Filed to story: Love on the Sidelines (Natalie & Karl)
With Lindsey, it wasn’t so easy. I think Daniel finally understood why she’d denied him all those years, and even came to forgive her. But part of him could never really accept her as his mother. The best she could hope for was his friendship, and it was slow in coming.
Cody helped somewhat because Daniel liked and respected him. Cody and Lindsey were married six months after they first met, and you can see how much they love each other just by looking at their faces when they’re in the same room together.
I will admit it’s rather strange knowing she’s a member of the family now, but I, too, have learned to forgive and forget. We’ll never be best friends after all the years I hated her, and yet I’ve discovered that Lindsey can be a very sweet, caring person when given the opportunity.
Karl eventually finished building his house, but he didn’t move into it. I continued to live in the little house I’d rented, and for the first time in our lives, Karl and I attempted a normal relationship. We went out to dinner, to the movies and plays, and to all the town celebrations. And together, we began to attend church, something I’d thought I would never do again. Aunt Darla was nearly beside herself with excitement.
Speaking of Aunt Darla, lately she’s been flashing a diamond engagement ring the size of a hen’s egg. And if flashing it doesn’t get your attention, she’s not above shoving it under your nose. She’s still leading Bowie on a merry chase as far as the date of the wedding goes, but the man doesn’t know the meaning of giving up. According to Karl, one side benefit of Bowie’s association with Aunt Darla was that his cooking improved.
I think they’ll have a good, happy life together. Bowie is a vibrant, healthy man who loves working in the garage with Karl and shows no sign of slowing down. And, of course, the only way Aunt Darla will slow down is when they shove her in a box and bury her.
The Judge is fit and fine, still putting out his garden every year. He recovered from the stroke with no lasting damage and takes much better care of himself now. I figure he’ll outlive all of us.
Once I heard him regaling Daniel with tales of the wowzer cat who lived under the trestle at the railroad tracks. I had to smile at the look of disbelief on Daniel’s face.
Not long ago, my family underwent some shuffling in the arrangement of their living quarters. With Aunt Darla soon to be married and moving in with Bowie, and Aunt Jane practically running Southern Supply single-handedly, it would leave the Judge alone too often. So Mama and Daddy moved back to the farm, and Aunt Jane took over their small brick house. She really likes having a place of her own.
Aunt Jane seems to be happier with her life than I’ve ever seen her. She positively glories in running Southern Supply. I can understand why. After all, I did the same thing. For a long time the business gave me a reason for living, for going on. Now I have other things that furnish me with those reasons, and I’m thrilled to leave most of the business to Aunt Jane. It allows me the time to fulfill a childhood dream. My writing.
Sometimes the words flow smoothly, like water over slick stones. At other times, my fingers slow on the keyboard, memories swamping my senses until all I can see is the past. Occasionally, the tears still come, but it’s funny how I seem to be remembering more of the good things lately than the bad. I credit Karl with this miracle.
A year and a half after that evening in the cemetery, almost to the day, Karl called and asked me to meet him at the house he’d built. Since it was already after dark, I was puzzled, but agreed anyway. Any excuse to see Karl was a good one.
I climbed out of the Trooper and paused to let my eyes adjust to the moon’s glow. It was big and round that night, and cast the yard in a silvery-blue sheen of light. I was still standing there when Karl appeared from beneath the dark shadow of a tree.
“Hi,” I said, voice low to keep it from carrying on the cool night air. “What’s up?”
“There’s something I want to show you on the back porch.”
I arched a brow as he took my hand and led me across the yard. I’d been to the house hundreds of times, and I couldn’t imagine anything on the porch I hadn’t seen countless times before.
The yard at the side of the house was pitch-black, but I could see a flickering glow of light coming from the corner of the building. More mystified by the second, I stepped into the backyard and came to an abrupt halt.
Candles lined the rail surrounding the porch, the flames casting a golden glow over the area. Even more light adorned a table set carefully with fresh-cut flowers in a silver urn, and a bottle of champagne with two stemmed glasses.
And in front of the bottle sat a shape I would have recognized if I were blind as a bat. It was a tin of bee balm.
I looked up at Karl, my knees suddenly wobbly, and he smiled before leading me up the stairs. “Open it,” he said quietly.
With hands shaking and tears blurring my vision, I lifted the top off the small round can and stared down at the ring nestled on a bed of blue velvet.
His hand moved to my chin, lifted until our gazes met. “Congratulations,” he whispered. “Twenty-six years ago, a feisty little girl, armed only with a tin of bee balm, set out to save a ragged, lonely boy. She succeeded so well there’s only one thing left to do. Marry me, Natalie. It’s time we filled this house up with love, laughter and a family.”
“Yes,” I choked, crying and laughing and at the same time, I threw myself into his arms. “Oh, yes. It’s way past time.”
Mama was in hog heaven. She finally got to plan that big wedding and took full advantage of the situation, nearly driving everyone crazy with her frantic pace and elaborate schemes. You’d have thought the Queen of England herself was about to tie the knot in Morganville.
I think I finally believed it was really going to happen when Karl slipped away from his bachelor party the night before the wedding and showed up at my door.
Smiling, I let him in.
“What are you doing here?” I asked. “You’re supposed to be with the good old boys, watching naked girls jump out of cakes and getting sloshed out of your mind.”
“There’s only one naked girl I want to see,” he said putting his arms around me.
“Besides, I have something for you, and I didn’t figure Darla would let me anywhere near you tomorrow morning.”
Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out a box. “I’d like you to wear it for the wedding.”
Curious, I opened the box and immediately started crying. Inside lay half of a heart pendant on a golden chain. Karl’s name and our wedding date were engraved on the back. Soaking his jacket with my weeping, I reached inside his shirt and tugged out the other half.
“Hey, if I’d known we were going to have to man the lifeboats, I wouldn’t have given it to you,” he said, holding me tightly. “Want me to take it back?”
“Over my dead body,” I sobbed as my mouth found his.
The next day, Mama got to see me walk down the aisle in a fancy white dress to become one with the most handsome groom in the world, one whose love and pride shone from his eyes as he took my hand in front of the whole town. And we both knew that this time there would be no betting pools. This time was forever.
Our wedding was magical. Jenna, of course, was my maid of honor, and she also caught the bouquet after the ceremony. To my surprise, when it came time for Karl to toss my garter, he aimed it right at Hugh. Maybe he was hoping Hugh wouldn’t stay single much longer.