If the Stick Turns Pink... Read Online Free PDF Page B

tone, she’d taken after their mother, Marybeth.
    Melanie had received their father’s genetic characteristics. Walter Watters, better known in Foxrun as Red, had been red-haired and freckled in his youth. His hair was now snow-white and his freckles had faded with age, unlike Melanie’s.
    Bailey approached where the two stood. “Bailey Jenkins, you know that if you don’t come inside and say hello to Mom and Dad they’ll be upset,” Linda said.
    â€œI was just running in to drop this off.” Melanieheld up the pill bottle they’d gotten from the drugstore.
    â€œWell, come on, then,” Linda replied. “And you, too, Bailey. The kids will want to see you.”
    Together the three of them entered the front door and into the living room, where a large group of people were gathered. “Surprise!” they all yelled collectively.
    Suddenly Melanie was being squeezed and hugged and kissed on the cheek by friends, neighbors and coworkers. Stunned, she realized the crepe paper and balloons weren’t for a bridge night party, but rather for her and Bailey.
    She glanced over to Bailey and saw the sheer panic in his widened eyes. They had hoped to do this quietly, without a fuss, knowing that it was all going to be temporary. She should have known there was no way to do anything quietly in Foxrun.
    â€œDarling girl.” Bailey’s mother Luella enveloped Melanie in a fierce hug. “We’ve all been wondering when the two of you would finally figure out that you were absolutely perfect for each other.”
    â€œLu…give the girl a chance to breathe,” Bailey’s father Henry said.
    â€œOh, hush up, Henry. I have a right to give my future daughter-in-law more than a little bitty hug.” She released Melanie and stepped back. “I can’t tell you how happy we all are. So, when’s the big date?”
    The entire crowd had fallen silent, and Melanie looked at Bailey for support. He walked over to herside. “We’re planning a very small ceremony next Saturday.”
    â€œNext Saturday!” Marybeth looked at her daughter in horror. “But that’s impossible. We can’t do a wedding right in a week.”
    â€œMom, Bailey and I have agreed we don’t want anything elaborate. Just a simple ceremony without any frills.”
    â€œWe’ll see,” Marybeth replied, and gave Melanie a hug. “In the meantime we’ve got cake and goodies and a party to enjoy.”
    Â 
    Bailey was in a mild state of shock. Although rationally he knew he and Melanie had been fools to think they could somehow sneak off to a justice of the peace and be married, he’d desperately hoped they could have done just that.
    But already the potential mothers-in-law had their heads together, and he knew they were discussing color schemes and flowers and all the things to transform a simple ceremony into nothing short of a circus.
    He got himself a cup of lime-colored punch and looked over to where Mellie was standing in a circle of women. Her freckles appeared to be standing out from her skin, and he knew she was struggling with the same feelings he was.
    In their brief discussions of planning this whole thing, neither of them had taken into consideration that the situation would force them to lie to friends and family.
    The lies tasted bad in his mouth, but to tell everyone the truth would be far more disastrous. Foxrun had the moral compass of the fifties, and a teacher of their children involved in a plot to marry just to get pregnant would be ridden out of town on a rail.
    â€œBailey, my boy.” Red Watters clapped him on the back and beamed a smile. “I can’t think of a better man to love and honor our Melanie.”
    â€œI do love her,” Bailey replied. This much was true. He’d always loved and adored Mellie, just not in a romantic kind of way.
    â€œHell, son. We all knew you loved each other, we just