Tornado

I probably got maybe an hour of sleep on Friday. I was constantly waiting for the tornado siren. At six, I took the bus to work, gripping a coffee in my hand, and my phone rang.

“Juniper Eaves,” I yawned widely.

“Hello, Miss Eaves, this is Mr. Grant.”

I dropped my coffee and swore under my breath.

“Good morning, Mr. Grant. How are you?”

“Just fine, thank you. I’m back in Oklahoma and I’m ready to set up a day for you to come in.”

I sighed and rubbed my eyes. “Um….”

He must have heard my hesitance because he said, “Don’t put this off, Miss Eaves. It will only make things harder.”

“I know. You’re right. How about Wednesday morning? At 9?”

“That works for me. I will speak with you then.”

“Bye,” I mumbled and hung up.

I had completely forgotten about my mother’s will. It definitely put a damper on my morning. After saying a quick hello to Lisa, I hurried to the back of the property and cried into my knees. I missed my mother, despite all of our problems, and then for her to make this condition….

“Ryder and Amy are here!” Lisa called to me and I struggled to compose myself.

I took a few deep breaths and went out. Amy was looking pretty in blue jeans and a Vegas shirt. Ryder took my breath away. He was dressed simply: blue jeans, black shirt, but something about him….

“Good morning,” I said, hugging Amy and kissing Ryder on the cheek. “Well, this is The Southern Belles.”

I swept my arms out and they looked around. The floor was hardwood, something we had insisted on. Easy to clean and it matched the theme. There were fifty tables that seated four, also a light brown. Twenty booths hung around the walls and windows. The upholstery was vinyl and dark red. The kitchen was closed off. Unlike the other restaurant, you couldn’t see into the kitchen. There was a window obscured from the public view where the waitresses would pick up the food and take it to the tables.

As Amy walked around to get a feel for the restaurant, Ryder put his arm around my waist. I put my head on his chest, inhaling his scent, and trying not to cry again.

“You going to tell me what’s wrong?” he whispered and I sighed.

“Not in front of Amy. I don’t want to cry in front of her,” I murmured.

Her wall’s base was white; I wasn’t sure what colors she would want to use.

“What are you going to put on the other walls?” she asked me and I had them follow me to the office.

“I took these while we were clearing and rebuilding,” I explained, showing them the twenty pictures. “I’m going to put them up to show how much the community did for me. It also shows that this isn’t just Juniper Eaves’s restaurant: it’s the neighborhood’s restaurant.”

I sat down while she sifted through the pictures then nodded once.

“I know what I want to do.”

“Great! Let’s go pick out colors and brushes!”

Ryder drove us to Home Depot where Amy picked out half gallons of red, green, yellow, blue, and a deep purple. She was clearly excited after selecting three different sized brushes. I had decided that, while she was painting, I would go into the office and finish some numbers.

I was going through the names of everyone who helped and typing them into a spreadsheet when Ryder knocked on the door.

“Come on in,” I smiled, putting it to the side. “Sorry but I don’t have a chair.”

He shrugged and hopped onto my desk, facing me.

“Tell me,” he said and I sighed. “She’s busy painting. When she paints, she’s in the zone and she stays there for several hours.”

I nodded and stared at my lap. “My mother’s lawyer called me a month ago,” I whispered. “She had left a bank account for me but I can’t have access to it unless… well, unless I get married. I’m meeting with him on Wednesday to look at the will.”

I sighed and put my head on his lap. He ran his fingers through my hair.

“Why would she do this?”

“She was always worried about me getting married after my dad died,” I answered, closing my eyes. The feeling of his fingers running through my hair felt nice. “I guess this is her way of trying to force me since she’s not here to do it herself.”

I was crying again and he passed me the box of tissues.

“So what are you going to do?”

“I don’t know, Ryder. I need the money but….”

The air suddenly got thicker when I realized exactly who I was talking to. He didn’t stop massaging my head, though. We had been dating for nearly a month now and I took a minute to analyze my feelings for him. If my mother were here, she’d be pressuring me to marry him. But, she wasn’t, and I was able to make my own decision. Did I love him? I closed my eyes and tried to imagine what my life would be like without him. It would definitely be lacking something. I wouldn’t feel whole without him around. I thought back to all we had been through together, how we’d helped each other. How, even though we both desperately wanted to, we had said no to sex out of respect for one another.

He pressed his thumbs to my shoulders and was moving them in a circle.

“Relax, Juniper,” he whispered. “You’re too tense right now.”

