Just Between Friends (3 page)

     She couldn’t accept such a gift, especially now. 
What was she to do? What would he say when she gave it back?
The tears were welling in her eyes, as she turned to ask, “Mama, this has been the best day, but now, after seeing this gift, I realize how deeply Alec cares for me.  What am I going to do?”

     “Miranda, just take some time to think about this, before you tell Alec. I know It’s going to hurt for a while, but one day he’ll meet that special someone who will love him every bit as much as he loves them. Try to get your mind off of it right now, and let’s cut that cake.  What do you say?”

     Miranda only nodded, and tried her best to forget, but she knew she would have to face it soon, and that she deeply dreaded.

     The rest of the evening flew by.  Miranda had managed to blow out all of her candles, but one.  This nagged at her a little, for she was a bit superstitious.  What if it meant something?  No, she had surmised, everything was perfect, except for things with Alec, but it would work out, she knew.  It had been a wonderful, blessed day, but she was tired and ready for bed.  She thanked everyone once more then headed upstairs to her room, looking forward to what the future would bring.

                                             ***

     A week had passed, and the weather had taken a turn for the worse.  Everyone woke to a dreary morning.  It had stormed all through the night, and although the storm had subsided, it was very wet, and a steady rain had set in.

     Mary was busy preparing breakfast when there was a knock on the back door.  She turned the fire down on the stove, and swiping her hands down her apron, hurried to answer it.  “I wonder who that can be,” she mumbled, “so early, and in this kind of weather?”   As she opened the door, the wind blew the rain through the opening.  “Why, Alec, goodness sake boy, what brings you out on a day such as this?”  Then remembering her manners, she apologized, “I’m sorry, how rude of me.  Won’t you please, come in?”

     Water dripping from his hair, Alec smiled, but didn‘t move.  “I’m sorry, Mrs. Porter.  I probably shouldn’t have intruded on you so early, but Miranda has been on my mind.  I haven’t seen her since before her birthday, but I ran into her the other day, and she barely said a word.  I had been anxious to know if she liked her gift, but she acted as if she was trying to avoid me.  Maybe I’m just overreacting, but I’m really worried about her.  Is she alright?”

    
Poor Alec,
Mary thought.  His long black hair was stuck to his head from all the rain, and his clothes were soaked.  Mary couldn’t let him just stand there, freezing, so she ordered, “Get in here, Alec, and let me get you a towel so you can dry off.  You’re going to catch your death.”  It was almost June, but it was a very cool morning.

     This time when she offered, Alec didn’t argue.  He accepted her invitation willingly.  He stood on the kitchen rug, so as not to get the floor wet, but he was shivering all over. 
He was going to be heartbroken when he heard Miranda’s news,
Mary thought. 
How was he going to handle it?
 
He had been in love with her for so long.

     “Thank you,” he smiled as he reached for the towel she offered him.  He dried himself the best he could, then threw the towel around his shoulders.  “I just wanted to make sure Miranda wasn’t upset with me about something.  I mean, I can’t think of a reason she would be, but you know how women are sometimes.”  He looked shyly at Mary, and added, “No offense.”

     “None taken,” she smiled.  “Alec, I can assure you that you haven’t done anything to upset Miranda.”  Mary was starting to feel a little uneasy, and quite frankly a little upset herself with her daughter.  She should have told Alec about her engagement by now.  This poor boy is being tortured, thinking he’s hurt Miranda somehow.  She could see the concern in his eyes, and how much he truly loved her daughter.  This news was going to devastate him.  She did understand, in a way, why Miranda hadn’t said anything, but it had to be done, and the sooner, the better.

     Ten minutes later, Frank and Cassie joined them.  Alec was sitting in a chair close to the stove, drinking a cup of coffee, when they entered the kitchen. 

     Cassie’s eyes grew wide when she saw him.  Her hair had been freshly braided, and she looked around the room to make sure he had come alone.  She had never told anyone, but she secretly had a crush on Alec’s younger brother, Ben.  They had been friends all their lives but it was different now.  She breathed a sigh of relief, seeing that Alec had come alone.

     Frank moved to the stove where his wife stood, and kissed her cheek, wiping the flour that had managed to make its way to her forehead.  He looked sideways at Alec, and asked, “What in the world would bring you out on a day like this, son?  It must have been something very important.”  The rain was beating vehemently now on the window panes as the wind picked up.

     “Oh, I just came over to speak with Miranda.  I think something’s going on with her, but I’m not sure what it is.  I know, I’m crazy coming out in this, but my mind just wouldn’t let me rest.  You know how it is, right?” 

     Frank looked at his wife questioningly, then back to Alec.  He only nodded, and answered, “Right.  I’m sure Miranda will be down soon, and the two of you can talk.  Now, please, join us for breakfast.  I’m sure there’s plenty, right, honey?”  The air in the room was beginning to get tense.

     “Oh course, there’s plenty,” Mary agreed. 

     “Please, come join us at the table, Alec,” Frank invited.

     Cassie wasn’t saying anything, she was enjoying the show.  She pulled out a chair and sat down, tossing her long dark braids over her shoulders. 
What would Alec say when he found out?
She wondered.  She didn’t have to wait long to find out, for at that moment, Miranda walked into the room.  When she saw Alec, she froze to the spot, and felt her cheeks turn red.

