揊rom what I抳e heard, they sure have,?Risa said.
揌ey,?Richard, Linda抯 husband, said, 揑 hear the bar and grill is coming along pretty good. We抣l be among your first customers. Oscar has been telling us about the food, and we do enjoy dancing sometimes on Saturday nights.?
揑t抯 looking like we can have our grand opening on the night before the homecoming parade and ball game,?Wade said.
揑s it really going to be called the Old Church??Nora asked.
揘o,?Jessica answered, 搃t抯 going to be Danny抯 Place in honor of Wade抯 brother.?
揟hat抯 sweet,?Nora said with a smile. 揌e was a good guy.?
Waiters brought out plates of food, and Jessica took the first bite of the stuffed chicken and poked Risa on the shoulder. 揧ou should have catered this event. Your crumb chicken beats this all to pieces. And that pecan pie looks store bought.?
揂re you going to do some catering??Nora asked.
揑f so, I want to book you for Ginger抯 seventeenth birthday party,?Linda said.
Risa shook her head. 揑抣l be too busy in the bar when it opens to have time for catering.?
Nora leaned forward a little and whispered, 揑f you change your mind, I get first chance for Melissa抯 birthday party, and we have to get together for lunch someday.?
Even though he ate everything on his plate, Wade didn抰 taste much of it. He heard the president of the alumni association introduce a speaker but couldn抰 focus on what the man was saying most of the time. Folks around him laughed at the guy抯 jokes and memories he talked about from fifty years before, when he graduated from Riverbend High School, but Wade kept stealing side glances at Jessica and thinking about the kiss they had almost shared. If the man would just finish talking, Wade could take Jessica out on the dance floor and hold her close like he wanted to do.
揑s this boring you??Jessica whispered.
揑s it that obvious??Wade asked.
揑t is to me. I抳e been stifling yawns,?she said.
揥ant to sneak out??Wade asked.
揋od yes, but how do we? Risa might need us,?Jessica answered.
揑 don抰 think Stella will try to wade through Mary Nell and Haley, not to mention Linda and Nora,?Wade said. 揕et抯 have a couple of dances and then find our way out of this place. This is twice I抳e been to one of these things.?
揟wice??Jessica asked. 揑 thought this was your first time.?
揗y first and my last,?Wade said without even a sign of a grin.
The speaker finally ended his speech and got a standing ovation. Wade wasn抰 sure if it was because folks really enjoyed hearing his anecdotes or if they were glad that he was done. The president introduced the DJ, who went right into playing a song, 揑 Hope You Dance,?that had been popular twenty years before.
Wade pushed back his chair and held out a hand to Jessica. 揗ay I have this dance, ma抋m??
Jessica put her hand in his. 揟hey played this at mine and Danny抯 graduation. I wonder if they抣l play popular songs from every year.?
Wade led her out onto the floor, where she wrapped her arms around his neck, and he began a slow two-step. For a while they were the only two people on the dance floor, but Wade didn抰 feel uncomfortable. For the first time in his life, he didn抰 feel like hiding in the shadows.
Surprise, Brother. Danny抯 voice was clear in his head. You have lost your nerdiness. Don抰 ever lose Jessica. She抯 your lifesaver.
Wade drew her a little closer and danced her closer to the door. 揝tella is leaving. Risa won抰 need us now, and they all seem to be having a great time.?
揑抣l need to get my purse and tell them that we抮e leaving,?Jessica said.
揑 will wait for you by the door,?Wade said, 揵ut if you want to stay longer and visit . . .?
揘o, I do not, and I believe I have been to two of these also梞y first and last. This just isn抰 for me, but I am glad we came, so I could have a dance with you. Risa really should reacquaint herself with Nora and Linda since it looks like their daughters are going to be such good friends, and you are right about Haley and Mary Nell being here for her.?Jessica raised up just slightly on her toes and kissed him on the cheek. 揟hat抯 so Brenda won抰 come try to steal you away.?
揇arlin? I can outrun that woman,?Wade teased.
揗aybe when she抯 had too much to drink, but when she抯 sober, she might be fast on her feet,?Jessica joked. 揌ave you even considered all the women who抣l be coming into the bar when we open it? You might have a choice of ladies to dance with at closing time.?
揑 don抰 think so.?Wade took a few steps toward the door, and this time he stayed in the shadows, where he could watch Jessica walk across the room. He drank in his fill of her, but he was not oblivious to several other men who couldn抰 take their eyes off her, either.