Chapter Thirty-five

The past three days were the loneliest days of her life.

For three days in a row, she hadn’t seen Stan, she hadn’t talked to him, they hadn’t exchanged any text messages.

Now, as she closed up her store, it was time for Sherry to have a look at her garden, and renew her membership.

She should have been happy, but she wasn’t. This was a moment she’d wanted to share with Stan, and she couldn’t.

When he’d first told her that he wanted to get married, and she’d thought he meant to someone else, that was when she finally admitted to herself that she loved him, and she probably had always loved him, and that she always would love him. They shared a relationship that very few people would ever experience, and she’d been forced to not pursue it because the timing was wrong—she wouldn’t be a liability to him.

How unfair was that?

She arrived at her townhouse at the same time as Sherry, which was good timing. They walked directly into the backyard, Sherry gave the garden a cursory glance, signed the membership renewal, and tucked it into her folder.

“I heard that you and Stan have had a falling out.”

Amber gulped, fighting back the burn of tears, something she’d done a lot over the past three days.

“Yes,” was all she could choke out.

“I want to say that we’re all really sorry. We didn’t mean to make you upset, and none of us have ever seen Stan like this.”

“Like what?”

“He refused to talk to Kathy. He suddenly became very silent and left, without a word. Poor Kathy is beside herself. He won’t answer her calls, and she won’t go to his shop because she doesn’t want to bring personal problems up in front of his staff. Then every time she’s gone to his house, he’s had someone over, so she doesn’t knock.” Sherry shook her head. “No, none of us have ever seen him act this way, and we’ve known him almost since he was born.”

Amber had known him since he was born, and she’d never seen him like that, either. He’d been angry the day he found out about the matchmaking plot, but this sounded so much worse.

While Kathy had been wrong, she’d meant well. Most of all, Kathy was his mother. If her mother were still alive, regardless of how angry she was, she wouldn’t stop speaking to her for so many days. It was probably driving Kathy insane.

Amber checked her watch, even though she knew what time it was. “I’ll talk to him about it. I know that he’s very upset, but maybe I can talk some sense into him.”

“Would you do that? I know Kathy is downright distraught.”

Not only Kathy, but she knew Stan had to be just as bad, if not worse. Not only was he so angry that he wasn’t speaking to his mother, he also hadn’t tried to contact her. Not that she blamed him for that either. But both as a friend, and as more that she couldn’t yet understand, she couldn’t bear the thought of him being so unhappy.

As soon as Sherry left, Amber drove to Stan’s house without calling first.

As Sherry had said, there was another vehicle in Stan’s driveway in addition to his truck. However, she recognized it as the car belonging to his neighbor’s teenaged son, who usually parked on the street.

Clever. But not clever enough.

Instead of knocking, she used the key that she’d never used before.

She found him laying on the couch, flat on his back, his boots still on, one leg bent at the knee, hanging over the arm of the couch, the other leg stretched straight, sticking out onto the floor. One arm, like his leg, hung down with his wrist dragging on the floor, and his other arm bent at the elbow, draped over his eyes.

His mouth was open, and he was snoring.

It looked like he’d been having the same sleepless nights that she’d been having.

She approached him, lightly shook his shoulder, and stood back. “Stan? Wake up.”

His arm jerked up, his eyes flew open, and she could see him struggle to focus. “Amber?” He blinked repeatedly, trying to get his bearings. “What time is it? What are you doing here?”

“Relax. It’s Saturday, just after six. I came to talk to you.”

Before she could react, he sat up, threw his arms around her, pulled her into his lap, and held her tight. “I’m so sorry. If you don’t want to get married, that’s fine. We can stay friends. I can wait until you’re ready.”

