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He laughed out loud. “I might as well stick around and see which sheikh Crystal chooses.”
“Don’t interfere,” Bess said, pointing her finger at him again.
“Wouldn’t dream of it,” he agreed, pointing right back at her, imitating her bantam stance.
Bess sighed, but it was rueful. “The day I laid eyes on you when you first moved here, I knew you were trouble, Mitch McStern. I said, that boy’s gonna be a real heartbreaker.”
“No, ma’am,” he assured her. “I’m a heart-fixer. Says so on my medical degrees.”
“We’ve already had enough excitement this evening with Crystal fainting. You just sit in here, son, before you get my blood pressure up so high I end up busting a valve.”
“I’d fix it,” he assured her, his eyes twinkling.
“The last thing I’d ever want you doing is messing around in my chest cavity,” Bess stated. “Just sit right there where I can keep my eyes on you, and maybe the rest of this evening won’t end up being a disaster!”
CRYSTAL DUTIFULLY DANCED with Frankie a second time, promising herself that since she’d now given each of the football legends a second dance, she would make herself go over and say hello to Mr. and Mrs. McStern. Mitch’s parents talked and laughed with another couple from Lover’s Valley as they watched the slow-circling couples move around the floor. Obviously the McSterns were having a good time, so Crystal tried not to feel guilty that she hadn’t gone over to them. Mrs. McStern had been concerned enough to call for help when Crystal fainted—and even if she had summoned the man responsible for Crystal’s attack of lightheadedness, Crystal owed her thanks. After this dance I will do it, and just hope Mitch doesn’t try to talk to me when I do.
Of course, he hadn’t made much effort so far to get within a foot of her. Maybe dancing with the birthday girl was a pleasure he was willing to forego since he’d already had the pleasure of kissing her spineless. When Crystal had danced with Lincoln, she’d kept her body turned just enough that he couldn’t rush for yardage past the scrimmage line of her waist. Hampering Barney from holding her so tightly that everyone would assume an engagement was in the offing was a feat, but she managed it. Now, she had to deal with Frankie.
During all this nearly body-bruising physical maneuvering, somehow her eyes kept seeking out Mitch on the stool in the kitchen, keeping her mother company. She didn’t mean for her gaze to wander to him, but when she began to develop a headache from her body being moved one way while her eyes went another, she forced herself to quit surreptitiously glancing his way. Even though she told herself he didn’t notice her furtive assessment of him, her feelings were somehow hurt that he paid more attention to wheedling snacks out of her mother than to her. The way he’d kissed her had put zing into her heartbeat for the night. I’m still not over him, Crystal realized sadly.
It depressed her, all the more so because he never looked her way. Frankie slid his hand too near the curve of the wow!-red skirt, which fell in a pleat over her posterior so nicely. A seamstress like Crystal couldn’t fail to appreciate the craftsmanship of the dress, but she absentmindedly ground the red high heel Aunt Elle had insisted she wear onto his toe. He gasped in pain but she merely smiled, her expression innocent.
“Good thing there’s a doc in the house,” Frankie wheezed tightly.
Her smile evaporated. “You won’t need one if you stop trying to get into the end zone, Frankie.”
“Dang, Crystal, how can I help it when you’re just about the only unmarried woman in Lover’s Valley who doesn’t have horse teeth or a backside broad as a barn?”
“That’s not nice,” she reprimanded him. “For one thing, it’s a prejudicial view, and for another, all those women are high school acquaintances of ours and very sweet.”
“I know,” he grumbled. “But I don’t want to marry a gal who has a great personality. I want to marry a gal that looks like a firecracker in a red dress!”
She eyed him narrowly. If she looked like such a pyrotechnic explosive, why wasn’t Mitch blown away? “I think you should reconsider your play options.”
He looked at her earnestly. “Truly, Crystal, you’re the only woman in Lover’s Valley who is single of her own hardheaded choosing. And ain’t you ever heard heartbreak is attractive on a woman? Makes a guy just wanna cuddle her and hold her tight,” he said, crushing her to him, “and protect her from all the mean old tackles in life!”
She ground her teeth to hold back her reply while she counted slowly to ten, mentally composing herself. The gentler-version reply never formed in her mind as the room suddenly went silent except for the soft orchestral strains from the band.
