Sleepless Nights:The Donovans of the Delta 2(59)
“You, too, Claude,” she whispered. At that moment he was more dear to her than he had ever been.
“Keep in touch, Claude.” Tanner slapped him on the shoulder.
“You, too, buddy.”
Tanner and Amanda climbed into the car. Claude stood on the sidewalk until they were out of sight. The sadness Amanda had felt weighed heavily on her heart. She knew that keeping in touch meant sending cards at Christmas and giving occasional thought to the memories they shared. But that was life, she realized. People and circumstances changed.
Amanda brushed a tear from her eye as they rounded the street corner and Claude disappeared from view.
“Isn’t this the point in the movie where violins play and the hero carries the heroine off into the sunset?”
Tanner reached for her hand. “You don’t have to be brave for me, Mandy.” Lifting her hand, he pressed it to his lips. “It’s over. You can cry on my shoulder if you want to.”
And she did. The bittersweet tears of emotional release.
CHAPTER TEN
During the long drive back home they made plans.
“We’ll get married next week,” Tanner said, “and we’ll live wherever you want. Dallas would be better for me, but I could move my home office without too much trouble.”
“Dallas sounds great. I’ll sell my antique clothing store, and we’ll wait for Hannah and Jacob to come home. Can they be here by March?”
“March! You’ve just broken my heart.”
“Let me kiss it and make it well.” She did, through his shirt. “Better?”
“Yes. There are other parts of me that could use attention.”
“I promise to devote my full attention to all those other parts if you’ll promise me something.”
“Anything. The sun, the moon, a football team, a left-handed, French-speaking chef—you name it and it’s yours.”
“I want a big wedding, Tanner, the kind we would have had eleven years ago. I know it’s my second time around and a big wedding may be tacky by some people’s standards, but it’s what I want.”
He laughed. “Amanda, we’ve made headlines before. I promise you the biggest show in town.”
o0o
The trumpets woke Amanda up. Without a trace of grogginess she bounded to her window and looked out. The entire Greenville High School marching band was assembled on her lawn, brass horns gleaming in the March sun, and polished shoes squashing her buttercups. Tanner, in tuxedo and top hat, was sitting atop Napoleon, directing the band.
Although he’d arrived from Dallas the previous day and she’d seen him at the wedding rehearsal, she felt a wondrous surge of joy, as if she were seeing him for the first time in years.
She propped her elbows on the windowsill and listened to the song, A New Kind of Love. When it was over, Tanner turned toward her and saluted.
“Good morning, love. Happy wedding day.”
She blew him a kiss. “You’re not supposed to see the bride before the wedding. They say it’s bad luck.”
“My day doesn’t start until I see you, and I don’t believe in bad luck. Besides, I didn’t want you to miss the parade.”
“What parade?”
“The one you’re in. Put on your wedding gown, love. We’re leading the band through the streets of Greenville. I want everybody to share our joy.”
She laughed with sheer delight. Life with Tanner would always be a parade.
“I’ll need some help with the buttons,” she called down.
“Be right up.” Tanner started the band playing a love song, dismounted, and came into the house.
Amanda thought that the happiest sound she’d ever heard were his footsteps on the stairs. She met him in the middle of the bedroom.
He kissed her thoroughly, then glanced at the bed. “What a shame to let it go to waste.”
“But we might miss our own wedding.”
“Can’t have that.” He gave her one last kiss. “Now, where’s that wedding dress?”
She took the lovely Victorian dress she’d bought in Savannah from the closet. Tanner helped her slip into the billowing satin and lace creation, then turned her around to fasten all the tiny covered buttons that ran up the back.
His large hands fumbled. “That’s one method of birth control—just keep the bridegroom unbuttoning the bride’s dress.”
Laughing, Amanda held her breath and waited. Tanner finally got all the buttons fastened. Together they went down the stairs and out the front door. He helped her up to sit sidesaddle, being careful not to damage her dress, and mounted behind her.
The marching band behind them, they set out for the center of town.
Lord Pritchard had cleared the streets for them. Music filled the air, brass instruments flashed in the sunshine, Napoleon pranced as if he knew it was a special occasion. Tanner and Amanda waved, and smiled and smiled and smiled. The huge crowd cheered and shouted good wishes as Greenville’s favorite couple shared the happiest day of their lives with the entire town.