The Wedding Circle Read Online Free Page B

waving and coaxing her to join them in its blessed shade. As there was no hint of a breeze, Maura Beth was right beside them in an instant.
    â€œWe knew you’d probably be the first one here,” Connie said, as the two women embraced a few seconds later. “You even beat the councilman and his ever-present underlings.”
    â€œHow do you like our little surprise?” Douglas added, hugging Maura Beth in turn as he pointed to the top of the canopy. “It’s actually one of those deluxe football tailgating tents we rented just for the occasion. With football season just about a month away, they’re pretty easy to come by.”
    Maura Beth was all smiles as she scanned the width and breadth of it quickly. “A brilliant move, I have to say. I wasn’t looking forward to standing out in the sweltering heat while Councilman Sparks got in all of his photo ops. No telling how much shoveling he’ll end up doing until he gets it just right for posterity. I predict he’ll have “Chunky” Badham and “Gopher” Joe Martin snapping him from all different angles while the rest of us moan and groan.”
    â€œWell, we thought we’d do it up right in true Cherry Cola Book Club fashion,” Connie continued, obviously quite pleased with herself. “We’ve got a bowl of cherry cola punch and some finger foods over there on the table to make sure everyone keeps up their energy levels.”
    Maura Beth gave the two of them her most affectionate gaze. “First you donate the land for the library, and now you jazz this up for us like this. I, for one, am so thankful you decided to retire here in Cherico.”
    â€œThanks, sweetie, we are, too. But where’s your Jeremy?” Connie asked, sounding somewhat distracted.
    â€œOh, he’s on his way. He had a staff orientation meeting over at the high school this morning. Big doings since school begins next week. I can’t believe how early the kids start these days. When I was coming along, we always went back closer to the end of the month, and Mama and Daddy said it was always after Labor Day for them. Summer vacation seems to be getting shorter and shorter.”
    Their conversation was interrupted by two staccato honks of a car horn, and they all turned quickly to see Jeremy generating a thick trail of reddish dust as he barreled down upon the site. He brought his yellow Triumph Spitfire—which he had nicknamed “The Warbler” after having lovingly reworked its 1971 engine—to an impressive, if herky-jerky halt; then he emerged from the front seat with a perfunctory wave of his hand and immediately began giving everyone the latest Cherico High update before anyone could even get out a word.
    â€œFolks, I deliberately stepped in it just a tad bit today,” he told them, serving himself a cup of punch as he sounded off. “That’s a record for me. It took me a good couple of semesters to get on the headmaster’s nerves up at New Gallatin Academy. But what else is new?”
    Maura Beth’s look of concern was genuine. If she had learned anything about her fiancé in the time they had been an item, it was that his fuse was exceedingly short. More than once, he had gotten into trouble by not thinking things through before he spoke. “What did you do now, Jeremy?”
    He downed the entire cup in one great swig and then quickly ladled himself another. “Basically, the same thing I did up at New Gallatin with my nemesis, Mr. Yelverton. On one of our breaks this morning, I brought up the possibility of his approving literary field trips for my students. I said, ‘Mr. Hutchinson, Oxford’s just about an hour and a half from Cherico.’ Then I suggested a bus trip to see Rowan Oak and The Square and all the rest of William Faulkner’s haunts. I told him I thought it would really bring writing to life for my boys and girls.”
    From the beginning,