This is the Catching Up with Minor Characters chapter. :-) The book tour is finally over and we are moving toward switching the center of the action to Texas. As always, comments are welcome.
Jennifer abandoned her suitcase in the hall and ran to embrace her cousin. "Nathan, it's so good to see you! Are you here to stay?"
Nathan returned her hug. "I am for now, at least till Dad and Em move back to town. How are you doing, Jen? Is this design school thing working out for you?"
"It's great. It's incredibly exciting, Nathan. Just being around people who know why I want to do this for a living makes me feel like I made the right decision. The teachers are great at explaining things, they like my work and I'm getting a whole bunch of new ideas from the designers that come to the school through the lecture program. I'm starting a summer internship at Neiman-Marcus next week with Em's friend Mr. Roston. So I came home for a few days to see Mom and Dad before I go back to Dallas. I'm so happy," Jen finished breathlessly, her face lighting up.
Nathan had always thought of Jennifer as his nearest substitute for a younger sister and was delighted to see her enthusiasm. "That's fantastic. You know what you want to do and you're doing it. That's the best there is, Jen. You're really lucky; I'm still trying to figure out what I want to do, but now that I'm here I think I'm on the right track to finding that out."
"Good. I'm so glad you're back, Nathan. How does it feel being out of the Navy?" she added tentatively.
Her cousin shrugged. "At first it felt weird, but it didn't take long to get used to it. Right now I'm helping your dad here and just sort of looking around to see what my options are. Dad and Em are coming for a visit in a few months and we're going to work out some plans then, so that gives me a schedule. I'm not going to be just slinging hay for months on end. Whenever I get a chance I try to find someone who's willing to show me how they do things. So far I'm learning about the price of wool, free-range chickens, the crops most people raise around here… all sorts of stuff. The more info I get the better decisions Dad and Em and I can make. The other thing I'm doing is working on the house. It's in pretty good condition but I know Em's going to want to redecorate. If I get time I'm going to get the wallpaper off and the walls prepped. That way, when she gets here, she can choose the paint colors she wants and we can get started on that."
Jennifer raised an eyebrow. "Sounds like you're keeping busy. If you're happy that's great, but it would drive me crazy to be doing stuff like that."
"Of course it would, Jen. You've been living here your whole life and it wasn't what you wanted to be doing, anyway. For me everything here is new. I'm learning stuff every day and that keeps it interesting."
"Have you had a chance to see Frank Emerson since you got back?"
"Yeah, he's doing great. But now he's dating that girl, what's her name –"
"Annette Sutherland."
"Right. Well, they're together pretty much all the time now and that leaves me feeling like a third wheel."
"So when are you going to start dating?" Jennifer teased him.
"When I find somebody I want to date." Nathan paused for a second and then, his curiosity overwhelming him, added: "Last time I was here I did meet this one girl. Do you know the Hernandez family at all? The ones that run the hardware store in town?"
"Not really. I mean, I know who they are but they were all way ahead of me in school. Who'd you meet?"
"Lupe, the owner's daughter. She was working there when I ran in to get supplies for your dad. She's gorgeous."
Jennifer gave him a grin. "Want me to ask about her for you? See what I can find out?"
Trying to appear nonchalant, Nathan hesitated for a moment but then realized that Jennifer would be his best source of information about Lupe. He threw caution to the winds. "Yes, do that. Let me know anything you find out. But please don't tell anybody, Jen."
His cousin sniffed. "Hey, I can be subtle. I have to work with artistic types, remember?"
"Okay, you're a born diplomat. I appreciate it, Jen, I really do." Throwing an arm around her shoulders, Nathan added, "Now let's go find Grandma. I know she wants to see you."
The end of the book tour had left Martha both elated and exhausted. Determined to give herself some time free of responsibilities, she had given Angie the week off and vowed to Aaron that she would do nothing but watch television and sleep until noon. In the mornings she loved to lie back against the pillows, drink her coffee and sleepily watch her husband get ready for work.
"Which tie should I wear today, Martha? I can't decide between these two."
Martha was finding it difficult to focus on Aaron's choice of ties. "Uh, either one," she managed, blushing as he glanced up and caught her staring at him.
He gave her a teasing smile. "You're not helping."
"Well, you're distracting me. Standing there with no clothes on, and you expect me to look at ties?"
"Should I put a robe on?"
"No no no! Don't put yourself to that trouble." She hauled herself upright and reached out for the ties. "Aaron, these are almost exactly alike. They're both dark blue."
"But this one has a little red pattern, and the other one has green."
"Red," Martha answered at random. "I'd go with the red. What you really need is a tie with flamingoes. Something that stands out." She laughed out loud as Aaron gave her a horrified look. "I'm going to buy you some more exciting ties this week, but I promise no flamingoes."
