“I wouldn’t be giving you up,” I said. “When can I see you?”
“I’ll be there in five minutes.”
“Go to the hospital instead,” I said.
“Suzanne, did something happen? Are you hurt?”
“I’m fine, but Momma got nicked up. I’ll tell you once I see you. Jake, I’m so happy.”
“That makes two of us,” he said, and then, just before he hung up, he added, “I love you.”
“I love you, too.”
After I hung up, I turned to Grace and I saw her staring at me. “Wow, that was touch and go there for a minute, wasn’t it?”
“You’re telling me,” I said.
“I take it that your boyfriend is heading back to town,” she said with a smile.
“He is,” I agreed happily.
“So then, you’re not selling the donut shop and deserting me?”
“Not in the foreseeable future,” I answered with a grin.
“Good. It’s not that I wasn’t wishing you well, but I’m sure glad that you’re staying.”
“You know what? So am I. I was willing to go, but I’m so much happier to be right here where I am.”
“That’s just outstanding,” she said, and then we were finally at the hospital.
To my surprise, Emily Hargraves was waiting out front.
As I got out of Grace’s car, Emily hugged me. “Suzanne, are you okay?”
“I’m fine, Emily, maybe besides a cracked rib or two.”
“Did Lisa do that to you?” Emily asked.
“No, but I think you just might have,” I answered, trying to get my breath.
She laughed as she released her grip on me. “I was so worried when I heard what happened.”
“Does everyone in town already know what happened?” I asked. I knew that word got around fast in our town, but that must have been some kind of record.
“It’s everywhere,” Emily said. “When I thought that you might have been injured, or even dying somewhere, I couldn’t believe how stupidly I behaved.”
“Take it easy on yourself,” I said. “It couldn’t have been easy for you hearing me question you.”
“It wasn’t, but I overreacted. This wedding has just got me so frazzled that I’m not myself anymore. By the way, I’ve decided to call it off,” she added softly.
“Oh, no,” I said as I hugged her myself. “It wasn’t because of me, was it?”
“No. Yes. Well, maybe partly. Mostly though, it was because of the way that I was behaving. I was rushing things; I can see that now. I need some time before I’m truly ready.”
“Have you told Max?” I asked. I had a hunch that my ex-husband would not react well to the news of the cancellation.
“He’s all for it,” Emily said with a grin. “He claims that when I am ready, then he gets to have another bachelor party.”
“That sounds just like Max,” I said, and then I held Emily’s hands in mine as I asked, “Are you sure that you’re okay with your decision?”
“I am,” she said. “If and when I do get married, I don’t want to do it this way. Max can wait. He told me that he’s a patient man.”
“He really must have changed,” I said, laughing. To my joy, Emily joined in.
“Okay, maybe there a few things that I’m still working on with him,” she said.
Grace stepped forward and said, “I hate to butt in, but your mother would like to see you.”
I looked around for my boyfriend, but he was still nowhere in sight.
“Don’t worry about Jake. I’ll stay out here and tell him what happened,” Grace said.
“Thanks. That would be great,” I replied. Grace would tell him as much as she knew, but I would have to tell him the rest of it. I’d thought about keeping my flash of deadly anger from him, but he deserved to know. I just wouldn’t feel right keeping something like that to myself.
As I walked into the emergency room, I couldn’t help wondering how things might have turned out differently, and tonight my life would have been ruined and wrecked beyond repair. I was lucky to have my mother safe, and Jake back to boot, and I was grateful.
Being rejected by Jude had driven Lisa over the edge, and to my surprise, a little bit of me sympathized with her. I’d felt the sting of being turned away when I’d thought that Jake was going to dump me, and it hadn’t been nice.
But that’s where our paths differed.
Lisa had struck out at everyone involved in anger, and I had tried my best to accept the truth and move on with my life.
And in the end, that was what finally separated the two of us.