The Man She Married (15 page)

It was almost two weeks before the brouhaha died down. Trip Fitzgerald remained in jail unable to meet an astronomical bail set by an irate judge and Maizie wasn’t losing any sleep over it. As far she was concerned the dweeb could rot in the slammer. Society would be better off.

Clay’s business problems had been resolved. The planner from hell had been sent off to harass some other poor sucker. The construction company was able to get on with the highway project and Clay’s engineering firm was in the black. Yeah!

Hannah had come to grips with her mother’s brush with crime. And last but certainly not least, the Walkers were back to being the most loving married couple in Magnolia Bluffs.

After hours of conversation, a few tears and, oh, yes, some memorable lovemaking, they came to an agreement about communication and not taking each other for granted. It was something they’d both needed to be reminded of.

Maizie admitted she was equally responsible for the
stagnation of their relationship and Clay vowed to be more open with his concerns, both personal and professional. It was a classic win-win situation.

But Maizie still had something up her sleeve.

I
T WAS
T
UESDAY AND
that meant a cellulite-building and utterly delectable Southern breakfast at Daisy’s Dining Spot with Kenni and Liza.

“I have an idea.” Maizie took a sip of her coffee. “After everything we’ve gone through, I want to do something special for Clay. That’s what I need your help with.”

Kenni put her head in her hands. “Oh, boy.”

Liza grimaced as she doctored her coffee, obviously seeking a sugar high.

After taking Trip Fitzgerald down—literally—Maizie had adopted a new attitude. It wasn’t that she viewed herself as a super ninja, it was simply that she had renewed confidence. But this idea had nothing to do with woman power; it was about doing something special for the man she loved more than life itself. And who better to help her with it than her BFFs Liza and Kenni?

She explained her idea before asking for their opinion. “Am I crazy or do you think it will work?”

“Let me get this straight.” Liza rubbed the bridge of her nose. “You want to lure Clay out to the baseball field to renew your vows on the pitcher’s mound, and you want to make it a surprise. Do I have that right?”

Kenni didn’t say a word—she didn’t have to, her opinion was written all over her face. She thought her
cousin had truly lost her mind. Actually that wasn’t out of the realm of possibility.

“I understand why you’d want to renew your vows,” Liza said, “but I don’t quite get the baseball field part. What’s that about?”

Maizie called the waitress over to order a tea refill. “You remember when I tossed Clay’s stuff out on the curb.”

Kenni piped up. “That would be hard to forget.”

Maizie ignored her cousin’s sarcasm. “When I did that, I accidentally threw away his Little League national championship trophy.” She had the grace to look sheepish. “And it sort of got squashed.”

“Pray tell, how did a metal trophy ‘sort of get squashed’?” Liza asked.

“I’m not real sure,” Maizie admitted. “A guy in a Camaro came along and started rummaging through Clay’s belongings. I ran him off but after he sped away the trophy was in the middle of the road in pieces. Then Clay arrived and had a fit about how I’d ruined his Little League memories. He tossed the rest of his stuff in the truck and hauled butt, leaving me with the bits and pieces of the trophy.”

“So where’s this monument to pre-adolescent baseball accomplishment now?” Kenni asked.

“And do you have all the parts?” Liza asked.

“I think so,” Maizie answered. Then the light dawned. She knew where her friends were going with their questions. “Do you think I can get it fixed?”

“Let’s go to Atlanta and see if we can find a miracle worker,” Liza said. “Then we can discuss the shindig
at the ball field. A surprise vow renewal. What an amazing idea. I wouldn’t miss it for the world.”

It took several days before they could coordinate their schedules to include a trip to Dave’s Trophy Shop in Atlanta. Once they got there, the prognosis was dire.

“I don’t know.” Dave’s accent was pure South Georgia. “This bad boy is plum messed up. Whatcha do, run over it with a lawn mower?” He cackled over his own not-so-funny joke.

“Actually, it was a Camaro,” Maizie said wryly.

“A Camaro?” He evidently thought that was even more hilarious and cackled even louder.

“Let’s get down to business.” Liza took charge. “Can you fix it? And how long will it take?” She didn’t bother to ask about the price.