I sighed and tried to do as he said but it was impossible. I leaned back and blew my nose. As I wiped my eyes, I heard him slide off the desk. When I opened my eyes, he was right in front of me, startling me. He kissed me.

I sighed and leaned into his kiss, wrapping my arms around him. He pulled me close. I slipped off the chair and into his lap, straddling him. His hands rested on my hips gently. Everything about him was gentle, even his kisses. They always had been.

I pulled away and looked him in the eyes. I couldn’t read them but I did know one thing.

I was in love with him.

But did he share my feelings? I didn’t know and I was too afraid to ask. A small sob escaped my lips and I rested my forehead on his.

“Did I do something wrong?” he whispered and I shook my head.

“No. No, you didn’t. You did something right.”

He looked confused. “What do you mean?”

I brushed his bangs out of his face and sighed. His hair was soft. I touched his cheek gently. I knew he was waiting for me to answer but I wanted to take the time to really memorize his features. His chocolate brown eyes, his thin nose, his dark pink lips, the long eye lashes women would kill for…. If he was going to leave me for what I was about to say, I never wanted to forget what he looked like.

“The reason I’m so upset with my mother,” I whispered, finally looking him in the eyes, “is because… I’m in love with you.”

The last part came out barely in a whisper and, for a moment, I thought he hadn’t heard me. I gulped, not even bothering to hide how scared I was. His lips pressed gently to mine but pulled back before I could kiss him back. He didn’t speak, just stared into my eyes. It was driving me crazy and I yearned to know what he was thinking.

“Say something,” I begged.

When he didn’t, I ducked my chin. That was my answer. I tried not to cry again. Would he break up with me because he didn’t love me back? Would he stay with me? If he did, had I just ruined what we had?

He took my chin and made me look at him. His eyes were so intense that a few tears fell out of my eyes despite my best efforts. He pulled my face to his and kissed me deeply, this time allowing me to kiss him back.

Our lips moved together, slow at first, then more heated the longer we kissed. He buried a hand in my hair and I gripped his shoulders tightly. His other hand stayed on my hip. His tongue brushed my lower lip and I immediately obliged. The hand on my hip wrapped around my waist, pulling me so close our bodies were touching. My tears were falling freely. The only thing I could think was this was a good bye kiss. Whether it was or not, it was the best I ever had.

He pulled back but kissed my lips a couple of times.

“Did you mean it?” he whispered finally and I stared at him.

“What?”

“Do you really love me?” I gulped and nodded.

Then, to my shock, his eyes filled with tears.

“Ryder,” I whispered, brushing them away as they fell. “Ryder, what’s wrong? Did I ruin us?”

“No,” he said quickly. “No. In fact, you just made everything so much better.” I waited. Was he saying what I thought he was? “I’m so in love with you, Juniper. I’ve been so afraid to say anything. I didn’t want to destroy what we have. But…. I don’t want you to be saying this because of your mother.”

I shook my head immediately. “No, Ryder.” As I wiped his tears away, he wiped mine with his thumb. “I would love you even if she was standing right here; even if I had never heard from her lawyer.” I bit my lower lip. “But, I’m not going to take the money,” I added.

He looked shocked. “Why not?” he asked.

I smiled, my lip trembling. “Because, now that I know what it means to be in love and to be loved back, I know I don’t need it.”

He grinned and kissed me, holding onto me tightly, and I did the same.

-

Amy’s wall was gorgeous. She had used the green to make a thick, curving line, all along the wall. There were other lines branching off and she had painted different flowers and shapes in the other colors. At the top, in beautiful curvy letters, she had painted ‘The Southern Belles’. It was true that she was an amazing artist.

We hung the picture frames along the other walls and the four of us – me, Ryder, Amy, and Lisa – stood in the center of the dining room. The restaurant looked ten times better than I ever imagine it would.

The following Tuesday, I went with Ryder to drop Amy off at the airport.

“I wish you could be here for the grand opening,” I sighed, hugging her tightly.

“I’ll be back,” she promised, “and I better get a free dessert.”

“Girl, you’re getting a free meal.”

She giggled and hugged Ryder. The two siblings cried a little. Ryder had told me what was happening to Amy back home and part of me didn’t want her to go back to that. But their decision was right. We waved to her until she got through security. Ryder was still crying when we got to his car and I kissed him, holding his hand.

“She’ll be okay,” I promised. “Now that everything is in the open, she’ll be okay.”

