Konni Strong reached toward the smiling baby girl perched in her mother’s arms. “Hi, Zoe. Want to come to—”
“Watch it!” a deep voice called out beside her.
Before Konni could turn, a bundle of shredded roses plunked into her open palms.
She blinked. Her mouth went dry; her throat constricted. She stared at the flowers that mocked her like a bad dream. Her mind whirled. Weddings…bouquets…vows…
“I–I have to go outside,” she said to Zoe’s mother between shallow breaths. “I’m sorry.” Petals dropped from her shaking fingers to the floor. Without so much as looking up, she bolted.
Straight into the arms of the man with the deep voice.
Konni thought she heard him grunt when her body slammed into his chest like an amateur skier against a sturdy tree. His arms grabbed her, holding her perfectly still. Mortified, she reluctantly looked up into his dark, compassionate eyes. As if a slight breeze had swept across the back of her neck, she shivered. “I–I…”
A grin spread across his face. Firm arms continued to hold her. She glanced from his hands to his face.
Amusement fanned the corners of his eyes with fine lines. “Oh, sorry,” he said, but the smirk on his face indicated he wasn’t sorry in the least. He released her.
Oh, how she wished she could crawl into a hole.
Her eighteen-year-old daughter, Emily, stood nearby and leaned over to whisper in Konni’s ear, “Hmm, beautiful widow reaches for baby, catches a piece of the bridal bouquet, and runs into the arms of a handsome stranger. It definitely has potential.” Emily curled Konni’s fingers around the dropped bouquet pieces.
The stranger held Konni’s gaze, and she almost gulped out loud. She ignored her daughter’s comments completely.
“I nearly got hit in the face with those flowers,” he said, nodding toward the petals still in her hands.
“What happened, anyway?” she asked.
He laughed and pointed toward the commotion in the back of the room. “I think the bride threw her bouquet a little too hard. It hit the ceiling fan and broke into pieces.” He turned back to Konni. “By the way, I’m Rick Hamilton, the new superintendent of schools for Hartley South School District.”
Emily let out a soft whistle in her mother’s ear.
Konni turned to her. “Emily, dear,” she said through clenched teeth, “would you please get me some more punch?” She batted her eyes sweetly but felt sure she got her meaning across.
Emily frowned. “All right, but I’ll be back.” Though said in a singsong fashion, Konni thought the words held an unveiled threat.
Konni turned back to Rick. “Excuse me.” She sounded positively nasal. With a quick cough, she attempted to pull up a rich contralto. “I’m Konni Strong, aunt of the bride. That was my daughter, Emily,” she said, pointing to the young woman as she made her way toward the punch line. “We attend this church.”
He nodded. “Your niece told me.” His eyes twinkled with secrets.
“Really?” she asked, wondering what else Abby had told him. “Since Stan is a principal, I assume you are here on his behalf?”
“Yep. Couldn’t miss the groom’s wedding.” Lifting his punch cup, he took a drink. “I moved here this school year from the Midwest.”
“So is your family with you?” She tried to sound nonchalant.
“No family. My mom and dad are both gone. I’m an only child.” His eyes pinned hers before he added, with emphasis, “Never married.”
“Oh, I’m sorry.”
“Over my parents or the never married part?” he teased.
Suddenly her tongue felt like a beached whale. Before she could make it move, he continued. “Dad’s been gone ten years, Mom four. The never married part was a choice I made long ago.”
She scratched away the nerves tingling her neck.
He took a drink of punch. “I do have a dog, though, if that counts. Read’s a black lab. He doesn’t like weddings.” His mouth split into a wide grin.
“Read?”
“The basis of all learning.”
“Good name.”
“Abby tells me you’re not married?” He lifted his punch to his lips, but his eyes held hers as if he didn’t want to miss her response.
“Well, no, actually, I’m not married. Now.” She paused a moment and scratched the top of her hand that held the bouquet pieces. “Eric died five years ago.”
“Oh, I’m sorry,” he said as though he meant it.
“Thank you.” When Konni looked down, she could see a rash developing on her right hand. Her body’s response to stress. She sighed and glanced up at Rick. He was looking across the room. Quickly, she shoved her hand behind her. Oh, she hated these rashes. There wasn’t a thing she could do about them except scratch and try to relax. She felt like a walking scratch ’n’ sniff sticker.
She took another deep breath. Calm down. Everything is fine.
A few people beyond Rick smiled and looked their way. Well-meaning friends nodded and gave her the thumbs-up. She felt her face grow hot. Goodness, couldn’t she even talk to a man without friends trying to hook her up? She sighed, knowing she’d soon be on their project list. Again. She rolled her eyes.
“Something wrong?”
“Oh, no, I was just…oh, well, uh…”
“Here you go, Mom.” Emily offered the cup filled with punch.
Funny how things change, Konni thought. Suddenly, she was glad to see her daughter. Konni breathed an inward sigh of relief. “Mr. Hamilton, this is my daughter, Emily.”
“Nice to meet you.”
“Yeah, you, too.”
“Mr. Hamilton is the superintendent—”
“Please, call me Rick.”
Konni looked at him with surprise. She glanced at Emily, whose eyes positively sparkled. Oh, just wait till she got that girl home. “Emily, Rick is the new superintendent of schools.”
“Great!” Emily said with definite approval in her voice and far too much enthusiasm.
Konni made a face at her.
