The McEllis Boys

Chapter Thirty-Five

Chapter Thirty-Five

Class had worn Bethany out. Her brain was tired and her back hurt from being cramped up to that table for hours. She sighed with relief as she pulled into Nicole's driveway and then she frowned. Where was everyone?

Her papaw's truck was the only vehicle in the drive even though it was a little after five and everyone should be home from their work days. She also noticed that Andrew wasn't waiting for her on the porch, which was very odd. Anytime she left and came home he would be waiting for her with that big smile on his handsome face and his brown eyes sparkling with happiness at seeing her again.

She wondered where he was as she fought to push away the disappointment she felt. She got out of the car and started up toward the house, surprised when her papaw stepped out with a broad smile on his wrinkled face.

"What's going on?" Bethany asked suspiciously.

"Your man had some specific instructions for you," Silas replied.

Bethany frowned, "What kind of instructions?"

Silas held up a black dress bag, "You are to clean up, put this on and then I am to take you to a certain destination."

"What destination?" Bethany asked suspiciously.

Silas shook his head, "I gotta keep that part to myself," he replied. Bethany's heart was racing as she wondered what in the world could be going on. She took the dress bag from her papaw and quickly went upstairs to the bathroom. She took a shower, blow dried her long dark hair and then unzipped the bag to find a simple white sundress that would hang to her knees and a pair of strappy sandals inside.

What was going on? She quickly dressed and pulled on the sandals. She left her hair down and put on some light make-up and dangling silver earrings before walking back downstairs.

"You look beautiful," Silas said gruffly as he stood from the couch and then cleared his throat.

"What's going on?" Bethany asked cautiously as her stomach filled with butterflies.

"You'll find out soon enough," he assured her. "Now it's time to go." Bethany's mind was racing as she tried to think of where they could possibly be going. She was following behind her papaw's truck in her car and she realized her papaw was leading her to the park and then her heart began to pound when she realized he was taking her to her special place, the place she had only ever taken one other person to.

Gathered in that spot were Nicole, Cavanaugh, Leslie, Madeline, Ian and Andrew. Andrew was wearing a pair of black trousers and a white button down with black vest. He had his hat clutched in his hands and it looked as if he had polished his boots. He was shifting his weight from side to side and looked more nervous than she had ever seen him look. Bethany also saw another man there... A man she was pretty sure she recognized as a preacher from one of the small Baptist churches in town.

"Papaw, what's going on?" Bethany asked through her open window as her hands shook and Silas walked up to her closed door. Andrew walked toward them, rubbing his hands up and down his thighs.

"I think the boy wants to talk to you," Silas replied.

Andrew opened her door and held out his hand. Bethany realized that his hands were shaking just as badly as her own, "What's going on, Andrew?" she asked as she placed her hand in his.

He cleared his throat and she saw his smile falter, "Take a walk with me?" he asked quietly and Bethany nodded. Andrew helped her from the car and they walked away from everyone and into the woods, following the path they'd walked the day they'd made love out here.