Page 51 of Blue Moon Love

“That’s okay, I’ll page him,” she said with a twinkle in her eye. “Let everyone know how popular he is.”

As much as I appreciated Judy indulging Witty’s love of attention, I didn’t think he needed any help in that area. I know they say that everyone is the star in the movie of their life, but when it came to Witty, he wasn’t just the star; he fancied himself a Tom Cruise megastar.

Judy pressed a button and spoke into the phone. “Mr. Whitlock, your grandson is here to pick you up.” Her voice was broadcast through the speakers. When she set the phone down, she asked. “How’s your leg doin’?”

“Good.” For the first time since my accident, I wasn’t lying when I said that. I hadn’t actually thought about it at all today. My mind had been preoccupied with Kenna. We hadn’t had a chance to talk at all about last night before her mom interrupted us.

I knew I’d see her tonight at the party, and I also knew she’d be on a date with Jonah Fucking Walsh. Kenna’s mom mentioned it while we were cleaning up the kitchen this morning. She told me she’d invited Jonah when she and Kenna’s dad ran into the two of them at the Christmas Festival. She also made a point to let me know that she was the one who encouraged Kenna to take him as her date. I wasn’t sure if that was her way of telling me to back off of Kenna, or if she was letting me know that it wasn’t Kenna’s idea to go with Jonah.

Either way, I was not looking forward to this evening. If it were up to me, I’d skip the party altogether. Even though I’d rather eat sushi that had been left out for six months than see her with another man on a date, I knew I couldn’t bail.

Chuck and Marcy Hale meant too much to me. They had accepted me and included me in their family dinners, holidays, birthdays, and just daily life. They showed up for me at graduations, sporting events, and when I ended up in the hospital.

So even though I was dreading seeing Kenna on Jonah’s arm, I had to suck it up. Tonight wasn’t about me or even about Kenna; it was about celebrating the love, commitment, and life that two very special people had built together.

The automatic door opened, and Witty appeared. He wore a three-piece suit and a fedora hat. He looked great, but I noticed the suit was looser on him than the last time I’d seen him wear it, which was only a couple of months ago at his 90th birthday party. A lot of the guests commented on how robust he appeared for a man of his age. But tonight, tonight, he looked frail.

“Lookin’ sharp, Witty.” I smiled, hoping to mask the concern I was feeling.

“The old man still cleans up nice, huh?” He tipped his hat to Judy. “You’re lookin’ pretty spiffy yourself, young lady.”

She grinned. “I clean up nice, too.”

Witty patted me on the shoulder. “You don’t look so bad yourself, son.”

“You both look very handsome!” Judy exclaimed before pointing her finger back and forth between me and my grandpa and warning, “You two behave yourselves and don’t break too many hearts.”

“Can’t make any promises.” Witty winked. “Don’t wait up, darlin’.”

“And take it easy on the dance floor,” she continued. “And I do mean both of you.”

Judy’s comment was directed at me because of my knee. At the station earlier, Betty refused to let me help her with some boxes she was carrying to the storeroom for fear I would reinjure myself. And yesterday, when I was pumping gas at the Pit Stop, Velma Ferguson, the proprietor, came out with two lasagnas and a crock pot worth of chili she’d made for me, so I didn’t have to worry about dinners for a week. And when I was in the hospital, dozens of flower arrangements were sent to my house to wish me to get well soon. I’d asked Delilah, the owner of the Flower Pot, if the town had cleaned her out.

I appreciated the fact that so many people in town had been concerned about me, and were genuinely willing to help in any way they could. I might not have a lot of blood family, only Witty, but I had a list of a hundred people I could call who would drop everything if I needed them. Sure, there was a ton of gossip, and everyone in a small town knew everyone’s business. But when you weighed out the pros with the cons, I’d say the scale definitely tipped to the pro side of things.

I waved to Judy as we headed out to my truck. On our way across the parking lot, I noticed Witty was moving a little bit slower than usual. He’d lost the pep he typically had in his step. Also, his coloring was a little gray.

“You feelin’ alright?” I asked as I pressed the fob, unlocking the doors.

“Just a little tired.” He wagged his bushy gray brows as we climbed into the truck. “Didn’t get much sleep last night.”

Neither did I. In fact, I hadn’t gotten any sleep until about six this morning. I’d laid in bed with Kenna wrapped in my arms and gone on a roller coaster of emotions. I thought that I’d be able to get off of the ride in the light of day, but I’d been strapped to the sucker against my will.

I’d finally given in to my greatest temptation. I’d taken a big ol’ bite of the forbidden fruit. I’d opened Pandora’s Box. I’d spilled the milk, and there was no putting it back. I’d crossed a line I promised myself I would never cross, and I still wasn’t sure what the consequences of my actions were going to be. I’d tried to play out every possible scenario, but I couldn’t come up with one that made me happy. Because none of the outcomes I’d imagined ended up with me and Kenna together.

“What cat has got yer tongue?” Witty asked as we headed across town to the community center.

“What?” I questioned.

“What woman has got your head tied in knots?”

How in the hell had he known that I was thinking about a woman?

“No one,” I lied. I wasn’t sure if he bought my denial or not because I kept my eyes focused on the road.

“You find out when you can get back to work?”

I knew why he was asking. He thought I was in a funk because I was sidelined from work.

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