     Her family was seated around the table, while Mary was busy placing the serving plates on it.  When the enticing smells of the morning meal had wafted into the open doorway of her bedroom, she couldn‘t wait to get downstairs and savor every morsel, but after seeing Alec, she suddenly felt nauseous.  She placed her one hand over the other, to hide the diamond that adorned her ring finger, as she stood there fidgeting.  “Why Alec,” she stammered, “I didn’t know you were here.” 

     He stood to his feet as he responded, “Well, Miranda, I haven’t seen much of you lately.  It had me a bit worried, so I thought I would come over and see you.  I hope you don’t mind.  Have you been avoiding me for a reason?  Have I done something to offend you?”

     Miranda was feeling guilty.  How could she tell him that she was engaged to Steven?  It was going to hurt him so.  He looked forlorn as he stood there waiting for a response.  It wasn’t his fault that she didn’t return his feelings.  He was such a handsome, kind-hearted man.  He deserved someone who could return all that love he had inside him. 

     His hair was mostly dry now, and he ran his fingers through it nervously, as he waited on Miranda to say something, his dark eyes searching hers, as if to find an answer.

     All she wanted to do right now, was turn around and run.  Run somewhere where Alec couldn’t find her.  She would never do anything to hurt him, if she could help it. 
But, how could she help this?
  She cleared her throat, and moved to the table.  She took her place beside Cassie, as Alec lowered himself once more, sitting across the table from Miranda.

    
How was she to begin?
  Her gaze slowly met his.  “No, Alec, of course you haven’t done anything to offend me.  I’ve just been busy lately, and a lot has been happening.”

     “Like what?” He asked curiously, as he felt his stomach tightening.  He knew Miranda, and he now knew there was something she was trying to hide from him.

     “We’ll talk about that later, alright?  I did want to thank you though for the lovely locket.  It was beautiful, Alec, but I know it had to be very expensive.  I couldn’t possibly accept such a gift.”

     “Nonsense, nothing is too good for you, Miranda.”  He was staring at her, as if he could sense her restlessness.  An odd feeling came over him and suddenly he wished he hadn’t come. 

     “I’m really hungry right now.”  She nervously met his gaze once more, and a lump formed in her throat. 

     Cassandra, who had been unusually quiet during the meal, suddenly burst out, “Did you know Miranda’s getting married?  Steven asked her last week, and she accepted.  Show Alec your ring Miranda.”

     Alec looked as if he had seen a ghost.

     “Oh Alec, I didn’t mean for you to find out this way!”  Miranda cried.  “I was going to tell you, please believe me.  It’s just that …”

     “There’s no need to explain,” Alec remarked, as he pushed his chair away from the table and stood to his feet.  “I think you and Steven will be very happy together.”  His face had turned ashen, and tears were welling in his eyes, but he tried to hide them, as he moved toward the door.  “I guess I should be leaving now.  Thank you all very much for the coffee.”

     Miranda hurriedly rose from her seat and went after him, placing her hand on his arm.  “Please, stay a while, Alec!” She pleaded.  “Let’s talk about this!”

     He swiped at the tears that had made their way down his cheeks, and looked down at her with cold dark eyes.  “You don’t owe me an explanation.  If he’s what makes you happy, then I wish you the best of luck.”

     He pulled away from her, opened the door, and made his way out into the still pouring rain.  Miranda just stood there watching him, tears filling her eyes.  When he disappeared in the distance, she ran from the kitchen, up the stairs to her room, and slammed the door. 

      She was weeping so hard that the tears were running down her face, and dropping to the floor.  She had known Alec would take the news hard, but she hadn’t expected to see hate glaring from him as he stared at her. 

     “I’m so sorry, Alec,”  she muttered over and over again, as she made her way across the room to her bed, and dropped down on it.  “I’ll find a way to make this up to you somehow, I promise.”  With that, she buried her face in her pillow and sobbed. 

     The days grew longer and hotter.  There had been very little rain all summer, the most significant being the day Alec had found out about Steven and Miranda’s engagement, nearly two months earlier.  After all this time, they had hoped Alec would come around, but no, neither had seen him. Steven wished things would improve. Miranda was hardly herself now. She had been unable to forgive herself for the hurt she had caused her friend. He had to find some way to make things right, but how? 

     Steven took the handkerchief from his shirt pocket and swiped it across his forehead.  Perspiration clung to the sandy hair around his face. He had been working on the farm all morning, hoping to get most of the chores done before the heat of the day became too intense. He prayed it would rain soon. “Better get back to it,” he spoke to himself, “It’s not going to get done on its own.” He was in the barn, about to retrieve a shovel from the floor, when he heard a noise behind him.

     “Hey, little brother,” came a familiar voice?  What are you doing out here working, when your big sister came to see you?”

     “Samantha!” Steven yelled, as he threw the tool aside and ran to hug her.  “Goodness, it’s so wonderful to see you!  Where’s Michael?”  Samantha was four years older than he, and his only sibling.

     “Michael’s in the house, and I’ve been missing you all so much, I made that man of mine bring me here to see everyone.” she explained.

     “I’m so glad he did,” Steven beamed.

     “Hey, little brother, what’s this I hear about you and little Miranda getting married?”  She arched a brow.

     Steven laughed.  “She’s not so little anymore, big sister.  We’re nearly the same age, you know.”

     “I know, but it just seems like yesterday, you, Miranda and Alec were all running around playing together. Miranda with her long braids flying, and you and Alec, little scrawny kids, and you, with all those freckles.  Where did they disappear to, by the way?”