Martha's first two days home were everything she had hoped for: she read, napped, did crosswords and laundry and spoke to no one except Aaron. Unfortunately, on Day Three she suddenly realized that she had absolutely no interest in finishing her book, watching television or soaking in the tub. On a whim she picked up the phone and called Jane to see if her wedding plans were finished.
"Hello?" The voice on the other end of the line was Mike Novick.
"Mike? Is that you?"
"Yes, Martha, it is. How are you? Still recovering from that book tour?"
"I certainly am. I feel like a truck hit me, but I'm finally getting some energy back. How about you? How are the wedding plans coming along?"
"I think they're going fine, but Jane might beg to differ. I have to tell you, Martha, I've never looked forward to anything as much as marrying Jane. I want this wedding to be really special."
"It'll be special no matter what the two of you choose to do. Is Jane frazzled? Exactly how elaborate is this wedding going to be? I know she didn't want anything too fancy."
"Well, we've been negotiating. She's come around to the idea of having a bigger wedding, and I think we've struck some sort of happy medium. We both want people there who matter to us. The problem is that there's so many of them."
"Jane told me you've handled a lot of the planning. I know she appreciates it, Mike."
Novick chuckled. "I spend my lunch hours looking at stationery choices and pricing caterers now. It's certainly been interesting. I guess I was clueless about this sort of thing, but it's astounding how much money goes into weddings. I had no idea it was such a big industry."
"Astounding," Martha agreed with a straight face. "Just remember, Mike, if you change your mind there's always City Hall instead. Look, I've got some free time right now and if you need any help I'd be happy to give you a hand."
"That's very sweet of you, Martha. Tell you what. Why don't you stop by tonight if you've got the time? I think both Jane and I could use a third party to bounce ideas off, and we'd love to see you."
"I'll do that, Mike. I'll see you after dinner."
That evening found Martha trying to tidy the couch in Jane's apartment, which was half covered in guest lists and caterers' menus. Mike was pacing around the room throwing out ideas and Jane was variously scribbling notes, debating with Mike and asking Martha for her opinion.
"I don't see why we can't use corkscrews for the wedding favors. They're something people will use, and they aren't expensive."
"Well, we could," Jane answered. "It's just that I really liked the personalized bottled water. Could you take a look at the seating chart, Martha? I think we've avoided most of the big pitfalls, but if you think we've missed anything let me know."
Martha was slightly surprised at this attention to detail. "What about the other stuff? The band, the caterer…"
"That's all taken care of, except maybe for some of the appetizer choices," Mike answered briskly.
"Honeymoon?"
"We're going to this place Mike knows about in the Bahamas." Jane beamed. "It sounds wonderful."
"I went there years ago on a business trip and I've always wanted to go back. It was beautiful, and incredibly quiet. I've been wanting to take Jane there for ages." Mike looked fondly at Jane.
They're perfect for each other, Martha realized. It would never have occurred to her or Aaron to worry about wedding favors or seating charts, but it was clear that Mike and Jane's wedding would mean as much to them as hers and Aaron's had to her. "It looks to me like you hardly need any help at all," she said, smiling. "You've got every detail nailed down."
Mike took a deep breath. "Well, maybe we're further ahead than we thought we were. We've got to get the invitations out in the next week or two."
"I can help with that," Martha said promptly. "And Jane, your dress? If you need me to come to the fittings, let me know." Jane accepted this offer gratefully. By the time Martha left a few minutes later she was nearly as excited about the wedding as Mike and Jane, and she hurried home eager to share their plans with Aaron.
Thinking about her promise to Nathan, Jennifer now found herself wondering whom she should ask for information about Lupe Hernandez. Aunt Barbara would probably have been the best and easiest source of information, but Jennifer immediately rejected this idea: Barbara would want to know why she was asking, and putting two and two together would realize that it was Nathan who was interested. What about someone who worked in town? Suddenly Jennifer remembered Bridget Ames, a friend of hers from high school whose father owned a drugstore two doors down from Hernandez Hardware. Bridget was working at the drugstore part-time to pay for her college courses.
"So what's new?" Jennifer had gone into town to visit Bridget, being careful to ask her father first if he needed anything from the hardware store.
Bridget shrugged. "Oh, nothing really. School's going okay, but it's not the same as high school. Most of the students are commuters and they just go to class and leave. It isn't very social there. But being in town is great. Dad's been having me go to some of the town meetings because he's afraid they're going to raise taxes again, and I really like it. One of these days I might run for office." She grinned.
"You'd be good at it, Bridget. You did a lot of stuff on Student Council, I bet it's not that different." Jennifer indicated the entrance to Hernandez Hardware. "Do you mind if we drop in here for a minute? I need to get some stuff for my dad."
