Well This Is Just Swell
Chapter 17: The Church Social
Hilery sighed as she looked into the mirror above the mantelpiece. Once again she had put on makeup to go with the dress, but had put her hair in a bun at the back of her head.
“Why don’t you wear your hair down?” Cooter asked, watching her. He was drinking his morning coffee as she examined herself. “You don’t have to wear it up today.”
She turned to look at him, an eyebrow raised. “I always wear it up.”
“You have beautiful hair Hil. Wear it down. You don’t have to hide it all the time. ‘Sides, most men like long hair.”
“Cooter…”
“Hil, I’m just tryin’ to help. We did agree that you would look nice to help yourself find a boyfriend.”
“And church is supposed to be a place to pick up men now?”
“Your father met your mother at a church social,” Cooter pointed out.
“Uh, no he didn’t,” was the reply. “They met at a high school football game.”
“Look, just go with it Hil.” He was starting to get frustrated with her, as she was with him. “There are a lot of people who think you have pretty hair when you wear it down.”
“And the only ones who have really seen me wear it down are family.”
“All the more reason to wear it down today.”
“Fine!” she said, frustrated. She reached up in her hair and started pulling the pins out. She took a deep breath and placed them on the mantel before turning to her cousin. “Happy?”
“Very,” he replied. Luke had told him what Bo had said about Hilery’s beauty, and if they were going to get them together, they had to keep him focused.
As though a last minute thought had occurred to him, Cooter disappeared up the stairs. When he returned he held a necklace in his hands. It was a turquoise cross pendant with a silver rose. He placed it around her neck before she turned to him. He hugged her, and kissed her forehead. “It was your mother’s,” he told her.
At the end of church services Hilery and Daisy slipped out to help Mrs. Frawley set the food out. A few of the men had set up tables in the churchyard before the morning services. Having arrived late, and having sat in the back of the church, no one had really noticed Hilery. That suited her fine.
As the food was being set out, people began to file out of the church. The day was warm and clear, a sure sign that summer would arrive soon.
Bo, Luke, Cooter, and Jesse were among the last to leave the building. As they walked, they talked, heading toward the tables to get in line. Daisy joined them a few moments later. She hadn’t been able to get over the transformation in the young Davenport woman, but kept her mouth shut. She hadn’t thought it was possible, but Hilery looked even more beautiful than she had at the spring dance a few weeks before. It made her jealous, which was no mean feat.
As the men talked, they inched closer to the serving table; at the end, Hilery was set up pouring drinks. Gradually the crowd thinned, and Bo got his first look at her. His heart nearly stopped beating in his chest; time seemed to slow down for him. He had spotted the most beautiful woman he had ever laid eyes on. She wore a pale yellow colored dress with a scooped neckline. Around the neckline were delicately embroidered flowers. The dress seemed to set off her honey blonde hair, which seemed to fall to her waist in waves of glorious gold. As she moved, he got a look at her profile which seemed perfectly proportioned, and her calves were beautifully shaped, enhanced by the white sandals she wore on her feet. Bo forgot to breathe.
“Bo, buddy, c’mon, breathe,” Cooter said, waving a hand in front of the younger man’s face. When Bo sucked in a breath, everyone with him let out a sigh of relief.
“You okay?”
“Yeah Luke,” Bo breathed, his eyes going back to the beautiful woman with gold in her hair.
Raising an eyebrow, Luke turned to look where Bo had been looking. His mouth dropped open. It was no wonder Bo had stopped breathing. He recognized Hilery, but barely. She looked like a completely different woman when she wore makeup and had her hair down. “Is that…?” he asked when he had recovered enough to speak.
Cooter looked where Bo and Luke were looking and chuckled. “Yeah, that’s Hil.”
“Damn…” Bo said, his voice a mere whisper. “Uh, listen, I’m um, gonna go find us a place to sit,” he told them a few moments later. Before he could make a hasty retreat, Luke grabbed his good shoulder and kept him in the line.
“No you don’t.” He suppressed a laugh. He had never seen Bo so scared to talk to a woman before. It was quite interesting. “It’s only Hil,” he added. “Not like you haven’t talked to her a million times before.”
Bo didn’t reply, his eyes were fixed on the young Davenport. His heart was hammering in his chest and his palms were sweating. As his plate was being fixed with the help of his Uncle, they could all tell he was making selections on autopilot. He wasn’t paying anyone any mind.
“Hi Bo,” Hilery said when he stood in front of her. “What would ya like to drink?”
Bo blinked at her when he realized she had spoken to him. “Uh… what did ya say?”
“What would you like to drink,” she repeated. “We have tea, and we have lemonade.”
“Uh… lemonade.” He couldn’t stop staring at her, but she didn’t seem to notice. A few of the other women were starting to take notice however.
He watched her face as she poured the drink before looking at his hands. He was still in the cast and sling. “You want me to take this to your table for you? Y’all are the last ones in line.”
“Uh… sure,” Bo replied. “If you like, you could join me, er… us…” he blushed.
“Well… there’s not enough room at the table that your Uncle picked out,” she said, looking past him, “but, I had planned on sitting under the tree on a blanket. You’re welcome to join me if you like.”
Bo was at a loss for words at the invite. It was all he could do to swallow the lump in his throat and nod his head. After she fixed her plate, they walked to the shade and sat down on an old blanket, Bo sitting Indian style, and Hilery sitting with her legs tucked underneath herself.
“So… I’m surprised Kendra isn’t here with you,” she said after a few moments of eating.
“Uh… yeah… she had to go visit her aunt and uncle.”
“What do you see in her?” Hilery asked. It left Bo flabbergasted.
“What do you mean, ‘what do’ I ‘see in her?’”
“Oh come on Bo, you aren’t foolin’ me. You took her to the spring dance; you’ve been spending a ton of time with her… it’s really obvious that the two of you are involved.”
“Hil, I don’t know where you’ve been gettin’ your information, honey, but Kendra and I aren’t involved. We’re just friends.”
“Bo, I’m not stupid” Hilery said after she had swallowed a bite of food. “Like I said, I’ve seen the signs, and I genuinely hope she makes you happy.”
“There’s only one woman I want Hil, and it ain’t Kendra.”
“Then I hope she makes you happy.” She looked away from him and ran her hand over the blanket for a moment. She had never heard Bo talking about seeing just one woman, but believing that one woman wasn’t her left her somewhat heartbroken.
“Hil, you alright?”
“Yeah, I’m fine,” she replied. “I’m just sweating and my makeup is running in my eyes.” It wasn’t the truth, and he knew it. Bo reached out and tucked a lock of her hair behind her ear.
“Hilery,” Bo started, but she cut him off.
“I’m gonna go wash this stupid makeup off.” She stood up, smoothed her dress, and started walking toward the church. It made Bo sigh deeply, frustrated. He had hurt her feelings, something he hadn’t meant to do, but he also hadn’t known she had been interested until she became upset. He finished eating in silence, doubting she would come back. So much for hoping it would turn into a first date.
| Previous Chapter | Story Index | Next Chapter |