The Liar

“We talked about kids, having them. We want to wait a little, but in another year or two . . . God, married, kids.” Laughing, she pressed both hands to her heart, bumped her shoulders up and down. “I can’t believe it.”

“You want it.”

“With Matt, I do. Yesterday he texted me how he had to work a little late, but he’d stop and get dinner to bring home. He brought wine, too, and flowers. I guess I should’ve known something was coming, but it was just nice not having to think about either of us cooking anything, and having a nice bottle of wine, and flowers on the table. I’m babbling on about needing to get into the salon, do something with my hair, and he says how I’m beautiful. How everything about me is beautiful.

“I figured he just wanted to get lucky.”

“Emma Kate.”

“It’s not like he never tells me, but it was the way. I’m thinking, I had such a long day, but it was so nice not to have to think about fixing anything, and I felt good, after a couple glasses of wine. So maybe we’d both get lucky.”

Pressing her hand to her heart again, she sighed. “That surely happened, but before . . . Before, he reached over for my hand, and he just looked at me. I swear, Shelby, we’ve been together for nearly three years now, but my heart skipped a beat. It really did, and it skipped another when he said how he loves me. How I make everything in his life make sense, and being with me, having a life with me, is all he wants.

“He actually got down on one knee.”

“That’s so sweet. Emma Kate, you got a storybook.”

“It feels like it right now, and I never expected it, and never thought I’d feel the way I did when he took out that ring.”

“Tell me what he said. How did he ask?”

“He said—he said just this: ‘Marry me, Emma Kate. Spend your life with me.’” Emma Kate’s eyes filled; her voice broke. “‘Build a life with me.’”

“Oh.” Shelby pulled out tissues for both of them. “That’s just right.”

“I know. Just right. So I said yes. Yes, I’ll marry you. Yes, I’ll spend my life with you. Yes, I’ll build a life with you. And he put the ring on, and it fit. I started crying I was so happy, like right now.”

She sighed, laid her head on Shelby’s shoulder. “I wanted to talk to you last night, but—”

“You were busy.”

“Really, really busy.”

Callie walked up, patted Emma Kate’s wet cheeks with both hands. “Happy tears?”

“Yes, they are, darling. Happy, happy tears. I’m going to marry Matt, and it makes me really happy.”

“I’m going to marry Griff.”

“Are you?”

“Uh-huh. I love him.”

“I know just how you feel.” Swaying side to side, she cuddled Callie. “Just exactly how. You know what, Callie? I think you should be my flower girl.”

Callie’s eyes popped wide. In a reverent whisper, she said, “Mama!”

Afraid she’d start tearing up again, Shelby popped Jackson and his sandy truck onto her lap. “My goodness, Callie, that’s such an honor. You’ve never been a flower girl.”

“I’ve never been a bride, so it’s perfect,” Emma Kate decided.

“Can I get a new dress and sparkly shoes?”

“We’re both going to get a new dress and sparkly shoes. And your mama, too. You’ll be my maid of honor, won’t you, Shelby?”

“You know I will.” Beyond happy, Shelby threw her arms around Emma Kate, sandwiched the kids between them. “You know I will. And I’m going to give you the best bridal shower ever seen in the entire state of Tennessee—just like we planned when we were girls. Have you picked a date?”

“If my mama had her way it would be tomorrow, or two years from tomorrow so she could fuss me into insanity while she devises a scheme to hold the wedding in the governor’s mansion, at the very least.”

“You’re her only girl.” As she was her own mother’s, Shelby thought with a pang. “A mother’s bound to be excited over her only girl’s wedding.”

“Mama was born excited. She’s already talking dresses and colors and venues and guest lists. Matt and I talked about having a small, civilized wedding in the fall, but now that Mama’s got the bit between her teeth, we’ve surrendered to a big wedding, and next April. So I’ll be a spring bride.”

“What could be prettier? Oh, let’s have an engagement party, Emma Kate. Everybody likes a party.”

“I wanna party,” Callie chimed in.

“Of course you do. You want a party, right, Jackson?”

“I get presents?”

“It’s not a party without presents.”

“Mama’s ahead of you. I couldn’t hold her to a backyard barbecue. She wants a dress-up party, so she’s already wrangling to use the hotel. I’m letting her have her way because I’m getting mine on everything else. I’m firm on it. And I’m counting on you to help me rein her in.”

“I’m your girl. How about we give y’all a push on the swings?” she asked the kids.

“I want to go high!” Callie made a beeline for the swing.

“No point in swinging unless you go high.” Shelby hefted Jackson onto her hip. “We’ll give them a push, bride-to-be, and we can talk wedding dresses.”

“One of my current favorite subjects.”

•   •   •

SHELBY DIDN’T TELL Emma Kate about the keys, the laptop. She wouldn’t spoil the brightness of the moment. But she gnawed on it.