Troy and Deanna relaxed in the two-seater swing by the lake's edge on Nanna's property. They were wrapped in a large fleece blanket and a fire pit nearby gave additional warmth. They could see Nanna and Major in the distance at the opposite end of the lake fishing. Major had invited them to a fish fry for lunch. Deanna had a pout on her face, which Troy paid absolutely no attention to. This time he'd put his foot down and she reluctantly submitted.

"I'm going to have to face him."

"It's not going to be today. We've already discussed this and I'm done with it, Deanna."

She huffed. "All right, Troy. You do know that you can't keep me from going down that road forever, right?"

"Deanna after what happened yesterday, you're not ready to see him. Perhaps the initial shock of seeing him and Myrna together will make the next step easier but you need a day or two. All right?" Troy worked so hard to keep the emotions out of his voice. He didn't want Deanna to know the rage he felt every time he thought about Billy. In his mind, he'd often imagined Billy Bob's face smashed in with a bat.

She nodded. Then she glanced across the lake and saw Nanna and Major laughing and having a good time together. She pointed towards them. "We're going to be just like them when all this is over."

Troy kissed the top of her hair. That thought warmed his heart. He longed to have his Deanna carefree and light hearted. He allowed that happy thought to wash over him. This was a good sign, she was thinking of the future instead of her past. It was a monumental moment.  "That's my girl," he said squeezing her hand. "What else do you see about our future?"

"I see Aiden with us. I see him with that woman, happy..."

"Speaking of that, I found out who the young lady is."

"How?"

"Major and I were talking yesterday but with all the confusion of what happened I forgot to mention it to you."

Deanna turned towards him and smiled. "Who is she?"

"Her name is Jasmine and she's Nanna's granddaughter. She and Aiden have known each other all their lives. They're in love."

"Wow."

"But even better news, Nanna helped to raise Aiden."

Deanna was stunned. Her eyes bored into Troy's. He could almost see the processing of that thought going on in her mind. Her lips began to tremble. All of her life she'd worried about those years that she was apart from Aiden. She'd questioned her decision to leave him with his father a billion times.

She'd wondered if he would take on Myrna's vile traits being in her home day in and day out. Being with Nanna this short time, she knew what type of woman that she was – kind, considerate, loving and stable. Her body was suddenly flooded with joy.

"God made a way out for him."

"Beautifully so, darling."

"Nanna would have been able to provide the stability and security that I couldn't."

"She was his shelter from the storm. That's just beautiful."

"Oh, Troy that the best news ever. The absolute best news ever. That would explain why I feel him here. I can't explain it but sometimes when I walk down the halls I just know he's been there. It always felt more than what the private investigator told me, but I couldn't put my finger on it."

"So, Deanna, your hunch was right that he will probably be back here at some point."

"But when? Troy you've been so generous. I can't ask you to let me stay..."

Troy leaned down and kissed Deanna softly on the lips. "Shhh, darling. We'll know exactly when he'll be here."

Deanna had a question mark on her face. Troy chuckled. He tilted his head toward Nanna and Major. "The wedding, Deanna. The wedding."

***

"Lord knows I am happy to see those too look so rested after what happened yesterday," Nanna said, pouring peanut oil into the deep fryer.

Major sat across from Nanna at a table. He'd just finished cleaning the fish. He placed the last cleaned fish in the bucket of iced water that Nanna had brought outside. Then he picked up the newspapers with the cleanings and tossed it in the trash.

He walked over to the end of the table and squirted on some antibacterial wash. Then sat down and began cutting the home fries for the meal. Major looked across the lake at Troy and Deanna. "It's something that I really like about those two."

"Me too," said Nanna. "She reminds me of someone and I just don't know why I can't place her.  They're both very sweet people."

"Yeah, but something is troubling them. He was asking me a lot of questions about the guy next door."

Nanna tilted her head. "Billy Bob Johnson - hmm, that's odd."

"Yeah, made up some excuse about needing a crop duster for a friend. I didn't believe it for one minute."

Nanna toweled down the fish and dropped them into the deep fryer. Then she walked over to the table and helped Major finish cutting up the potatoes.  "Did he say anything else?"

"Not much. I told him a little about Aiden because it connected to what we were talking about. I tried to get more information out of him but he closed down and then Deanna came over in a panic. What happened with that, Arabella?"

"She was fine, and then I saw her staring at something. Next thing I knew she was trembling and her face looked like a pile of snow. Then she ran over to Troy."