She couldn’t not return his embrace. She’d missed him so much she felt like she had a hole in her heart, and it was her own doing. “I came for two reasons. First, to say that even though your mother was wrong, she was only trying to do what she thought was best. Whether you agree with her or not, you’ve got to talk to her and give her the chance to apologize to you properly. The Bible says never to let the sun go down on your anger, and this is one of those times. After my parents moved away, I made sure I was never angry with them, especially over the distance, and I was glad I did. If I’d been angry with them and not speaking to them before they died, the guilt would have eaten me up. Do you understand?”

He sighed, remained silent for a minute, stroked her hair, then nestled his chin in the crook of her neck. “Yes, you’re right. I’ll call her. Later.”

“I also want to tell you that you’re right. About everything you said the other day. I don’t need to be independent. I know I should have told you all this before, but I knew you’d do exactly what you did. You offered to help and make all my troubles go away. I don’t know why I thought that this time I needed to do it on my own. That’s what friends are for, and if anything like that ever happened to you, you know I’d help you too.”

She felt his smile against her skin. “You have. You dragged me off the road when I was on my bike and got hit by a car, and saved me from getting run over by that bus. Then you did something braver than I could have done. You didn’t tell my mother.”

Amber smiled back. “That’s because she would have grounded you, and you wouldn’t have been able to go swimming the next day.”

“That’s what we do, Amber. We always watch each other’s backs.”

She stroked his hair. “I know. And this time, you’re right again. When we get married, I would move to your house and not have to pay rent, and I’d easily be able to make the payments to Uncle Henry. As well, if you cosigned a loan at the bank, I’d get lower interest and lower payments, and I’d be able to pay it off without it costing you a single penny, so we’d both win. I was being an idiot, and I apologize.”

“That’s okay, I don’t think . . .” His voice trailed off. “Wait. Did you just say ‘when’ we get married? Not if, but when?”

“I’m pretty sure that’s what I just said, yes.”

Before she knew what happened, Stan kissed her, and she kissed him back.

“I love you Amber,” he muttered against her lips, then continued kissing her before she had a chance to say she loved him too.

Until the doorbell rang.

“I’m going to ignore it,” he muttered, and he kept kissing her.

The doorbell rang again. And again.

“If it’s that crazy kid next door, I’m going to strangle him.”

“I saw him parked in your driveway. You did that so everyone would think you had company. Smart man.”

The doorbell rang again.

This time, Stan answered it. But it wasn’t the teen boy from next door. It was Kathy.

“Mother . . .”

“Stan, I’m so sorry. I’ll never do anything like that again. I’ll mind my own business and I’ll tell the whole garden club to butt out and I’ll . . .” Kathy’s voice trailed off. “Amber? What are you doing here? How did you get here? I didn’t see your car.”

“The boy from next door is parked in Stan’s driveway, and there wasn’t room on the street, so I parked in their driveway. Where did you park?”

Kathy’s face turned beet red. “I’m sort of on the sidewalk. I told myself I wouldn’t be long, so hopefully Tucker won’t notice.”

Stan pressed his thumb and index finger into the bridge of his nose. “Tucker will notice, Mom.”

“Then I’ll leave. Please tell me that everything is okay between you two, that you’re friends again.”

Amber walked beside Stan and slipped one arm around his waist. He quickly returned the gesture.

“Everything is fine. In fact, it’s so fine it looks like we’ll be sending out wedding invitations after all.”

Kathy squeezed her hands together, pressed them to her chin, squealed, and did a little jig.

Stan stuck one finger in his ear. “That hurt.”

“That’s so exciting! Are you going to get married at the church, or in my garden?”

Stan smiled and looked down at Amber, ignoring his mother. “Whatever you want.”

Amber couldn’t hold back her grin. “If we get married in your mother’s garden, then we don’t have to wait to book the church. I vote for the garden.”

Kathy squealed again. This time both Amber and Stan were ready and already had their fingers in their ears.

Kathy made another little dance. “I know who can be the perfect ring bearer for you. Since he’s so good at holding the trophy, he’d be even better at holding a ring. He already has the perfect tuxedo.”

Stan and Amber looked at each other and smiled. “Gnorman.”

Amber nodded. “Gnaturally.”