on the other hand, it could mean the evening would be cut short. She truly wasn’t in the right frame of mind to endure a lengthy dinner. And some friend she was—worrying about her own mental condition when Jessica was obviously in distress. Just as she was about to check on her fellow bridesmaid, Jess came out of the restroom looking as jubilant as she’d been most of the afternoon. Her auburn hair, pulled back in a high ponytail, bobbed in time to her peppy gait. The former head cheerleader had returned.

“Something you ate for lunch?” Rachel asked as soon as Jess reclaimed the seat beside her.

Jess kept her eyes trained on the row of gowns to their left. “It probably has to do with not eating. My stomach doesn’t like being empty these days.”

Funny, they’d had lunch less than five hours ago. Rachel could think of only one explanation for her friend’s intestinal distress. “Are you pregnant?”

Jess still refused to look at her. “What makes you think that?”

She released a frustrated sigh. “Come on, Jessica. You’ve been yawning all day and now you’re throwing up. All signs point to morning sickness.”

Jess looked more than a little sheepish when she finally met Rachel’s gaze. “It’s afternoon.”

“That doesn’t mean a thing. When I was pregnant with Caleb, I hurled morning, noon and sometimes night. So are you or aren’t you?”

“Hungry?”

Heavens, this was like passing a bill through Congress. “Pregnant. Knocked up. With child.”

Jess looked apologetic. “All the above. I’m sorry I didn’t say anything sooner, but I didn’t want to upset you.”

Rachel had grown weary of being treated with kid gloves, and she certainly expected more from her friends. “My own loss doesn’t mean I can’t be thrilled for you and Chase. I am happy, Jess. Honestly.” She could only hope she sounded sincere. Yes, she was happy for her friends, and slightly jealous. She absolutely detested her petty feelings and vowed to keep her personal issues in check.

A few moments of awkward silence passed before Rachel went for a subject change. “How does Danny feel about having a new brother or sister?”

“We haven’t told him yet,” Jess said. “He’s been through so much over the past few months. Dealing with causing Dalton’s injuries, Dalton going to prison for trying to kill me, learning Chase is his real dad. Do we sound like a soap opera or what?”

Rachel hated what her brother had put Jess and her son through. A twenty-five-year prison sentence might not be long enough atonement time for Dalton. “High drama or not, that’s a lot for an adult to handle, much less a nine-year-old boy.”

“Yeah, but he’s been working through everything with the counselor. Luckily he loves Chase so much, the transition hasn’t been bad at all.”

Just one more loss Rachel had endured. Learning Danny wasn’t her biological nephew had been tough, but he was much better off with Chase than with her worthless brother. “I’m glad he’s doing so well. I’d love to see him at some point in time.”

“He’s mentioned a few times that he wants to visit Uncle Matt and Aunt Rachel. And speaking of Matt, when are the two of you going to call a truce so you can move back home?”

Her gal pal was nothing if not blunt. “Until he’s willing to talk about our problems and stop drinking, I’m staying right where I am.” Living alone at her father’s guesthouse in a constant state of confusion, crying herself to sleep most nights.

Jess laid a hand on her shoulder. “Don’t wait too long before you work things out. Take it from me, time is a precious resource that once it’s gone, you can’t get back. Just think of all the years I wasted.”

“That’s different,” Rachel said. “Chase was off fighting a war, and you were married to my brother. It wasn’t possible for the two of you to be together during that ten-year span.”

“If I hadn’t stayed in a marriage that was a dead end in the beginning, I wouldn’t have squandered that time.”

The comment threw Rachel. “Are you saying I should divorce Matt?”

Jess looked appalled. “Heavens, no. Dalton was a jerk and Matt is a great guy. I’m saying life’s too short to let pride or fear or stubbornness keep you from being happy. You and Matt have so much invested in your marriage, I know you can work it out if you try.”

Rachel understood what her friend was saying, but lately she hadn’t been at all pleased with her husband’s behavior. She hadn’t been happy with much of anything since the day she lost her child and hadn’t been given the opportunity to say goodbye. Oddly, when the tragedy should have brought them closer together, it had only driven them apart.

Savannah returned once more, fully clothed with her wedding dress bagged and draped over one arm. “Change of plans for the evening regarding dinner.”

“I have to eat soon,” Jess said, sounding borderline desperate. “This baby is determined to be fed on a regular basis.”

Savannah’s eyes went wide. “Jessica!”

Jess waved a dismissive hand at Savannah. “Calm down, Savvy. She figured it out after I tossed my cookies a few minutes ago.”

“Oh.” Savannah sent Rachel a sympathetic look. “Are you all right?”