whiff of Chanel No. 5. “The Novaks had to invite half of Antioch because poor plain Allie has no friends.”
Helen gritted her teeth. “Be fair. She comes from Riverside and she’s lived in Seattle this past year, both hundreds of miles away, and with the restrictions on travel—”
“Mercy. No need to be offended. But don’t you wonder why her parents didn’t come or why she couldn’t find one friend—just one—to balance the wedding party? I know you and Allie have never been close.”
Helen stared at Jeannie’s perfect makeup. Why hadn’t she ever noticed how Jeannie resembled her mother, not just in looks but in character? “Dorothy couldn’t stand up for her so soon after her daughter’s arrival, and I was honored. I look forward to getting to know Allie better.”
“As sisters-in-law?” Jeannie gave her a nudge and smile.
Helen’s jaws clamped, and she adjusted a pile of packages.
Jeannie wrapped her arm around Helen’s shoulder. “Don’t listen to my mother, the fuddy-duddy. I think it’s sweet. Ray Novak’s too old and dull for my taste, but you seem happy, and you’d make a perfectly darling pastor’s wife. Of course, I hoped you’d marry Vic so we could be true sisters.”
“You want me to go through life as Helen Llewellyn?”
“Terrible.” Jeannie’s mouth pursed in a pretty little way. “I suppose that would be selfish of me.”
Helen gave her a simpering smile. “I wouldn’t expect anything less. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to help with the cake.”
Jeannie smiled and motioned her away. Thank goodness her vaunted college education didn’t help her detect Helen’s true meaning.
Her skirt swished around her feet as she headed for the cake table past too many eyes focused on her. Why couldn’t they watch the bride? Why couldn’t they mind their own business? Why couldn’t everyone leave her alone?
When Walt and Allie sank a knife into their wedding cake, Ray joined in the applause, louder than necessary, to express the joy he should have felt at the marriage of his baby brother.
Ray should have been the first of the brothers to marry, not just because he was oldest, but because Jack preferred chasing girls to settling down, and Walt had always been struck dumb in the presence of a woman.
At the cake table, Helen stacked plates and lined up forks and got in the way of Mrs. Anello and Mrs. Lindstrom. No doubt about it—Helen was avoiding him.
Back at Pyote Army Air Base, one of his fellow instructors had dated a woman who acted hot in private and cold in public. Like Helen. Turned out the woman was married. His friend felt cheap and used.
Ray understood.
He had ignored Nora’s vacuous letters to him at Cal while she fell in love with Bill Ferguson. He’d ignored Ann’s snide jokes about life in the parsonage and Dolores’s roving eye while she cheated on him with half his cadets.
He refused to ignore this.
Ray weaved a path among the guests. Lord, help me be calm and diplomatic, but help me see the truth so I don’t get duped again.
“Hi there.” He set his hand in the small of Helen’s back. “Why don’t you take a break? Even Marthas need rest.”
She faced him and stepped back, dislodging his hand from her waist. “Goodness, maybe later. There’s so much to do.”
He set a smile in place and looked at Mrs. Anello. “Do you have things under control? May I steal Helen away for a while?”
“Please do.” Mrs. Anello’s smile looked as fake as Ray’s, but with a trace of gratitude around the eyes. She pressed plates into Ray’s and Helen’s hands. “Take a break, Helen dear. You deserve it.”
“But . . .”
“We’re fine. You young people go have fun.”
Ray gripped Helen’s free hand and led her toward a quiet table in the back corner.
“Ray, please.” She wormed her hand free.
He faced her with the calmest expression he could muster. “Why not? The other couples are holding hands.”
Her eyebrows sprang up, and
Helen gritted her teeth. “Be fair. She comes from Riverside and she’s lived in Seattle this past year, both hundreds of miles away, and with the restrictions on travel—”
“Mercy. No need to be offended. But don’t you wonder why her parents didn’t come or why she couldn’t find one friend—just one—to balance the wedding party? I know you and Allie have never been close.”
Helen stared at Jeannie’s perfect makeup. Why hadn’t she ever noticed how Jeannie resembled her mother, not just in looks but in character? “Dorothy couldn’t stand up for her so soon after her daughter’s arrival, and I was honored. I look forward to getting to know Allie better.”
“As sisters-in-law?” Jeannie gave her a nudge and smile.
Helen’s jaws clamped, and she adjusted a pile of packages.
Jeannie wrapped her arm around Helen’s shoulder. “Don’t listen to my mother, the fuddy-duddy. I think it’s sweet. Ray Novak’s too old and dull for my taste, but you seem happy, and you’d make a perfectly darling pastor’s wife. Of course, I hoped you’d marry Vic so we could be true sisters.”
“You want me to go through life as Helen Llewellyn?”
“Terrible.” Jeannie’s mouth pursed in a pretty little way. “I suppose that would be selfish of me.”
Helen gave her a simpering smile. “I wouldn’t expect anything less. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to help with the cake.”
Jeannie smiled and motioned her away. Thank goodness her vaunted college education didn’t help her detect Helen’s true meaning.
Her skirt swished around her feet as she headed for the cake table past too many eyes focused on her. Why couldn’t they watch the bride? Why couldn’t they mind their own business? Why couldn’t everyone leave her alone?
When Walt and Allie sank a knife into their wedding cake, Ray joined in the applause, louder than necessary, to express the joy he should have felt at the marriage of his baby brother.
Ray should have been the first of the brothers to marry, not just because he was oldest, but because Jack preferred chasing girls to settling down, and Walt had always been struck dumb in the presence of a woman.
At the cake table, Helen stacked plates and lined up forks and got in the way of Mrs. Anello and Mrs. Lindstrom. No doubt about it—Helen was avoiding him.
Back at Pyote Army Air Base, one of his fellow instructors had dated a woman who acted hot in private and cold in public. Like Helen. Turned out the woman was married. His friend felt cheap and used.
Ray understood.
He had ignored Nora’s vacuous letters to him at Cal while she fell in love with Bill Ferguson. He’d ignored Ann’s snide jokes about life in the parsonage and Dolores’s roving eye while she cheated on him with half his cadets.
He refused to ignore this.
Ray weaved a path among the guests. Lord, help me be calm and diplomatic, but help me see the truth so I don’t get duped again.
“Hi there.” He set his hand in the small of Helen’s back. “Why don’t you take a break? Even Marthas need rest.”
She faced him and stepped back, dislodging his hand from her waist. “Goodness, maybe later. There’s so much to do.”
He set a smile in place and looked at Mrs. Anello. “Do you have things under control? May I steal Helen away for a while?”
“Please do.” Mrs. Anello’s smile looked as fake as Ray’s, but with a trace of gratitude around the eyes. She pressed plates into Ray’s and Helen’s hands. “Take a break, Helen dear. You deserve it.”
“But . . .”
“We’re fine. You young people go have fun.”
Ray gripped Helen’s free hand and led her toward a quiet table in the back corner.
“Ray, please.” She wormed her hand free.
He faced her with the calmest expression he could muster. “Why not? The other couples are holding hands.”
Her eyebrows sprang up, and
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