Kathryn “the Prom Queen” Vincent walked into the great room. She was just as petite as ever, her smile still cheesily bright, ever the cheerleader. But the size of her stomach wasn’t hidden by the elegant black dress she wore.
She was heavily pregnant, and she was alone.
Chapter Five
Crystal swallowed as Kathryn’s eyes met hers. Why did my family invite her? was the first thought that shot through her mind.
Her second thought was that Kathryn looked very uncomfortable, either from her pregnancy or from being the center of attention. It didn’t matter. She’d made an effort to dress up and come to Crystal’s party, even bringing a brightly colored gift, and Crystal knew good manners like she knew sequins on a bridal gown.
“Kathryn,” she said, walking over to the woman she’d once called her best friend. “How lovely of you to come.”
“Thank you.” Kathryn’s voice wavered a little. “Tom couldn’t make it. I…I hope it’s all right that I came alone.”
Kathryn’s brown eyes seemed to speak of loneliness. Crystal remembered that her husband, Tom Trent, traveled a lot, the only one of the football buddies who’d ever managed to get past his small-town roots in some fashion.
“Of course it’s fine. I’m glad you could be here.” She took the present Kathryn offered her, admiring the silver-and-purple wrapping. “Thank you so much.”
“It’s just something small, a…a small thing to put in your house. I heard you liked animals,” Kathryn said nervously, staring up at Crystal.
“Do I ever. Come get a drink. We have Perrier water and a few other things.”
“Thank you.”
Crystal walked her over to the bar. Her mind flew with a thousand questions, none of which seemed like a safe topic to introduce. Kathryn seemed more ill at ease than ever, and it dawned on Crystal that she couldn’t leave the watermelon-shaped ex-cheerleader alone at the drink bar with no one to talk to. And no one seemed in a big hurry to rush over and greet the prom queen.
Crystal frowned as she fixed a Perrier. “How have you been?”
“Oh, fine,” Kathryn said airily.
Too defensively flip to be candid. Crystal stared at Kathryn. Long seconds passed. Why wasn’t anyone coming over to welcome one of the most popular girls in their class?
Suddenly, Mitch appeared at their side. “Hello, Kathryn,” he said warmly.
“Hi, Mitch.” The cheerleader’s smile was relieved.
“Care to dance?” he asked.
“And keep a brave front?”
“The only other option is to fold in the face of scrutiny.” He grinned at her, his expression daring.
After a moment, she nodded. “All right. Ever my knight whether in jeans or a tux.”
“Excuse us, Crystal,” he said, “Kathryn and I are going to enjoy a dance for old times’ sake.”
Crystal forced her jaw not to drop, but it was like holding up a concrete bridge. Once again he’d referred to that ill-fated night—so casually! Never mind that he’d gone off to dance with the woman for whom he’d dumped her, a move guaranteed to thrill the spectators. She felt exposed and ridiculed.
Barney Fearing pulled her out onto the floor. “Come on, Miss Red-Hot. Let’s not stand there like you just turned to stone.”
“Oh, hush, Barney!”
He chuckled. “Not that I expected you to thank me for being such a gallant and pulling you out of a pickle, but you could act like you’re enjoying yourself, Crystal. It’s bad for my reputation as a ladies’ man to have you treat me as if I smell like boiled cabbage.”
“I’m sorry.” She focused on Barney, making herself take a deep breath so her heart would stop racing. “You’re a true gentleman to save me from myself.”
“I know,” he said with a big smile. “Now, why don’t you quit eyeballin’ over thataway and affix your purty eyes to my handsome face? That way nobody’ll know your heart’s bleeding red as that sexy dress.”
Some irritation poured into her spine, a little at a time. “Affix my purty eyes to your handsome face?”
“That’s right. Is there anything in this room you’d rather be gazing upon?” His grin was wide and gleeful.
Crystal smiled ruefully. “No.”
“I didn’t think so. Mama always said I was a sight for sore eyes. And I reckon yours are sore as anybody’s tonight.”
She shook her head. “Barney, you’re different from the other men, I’ll have to give you that.”
“I know. Quality shows.”
Crystal laughed. “So…how come you haven’t settled down?”
He winked at her. “Because I couldn’t go out with my buddies anymore if I did.”
“I’m not sure I believe that.”
“Sometimes me and Frankie stay over at Linc’s until one o’clock in the morning,” he assured her.
