Riverbend Reunion(79)

“Of course, and the first one, too,” she answered.

Mary Nell jerked the door open and said, “Y’all are finally here. We’ve been waiting in my car for you, so that we can all go inside together.”

“Strength in numbers?” Jessica asked.

“You got it,” Haley said as she stepped up. “Don’t you look all fancy. I feel underdressed now.”

“All three of you look awesome,” Jessica said, “and I feel overdressed, but this is the only thing I had other than camouflage and a full dress uniform.”

Haley wore a strapless blue sundress with cute little wedge heels. Risa was wearing a hot pink sleeveless dress that stopped at the knee, and Mary Nell had chosen a dark green dress with big yellow sunflowers on it.

“Honey, you’d look good in a burlap bag tied up in the middle with a length of rope.” Risa looped her arm into Jessica’s and led her toward the doors.

“Well, damn it!” Jessica said with half a laugh. “If I’d known that, I would have just borrowed a tow sack from Oscar, and not worried so much about how I look.”

Risa leaned over and whispered, “I saw Wade kiss you on the cheek. Does that mean anything?”

“We’ll talk about it later.” Jessica unhooked her arm and took a step back. She laced her fingers with Wade’s, and eyebrows began to raise.

“Jessica is my date tonight, so I won’t feel like the nerd I was in high school. From what I hear, folks at a class reunion always revert back to whatever they were when they were seniors, so tonight, I’m a nerd who just happens to be friends with all the cheerleaders from the class a couple of years behind me,” Wade explained.

“You are so right,” Mary Nell agreed. “I’ve only been back here for a couple of these things, but the smart alecks are still the same and the shy ones haven’t changed much.”

“Maybe so, but tonight,” Wade said with a grin, “I’m going to be the envy of all the men in the room. I’m walking in with four gorgeous women.”

“Next week, the talk around town will be that you have a harem going out there at Danny’s Place.” Mary Nell pushed a strand of red hair behind her ear.

“Oh, crap!” Risa muttered under her breath. “I forgot that Mama graduated from Riverbend High School. This is our twentieth, so it’s probably her fortieth, and she brags that she has never missed a reunion.”

“Want to leave?” Jessica asked as she peeled the back off the name tag a young girl handed her and slapped it on her right shoulder.

“Yes, but I’m not going to,” Risa answered. “I’m going to stay until the last dance is done and they shove us out the door.”

“Good for you,” Wade said.

“Wade Granger? Is that really you?” A woman with whiskey breath ignored Jessica and walked right up into his personal space. “Remember me? Good God! Were you this sexy in high school, or did you change?” She tapped her name tag, which read Brenda Covington.

“Of course I remember you, and I don’t think I’ve changed all that much,” Wade answered. “You graduated with my brother, Danny. Do you remember Jessica, Mary Nell, Haley, and Risa? They were cheerleaders back when y’all were seniors.”

“Yep, I remember all of you”—Brenda barely glanced at them before she gazed up into Wade’s eyes—“but I remember you the best. Why didn’t you ever ask me out?”

“Because you would have said no,” Wade told her. “Excuse us while we find a seat. I think they’ll be serving the food in a few minutes.”

“Who wants food when I can have you?” Brenda laid a palm on his chest. “I hear you are opening up your own bar. When I come home next year for the reunion, I’ll be sure to come by and see you. But if you want to give me a little tour later tonight, I’ll gladly follow you home.”

Wade held up Jessica’s hand. “Sorry, but I’m taken.”

“Well, darlin’, if it don’t work, you just call me. I’ll fly back here any weekend if you need a little rebound comforting.” Brenda winked and headed off to greet another guy who had just arrived.

“And you thought you’d still be the nerd?” Jessica teased.

“I am, but now I’m a nerd with a bar, and that appeals to folks who like to drink.” Wade led her over to a table that was still empty.

Jessica glanced around the room and didn’t recognize many people, but then twenty years changed most folks. She felt Stella’s glares long before she located her sitting at a table with several other older folks. Jessica pitied the woman. She had an amazing daughter and two lovely granddaughters, but because of the tension and hate in her heart, she was a miserable old woman.

Round tables for ten were located along the walls, leaving the center of the cafeteria open for dancing later. Nora Jones and her husband, Quinton, arrived, and came over to their table.

“Y’all mind if we join you?” Nora asked.

“Not a bit,” Wade answered.

“I hear that Melissa and Ginger really hit it off with your girls,” Nora said as she sat down across the table from Jessica. “The four of them have been texting and talking music all week. I’m so glad y’all moved back to Riverbend. Our girls don’t run with the popular crowd, thank goodness, and they need friends that are musical like they are.”