The shopkeeper scratched his head. “Give me a couple of days.” He quoted a fee that made Maizie’s eyes pop. Did she look like she was made of money? Hadn’t she learned her lesson with Trina’s overpriced stink bomb?

After they finished haggling over price and completion date, Maizie was exhausted. She would never make it at the Chicago Board of Trade.

“Let’s go have a piña colada,” she suggested to her partners in crime. “After everything that’s happened, I think I deserve a little pampering. My treat.”

It was the weekend before Thanksgiving and the forecast for Saturday was clear and crisp—thank goodness. Maizie had been agonizing over the weather for days. Conditions that time of the year could be iffy and considering how many people she’d invited, including their extended families, all their colleagues and the entire Walker and Tucker Little League team she’d be in a big mess if it rained.

The preparations for this production had been mindboggling. Liza was in charge of invitations, Mama was handling the caterers, Kenni was coordinating with the parks department and the Little League and Hannah was responsible for keeping her mouth shut. Maizie’s job was to coordinate the decorations and make sure Clay showed up. It had been a major undertaking and they had one more day to complete the preparations.

“Mama, is everything a go?” Maizie was multitasking by talking on the phone and blowing up hundreds of balloons with a portable helium machine. The back room of the Boudoir was awash in bobbing color.

“The catering tent is up and the cooks are ready to go. I have my assigned duties under control. How about you?”

That was a good question. Maizie was questioning her sanity. What was wrong with reserving the church and having a classy ceremony followed by a family-only reception at the country club? That’s what a normal person would do. However, it had been a long time since anyone had accused her of being ordinary.

“I’m fine.” Maizie glanced at the dozens of balloons floating around above her head. “I think,” she muttered.

“How do you plan to get him to the baseball field?”

She had that one nailed at least. “Harvey’s going to help. He told Clay that their Little League team is having a fund-raiser washing cars and they want the sponsors to be there.”

“Isn’t it awfully cold to be washing cars?” Mama asked. She was always the first to pick up on the details.

“Whatever. I can’t come up with anything else, so that’s what we’re going with. We’ll show up around three, so I’m counting on you guys to get everything together.”

“Don’t worry about a thing, baby girl. All you have to do is make sure you get Clay there. You can’t do the vows without him. Oh, and have fun.”

Eleanor was a party-throwing diva, so Maizie wasn’t concerned about that aspect. She was more worried about how Clay would react.

When she’d first come up with the picnic scheme, it had seemed brilliant. Now Maizie wasn’t quite so sure. Would Clay like it or would he think it was another one of her hare-brained ideas?

It was too late to back out now. They’d ordered enough hot dogs to feed a small country and Hannah was on her way home.

B
Y THE TIME
S
ATURDAY ROLLED
around Maizie’s nerves were stretched to the breaking point. She’d cleaned the kitchen, mopped the floors, vacuumed and paced. She was as nervous as a cat in a room full of rocking chairs.

Clay put his arms around her waist. “Is something wrong?”

“Why would you say that?” she snapped.

He answered with a raised eyebrow.

“No, there’s nothing wrong.” She was a terrible liar.

“I’m going to run down to the hardware store to get some paint. Since we don’t have anything planned for the day, I thought I’d redo the fence.”

Maizie was tempted to scream, but instead went for nonchalance. “That’s great.” She smacked her head. “Oh, wait. Harvey wants you to meet him at the ball park for the car wash, remember?”

“Oh, yeah. I guess I can’t bag on that, huh?”

“No. I don’t think so. What time are you heading out?”

Clay glanced at the clock. “Around two-thirty. The car wash isn’t till three.”

“Mind if I tag along? The boys are so cute. After that we can get something to eat.” Talk about lame. He must see right through her.

Clay gave her a strange look, but nodded. “Okay. It doesn’t sound like your kind of thing, but if you want to come, that’s fine. I think I’ll take a shower first.”

Maizie waited until Clay was upstairs before she
grabbed the phone to call her sister. “Liza, I’m driving myself nuts. Is everything okay down there?”

“Don’t worry, we have it under control.”