He sighed. “I hope you’re right, Juniper.” I kissed him one more time as we pulled out of the parking lot. “Do you want me to come with you tomorrow morning?”

“It’s okay. I know you’ve hated not working.” He chuckled. “I’ll come by for lunch, though, if that’s okay.”

He kissed my fingers. “You know it is.”

Wednesday, I dressed in the business attire my mother had given me. I pulled in front of the lawyer’s office and hesitated. I was nervous. I didn’t know how much money I was turning down, but I knew it wasn’t going to be a paltry sum.

“I have a 9:00 with Mr. Grant,” I breathed and, before she could sign me in, his office door opened.

“Come on in, Miss Eaves,” he said and I followed him. “So, have you decided?” I gulped and nodded, looking at the folder on the desk between us. I knew what was in it. “Great! There are a few things you need to sign stating you’ll be married by-”

“I’m going to decline,” I interrupted and he gawked at me. I pressed on. “Mr. Grant, I’m in love with a wonderful young man. Now that I know what love really means, I know I don’t need the money. Donate it to charity or something.”

I got up to leave but he called me back. He was smiling. He held his hand out.

“Congratulations,” he said and I looked at him strangely. He took a piece of paper out. “Read this.”

If you’re reading this, it means you’ve declined the money. Sweetheart, I’m so proud of you. I know you have found love and it makes me so happy. I was not truthful with you: your father committed suicide. I didn’t want you to know because I was afraid it would cloud your image of love. But, now I know you have found love regardless. I’m in Heaven with your father, smiling down on you and whoever the lucky man is. The money in the account has been put away since you were a child. Use it how you will but I do hope some of it goes to giving yourself a beautiful wedding, as we would have planned for you. I love you so much and I’m sorry we were always bumping heads. Love, Mother

I was crying and Mr. Grant handed me some tissues.

“Here’s the information for the bank account,” he whispered, still smiling. “Good luck, Miss Eaves.”

I threw my arms around him, throwing him off guard and he patted my back awkwardly. I hurried out and sped to United Reach. Before going in, though, I opened the Manilla envelope that had the information. I nearly fainted at the sum.

I pressed the five button on the elevator impatiently. I didn’t even bother to say hello to Margaret. Ryder was in Zachary’s office when I threw the door open. They were both just drinking coffee. I launched myself on Ryder and kissed him.

He stumbled back in surprise, dropping the small coffee cup. He kissed me back, holding me tightly.

“What was that about?” he asked, looking dazed.

I told him about my mother’s letter. He laughed happily and hugged me tightly.

-

The grand opening of The Southern Belles was exactly what I wanted it to be. I walked among the guests, most of which were the volunteers that helped rebuild. Many thanked me for putting the pictures up. Under each frame, I had ordered a golden plaque with the volunteers’ names on it.

Half way through dinner service, I got everyone’s attention.

“I just wanted to thank everyone for coming tonight,” I began. “Seeing you all here means so much to me and my staff.” I gestured to the pictures on the walls. “And, as the pictures show, you are part of this restaurant. You always will be. Tonight everyone will be….”

I trailed off. Ryder was getting out of his chair. He was in a black suit with a red tie. I looked at him, confused, as he walked up to me. Then he got on his knee.

My eyes became wide as saucers as the guests whistled and cheered. He was grinning from ear to ear as he got a small velvet box out of his pocket. He opened it to reveal a silver ring with an emerald diamond.

“I’m not very good at speeches,” he said. “So, just as blunt as you and I are: will you marry me?”

“Of course I will!” I cried.

He laughed and slid the ring on my finger. The minute he was standing I kissed him. Everyone applauded again and I could hear people taking pictures. I held onto him tightly, never wanting to let go. People got up to look at the ring and congratulate us. I leaned against Ryder, not able to stop smiling. We took a picture with my left hand on his chest to put the ring in view to send to his sister. Apparently, the renter had moved out on his own after being confronted by their parents.

As Ryder kissed me again, I now knew what it meant to be happy. I hadn’t been this happy in over six years. Laughing, he picked me up bridal style and spun me. I squealed in delight and our eyes met. I touched his cheek, so glad that he was mine.

“Now you can’t run away,” I said and he grinned, kissing me.

“Well, I guess I’ll just have to get over it.”

I brushed my nose against his and slowly ran my hands so that I was hugging him. I closed my eyes, taking in his scent and the feeling of his body against mine. I remembered how weeks ago I was worried I would never see him again after professing my love. Now, though, I would get to see him every day for the rest of my life.