The Unexpected Wedding(21)

She should have called Jenny or Izzy to come help her. They always looked so put together. She swore Jenny could look into a closet and pull out things and put them together in ways Becky Lee would never dream of.

Okay, make a decision. Or you’re going to answer the door in your work outfit.

She reached into the back of the closet and found a teal summer dress. Oh, she had red sandals to wear with it, and she’d knitted a lightweight lacy red shawl she could bring in case the air conditioning was chilly at Sylvia’s.

Great. A decision was made. She slipped into the dress and sandals and took one look at her hair. No time to curl it now. She quickly pulled it back in a loose French braid. That would have to do. A pair of dangly earrings and she was set.

She stood in front of her full-length mirror and spun around slowly. What did Cal see when he looked at her? A small-town waitress? Did he compare her to Theresa Jean? Theresa Jean was vibrant and funny and the type of person everyone loved.

Okay, so Becky Lee admitted that people liked her, too. But she was more the dependable, steady person with no surprises, no twists or turns in her life. Not much changed in her daily routine. Not that she was complaining, really. She liked her life. Her predictable days. Her familiar routine, her comfortable cottage, a job she enjoyed.

Too much thinking.

She grabbed a bracelet as an afterthought and snatched her purse. She looked around for her cell phone.

Again with the hiding?

This time she found the phone on the kitchen counter. She really needed to find a spot to place it every single time she came into the house.

A quick knock at the door echoed through the cottage at exactly at six o’clock. Punctual man. She liked that in a person.

She opened the door, and Cal stood in the evening light. He was dressed in khaki slacks and an oxford button-down shirt with the sleeves slightly rolled up. His hair was still damp from a recent shower. The smell of his aftershave wafted across the doorway, a subtle but clean scent.

“You look nice.” Cal’s eyes shone with appreciation.

She barely kept herself from squirming under his gaze. “Well, thank you. You look nice, too.”

“Had to go buy nice clothes. Didn’t really pack very carefully when we left town. Bought some more clothes for Scotty, too. That boy gets more dirt on his clothes than anyone I’ve ever seen. Can hardly keep up with keeping him in clean clothing.”

“Boys are like that. Bella says she does laundry every night to keep up with her two boys.”

“I’d believe it. Between Scotty’s clothes and my work clothes, that washer is running every night for us, too.” Cal stepped back a step. “You ready to go?”

“I am. Do you want to walk?”

“I have my car here, but walking sounds nice. There’s finally a bit of a breeze tonight.”

“We’ll walk then.” Becky Lee turned, closed the door behind her, and they walked to the sidewalk. “It’s just down the street from the cafe on Main Street.”

They walked along and Becky Lee pointed out things to Cal as they went. The old elm tree that was struck by lightning last year and part of its bark was singed black. The shop on the corner that finally got a new roof last week after being damaged in the tornado. The city park. The Best Friends’ Diner. The vet clinic where Holly worked.

They got to Sylvia’s place and walked through the doorway. The restaurant was doing a brisk business. Jake, the owner’s son, greeted them at the door. “Hey, Becky Lee. Good to see you here. Two?”

“Yes. Jake, this is Cal. Cal, this is Jake. He and his mother own the restaurant.”

Cal reached out and shook Jake’s hand. “Nice place.”

“My mom’s pride and joy.” Jake smiled. “Come this way. I have a quiet table in the corner for you.”

Becky Lee said hi to a handful of people as they crossed the room. She saw quite a few of them raise their eyebrows as she walked through the room with Cal. She guessed it might have been longer than she thought since she’d had a date.

~ * ~

They stepped outside into the warm evening air. The breeze tickled a few loose locks of her hair. “That was a wonderful meal. Thank you.” Becky Lee stepped onto the sidewalk.

“It was. I’m stuffed. Great food. Good wine.”

“Well, Becky Lee. Imagine seeing you here.”

Becky Lee froze at the sound of Camille’s voice. Way to spoil a lovely evening. She turned around with a smile pasted carefully across her face. “Why Camille, nice to see you.”

“Who’s this handsome man with you?” Camille practically batted her eyes.

“Cal, this is Camille.”

“And this is Delbert Hamilton.” Camille clutched the arm of the short man standing next to her.