"What do you think that she saw?"

"There were so many people at the festival yesterday, I have no earthly idea." Nanna pulled the first batch of fish out of the fryer and placed them on a platter. She salted them and then placed the last pile of fish in the fryer. 

Major cut up the last potatoes and slid the pile of chopped potatoes for her to drop in the fryer next. Just then one of the staff brought the UPS driver to Nanna to sign for a package. Nanna signed and glanced down at the package. "Another package from my long-lost granddaughter," she smiled.

"That Aiden's doing a great job keeping that little love blocker in his love shack. It's no way I was expecting her to stay gone this long – so lucky for me."

Nanna tossed back her head and started laughing. "You do have a way with words, my love."  She peeled open the package. Nanna's face flushed red.  She stumbled to the table. Major was alarmed.

"What's the matter, sunshine."

Nanna handed Major a bottle of pills with a note on it that read – This is for you. Thank you and Aiden for loving me enough to tell me the truth of my addiction. Consider this your trophy for saving my life. I don't need them anymore.

Then with hands trembling and a smile that lit midnight, she handed him the next item. There was another note attached – This is Aiden's trophy and your trophy for helping me with my entire life. It was a beautiful lavender card. Soft golden calligraphy flowed across the page.

Mrs. Arabella Stone

Cordially invites you to attend the wedding ceremony of

Jasmine Stone and Aiden Ross

To be held

March 20th

At: The Apple Blossom Inn

Wedding begins at 4:00 P.M.

RSVP

***

Aiden talked with Tara, his reception at Ross Enterprises. The vice president of Aiden's company had left her a note to call Aiden on a very important business matter.

"Rory asked me to call because he had to go to the Spain office this morning and didn't have a chance to approve the Mitchell ad campaign. He needs you to come in and sign off on it."

Aiden's head was pounding and his entire body was in pain. His temperature was like a faucet sporadically turning from hot to cold. Jas lay beside him either in chills or beads of sweat pouring off her body that soaked the bed.  While he laid there wracked in pain, she was sprawled out, restfully asleep in a drugged induced state of Nyquil. He sniffled – agitated. "I...can't."

"Oh, Aiden you sound awful. What's the matter?"

"Flu...damn flu." He glanced down at Jas and rolled his eyes with the little strength he had in his body. If that stubborn woman had not gone outside with no shoes on...

"I'm so sorry, Aiden. Is there anything that I can do?"

"Yes," he croaked. "You can approve... or disapprove the account."

"Me, but Aiden...I'm just the..."

"You're just my right arm. You know how I think," Aiden sniffled. "You know everything that I do. You've seen me do enough signing off to know what to do."

Tara was silent, soaking this all in.

"Tara."

"Yes, Aiden."

"Is there a problem?"

"That's such a large account and I feel so ..."

"Incompetent to handle something that large?"

"Why...yes. It's a little overwhelming."

Aiden pulled himself upright. The laugh bubbling up inside of him, hurt. He knew a lot of things about Tara's level of efficiency that she didn't know that he knew. She'd signed off on things before to help him during times when he was at his lowest ebb.

She simply would go to the VP and tell him that he'd asked her to sign off. Tara was trust worthy and efficient. He knew she could handle it. She was always there for him. "Tara, did you know that I knew that you called me Mr. Snap-Snap in front of the staff."

Tara was shocked. "um...no and sorry, sir."

"Now, it's sir? Degrading your boss in front of the staff could be considered insubordination and worth termination."

Tara gasped.

"Now, would you rather be terminated or given a raise and a promotion from Mr. Snap-Snap. Because a receptionist is not in a position to sign off on things." Aiden's cough sounded awful. He pulled a tissue from the box and blew his nose. Aiden said that, knowing full well she got the meaning that he was completely aware that she'd gotten things approved through Rory.

"I'm so embarrassed," she said low enough to be a mouse squeak.

"What was that?" he scolded, trying to keep his painful laugh in.

"I said, I would love to have the promotion and will sign off on the account."

Aiden corrected her. "Raise and promotion."

"Yes, sir."

"Now, come up with a title for yourself and dispense with the matter."

"Thank you, Aiden."

"You're welcome. I'll handle the raise when I am able to get out of bed. Just take care of whatever else if someone needs me."

"I will."

Aiden let out a fit of coughs. After he settled down he said, "And Tara, I sent you an invitation to my wedding."