Once inside the store Jennifer looked around curiously and soon saw a woman a few years older than herself wearing an apron printed with the store's logo. She stood with a clipboard, seemingly engrossed in the task of taking inventory, until she looked up and caught Jennifer staring at her. Realizing this must be Lupe, Jennifer blushed and looked away, wondering how to steer the conversation toward the Hernandezes. Taking her cue from Bridget's earlier conversation, she began to ask about the other business owners in town and if they also attended council meetings. To her delight, the Hernandez business was the first one Bridget named and Jennifer was soon able to ask direct questions about the family.
In Aisle Three Lupe had been stocking the shelves but paused, listening to the conversation coming from the next aisle:
"My dad talks to Mr. Hernandez a lot about taxes and business regulations, stuff like that. He says he's a good guy. His wife died two years ago, I think she had a heart problem. He has a daughter, her name's Lupe, and two sons. The older one's name is Tony. He's kinda cute. Lupe used to work in El Paso for a while but she moved back here after Mrs. Hernandez died to take care of her dad. Dad talks to Mr. Hernandez once in a while, and I think she went through some sort of bad relationship with a guy that had him worried–"
Lupe lost her grip on the box she was carrying and dropped it, scattering nails everywhere. "Damn," she muttered as the voices stopped. Heading to the cash register to pick up a broom and dustpan, she saw Jennifer making her purchase with a credit card. By the time she had cleaned up the mess, the two girls had left the store; muttering an excuse to her father, she reached into the register to read the name on the receipt.
"Pierce?" Her eyes narrowed.
A few days later it was Nathan's turn to go into town. He entered the store with high hopes, but to his disappointment Lupe was nowhere to be found; though he did not know this, she had gone into the supply room at the back just before he arrived. He completed his purchases and headed for the store's exit. Just as he reached the door, Lupe walked back into the main store area, caught a glimpse of Nathan leaving the store and dashed after him. "I'll be right back, Papa," she called over her shoulder as she sped out of the store.
"Wait!" she called, ignoring the stares of shoppers on the sidewalk. "Nathan!"
Nathan's face lit up as he saw her hurrying toward him – then his expression changed as he saw the look in her eyes. Trying to catch her breath, Lupe demanded: "Who are you? Why are you asking questions about me?"
"I haven't asked any questions about you–" Nathan began, but Lupe cut him off.
"Some girl with the same last name as you is. I want to know what this is about. Who is she, your sister?"
Nate sighed. "No. She's my cousin, and I guess she isn't as much of a diplomat as she thought she was. Look, why don't we come over here where we can talk." He gestured her to a nearby bench. "Sit down and I'll tell you everything you want to know."
Lupe eyed him suspiciously but finally sat down. "Get started," she ordered. "I have to get back to the store in a few minutes."
"Everything I told you about myself is true. My name is Nathan Pierce, my family's from here and I recently moved back to town. I've been in the Navy for eight years. I finally got tired of it and decided it was time to leave. Right before I got out I was here visiting my uncle and trying to decide what I was going to do with my life. Then one day I was running some errands for him and went into the hardware store… and you were there." He smiled. "I was still on the fence about whether to move here or not, but when I saw you I knew I'd be coming back. Then last week I told my cousin that I'd met this gorgeous girl and I asked if she knew anything about you – she's lived here all her life. She said no, but that she'd check around for me and see what she could find out."
"That's it?"
"That's it. I know it sounds silly, but come on, Lupe, you must have done the same sort of thing yourself. Haven't you ever met somebody and wanted to find out more about them?"
"Of course. But this isn't high school any more, Nathan. And we're not teenagers. Why didn't you just ask me?"
"For one thing, I haven't been able to find you. The only time I've seen you since I got back until today was the day your car broke down." He noted the troubled look that stole over her face. "And for another, I got the feeling that if I asked you everything I wanted to know I'd probably scare you off."
She glanced at him curiously. "Like what?"
"Like what your favorite color is. Whether you like guitar music. What your plans for the future are." He took a deep breath. "Are you dating anybody? Little things like that."
Lupe finally gave him a genuine smile. "You want to know all those things, and it's only the third time you've seen me?"
"The first time was enough." As she finally relaxed, he asked quietly: "I have one more question. Are you in some kind of trouble, Lupe?"
She tensed again. Looking down, she answered slowly: "Not exactly. It's nothing I've done."
"Can I help?"
"My family looks out for me. I don't go anywhere alone anymore, not since the day you helped me with the car. Maybe I'm overreacting, but I feel safer that way."
Nathan frowned. "Safer?" He was about to ask another question, but was interrupted by an impatient voice: "Lupe!"
Lupe jumped up. "Papa, I'm sorry –"
"We need you back in the store. I can't keep running the register myself!" Giving Nathan a suspicious glance, Lupe's father turned and hurried back into the store.
"I have to go." Lupe began to move away, then turned around. "I'll answer one of your questions. I'm not dating anybody." She flashed him a smile and walked back toward the store.
"What time do you get off work tonight?" Nathan asked, following her.
"Six thirty."
"I'll be here, and I'm buying you dinner. Tell your dad I'll drive you home."
