Another Stab at Life by Anita Higman

Author:Anita Higman [Higman, Anita]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Forget Me Not Romances, a division of Winged Publications
Published: 2015-03-04T22:00:00+00:00

13 – Gathering Winds

I wish this were a joke, but it looks too real. What kind of a date would drag an only child, who was used to a handful of people at family get-togethers to a reunion that looked like a cast of thousands on a movie set? And then add serious marital expectations to the mix! What a fandango. Unbelievable. So, what I thought would be a quiet getting-to-know-you lunch date turned out to be a trip to the circus, family-style. I rubbed my neck, but it did no good.

I shot Max an evil eye. It was the kind of penetrating look that could soften asphalt, but he wasn’t paying any attention to me. He’d sunk into the quicksand of bustling kinfolk. He certainly had no look of horror or even concern over the confusion of our premarital status. In fact, he seemed to be enjoying himself immensely. But then, he’s the one who’d set it up. If Max wasn’t going to nip this in the bud, I’d have to correct the mix-up. “Okay,” I said, trying to get the attention of the crowd. “I think I have something I need to say. We. . .”

“Of course. We are so awful to keep you to our- selves,” a woman said. “Max will want you to meet his parents and then Memaw and Papaw.”

The ever-stirring and chatty throng nearly carried me to what seemed to be the Grand Central Station of this hullabaloo. A mixture of aromas swirled around me of homemade pies and a zillion different perfumes. I hoped this pain behind my left eye wasn’t a headache coming on. “But you don’t understand. I really wanted to say—”

“Maxy!” A handsome elderly woman in green taffeta hollered to Max as she approached us. The sprightly woman with silver hair clamped her palms onto his face and planted a big kiss on his cheek. “I’ve missed you, Maxy. Where have you been?”

“I was at the last dinner two weeks ago.” He hugged her.

“See? Too long.” She waggled her head at him.

“And you still owe me a game of chess.”

“Anytime. I’m at your service.” Max bowed low like a nobleman, making the older woman almost giggle. “Memaw. . .I want you to meet Bailey Walker.” The woman who must be Max’s grandmother hugged me tightly and started to cry. She dabbed her eyes with a tissue. “Excuse me, dearie.”

“I’m so sorry. Is something wrong?” I asked.

“No, my, no. These are tears of joy. I had prayed last night yet again that our Maxy would find his one and only, and God has answered my prayers.” She patted me on the cheek and pulled me to her in another hug. “Bailey and Maxy. Isn’t it cute? Now you go carve your initials in our big tree out back. Everybody does. It’s tradition. But if our family keeps growing, I’m afraid someday we’re going to kill that oak.” The woman laughed with gusto.” “But Mrs. . . .I’m sorry. I don’t know your last name.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.