“But if you had a wife, you wouldn’t have to do that.”
“Fine lecture coming from the most eligible woman in the Valley.”
“I’m not… Eligible isn’t how I describe myself.”
“How do you?”
“I don’t know,” she murmured. “Happy?”
“Alone?”
“Well, yes. I have my five cats, three dogs, et cetera, and my bridal salon. I never feel alone,” she said, vaguely wondering if she was telling herself or Barney the truth.
“Maybe you and I should get married, since we both think marriage is too much trouble,” he suggested.
“Maybe so.” She laughed, not taking him seriously. “I don’t cook.”
“I don’t vacuum.”
“It would make my mother deliriously happy.”
“I’d have to beat the hell out of Mitch every time he came around,” Barney continued.
She stared at him, her eyes stretched wide and her smile frozen.
“Jes’ kiddin’,” he said. “But in the three minutes you’ve had your eyes affixed to my handsome countenance, I estimate Mitch’s looked at your legs once every five seconds.”
“My legs?” she whispered.
“And all the rest of ya.” Barney waltzed her so that she couldn’t glance at Mitch no matter how badly she wanted to. “You two ever gonna get together?”
She frowned at him. “What are you talking about?”
“Jes’ seems that you’ve got some unfinished business, which makes it hard for the rest of us bachelors.”
“You just said you preferred being single.”
“I know. And you just said you liked being single, so how come you’re not insisting you don’t want to get together with him?”
He had the slyest grin lighting his face. Crystal sighed. “Barney, you never have given me the respect the other guys did. I think you’re still smarting from my good aim.”
“You got lucky with that water balloon,” he told her. “I was in P.E. class with you, so I know you couldn’t hit the basket when you stood right under the net. But it’s not that I don’t respect you, Crystal. I probably just see myself in you. Kinda lonely, and kinda not sure what to do about it.”
She hesitated in his arms, surprised.
He kissed her smack on the lips.
“But at least I’ve got good aim,” he said with relish.
AFTER THAT, CRYSTAL AVOIDED the football trio, Mitch and Kathryn as they all stood around talking. She circulated among the other guests, and spoke with the McSterns. After a while, she cut her birthday cake and opened the gag birthday gifts, most of which had to do with her single status. Kathryn’s gift was a painted dog bowl that was darling, a fact Crystal reluctantly admitted to herself. She was even more astonished to turn it over and see Kathryn’s name on the back. “You painted this yourself?”
“Yes. I did. The invitation said to bring a gag gift, so I hope you don’t mind I brought something for your pets.”
“I didn’t know you were such an artist!”
Kathryn’s gaze bounced to Mitch and then back to Crystal. “I’ve had a lot of time to myself for the past couple of years. I decided to take up pottery. Fortunately, I’m having a little success with it.”
“Wait a minute,” Crystal said. “I’ve got a black teapot and cup at home that reminds me of this. It’s rimmed in white and has pink-and-red roses scrolling across the bowl.”
Kathryn blushed. “That sounds like my design.”
“I had no idea,” Crystal murmured, studying the oval shape of the dog bowl. Dogs and dog bones chased across the front in a cheery pattern, and at the bottom of the inside a red beribboned bow was painted. “Thank you, Kathryn. It’s almost too pretty to use. But I will.”
For some reason, the gift made Crystal a little sad. She finished opening gag gifts, and then, miraculously, the evening drew to a close. With relief, Crystal showed guests to the door. She thanked each one for coming. The band packed up their instruments and departed.
Her family’s bright eyes watched her as she closed the door for the final time.
“That was very sweet,” she told them. “Thank you.”
“Did you have fun?” Bess asked.
“I actually did.” Crystal hugged them all. “I’m glad it was a surprise party, because if I’d known I’d be facing that, I would have been nervous for a week. I think your birthday present gave me some extra courage, Aunt Elle.” She flipped her skirt to show the perfect pleats. “And the shoes, Mom. And of course the lovely necklace, Uncle Martin.”
“There’re flowers in the kitchen from Mitch we didn’t give you yet,” Bess admitted.
She halted, her emotions back on the skids. “Flowers?”
“We’re so sorry!” Aunt Elle cried, clasping her hands. “We didn’t want you…you know. Upset!”
“So we didn’t tell you about them. We were afraid it would ruin your evening,” Bess told her.
