Her cheeks heated as Karen grabbed her hand and led her down the aisle with the family. They walked back toward the house, where Karen asked for Jerica’s help in getting the food out for people to eat. Jerica gladly agreed to be of service.
* * *
Everyone had food and the dancing began. Jerica sat next to Bridget at a long table, talking animatedly with an elderly woman, Cady, who was there with her partner, MaryBelle, and apparently owned the hardware and lumber store in town.
“I’m so glad to see Eli and Sarah finally get hitched,” Cady murmured.
“Oh?” Jerica raised her eyebrows.
“Eli moves slow as molasses, you know.” Cady grinned. “Sometimes she needs someone to give her a good shove. Isn’t that right, Bridget?”
“Yeah,” Bridget answered, but she didn’t really seem to be paying attention. She worried her thumb over the tips of her fingers repeatedly until Jerica grabbed her hand to still the nervous gesture.
“I’ve been cheering them on from the start.” Cady grinned broadly and crossed her arms until MaryBelle sat next to her with another drink.
“They’re certainly a beautiful couple together. I only started to get to know them recently, but I’ve taken to both of them.”
Cady nodded and gave a pointed look to Bridget. “Sarah’s made herself right at home here in town. She’s very welcome.”
Jerica wasn’t quite sure what was going on between the two of them, nor was she sure she wanted to know, but she stayed in her lane and didn’t ask or pry. At least not yet. She would get that information from Bridget later that night or sometime that week, but she wanted to know what was going on in the silent conversation.
Thus far, every person Jerica got to know at the wedding and in Bridget’s life seemed like someone who would support her in being out, other than her parents. She couldn’t figure out why Bridget hadn’t taken this step before.
Cady even said she’d known about Eli and Bridget for years. Bridget had frowned but said nothing. Jerica slipped a hand onto Bridget’s thigh and gave her a gentle squeeze before Bridget leaned in and whispered into Jerica’s ear. “I’ll be right back.”
Jerica frowned as Bridget shifted out of her chair and walked away. She tracked Bridget’s movements until Cady caught her attention again. “How long have you two been dating?”
“Oh, a few months now.”
“Yeah?” Cady looked excited at that information. She sipped her beer and leaned in her chair.
MaryBelle shook her head. “Now you’re going to start an inquisition.”
Jerica smiled and lowered her gaze. “It’s fine. I’m sure there are lots of questions as to who I am. Bridget is from here. I’m not.”
“No, but are you from around here?”
“I grew up in Garden. Went to school in Hays and then moved back as soon as I could. I missed it, most days. But I got my dream job working in the ER. I’m a nurse.”
“Oh!” Cady’s eyes lit up. “I didn’t know that. Did you hear that MaryBelle?”
“I did,” MaryBelle answered, giving Cady a cheeky look. “She’s not your personal nurse, remember that.”
“I’d never think that.”
“She would,” MaryBelle interjected. “And if she starts in on that, just walk away. She won’t be offended.”
Jerica giggled, grabbing her own drink. The two of them were precious together. Jerica rarely found lesbian couples who had been together so long out in their area of the country, but she was loving the dynamic between these two. “How did you two meet?”
Cady grinned broadly. “We were high school rivals.”
“What?” Jerica nearly choked on her drink.
MaryBelle shook her head. “She makes it seem worse than it was.”
“Itwasbad!”
“No, it wasn’t. We weren’t rivals. We didn’t even go to the same school. I was calling on Cady’s brother’s best friend, so I was around a bit when Cady was there. She’s two years younger than me, and let’s just say Cady wasn’t always so outgoing.”