CHAPTER 10
As he was marrying in less than a week, Andrew Hennings had decided it would be a good idea for his mother to meet his step daughter to be. Unfortunately, her first appearance was not one that impressed. Emma was a nice girl but a little wild it would seem. However, it didn't matter what she thought of Emma; Kate Hennings was already set against the marriage. She didn't think it was right that her rich, upper class son would marry some redneck from Alabama.
Jake didn't think much of the marriage either. Andrew was a nice enough bloke but Melanie was his; he was married to her; he had loved her since they were small and it hurt him to let her go; even more to some rich Yankee that would take her away from her friends and family. Even when she took Emma and left, he knew he still loved her and wanted her back, and now it would take more than an apology to keep her.
And what about Emma? he thought, worried. It had been hard enough to be apart from her once but they were back together as father and daughter and he couldn't let her go again. Last time she left he didn't get her back for seven years and even then it was a fight. If she went to New York, maybe he would lose her altogether. She wouldn't want him any more; she was still angry at him for letting Melanie go and would never speak to him again if it happened a second time. She wouldn't need him any more. She would have Andrew. Great. He was losing his wife and his daughter. Again. He gritted his teeth and started loading up the truck.
Out of the family, Emma was probably the most worried about her future. Not about leaving behind her home and father and friends to live with a new man whose mother despised her and had only met her once, but more about the fact that she had to appear in public in a dress. And not just any dress. A big lacy one that she tripped over every time she walked in it. She had a nice figure that was beginning to mature and the dress looked gorgeous on her but that was entirely beside the point. It was a dress!
The closer the day of the wedding came, the more doubts Melanie began to have about it. There was no doubt; when Andrew had proposed to her in New York she had loved him and was thrilled to spend the rest of her life with him, but now she was home and, well, things were different. A lot had happened in a week, as she explained to Bobby Ray one afternoon. They were down by the sea, on the rocks where Emma usually was. Melanie, as though in a trance, stared out over the water.
"The truth is, Bobby Ray, I gave my heart away a long time ago, all of it, and I never really got it back."
He grinned, understanding what she meant. Deep down inside, she still loved Jake and wanted to stay here, in Alabama, in the land she was brought up in, with her friends and family. "You told anyone else?" he asked. She shook her head.
"Though I think Emma's guessed." Bobby Ray agreed. Emma was a smart girl and something like this wouldn't stay hidden for long.
"You should tell Jake." Bobby Ray suggested "He'd be over the moon. He never stopped loving you, you know. Never wanted to let you go."
Melanie shook her head. It was the wedding tomorrow- she was marrying Andrew and that was that. All the papers were in place, the ceremony and reception organized, most of the guests were here already and there was nothing she could do.
As he was marrying in less than a week, Andrew Hennings had decided it would be a good idea for his mother to meet his step daughter to be. Unfortunately, her first appearance was not one that impressed. Emma was a nice girl but a little wild it would seem. However, it didn't matter what she thought of Emma; Kate Hennings was already set against the marriage. She didn't think it was right that her rich, upper class son would marry some redneck from Alabama.
Jake didn't think much of the marriage either. Andrew was a nice enough bloke but Melanie was his; he was married to her; he had loved her since they were small and it hurt him to let her go; even more to some rich Yankee that would take her away from her friends and family. Even when she took Emma and left, he knew he still loved her and wanted her back, and now it would take more than an apology to keep her.
And what about Emma? he thought, worried. It had been hard enough to be apart from her once but they were back together as father and daughter and he couldn't let her go again. Last time she left he didn't get her back for seven years and even then it was a fight. If she went to New York, maybe he would lose her altogether. She wouldn't want him any more; she was still angry at him for letting Melanie go and would never speak to him again if it happened a second time. She wouldn't need him any more. She would have Andrew. Great. He was losing his wife and his daughter. Again. He gritted his teeth and started loading up the truck.
Out of the family, Emma was probably the most worried about her future. Not about leaving behind her home and father and friends to live with a new man whose mother despised her and had only met her once, but more about the fact that she had to appear in public in a dress. And not just any dress. A big lacy one that she tripped over every time she walked in it. She had a nice figure that was beginning to mature and the dress looked gorgeous on her but that was entirely beside the point. It was a dress!
The closer the day of the wedding came, the more doubts Melanie began to have about it. There was no doubt; when Andrew had proposed to her in New York she had loved him and was thrilled to spend the rest of her life with him, but now she was home and, well, things were different. A lot had happened in a week, as she explained to Bobby Ray one afternoon. They were down by the sea, on the rocks where Emma usually was. Melanie, as though in a trance, stared out over the water.
"The truth is, Bobby Ray, I gave my heart away a long time ago, all of it, and I never really got it back."
He grinned, understanding what she meant. Deep down inside, she still loved Jake and wanted to stay here, in Alabama, in the land she was brought up in, with her friends and family. "You told anyone else?" he asked. She shook her head.
"Though I think Emma's guessed." Bobby Ray agreed. Emma was a smart girl and something like this wouldn't stay hidden for long.
"You should tell Jake." Bobby Ray suggested "He'd be over the moon. He never stopped loving you, you know. Never wanted to let you go."
Melanie shook her head. It was the wedding tomorrow- she was marrying Andrew and that was that. All the papers were in place, the ceremony and reception organized, most of the guests were here already and there was nothing she could do.