“He wanted to paint the fence!” Maizie wailed.

There was silence on the other end of the line before Liza spoke. “You nipped that in the bud, didn’t you?”

“Of course,” she barked. “I’m sorry. I’m being crazy. I’ll see you in a little while.” Maizie ran upstairs to change clothes. If she was lucky Clay wouldn’t realize she’d put on a new outfit. He was a guy, why would he start noticing stuff like that now?

“W
HAT DO YOU THINK
is goin’ on?” Clay asked as they pulled into the parking lot next to the Little League field.

“I don’t know. This is your gig.” Maizie tried to keep her voice even.

“It looks like they’re having a festival.” He put the car in Park, but didn’t turn off the engine. “I’m not in the mood to wade through a crowd of people to watch a pumpkin pie eating contest.” He groaned and Maizie could tell he would’ve been happier to paint the darned fence.

Too bad. “I don’t know about you, but I’m going to see what’s happening.”

Clay looked surprised but didn’t argue with her.

W
HAT IN THE HECK
was going on? Everywhere he looked there were people he knew, and they were all smiling. Something strange was afoot, and Clay had the sinking feeling he was the only person in town who wasn’t in the loop.

“Do we have tickets to this thing?”

“Don’t need ’em. Come with me.” Maizie pulled him toward the largest of the three tents. “What do you think this is?” She pointed to the interior of the pavilion, which was decorated like a wedding chapel. The other tents had been prepared for the reception/picnic.

“I get it.” He snapped his fingers. “It’s a tent revival.” There was a pulpit up front so that was the most logical answer he could dredge up on short notice.

“Nope. Try again.”

“A circus? I saw a clown out front, didn’t I?”

“Not quite,” Maizie said and then muttered, “at least not yet.”

Clay threw up his hands in surrender. “I give.”

About that time Liza and Kenni strolled up, their husbands in tow. “Have you told him yet?” Liza asked excitedly.

Zack laid a hand on Clay’s shoulder. “Keep in mind the guys had nothing to do with this.”

His comment was enough to make Clay want to run. What was
this?

“Honey, remember when we sort of discussed renewing our vows?” Maizie asked.

“Uh-huh.”

“Well.” She put on what looked like a well-rehearsed smile. “We’re going to.”

“Going to what?”

“We’re going to get remarried. Right here. In front of everyone.” She did a wave that encompassed the entire ball field including the tents, their families, the clown and the Little League team.

Once Clay started laughing he couldn’t stop. Finally
he was able to take a deep breath and get control of his mirth.

“You planned all of this and managed to keep it a secret from me? In Magnolia Bluffs? Unbelievable.” He pulled Maizie to his side and kissed the top of her head. “So that’s what the new outfit is all about.”

“You noticed?” Maizie seemed confused by his observation.

“Of course. I’m always aware of what you’re wearing.

Now her jaw literally dropped.

“So what do you say?” she asked. Her natural confidence had turned into sheepish uncertainty.

“I say yes.” As if there was any question. He twirled her around to the applause of all the folks who had come to help them celebrate. Then he noticed Hannah standing by the edge of the crowd.

“Hey, sweetie! Were you in on this, too?”

Hannah gave him a hug. “We kept it a secret, didn’t we?”

“That you did.” He put his arms around his two best girls. “You ladies are sneaky.” Life couldn’t get any better.

“What’s with the ball players?” he asked.

“Oh, that’s right. Come here, guys.”

Although the entire team came forward, the guy leading the pack was the pitcher. “Hey, Mr. Walker. Your wife wants us to give you this.” He handed Clay a large gift-wrapped package.

Clay was at a loss. What was Maizie up to now? When he pulled out his old baseball trophy—albeit not quite in its original condition—Clay grabbed his wife, leaned her back over his arm and gave her a kiss their
friends and loved ones would be talking about for years. That was the day Maizie and Clay Walker renewed their vows and treated the citizens of Magnolia Bluffs to a party they wouldn’t soon forget.

ISBN: 978-1-4268-2814-0

THE MAN SHE MARRIED

Copyright © 2009 by Ann DeFee.

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