“Obviously,” Grant concurred.
Hailey nodded in agreement. “I feel convicted that my words and my actions may not always mesh the way they should…the way I want them too. And you, well you’ve practically figured up the number of years, months, weeks, days and hours, factoring in leap year, until we can have sex.”
“I don’t know that God is opposed to a healthy countdown,” Grant grinned.
Hailey rolled her eyes. “I am just suggesting that perhaps we spend a little more time studying why we, as a couple, have made the decision to wait. I think that a little more positive reinforcement may strengthen our resolve.”
“How much do you want to bet that half the scriptures we read use the word fornication?” Grant thought aloud.
Hailey smiled as she pointed at Grant, her mouth open, but no words coming out.
“I’m just kidding,” Grant smiled sweetly. “I love to read; I love to study…and I love to spend time with you, so our Bible studies together have been gratifying to say the least.”
Hailey stared lovingly at Grant, cherishing their time together. “You know,” she said thoughtfully, “I think a lot of young people mistake physical attraction for love.” She shook her head, silently counting her blessings. “I’m so thankful I found the real thing.”
Grant closed his eyes. “Hailey,” he said, slowly opening them again, “I need to know something. I need to know that you forgive me for not waiting.”
Hailey nodded. “There is a part of me that wishes we could both experience our first time together.” She smiled broadly. “But, everything you’ve done, everywhere you’ve been, every choice you’ve made, every mistake you’ve learned from has made you who you are today. And who you are today…I wouldn’t trade for anything.”
“I love you,” Grant smiled. “And I’m sorry…really sorry…for my admittedly boorish behavior earlier.”
“Oh, you mean the begging?” Hailey grinned, thoroughly enjoying antagonizing him. “Please,” she mocked. “Geez, Grant!”
Laughing, Grant shrugged.
“Come-on,” Hailey offered her hand to him. “I think we probably need to spend a little time reading and re-reading and having real discussions about the basis of our commitment to God and to each other.”
Grant raised a skeptical eyebrow. “So a little more conversation and a little less action?”
“Exactly,” Hailey nodded, as she pulled Grant to his feet. “Come-on…I have a book I think we could benefit from reading together.”
Grant held Hailey’s hand as she led him down the hall. “I just don’t know how Elvis would feel about you twisting his words like that,” he laughed.
“If I remember correctly, Elvis was all about the twisting!” Hailey argued.
Grant pretended to be struggling under the weight of the two paper sacks he carried from The Country Stop as Hailey rolled her eyes. She bent down to pet Lazy Jesse, the obese, old basset hound that lay at the foot of the wooden rocker where Boone Calhoun sat on the store’s front porch.
“Can I help you there, Grant?” Boone offered gruffly, though not making a move to get up.
“No, thank you, Mr. Calhoun; I’ve got it,” Grant smiled.
Rusty Cobb returned to the porch and handed Boone a beer before sitting down in the rocking chair next to him and popping the top on his own. He tipped his ragged, oil-stained, red Dale, Jr. cap at Hailey, and she smiled politely.
About that time, Darla and Sarah came skipping past the gas pumps, giggling when they saw Grant.
“Hey, Grant,” little Darla sang, twirling the end of one of her pigtails around her finger and batting her eyelashes.
“That one there’s gonna end up in a world of trouble if her daddy don’t get a hold of her,” Rusty pointed.
“Grant, you got a dollar?” Sarah begged. “It ain’t fair Darla gets a candy bar, and I don’t!”
“I ain’t gettin’ no candy bar!” Darla announced. “Mama only gave me money to get Daddy’s coffee ‘cause he ran out this mornin’, and she don’t want him up at Maude’s every mornin’ with Maybelle. She’ll be madder than a wet hen if I spend it on candy.”
“Let’s see what I can do,” Grant said as he handed off one of the grocery bags to Hailey. He reached into his pocket and pulled out Granny Miller’s change. “Here’s a dollar for you,” he said, handing a dollar to Sarah, “and here’s a dollar for you,” he smiled at Darla.
Boone had started chatting Rusty up about getting out by his place to help him finish his new chicken coop and do some repairs on his barn. Rusty was complaining about how youngins kept climbing his fence and had about torn it down. Lazy Jesse was snoring loudly enough that they had to talk over him.
“Thank you, Grant!” Darla and Sarah hollered in unison as they scampered inside the store.
Hailey smiled at Grant as she dumped the second grocery bag back into his arms. “Thank you, Ms. Dottie!” she laughed. She rolled her eyes. “You know she’s gonna count her change!”
“I’ll take it out of my tip,” Grant grinned.
“Right,” Hailey laughed. “You just keep dreamin’!”
“Why are you so nice all the time?” Grant protested as he unloaded both sacks of groceries into the cab of the truck. “Or a better question may be…why is it so dang important to you to impress Granny?”
“Somebody has to,” Hailey winked.
“That was below the belt,” Grant grumbled.
“Grant, it’s no big deal,” Hailey laughed. “She just asked us to pick up some groceries for her. It’s like 10:30; we’re on Christmas vacation; it’s not like we have anything else to do. We’ll be in and out in five minutes.”
“Oh please!” Grant exclaimed as he started the engine. “Don’t play dumb with me! We’re clearly, knowingly and willingly walking into a trap! That old woman loves you and only tolerates me, her own flesh and blood! You know she’s going to want to make a proper future wife out of you and teach you all her secret recipes. We’ll be there for hours…with her imparting her wisdom upon you, laced, of course, with a few, less than subtle, warnings about the virtues of waiting for the one. ”
“I have found the one, and I will gladly tell her so,” Hailey said confidently as she leaned over and kissed Grant’s cheek. “Besides,” she smiled, “you know she won’t be around forever, and you do like her pies…”
