Chapter One
“Callie Denise Lawson, have you lost your
entire mind?” Edith Lawson’s voice rose to octaves previously only
heard on Mariah Carey songs. “What do you mean y’all aren’t going
to have a wedding? Getting married at the courthouse is for folks
who don’t have any people. Unless...” She lowered her voice almost
to a whisper. “You aren’t in a hurry to get married before you
start showing are you?”
“Mama!” Callie screeched into the phone. “I
am not pregnant! You know better than anyone that I haven’t seen
Bryan for weeks. When could I have gotten pregnant?”
“I know. I know, but I had to ask. Well,
that’s settled, then. Reverend Tucker and everybody in that church
have known you all your life. They’ll have a hissy fit if you don’t
get married there.”
Callie couldn’t dispute the truth of that
statement. She’d been baptized at Maple Fork Missionary Baptist
Church and sang in the choir since she was a child. They’d given
her a scholarship when she went to college. Everyone in town would
want to be there; after all they were convinced that they were at
least partially responsible for reuniting the wayward couple.
Callie held her tongue as her mother continued her diatribe. There
was no real benefit to be gained in pointing out that not having
the squirrelly inhabitants of Maple Fork in attendance made a
courthouse wedding even more attractive.
Callie scooted up higher against the lavishly
padded headboard of the huge bed in Bryan’s suite at The Mark
hotel. She glanced over at Bryan who lay next to her vigorously
shaking his head and mouthing “No” at any suggestion of a wedding
in Maple Fork. Given recent events any ceremony would be like chum
in the water and would instigate yet another paparazzi feeding
frenzy. The long Storm Crow tour had finally ended, but they’d have
to be in the studio soon to record tracks for their new album, so
Bryan didn’t have much time. She knew he had no intention of being
separated from her any longer than was absolutely necessary. Callie
agreed. Having come so close to losing her love, she didn’t want
any more long separations either and agreed enthusiastically with
Bryan’s suggestions. However, when she called her mother from New
York to tell her their plans, Edith Lawson shrieked her dissent.
Callie nodded to Bryan, her mother would not be amused, but she
held firm. Maple Fork, as much as she loved it, was no place for a
celebrity wedding.
Bryan got up from the bed, and giving Callie
one last glance went into the bathroom to shower. He’d intended
that Callie join him there, but it seemed she and her mother would
be on the telephone for a while. He smiled to himself, she’d have
to make it up to him later.
When he returned to the room twenty minutes
later ready to take up where they’d left off the previous evening,
he couldn’t believe that Callie and her mother were still talking.
Wearing only a towel, he watched the animated conversation from
beside the bed. Callie was holding her own, but he knew a losing
proposition when he heard one. Finally, muttering a foul oath under
his breath, he removed the phone from Callie’s grasp.
“Okay, Mrs. Lawson. We’ll do it in Maple
Fork, but you’ve got exactly six weeks. After that, Callie’s going
back to California with me, period. We can get married in Vegas on
the way. I always liked those Elvis chapels.”
Callie rolled her eyes. Never in a million
years would she consent to be married in one of those tacky places.
A pink Cadillac wouldn’t be half bad though.
Bryan held the phone away from his ear as
Mrs. Lawson’s voice scaled up another crystal shattering octave,
“Six weeks! We can’t plan a formal wedding in six weeks!”
“Take it or leave it Mrs. Lawson. I’ve been
away from Callie too long, and I’m not waiting for my wife any
longer than six weeks.” He handed the telephone back to Callie,
confident that Mrs. Lawson would agree.
“Callie
“Callie Denise Lawson, have you lost your
entire mind?” Edith Lawson’s voice rose to octaves previously only
heard on Mariah Carey songs. “What do you mean y’all aren’t going
to have a wedding? Getting married at the courthouse is for folks
who don’t have any people. Unless...” She lowered her voice almost
to a whisper. “You aren’t in a hurry to get married before you
start showing are you?”
“Mama!” Callie screeched into the phone. “I
am not pregnant! You know better than anyone that I haven’t seen
Bryan for weeks. When could I have gotten pregnant?”
“I know. I know, but I had to ask. Well,
that’s settled, then. Reverend Tucker and everybody in that church
have known you all your life. They’ll have a hissy fit if you don’t
get married there.”
Callie couldn’t dispute the truth of that
statement. She’d been baptized at Maple Fork Missionary Baptist
Church and sang in the choir since she was a child. They’d given
her a scholarship when she went to college. Everyone in town would
want to be there; after all they were convinced that they were at
least partially responsible for reuniting the wayward couple.
Callie held her tongue as her mother continued her diatribe. There
was no real benefit to be gained in pointing out that not having
the squirrelly inhabitants of Maple Fork in attendance made a
courthouse wedding even more attractive.
Callie scooted up higher against the lavishly
padded headboard of the huge bed in Bryan’s suite at The Mark
hotel. She glanced over at Bryan who lay next to her vigorously
shaking his head and mouthing “No” at any suggestion of a wedding
in Maple Fork. Given recent events any ceremony would be like chum
in the water and would instigate yet another paparazzi feeding
frenzy. The long Storm Crow tour had finally ended, but they’d have
to be in the studio soon to record tracks for their new album, so
Bryan didn’t have much time. She knew he had no intention of being
separated from her any longer than was absolutely necessary. Callie
agreed. Having come so close to losing her love, she didn’t want
any more long separations either and agreed enthusiastically with
Bryan’s suggestions. However, when she called her mother from New
York to tell her their plans, Edith Lawson shrieked her dissent.
Callie nodded to Bryan, her mother would not be amused, but she
held firm. Maple Fork, as much as she loved it, was no place for a
celebrity wedding.
Bryan got up from the bed, and giving Callie
one last glance went into the bathroom to shower. He’d intended
that Callie join him there, but it seemed she and her mother would
be on the telephone for a while. He smiled to himself, she’d have
to make it up to him later.
When he returned to the room twenty minutes
later ready to take up where they’d left off the previous evening,
he couldn’t believe that Callie and her mother were still talking.
Wearing only a towel, he watched the animated conversation from
beside the bed. Callie was holding her own, but he knew a losing
proposition when he heard one. Finally, muttering a foul oath under
his breath, he removed the phone from Callie’s grasp.
“Okay, Mrs. Lawson. We’ll do it in Maple
Fork, but you’ve got exactly six weeks. After that, Callie’s going
back to California with me, period. We can get married in Vegas on
the way. I always liked those Elvis chapels.”
Callie rolled her eyes. Never in a million
years would she consent to be married in one of those tacky places.
A pink Cadillac wouldn’t be half bad though.
Bryan held the phone away from his ear as
Mrs. Lawson’s voice scaled up another crystal shattering octave,
“Six weeks! We can’t plan a formal wedding in six weeks!”
“Take it or leave it Mrs. Lawson. I’ve been
away from Callie too long, and I’m not waiting for my wife any
longer than six weeks.” He handed the telephone back to Callie,
confident that Mrs. Lawson would agree.
“Callie
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