“Would you like to sit down?” Rick asked. “Seems a little crowded right here.” Before she could answer, he was already maneuvering her through the crowd. “Oh,” he stooped down and lifted something from the floor, “I think you dropped this.” He handed her another cluster of the petals she had dropped.
“Oh, uh, thanks.” Suddenly, the last five minutes became a tangle of confusion. If only she could run, get away from the stares, the handsome stranger, the warmth of his hand against her back. But no matter how she felt, good manners prevailed. Pushing panic aside, she took a deep breath and continued toward the table.
She wished the people would leave her be. Oh, she knew they meant well, but couldn’t she talk to a man without them charting her social calendar for the next six months? She shrugged mentally. Key word here, man. They thought she’d been far too long without one. What did they know anyway? She had done just fine for the past five years since Eric’s death, and she would continue to do so.
Rick, Konni, and Emily slipped into chairs at the corner of a table, away from other people—though not away from the glances. What must Rick be thinking? He surely noticed how people studied them like biology students over a microscope.
Emily grinned as if she knew something the others did not. Konni threw her a go-somewhere-else-to-sit look. A friend came up to Emily and they chatted quietly.
“Do I have a punch mustache?”
Konni looked at Rick in surprise. “I’m sorry?”
“My mouth. Is there a red punch mustache above my mouth?”
She felt almost too embarrassed to look. “No, why?”
“Everyone seems to be staring at us, so I thought I must look funny.” He studied her with a smile in his eyes. “It certainly can’t be you. I mean, forgive me if I’m out of line, but, well, you look, um, all in place.” He stammered for the words like an awkward boy with his first crush.
Konni thought he said the words in a most charming way. “Oh,” she finally answered, “people with nothing better to do, I suppose.”
He drank more punch, his eyes looking at her, never blinking.
She squirmed a little in her seat.
Putting the cup down, Rick settled back in his chair, his lean torso stretched into a relaxed position. “Since I started in the middle of the school year, I’m fairly new to the community. I don’t really know many people outside the school setting.”
Konni nodded. She looked at her hands. Why did she bite her nails? For once, she wished she had taken Emily’s advice and polished them. She sighed. “So, do you go to church anywhere?”
“I’ve been attending the big community church on Main Street, but it’s really too large for my taste. I prefer a small, intimate fellowship.”
“That’s how this church is, and I love it.”
“Maybe I’ll give it a try.”
She almost choked. As if she didn’t have enough to do to quiet the tongues from today’s little chat. If he started going to her church, the endless get-togethers pairing the two of them would never cease. Her friends would not be happy till they got her to the marriage altar. She groaned inwardly.
“So, how long have you lived here?” he asked.
“Forever. All my life, actually.”
Emily’s friend walked away, and Emily turned to join the conversation.
“Do you have any kids, Mr. Hamilton?” Though Emily tried to mask the question with an air of nonchalance, she was obviously on a searching expedition. She looked at her mother and smiled sweetly before biting into a sandwich. Konni squinted and tried to imagine Emily with duct tape over her mouth.
“No kids. Never married.” His knowing eyes sparkled with good humor.
Several people stood and pushed their chairs back up to the tables, then headed outside. Konni turned toward the noise of people shuffling out the door.
“Well, looks like the crowd is thinning out. The happy couple must be preparing to leave.” Konni motioned toward the crush of people. She stood, grabbing her coat and purse. She couldn’t leave soon enough. Emily and Rick followed suit.
A cold breeze whipped past them, causing Konni’s hair to blow all over her face. Though cropped to neck length, she had lots of it. She pushed the black strands from her eyes.
Rick smiled.
That made her feel good inside. She rebuked herself. After all, she’d kept her vow to Eric for five years and didn’t want to break it now.
“Here they come,” rippled through the crowd. Everyone lined the sidewalk as the happy couple came through the doors and headed for the limo. Well-wishes, farewells, and bubbles filled the air.
Once the car pulled away, the guests scattered like falling leaves on a windy afternoon.
“Where did you park?”
She pointed toward her car.
He nodded and continued to walk with her. “Did you say you work outside the home?”
“No, I didn’t say, but I do. I own an antique shop. Forgotten Treasures.”
He nodded. “I’ve heard of that.”
“It’s a great little shop,” Emily piped up. Konni had forgotten her daughter was still there.
“I’m sure it is. I like antiques myself. I might come in and check it out.”
“Good.” Why did she say “good”? She didn’t want to encourage him. Not that he cared one way or the other. She stopped at her car door and turned to him. “Well, Mr. Hamilton—Rick—it’s been a pleasure.” She shifted the bouquet pieces into her left hand so she could extend her right hand.
“Konni, the pleasure has been all mine.” He dwarfed her hand in his. “Hopefully, I’ll see you again.”
Before she could respond, he turned and walked toward his car. Her heart swirled with emotions she didn’t want to deal with just now. She didn’t like the effect this man had on her, and the farther away she stayed from him, the better.
She turned to get in the car, but not before glancing at her daughter, who stood on the passenger’s side waiting to get in. Emily looked at her. “At least give him a chance, Mom.”
“Get in the car, Emily.”
Emily climbed in, and Konni turned her head once more toward Rick, who was driving by just then. He caught her staring and raised his hand to wave. She waved in return, mad at herself for glancing back.
After all, she didn’t want to give him the wrong impression.